Howard Dean will not be the nominee for President of the Democratic Party in 2004. Although he is currently second in the count for delegates to the convention, he has ceased to campaign for the party’s nomination.

Even though he will be back in Vermont come the election, he will have made a huge difference, not only in the views that the Democratic nominee will present to the country, but also to the political discussion as a whole when we go to the polls in November.

The political talking heads are writing his political obituary as an also ran whose campaign blew up in a scream one cold night in Iowa, but nothing could be farther from the truth.

A year ago, Howard Dean was the former governor of Vermont and a doctor who decided to run for President to impact the political discussion on our nation’s health care mess. Something that as a five time governor of a state that ranks 42nd in the number of citizens who lack heath insurance he knows a lot about. (Just for reference, G.W. Bush’s home state of Texas, where he was governor for just 1½ terms, ranks first in the number of citizens who are not covered by health insurance). Nobody at that time seemed to care or listen to what Dr. Dean had to say.

When our government invaded Iraq, Dr. Dean was the only candidate who was brave enough to stand against the administration and say publicly that what was being done in the name of our country was wrong. The other candidates were afraid to do so.

Suddenly candidate Dean was number one in the polls for the nomination and had money flowing into his campaign while the others were struggling.

The only smart move that the other candidates had was to start to sound and act like Governor Dean or risk being at the sidelines.

While Senator Kerry may have a longer Washington pedigree (the last President with substantial Washington experience was President Nixon) and Senator Edwards may have a better smile and more personal warmth, but Governor Dean has effected the issues in this election in the way no other candidate in or out of the race has yet to date.

Our election this November will be about who our government responds to.

If we re-elect the current President then they will continue to give our hard earned tax dollars away enhance the huge profits of companies who funded his election; they will continue to give themselves huge tax breaks, while the rest of us continue to bare the burden of their excessive spending; they will continue to put more importance on what goes on in your bedroom than in their friends corporate boardrooms; they will continue to scare citizens with the spectre of terrorism into giving up freedoms and rights that have so long been the very basis of our nation.

If we don’t re-elect him then at least we have a chance to see that those same funds go to help individual citizens who are in unfortunate situations, to help better educate our children, to rid our country of disease and illness, to protect our land and water for those who will come after us and most importantly to be a leader and role model in the community of nations and not the big bully on the playground who takes his ball and goes home when he doesn’t like the rules.

Just because Dr. Dean is back in Vermont and not on the campaign trail doesn’t mean that his voice hasn’t been heard, that his opinions and speeches have not created a positive impact in the direction our nation is going, and hopefully come January 20, 2005 that Dr. Dean will be in a position to continue to make our nation a better place with an important position in the new Democratic administration.

FOX News Channel's O'Reilly: I was wrong about Bush

The Associated Press reports:

Feb 12, 2004 NEW YORK - Bill O'Reilly says he was wrong about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and that's made him more skeptical of the Bush administration.

O'Reilly, who has the top-rated political talk show on cable news, was confronted on ABC's "Good Morning America" about his statement before the Iraq war that if Saddam Hussein is overthrown and there were no such weapons found, he'd apologize to the nation.

"Well, my analysis was wrong and I'm sorry," O'Reilly told Charles Gibson on Tuesday.

"I am much more skeptical of the Bush administration now than I was at the time," O'Reilly said.

O'Reilly places the blame on intelligence officials for their pre-war assessments.

"I don't think there's any doubt . . . that George W. Bush wanted to remove Saddam," he said. "And in history, I believe that will be a good thing . . . But I think every American should be very concerned, for their families and themselves, that our intelligence isn't as good as it should be."

WHERE ARE THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION ??

Vice President Dick Cheney: Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us. (Remarks to VFW, 8/26/03).


Secretary of War..I mean Defense Donald Rumsfeld: There are a number of terrorist states pursuing weapons of mass destruction -- Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, just to name but a few. But no terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our people than the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. (Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing Transcript, 9/19/2002)


President George W. Bush: Saddam Hussein could strike without notice and inflict "massive and sudden horror" on America. (AP, 10/6/02)


Secretary of State Colin Powell: “Our conservative estimate is that Iraq today has a stockpile of between 100 and 500 tons of chemical weapons agent. That is enough agent to fill 16,000 battlefield rockets.” (Remarks, U.N., 2/05/03)


President "Shrub": "Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised." (Address, D.C., 3/17/03)


War Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: "We know where they are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat." (Remarks, ABC, 3/30/03)


President Bush: “there's no doubt in my mind, when it's all said and done, the facts will show the world the truth. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind. (Remarks, 7/09/03)

.... i don't believe it mr. bush, something we finally agree on something. i just don't think that you will like the truth.

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ball point pens would not work in zero gravity.

To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300 Degrees.

The Russians used a pencil.

During this year's Super Bowl, you'll see ads sponsored by beer companies, tobacco companies, and the Bush White House. But you won't see the winning ad in MoveOn.org Voter Fund's Bush in 30 Seconds ad contest. CBS refuses to air it.

Meanwhile, the White House is on the verge of signing into law a deal which Senator John McCain (R-AZ) says is custom-tailored for CBS and Fox, allowing the two networks to grow much bigger. CBS lobbied hard for this rule change; MoveOn.org members across the country lobbied against it; and now our ad has been rejected while the White House ad will be played. It looks an awful lot like CBS is playing politics with the right to free speech.

CBS's censorship demonstrates why this issue is so important: a few big media companies can effectively stop political speech.

CBS still refuses to run "Child's Pay." But together, we can increase the pressure on CBS. And through the power of the Internet, we can make sure that millions of people see the ad and learn about the controversy.

add your name to the CBS petition at moveon.org or call the CBS comment line at 212-975-3247.

Intelligent Quotes

Question: If you could live forever, would you and why? Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever," -- Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.

"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff," -- Mariah Carey

"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body," -- Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward.

"I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president," -- Hillary Clinton commenting on the release of subpoenaed documents.

"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it," -- A congressional candidate in Texas.

"I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves." -- John Wayne

"Half this game is ninety percent mental." -- Philadelphia Phillies manager, Danny Ozark

"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it." -- Al Gore, Vice President

"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix." -- Dan Quayle

" It's no exaggeration to say that the undecided could go one way or another" -- George Bush, US President

"We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?" -- Lee Iacocca

"I was provided with additional input that was radically different from the truth. I assisted in furthering that version," -- Colonel Oliver North, from his Iran-Contra testimony.

"The word 'genius' isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein," -- Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst.

"We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people." -- Colonel Gerald Wellman, ROTC Instructor.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." -- Bill Clinton, President

"We are ready for an unforeseen event that may or may not occur." -- Al Gore, VP

"Traditionally, most of Australia's imports come from overseas." -- Keppel Enderbery

"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances." -- Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina

“If we let the loggers go in and cut down all the trees we wouldn’t have a problem with forest fires.” – George Bush

Top ten reasons George W. Bush should NOT be re-elected...

1) Compassionativity is not a word.
2) Social Security IS a federal program.
3) Benjamin Franklin did NOT invent the light bulb.
4) Trout are not extinct.
5) Brazil DOES have blacks.
6) Speaking is an important part of being president.
7) Our children is learning enough.
8) Fool me once, shame on you... fool me twice, shame on me.
9) Two words... Big Oil.
10) Sanity is an inalieble right.

Bush = Hitler ???

from the website : Truthout.org ---


The propaganda.
The lies.
The rhetoric.
The nationalism.
The flag waving.
The pretext of 'preventive war'.
The flaunting of international law and international standards of justice.
The disappearances of 'undesirable' aliens.
The threats against protesters.
The invasion of a non-threatening sovereign nation.
The occupation of a hostile country.
The promises of prosperity and security.
The spying on ordinary citizens.
The incitement to spy on one's neighbors - and report them to the government.
The arrogant triumphant pride in military conquest.
The honoring of soldiers.
The tributes to 'fallen warriors.
The diversion of money to the military.
The demonization of government appointed 'enemies'.
The establishment of 'Homeland Security'.
The dehumanization of 'foreigners'.
The total lack of interest in the victims of government policy.
The incarceration of the poor and mentally ill.
The growing prosperity from military ventures.
The illusion of 'goodness' and primacy.
The assassination teams.
The closed extralegal internment camps.
The militarization of domestic police.
The media blackout of non-approved issues.
The blacklisting of protesters - including the no-fly lists and photographing dissenters at rallies.

For full text of article CLICK HERE

The anti-gay American Family Association is doing a
poll on gay marriage, which they are going to present the results to Congress.

Please pass this URL far and wide. (I doubt they expect anyone but
their own, anti-gay members to answer it.) Thanks!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Well Brittany Spears got married. For 55 hours anyway.

Some people like her see marriage as a "stunt" or a "pratical joke" but there are others in our country who only wish that they were allowed to get married.

Hollywood is filled with examples of marriages that didn't last much longer than Brittany's did:

* Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra were married for 9 days.
* Drew Barrymore and Jeremy Thomas were married for 19 days.
* Drew Barrymore and Tom Green were married less than 6 months.
* Nicholas Cage and Lisa Marie Presley were married 3.5 months.
* Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley were married 18 months.
* Shannon Doherty and Ashely Hamilton were married 5 months.
* Shannon Doherty and Rick Salomon were married 8 months.
* Jennifer Lopez and Ojani Noa were married less than a year.
* Jennifer Lopez and Chris Jud were married 8 months.
* Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe were married 9 months.
* Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were married 4 months (the second time)
* Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson were married 1 year (the first time)
* Janet Jackson and James DeBarge were married 8 months
* Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Joli were married a little less than 2 years.

Elizabeth Taylor and Za Za Gabor have both been married 8 times, while others such as Joan Collins and Charlie Chaplin look almost sane in comparason at 4 marriages a piece.

And yet... there are those who say that by legalizing marriage between two people of the same sex, our country will be destroying the "sanctity of marriage." Looks like some people should get their own house in order before they start throwing stones.

Since July of 2000, when the Vermont civil-union law went into effect 6600 couples have paid their $30 fee for their civil union liscense. Only 25 of those couples have sought a dissolution of their civil union. (There is one case pending in Iowa).

While marriage may not be for everyone, gay or straight, that is not the point. The point is to
have the opportunity if a person so desires to have one's relationship recognized by the government. Of the 1900 gay households in Vermont on the 2000 US Census, only 936 have sought such a legal standing as a civil union. Almost 86% of civil unions performed have been for couple from the other 49 states where there are no such laws yet.

Massachuettes will have to provide legal recognition equal to that of heterosexual marriage to gay couples by this May and California has a law going into effect next year (keep your hands off Governor Terminator!) that will provide domestic partnerships with the same 300 legal rights and responsibilites as marriage.

Maybe some day we will live in a country where one of the Fab Five from "Queer Eye" can make as much a fool of theselves with their personal lives and many of our straight celebrities currently do. Of course, those guys would have to totally redecorate those tacky Las Vegas wedding chapels first.