Anti-Abortion Senator To Speak To Democrats
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gEPb3 dpV0bHULMTHOHrVnKQYqQwQD92HG6C01

In 1992 (at Bill Clinton's nominating convention), Senator Bob Casey's father, the late Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey, was denied a speaking spot at the convention because of his anti-abortion views. Now, in 2008, his son gets a high profile opportunity to avenge that slight.

On Tuesday August 26th, the same night as Hillary Clinton, anti-choice Senator Bob Casey Jr. has been given a speaking slot at the Democratic Convention.

I'd be a hypocrite if I said that the Democratic Party shouldn't allow dissenting views to be heard but... this cannot be dismissed as a small, meaningless gesture. It is symbolically huge. The anti-choice people know that they are winning a victory here. The pro-choice community should recognize it as well, and those so inclined should push back accordingly.

Obama is making a big gesture here and it feels the exact opposite of an attempt to make peace with Hillary Clinton's most ardent supporters on an issue which has become a flashpoint. Personally, I certainly see this as a slap in the face to both the Clinton's.

More importantly, it represents a weakening in the Democratic Party's message regarding Women's Reproductive Freedom and Choice in general. I've been watching Obama chumming up to Casey and leaders from the anti-choice movement with enormous trepidation. I've been hearing his pandering to Christian voters and his promotion of faith based programs with alarm. My concerns were warranted.

Not happy about this.

There's more...

The floods in the Midwest have continued and I include some information where I can in the Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin sections. Best of luck to all readers in the hard hit areas.

This week I return to an issue I discussed before: Republican cronies litterally killing our troops with no government oversight. This week Democratic Sentor Bob Casey is demanding an investigation of the electrocutions due to bad wiring that have been plaguing our military bases managed by a Hallibruton subsidiary. More below.

There's more...

I guess I'm as guilty as anyone else of buying into Gov. Casey and the GOP line that he was prevented from speaking at the Democratic convention in 1992 because he planned to give an anti-choice speech from a podium resting on a platform when one of the strongest planks in that platform was made up of our party's commitment to a woman's right to choose.

DOH!

I like many others seem to have misremembered it a bit but I'm guessing his anti-choice stance AND the incredibly horrendous law restricting abortion in his state back then still had a little something to do with it.

But Digby's come up with another reason - the guy just wouldn't endorse our party's ticket that year.

There's more...

Sen. Bob Casey (PA) endorses Obama.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (VT) says Clinton should concede.

Today may be remembered as a turning point for Senator Barack Obama, leading toward a concession speech by Hillary Clinton.

It's hard for the Clinton camp to argue that Sen. Casey's endorsement doesn't matter, as they have with other recent endorsements, since Sen. Leahy is one of the two US Senators from the next state to hold a primary and, like many of the voters there, Sen. Leahy is a white male.

At the same time, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont (a state that Obama won) has announced his belief that Senator Clinton should now concede the race to Obama.  

There's more...

I just finished Lee Iacocca's new book, Where Have all the Leaders Gone?.  While some of his views are off the mark, likely a product of his long association with the corporatocracy, most of what he writes is dead on.  

To illustrate his main point, one must look no further than the recent capitulation by Congress on the Iraq war funding bill.  The followers in Congress effectively snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory on this one.  After demonstrating the fact that Bush would get no more money to support his epic failure, they proved that a stubborn fool could prevail over more thoughtful individuals who lack the courage of their convictions.  While it is understandable that, considering the considerable effort in time and money that they risked to get to Congress, members of Congress would desire to be re-elected, I believe that many of them are misguided in their means of accomplishing this goal.

There's more...