By this time, most of you probably know about the exchange between Pres. Obama and Lt Col Fehrenbach.  I want to focus on this part of the AP Story:

Fehrenbach said after talking with Obama, he felt confident "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," would eventually be repealed. But he said he was not sure it would happen before he is discharged. His case is before the Personnel Review Board, which is considering whether to recommend discharging him. After that, it will go to the Air Force secretary for review.

He said Obama told him that while 75 percent of the public supports repealing the policy, senior leaders in the military still need to be convinced.

"I said to him, `The people I serve with don't care,' " Fehrenbach said. "This is a nonissue."
 

I understand that rank has its privileges, especially in the military. However, those privileges should never extend to the point of endangering national security to indulge their own homophobic prejudices.

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I realize it's a bit of a challenge to know where to draw the ethical line when you've made your bones on behalf of an utterly corrupt regime, John Cornyn, but here's a quick and easy rule of thumb.

If you're going to have people who work for you go onto blogs and talk you up, they need to disclose who they're working for.

Otherwise, crap like this happens:

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Mikal Watts has just released a statement withdrawing from the race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator from Texas.

I've included his statement under the fold, but first I'd like to thank Mikal, his family, and his supporters for their efforts.  The contest so far has helped to raise the profile of this race, and when we send a new Senator who actually represents Texas interests next year, in will be in part due to his strong entry into the race.

I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Mikal in the  Texas Democratic Party.

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Let me first start with an apology for the disgusting performance of the Junior Senator from Texas.

As noted elsewhere, it WAS pure performance-political theatre  of the farce genre.

You might be able to imagine what Rick Noriega, Afghanistan vet and current Lt. Col in the Texas National Guard thought of that display, but Rick is about actions, not just words.  Follow me on the flip for his call to action.

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Your friendly neighborhood weekly 50-state round-up - Todd

This week's roundup is brought to you by Clem Guttata of West Virginia Blue with a major assist from Mike Paulle. Thank you Mike!
 

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Today marks the one month point of the Texas Bloggers drive for 800 participants on board the Noriega Express to give Texas at least one U.S. Senator who won't embarass us every time he opens his mouth.

A lot has happened in that month.

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Promoted because Sunday evenings are too quiet around here. Texas Nate
As Rep Nick Lampson continues recovering from his heart surgery, he's making plans for his political future that seem likely to leave a lot of his supporters in the district very unhappy.

The Battle for TX-22 was a hard fought one in 2006. Replacing a wounded Delay (who left the race after the primary in vain hope of allowing the RPT to name a successor) took the combined efforts of a determined candidate, the DCCC and other established Dem powers, and bloggers and other activists sowing blue seeds in a determinedly red district.

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Bill Donohue and his minions of mysogyny have made good use of the Catholic religion and violent hatred of women to further their political agenda.

And make no mistake, their agenda is political. They likely have crossed the line this time, as Jeffrey Feldman notes that as a 501(3)C they aren't supposed to interfere in political campaigns.

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This is it. It all comes down to today.

We fight for Texans who don't even know there's an election.  For those who've no idea what difference effective and accountable government can make in their lives.

We fight for the very Texans who have never in their entire voting lives voted for a Democrat.

It's our responsibility to fight for them. Because we know.

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Torture is not an American value.

I cannot tell you how much I resent even having to type that sentence.

Because of the rules of the Senate, there will be no filibuster.  I know there are many Democrats who fought, and must feel very much like the gentleman Steph Dray talked to in Harry Reid's office (on the flip):

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