Iran is Nervous as U.S. Places Four Nuclear Carriers in The Persian Gulf.

Well as most probably know by now, the US now has four nuclear powered carriers in the Persian Gulf, off the shore of Iran. This is making the Iranians a bit nervous, but the pentagon says there will only be “War games”, none of which is aimed directly at Iran. Although they are there to train other States in the region to intercept “WMDs”. Read on.>>>

Aljazeera

Iran considers Washington- sponsored war games in the Persian Gulf, off the Iranian coastline as a provocation aimed at creating a situation of direct confrontation between the U.S. and Iranian naval forces in the Persian Gulf, although a senior U.S. official insisted that the exercise is not aimed specifically at Iran.

The Iranian government does not take the ships off the shore as a training mission, but as a possible hostile action.

Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted an unnamed foreign ministry official as describing the military maneuvers as dangerous and suspicious. The Iranian foreign ministry official said the U.S.-led exercises were not in line with the security and stability of the region. Instead, they are aimed at fomenting crises, he said."

On September 30,2006, I wrote on how the Eisenhower was pulled out of dry dock one month early, and sent to the Gulf region, along with, Mine Sweepers, and ships capable of laying down mines as well. The claim by the Pentagon at the time was that it was normal rotation of the fleets, and Ike was only going to replace the Abraham Lincoln.ABA

The Nation

the Bush Administration and the Pentagon have moved up the deployment of a major "strike group" of ships, including the nuclear aircraft carrier Eisenhower as well as a cruiser, destroyer, frigate, submarine escort and supply ship, to head for the Persian Gulf, just off Iran's western coast.

Aljazeera

On October 11, American officials announced that the U.S., Bahrain and other states will hold their first naval exercise in the Gulf to practice interdicting ships carrying weapons of mass destruction and missiles.

With all that is going on in Middle East at the present, the tension between the US, and Iran is not to be taken lightly. One slipup by either side could be cause for an altercation that will be horrendous. Because U.S. militarily is stretched thin, the Iranians might be thinking that now is the best time too hit the superpower. With Bush planning to send 20 thousand more troops to Iraq, is this the sign of a pullout coming? The reason I ask this question, the experts say that to send that number of troops could only be for a couple of months. That is all the military could sustain. The numbers are so low at the present time, that to do so for a longer period of time would leave the country weakened.

With the new buzzword in Washington being “Surge” where Iraq is concerned. Bush is about to regain his reputation as the “Blood Soaked Chimp”, a name readers ask me to quit using, in referring to George W. Bush. A “surge” of 20,000 troops mostly Marines is planed for Iraq. The administration feels that they can stabilize Iraq, (a task that they have yet been able to do in the last three and a half years.) I believe that out of this, the surge will come in the form of more civilian casualties, and American troop deaths. The only viable plan I see in to withdraw, and regroup. With an addition of more troops, no matter how many, nothing the United States dose, short of pulling out, will stop the civil war that they have created.

Bill Maher has been saying that the person to run Iraq is now on death row. Even George H.W. Bush knew better than go into Baghdad and occupy it. He saw what would eventually happen if Saddam were removed. During that period when I was ask why George H.W. Bush didn’t go in and finish Iraq, I explained, by leaving Saddam in place at least they new what they had, and with something new, all hell could break lose. Then I was just handing out a line of bullshit not knowing the real reason, and now I feel like a freaking genius.

While the White house plans for 20,000 more troops, other military leaders feel that at least 100,000 more troops are needed to stabilize the country. While I am not an expert in the filed of the military, when you don’t have enough ammo and supplies, for the troops already there, does it make sense to send more in to draw off those supplies?

This week they got Bush to do something that he would not do in the 60s and 70s, go to Vietnam. Now that the heat is on him in this country, he is hiding out in Vietnam. [Ah, the times they are a changing.] While in Vietnam one report said that Bush visited the spot where John McCain was held prisoner. [I wonder what went through that SOBs head, besides the warm Vietnam wind?]
ABA

Fare Voting? I Don’t Think SO!

Here is something that is beginning to piss me off about the last elections. It is all fun and games now that the Democrats have taken power, and there are scattered cases of voter fraud through out the country. However we are not hearing about them. Most of the Liberals and democrats are feeling that it does not matter anymore they got in. This sickens me.

What brought this up is a diary that caught my eye on DailyKos, and how the post and replies were making fun of the article. Maybe I am making too much of this, but ever since 2000, I have a thin skin when it comes to fraud in voting, no matter what side it is against.
The following was taken from SLJ’s diary.

* Local bar owner Randy Wooten runs for mayor.
* Roxanne Wooten (his wife) waits at courthouse for official election results: Zero votes tallied for Randy Wooten.
* Roxanne returns home to ask Randy "did you vote for yourself?" He confirms he did.
* Randy Wooten receives reports from numerous others (8 or 9) they also voted for him.
* Unreported, yet much speculated upon, is why Ms. Roxanne Wooten had to ask her husband if he voted for himself to confirm a zero vote count as inaccurate. [Think about it...]

It was a short two years ago that we were screaming about the voter injustice, and only two years before that we actually watched an election be stolen right out from under our noses.

[The republicans can say what they want; they depended on the stupidity of the average Joe to pull off how that awarding of the election should have gone.] However, I am not here to give a Civics lesson, this is about the fact that the voting system is in worse shape than in 2000.

In the small township where I live, we had no major problems this time. But in 2004 we had a lack of cards, and cards that did not work. There was a repeat in the primaries this past spring. The election officials said it all turned out all right, but I know for fact it did not.

At around 12:00pm the poll official called the County Courthouse to report that the machines were not working properly. She was told that there were a lot of problems all over the county, and they would get some one out as soon as possible, in the meantime use the paper ballots. Well that is going to be hard to do, we did not receive any. She replied.

So the polling station was shutdown and the voters told to return at 2:00pm and they could vote. From what I was told by one of the Township Supervisors, at 12:30 they received paper ballots from one of the other polling stations in the district and reopened. By 3:00 all was fixed and back to normal. I ask him if they knew for fact that it was back to normal, seeing that only the tech from the Die Bold Company was allowed in the room while the machines were being fixed. He ask if I was there while this was taking place and if not how I new. I told him that was standard procedure with the Die Bold Company. There reasoning is that it is a proprietary system, no one is allowed to over see the maintenance of their machines.

Just like in the diary, people tend to laugh off the smaller communities and their problems. It as if they are small so they don’t matter, or they won’t affect the race. When in fact they play a big part in the out come of the overall picture.

Why is it we are not hearing loud and clear that there are still problems with the vote. Could it be that the Left is satisfied that they now have the power? Could it be that the right was so taken back by the land slide loss that they are still regrouping? I am not sure why we are now taking it all in stride, but I am glad there are still organizations like Black Box Voting out there watching out for us, because It seems that once you get the prize, you lose sight of the troubles you had getting there.
ABA

“IN THE SHAME of a GOVERNMENT”

In the last five and a half years, this administration has ask hundreds-of-thousands of its citizenry to sacrifice their livelihood, and thousands to give their lives, for what they claimed was done for the bettering of the countries defenses against an invisible enemy. An enemy that was of thought, not of country. During that time those who sacrificed, and made it home, found that they would not receive that which was promised to them for that sacrifice.

Instead they came back to find that for their giving, the giving of limbs, sanity, and life, there were broken promises, out right lies, and miles of red tape. The wounded found a system that lacked in compassion, but thrived on the bottom dollar. They returned to find that the resources that had been in place when they left had shut their doors because of a government’s greed for power. They came home to find an administration whose very leader refused to do, that which he ordered them.

In a time that we find the change of power in our own house, we find ourselves trusting that we will not be subject to lies for the gain of power, the all too familiar sound of broken promises. With this, the sound of change should come, not the same drum beating.

Yet, we hear the clamoring of how we can save face and respect those who have given for the lie. To that I say, bring them home. Apology will ever comfort the families that have lost loved ones, reinsure that though it is too late for them, no other American will die for a gross fabrication.

A gross show of negligence left us abandoned at home, for the lie. The resources for the protection of the homeland were so far away, and for that, there is no excuse. To invite negative accusations, because you turn your back on humanity in need, because you turn your back to the threat, so that you might advance a diabolical plan, and finally but nowhere near least, because you sold you brethren to the lowest bidder, while endangering the world, I say to you step down, relinquish the misguided grip you have on us.


The Plan

On Friday the Democrats released the New Direction, what it is, is a plan on which the democrats plan on taking the country in the next few years. Most Republican Neo-Con types are screaming that what the Democrats did was to adopt the old plan from the G.O.P. and claimed it as their own. Although I do see similarities, this has a better chance of taking off, because of the fact republicans don’t have the ball anymore.

The plan is called, Six in “06”. It is broken down into six areas that will be the goal of the Democrats to repair or totally overhaul in the upcoming session.

Plan

SIX FOR ‘06 - PRIORITIES FOR ALL AMERICANS, NOT JUST THE PRIVILEGED FEW
PROSPERITY - BETTER AMERICAN JOBS, BETTER PAY
Prohibit the Congressional pay raise until the nation’s minimum wage is raised. End tax giveaways that reward companies for moving American jobs overseas.
OPPORTUNITY - COLLEGE ACCESS FOR ALL
Make college tuition deductible from taxes, permanently. Cut student loan interest rates. Expand Pell Grants.
ENERGY INDEPENDENCE - LOWER GAS PRICES
Free America from dependence on foreign oil and create a cleaner environment with initiatives for energy-efficient technologies and domestic alternatives such as biofuels. End tax giveaways to Big Oil
companies and enact tough laws to stop price gouging.
AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE - LIFE-SAVING SCIENCE
Fix the Medicare prescription drug benefit by putting seniors first by negotiating lower drug prices and
ending wasteful giveaways to drug companies and HMOs. Promote stem cell research that offers real hope to millions of American families who suffer from devastating diseases.
RETIREMENT SECURITY AND DIGNITY
Stop any plan to privatize Social Security, in whole or in part. Enact real pension reform to protect employees’ financial security from CEO corruption and mismanagement, including abuse of the
bankruptcy laws. Expand personal savings incentives.

The title says it all, PRIORITIES FOR ALL AMERICANS, NOT JUST THE PRIVILEGED FEW. That is something that has been lost on the Neo-Cons over the last 6 years, or longer. This bunch that has rode ruff-shot over the country, has hand out more funds to those who did not need it in their attempt to revive Trickle Down Economics, no matter what the indicators say, the middle class is lucky it has survived.

In the past six years the middle class has nearly become extinct. In its struggle to survive, the average American is over four thousand dollars in debt, and that grows every year. Like the Government, the population is depending on credit to survive. It is easy to show the upside of an economy if that is all you are showing. If you don’t show the people that you are barrowing trillions of dollars, [or selling your countries interest down the Yellow River] everything looks bright. The democratic plan addresses the problem by returning to financial responsibility, which has never been seen since this administration took office. The one great point that is brought to light is that we own half our debt to China and Japan.
The Plan

Without a return to fiscal discipline, the foreign countries that make our computers, our clothing and our toys will soon be making our foreign policy. Deficit spending is not just a fiscal problem - it’s a national security issue as well.
Our New Direction is committed to “Pay As You Go” budgeting - no more deficit spending.
We are committed to auditing the books and subjecting every facet of federal spending to
tough budget discipline and accountability, forcing the Congress to choose a new direction and the right priorities for all Americans.

Yesterday during a debate online, something was said that we hear a lot of anymore about the Democratic win last Tuesday. The republicans lost it, the democrats did not win. While I do believe that might be partly true, it is not the whole truth. The people could have not voted, or voted for a third party. So I think, people knew that this was not what they wanted for the country, and once they saw past the fear mongering, they felt secure enough to pop their heads up and look around.

The other lie that the Neo-Cons are telling their selves to take the sting out of the loss is that they voted for centrist democrats. That we, the so call “Wacky Left” ran towards the middle, and that is a total line of bull puck.

ABA

Why are the Neo-Cons Moving so Fast?

Yesterday I ran a poll on Daily Kos, The question was, Now that the Democrats Have the power (unofficially) should they start impeachment hearings? I was amazed that out of 62 people that voted, 5 or (8%) voted Not sure, 29 or (49%) voted Yes, and 28 or (48%) voted No. I really did not realize we liberals were this divided.

I don’t know why the Republicans are moving so fast on this, but I have a couple of ideas. The movement is pointing to a real shakeup in the Bush cabinet. But why? It is not uncommon for administrations to have shakeups after a main election, but not so much after a mid-term.

With the removal of Rumsfeld, and the and George W. Bush’s pick of Robert Gates, someone who really does not stray to far from the administrations philosophy of, “Stay the Course” could this just have been for public relations? I think that this is one of the main reasons. If the Bush administration has shown anything, it is they do not care what we as the citizenry think. Others say they are trying to make sure it does not look as if the Democrats forced the issue.

Another piece of the puzzle is why George Allen, who had every right to demand a recount of the vote, did not ask for that recount. There again, I can only speculate at what they are up to. Are they rebuilding, or are they just losing those that are afraid that they might go down if there is an Impeachment in the works? I personally think it is a rebuilding process, in which Cheney will be the next major sacrifice. It will not be noted as a resignation, or a firing, I do believe that it will be said his health reasons are at the core.

Now this brings up another scenario, if, and when Cheney does step down, who will Bush pick to fill his shoes? Very few are saying Condoleezza Rice, but there are some interesting choices out there, one of which I think has a damn good chance of happening. Now I know that many of you will say I am nuts, but remember for right now all this is hypothetical.

Now what the Neo-Cons will want to do is pick someone that will be confirmed, but carry on their game plan, incase the bottom falls out. One such choice would be John McCain. He has proven his loyalty to the party, like a little puppy who has been kicked around, but returns to his master.

Another choice could be the guy they are trying to replace Donald Rumsfeld with, Robert M. Gates. Reports say that Gates is well respected on both sides of isle, and should have easy passage into the Secretary of Defense slot.

What do you think of the ex-number three man in the Republican party, Rick Santorum? The rumors were, before his defeat in the mid-terms, Santorum was one of the frontrunners being groomed for the Presidency. I do not think that the circumstances that brought his defeat will stop that. Although, if they do, I thank God it happened.

Heres one that even I would find hard to believe could happen, but in the twisted minds of the Neo-Con you never know, Joe Lieberman. He has shown that he does not honor the wishes of the democratic voters of Connecticut, when they said that he was not what they wanted representing them. When they said no he jumped political ships and went independent. What’s to say he would not swing into the Republican port?

Last, but not least is George Allen. I would think it highly unlikely, that he would be thought of for that slot. He is too much of a trouble child right now for the party. The only reason I bring up his name at all is I still cannot figure out why he just conceded.

As I said, “this is all Hypothetical, and may not even come to be. However, it is something to think about before we settle in and start to rest on our laurels.

ABA

WOW, Knock Me Over With A Feather.

The latest two announcements blew me away. Rumsfeld gone and no real fight for Virginia. Have the Bush administration finally been beaten down, or are they just regrouping? Read on. >>>

Knowing what I know about the administration, they are regrouping. So what is in store for the people of this country? Could we see more military action before January? Whatever it is, we will not really know because as we found out from the news conference yesterday, this administration is make secretive moves contently. Although we knew this in the past, Bush came out and admitted that he has been lying all a long.

I was almost certain that Allen would challenge the vote count in Virginia, but as of yet, he has not. Although last night on MSNBC, one of the so-called experts brought up a good point. The republicans don’t want to be seen as the Democrats of 2000 election, what was meant by this is when in 2000 the Republicans declared victory and then the Democrats wanted a recount, it made the democrats look bad in the eyes of a lot of the nation. This may be why Allen hasn’t pushed the recount. He might have been promised something else to forget the recount so that Republicans don’t look like crybabies.

Well, Rumsfeld and Bush made the decision for Rummy’s early departure from the cabinet, Yea Right! Looking at Robert Gates resume’ it seems to me he is a younger version of Rumsfeld, although not by much.

Gates is presently President of the University of Texas A&M. Gates was recruited by the CIA while attending Indiana University, apparently for his expertise on the IBM missiles. While in the CIA he gave intelligence reports on the IBM Missiles. He served as Deputy Chief of the CIA form 1982 until 1989. He was nominated in 1987 for Chief of CIA operations but withdrew when it became clear he would be rejected because of his closeness to the Iran Contra scandal. Gates headed the CIA under George Herbert Walker Bush. On his swearing in on November 5, 1991 he became the only person to go from an entry level position to Chief in a career with the CIA.

Gates is also part of the study group that will have there findings on the war in Iraq, looked at buy the administration.

story The Iraq Study Group is led by co-chairs James A. Baker, III, a former Secretary of State, and Lee H. Hamilton, former Congressman. Other members of the study group include: Robert M. Gates, Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Edwin Meese III , Sandra Day O'Connor, Leon E. Panetta, William J. Perry, Charles S. Robb, and Alan K. Simpson.

So now that Rumsfeld was toss to the wolves do we see Cheney going stating health problems and Rice moving into his place, or maybe the next candidate that the republicans want to run in “08”? The republicans have to show that they are not out of touch with the people, and that they feel their concerns even though they could give a crap about them.

I personally feel that we will see a major shakeup other than the Rumsfeld departure, but the question is who and when? I don’t see Rove going he is the one that made G.W. Bush. It was like the movie “Trading Places” with Dan Ackroyd and Eddie Murphy. He took a Bumbling Idiot and made him Leader of the Feed world. But I am sure there will be another sacrifice made at the alter.

Speaking of making sacrifices, I think that for the time being we need to concentrate on bringing the country back and getting our rights and privacy back in order. Instead I open an e-mail today from the Democratic.com, about a conference they are having in Philadelphia Pa. on Veterans Day, it is called “Impeach For Change”. What gets me about this is it is becoming what all the Right-Wing pundits said it would be, a bunch of wacko Libs running around shouting impeachment.

Don’t get me wrong this entire crew under and including Bush needs to be removed, but the Democratic party has not even taken power yet and these groups are already pushing the Democratic party right back out the door. Those people that back the change in government are not going to set back while troops are dying and wait until there are impeachment hearings. We need to clean up the mess that has been made, and get the troops home safe and sound, and then go after the cabal. Not many people know, but that they can be brought up on impeachment charges after they are out of office.

Impeachment extends beyond removal from office.
It has never been done, but in theory an officer could an officer can be impeached even after leaving office. (Governors of Delaware and Virginia could be impeached only after leaving office.) It follows that "impeachment" was conceived as more than just a lever to break a corrupt official's white-knuckle grip on the big desk. [Correction: It has been done, in the case of Secretary of War Wm. Belknap (1876), who resigned as the House proceeded to a vote.

So we need to act like we have been here before even though it has been a long time. Remember it is like riding a bike, or making love, it will come back to us.

ABA

Voting in a Small Town & the Defiling of a Country

It is 7:30 am in Western Pennsylvania, and reports on the radio have a number of the polling pace in Washington Co. having problems with the machines. Donagal Township, have cards that say they have already been voted on. Then when another card is put in the same machine, the machine says that vote had been already cast. The republicans have already started screaming disentrancement of republican voters. Read on. >>>

I have yet to go vote, we have a tradition that I take my wife to work and on the way we stop off and vote. This town is amazing in that the biggest turn out is in years that we have supervisors up for reelection. Boy do the lines get long, mostly because the farmers bring their cattle to vote. (Sorry, inside joke in the town.) I did notice a lot of action at me polling place, (The Fire Hall) and that was at 5:30am this morning. I will say that those who are in charge take it very seriously, My aunt Dory God bless her, is almost 80 and still works as poll supervisor, and she is smart as a whip. She only has one fault in my eyes, besides being very opinionated, and that is she is a registered democrat that votes republican. She explained why she started voting that way, it was when my cousin was drafted for Vietnam. Good news though she is thinking of voting democrat this election. She is fed up with her Medicare and S.S.I., being tampered with. She has seen too many of her elderly friends die broke, after saving all their life.

[Update:] 11.00am. I was talking to our Democratic leader for the township, and I was telling him about the problems I had been hearing about across the county. He said that the reports were also coming in from Alleghany, and Center Counties too. Now they are coming in from Waynesburg Green County.

I want to know if we are hearing about this so fast because of the great possibility of a Democratic win. If I remember correctly in 20004, we did not hear of this until the next morning. This leads me to believe that the accusations will fly, if the Republicans are, ask to leave by the people. If the democrats don’t pull this off, we wil be told that we are sore losers, crybabies, and tons of other things I will not print.

Anyway, I will be heading out the door in about an hour to cast my (Straight Democrat) vote, which will be a first for my wife and me. We have always felt that it is important to vote the person, not the party, but as we have had it thrust upon us this time, for the first time in my voting life, I feel the party matters more. It really is sad because there are a few good republicans on our local level that have good ideas for the area. However, that is the price of a political war.

I was coming home the other day from Pittsburgh, when Guns & Roses “Civil War” came on WDVE, and I really listened to it for the first time. It was energizing, the lyrics fit so well with what is going on in the country today, and where we are headed if we don’t get a grip on the government. We need to find a command ground with the stanch right-wingers or we are not going to leave our children much to build on.

Guns & Roses, “Civil War”
Look at your young men fighting.
Look at your women crying.
Look at your young men dying, The way they've always done before.
Look at the hate we're breeding.
Look at the fear we're feeding.
Look at the lives we're leading The way we've always done before.
My hands are tied.
The billions shift from side to side.
And the wars go on with brainwashed pride.
For the love of God and our human rights.
And all these things are swept asideBy bloody hands time can't deny.
And are washed away by your genocide.
And history hides the lies of our civil wars.

Last night I made a stop in one of the political rooms on Yahoo, (something I don’t do a lot of anymore, because of their NON-Privacy policy. Of course they are right up front about it, they tell you straight-out that everything you do is recorded, in some way. Even your emails are read to make sure they meet their standards.) Well anyway, I was discussing the reason that I don’t feel the students in Iran will rise up, as this administration wants them too. I had mentioned that like our kids, they have it better than the generations before them, when a friend reminded me that our children don’t have it better. He said sure the technology is better, even healthcare is better if you can afford it. As far as spending power, and college, and buying a house, it has gotten worse. At that point, we were interrupted, by the mouthing of republican talking points. Things like, how the stock market is doing well, unemployment is setting at 4.4, and at that, I had to stop him. Unemployment as a campaign talking point should lose an election for a republican right there. Because in the last 6 years the poverty rate has climbed faster the unemployment has dropped on average. More people have dropped off or are not eligible for unemployment insurance, than in the last ten years. People have run the welfare time out. It was pointed out to me, something that I never figured into the equation of the stock market, if two or more companies get together and begin to trade stocks back and forth, they can push the numbers up and down as they see fit. This to me would explain the jump in a dying market right around Mid-Terms.

One last thing before I go and vote. Yesterday in a campaign stop in Pensacola Fla, At which the candidate did even show up because he didn’t want to be seen with Bush, George W. Bush before a crowd of an estimated 6,000 hand picked people told them the reason we must stay in Iraq is to keep gas at 2.00 a gallon. To that news, the crowd went wild, but did they stop to think, what he just told them? He told them, that it has up until that point it has all been a lie> The reason we lost over 2500 troops and hundreds of thousand too be maimed, and physiologically wounded, was for oil? That he tore a country apart while stealing our rights, for 2.00-dollar gas. These fools clapped and cheered for him, and his lies.

The other day the November Surprise was unleashed it is what is called Robo-calls. I was the recipient of at least 12 of these calls yesterday. While to me these calls to me were just annoying, Amy Goodman reported today on “Democracy Now”, one lady called up the local phone company in tears, telling them because of the great number and consistency of the RoBo-Calls, she could not get the phone calls that she needed from Hospice for dying mother.

Now it is coming out that the original members of PNAC, are call this administration incompetent in their carrying out the plans that PNAC drew up for going into Iraq. Vanity Fair published an article, entitled Neo Cupla. At this time, the Vanity Fair article is over flowing. Just go to www.vanityfair.com. Will someone please tell me why the media won‘t say PNAC?

ABA
Ps. Please go vote. Run these no good Son-of-a-Bitches, out of office, and out of this “OUR COUNTRY!” You know years ago, I called for bringing this administration up on charges of Treason, and push for the full extent of the law. To which someone replied, “Do you know the full punishment for treason? It is death do you really want that?” I answered yes, knowing that they sent our troops to die over a lie; they should be put to death. They should be brought up on war crimes including crimes against humanity. Then they should swing beside Saddam! Of course, I am not bitter.
ABA

A Fellow Blogger WARNS Neo-Cons

This is a Blog written by a Fellow blogger over at Daily Kos. He wants people to feel free to use this anywhere the Neo-Cons will see it. So Get It out there.


Dear Republicans who may be inclined to cheat in this election:

You need to watch out, before you agree to do anything wrong in this election -- either dirty tricks before the campaign or election fraud or intimidation the day of -- because we have a special weapon on our side this year.

I was going to tell you to watch out because we have spies. But "spies" isn't the right word. What we have is some good-hearted Republicans on our side. And by "our side," I don't mean that they're supporting Democrats; I mean that they are supporting honest and civil elections.

And they will turn you in and you will take the fall.

Major Danby's diary :: ::
This is an election where a lot of Republicans, even if they are willing to cast their ballots for the elephant, feel real serious conflict about what the authoritairans in power have done to our government. In the past -- in a Presidential election -- maybe they could be convinced that winning is everything. Not this year. A lot of Republicans think, rightly, that your party may be better off with a little humbling this year. That maybe things are out of control.

I'm talking about loyal Republicans here. It doesn't mean that they won't vote your way. It does mean that they're not as likely to avert their eyes if you try to cheat. Average, salt of the earth Republicans want the public to believe that the cheaters -- along with the page-fondlers, the meth-snorting prostitute patronizers, the bribe-takers, and the bribe-makers -- are being purged from the party. What better way to do that than by turning you in?

If you're asked to do something a little bit sneaky, do you know that it's legal? Do you know the name James Tobin? Do you know what happened in the New Hampshire election last time around? People are going to jail. When the party leaders decide who's going to take a fall, do you think that they'll protect the small fry like you? The White House is already pretending that they barely knew who Jack Abramoff and Ted Haggard were. Do you think you'll be protected?

The law has started catching up to you. We're already discussing tonight whether what the sabotage robocalls being used across the country are legal or not. As a lawyer, I'm not sure; it may vary state by state, or maybe not. If I'm not sure, how much of a risk do you want to take? After all, you are expendable, and they may try to say it was all your idea.

The most critical part of the law is one involving "conspiracy." The law considers a normal crime to be bad enough, but when more than one person get together to plan the crime, it is extra bad, because it tears at the social fabric in a different way. And you don't have to know much about what's going on to still be guilty of conspiracy.

Can you afford a lawyer? Do you think that the party will provide good ones to the small fry?

If you see stuff going on that a reasonable person would think might be illegal, you should certainly not participate it. More than that, you should report it. Because if there's one guy around hanging off on the sidelines, who do you think they're going to try to pin things on? You have to protect yourself. Reporting it is the only sure way to do that.

Now you may ask: why am I not directing this at Democrats? Well, first, I will: Democrats, don't cheat. If you do, I will love to see you take a fall. But really, guys, we don't have to worry much about Democrats cheating. The reason is pretty simple: if we do, we'll get caught. That's because there are already enough Democrats around who won't get involved in it, and there's more than enough media to report on any little thing we do as if it's front page news, while refusing to report on what the Republicans do that's much worse. We're honest because we had damn well better be. Your party tends to be less honest and more fast-and-loose with the rules because you assume that people will laugh and say "boys will be boys." But maybe not so much anymore.

It's a new world starting Wednesday, one in which many people will be looking around the Republican Party looking to cast blame -- and looking for scapegoats. Don't be an idiot. Don't make it easy to be the sap left holding the bag.

If you drop the dime on election fraud, you get to be a hero. If you don't, you need to be looking around at everyone around you, wondering whether one of them will. They may smile and agree to everything going on, but what's in their heart? You don't want to find out from a quiet brief talk the public defender assigned to you.

I'm not appealing to your ideology here, I'm appealing purely to your self-interest. Don't just refuse to cheat because it's right -- refuse to cheat because you'll get slammed. Don't make this year even worse for yourself.

This was a Diary written by Major Danby. This can be found on Kos, F.I.N.G.E.R.