McConnell Coming to Fargo for Hoeven

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Prairie's Note: Campaigns are rolling out around the country. In the past, the Republicans have counted on operating under the radar state-by-state, but this year, we Democrats will/must keep a strong network of openness so all of America will know just how bankrupt are their ideas... and how hypocritical their professed values. One key race is North Dakota, with Dorgan's retirement, the Governor who's mastered the art of political opportunism is off and running. What's happening in your state?
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The Because We didn't Totally Wreck America during the Bush Lost Years and We Want to Finish the Job campaign is winging its way toward Fargo, North Dakota on Monday.

Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell will speak at a rally of Republican money donors and also he and Governor and Wanna-Be-Senator John Hoeven will meet with the Forum's editorial board.

Earlier this week, Hoeven dodged answering a Grand Forks talk show host (Dakota Huseby, Voice of Dakota) about which Senators he most admired. She put no boundaries on the question. Coulda been a current or past Senator. But hmmmm, in the grand tradition of "popular" Republican governors who ride on the coattails of Democratic policy while lambasting it, he ducked the question.

Guess we know now who's high on his list. Mitch McConnell, whose only contribution to governing is to obstruct and try to block anything that will bring America back from the brink of financial ruin that he and the rest of his Republican party worked so hard to create during the Bush Lost Years. He wants the President to fail, he wants America to fail. You'd think there'd be some sense of shame or remorse among Republicans at how deep runs their greed and selfishness.

Hoeven is making clear, from his announcement event at a Republican meeting, to his campaign kickoff event coming up, he's running for the Republicans. Not for all the people of North Dakota. Just the Republicans.

Will be interesting to see if the Forum's editorial board gets anything more out of Hoeven than parroted slogans "common sense," "family values," "Mikey and me," oh, and puppies ... truly, he likes puppies.

At least I think he does. I'm sure he'd say so if he didn't. Yeah. I'm sure he would.
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crossposted at firedoglake's The Seminal

Call Your Friends & Family in MA Now!

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If you know someone in Massachusetts who hasn't yet committed to VOTE for Coakley, I'm beggin' you...call them now. Don't wait for a group to do organized calling... you do it.

Because we can't afford to let the last term of Edward Kennedy be upended and totally turned 180 backward by the Republican candidate for his seat in the Senate.

Health care reform is on the line.

A Democratic loss in Massachusetts will set back not only health care reform, but the banksters of Wall Street are just slavering at the opportunity to buy themselves another senator and stop financial reform right in its tracks, too. The Bush eight years of destruction weren't enough for them, they want to keep right on pillaging and plundering the American middle class.

We can sort out later who got us in such a mess that the whole nation will suffer if Democratic doldrums and independent antipathy keep the voters away. We can't afford to squander any more.

This is triage time.

Don't wait for someone else to do it. You know what a mess the healthcare system is. It has to be fixed. And if the patient doesn't survive, all the arguing in the world over what the best medicine is won't mean a damned thing.

Call your friends and family in Massachusetts now and get their promise to vote for Coakley on Tuesday.
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crossposted at firedoglake's The Seminal

Dumb, Doddering and Despicable

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Hope they've been enjoying the modern equivalent of 40 pieces of silver. Or raining gold coins through your fingers. Or blood diamonds. Or basking in the view of Diamond Head.

'cause you can't take it with you.

If ever there were a more loathesome trio, it has to be Sarah Palin, who fumbled to even come up with the name George Washington, while talking to Glenn Beck. Book learning be too much for her. But not to worry, no more ad libs, no more relying on memory or rehearsal. From now on, it's all teleprompter alla time....

And then there is Pat Robertson, the shill, the false prophet, the wolf in sheep's clothing, the Judas, the pathetic excuse for all that remains of his humanness--the excrement. In a not-so-rare moment he snake-oiled about a pact with the devil. Look to your own, sir.

And then there's everybody in the Village's good buddy Rush. Racist, rancid, revolting. At long last, media, have you no shame? I waste no such expectation on him. But why are you coddling and embracing this vile sludge?
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crossposted at firedoglake's The Seminal

Help Haiti Today

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You can help the people of Haiti. Huffington Post is building a comprehensive list. As one commenter there noted, you can make sure your money goes to a charity that will really help the people by checking charitynavigator.org.

In the early days of Prairie Sun Rising, I wrote "Let Them Eat Mud Cookies" about the dire everyday poverty of Haiti.

Now, the island has been devastated by an earthquake. For those who have so little, even a little contribution will go a long way. And it only takes a little time.

A Fargo group sponsored by Triumph Lutheran Church was already in Haiti on a service mission. They're okay. But they're going to be busy. I know of medical volunteer teams who have given of their own time to go over the years.

But the truth is, the need, the poverty, the circumstances of life in Haiti is so dire that these groups can't begin to do what needs doing alone. And now, the earthquake jolts us. We get caught up in our daily lives, the issues we care passionately about. But we can all help, even in the comfort of our own homes.

For the least of our brethren.... Remember? The lesson we were supposed to learn from Katrina?
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crossposted at firedoglake's The Seminal

UPDATE: The President has spoken about Haiti and the massive logistical effort already underway overnight to lead our partners in the region and globally in the Haiti relief effort. Actions speak louder than sloganeering, now don't they. Information on how you can help at whitehouse.gov.

News coverage is heavy and fast moving, both at CNN and MSNBC. You'll find additional links on ways you can contribute at MSNBC.

Crook. And Liar.

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What John Amato says. And I agree:

Roger Maris. 61 in 61.

Earned.

Mark McGwire.

Roided.

The Steroid Era of baseball cannot be spun away. Peel back the layers and they were all in on it. Owners, managers, players, media.

All the same ones who are trying the disgraceful campaign to rehabilitate Mark McGwire today.

And if the public gets bamboozled on this, well, there's a certain former Texas Rangers owner who'll just be lookin' forward to walkin' you through his liberry of rehabilitation soon. And the same way ....
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Hoeven In....

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Well, everybody who follows politics in North Dakota was expecting this. ND AP is reporting that Governor John Hoeven will run for the Dorgan seat in the U.S. Senate. [Reported by the most reliable radio talker in the state; not yet available on the Forum website.]

Surprise, surprise....
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And may I say that the rollout of this announcement, complete with weeks/months of coyness, slow local newsday, staged leakage, primetime newshour scheduled announcement, pretty much perfect.
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So far, he's winnin'.
So far, he has no opponent.
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And former #1 Governor Sarah Palin is signing with Fox as a contributor, sources say. The surprises just keep on rollin' along....
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Prairie's following: FDL Liveblogging

FDL's superb Teddy Partridge is liveblogging today the trial that evidently the judge and the Roberts Supreme Court do not want you to see, hear, or otherwise know about.

You can follow it here.

Because, as a wise ol' guy once said: first they came...and I did nothing.

Becoming informed...that's a start.
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