go, get out of my house please

Time to stop being so shallow and start up the political ranting again.
Because, you know, it's doing so much good.

We'll begin today's lesson with a very underreported story coming out of the Land of Milk and Honey: 5 towns in Vermont voted to call on Rep. Bernie Sanders to file articles of impeachment against G.W.B. Kos does an excellent job of explaining the intricacies involving the legality of such a move. I know that there are many who believe Vermonters are bunch of long-haired hippies who live on communes, smoke pot, and are a bunch of godless liberals (Dang. That sounds like a mighty fine life to me). You know what else alot of Vermonters are? Intelligent citizens who believe that it is their responsibility to participate in democracy. We saw it go down with civil unions--though this was an instance where the State Supreme Court demanded such action BOTH sides of the aisle were very active in mobilizing people--and we see it happening with Killington's wacked out idea of secession. Regardless, I believe this is one of the reasons I'm so fanatic about politics. I grew up in a state surrounded by people who felt that their opinions and beliefs were important and it was their (I know, I know I already used this word) responsibility to do something about it. So today I stand proud as a native Vermonter. It's a ball and it's rolling.

That Diane Rehm keeps kicking out quality shows. It was as if she called me up and asked what I'd like her show to be about today and all my dreams came true: The Democrats strategy for this election year and into the 2008 presidential election. I'm a fan of Leon Panetta and thought he hit it right on with his assessment of the party: no cohesive message. It's insane that G.W.B. has poll ratings as low as they are and yet we're still out there fumbling around trying to figure out what direction we should go. Granted, I've always believed that one of the major problems
with Democrats is our inability to focus. We tend to want to save everything and everyone which leaves us overwhelmed, ineffective, and incapable of doing anything. Therefore, I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Panetta on that--let's put out 3 or 4 major issues we're going to tackle and how we're going to tackle them. I'm certainly not suggesting we haven't been doing anything these past few years. We did successfully kill Social Security reform. Go us. But we've been playing defense for so long it's as if we've forgotten how to act and not just react. In Erin's padded room of an existence I'd pick health care, education, and terrorism/Iraq/foreign policy (they throw it all into a big old mess, why shouldn't we?). I'd come up with very specific plans for each of these issues and campaign on those. We need to stop thinking we're going to win just because we aren't Bush. That's one of the reasons Kerry was such a monumental failure--the party was incapable of articulating what they were for and instead banked on people being fed up with the neocons. The big problem? Coming up with intelligent, workable, and electable plans for each of those issues. I'd say I'm glad it's not my problem but you all know that I lie awake at night pondering policy questions and worrying that I'm not doing enough to solve the major problems of this world.

No really. I do.

Tom DeLay won his primary. I say yippee to that. It'll be much easier to defeat a money-laundering scumbag politician than an unknown. What I find curious is that the people of the greater Houston area that he represents actually voted for him despite the indictments. Then again, it's Texas. Nothing that comes out of that state should surprise me anymore.

And because I can't help but be a little shallow (after all, I wouldn't want to live a joyless existence) how's about I end with a little Paris Hilton restraining order action. Because nothing is funnier than a talentless, unintelligent individual whose entire claim to fame revolves around inheriting an obscene amount of money who manages to frighten people enough that they feel a 100 yard distance is necessary to their safety.

Oh yeah, and this.