I've also posted this on my blog site, but I think it worth a wider look, so I am offering it here:

Are we masochists?
I've done a fair amount of soul searching in the past 8 days as well as read post mortems on the internet and discussed the results w/ friends and acquaintances. What has become clear to me is that I am not interested in blaming John Kerry or John Edwards for anything. I think that the voting irregularities in FL and OH are sufficient to cause most considerate folks to start to demand recounts and verification of the votes. But that is grist for another mill, another time.

A couple of days ago I posted a note from Lisa in NYC who suggested that we each light a candle tonight.  It disappeared in the pre election flurry of posts, but I think the suggestion was so worthwhile, that I am going to mention it again.  Many of us have children or other demands that make it impossible to participate with all the brave Kossacks who are working their tails off with GOTV across the country.  I offer this as a humble thank you to them, and as a positive sign to our neigbors and to the world that we WILL overcome the darkness.

I hope you join me in lighting a candle tonight and placing it in a window for all to see.

Received this from a friend in NYC:

Lisa wrote:

"I have a proposal. Without a doubt I know some of the most wonderful,powerful and amazing people on the planet. What say we use our powers
for good? The upcoming election has me absolutely terrified, so I propose we use our combined power of positive thinking and at 6:30pm
Monday night light a candle while thinking about our country making a positive change. You may add any prayer, chant or ritual to the
process that you desire. If possible, burn it all day Tuesday too. Feel free to invite your amazing friends to join us. (I'm doing it
in Eastern time zone, but will light one for every time zone if it helps
get him out of office.)"

Is there an organized (at least as much as we can be) effort to get together and fraternize while the votes roll in?  

I missed the primary party, but sure hope that something will be done again for the big finish.  

Let us Seattle kossacks know!

I'm on an international political chat group that spun off of a literary discussion group.  Today an Australian member wrote in to ask:

" What evidence do we have that the Democrats would really be any better than
the Republicans? Some of the posts (about actions by the CIA etc) seem to
imply that this is all far, far worse under the Republicans. But is it, really?"

I've checked at Dkosopedia but nothing seems to be exactly on point.  Help me please respond to this fully.  

Thank you.

Found this from an Orcinus reader and thought I should bring it to the attention of the 101st Keyboarding brigade a/k/a Kossacks:

Remember when Bush's home town newspaper endorsed Kerry? Given today's political climate, what sort of reaction might they have expected?

http://www.iconoclast-texas.com/Columns/Editorial/editorial40.htm

"We have been told by several avid Bush supporters that the days when newspapers publish editorials without personal repercussions are over. As publishers, we have printed editorials for decades, and have endorsed candidates, both Republican and Democrat. When Bush was endorsed four years ago, the Gore supporters did not respond with threats, nor did Democrats when we endorsed Reagan twice. Republicans did not threaten us personally or our business when we endorsed Carter and Clinton for their first terms.

"In the past, when individuals disagreed with an editorial, they would write a letter to the editor politely expressing a different point of view in contrast to the views of the publishers, which we have usually published. Occasionally someone would cancel a subscription or an ad, but this was rare." ...

"The new mode of operation, I am told, is that when a newspaper prints an editorial of which some sectors might disagree, the focus is now upon how to run the newspaper out of business. Out the window are the contributions the newspaper has made to the community in the past and the newspaper's extensive investment in the community."

...

"Unfortunately, for the Iconoclast and its publishers there have been threats -- big ones including physical harm.

"Too, some individuals are threatening innocent commercial concerns, claiming that if they advertise in The Iconoclast, they will be run out of business. We consider this improper in a democracy.

"Several young members of our staff covering Tonkawa Traditions this past weekend were angrily harassed and threatened that they must leave, which cut short their ability to fully do their jobs and instilled in them considerable fear for their safety. These reporters had nothing to do with that editorial. They were part-time college students working to pay their way through school and better themselves."

Also check out the letters they got, if you have the stomach for it.

http://www.iconoclast-texas.com/Columns/Letters/email1.htm Update: Jesus' General (from whom I shamelessly stole the term 101st Keyboarding brigade, not knowing its freeper origins) notes that 'd', the Orcinus commenter also posted these remarks on atrios. Whoever 'd' is, thanks for alerting us.

Many folks have commented on how Shrub swaggers when he walks.  And just how irritating it is.

Could there be an explanation that would be answered if Bush got his 2004 physical?  Oh, guess not.  He's cancelled it.  How history repeats itself.

Yet another example of how this administration is trying to do everything quick and dirty.

http://tinyurl.com/3ls26

"Major screw-up": Boot-camp virus runs rampant

Seattle Times Special Report

By Michael J. Berens
Seattle Times staff reporter

More than three decades ago, the Pentagon created two pills to ward off a lethal virus infecting boot-camp recruits. But defense officials abandoned the program in 1996 as too expensive. Now recruits are dying, thousands are falling ill, and the military is desperately racing to bring back a vaccine it once owned.
A top Pentagon official called it "a major screw-up," hobbling U.S. efforts to rapidly deploy troops abroad.

The respiratory virus now infects up to 2,500 service members monthly -- a staggering 1 in 10 recruits -- in the nation's eight basic-training centers, an analysis of military health-care records shows.

Face it, the Dems need someone who can take the hardline on this Administration, who can force discipline in the ranks (bet US Senators like to be referred to as ranks, eh?), who can be out there campaigning in the presidential election.

Daschle cannot do this.  He is crippled by his heavily conservative state.  He has to have at the back of his mind, the vision of Tom Foley, Speaker of the House, voted out by his E. Wa constituency in the early '90's.  E. WA is a lot like S. Dakota in demographics.

Courtesy of Kevin Drum and Amy Sullivan:

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?pt=vKO1twmWG2Uvnyi2qoWQfW%3D%3D

Sorry, I still have not figured out how to edit links.

Our own Scarlet Pimpernel, as Jesus' General calls him, is MIA on the internet.  Does anyone have any inkling of the reason his website is down?  I hope he's back soon.  He had the best political signs out there.

Back during the election of 2000, slate ran a home video of a wedding reception from '92 featuring Shrub who looked as if he had a cocktail in hand and was slurring words and generally just looked wasted. This was 6 years after he supposedly went on the wagon, but at about the time he would have been snorting lines of coke at Camp David.

The former slate address no longer works, but I am wondering if anyone can pull it up and run it again.

I have the old address if that helps.

moe