Besides, you want to talk about crazy, I suggest you read those nutcases that write op-ed for the Courier-Urinal and the Herald-Misleader. They have truly lost their minds.

You know, if KY GOP reads this, learn to respect others. I respect the Voice-Tribune even if I disagree politically as well as the Post and Enquirer. Anne Northup would have ran statewide last year or this year if she wanted to. She'll be too old in 2007 and she'll lose to Jonathan if he runs.

This Democrat is fed up with the members of the "far left" attacking those in the middle (DLC) so I will no longer post comments or diaries at daily kos. When Evan Bayh is President, they will surely regret it.

I was doing a yahoo search a minute or so ago for "Evan Bayh for
President and ran across this link.

In that, President Clinton remarks the following:
And I want to thank, in his absence, Senator Bayh. Evan met me at the door and he said Susan was out of town and he had two choices -- he could stay and here me give this speech, or he could go home and tuck his kids in bed. And I said, you've heard the speech -- (laughter) -- and you'll never regret a minute you stay with your children. My daughter is about to be a senior in college and I can still remember all the nights I tucked her in bed, and she can remember anything she ever did that I missed. (Laughter.) Even though she can count them on one hand and have fingers left over, at 20 years old she can still remember.

So he went home, as he should have. And since he's not here, I won't be embarrassing him when I tell you that I hope and expect some day I'll be voting for Evan Bayh for President of the United States. (Applause.)

He'll be voting for Bayh in 2008!

I also discovered an unofficial Bayh 2008 site.

The pro-choice Tom Ridge has resigned his post as Secretary of Homeland Security.

Ridge, who has spent most of his adult life in public service, came home from Vietnam, earned a law degree and went into private practice in Pennsylvania. He later served as an assistant district attorney and ran for Congress in 1982.

Ridge was re-elected five times. He became the Pennsylvania governor in 1995, leaving the state capital in October 2001 after the White House called.

Ridge, the former Governor of Pennsylvania, appears to be too stressed of running the Lieberman-initiated Department. Cabinet members are dropping like flies, it seems.

Ridge joins the coontinually-growing list that includes Attorney General John Ashcroft, Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, Education Secretary Rod Paige, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman; Secretary of State Colin Powell and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham.

President Bush has chosen as replacements:
National security adviser Condoleezza Rice for the State Department
White House counsel Alberto Gonzales for the Justice Department
Kellogg's CEO Carlos Guitierrez for Commerce
Margaret Spellings for Education

Yesterday, 147 visitors set a record to this blog and it is going to 1000 hits almost.

In 2008, I predict Bill Frist or Chuck Hagel to get the GOP nomination. Pataki and Guiliani are too liberal. The Arnold amendment will fail--the GOP will mostly be afraid of a Mid-easterner running. Arnold is too liberal for the GOP.

Bill Frist is conservative enough. Hagel is conservative but he spoke out in recent months against the war.

It's gotten to complicated to debunk all these negative comments towards Jonathan. I have better things to do than to stoop down to her level.

The GOP forgets that RESPECTING others is a moral value!

Recieved in my inbox from a cousin:

Don't know why everyone is being so tough on the French.
They are much better allies than realized.
The Israeli's tried to kill Arafat for decades...
No luck .
The Jordanians tried to kill him in the 1970's...
No luck .
Lebanese factions tried to kill him in the 1980's...
No luck.
Two weeks of loving care in Paris... DEAD.
Hey Osama, want to see the Eiffel Tower?

President Bush on Monday chose Carlos Gutierrez, a native of Cuba who rose from truck driver to chief executive officer of Kellogg Co., to be secretary of Commerce.

Is it just me or is he choosing all minorities now? He has no Jew in his cabinet. Wolfowitz doesn't count as he is an undersecretary. Even Mehlman would have been a better choice.

All his nominees are either female or Hispanic. It's good to show diversity but he needs to appoint a Jew.

Gutierrez made $10,500 in campaign donations at the federal level in the 2003-04 election cycle, including $4,000 to the U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC and $6,500 to Republican congressional candidates, data compiled by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics shows.

Money doesn't grow on trees you know. He wasn't even a Bush pioneer. He's from Cuba so he'll never be able to be President.

As for whether he's interested in running for president in 2008, Rendell said, "Not really. The timing is wrong for me."

He is up for re-election in 2006, and presidential candidates would need to start visiting key states as early as next spring and summer.

Right now, he believes Hillary Clinton would be tough to beat in a Democratic primary, but isn't certain she'll run because of her good standing in New York and all of the history that would be dredged up.

Gov. Rendell is the first known Governor to rule out a run in 2008. The campaign has already begun as based on the Americans for Bayh website, the material for sale at Demstore.com, and all the various yahoo groups out there.

Rendell is up for re-election in 2006 and I think he will win. People say we need a governor to win but we have a former governor already with Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana.

Since KY Republican replied to my comments, I replied to hers with the following.

She said:

You really think that being Gore's campaign chair is something to be proud of Kentucky? You don't think that Mitch McConnell will hang that around his neck if he ever runs for statwide office again? Jonathon Miller is nothing but a spoiled rich kid that got lucky in the 1999 Treasurer primary and faced no opposition in the fall that year. He also got lucky that a weak Republican opponent ran against him in 2003. He's Jewish. He's Liberal. He's history in Kentucky.

It's Republicans like these that say things without thinking. Not just that but her spelling shows that she can't spell elected officials.

Evan the Awesome Liberal said:

Kentucky Dem, is that your personal site? Those are pretty strong endoresments of Bayh... state parties don't usually endorse candidates like that do they?

I personally would have a tough time supporting Bayh at the top of a ticket, as Veep I guess...

I personally am flattered by these remarks. I mean, why would I give a strong endorsement of Sen. Evan Bayh if I represented the KDP?

I replied to them both with:

Evan,
Yes, that is my personal blog and not that of the Kentucky Democratic Party. Forgive me for not replying sooner as I was observing Shabbat.

KY GOP:
I'm going to be as civil as I possibly can with you. He was Gore's Vice-Chair in KY as Charlie Owen was the KY Chairman. Look up the facts before you attack someone. Do you see me attacking you? No, I am debunking everything you say. Jonathan is not a spoiled rich kid. Your out-of-nowhere attack on his mother was uncalled for.

You know you did not read what I said. Jonathan is in the DLC. The DLC tend to be in the center. So does that make Rudy Guiliani (cheated on his wife), George Pataki (too liberal in the GOP) and Arnold (too liberal) liberal enough to win in KY?

Jonathan is not history. My gut says that he will be the next Governor in KY and maybe a Senator by 2010.

Before you attack someone as well as their family (for all I know, you could be Alan Keyes), you say you are in the GOP and claim that to be the party of family and religious values. Guess what? Attacking someone's integrity and their family is not a family value. Exploiting the poor is social injustice and that is not a religious value (per the Tanakh).

I can go on and on but a good friend of mine says "one of the prerequisites of being a public servant these days is developing a thick skin to withstand silly attacks like this."

For the love of G-d, I hope I don't have to debunk another statement of hers.

Thanksgiving was good. I'll be back to a regular blogging schedule on Sunday.

A slow political day so I think I'll share some news that I was too busy to place some news that happened while I was busy during the campaign.

I'll start with the day of the 1st Presidential Debate, ironically, it was the same day I met State Treasurer Jonathan Miller.

September 30, 2004
I met Jonathan Miller finally and he is such a nice guy. I even took a picture with him as well. He will be a future Governor or Senator. He actually did run for Congress in 1998. He did like my speech, too. I mentioned my father is a CPA if he needs a treasurer in his next campaign. He is off to bigger and better things.

I'm now known as the guy that gets places even though I have no car. I got a ride to the Debate Party as well as to HQ for tomorrow.

That debate was excellent. We clearly whooped George W. Bush.

The following occured on the day of the 2004 VP Debate.

October 5, 2004
Today ranks up there in my top ten.

I got out of my newswriting class 15 minutes early, which was good so I headed over to the Welcome Center to meet the Senators. Senator McGovern arrived around ten after. I got my autograph first and then got a picture with him (I may have gotten it later though with Sen. Dole). I mentioned how he was indirectly responsible for me entering politics (He hired Clinton who chose Gore who chose Joe who inspired me). Hilary chaired the Women for Goldwater around that time, I believe. I told him I planned to run for the Presidency someday.

Sen. Bob Dole came about five minutes later and I got his autograph on the same printout. He requested that I be in the middle between him and McGovern when we had the student photos. I had a single photo with them.

I went back to my room to put my backpack away as well as the printout that I had signed. I almost forgot my tickets and had to go back to my room to get them. I proceeded back to the opposite side of campus to the auditorium in the business building and walked right on in to the front row. I was sitting on the moderator's right side. I should have sat on his left but I was right in front of Sen. Dole.

I asked what factors one should decide when if they plan to run for president someday. Dole started, "I'd start with something else first." I was impressed by the Q & A session.

It's ironic to note this: Dole's parents were Democrats and McGovern's were Republicans.

I waited around until the meet and greet finished and walked over with everyone else to the photo ops for the sponsors. I'm a CD so we had a picture with the two. The reception started early and I felt like I was at a highprofile fundraiser. Talked with Jeff Groob some. His wife, Kathy, is running for the State Senate. She was out going door to door tonight.

I walked over to to the location for the lecture/debate with fellow College Democrats. Our president was shadowing McGovern so he stayed back. Since we were sponsors, we had nice seats. Some wanted pictures with Dole, but he had to leave as his flight left at 9 PM. While mentioning about the debate watch to some of the Dems, I was asked by the paper some questions about what I thought of the lecture.

Sen. McGovern came back to sign some more books and joined us in watching the VP Debate at the student center. Some GOP members came in and I found them to be rude. A lady from a local Jewish institution was there and said that Sen. McGovern would be there in April. I told her that I was interested in attending.

I thought Sen. Edwards did extremely well tonight. I said so on a local TV station(I need to get a copy of that tape). I'll ask one of the college dems here and then give it to my uncle during Fall Break). He stayed on target and attacked Cheney's comments on everything. I was impressed by his reponse on the Israeli conflict. I remember that bombing all too well.

I was impressed with Sen. McGovern and look forward to meeting him sometime soon.


Nothing exciting happened on the day of the 2nd and 3rd presidential debates up here. I was at a Clooney/Davis debate and the College GOP booed the heck out of Nick during the closing statements.

This is directly from the Kentucky Republican on the Thanksgiving Thread on Politics1 (look in links):

I always said that the worst Republican is better than a Democrat with very few exceptions. I'm a Republican, I'm partisan, and I will defend my party and tear down the Democrats as much as I possibly can.

As for Jon Miller, he has several problems. Unlike most KY Dems, despite how they are portrayed by Republicans, he is actually a LIBERAL. He is also Jewish, and if you are not a protestant in this state, you don't really get far. Mitch and Co. will have people saying "Oh, Jon Miller, the Liberal Jew" if he ever even thought about running for another office. Yes, he did win two terms as Treasurer (woohoo....state Treasurer, BFD), because he did not have a general election opponent in 1999 and he faced a weak and underfunded Republican in 2003. He's history. He needs to move on back to California where he came from and take his bitch ass mom with him.

I am pasting my response here. Being a Jew and the fact that I consider Kentucky State Treasurer Jonathan Miller to be a friend and political mentor, I was very defensive:

I replied too soon before I read those anti-Semitic and bigotted comments from KY Republican.

Jonathan is a friend of mine. I have 4 email addresses for him. He is a KY native and his dad walked with Dr. King.

Jonathan is in the DLC, that's called in the center.

Remind you, Ron is Jewish. I am a Jew from Louisville. Jerry Abramson is Jewish but Louisvillians can't get elected statewide for what, I have no idea. Rep. Kathy Stein is Jewish as well. I have roots in Western KY--where my immigrant ancestors first moved in order to escape pograms.

Jewish law even says that abortion is mandatory in some cases. KY has conservative Democrats that would vote for Jonathan and Evan Bayh, you biggoted daughter of a female dog.

I was sent this email in reply to a happy Thanksgiving email:

I fully share your sentiments and will forever be a Democrat. There is an alarming piece of information I received today, from students in my PSC 103 International Politics, and PSC 366 Government/Politics in Africa classs, that I think all of you should know about. I was made to understand That the College Republicans is telling students not to take my classes, that I am "liberal", "far left", "anti- American", and "very hard". The last of the classifications "too Hard", I proudly embrace because it means that my classes are not the ones that students can sit and do nothing and get a grade. The classifications, I strongly object to strongly, in that I do not believe any professor should be targeted based on lies and a refusal on the part of any group to think critically.

I deleted all the names to remove those that are affected. The College Dems faculty advisor is being targeted.

I am proud to be a Democrat. I've never been more thankful to be one in my life. I don't like being labeled any of those as much as you. The College Republicans are being unfair and going to far with this.

The Bible (at least the Torah) teaches social justice. It tells us not to exploit the poor. The golden rule: Treat others the way you wish to be treated.

The Kentucky Democrat

The AP is reporting, and CBS confirms that Dan Rather will step down as CBS News Anchor on March 24th.

Dan Rather's statement on stepping down:

I have been lucky and blessed over these years to have what is, to me, the best job in the world and to have it at CBS News. Along the way, I've had the honor of working with some of the most talented, dedicated professionals in the world, and I'm appreciative of the opportunity to continue doing so in the years ahead.

Rather will still continue work with CBS News as a correspondent for both editions of 60 Minutes,not to mention some other assignments for the news division.

With Tommy Brokaw stepping down on December 1st or 2nd, you can bet that Peter Jennings is the next to go within the year. I've always been a Brokaw fan myself though I'll never forget seeing Dan Rather break down on Letterman following those horrible attacks on the WTC and Pentagon.

I will be on a short hiatus with the Thanksgiving holiday.

as you can see i added halo scan and guess what, my source code got messed up again.

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

A anonymous source from the Virginia Democratic Party is saying that he doesn't see Gov. Warner running for Senate in 2006 as Sen. Allen is very popular and cannot be beat.

The current word on the street is that Elizabeth Taylor's ex-husband, Senator John Warner, will not be seeking re-election in 2008, Gov. Warner will most do like Governor-turned-Senator Chuck Robb did back in 1988 and run for an open Senate seat.

If Warner seeks the Senate seat in 2008, he will not be a threat to Sen. Bayh in terms of southern vote during the primaries.

The Kentucky Democrat

The Vent and the Kentucky Democrat will be in talks this weekend to discuss a possible merger.

Stay tuned for details.

I know we all are angry at this particular family but I had to share the breaking news.

Ex-President Bush was to board jet that crashed
Elder Bush cancels Ecuador trip after accident in Houston kills 3
The Associated Press
Updated: 2:10 p.m. ET Nov. 22, 2004

HOUSTON - A private jet that was en route to Houston to pick up former President Bush clipped a light pole and crashed Monday as it approached Hobby Airport in thick fog, killing all three people aboard.

The Gulfstream G-1159A jet, coming into Houston, went down about 6:15 a.m. in an undeveloped area 1½ miles south of the airport, officials said. The former president had been scheduled to travel to Ecuador for a conference.

“I was deeply saddened to learn of the plane crash this morning,” Bush said through spokesman Tom Freschette. “I’d flown with this group before and know them well. I join in sending heartfelt condolences to each and every member of their families.”

The names of the three crew members were not immediately released.

Bush, who lives in Houston, was going to give a lecture for the Guayaquil, Ecuador, Chamber of Commerce, Freschette said, adding, “It’s very sad.” He said he was to have accompanied Bush, as was a Secret Service agent.

Earlier, Jack Williams, a district chief with the Houston Fire Department, confirmed three people had died.

The jet, en route from Love Field in Dallas, was approaching the runway when it clipped the light pole, losing part of a wing, authorities said. Wreckage extended about 100 yards from there, Williams said.

The crash site is a field near the Beltway 8 tollway. No one on the ground was injured, but one car was hit with debris while another was hit with jet fuel, Williams said.

Roger Smith, a spokesman for the Houston Airport System, said the pilot didn’t indicate any problem, and the landing was routine until communications abruptly stopped. Dense fog blanketed most of the area.

Robert Randall, operations manager with the plane’s owner, Jet Place Inc. of Tulsa, Okla., said it had two male pilots and a female flight attendant aboard. The company has a fleet of 18 jets and employs about 150 people, he said.

Flight operations at Hobby Airport were not affected by the crash, officials said, but a portion of the heavily traveled tollway was closed.

Eduardo Maruri, president of the Guayaquil Chamber of Commerce, said that Bush suspended his visit until next month.

URL

This is pretty scary. I mean, just think about how much the press would be on it. No normal television for a week.

Thoughts? I like the idea of Howard Dean running for Senate in 2006 against Jeffords. Sanders is building seniority so it's not good to run for the House.

I'm calling that seat in Dean's favor right now.

Alexis Herman, who served as Labor secretary in the Clinton administration, also said Monday that she will not seek the chairmanship. Some Democrats had urged her to pursue the post....

Former presidential candidate Howard Dean has called party regulars, expressing his interest in the DNC job. Other Democrats interested in the job or being asked to pursue it include Harold Ickes, adviser to former President Clinton; Leo Hindery, former chairman of the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network LLC, a New York-based sports cable channel that televises New York Yankees' baseball games; former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb and former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk.

It will be Simon Rosenberg, who is a friend of my friend and political mentor, Jonathan Miller, the Kentucky State Treasurer.

I may be a progressive centrist. Politopia put me in centerville. Issues2000 puts me as a liberal-leaning populist.

Tom Vilsack has taken his name out of the running for the DNC Chairmanship. Is he harboring presidential ambitions? Maybe. His only weakness of what I saw during the Veepstakes is English was named the official language in Iowa under his reign. That hurts the Dems. Simon Rosenberg slammed Kerry for not wooing the Hispanic vote. Vilsack would be even worse.

Describe your stance on:
Abortion: I am personally Pro-life but I am pro-choice on rape, incest, and life in danger. I would never vote to overturn Roe v Wade as it regards to the constitutionally implied right of privacy. Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.

Affirmative Action: I believe people should be hired based on merits rather than class, race or gender. I am not racist though, never have been, and never will be.

Age of Consent: 18

Animal Testing: I am against the idea of comestic testing on animals. It's inhumane. Medical research is understanding.

Death Penalty: I am against the death penalty because too much gov't money is spent on it during the appeals process. It's an economic reason as to why I am against this.

Downloading Music/Movies: I am against this, and yes, I am a college student that is broke.

Drug Decriminalization: Garrett pointed out somethings on this. Do the crime, pay the time.

Factory Farming: I favor any viable alternative.

Free Trade: I favor this but I am against outsourcing.

Funding of Arts: I favor the funding of the arts as I am a musician myself.

Gay Marriage: I'm against discrimination and I'm a religious Jew. I will never be a fan of gay marriage but I'll support civil unions.

Gun Control: I am in the middle of this and see it both ways. I support gun control because my cousin went to Heath HS in Paducah and there was a bad shooting. The wording of the second amendment is up to interpretation. However, people should be able to own such guns for memorabilia and for self-defense. They should rarely be used though and I support all background checks.

Immigration: I was all for it until 9/11. However, we need to make sure that immigrants learn English and should get the government subsidies to learn English. Also, there is no reason for people to get a full shopping cart of junk food with food stamps. Eat Healthy!

Hardcore Pornography: All against it--and I'm just an average 20 year old--except I'm very political.

Human Cloning: I'm pro stem-cell research and against cloning a full human being.

Miltary Draft: AGAINST AGAINST AGAINST! I did want to enlist after 9/11 though.

Minimum Wage: I gladly support raising the minimum wage even if it means raising the cost of living.

Prostitution: They may be hot girls but they are tramps and I am against selling the body for sex.

School Vouchers: I am against such ideas.

Taxes: If it pays down the national debt that was raised after Clinton left, we don't much of a choice. I'd roll back the Bush cuts though.

United Nations: I wish they were more pro-Israel.

Universal Health Care: We need to help the families w/o insurance.

War on Terrorism: I am all for it but I don't think that we handled Iraq that well. I applauded Lieberman when he first called on Hussein to be removed. However, this administration did not use diplomacy and they needed too. We should have never gone into Iraq without a plan to win the peace.

Welfare: I support welfare but it needs to be reformed. Why should we give money to those that are unemployed and don't bother even finding a job? Clinton came up with welfare-to-work. If they can find a job, great, but if they are too lazy, no.

I read Paul Wellstone's book, "The Conscience of a Liberal," and I admire Senator Wellstone. The day he died was a sad day. I had tried getting his autograph for years but was unsuccessful. I couldn't get a bumper sticker either. I used to consider myself a progressive and a New Democrat at the same time.

I have since realized that if I want to get elected president in 2024 that I would need to run as a moderate-to-liberal Democrat in order to win nationwide and most especially in this red state that can be turned blue only with a strong centrist that can appeal to members on both sides.

This just in from Politics1.com:

Democratic Party (DNC) - After the 2002 elections, Democrats control several key governorships (including PA, MI, IL, VA, NJ, NC and WA) and many state legislatures -- but lost control of the US House in 1994, narrowly lost control of the US Senate again in 2002 (but they still hold enough seats to block much legislation), and lost control of the White House in the 2000 elections. While prominent Democrats run the wide gamut from the near democratic-socialist left (Barbara Lee, Dennis Kucinich and the Congressional Progressive Caucus) and traditional liberals (Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and John Kerry) to the center-right (Joe Lieberman, the Congressional Blue Dog Coalition and the New Democrat Network) to the GOP-style conservative right (Charlie Stenholm and Gene Taylor), most fall somewhere into the pragmatic Democratic Leadership Council's "centrist" moderate-to-liberal style (Howard Dean, Dick Gephardt, Tom Daschle). The official DNC web site offers party news, hearing information, platform positions, links and more.

See, I told you I had nothing against Dean except the way he was labeled and that could hurt the image.

Thehill.com is reporting (from a article i was unable to find):

Simon Rosenberg, who currently heads the New Democrat Network, is becoming the favorite to become the next chairman of the DNC. But the former Clintonite also has a strong following among “outside” Democrats—activists who came to the party via former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and other Internet voters who read the blogs. Rosenberg’s straight talk about what the party needs to do has been remarkably consistent and his 527’s effort to win Hispanic voters was more successful than expected. Also in his favor: He’s a tireless fundraiser.

Did I not forsee this a few days ago? Simon is my choice. He's Jonathan's choice. He's the guy we need.

I was up in time to watch Late Edition with Blitzer on CNN.

Here's the transcript:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0411/21/le.01.html

I am sick and tired of people who claim to be "Dean only Democrats" and will leave the party in a mass exodus if he's not the new chairman.

My friend said something along these lines: "We have to build the party back with true Democrats, and not Dean only democrats. Personality politics is not the way to build this party."

I completely concur with him.

Basketball season has officially began today with the first official home game in Rupp Arena where my Cats blew out Coppin State 77-46.

Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa had a cancerous piece of skin removed on Monday. He says "It's nothing."

Regardless, please keep Senator Harkin in your prayers.

Congress has failed to implement the Lieberman-Collins legislation.

This is the same legislation that was recommended by the 9/11 Commission.

"The commander in chief in the middle of a war says he needs this bill to protect the American people," said Sen. Joseph Lieberman (news, bio, voting record), D-Conn., who led Democratic negotiators.

"Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House, and the blame for this failure is theirs alone," said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

If lawmakers fail to pass legislation this year, they will render moot three months of hearings and negotiations that started with the commission's July release of its report studying the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Lawmakers would have to start from scratch next year — if they even pick up the issue again. With a new Congress taking office in January, unapproved bills expire and new lawmakers and committee leaders would have to consider any new legislation.

Hear that GOP! You can't blame us if we have another attack. You can only blame yourself. The current Vice President says the United States could be attacked if Senator Kerry was elected as president. Well, guess what, his own party failed to pass legislation that the 9/11 Commission recommended. What do you have to say for yourself?

Today, I pay tribute to the retiring Democrats in the United States Senate.

I start with Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota. Tom Daschle was a Majority and Minority leader. He represented his state in the House and in the Senate. He lossed because the GOP spent too much money in trying to upset the minority leader. Senatorial courtesy shows that it is wrong to unseat the leader of the opposition party. Tom Daschle will move on but he will continue to fight the good fight and when the Democrats when in 2006 and 2008, I expect to see him in the cabinet as a Secretary.

Senator John Breaux of Louisiana was a strong force in the Centrist coalition of the Senate. For the first time that I can remember, there will be a Republican from Louisiana in the Senate. Breaux believes in bipartisanship and can work with both parties. He believes in energy legislation. He was the youngest congressman when he was first elected in 1972. As conservative as his voting record may be, he is a moderate liberal populist and I wish he wasn't retiring.

Senator John Edwards of North Carolina was a virtual unknown when he won election in 1998. With the retirement of Jesse Helms in 2002, Edwards became the Senior Senator of his home state. He decided in 2002 to seek the presidency. He put up a good fight but decided not to seek re-election. He's now a household name after being named the VP Candidate of the Democratic party. If he doesn't run in 2008 for president, I can see him making a return to public service whether as Atty General or an election official. Regardless of fact, the fight must go on.

Senator Bob Graham of Florida was one of the most popular governors in Florida. He ran for president this year, and if he was on the ticket, he would have won Florida for us. Sadly, he decided not to seek re-election and his leadership will be missed. A moderate liberal, he will be missed in the Centrist coalition. He moves on to teach at Harvard this year.

Senator Ernest Hollings of South Carolina has been in public service since 1948 and was the Junior Senator until 2 years ago. He may come off as a conservative, but he is a moderate liberal populist and former Governor of SC. Hollings penned a controversial editorial in the May 6, 2004 in the Charleston Post and Courier, where he argued that Bush invaded Iraq because "spreading democracy in the Mideast to secure Israel would take the Jewish vote from the Democrats." Bush didn't quite get all that but Hollings is a good man. He has one of the best pro-public education records as ranked by the NEA. As conservative as SC is, I'm surprised that he kept getting re-elected. He should have stayed for 6 more years. He supports moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He sponsored legislation to bring back the draft but would vote against his own bill because you just can't do that.

I know that Zell Miller is highly controversial but he's a self-declared Democrat--a Conservative Democrat, but a Democrat nonetheless. Zell Miller started out as a progressive Governor before Roy Barnes suceeded him and appointed Zell to the Senate. He lost his way since then. He gave the keynote in 1992. If there is anything I agree with him, it's that he supports DARE and drunk drivers should be punished. Zell is a guy that believes that soft money from special interests is bribery and civil service must be reformed. He supported Max Cleland even though Zell has lost his ways since then.

This is for the members of the far-left that read this. You may not like what I have to say but a liberal agenda just ain't gonna cut it in the south and midwest.

Dean is a hardcore-liberal and I'm skeptical of the image he sends.

I'm a moderate Democrat and a member of the DLC.

To all my readers, please comment on how you found the link. I do track page visits by the past five days.

Clinton library opened today. President Ford was a no show--may he be blessed with good health.

Cam Kerry wrote me a personal letter that I recieved in the mail today. It was a very nice gesture of him to do.

"We have to change our party and figure out ways to win"--Paul Begala on CNN's Crossfire, 11/17/04

That's the quote of the day. Got an email from a fellow Kentucky Young Dem with the following:

Also, I wanted to say it appears that you and I are the one of the few in the KY YD's that have their head on straight. How can anyone think a liberal agenda can work in Kentucky?
You and I could end up working on a lot of things together.

I endorse Jonathan Miller for Governor if he decides to run in 2007.

I swear the next person that says Joe is a Republican, I'll ********!

Joseph Lieberman is a Moderate Liberal Populist

source: http://www.issues2002.org/Joseph_Lieberman.htm

I said I'd follow up that with how I feel.

Hilary Clinton--Too polarizing and I've made my case before.

Al Gore--AG couldn't deliver us the south last time and I didn't see him campaign in KY for JK this year. I don't see him doing as well in the primaries.

Bill Richardson--He is a moderate but he's Hispanic as well, which works against him as we still have racists in the south in OUR party. Fortunately, I'm not one of them.

Evan Bayh--DARK HORSE to get the nomination and my vote. I'm on the Bayh bandwagon in case my readers haven't noticed. I plan to intern this summer if things go my way.

Tom Vilsack--He is governor and is actively seeking the DNC Chair. I'd rather see him than Howard Dean. He couldn't deliver Iowa to the blue column this year but things will change in 4 years.

Howard Dean--Too liberal for me and I'm a moderate Democrat.

John Edwards--Even as VP, he was not enough to give us NC or anywhere in the south. He faces an uphill climb in 2008 should he run. Elizabeth's illness is a priority right now.

Barak Obama--I know I have his email address but anyway, he said he wouldn't run in 2008 as president or VP according to articles online. See the latter about Richardson.

Harry Reid--I don't anticipate him running. We'd have to get a new leader in the Senate as he would be campaigning.

Mark Warner--A Dem in a Red State but he'll run for Senate in 2006. Possible VP.

I like the sound of BAYH/WARNER 2008.

November 17, 2004
A Look Ahead to 2008 (Part II)
Terry Mitchell

Last week, I began my look ahead to the 2008 presidential campaign with the potential Republican candidates. Today, I will continue by taking a look at the potential Democratic candidates. Among them are New York Senator and former First Lady Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, North Carolina Senator John Edwards, Illinois Senator-elect Barack Obama, Nevada Senator Harry Reid, and Virginia Governor Mark Warner.

Hillary Clinton would seem to have the inside track to the Democratic nomination for 2008. However, she could be seen as a far too polarizing figure whose candidacy in the general election could bring out the evangelicals in droves for the Republicans as John Kerry's did this year. She will probably have to moderate a bit over the next three years in order to prove that she could win a general election. If she can't do this, the Democrats may seek a candidate with broader appeal. Right now, though, the nomination appears to be hers to lose.

After losing such a close election to George W. Bush in 2000, I believe Al Gore will make another run for the presidency. Those who would summarily dismiss him as no longer being a viable future presidential candidate are ignoring history. Richard Nixon was written off by almost everyone after losing to JFK in 1960 and then losing his California gubernatorial bid to Pat Brown in 1962. He came back six years later to win the presidency and then win re-election four years after that. However, Democrats are apparently less tolerant of their former losers than Republicans are. Democrats seem to be constantly looking for a fresh face. Gore would have to convince Democratic primary voters that he's more “electable” than their up and coming stars. That could ultimately prove to be a difficult task.

Bill Richardson served 15 years in the House of Representatives before becoming U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and subsequently Energy Secretary under Bill Clinton. Richardson is known as a moderate Democrat and is a member of that wing's Democratic Leadership Council (DLC). Being the governor of western state could work to his advantage, although New Mexico switched from "blue" to "red" in the recent presidential election. He may take a hit politically because of that. Due to his previous ties to the Clinton Administration, he might be viewed as an acceptable alternative to Hillary, should her candidacy not catch on.

Many Democrats may see Evan Bayh as just the candidate they need in the wake of Kerry's recent loss. He is a strong Democrat from a solidly "red" state, i.e., he was overwhelmingly elected to a second term as senator even as George W. Bush overwhelmingly carried his state in the presidential election (as all Republican candidates have in recent presidential elections). Bayh had previously served two terms as governor of Indiana. He is one of the leaders of the moderate Democrat movement. His father, Birch Bayh, was also a U.S. Senator and ran in the Democratic primaries for president in 1976, but was defeated by Jimmy Carter. Bayh is my dark horse pick to take the nomination. The only negative about him is that he seems to have a smirk on his face all the time and looks like he belongs on a TV show like Saturday Night Live!

In 1998, Tom Vilsack was elected Iowa's first Democratic governor in over 30 years and was re-elected in 2002. He is one of the most well respected and influential governors in the U.S. He is one of the established, but relatively unknown, players in the Democratic Party. Vilsack may be one of the people whom Democrats will look to following Kerry's loss. He refused to take sides prior to January's Iowa Democratic Caucuses, although his endorsement was sought by all the leading candidates. His wife endorsed Kerry and that seemed to help propel him to victory there. As is the case with Bill Richardson in New Mexico, Vilsack might have to explain why Iowa went from "blue" to "red" in the last presidential election. Vilsack's candidacy would render the 2008 Iowa Democratic Caucuses meaningless and place all the early emphasis on New Hampshire. A similar thing happened in 1992 when Iowa Senator Tom Harkin ran for president.

Howard Dean will likely make another run for the presidency. However, with a much stronger field, he will find the going tougher this time. Money will be even tighter as the big names will be pulling in most of it. His collections in small amounts might still work, to a certain extent. He will not be able to sneak up on anyone this time and the war in Iraq may no longer be an issue by the time 2008 rolls around. His best chance for the nomination is to play the "liberal" card while most everyone else will undoubtedly be playing the "moderate" card this time. At least that strategy might garner him enough delegates to allow him to cut a deal for the vice presidential nomination. Rumors have it that Dean is interested in taking the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee. If he does, that would preclude him from running for president or vice president in 2008.

John Edwards will face an uphill climb for the Democratic nomination. Within a couple of months, he will just be a former one-term senator, as he didn't seek re-election this year. However, the biggest obstacle for him will be his status as a vice presidential nominee on a losing ticket. Candidates in both parties who lose in their bid for vice president, without having first won, have great difficulty getting a presidential nomination. Sargent Shriver (in 1976) and Edmund Muskie (in 1972) were the last failed vice presidential nominees to even seek the Democratic presidential nomination and they were both rejected. On the Republican side, Bob Dole was finally able to capture his party's nomination in 1996 after a failed bid for vice president in 1976. However, even he was turned away in his first two attempts (1980 and 1988). On the positive side for Edwards, he will have more time to campaign than most of his opponents. Only Gore, Dean, and Mark Warner might have similar amounts of free time to campaign.

Barack Obama is seen as a very promising young future star for the Democratic Party. He is a state senator who was just elected in a landslide (and that's an understatement) to the U.S. Senate from Illinois. He was featured as the keynote speaker at the Democratic convention in Boston this summer. However, Obama is still a relatively unknown quantity and he'll have to prove himself in the Senate. He has, by far, the least political experience of all the candidates on this list. There have been many politicians from the past with similar potentials whose careers have fizzled out before they ever really got started. Even if Obama can live up to all the hype surrounding him, he still might not be viewed as presidential timber until 2012. A vice presidential nomination in 2008 might be a better bet for him.

Harry Reid has just been elected to his fourth term in the U.S. Senate and will likely take over as Minority Leader from Tom Daschle, who was recently defeated. Before coming to the Senate, Reid served as Nevada's Lieutenant Governor and served two terms in the House of Representatives. Since 1999, he has been the Assistant Democratic Leader in the Senate. Should Reid decide to run, the one advantage he'll have over his opponents is that he'll be acting as the official spokesman for the party on many issues and will therefore get plenty of free media exposure.

Mark Warner was elected governor of Virginia in 2001 after losing a closer than expected Senate race to John Warner five years earlier. Virginia law does not permit its governor to succeed himself, so Warner will not be allowed to run for re-election next year. Therefore, he will be able to devote himself to full-time campaigning for president, beginning in January 2006, if he so chooses. The fact that Warner is a Democratic governor in a strong "red" state will be a positive for him. However, even though the Republican presidential candidate has carried Virginia every time since 1968, a Democratic governor in the state is not unusual. In fact, since 1977, Virginia has elected a Democratic governor every time a Republican is in the White House. The opposite has been true when a Democrat is in the White House. If Warner is nominated by the Democrats and George Allen is nominated by the Republicans, the Mother of Presidents will be guaranteed to have produced our next Chief Executive.

Obviously, not all the candidates on the Republican list I discussed last or this week's Democratic list will actually run for president in 2008. Chances are, only about half on each list will run. At this point, however, no one can really say with a great deal of certainty which ones they will be. In addition, some candidates whom no one is predicting right now will decide to run. At this time in 2000, who would have predicted that Howard Dean would run in 2004? Who outside of Vermont even knew who he was back then? In politics, the only thing you know for sure is that you don't really know anything for sure. Uncertainty and unpredictability are what make politics interesting to me, but it's still fun to try to guess things and match wits with other pundits once in a while.
source

I'll post my opinions on the candidates in a few minutes.

Yahoo News reports here that Colin Powell is being asked to run in 2006 so that the GOP will hope to gain one seat in the Senate. A Powell win means a Clinton loss--which would be saddening that we lose a seat in the Senate--but would ruin all chances of her running in 2008. I'm not against Hilary running for re-election (I was against her running there in the first place) but I'm firmly against her running for President.

Kos reports that moderates are no longer welcome in in the GOP. I guess it's true because Bill Frist doesn't like Sen. Specter (R-PA).

Some liberals hate us centrists in the Democratic party and some conservatives hate the centrists in the GOP so what do we centrists do now?

"If they can't agree and support the president and the platform, then they ought to go over to the Democrats," said Jan LaRue, chief counsel for the conservative group Concerned Women for America.[...]
The to-do list includes defending traditional marriage, banning human cloning, reforming Social Security, passing more-restrictive abortion laws and stepping up enforcement of obscenity laws, said Ms. LaRue of Concerned Women for America.
And if moderates don't agree with those objectives, perhaps they don't belong in the GOP, she said.
Ms. LaRue calls Mr. Specter a RINO - Republican In Name Only - and questions why politicians such as Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island remain in the Republican Party when they didn't even vote for Mr. Bush.
"Get real," she said. "These are Democrats in Republican clothing."

That quote is taken from the Dallas News. So Sen. Rudman, Bill Cohen, Eric Cantor, Arlen Specter, Norm Coleman, Rudy Guiliani, Lincoln Chafee, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, etc., are no longer welcome in the GOP?

How do the moderate republicans reply?

"There is no future for moderate and progressive Republicans in the Republican Party," said Jim Scarantino, president of the centrist GOP group Mainstream 2004. "The far right wing and the fanatics have seized control."
Mr. Scarantino isn't sure where his brand of Republican politics fits into the GOP. Some Christian conservatives say it doesn't.[...]

While big-name moderates such as John McCain, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rudolph Giuliani took the stage in New York, conservatives controlled the party platform.

"The party has ruthlessly exploited moderate Republicans," Mr. Scarantino said. "I think they're deluding themselves thinking they're ever going to get anything more than the opportunity to be on the stage."

Folks, the moderates support Bayh. Why can't the liberal faction see that without centrists we cannot win?

I had the chance to interview Jonathan Miller, the State Treasurer, the other day and asked him if KY will go blue again. His reply:

Of course. We voted for Clinton in 92 and 96. Unfortunately, Gore and Kerry abandoned KY. With a strong centrist candidate (Bayh, Edwards), we can win Kentucky in 2008.

As to the favorites? Jonathan remarks:

Hillary and Edwards have to be the favorites, but Bayh is my dark horse.

If I do get elected as CDA President in 2007, I get a speaking role at the convention. If Evan Bayh gets the nomination, Jonathan would speak at the convention if he gets the option to do so.

can someone give me some help here? the links are at the bottom and on the side, not at the top and on the side.

We are ready for a female president and I could see a friend of mine being a good candidate in the future. However, the general concensus is that Sen. Hilary Clinton would be trounced in the general election. She will be seen as too liberal. Not just that, but I can never forgive her for carpetbagging. Carpetbagging is moving from one state to another just to run for office--and that's why I'm staying in KY except for when I intern or run for the Presidency--which I have said time and time again that I will.
We really need a governor or a former governor like Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana. He has the executive experience and has shown he can work in Washington with members from both parties. His dad wrote Title 9, the amendments that lowered the voting age and set the line in case the president dies. We cannot afford to be labeled as liberal any more. There is no shame in being a liberal--I'm a centrist Democrat myself but we didn't when with a "Massachusetts Liberal" this year.
It's early and no one has announced but I believe that Sen. Bayh is the man we need in the White House--and that's why I endorse him and hope to intern for him this summer (well, out of the three I am applying for, he's my top choice).

Evidently someone with CFK reads this and took it out of context. all the comments above the ------------------- were daily kos, everything below was what i wrote. i had to clear that up right now.

support evan bayh in 2008. my gut says he'll run. if and when is up to evan. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evanbayhin2008/

nap time til 3 when inside politics is on.

Here is a link for the new Evan Bayh in 2008 yahoo group. It's as grassroots as it gets. The link is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evanbayhin2008/. Of any candidates that may run in 2008, I believe that Sen. Bayh is the most electable. He chairs the DLC and has won a red state (Indiana) for at least 5 terms now, and many of those terms, he was elected by a large margin.
While we may have 60 members so far on the yahoo group, this is the beginning of something big. I know Deaniacs that are backing Senator Evan Bayh in 2008 and one is a co-moderator. I myself am all for Sen. Bayh in 2008 now that I have seen the light (I was for Edwards after the concession).Thank you for your time.

Today, we observe Veteran's Day. It is a time to thank all those who have served our country in the armed forces. My grandfathers both served this fine country we call America during World War 2.

Regardless of whether one supports this war for oil or not, we should all support the troops. I support the troops even though I am against the war.

I went to the NKU Veteran's Day celebration today in which members of the Sons of the American Legion#275 were in attendence. Congressman Ken Lucas delivered the keynote address. I spoke with him and mentioned speaking to the College Dems after his term expires. I mentioned that I have seen him more times than I have seen my own representative in Congress.

Good news academically. I might be able to recieve credit for interning in DC even if I do not go through the Washington Center program. How cool is that?

Kentucky does not start the official basketball season until the 20th when they take on Coppin State. Should be an easy victory next week

"You are not required to complete the work, yet you are not allowed to desist from it."
- Pirkei Avot, 2:21

Tikkun Olam can explain why many of us Jews are in politics. Social action is a fold of BBYO. The Torah calls for social justice. We need social betterment in our society. I once got into an argument with a friend from BBYO as to which was why BBYO leads alumni to politics: leadership or social action. Jonathan Miller says it is the biblical mandate to make the world a better place.

While I may be a fiscal conservative, I am a social liberal. One could call me a libertarian but I am a Democrat. I believe in healthcare for all. I believe in a fully funded education plan and not one where you leave almost everyone behind. I believe that every one deserves the same equal protection under the law.

Everyone deserves the same healthcare that our Senators and Congressmen have. John Kerry used Blue Cross Blue Shield. We should have cheaper prescription drugs and should allow for the re-importation of prescription drugs from Canada.

No child left behind leaves every child behind. This unelected President proposed this legislation that he refused to fund. He'd rather fund his war on Iraq, that over half the country was against.

You can't get rid of someone's rights because of who they are. My best friend is gay. It took me a long time to accept the fact that he is, but he is. I have said many times before, I am against gay marriage. However, I would support civil unions. I support civil unions because the idea of that is not religious but civil unions take place in court. When it all comes down to it, the right-wingers are afraid of two people of the same sex kissing. I guess none of them ever visit the pictures at www.collegehumor.com (caution to those that don't like looking at pictures of nude females or two females kissing). If the GOP supports moral values, then why do their supporters submit their pictures of themselves nude. I don't get that at all.

Thank you for your time and G-d Bless America. I welcome your comments at this time.

The latest from the Daily Kos

The battles for the DNC and RNC
Tue Nov 9th, 2004 at 17:30:05 PST

The RNC will be free of drama. Bush gets to pick, and his campaign manager, the wierdly robotic Ken Mehlman, looks the likely choice.

The AP lists the following names as possible Dem contenders, with my quick impressions. Note that this new DNC chair needs to be an innovative, think outside the box sort of guy. We can't have much of
the same old establishment crap that has failed us miserably the last three election cycles.

Howard Dean
My tentative pick. Would take him out of the '08 running, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I see him as a great DNC head. I don't see him as a viable presidential candidate. (Bring on the flames.)

Simon Rosenberg
An incredible visionary who would be a tremendous leader of the party. While a "centrist", he transcends ideology into that space I like to operate in -- partisanship. If there's a fault, it's that he's really, really nice. We might want more of a pit bull.

Tom Vilsack
The Iowa governor puts me to sleep. And I'm predisposed against him for failing to help deliver Iowa (which might be unfair).

Mark Warner
The Virginia governor has his sites set either on the Senate in 2006, or the White House 2008. A stint as DNC chair would preclude both of those.

Roy Barnes
Former governor of Georgia. You want a good Diebold-fueled conspiracy theory? His electoral loss in 2002 qualifies. Seems like an okay choice, unless he's being considered for geographic purposes. I refuse to play the, "We must appease the South to have any chance of winning" game.

Harold Ickes
Well liked former Clinton aide, he's supposed to wield a mean message. Could be a good choice, though he would be seen as laying the groundwork for a Hillary '08 bid. That perception, true or not, could be a deal breaker.

Inez Tenenbaum
Losing Democratic candidate for Senate in South Carolina. Not sure why she's made this list...

Donna Brazile
Few of us around here appreciate her public appearances, but she's supposedly a killer organizer. Perhaps the DNC chair should be split in two -- a fundraiser/public face and an organizer?

Ron Kirk
The former African-American mayor of Dallas got trounced in his Senate race in 2002. But he was a popular figure in Republican Dallas and has had some crossover appeal. A good public speaker. An intriguing possibility.

Dennis Archer
I know very little about this former Detroit mayor.

Wellington Webb
I know even less about this former Denver mayor.

Antonio Villaraigosa
Villaraigosa is a former speaker of the California Assembly and failed Los Angeles mayoral candidate. He's an old school political machine type of politico. I want someone more innovative.

John Edwards
I don't know why, but I just don't see this one. In any case, he's clearly running again in '08 so that would preclude the DNC gig.

-------------------------------------------------
Ok, my personal pick is Rosenberg. Why? He's a centrist and a friend of someone I know. Dean is energetic but though he is a centrist, he ran a campaign as a leftist. We don't need to go further to the left but stay in the center.

http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=11003

This just makes me disgusted. The guy cannot even lead the state.

I'm a fiscal conservative and according to that website:
Fiscal conservatism is the stance that the government must "live within its means". Above all, fiscal conservatives oppose excessive government debt; this belief in balanced budgets tends to be coupled with a belief that government welfare programs should be narrowly tailored and that tax rates should be low, which implies relatively small government institutions.

In other news, all signs are pointing to this election being stolen. Sure, it's not good news and I know that. I'm in contact daily with former Congressman Levine and some contact with Cam Kerry as well.

Hoping to intern in DC this summer. Wish me luck

I apologize for the lack of updates but I was busy on the campaign trail.