Tonight, Congressman Robert Wexler spoke to his mostly pro-Clinton constituents (updated x2)

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Monday June 02, 2008 · 8:50 PM PDT

2008/06/02 · 20:50

I just moved to Palm Beach County, Florida's 19th District, represented by Congressman Robert Wexler. And for the first time in my life, I have a Congressman who makes me proud. As pointed out earlier, Congressman Wexler and Donna Brazile were two of the most articulate, reasonable, and passionate voices at the RBC meeting. So I looked at his website. As it turned out, Congressman Wexler was holding a town hall meeting in West Boca Raton tonight. So, I went...

[update 2 - I just wanted to point out that the Wexler For Congress Campaign posted a link to a video of the town hall meeting on the bottom comment]

jdodsonvls

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Tuesday March 18, 2008 · 9:34 AM PDT

2008/03/18 · 09:34

There are two ways to react to Obama's speech today: If we admire Sen. Obama's forthrightness, and take him at his word, then the only meaningful reaction is to engage people in the honest discussion that he has tried to initiate. If we see things through a cynical, tactical point of view, then we can talk about whether his speech effectively "stemmed" the fallout of Rev. Wright, or whether confronting race is good for his campaign, or whether now he's pigeonholed as "the black candidate."

jdodsonvls

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Tuesday February 05, 2008 · 7:54 PM PST

2008/02/05 · 19:54

Did anyone else just hear that on MSNBC? Just wanted to put it out there. I wish it were true, but we can't let people get away with that in a general election. Olbermann and Matthews and company should have the resources to fact check and correct statements like that on the spot.

The Gitmo Appeals: Round IV

jdodsonvls

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Monday October 01, 2007 · 9:59 AM PDT

2007/10/01 · 09:59

The Supreme Court will hear another appeal this term regarding the detainees in Guantanamo Bay. As you'll recall, in the summer of 2006, the Constitution was briefly vindicated when Justice Stevens wrote a rousing, forceful opinion in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, condemning Bush's and the DOD's claim that the executive had the inherent authority to indefinitely detain "enemy combatants" without a hearing or access to a lawyer, and without any legislative authorization.

That fall, Congress immediately capitulated, passing the Military Commissions Act of 2006. Now, we have legislative authorization, but the scheme is still unconstitutional and grossly inadequate. The detainees are challenging the constitutionality of that abhorrent legislation in 2 related appeals: Boumediene v. Bush, and al Odah v. United States.

jdodsonvls

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Sunday September 30, 2007 · 2:20 PM PDT

2007/09/30 · 14:20

My concerns with neo-conservative policies have always been more academic and strategic than political and idealistic (although, to be sure, my politics and ideals have not at all detracted from my views). So, throughout the past years, I've attempted to develop the most logical, realistic evaluation of neo-conservative policies that I can muster. Finally, a year ago, my views crystallized in an argument I had with my law professor and mentor - quite possibly the only neo-con for whom I have any respect. And, in a breathtakingly nerdy fashion, I've managed to reduce my argument to simple algebra. By such a dispassionate analysis, I don't mean to lend neo-conservative policies any credibility, so much as to clarify and rebut the ostensible calculus that the White House has put forward.

jdodsonvls

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Wednesday September 26, 2007 · 8:14 AM PDT

2007/09/26 · 08:14

Attention death penalty opponents!
In case you didn't hear, on Monday the Supreme Court granted cert in a number of intriguing cases this term. I want to bring to your attention Baze v. Rees. According to some, this case has the potential to make the most sweeping changes in death penalty law in decades.

The law professors at http://sentencing.typepad.com:

This is huge news which could (and probably should) lead to a de facto moratorium on all lethal injection executions nationwide until the Supreme Court issues a ruling (which might not come until June 2008).

Poll

43 votes Show Results

What is cruel and unusual?

43 votes Vote Now!

What is cruel and unusual?

any method of execution causing physical pain

5 votes

the electric chair is cruel, lethal injections are humane

0 votes

death is cruel, period.

18 votes

the death penalty is unusual (internationally), but not cruel

3 votes

what those bastards did to their victims was cruel, screw 'em

15 votes

the psychological impact of impending death is what's cruel

2 votes

a little inspiration

jdodsonvls

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday September 21, 2007 · 12:03 PM PDT

2007/09/21 · 12:03

We grew up learning about what a special country we lived in. We learned about our system of government - about democracy and free speech, about Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, about the civil rights movement. We learned that we lived in the greatest country in the world - not because of our brute power and robust economy, which we had - but because of our ideals. It was our ideals that set us apart from every empire in the history of the world. It was our ideals that made us benevolent and loved despite our power.

And those of us in the progressive community have held onto those ideals throughout the past 7 years, despite all evidence to the contrary. Then, yesterday, our representatives told us to fuck off.

Well, whenever my ideals are confronted by the ugly reality of our rough-and-tumble system, I watch Mr. Smith's famous filibuster, and I'm rejuvenated.

So, we're not licked, and we're gonna stand here and keep fighting for this lost cause, even if this whole country gets filled with trite resolutions like the one passed yesterday!

Click the link, and feel better.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Army Recruiter's Homophobic Rant

jdodsonvls

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday March 28, 2007 · 6:12 AM PDT

2007/03/28 · 06:12

As some of you may know, several organizations, especially the Service-members Legal Defense Network have been lobbying Congres to pass the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which repeals Don't Ask Don't Tell. Its hard to believe, when National Guardsmen are serving their umpteenth tour (who can keep count at this point) of Iraq, and our military is stretched to the breaking point, the Department of Defense still stubbornly stands by this discriminatory policy. Its 2007, and even 73% of military personnel are comfortable with gays and lesbians serving in the military.

What's even more astounding, is the utter lack of professionalism on the part of Army recruiters such as Sergreant Marcia Ramode. She contacted a young man who had posted his resume on-line. He responded enthusiastically, but said he had not kept up on politics and assumed in 2007 that he could serve openly. Her response below the fold:

jdodsonvls

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday November 15, 2006 · 7:06 PM PST

2006/11/15 · 19:06

I welcome any comments, as I hope to get this published as an editorial in some Virginia papers... Read More

George Allen updates

jdodsonvls

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday August 17, 2006 · 9:05 AM PDT

2006/08/17 · 09:05

A few updates, from www.raisingkaine.com, George "Bush" Allen has a new excuse: he's an idiot, and doesn't know what he's saying half the time. Raising Kaine quotes the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Allen said, "For folks to think I would know what sorts of genus of monkeys are in eastern Asia, ascribe a lot more intelligence to me than I actually have."

jdodsonvls

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday August 16, 2006 · 1:25 PM PDT

2006/08/16 · 13:25

I can't get enough! Its so great to get GOOD news, every day! I had forgotten what it was like to look forward to reading the paper. The Post's "The Fix" updated its analysis, suggesting that polls indicate that the size of the upcoming democratic wave is on the "high end of extra-large."

"If you take an average of the last three or four polls, because any one can be an outlier in either direction, you can determine which way the wind is blowing, and whether the wind speed is small, medium, large or extra-large," said Cook. "The last three generics that I have seen have been in the 18 or 19 point range, which is on the high side of extra large. That suggests the probability of large Democratic gains."

jdodsonvls

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday August 01, 2006 · 9:05 AM PDT

2006/08/01 · 09:05

In our zeal to give the other side a run for its money in conservative districts, lets not take for granted our strongholds. Peter Welch, an accomplished Vermont state legislator and former candidate for Governor, is neck-and-neck with Martha Rainville in the race for Vermont's only seat in the House of Representatives. The seat was vacated by Bernie Sanders, who is running for Senate, and has a heatlhy lead over his Republican rival, millionare corporate executive, Rich Tarrant. There is no reason that, in a Democratic year, we should lose the Congressional seat representing the most liberal state in the country! Check out the following polls of the Vermont races from the Burlington Free Press, and please contribute to Welch's campaign. In Vermont, you're sure to get a lot of bang for your buck.

https://services.myngp.com/ngponlineservices/custom/welch/contribute.html
Peter Welch for Congress
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Tonight, Congressman Robert Wexler spoke to his mostly pro-Clinton constituents (updated x2)

Taking Obama's Speech Seriously: A Dialogue on Race in America

Haley Barbour: Obama has the most liberal voting record in the Senate

The Gitmo Appeals: Round IV

Neo-conservatives: A Rebuttal With Algebra

HUGE Death Penalty Case Next Term

a little inspiration

Army Recruiter's Homophobic Rant

Virginia's Constitution: From Thomas Jefferson to Jerry Falwell

George Allen updates

WaPo says Democratic wave getting BIGGER

The Democratic Congressional candidate is losing in Vermont!