Kerry: Bush Short-Changes Gulf Small Businesses Again

Bush is out of touch reality and fails Small Business again...

Today Senator John Kerry criticized the Bush Administration for sending up a third Hurricane relief proposal that is out of touch with the needs of the estimated 200,000 small businesses struggling to stay in business or reopen after the disasters.

“This is the White House's third funding request for Hurricane Katrina relief, and all three cheat small businesses and the people who work for them,” said Kerry, top Democrat on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. “How long will it take before this Administration realizes that the key to the Gulf Coast's recovery is rebuilding the small business economy?”

Two weeks ago, Kerry wrote a letter with Senators Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), and David Vitter (R-La.) to the head of the Office of Management and Budget asking the Administration to redirect to small businesses $720 million of the $42 billion sitting idle at FEMA. In this latest Hurricane Katrina funding request, the Administration agreed to redirect some money, but ignored the Senators’ comprehensive solution.

Of the $17 billion redirected from unused Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds, the Administration only requested money for the SBA’s disaster loan program. That funding is insufficient to meet the needs of small businesses, which are also clamoring for contracting assistance, SBA counseling, and bridge funding from the states.

Kerry joined Snowe in introducing bipartisan legislation to fund small business assistance programs that have been neglected by the Bush Administration’s Hurricane Katrina requests. The Small Business Hurricane Relief and Reconstruction Act, S.1807, would authorize bridge grants and loans, defer payments on existing small business loans, and increase funding for disaster loans for small businesses in the damaged areas. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Landrieu, Vitter, Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Jim Talent (R-Mo.). The Senate voted 96-0 to pass a similar version of the bill as part of the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) FY2006 Appropriations Act, which is now in conference.

Libby's Sex Shocker

With the presumption of innocence, we cannot say yet whether Scooter Libby will be convicted of perjury. We can say he is guilty of writing bad and depraved sex after reading The New Yorker. Check out what he has written about bears, young girls, and sex with deer.

“The Apprentice”—Libby’s 1996 entry in the long and distinguished annals of the right-wing dirty novel—tells the tale of Setsuo, a courageous virgin innkeeper who finds himself on the brink of love and war.

Homoeroticism and incest also figure as themes.

Where his Republican predecessors can seem embarrassingly awkward… Libby is unabashed.

John Kerry on the Nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court

As just reported, Bush has chosen Judge Samuel Alito to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. Alito is reportedly so conservation that he has been dubbed "Scalito" or "Scalia-lite."

The following is a statement from John Kerry on the Nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court:

“Every American should be deeply concerned that the far right wing which prevented Harriet Miers from even receiving a Senate hearing is celebrating Judge Alito’s nomination and urging the Senate to rubber stamp the swing vote on our rights and liberties. Has the right wing now forced a weakened President to nominate a divisive justice in the mold of Antonin Scalia? With civil rights, privacy rights, and mainstream American values hanging in the balance, the President’s sagging political position in his own party is no excuse to reopen wounds in America which a President should seek to repair.

“In nominating a successor to Justice O’Connor, President Bush had the power to unite the country by nominating a highly qualified woman or minority who would put the Constitution first and reflect the diversity of our country. Instead, the record must be studied, the documents must be made available, and the questions must be answered conclusively, to determine whether the president has chosen to divide the country with a nominee outside the ideological mainstream.”

Retracing the Struggle - Hundreds Gather to Re-enact Martin Luther King's March in Boston

(AP Photo/Lisa Poole)
John Kerry, applaudes Congressman John Lewis, of Georgia, as Lewis takes the podium to speak to a crowd today at the First Church in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston.

Hundreds of people "gathered in Boston this afternoon to re-enact a march that Martin Luther King led 40 years ago to protest school segregation in the city."

In April of 1965, King led marchers on a three-mile walk that ended with a rally on Boston Common. Later that year, the state Legislature passed a measure outlawing racially imbalanced schools.

Today's march was led by Congressman John Lewis of Georgia. As chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Lewis was one of the most prominent figures of the civil rights movement during the 1960s.

The event started at First Church in Roxbury and featured speeches by Senator John Kerry, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick.

The march also is designed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of King's historic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to protest voting restrictions for blacks.

John Kerry sent out an email (hat tip to Whometense on DU)to his MA supporters earlier in the week asking them to join him on the march and said "The best way we can celebrate Rosa Parks' life and legacy is by acting on the courage of our convictions and holding our government accountable whenever our ideals of equality, freedom and justice are endangered."

Kerry Jabs Bush in Nyack, NY

John Kerry was in Nyack, NY yesterday, stumping for Rockland county executive candidate Ellen Jaffee, a Democratic county legislator from Suffern. Kerry has been actively supporting Democrats across the country in upcoming 2005 elections. While in Nyack, Kerry poked more than a few jabs at Bush and his fellow floundering republicans...

The indictment of high-ranking Bush administration official was a sad day in America, former presidential candidate John Kerry said today at the Nyack Center.

"This is the first time in 130 years that a prosecutor knocked on the door of the White House to deliver a felony count," the Democratic senator from Massachusetts said of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, who has been charged in the investigation into the leaking of a CIA operative's name to the press.

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John Kerry on the Libby Indictments in CIA Leak Case

John Kerry issued the following statement on the indictment of Scooter Libby on 5 counts (one count of obstruction of justice, two counts of making false statements and two counts of perjury in the CIA leak probe) today:

“Today’s indictment of the Vice President's top aide and the continuing investigation of Karl Rove are evidence of White House corruption at the very highest levels, far from the 'honor and dignity' the president pledged to restore to Washington just five years ago.

“A chief architect of the war in Iraq, Scooter Libby, sworn to protect this country, used access to national security information not as weapons against our nation’s enemies, but as weapons against someone who dared to ask tough questions of a dishonest policy. Then they tried to cover it up rather than come clean with the American people, even as the President falsely claimed his Administration was cooperating with investigators. Not only was America misled into war, but a Nixonian effort to silence dissent has now left Americans wondering whether they can trust anything this Administration has to say.

“Today, almost on cue as bad news struck, the President delivered another rhetorical blast on the war on terror. But the war on terror is not a convenient political distraction, it’s a war we have to win. And to win the war on terror, we can’t afford to have senior administration officials playing political games with national security. The President needs to get serious about addressing our nation’s problems, starting by cleaning out the corruption in his Administration and then addressing the situation in Iraq, soaring gas prices, and a still sluggish economy.”

John Kerry on Bush’s Terrorism Speech Today

Bush gave a speech today in Norfolk, VA in attempts to bolster support for the Iraq War. Bush's speech was more of the same old, same old... "We will never back down." He still doesn't get that the American public is tired of hearing his lies.

John Kerry issued the following statement on President Bush’s speech today in Norfolk, VA:

“Caught up in a wave of indictments and concerns about the war in Iraq, President Bush again tried to distract and divide Americans with more of the same standard fare rhetoric.

“Rather than learn from the scandal engulfing a White House that endangered a CIA agent to attack an Administration critic, the President again today attacked Americans who ask tough questions of his failed policies. Rather than play politics with our national security to take the focus off indictments, the Administration needs to put its focus on destroying Al Qaeda and cleaning up the mess they created in Iraq.

“It’s time for the White House to face the truth. America is less safe because mistake after mistake have turned Iraq into the terrorist haven it was not before the invasion. Osama bin Laden remains at large over four years after September 11th because instead of destroying that mass murderer, the Administration’s missteps in Iraq have empowered a new global terrorist kingpin in Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. This Administration still has done virtually nothing to confront Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism controlled by a hardliner who just this week called for Israel to be wiped off the face of the earth.

“It’s time for the president to stop using terrorism as a political weapon, and instead start fighting a more effective war on terror. When it comes to national security, Americans deserve better.”

John Kerry Interview with Alan Colmes

After watching John Kerry's speech at Georgetown just a while ago on C-Span, I moved on to watch the video of Alan Colmes interviewing John Kerry. It was far better than I anticipated...

Watch the interview here.

The transcript is available here.

Here's a quip from the interview...

COLMES: On my radio show at night, people will sometimes -- conservatives will call and say, "You know what, I'm really sorry I cast my vote for President Bush. And we play Brenda Lee and "I'm Sorry" and ask them to sing along.

COLMES: Do you find sometimes the people you meet express to you buyer's remorse?

KERRY: Yes, sure people come up to me. But look, again, I don't want to go backward; I want to go forward. We've got some big issues. We've got a country that desperately needs to be energy independent. There's so much we could do to create new jobs in America, to put people to work, to reduce the cost of gasoline for people. We're not doing it.

There's so much we could be doing to bring other countries to the table to help us in this effort. There's so much we could be doing to still fix our schools, to create new jobs. And yet the big fight in Washington is whether or not people earning more than a million dollars a year are going to get $32 billion worth of tax cuts next year.

When people talk about morality and values, we ought to apply a little morality and values to the fundamental choice that what goes into our budget and who is represented by it.

NPR: Kerry Urges Troop Withdrawals Post-Iraq Elections

All Things Considered on NPR will air an interview with John Kerry on his speech earlier today, the audio for this story will be available at approx. 7:30 p.m. ET

All Things Considered, October 26, 2005 · Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) calls on President Bush to start major withdrawals of troops from Iraq if the December Iraqi elections are a success. He delivered his comments during a speech at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The senator speaks with Melissa Block about his plan.

UPDATE: Audio Available Here

"You will not end this insurgency at the mouth of a gun barrel. You have to have a political solution."

Kerry to Pull No Punches Taking on the Bush Administration in Iraq Speech Today

John Kerry will be delivering a speech on Iraq, today, at 1:00 p.m. est, at Georgetown University. In his speech he will will leave no doubt about his position on the Iraq war. From advance excerpts of Kerry's speech, it's clear that he will hold no punches...

Kerry will be offering a detailed, concrete plan from troop draw-down, to Iraqi troop training, to regional security arrangements, to political solutions, to reconstruction. He will propose a 12-15 month plan that will help stabilize Iraq and bring our troops home, starting with the process of reducing our forces by withdrawing 20,000 troops over the course of the holidays.

In his speech today, Kerry speaks truth to power. As he did thirty five years ago with his Fulbright Commission testimony, John Kerry will take on those who say we can’t ask tough questions because we are at war, and he will insist instead that in a time of war we must ask the hardest questions of all. Kerry will argue, “no matter what the President says, asking tough questions isn’t pessimism; it’s patriotism.” This belief is fundamental to John Kerry’s character.

In stark and honest contrast to the Bush Administration’s shifting rationales for war, John Kerry will tell the truth that this country and the Congress were misled into war. He will reiterate, as he said more than a year ago that, knowing what we know now, he would not have gone to war in Iraq.

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The Full Text of John Kerry's Speech is Available Here.

Statement from John Kerry on the Loss of the 2,000th American Service Member in Iraq

Senator John Kerry released the following statement today the loss of the 2,000th American Service Member in Iraq:

“We learned today of the 2,000th American military fatality in the war in Iraq - Staff Sgt. George Alexander Jr. Throughout our history, brave men and women have stepped forward to serve our country and selflessly put their lives on the line in times of war and great danger. We are America the free because of them.

“This is another tragic milestone in the war in Iraq, a heart-wrenching day for more than 2,000 American families who have lost sons and daughters, husbands and wives. America honors the service of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and we join their families and loved ones in mourning their loss. Today as we laid another son of Massachusetts to rest in the soil at Arlington National Cemetery, I am reminded of the way our state of Massachusetts continues to answer the call to service. Each day is a blessing and a gift made possible by those who have answered the nation’s call. Their service and that of their families is as noble as their selflessness is humbling.

“We have a sacred obligation to all our brave men and women in uniform to make the right decisions in Iraq so that we can bring our forces home as soon as possible, leaving behind a stable Iraq.

“I hope that everyone will take a moment and say a prayer for peace and a prayer of thanksgiving that there are people like these so willing to serve our country.”

John Kerry Statement on Passing of Rosa Parks

Senator John Kerry issued the following statement on the passing of Rosa Parks:

“On December 1, 1955, a seamstress from Montgomery, Alabama, became a hero when she sat down on a bus to stand up for the civil rights of all Americans.

“I remember reading about Rosa Parks when I was a kid, and I will never forget last year meeting this courageous woman who helped bend the course of history by risking her life doing what today Americans can take for granted.

“Rosa Parks’ passing reminds us of the responsibility we each have to make our America freer and stronger. Our work is not yet complete to guarantee civil rights, voting rights and human rights are protected in this country. The best way to celebrate Rosa Parks’ life and legacy is by acting on the courage of our convictions and holding our government accountable whenever our ideals of equality, freedom and justice are endangered.

“Rosa Parks remains in death what she was in life: a legend who will be remembered in our history books as well as our hearts because we would not be the country we are today without her courage so many years ago. Now she must inspire us to be the still greater country we are capable of becoming.”

Kerry at Georgetown Prior to Iraq War

While waiting for John Kerry to speak on national security at Georgetown later this week I was reviewing his statement there from January 23, 2003. If only George Bush had listened:

As I have said frequently and repeat here today, the United States should never go to war because it wants to, the United States should go to war because we have to. And we don’t have to until we have exhausted the remedies available, built legitimacy and earned the consent of the American people, absent, of course, an imminent threat requiring urgent action.

The Administration must pass this test. I believe they must take the time to do the hard work of diplomacy. They must do a better job of making their case to the American people and to the world.

I have no doubt of the outcome of war itself should it be necessary. We will win. But what matters is not just what we win but what we lose. We need to make certain that we have not unnecessarily twisted so many arms, created so many reluctant partners, abused the trust of Congress, or strained so many relations, that the longer term and more immediate vital war on terror is made more difficult. And we should be particularly concerned that we do not go alone or essentially alone if we can avoid it, because the complications and costs of post-war Iraq would be far better managed and shared with United Nation’s participation. And, while American security must never be ceded to any institution or to another institution’s decision, I say to the President, show respect for the process of international diplomacy because it is not only right, it can make America stronger - and show the world some appropriate patience in building a genuine coalition. Mr. President, do not rush to war.

Fitzgerald May Be Investigating Lies Which Led to War

Martin Walker, an editor at UPI, believes that Fitzgerald’s investigation might be including how Bush lied in order to obtain support for going to war. While there is a lot of speculation and little firm knowledte of what Fitzgerald will do, he bases his speculation on two facts:

The first is that Fitzgerald last year sought and obtained from the Justice Department permission to widen his investigation from the leak itself to the possibility of cover-ups, perjury and obstruction of justice by witnesses. This has renewed the old saying from the days of the Watergate scandal, that the cover-up can be more legally and politically dangerous than the crime.

The second is that NATO sources have confirmed to United Press International that Fitzgerald’s team of investigators has sought and obtained documentation on the forgeries from the Italian government.

Fitzgerald’s team has been given the full, and as yet unpublished report of the Italian parliamentary inquiry into the affair, which started when an Italian journalist obtained documents that appeared to show officials of the government of Niger helping to supply the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein with Yellowcake uranium. This claim, which made its way into President Bush’s State of the Union address in January, 2003, was based on falsified documents from Niger and was later withdrawn by the White House.

This opens the door to what has always been the most serious implication of the CIA leak case, that the Bush administration could face a brutally damaging and public inquiry into the case for war against Iraq being false or artificially exaggerated. This was the same charge that imperiled the government of Bush’s closest ally, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, after a BBC Radio program claimed Blair’s aides has “sexed up” the evidence on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.

There can be few more serious charges against a government than going to war on false pretences, or having deliberately inflated or suppressed the evidence that justified the war.

Bush's Approval Remains at 38%

Bush’s approval remains unchanged over the past month according to the American Research Group: “Among all Americans, 38% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 55% disapprove. When it comes to Bush’s handling of the economy, 34% approve and 59% disapprove.”

Kerry Stole the Show

The Note has some items on John Kerry today:

Roll Call’s Nicole Duran Notes that of the “21 Republican and 12 Democratic Senators who will face voters in November of 2008,” Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) was “the biggest spendthrift,” collecting $1.8 million and ending the quarter with “roughly $300,000 in the bank.”

Kerry, by the way, was spotted out on U Street Northwest on Thursday night being cool.

Roll Call’s Mary Ann Akers reports that Kerry “stole the show” at the “uber-hip” Tabaq Bistro on Thursday, at a benefit for the Whitman-Walker Clinic. “Kerry made a surprise appearance to support his staffers Heather Zichal and Heather Higginbottom, both of whom are training for the upcoming AIDS marathon and helping to raise money for Whitman-Walker.”

“The Senator hung out with the crowd and even played a few songs on a guitar he borrowed from the band hired to play for the event. He played Chuck Berry’s ‘Johnny B. Goode’ and a few Beatles riffs, our source says.”

Bursting the Bubble - Again

There's not much I can say after watching "Inside the Bubble" last night that has not already been said here either by myself (here and here) or Ron (here and here), and yet there is so much to say. I kept waiting for that moment to come when I would get the point that the director, Steven Rosenbaum seems to be struggling to make - but that moment never came. All I can say, I'm sorry to burst the bubble - again.

Steven Rosenbaum says on his Blog about the documentary, "Inside the Bubble":

"Those of you who've followed this film know that it's been an emotional road. No one sets out to make a film about a losing candidate for President. We though we were chronicalling a winner. And after that fateful day in November, 2004 - we spent a bunch of months with the footage under lock and key.

I find Rosenbaum's statement to be very telling about the direction of the film. When I first wrote about "Inside the Bubble", I said:

"One has to wonder what the film would have played like, if things had turned out differently. Anyone with an inkling into the film business knows that a film such as this is skewed to the view of the producer. While Rosenbaum may have started the film process with one vision, clearly his focus changed for some feeble attempt of personal gain."

After watching the entire film, courtesy of Mr. Rosenbaum (as I seem to have raised his ire with my previous posts about the film) , I can only reiterate that... What would the focus of this film have been if things had turned out differently? Watching the film, I see the perspective of a bitter filmmaker who is either unable to see clearly what really happened last November or is looking to recoup his investment on the misfortune of the entire country.

There are no lessons to be learned from "Inside the Bubble," except perhaps that being a campaign staffer on the road in a presidential election is grueling, exhausting and sometimes mindboggling. Yet, in the midst of all of that, we see in the film that those who traveled day in and day out with the Kerry campaign managed to keep a sense of humor and a level of camaraderie that is admirable and endearing. What Rosenbaum attempts to portray as flaws of character within the staff are human moments that everyone under pressure are prone to.

There are no policy secrets, there are no looks deep inside the workings of the campaign. Policy secrets, stategy sessions, issues discussions are not present in the film and quite frankly, I understand why the staffers in the film, would not have had those discussions in front of the camera -- the possibility that any one of the "Inside the Bubble" crew could have leaked information they overheard during filming.

The film loosely weaves back and forth skipping from one day to another with out clarity most of the time. Although occassional dates and locations are flashed on the screen, many things are taken out of context of the sequence of actual campaign events and twisted into the view of the film editor in what appears to be attempts to confuse the reality of the events.

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A Year Too Late

The auto industry has realized the need for health care reform. Rather than speaking out now, where were they a year ago when one candidate had a reasonable solution?

Inside The Bubble: A Review

Inside the Bubble started out with a major strike against it. A few days prior to its release there were media claims that the movie "could end up being the silver bullet that kills Kerry's presidential chances for 2008." When discussing the movie, director Steven Rosenbaum didn't portray the movie as being this damaging to Kerry, but has suggested his movie provides valuable insights into why Kerry lost. Now that Rosenbaum has kindly send me a review copy I can say that both views of the movie are incorrect.

The movie appears more like the work of an amateur filming randomly with a camcorder than as a serious documentary. A segment on making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is given equal weight to complaints of Kerry staffers about Dick Cheney attacking Kerry by taking his statements out of context. Isolated problems, such as a snafu with the teleprompter at one speech, are stressed over the substance of the campaign. By both lacking access to those actually running the campaign, and by neglecting to provide serious analysis, the movie is unable to provide any meaningful insight as to why Kerry lost.

The film repeatedly substitutes cheap shots for serious analysis. The movie starts with Kerry staffers being excited over the exit polls and predicting victory, returning to this many times throughout the film. Before laughing at those who were overly confident of victory, we must remember how widespread such optimism was on election day. There are many other times in which it appears Rosenbaum is attempting to place the campaign in as bad a light as possible. I've previously discussed the clips of Hillary's scowl at one of the debates. The movie goes even beyond the clip I previously viewed in giving the impression that Kerry committed a gaffe with no word that his statements were verified by Factcheck.org.

Editorial comment is inserted into the film by providing periodic opinions of others without consideration of the validity of their complaints. When Kerry has an expert on stem cell research answer a reporter's question, the reporter's protest that this is "lame" is blindly accepted. There are frequent cuts to Vanity Fair columnist Michael Wolff who is typically critical of the campaign but lacking in sound arguments. Rosenbaum shows Karl Rove accusing Kerry of flip flopping, and then cuts to Wolff who makes the same charge based solely on the IWR vote. If Rosenbaum desired to provide meaningful commentary he might have provided background to show how the ambiguities of the vote made it a poor litmus test on the war. He might have added pre-war clips of Kerry warning George Bush not to rush to war, or perhaps of John Kerry calling for regime change in the United States at the time of the invasion. With all the time spent on trivia, Rosenbaum could have found a few moments to show portions of Kerry's Senate floor statement, or his Georgetown speech, to clarify his views on Iraq.

The lies of the Swift Boat Vets are handled as poorly as Kerry's position on Iraq. At least there are a few brief comments from Kerry staffers on the unfairness of the attacks. Staffers are also shown discussing the dangers of responding to what started out as an internet ad as this would provide more exposure to the story. Wolff calls the attacks true, even if not accurate, based upon the fact that Kerry was an opponent of the Vietnam war. He overlooks the serious inaccuracies in both the attacks on Kerry's war record and in the distortions of Kerry's anti-war activities by the Swift Boat Liars.

In uncritically disseminating the untrue right wing talking points that Kerry was a flip flopper, that Kerry's position on Iraq was in any way similar to Bush's, or that there is validity to the attacks of the Swift Boat Liars, Rosenbaum fails to understand both John Kerry and the issues surrounding the 2004 election.

As the movie fails as a serous analysis of the election, it does provide some moments of excitement as we see Kerry campaigning. The scenes which humanize Kerry may ultimately be beneficial to him considering the stereotype spread by the media. This could have been a far better film if it had done more to capture the excitement and hopes of the fall of 2004 as we believed we had the chance to bring about change. One Democrat who does come out appearing good in the movie is Joe Biden who confronts political reporters pointing out that the story should be about what comes out of the candidate's mouth, not the stories the media preferred such as which operative won the internal campaign battle of the day. Biden's criticism of the news media's coverage of the election also provides lessons which Rosenbaum should have considered in the production of this movie.

Kerry, Landrieu Press Republican Leadership to Help Hurricane-Ravaged Small Businesses

Kerry, Landrieu Press Republican Leadership to Help Hurricane-Ravaged Small Businesses; Bill Would Also Help Farmers and Truckers Dependent on Price of Gas

10/21/2005 1:24:00 PM

---

To: National Desk, Business Reporter

Contact: Marc Comer of the Office of Sen. Kerry, 202-224-8496; Sally Richardson of the Office of Sen. Landrieu, 202-224-4893

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Despite estimates of than 400,000 jobs lost and 250,000 small businesses hurt by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Republican leadership in Congress has stalled a package of emergency economic aid and federal assistance for small businesses and others reeling in the Gulf Coast since Sept. 30. Late yesterday, Sens. John Kerry and Mary Landrieu went to the Senate floor to break the logjam and finally get small businesses the help they so desperately need.

"Up to now, Congress and the White House have said to small business owners: 'You're on your own,'" Kerry said. "It's outrageous to think that after providing $62 billion, Congress has yet to designate a penny for small business relief. We all know that small businesses are at the heart of the Gulf Coast's economy, crucial to the rebuilding effort, and important for getting people back to work, but will small businesses in the Gulf Coast have to wait five months, like they did after 9-11, before they get help?"

A key provision in the bill gives small businesses across the country access to low-interest disaster loans to cope with the increased costs of oil, natural gas, and gasoline. This will especially benefit farmers, truck drivers, and others whose livelihood heavily depends on the price of gas.

"Small businesses are the engine of our economic growth. This was true before Katrina, and it remains true as our small businesses move our economy forward as we rebuild from the greatest natural disaster in U.S. history," said Sen. Landrieu. "Since Hurricane Katrina first hit our shores, 53,900 businesses have asked for Washington's help, but so far only 58 of theses businesses have received any assistance. Washington has promised real help for the people of the Gulf Coast -- it is time to stop making promises and to start fulfilling them."

So far, the Small Business Administration has received 135,000 applications, yet only 2,050 have been approved. Of those, only 105 have been for small businesses. In addition, the Louisiana Department of Economic Development estimates that its program to help businesses on the ground in Louisiana will run out of funding today. Along with the SBA failures, this further jeopardizes Louisiana businesses.

Kerry (D-Mass.) is the Ranking Member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. He introduced the Small Business Hurricane Relief and Reconstruction Act, S.1807, with Landrieu (D-La.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), and David Vitter (R-La.).

This isn't the first time the Republican-controlled Senate and White House have stalled emergency assistance for small business owners in need. Kerry authored a similar assistance package to small businesses recovering in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, which was also blocked by Republicans for five months.

In addition to the gas and heating fuel assistance, the package provides:

-- Funding to Gulf states to provide bridge loans or grants that will be rapidly approved by state agencies to help businesses that are waiting for SBA loans, other financial assistance, or insurance payments

-- A one-year deferral on the interest and payments for SBA disaster and 504 loans

-- Access to 30 percent of all federal contracts and 40 percent of subcontracting dollars used in the recovery and relief effort

-- Increased opportunities and protections for disaster- related prime contracts and subcontracts

-- Expanded Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) status, which gives small businesses in the area a preference when bidding on federal contracts

-- Increased counseling and business assistance provided through the SBA's entrepreneurial development centers, including Small Business Development Centers, SCORE, Microloan Technical Assistance, Women's Business Centers, and Veterans Business Outreach Centers

-- Greater opportunities for small construction companies to receive SBA bonding assistance, which is a type of financial loss insurance on the contract

-- The ability to refinance existing disaster loans and existing business debt with low-interest disaster loans

Also cosponsoring the bill are: Sens. Jim Talent (R-Mo.), Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.).

Intelligent Design and the Flu

From the Letters to the Editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Applying one’s beliefs

The development of a vaccine for avian influenza is totally dependent upon an understanding of natural selection, molecular genetics and evolution. This is in conflict with the theory of intelligent design and thus provides a marvelous opportunity for proponents of that concept to stand up for their beliefs and refuse to be inoculated. They would also be doing their part to make sure that there is enough vaccine for the rest of us.

Richard G. Fried, M.D.

Kimberton, Pa.

(Besides providing a greater supply of the vaccine for others as Dr. Fried suggests, such a course may also help improve the gene pool–something the supporters of intelligent design will never understand.)

O'Reilly Considering Retirement

It looks like spewing all that viciousness and hatred is taking its toll on Bill O’Reilly, who finds his battles “tremendously wearing and debilitating.” Newsday reports he is even considering retirement. “That depends on how I feel physically. Like an athlete, the body breaks down after a while. There’s only so much aggression you can absorb [but] right now, I have no other vocational aspirations.”

Perhaps O’Reilly finds this so wearing because he fails to understand how he creates so much of the problem. O’Reilly claims, “We’re a defensive player except on the kids’ stuff [and] then we’re on the offense.” In reviewing his frequent attacks on the mainstream media, Newsday finds O’Reilly’s assessment “debatable if not delusional.”

It sounds to me like retirement is a good idea. I wish O’Reilly a long and healthy retirement–and it cannot start soon enough.

Time to Defeat DeLay, Santorum and Reed

In an email today from John Kerry's Keeping America's Promise PAC, Kerry says, it's time to "break the Republican's grip on power." Tops on the list of those who have got to go: DeLay, Santorum and Reed.

It's the question that's on everyone's mind: with Republican incompetence, cronyism and corruption on full display, when are Democrats going to stand up and break the Republicans' grip on power and finally move America forward?

How about right now?

If you've had it with incompetent, divisive, uncaring Republican officials, I hope you will act immediately to help Keeping America's Promise wage an all-out effort to remove the worst of the bunch from office in the upcoming elections. Support Keeping America's Promise

I'm talking about people like Tom DeLay whose bare-knuckled, dictatorial style has earned him a nickname -- the Hammer . . . like Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania, the leading Senate apologist for the miserable record of the Bush administration . . . like Ralph Reed, the former radical right leader turned Abramoff-tainted lobbyist now running for lieutenant governor in Georgia.

One thing is certain: America would be better off if the 2006 elections ended with all three of these figures -- DeLay, Santorum and Reed -- standing in defeat. And your support for Keeping America's Promise's grassroots efforts to win the most critical electoral contests of 2005 and 2006 can drive them from office.

Reed was one of the architects of brutal attacks on the patriotism of Senator Max Cleland, a Vietnam War hero, and he's counting on benefiting from a new poll tax in Georgia that puts barriers in the path of voters. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says that the Republicans' tactics will "make Georgia the toughest place in the nation to vote." [editorial, 3/22/05]

Like DeLay, Reed has been tainted by his closeness with out-of-control Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the central figure in a Republican lobbying scandal that has rocked the Republican establishment.

To those of us who want to move America forward, the upcoming elections have now become a contest over the strength and vibrancy of democracy itself. From key Senate races to critical House races to vitally important state and local contests, we've got to make our voices heard.

From Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania to Conrad Burns in Montana to Jon Kyl in Arizona, 15 Republican Senators are up for re-election in 2006. Keeping America's Promise will do whatever we can to make sure they are thrown out of office before they can do any more damage and that they are replaced with Democratic Senators who will move America in the right direction.

With your help, Keeping America's Promise will use newspaper ads, radio ads, online organizing campaigns and more to expose Republican politicians and their record of inaction on the issues that really matter to America's families.

And that's just the start. Keeping America's Promise is also working hard to help Democratic candidates squaring off face-to-face with the Republican Party's relentless, win-at-any-cost tactics.

From the vitally important governors' races this year in Virginia and New Jersey . . . to the campaigns of Senate colleagues like Hillary Clinton, Dianne Feinstein and Maria Cantwell . . . to key Democratic challengers like Bob Casey in Pennsylvania . . . with your help, Keeping America's Promise is putting the strength of a powerful grassroots movement into winning key elections.

We're helping at every level of government. By November 2005, we will have supported candidates and causes in a majority of states across the country and invested or raised over $2.3 million to help Senate, House, gubernatorial, mayoral and other candidates as well as national and state Democratic party committees. And we're backing that up with multi-media campaigns, voter mobilization drives and more to make the voices of grassroots Democrats heard in the most critical contests.

This is the kind of all-out Democratic effort that requires your immediate help.

Support Keeping America's Promise

Make no mistake about it. The Washington Republicans have thrown down the gauntlet. They've made it clear that they intend to keep pressing forward with their radical agenda and keep ignoring the real needs of America's families.

Don't let them get away with it. Lend your immediate financial support to Keeping America's Promise right now.

Sincerely,
John Kerry

Cheney Possibly Implicated in Plame Leak

Bloomberg reports further speculation that Dick Cheney, along with Karl Rove and Lewis Libby, is a target of the Fitzgerald’s investigation into the Plame leak:

A special counsel is focusing on whether Vice President Dick Cheney played a role in leaking a covert CIA agent’s name, according to people familiar with the probe that already threatens top White House aides Karl Rove and Lewis Libby.

The special counsel, Patrick Fitzgerald, has questioned current and former officials of President George W. Bush’s administration about whether Cheney was involved in an effort to discredit the agent’s husband, Iraq war critic and former U.S. diplomat Joseph Wilson, according to the people.

Fitzgerald has questioned Cheney’s communications adviser Catherine Martin and former spokeswoman Jennifer Millerwise and ex-White House aide Jim Wilkinson about the vice president’s knowledge of the anti-Wilson campaign and his dealings on it with Libby, his chief of staff, the people said. The information came from multiple sources, who requested anonymity because of the secrecy and political sensitivity of the investigation.

Dobson Told Miers Will Vote to Overturn Roe v. Wade

The Wall Street Journal reports on a conference call which reveals why Dobson has backed Harriet Miers. Reportedly he was told she would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade:

According to the notes of the call, Mr. Dobson introduced them by saying, “Karl Rove suggested that we talk with these gentlemen because they can confirm specific reasons why Harriet Miers might be a better candidate than some of us think.”

What followed, according to the notes, was a free-wheeling discussion about many topics, including same-sex marriage. Justice Hecht said he had never discussed that issue with Ms. Miers. Then an unidentified voice asked the two men, “Based on your personal knowledge of her, if she had the opportunity, do you believe she would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade?”

“Absolutely,” said Judge Kinkeade.

“I agree with that,” said Justice Hecht. “I concur.”

Two Days in October - A Look Back to 1967

PBS is airing a documentary tomorrow night, October 17th that is well worth watching: Two Days in October.




I received a screening copy of the documentary the other day and finally sat down to watch it last night. It's hard not to reflect on the parallels of the what is happening now in our country and Iraq when watching Two Days in October. For all of us who question why we are in Iraq and the role of propaganda in our government and and our media, it's a compelling look at striking similarities.

Some stayed. Some went. All fought.

In October 1967, history turned a corner. In a jungle in Vietnam, a Viet Cong ambush nearly wiped out an American battalion, prompting some in power to question whether the war might be unwinnable. On a campus in Wisconsin, a student protest against the war spiraled out of control, marking the first time that a campus anti-war demonstration had turned violent.

American Experience presents Two Days in October, based on the book They Marched Into Sunlight by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Maraniss. From director Robert Kenner (War Letters, Influenza 1918, John Brown's Holy War), this moving film examines the critical events that took place in the turbulent fall of 1967.

The emotionally wrenching parallel stories are told by the people whose lives were irrevocably changed by what happened -- American and Viet Cong soldiers, relatives of men killed in battle, protesting students, police officers, and university faculty and administrators. Collectively, their words speak to the heartbreak caused by the war and the stark division it wrought on the home front. "Nearly forty years later, it's obvious that the pain lies just below the surface for those who were involved," says Kenner. "They're still affected by those two days."

One of the aspects of the film that struck me, was the accounts by the soldiers who were in the battle recounted in the documentary. One day, I thought to myself, there will be men years later, who will never heal from their time in Iraq. One day the truth will come out (not that much has not already), and the division that runs deep in our country today over Iraq, will continue to linger as the division has over the Vietnam War.

We saw first hand what that division over the Vietnam War was capable of in the election last year and that rift still continues as some still push their pent up frustrations on John Kerry. Some will never understand what compels a man to stand up and speak truth to power, yet many understand full well the feelings echoed here...

In Two Days in October Maurice Zeitlin explains that he feels his opposition to the Vietnam War was his duty as an American citizen:

"I have only respect for the men who fought in that war, because they didn't make the war, they didn't choose to fight in that war, but they accepted a responsibility that they thought was theirs as an American citizen... They carried the burden of being an American citizen. When they were sent to war, they fought.

"And I carried the burden, not at all comparable, of being an American citizen by opposing that war... And, for that, I was privileged and they weren't, but we were both doing our duty."

Two Days in October provides a look at lessons to be learned from those who's lives will never be the same, after their participation in those two unforgettable days in October.

You can explore the stories of ten people interviewed in the film here: Firsthand Accounts. I definitely give this film two thumbs up. It's a must see.

A Reality Check for Joan Vennochi

In today's Boston Globe, Joan Vennochi, known for spewing venom about John Kerry, writes that John Kerry needs a reality check. What's interesting about Vennochi's column today is she makes a big deal about Hillary and an upcoming fundraising event in Boston and makes a veiled claim that this means something in terms of support for Kerry in MA, if he does run again in 2008. HOGWASH. And Vennochi herself even contradicts her point, here:

But because presidential politics is first about money, a second, credible Kerry presidential campaign is not impossible: ''John Kerry represents the most likely person to be the credible alternative," says Steven Grossman, the past Democratic National Committe chairman and Howard Dean presidential campaign chairman. Grossman attributes Kerry's status to his fund-raising capability, coveted e-mail list of 3 million, and battle-tested experience.

Why Vennochi is chattering about 2008 is beyond me, other than attempting to stir the pot, there's no substance to her column, today. Yes, Ted Kennedy stated the other day that if Kerry runs again, and Hillary runs as well, he will support Kerry. That's a given. For anyone with any smarts, the choice is clear between the two.

As to the fundraiser coming up in Boston at the end of this month, that Vennochi spins is all about Hillary, it's not. The hostess of the event says as much, and who the honary co-chairs are says as much as well...

On Oct. 28, philanthropist and Democratic activist Barbara Lee is sponsoring a rally and fund-raiser for four female US senators -- Clinton of New York, Dianne Feinstein of California, Maria Cantwell of Washington and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Lee, a past Kerry presidential supporter, is also a huge advocate for female candidates, from the local to national level. As far as 2008, Lee said it is ''too early to talk about it, or think about it. "

But the reality is that in Boston, events like the Oct. 28 gala are rock star moments for Clinton; and the battle lines between two senators' presidential dreams are apparent.

In Boston fashion, however, everyone pretends they are not. Teresa Heinz Kerry is one of the event's honorary co-chairs, along with Kennedy's wife, Victoria Reggie Kennedy.

Honestly, the only one who needs a reality check is Ms. Vennochi for her attempts to spin something from a whole lot of nothing. John Kerry himself has stated it's all about 2006 right now and he's helped to raise money for Hillary's re-election.

As for how the good people from MA feel about Kerry running again, if he chooses to, I'm not sure who Vennochi is speaking for, but I suspect it's just herself. Everyone I know from MA, feels the same way I do about the possibility of Kerry running again - ECSTATIC.

Note to Joan Vennochi: Take a lesson from John Kerry... Right now it's all about '06. Until he states categorically that he is running again, all you are doing is spewing conjucture and sturring up trouble. But, we all know that's something you are good at. I'll give you one bit of credit, Ms Vennochi, at least you were fairly objective in today's column. A little more of that would go a long way.

John Kerry on the Passing of Vivian Malone Jones

Senator John Kerry issued the following statement on the passing of Vivian Malone Jones:

"Today we live in an America where we can take it for granted when millions of African Americans register for college classes without facing death threats. It's too easy for some to forget a very different time in America when two extraordinary two high school graduates named Vivian Malone Jones and James Hood had to put their lives on the line and help break the backbone of segregation just to register for college classes. Today we each need to take a moment to remember that in 1963 at the University of Alabama, two African-American students' simple wish to earn a college degree from an accredited, whites-only institution was unthinkable -- almost.

"On the morning of June 11 of that year, Vivian Malone Jones, who passed away yesterday, and James Hood walked up to Foster Auditorium to register for their first classes at UA. There they were confronted by none other than the Governor George C. Wallace, who blocked them from entering with his infamous promise to 'stand in the schoolhouse door'. "Fortunately, the federal government demonstrated courage rare for that period in our history, and intervened to allow these students to register. For Vivian Malone Jones and James Hood the fight was just beginning. Their academic years were not always pleasant. They stood up to racism and bigotry with quiet, steely resolve every day, and Vivian Malone Jones defied those who sought to deny her equal opportunity and graduated in 1965 with a degree in business management. "In her life that followed, she was a shining example of the power and endurance of the human spirit. She went on to work for the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and served as director of civil rights and urban affairs and director of environmental justice for the Environmental Protection Agency. Most poignantly, many years after she faced its namesake at the schoolhouse door, the George Wallace Family Foundation chose Jones to be the first recipient of its Lurleen B. Wallace Award of Courage.

"Remembering and reflecting on the courage of those we have lost is important to maintaining and furthering the progress of the Civil Rights Movement. We mourn the loss of Vivian Malone Jones today with great sympathy for her family and all those whose lives she touched. Her legacy is alive every time -- without controversy, without threats of violence, without fear -- a young African American can walk through those schoolhouse doors and realize the promise of the American Dream and the real meaning of equal opportunity."

John Kerry Requests $720 Million for Small Business Hurricane Relief

John Kerry led a bipartisan group of Senators today in "urging the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to redirect $720 million of the $62 billion already appropriated by Congress for the hurricane recovery effort. The funding would be designated specifically for small business relief."

Since Hurricane Katrina hit, the Small Business Administration has received nearly 10,500 applications for small business loans. Fewer than 50 have been approved.

"How can the Administration claim to support small businesses without designating a dime of the $62 billion in hurricane relief funds for small businesses?" Kerry said. "Given the administration's woeful record of delivering loans and assistance to small businesses devastated by the hurricanes, there needs to be real resources provided to ensure small companies get the grants, loans and assistance they so desperately need. It makes no sense leaving billions of dollars lying around when small business owners and the thousands they employ are struggling to make ends meet and put their lives back together."

According to the latest weekly report from the Department of Homeland Security, $42 billion of the $62 billion appropriated for the relief efforts have not been obligated for specific needs. Of the $720 million the Senators are requesting for small businesses, $450 million would go directly to the affected states, and $270 million would go to strengthen and expand assistance provided by the Small Business Administration and its resource partners.

"Redirecting $720 million from unused funds of the $62 billion for relief through the Small Business Administration would still leave sufficient amount for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security to continue their relief efforts," wrote the Senators.

In September, Kerry -- who is the top Democrat on the Senate Small Business Committee -- introduced an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill that would provide small businesses devastated by the hurricanes greater access to loans, increased contracting opportunities and much-needed technical assistance. The amendment was cosponsored by Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Barack Obama (D-Ill.), and Jon Corzine (D-N.J.). The Kerry amendment was later incorporated into a bipartisan amendment (S.A. 1717) that passed the Senate as part of the CJS appropriations bill on Sept. 15, 2005.

Today's request by Kerry was co-signed by Mary Landrieu (D-La.), David Vitter (R-La.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and John Cornyn (R-Texas).

Related Small Business news including John Kerry's ongoing battle to help Small Businesses affected by Hurricane Katrina can be found here.

Intelligent Design Equals Creationism (Equals Bunk)

We’ve never had any doubt that the use of the term “intelligent design” is just an attempt to pass off creationism with a new word. The Panda’s Thumb presents more evidence of this. They present court transcripts which show that the publishers of a major textbook promoting intelligent design just took out the word “creationism” from the text and substituted “intelligent design.” In the wrong hands, find and replace capabilies of word processors can be a dangerous thing.

Intelligent Design and the Constitution

The Washington University Law Quarterly has a review of the Constitutional issues involved in the teaching of Intelligent Design. (Hat tip to Leiter Reports). They conclude with:

There is little question that intelligent design proponents have a serious dispute with the scientific community’s virtually unanimous support for the proposition that evolution happens—in both micro and macro forms. But this dispute is at bottom a religious, not a scientific dispute. Both scientists and the government must respect the rights of private individuals to reject scientific conclusions on religious grounds in favor of intelligent design and other theocentric approaches to humanity’s origins. But at the same time scientists must be allowed to do science and science teachers must be allowed to teach it—unconstrained by the objections of those who find science inconsistent with their religious beliefs. As Bertolt Brecht’s Galileo noted, “the sum total of the angles in a triangle can’t be changed to suit the requirements of the curia.” The Court’s Establishment Clause jurisprudence makes it clear that modern governments can’t alter basic scientific conclusions to suit the requirements of politically powerful religious groups, either.

John Kerry Campaigns Against Prop. 75 in Los Angeles

John Kerry was in Los Angeles today with Mayor Antonia Villaraigosa to support the fight against the Governator's Proposition 75.

Proposition 75 is a ballot initiative on union dues that could end up depriving union members and working people of having a say in California politics. It would require public employee unions to seek written permission from members before using dues for political purposes.

Kerry, speaking outside a downtown firehouse, said the initiative would condemn workers to "a completely unfair system."

The proposal "represents part of an ongoing effort by the Republican Party to create an unfair playing field, to change the balance of democracy in America," the former Democratic presidential nominee said. "They want a one-sided argument — their side."

While pharmaceutical, insurance and other industries pump millions of dollars into political races, the California proposition would "take away the voices of the firefighters, the police officers, the teachers, the nurses," the Massachusetts senator said.

MORE - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=839

Kerry takes on Schwarzenegger over union power

Kerry takes on Schwarzenegger over union power
Thu Oct 13, 2005 08:55 PM ET

By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sen. John Kerry, losing Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 2004 and a possible contender in 2008, took on Republican California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday by lobbying against his initiative to curb the power of the state's labor unions.

Kerry was the second leading national politician this week to weigh in on California's Prop. 75 ballot initiative, which would require unions to get approval from members before using dues for political causes.

"This represents part of an ongoing effort by the Republican Party to create an unfair playing field, to change the balance of democracy in America," Kerry said.

"They are willing to try to take away the democratic rights of working Americans," said the Massachusetts senator, who was speaking to reporters at a fire station with Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, also seen as a possible presidential challenger in 2008, had appeared with Schwarzenegger to campaign for the initiative on Monday.

Democrats have criticized McCain as an out-of-state politician who had no business telling Californians how to vote but Kerry, asked about the same issue, said the ballot measure had national ramifications.

California and the political power of its public employee unions could be critical in the 2008 election. Public employee unions have fought bitterly against Prop. 75, pouring some $100 million into the campaign ahead of the November 8 election.

Kerry took shots at Schwarzenegger directly, saying the governor who gained power in part by vowing to reject special interest money had "raised three times the special interest money than Gray Davis," the incumbent Democrat he defeated.

Todd Harris, a spokesman for Schwarzenegger, called Prop. 75 a critical reform for California, where public employee unions have long had enormous influence in the heavily Democratic state legislature.

"There is no question the legislature in Sacramento is bought and paid for by union bosses," he said. "The fact that the union bosses have been able to spend over $100 million to fight against these reforms is evidence that they have too much power. The governor has said enough is enough."