Search Results for 'Qu'

[walfredo]

JoB- what makes me proud to be a democrat are statements like the ones Hillary made yesterday in regards to pledged delegates “not actually being pledged.” That makes me proud…

When someone like Bill Clinton states how great it would be if two candidates who loved there country could be the nominees and excludes Obama (tricky stuff).

When Hillary says that McCain is the a great leader who brings a lifetime of experience, and has clearly passed the commander and chief test, but Obama gave a speech once.

When Hillary surrogates refuse to answer a question as direct as if you lose in number of pledged delegates, number of contests won, and popular vote would you step aside prior to the convention makes me proud.

[charlabob]

JoB — what is the Clinton campaign’s response to her documented misstatements about her role in Northern Ireland and Bosnia? What is her alternative claim to foreign policy expertise?

This morning I actually heard her say, “Bill talked to me.”

My decision to consider supporting Obama came when Clinton started running as “Bill’s Wife” when it suited her. She should be running a campaign contrasting her foreign policy ideas against Obama’s. It’s actually exciting that we have two candidates who could run on ideas and potential. If we wanted foreign policy experience, Richardson would have run away with the nomination and the election.

Again, please answer the questions about what’s actually going on with the campaign. I’m dedicated to working for and voting for whatever candidate we nominate. If the candidate is Clinton, I need to have facts. I don’t think Repugs and Independents will be swayed if I simply accuse them of not being Democrats.

[walfredo]

JoB- I have posted a lot of pro-Obama information, but I do agree at this point the most pressing information is about what exactly the opposition candidates strategy could even be at this point, and what possible benefit to anyone there is for her candidacy to continue…

Barack had the political courage to stand up and be unpopular, and have unpopular views, and to express them- the type of leadership and courage, and the unbelievable (almost prophetic) insight into not just destroying the faulty justifications put forward for the war, but to point out, specifically, and in detail how the dangers and missed opportunities would damage this country, and to correctly predict the at that time; the untold cost of life, time, and treasure that would be sacrificed. Remember that while Obama was saying this, the Bush crowd was spouting off that the oil would pay for all the costs, that we would be greeted as liberators, that this might last 6 days, 6 weeks, I doubt 6 months…

“Good afternoon. Let me begin by saying that although this has been billed as an anti-war rally, I stand before you as someone who is not opposed to war in all circumstances.

The Civil War was one of the bloodiest in history, and yet it was only through the crucible of the sword, the sacrifice of multitudes, that we could begin to perfect this union, and drive the scourge of slavery from our soil. I don’t oppose all wars.

My grandfather signed up for a war the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, fought in Patton’s army. He saw the dead and dying across the fields of Europe; he heard the stories of fellow troops who first entered Auschwitz and Treblinka. He fought in the name of a larger freedom, part of that arsenal of democracy that triumphed over evil, and he did not fight in vain.

I don’t oppose all wars.

After September 11th, after witnessing the carnage and destruction, the dust and the tears, I supported this Administration’s pledge to hunt down and root out those who would slaughter innocents in the name of intolerance, and I would willingly take up arms myself to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

I don’t oppose all wars. And I know that in this crowd today, there is no shortage of patriots, or of patriotism. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other arm-chair, weekend warriors in this Administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne.

What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income – to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression.

That’s what I’m opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics.

Now let me be clear – I suffer no illusions about Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man who butchers his own people to secure his own power. He has repeatedly defied UN resolutions, thwarted UN inspection teams, developed chemical and biological weapons, and coveted nuclear capacity.

He’s a bad guy. The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better off without him.

But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors, that the Iraqi economy is in shambles, that the Iraqi military a fraction of its former strength, and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history.

I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda.

I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars.

So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the president today. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s finish the fight with Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings.

You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure that the UN inspectors can do their work, and that we vigorously enforce a non-proliferation treaty, and that former enemies and current allies like Russia safeguard and ultimately eliminate their stores of nuclear material, and that nations like Pakistan and India never use the terrible weapons already in their possession, and that the arms merchants in our own country stop feeding the countless wars that rage across the globe.

You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure our so-called allies in the Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop oppressing their own people, and suppressing dissent, and tolerating corruption and inequality, and mismanaging their economies so that their youth grow up without education, without prospects, without hope, the ready recruits of terrorist cells.

You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to wean ourselves off Middle East oil, through an energy policy that doesn’t simply serve the interests of Exxon and Mobil.

Those are the battles that we need to fight. Those are the battles that we willingly join. The battles against ignorance and intolerance. Corruption and greed. Poverty and despair.

The consequences of war are dire, the sacrifices immeasurable. We may have occasion in our lifetime to once again rise up in defense of our freedom, and pay the wages of war. But we ought not – we will not – travel down that hellish path blindly. Nor should we allow those who would march off and pay the ultimate sacrifice, who would prove the full measure of devotion with their blood, to make such an awful sacrifice in vain.

These are the words, and actions of a leader, a patriot who loves this country. I think they make the most compelling opposition to a cheerleader of the war like John McCain. Much more so then, I was for the war before I was against the war… Like the last failed democratic candidate…

[charlabob]

Exactly, JoB — and, when we read, we need to understand that vociferous disagreement doesn’t imply disrespect. These are both issues for many of us.

I’m particularly bothered by the response to two newbies who asked reasonable questions and could have felt less than welcomed by some of our responses.

Now….I’ll meet you on the Clinton thread…we can start to practice on each other :-)

[charlabob]

I’m glad you’re back, JoB — I was seriously worried. I’m used to waking up to a string of JoBs and I missed them this morning.

I think we’ve listed a number of positive points about Obama. I am actually sad when I wake up to see that Hillary has said or done something else to make me believe I’m right in supporting Obama.

I’ll post my latest questions about Clinton on the Clinton thread.

[walfredo]

Charlabob- there is no question that Rupert Mudoch and his empire have a strong vested interest in seeing Hillary’s Tonya Harding plan play out. Whether it succeeds (very unlikely) by destroying a good man, leaving the democrats with a crumbled party and an unelectable Hillary as the nominee, or much more likely it gives McCain 4 more months of inter-party bashing, and dozens more soundbites from the “opposition” party praising McCain’s greatness and readiness to lead… Either way a $1 given to support the Hillary “candidacy” is a $1 towards the Murdoch right wing agenda…

[walfredo]

Clinton supers jumping ship- Yet another superdelegate stating that the will of the people represented through pledged delegates should be ratified by the supers. Only differenece, this is a Senator and a current Hillary pledge! The writing is on the wall, and the Super option is getting less and less viable. Watch Clinton’s recent quotes, and viscious personal attacks. The only viable path to the gold remaining is to kneecap the opponent so he can no longer skate…

On Monday, The Columbian (the paper of record for southwest Washington State) ran a story that started filtering through to the national media on Tuesday.

Cantwell supporting Clinton — for now

By KATHIE DURBIN Columbian Staff Writer

Sen. Maria Cantwell (Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Christine Gregoire in background)U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, one of Washington’s 17 Democratic superdelegates, isn’t ready to shift her allegiance from Sen. Hillary Clinton to Sen. Barack Obama — yet.

But in an interview with The Columbian’s editorial board Monday, she said the candidate with the most pledged delegates at the end of the primary season in late June will have the strongest claim to the party’s presidential nomination.

“I definitely don’t want the superdelegates to be the deciding factor,” she said.

“If we have a candidate who has the most delegates and the most states,” the Democratic party should come together around that candidate, Cantwell said. The pledged delegate count will be the most important factor, she said, because that is the basis of the nominating process.

Emphasis added.

Barack Obama has a virtual lock on the pledged delegate lead. He’s already won a majority states.

By those metrics, he will become the nominee.

The only way Clinton becomes the nominee is if superdelegates adopt hare-brained lead-counting schemes like the hilarious electoral college proposal floated by Evan Bayh.

Increasingly, it’s becoming clear that the uncommitted superdelegates won’t flout the popular vote.

And now — for the first time that I’m aware of — a U.S. Senator backing Hillary Clinton has publicly stated her commitment to the pledged delegate count.

It’s not the most sexy of stories, but it is something of a political earthquake.

[walfredo]

Local leader shows common sense, pragmatism! Cantwell gives a window into the thought process even Clinton supporters aren’t okay with the idea that they will have to overturn the election…

On Monday, The Columbian (the paper of record for southwest Washington State) ran a story that started filtering through to the national media on Tuesday.

Cantwell supporting Clinton — for now

By KATHIE DURBIN Columbian Staff Writer

Sen. Maria Cantwell (Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Christine Gregoire in background)U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, one of Washington’s 17 Democratic superdelegates, isn’t ready to shift her allegiance from Sen. Hillary Clinton to Sen. Barack Obama — yet.

But in an interview with The Columbian’s editorial board Monday, she said the candidate with the most pledged delegates at the end of the primary season in late June will have the strongest claim to the party’s presidential nomination.

“I definitely don’t want the superdelegates to be the deciding factor,” she said.

“If we have a candidate who has the most delegates and the most states,” the Democratic party should come together around that candidate, Cantwell said. The pledged delegate count will be the most important factor, she said, because that is the basis of the nominating process.

Emphasis added.

Barack Obama has a virtual lock on the pledged delegate lead. He’s already won a majority states.

By those metrics, he will become the nominee.

The only way Clinton becomes the nominee is if superdelegates adopt hare-brained lead-counting schemes like the hilarious electoral college proposal floated by Evan Bayh.

Increasingly, it’s becoming clear that the uncommitted superdelegates won’t flout the popular vote.

And now — for the first time that I’m aware of — a U.S. Senator backing Hillary Clinton has publicly stated her commitment to the pledged delegate count.

It’s not the most sexy of stories, but it is something of a political earthquake.

[walfredo]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/26/more-clinton-hints-that-pledged-delegates-are-up-for-grabs/

More on the Tonya Harding plan- “pledged delegates, with very few exceptions, are free to make there own judgement”

What exactly would she rule out as not an acceptable way to “win” the nomination? It doesn’t look like the Supers will be enough, so lets start going after the pledged delegates… Quite a hero,

[beachdrivegirl]

The fact is the only way Hillary will be on the ticket in November is to make Obama unelectable and Rev Wright is just one way the Clinton campaign feels they can do that. I wouldnt have been surprised if the Hillary Campaign had wrote the questions and iniated the interview….

[MikeDady]

A few corrections are in order regarding Detached Accessory Dwelling Units and Accessory Dwelling Units. DADU’s were illegal in ALL parts of the city of Seattle until the City Council passed legislation in late summer of 2006 allowing them to be legally constructed ONLY in the SE Neighborhood District of Seattle which is south of I-90 and East of I-5.

If any of the remaining 12 Neighborhood Districts desire to allow DADU’s they will have to work with the City Council and Mayor’s Office to make it happen.

Accessory Dwelling Unit’s, commonly known as Mother-In-Laws or MIL’s, have been legally allowed since the 1990’s in all parts of the city but must be located within the confines of the main dwelling.

There are specific tenant access/egress, parking and building code requirements for both ADU’s and DADU’s and running outside those code’s is IMO a fools game.

[JimmyG]

mellaw6565, please accept my deepest apologies for not welcoming you with open arms. We here at WSB are a happy little “family” of sorts.

My apologies for misreading your sentence of “how are you getting around the illegality issues” that was in your OP. I totally missed that your question was HOW to make your unit legal–d’oh on me!!

And I must also say I’m so glad to know a person like you is out there teaching our children.

[herongrrrl]

Amen, Keith! We are lucky to have several 20-30 year old Douglas Firs in our yard, and the previous neighbor behind us several times offered money to cut them down so they would no longer obscure the view–especially when they put the house up for sale, figuring they would get more money for an “improved” view. Funny thing is, from the neighbors’ window the trees framed the view very nicely and in fact blocked the telephone poles that would otherwise have been in their view. I’m glad we kept our trees–and so are the wrens, jays, bushtits, flickers, sparrows, chickadees, finches, siskins, thrushes, squirrels and raccoons that share them with us.

It does make me sad, though, when I see a young tree planted in a place where it will soon become a problem because of proximity to structures or wires. Please, if you’re going to plant a tree, do your research and make sure you’re putting the right tree in the right place, so it has a chance to stay there for a good long time.

[c@lbob]

But, seriously, the drive to Burien in the rain Sunday was just a drag. I went there because I figured getting to the one in Queen Anne or on Madison would be worse because of the Viaduct closure.

Tjs could do very well in West Seattle, I think, and keep us all safer from traffic accidents. OMG, I’m sounding like a parochial West Seattleite. Bridge? I don’t need no stinkin’ bridge!

[charlabob]

We don’t seem to be able to generate any discussion of the Clinton candidacy here.(Perhaps the popularity of the Obama thread reflects the popularity of the candidate himself. No one can stay away.)

Clinton “misspoke” about landing in Bosnia under fire. Her glib explanation: “I made a mistake…I’m human…so????” (The “so” sounded frighteningly like Cheney’s answer to a question about Americans'(sic) lack of support for the Iraq war.) She didn’t misspeak or make a mistake, she lied.

Clinton “misspoke” about her role in the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland. No. she didn’t, she lied.

Today, in an interview with the Pittsburgh Gazette, Clinton was reduced to digging up Jeremiah Wright again, to avoid talking about her “roles” in Bosnia and Northern Ireland. “If my pastor had said things like that, I would have quit the church.” Jeeezzzzuz. “See the bright shiny object — don’t look over there.”

The Clintons have never had any interest in building the Democratic party — they have been interested in building the Clintons and now they’re perfectly happy to destroy the Democratic party if they can’t control it.

I don’t even know what bashing means in this context, but I can tell you this is not it. It’s speaking what is to me a very sad truth. I wanted so much to support Clinton — I was so excited that we had two stellar candidates (12 to begin with.)

Even so, IF CLINTON IS NOMINATED I WILL WORK FOR HER AND I WILL VOTE FOR HER IN NOVEMBER.

[mellaw6565]

To JimmyG – I’m new to this blog and you’re apparently being an a*s. If you read my original post, the request was how to make these DADU’s legal and the leases enforceable (which obviously have to be legal to be so). I’m interested in any others that have experience in converting these illegal residences into legal ones. My post was clear. So learn how to read and don’t assume – in this case it’s making “u” an “a*s”, not “me”. Thanks for making me feel welcome – NOT!

[walfredo]

JoB- great question. NO!!! I don’t believe that the ends always justify the means. That is what I have seen the last 7 years, and I think we need a change. That is why I strongly, adamantly, passionately believe Barack Obama is the best candidate to lead the country. The thought that Hillary Clinton stealing this election using the politics of yesterday would bring any type of change is insulting.

As far as you wanting me to get the he__ out your party, I would say the same thing to democrats who are “okay” with an ill-gotten candidate representing the party- get a NEW PARTY!

My candidate will win this nomination, that isn’t in doubt. The question is at what point will the supporters of the candidate with less votes, less states, and less delegates except reality…

What if Clinton shot Obama… Would I still be required as a true democrat to support her? I believe, that stealing this election would cause generations of damage to the party setting it back decades… I believe that anyone cheering for this is, quite frankly, either a Rush Limbaugh republican, or nuts… And no, I don’t support them…

[beachdrivegirl]

JoB I am not trying to be rude or ignorant. I am trying to voice my concerns with a possible Democratic nominee. I am positive that if Clinton is the nominee come to November this will be a point the Republican campaign will use against her so maybe we should point it out before. I am not quite sure that the “not a high road” campaign is a valid point here, this was not brought to light by the Obama campaign and has nothing to do with him. I am sorry if you feel this is crap. I feel it is a fact and it is something that we should acknowledge and be aware of. I am not trying to stoop to any level, but feel that your canidate has major faults and all voters need to be aware of them.

[Sue]

mellaw, have you seen this link about establishing DADUs in Seattle? http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/publications/cam/cam116b.pdf

I don’t know anything personally about them, but thought this might answer some of your questions.

[Aim]

This is not that uncommon, though it’s uncommon for it to get media coverage. Many transmen decide to stop hormones and have child(ren) and then go back on hormones. I wouldn’t say it’s a majority of transmen, but I know of a few in this area, and some others in other cities.

My partner is a transguy, and while neither of us is interested in having children (as a social worker, he raises other people’s children for a living), it’s not all that weird to me to see a guy decide to do this. I mean, really, if he still has the equipment, why not?

[JoB]

Walfredo…

in the end there is really only one question for you.

do you believe that a democratic president… any democratic president… would be better for this country than a republican?

If not… get the h.. out of my primary. because if you can’t agree to that… you are no democrat.

in fact.. you might just be a republican troll.

Because that’s what they are trying to do, you know. Make this a contest of personalities and distract us all from the real issues..

so, which are you?

[JayDee]

Dear All:

I read the Seattle Weekly, see “Ask an Uptight Seattelite” and don’t read it, because I don’t think it is funny, and feel that it is inappropriate. But I can make that choice by not choosing to be insulted.

Secondly, I didn’t move up to Washington from some dreaded place to the south until TJs opened stores here. I am a secular humanist until TJs comes up. TJs gives one reasons to live, or rather, reasons to enjoy life. Like those little packets of multiple sponges. Your sponge is full of microbes, chuck it and get a new one. Yes, more solid waste, but enough with eco-guilt.

The wines are weird, and you may not have heard of them, but 2/3rds are good values,and finding the best requires skills and observational talents. The chips/salsa/wine even the lettuce are a deal and worth buying along with cheese. Oh, the cheese. Olive oil, vitamins/supplments are good too. I could go on, in the manner of a true believer, but I won’t.

But every religion has it’s bad parts — The prepared and frozen foods are a fat/cholesterol/sodium wasteland, not to mention eco-guilt land. Read the labels carefully, and don’t buy the farmed salmon, farmed shrimp, or rare species if you care about those things. And worse don’t buy, 3-buck Chuck. Friends don’t let friends drink 3 buck Chuck.

Feel free to resume off-topic rants; I will be driving to the Burien TJs until the powers in Germany (TJs is privately held) have the wisdom to select West Seattle as I did over a decade ago.

JayDee

[Anonymous]

OMG! So now I bring it on myself?!

That’s incredible. You, truly, are amazing!

I would appreciate that you stop encouraging me to “quit” my job, as you would. That is not an option, I love my job too much. As far as the discrimination I encounter, I could care less. These are angry people who I really just feel sorry for.

I’m simply pointing out that racism goes both ways. Oh, wait a minute, isn’t that what Obama said?

[Kayleigh]

No, NewRes, I believe that *you* believe you are the victim of racism. That doesn’t mean I believe that you actually *are* the victim of racism.

First off, if it were bad enough, I reckon you would quit. I certainly would. (And I don’t deny that some people of color have stereotypes of white people that some white people might find offensive. It doesn’t follow, however, that great harm comes from those.)

Second, are you familiar with the Pygmailion effect? How if we anticipate that someone will behave a certain way, we unconsciously can provoke that behavior in them (or interpret their behavior as conforming to our stereotype?)

Peace, on behalf of my greatgrandparents.

[JoB]

it was a good day to take a joy ride.. and i did:)

Tonya… i find it very hard to blithely dismiss the 4,000 lives and 29,000 wounded … having actually lived through the Vietnam conflict as a young woman… and having volunteered with paraplegics vets upon their return.

many of the still walking wounded from VietNam are friends of mine. In fact, i just got back from visiting my cousin who is one of the many who have never been able to adapt to regular civilian life. He lives in a trailer in the desert.. rarely going to town.

I have made friends with many of the vets from the first gulf war who now live with gulf war syndrome… we share a similar illness and challenges.

i have a friend who is trying to help her son sort through the mess he made of his life due to post traumatic stress syndrome… when he returned to the states from 3 tours diffusing land mines… … they would like to send him back.

And i have a nephew who is too close to all of this for my comfort.

His friends, who completed their enlistments are back for another tour… with no end in sight.

You ask how we can manage the troops.. it’s simple. We are abusing those who were idealistic enough to sign for the military to defend this country.

They are on never ending tours… called back after their enlistments end.

They are guard members called repeatedly to serve with inferior equipment and little training… bankrupting their families at home with repeated tours.

We are paying through the nose for a private militia… who by the way actually have contracts that are enforced.. far better pay.. and far better benefits than our military… and no accountability.

The human cost for this war is too high… The economic cost is too high.

have you not noticed that this war is not pulling us out of our recession Tonya… we dive deeper and the war goes on.

As for Cambodia, dates don’t tell the whole story.

Why do you think we left Vietnam in the first place? We were not winning…

We stood no more chance of winning in Cambodia.

Abandoning those who fought for us was immoral…

but staying would have only increased the death count of both Americans and Cambodians.

I know it is popular to look at those conflicts through a revisionist’s eye.. but the truth is that we are encountering the same difficulties in Iraq that we encountered in VietNam… and we aren’t much better at it now.

We were in Vietnam for the toehold in the southeast asia.. and to save the world from communism.

sound familiar? it should.

One of the best rationalizations for why we should never invade and occupy Iraq was given by Paul Cheney.. at the end of the first gulf war.

look it up.. the video is really instructive.