There seems to be some confusion in the discussion on abortion and this issue's relation to the Democratic Party among some here.   So - as a woman and a longtime feminist, I thought I'd do my part to define the discussion as I see it.  Unfortunately, it appears the right wing has been successful in defining the terms of the discussion, and that simply will not do anymore.

Moreover, let me say from the start that this is not a campaign issue for me.  We are so much further gone than this!  I'm much more concerned about restoring actual democracy.  But womens' reproductive rights comes in at a close 2nd tier issue, as I will hopefully show why after the jump.

Not much of a diary, but I wasn't the only one to notice, and thought it deserved some direct scrutiny.

Funny - the videos I found online after tonight's original airing don't show him - but he's wearing the same HRC tee shirt, and is the same man as was just some random "supporter" in Kentucky?

It seems we're a little worse for wear lately, after this election season (and frankly, after the past 7 years of post-911 craziness).  Who are we of the Democratic Party?  Who do we want to be?  Who have we become?  What do we stand for?  What do we stand together against?  Where do we draw the line? What do we hope to accomplish?

There must be some ideological sanity injected into this hyped up, clusterfuck-ed mix that has led us down several nasty garden paths we have not totally recovered from.  And then, during this primary, we have been asked - no, told - to hold back our real ideas for the good of the party (you know, b/c progressive values aren't popular, we're told).

but can you successfully stack an election?

I'm appalled and disgusted by the HRC jerks in the RBC committee meeting, screaming out like rude, unglued lunatics... my God, they remind me of Manson followers, chanting in unison, unwilling to stop for anything including a base level of courtesy.  And Mr. Ickes, on authority of HRC herself, now says it's going to the convention?  

HRC, congratulations at the utter BULLSHIT you have created in this party, in this primary.  If you win ANYTHING close to a place on this ticket through this horrendous, divisive shit, I swear to God - I will NEVER vote Democrat, I will disown myself from this party once and for all, and i will work TIRELESSLY, ENDLESSLY to make sure you get NOTHING you desire.

OK, I think i'm maxxed out on hearing about how we women won't vote for Obama in the general election... that Obama has run a sexist campaign (??)... that Obama can't win women over ... and that we women are HRC's base supporters.

Which brings me, for one moment, back to my lovely Seattle, WA caucus, where we women (of all ages) showed up two-for-one for Barack Obama to the men, and only 1/4th of the entire democratic crowd supported Clinton.

Perhaps the most dismal political TV in a while was this pathetic segment on O'Sexist's no-spin zone, with his vaccuous guests, discussing Obama's supposed blatant sexism.  Will I ever get those 3 minutes back?  Well, here - if I can't, neither can you:

Hi, Barack - it's me, jj.  I've been working very hard for you ever since the Iowa caucus, when I switched my support from Kucinich to you for president.  One of the things I have really respected from the beginning of your campaign is the "not a red or blue state, but the United States" line, as well as your proving that it wasn't just a line, but a working, viable, 50-state strategy.

There is a lot of (read: MSM) talk about what Hillary Clinton should get out of the democratic party loss she has suffered in this long, drawn-out contest.  The range starts at the minimal - KO's book deal suggestion, to the absurd - ahem, the Vice Presidency.

But what, exactly, is due the loser of this race?

Quote from Andrea Mitchell speaking on the "subdued" flight home on the HRC plane.

Gee - ya think?

This is a serious issue that I feel we've been neglecting way too long.  We, the people, need to understand what exit polling is being done - by whom, where, and we need to be assured that it's legit.  Also, we need to know what the actual numbers and stats for that exit polling are once the polls are closed.

Nothing less will do.

As a flipside to Bugscuffle's Enemies Fun, I thought it would be a great time to make a list of our friends in this intraparty struggle.  And not that they're all biased, but they all seem to enjoy getting to the truth - which, as colbert has stated, seems to have a "liberal bias."

Who's primary is this, anyway?

Somehow, the amalgamation of 3 events brought me to an epiphany.  First, watching the pope hit the MSM in all his splendor -

Sounds like I'm going to recite all the ways we should be kinder to each other, right?  After all, every diary with this title seems to scold others for their horrid vitriole... of course, lumping in both Obama and Clinton supporters alike as if we are two blended masses of same-same.  But, as we all know, this is not the case at all.

No, this isn't the 1,000,000th plea to all just get along in the face of a very real and significant rift within our party.  Here's what I am done with:

Dear Mr. Obama:

As an original Kucinich supporter, I worried if I could support any other candidate when he dropped out.

Then, I watched your speech in Iowa.  It sent chills down my spine, and brought tears to my eyes.  I realized right then - that this country needs the view that you have to lead it.  Because that's what counts with leaders, isn't it?  THE VISION.  And, with the vision, the power to make it happen.

All night, watching the pre-debate, debate, and post-debate analysis, I was struck at just how low my expectations are of our media front-liners.  But somehow, it never ceases to surprise me to have watched an event like tonight's, and of course, the post-event coverage seemed like it described a different event.  Just like what I've read about 20th century Russian society, I've grown to accept this certain level of doublespeak.  I accept that a wide body of information available to us here, will never be spoken there.  I accept that the coverage will be slanted and agenda-filled, and will always avoid mentioning the inconvenient and authentic moments which could be in conflict with the media entity's owners.  we've grown to accept that it's just "business," and not our fourth estate to ensure an informed electorate.

Around 426,000 votes are in, in my beautiful State of Washington's democratic primary.

We've been told since we started caring, a couple of months ago, that the primary doesn't count (waves to MI and FL).  Except for King County (Seattle) and Pierce County (Tacoma), all counties in WA must mail in absentee ballots (new process, beginning with this primary).

Finally, the last day a person could have registered to vote in this "meaningless primary" is January 19.

Point?

Various so-called sacred liberal news spots, and their pundits, are trying to make political hay out of McClellan's admissions - but to what end?

Former prosecutor, Sharon Eubanks, a 22-year veteran of the DOJ, claimed the Bush Administration politically interfered in a case she prosecuted against big tobacco, in an interview with Chris Matthews on Hardball today.

Ms. Eubanks' case against big tobacco was poised to prevail; that's when the Bush Administration got involved with what she labeled a "massive interference campaign." They made sure the monetary remedy she sought was slashed to almost nothing. Just prior to her closing arguments, she received a phone call: "Come down, we want to talk about getting the number down."