Journeys with Jood

Friday Granddaughter Blogging: Happy Independence Day

2008-07-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

"Our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and to humanity. Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong." – James Bryce

So but you can ~~pracite~~ pactice holiday safety like this you can wear a hat and sunscreen and you can drink lotsa water so you don dewaterate and you can eat one hotdog stead of six so you don getta tummy ache. And when you talk on your cell phone you can use a blue tooth my teeth are white but you shud drive hands free with your cell phone I mean hands on the steering wheel. I have a Barbi Big Wheel and I can ride it all the time.

And my gramma read Pagan Sphinx today who said everybody shud read THIS post by Forks Off The Moment which tells us all to DO something. Which we try to do. I mean, how can we be really free when we allow the bad prezilnet to lie and cheat and torture and act like a dicktater?

Happy Independence Day. Maybe we will be independent of that bad Prezilnut Bush soon.

Adopt a Political Candidate

2008-07-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

This morning, over at FranIAm's place, she brought up an important point. She says we MUST become invested in good local politicians. She then introduced us to Darcy Burner, Democrat for Congress in Washington's 8th District.

On July 2, her house burned to the ground. Her attitude: "We lost stuff. It's just stuff. The boy is fine. The husband is fine." She is in a tight race in the 8th Congressional District against U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Auburn, who narrowly won re-election in a 2006 contest with Burner.

In light of the fact that I am feeling sorry for myself, I have decided to do the next indicated thing to get out of my naval gazing. The Diva is adopting Darcy Burner. I am doing this for a number of reasons: first, Reichert, although a moderate Republican, supports Bush's Iraq war; second, Burner is part of a group of Congressional Candidates who, if elected, will call for immediate withdrawal from Iraq; third, I really like her attitude.

Plus, as FranIAm pointed out, she needs the fundraising assistance. So, go here and donate, let's elect Democrats.

I Am Deeply, Profoundly Homesick

2008-07-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Where's the Red Carpet? I'm Ready For My Closeup, Mr. DeMille

2008-07-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

The charming and irrepressible Randal Graves has tapped me for another of these lovely Arte y Pico Awards. Two gowns, complete with wings. The rules remain the same as before, five blogs, yaddayaddayadda, link blahblahblah. It really is a fantastic way to intruduce people to other blogs, because this is how we get to know each other's voice. That's enough seriousness out of my mouth for the day.

1. The group at The Sirens Chronicles, lead by Dusty covers a range of topics with passion and flair. I'm not sure if it's kosher to award a community blog, but I'm gonna. Go now, read the Sirens.

2. Pedestrian is an Iranian blogger for peace. Not a prolific blogger, but quite eloquent.

3. Coffee Messiah presents a mix of history (oral, photographic), music, philosophy, and peace all over a steaming cup of joe. I love Coffee Messiah. He is a true gentleman.

4. Kvatch and Company at Ragebot because they are the bomb. Humor, politics, anger, politics. Love them all.

5. I've just started reading DGuzman, and even though she adopted Alan Rickman, I still like her blog.

1)Pick five (5) blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y Pico” blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award which is here: Arte y Pico.

A Musical Interlude

2008-07-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

Shamelessly stolen from Padre Mickey's Dance Party

Dementia Concretia

2008-07-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

Prairie Moon

Herman Rusch purchased the old Prairie Moon Dance Hall in Cochrane, Wisconsin, with the intent to stave away "old-age boredom" by turning it into a museum of oddities he'd collected. But in 1958, something in his interests shifted, and he began to make concrete and glass sculptures which included decorative arches and fences. So many "Outsider" and Naive artists begin late in life - as if they have finally shed the pressure of responsibilities and all this pent up light has to burst forth. When I first went to Prairie Moon, Rusch no longer lived on premises - he was in a nursing home nearby - and the residents refused to let people onto the grounds. If you lingered at the exterior walls too long, they would let the Dobermans out to scare you. But I recall being struck dumb by the golden cones, and the way the light danced off the glass. Prairie Moon is an exquisite example of dementia concretia, this impulse that takes over the elderly with this impulse to build, to make something iconic. And it is always from concrete, old bottles, and household junk. Detrius turned into beauty.

The Dickeyville Grotto
While most of the iconic examples are built by loners (Grandma Prisbey's Bottle Village in Simi Valley; Simon Rodia's Watts Towers), sometimes an entire community will come together. Such is the case with the Dickeyville Grotto. This exquisite Grotto was built by a community of immigrants in order to bring hope, and promise to them. Far from home, feeling uncomfortable and in unfamiliar ground, trying to assimilate, they built this ever expanding and complex religious structure from concrete, glass, and bits of pottery and religious icons they'd brought from home. It grounded them. When I saw this structure in 1983, I was overwhelmed with the intricacies of the mosaics. How could untrained eyes pull something together so beautifully? And in a group, no less. The energy of the place is oddly calming, despite how "busy" all the surfaces are.

The town of Phillips lies in the far northern reaches of Wisconsin. It is the home of Fred Smith's Wisconsin Concrete Park, out on Route 13. And this, this place, is without a doubt one of the two most impressive and moving examples of Outsider Art I've ever been to. The other one is Watts Towers.

Fred Smith was a lumberjack, who retired when he was in his 70s. That's when he began to build these statues - using chickenwire as an armature, he was more concerned with quantities than with workmanship. The entire park has been severely damaged twice by microbursts and rebuilt and restored. Fred built about 140 of these sculptures. Some are based on local people and incidents; others, like his version of the Chariot Race from the ORIGINAL, silent movie, Ben Hur, were based on popular culture. He kept building, and building, filling his acreage with objects. I can no longer find the photo I took of one grouping: it was four women, who reminded me so much of my grandmother and her three sisters - some aura about the grouping of Smith's silent women bespoke a strength of character that brooked no nonsense.

Their art matters to us. It matters to us because it is honest, without artifice, without a hidden agenda. It is the impulse that matters, the need to leave a lasting legacy. We recognize the purity of it, and, if we are blessed with eyes to see it, we recognize the beauty and grace of it as well.

I think about this work a lot - I think about it as I sit at my desk, in an office, with the air conditioner blowing and people just yammering away about nothing. I think about it because I ache to be making something myself and have not gotten back into it. The question I have danced around for the last twenty years is this: what has made me so afraid to paint and build objects that I stopped? What shut down? And how will it open up again, because it must open up. Art is in my heart, and I need to get it out into my hands again.

Diva Jood Has To Purchase A Gown

2008-07-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. Border Explorer has awarded me the Arte y Pico Award. And the reason Diva Jood needs a new Gown is because the Gown the Award is wearing is too lovely for words.

So, there are rules. Rules. The Diva hates rules, but c'est la vie.

1)Pick five (5) blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y Pico” blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award which is here: Arte y Pico.

I must bestow the award on five other blogs, which is terribly difficult because a)there are so many I really love, and b)so many have already gotten the award. Not that it's cheap, it's not. It's just that there are a lot of very good reads out there.

But I will follow the rules to the best of my ability.

1. FranIAm is an amazing blogger. Her blog is a mix of politics, personal, and a deeply spiritual path. I love her journey and honor it with this award.

2. The Pagan Sphinx has already received this award from Betmo, but I have to award it again. This blog is another mixture of peace, art, life and spirituality, and plus I got a fantastic salad recipie off her.

3. DK of Redheaded Wisdom is a favorite of mine. She's hilarious, she's political, she's passionate, and she's a great writer. Love ya, sista!

4. Utah Savage is another repeater. However, in the time she's been blogging, she captures attention with a mixture of memoir, humor, photography, and rage that is all tempered with a language so colorful it defies description. Plus she explained what a Swamp Cooler is.

5. Torrance Stephens of Raw Dawg Buffalo is an amazing writer. He is an educator, a poet, an entrepeneur, a philosopher, a father, and a pet store owner. I love his blog.

Okay, I have followed the rules, now go read them and get excited.

Whatever it Takes

2008-07-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

Lou Dobbs wants to add Rotten Tomatoes to articles of Impeachment against Bush.

You know, I have heard a lot of reasons over the years as to why George W. Bush should be impeached. But for them to leave the Food and Drug Administration in this state, its leadership in this sorry condition and to have no capacity apparently or will to protect the American consumer -– that is alone to me sufficient reason to impeach a president who has made this agency possible and has ripped its guts out in its ability to protect the American consumer.

Look, Lou, if it takes tainted vegetables to get this guy's ass out of office, I'm all for it. I mean, obviously torturing prisoners isn't enough; lying his way into an illegal war isn't enough. The meltdown after Katrina wasn't enough. Maybe it will be tomatoes.

The Operation Was A Success, But The Patient Died

2008-06-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

Four million people were admitted to California hospitals last year. That's a lot of people. And of those 4M, 1,002 cases of serious medical harm were disclosed by California hospitals between July 2007 and May of this year.

Officially, these cases are called Adverse Events. They are also referred to as "never events," because they should never happen. In California, patients are being seriously injured at a rate of 100 per month.

Examples range from technicians placing a CT scan of one patient into the electronic file of another. The result: physicians removed the wrong person’s appendix; to nurses giving incorrect medications (unprescribed medications) causing death. The father of one of my co-workers went to have a fairly simple operation; during surgery, his kidney was perferated causing infection. The original operation was a success, but the patient died.

In California, Insurance Companies are considering not paying Hospitals for these accidents. Yet Hospitals are for-profit businesses; I wonder if we will be forced to pay extra for these non-services? Pay in advance and take it up with our insurance companies later (if we survive at all?)

Did the woman who died from the wrong medications have to pay a co-pay on those medications? Who covers her bill? On the wrong appendix, did he have to pay out of pocket for a surgery he didn't need? Because his insurance probably didn't cover him for this bit of cutting and sewing - it hadn't been pre-approved.

Our system is broken on so many levels, not the least of which is patient care, that I cannot begin to cover it all. I am mad as hell. Beyond angry, I am appalled at rising costs and sinking care.

This Is Why I Maintain Hope

2008-06-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, the two IDF reservists abducted by Hezbollah two years ago in a raid that sparked the Second Lebanon War, are to be released in a prisoner exchange deal with Hezbollah approved by the cabinet yesterday. In exchange for the captive soldiers, Israel will release jailed Lebanese terrorist Samir Kuntar, who murdered a Nahariya family in 1979, and four Hezbollah militants, the remains of Lebanese civilians and several dozen Palestinian prisoners.

The vote in the Israeli Cabinet wasn't close, 22 in favor and only 3 opposed. While many people believe Regev and Goldwasser to be dead, and information about Israeli Airman Ron Arad sketchy at best (his plane was shot down over Lebanon), it is still a significant step toward peace. The cabinet ministers were influenced by IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, who said: "I am the commander of all the soldiers ... of the living and the dead, and therefore I say to you the deal must be approved."

The deal will take place in four stages:

first, the signing of the agreement, which should happen in the next two or three days
next, Hezbollah will hand over a report on efforts to obtain information on missing airman Ron Arad, MIA in Lebanon since 1986. In exchange, Israel will give Hezbollah a report on the fate of four Iranian diplomats kidnapped and murdered during the Lebanon war in the 1980s.
Stage three requires United Nations hostage negotiator and intelligence expert Gerhard Konrad's approval of the reports. If he approves, Hezbollah will return Goldwasser and Regev - or their remains if they are no longer alive, along with the remains of Israeli soldiers in Lebanon. Israel will return Kuntar to Hezbollah, along with four Hezbollah militants who were captured in the Second Lebanon War and the remains of a few dozen bodies
Stage four will occur within a month of the exchange, as Israel releases a number of Palestinian prisoners of Israel's choosing.

It matters. It matters for any number of reasons, not the least of which is a step toward normalizing relationships and putting an end to hostilities. It matters, because sworn enemies are talking to each other. It matters, it matters.

Moshe Dayan said: If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.

Splotchy, always one with a good cause

2008-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

I just discovered Splotchy's blog - and he's got such a good cause going with Adopt an Actor. I mean, they might not eat otherwise, right?

At any rate, I really wanted to adopt the absolutely dishy Alan Rickman:

However, dguzman beat me to it. I mean, I am a year late, fer god's sake.

So instead, I have adopted the extremely talented Chris Cooper:

As long as he doesn't smoke in my house, we're fine.

Why Los Angeles Makes People Sick. Literally.

2008-06-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

Why does basic health care cost so much? This question plagues me, and countless others in the USA. Over the last three years, the cost of medication and tests that I have undergone has put me on the edge of bankruptcy. So, yes, I have fibromyalgia - and there is fuck-all I can do about it - but it's all the rest of what I've undergone that is wiping me out. And that's when I read this tidbit: in 2007 the total U.S. health care bill came to $2.3 trillion—more than we spent last year on food.

And what do we get for all this money? Not much. Despite claims that we have the best health care in the world, when we shine the light of reality on that claim we find this simply is not true.

By every conceivable measure, the health of Americans lags behind the health of citizens in other developed countries. Our life expectancy is shorter than that of citizens in Canada, Japan, and all but one Western European country. We rank 43rd in the world in infant-mortality rates, behind Cuba, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom. We are no less disabled by disease than citizens of most developed nations, and our medical care is, with few exceptions, no better at helping us survive specific diseases. For instance, the mortality rate from prostate cancer in the United Kingdom is virtually the same as it is in the United States, despite the fact that the disease is treated far less aggressively in the U.K.

But a huge factor in the rising costs is that we in the USA spend far too much on unnecessary tests. Of our total $2.3 trillion health care bill last year, a whopping $500 billion to $700 billion was spent on treatments, tests, and hospitalizations that did nothing to improve our health. And I have fallen into this trap.

And actually, that trap has a lot to do with the geography of health care. I live in Los Angeles, where everything does cost a bit more - we pay higher prices at the pump, we pay more for restaurants, we pay more for all kinds of things, including health care. Why? Because doctors and hospitals in Los Angeles tend to give their patients more tests, procedures, and surgeries, and their patients tend to spend more days in the hospital.

Now, when I don't feel well, and the doctor starts recommending and scheduling a variety of tests, I tend to become very blond and say, "uh-huh," and go along like a good girl. And then the bills start coming in. And coming in. And then I wake up and go, whoa, wait a minute. Did I really need to get tested for Vitamin D deficiency? Did I really need to get tested for a rare liver disorder that I may or may not actually have? Do I need to take those pills for this liver disorder that the expensive testing could not confirm or rule out?

Patients undergo back surgery for pain in the absence of evidence that the surgery works. They contract lethal infections while in the hospital for elective procedures. They suffer strokes when they undergo a surgery that, ironically, is intended to prevent stroke. And each year they undergo millions of tests—MRIs, CT scans, blood tests—that do little to help doctors diagnose disease.

Doctors put the blame on patients, of course, saying we demand every little pill we've seen advertised on television - and I think that is part of the issue. But in my own case, I'd been taking a lot of Tylenol for pain - this is before I was diagnosed with Fibro - and my gynecologist decided to do a ton of blood tests. She didn't ask, she just said I needed to have them all, including liver functions. No symptoms, just she decided. My liver functions were sort of whacked - she said I had numbers normally seen in a drinking alcoholic. I haven't had a drink since July 17th, 1988, so that was weird. So she started to do all kinds of research, and decided I had PBC, a rare, hereditary liver disorder and sent me to my Gastro doctor to have more tests. A liver biopsy (the 30 seconds of drug induced high were great) and the biopsy was inconclusive. And the horse pills, which are not covered by my insurance and were $100 a month.

Now, the simple answer: stop taking Tylenol, it messes up your liver.

The reality is that we have a badly broken system. This is pressing issue that will not be fixed overnight - and if McCain is elected, won't be fixed at all. But there are things we can do as individuals, and here is a checklist provided by AARP:

1. Find a doctor who communicates Most of us need a primary care doctor who can clearly explain what ails us and the possible ways to treat it. If you have a physician who does this, stick with him or her. If your current doctor tends to rush you or doesn’t explain things well, tell him or her you need more time.

2. Coordinate your own care Talk to your primary care doctor about making sure he or she sees copies of your medical records from all your various doctors. Somebody besides you needs to know what all your physicians are doing—including all procedures, tests, and drugs they’ve prescribed. This is especially important if you are on multiple drugs or have a chronic condition, such as diabetes or an autoimmune disorder, that requires visits to multiple specialists.

3. Get the right specialist If you or a loved one is facing a serious illness, find yourself a palliative-care doctor. Physicians trained in this specialty have a particular expertise in the control of pain. They are also trained to coordinate the care among your various doctors.

4. Find out what difference a test or procedure makes Ask your doctor what he or she expects to learn from the test and whether the results will make a difference in your treatment.

5. Weigh the benefits and risks If a physician recommends a surgical procedure, ask what will happen if you decide not to do it—or if there is a less-invasive treatment option.

Cross posted at The Sirens Chronicles

Friday Granddaughter Blogging

2008-06-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

I'm playing with ~~Molly~~ LUCY who is a puppy and she's younger than me and I am in her bed outside which is an inside bed but I took it outside to play with and her toys too. I like little puppies and big dogs my dog is a big dog and she's not a puppy anymore. At school only two peoples in the bafroom two peoples only. I brush my own teeth.

Oh, Goody. Another planet for the Right Wing to trash

2008-06-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, you can grow all kinds of things on Mars. I mean, they've found ice, which means water, and they've found nutrients in the soil.

So if you save your frequent flier miles, Sir Richard might let you save $20,000 on your flight to Mars. Yes, 200,000 miles will save you $20,000 of the cost of a Virgin Galactic flight. Real Estate is going to go quick, and I suspect that Halliburton has the no bid contracts, but what the hey.

Lung ta - "Wind Horse"

2008-06-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

As the sun bleaches the images on the prayer flag, as the wind kisses each strand of cloth away into the universe, so life moves on and is replaced by new life.

Blue is the sky, infinite space
White is the air, white is the wind
Red burns as fire
Green is the rushing water
Yellow is our mother earth

With these prayer flags, I hope for peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. I pray the wind carries these prayers out into the world, to spread peace and good will to all who walk this earth. May we learn to heal our wounds, to hold each other in high regard despite our differences. Let us find what makes us connected, rather than separate so that we can heal our earth together.

Thank you to everyone who sent such lovely healing energy my way the last couple of days. While fibro never goes away, it's back to being manageable. Namaste.

Wexler on Olbermann tonight

2008-06-25T22:42:00.001-07:00

Well, Wexler was on fire, no doubt about it. He and Kuchinch could really bring Bush and Cheney to be held accountable, I have no doubt they've got the passion.

And, yes, Bush really did insult Phillipino Americans when he said that he know how talented they were every time he dined in the White House.

What an ass.

Update with the complete quote:

I want to tell you how proud I am to be the President of a nation that -- in which there's a lot of Philippine-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the -- of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House.

George W. Bush, referring to White House chef Cristeta Comerford while meeting with Filipino President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Washington, D.C., June 24, 2008

Having a Really Bad Day

2008-06-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't typed about having Fibromyalgia in a while. Although I have been dealing with it for years, it was only fairly recently diagnosed and I still have trouble wrapping my head around the idea of having a condition that has no cure, no known cause, and hurts like a motherfucker. It's depressing, and at times I just want to cry from the constant, relentless pain. Most of the time, I am able to manage it well through exercise, rest, and eating right. Then there are days that nothing at all helps - and since I am unable to take Vicodin; Lyrica didn't help; and I won't take other addictive meds, when those bad days happen upon me, I am, in a word, fucked.

Yesterday was one of those days. Today is worse. My hands and wrists feel like they are on fire, my fingers feel like they are being given little electric shocks. Same with my feet, ankles and toes. My back feels like I'm being beaten with an iron pipe. My head throbs, not like a normal headache, not like a migraine, it's more like the reverberation from being beaten on the back with an iron pipe. I cannot tolerate odors, they make me nauseated today.

I hate this, because I feel helpless to do anything to make it stop. I hate this, because it makes me feel weak, vulnerable, and lost. On days like this, I think I should never have divorced my ex-husband, and that is absolutely untrue. On days like this, I believe the lies my mind tells me, the things that want me isolated and alone. On days like this, you could say I am in a really bad mood, but that would not quite be accurate. Today, I am having a really hard time of it. I don't feel well and it contains a mental and emotional component which I dislike. I know it will not always be this way, yet I am in the thick of it today.

I'm lucky. I am not one of those people with Fibro who is unable to get out of bed on bad days - I am always mobile, and I am always able to get up and keep moving. This is luck, I believe, and I think the years I spent as a long distance bicycle rider helps me a lot in my ability to manage the pain. But the emotional and mental component makes me NOT want to manage - on days like today I want to give up, and crawl into bed, and never get up.

This is not depression - it is pain. I have clinical depression, which is managed by Zoloft, and I know the difference. Zoloft is also used to help manage Fibro, which is interesting. When I get depressed, there is a physical symptom that is scary: I feel like my face is sliding off my cheeks - like my face is melting. I haven't had that symptom in years. Lucky me. Today, though, I am having a really bad day.

Our Exposed Nerve

2008-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

"To me, Gaza embodies the entire saga of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; it represents the central contradiction of the state of Israel—democracy for some, dispossession for others; it is our exposed nerve."

Amira Hass, Israeli journalist and author of Drinking the Sea at Gaza: Days and Nights in a Land under Siege.

Shrub as a Young Republican

2008-06-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

All that smokin and drinkin.

I love you, Aramis Ramirez

2008-06-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

Home run, bottom of the 9th in a tie game wins it! Nothing like a man with a big bat.

Text of an email from Cong. Robert Wexler

2008-06-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Diva Jood,

It has been a busy day in Congress today and while our movement for accountability for the Bush/Cheney White House just took a major leapforward with the testimony of former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, we also unfortunately took a terrible step backwards with the tragic approval of new FISA legislation. I voted against this awful FISA law that degrades the privacy guarantees of our Constitution.

McClellan's Testimony

What we heard from Mr. McClellan was confirmation under oath of what we have long suspected: the President, Vice President, Karl Rove, Scooter Libby and others purposefully conspired to mislead Americans for political gain and at the cost of the lives of our soldiers, the security of our nation, and the sanctity of our Constitution.

Today, Scott McClellan said that he considers it a likely possibility that Vice President Dick Cheney was the person who authorized the leak of Valerie Plame Wilson's covert status. Mr. McClellan also said that he believes more White House officials should come before Congress and reveal the truth about this Administration's actions.

McClellan's testimony underscores a simple reality:

We must dig deeper. As I said today in the Judiciary Committee hearing, the facts we know now are more than enough to justify impeachment hearings for President George W. Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney. You can read my entire testimony today below.

There is no higher agenda than protecting the Constitution. The Separation of Powers principle is being threatened, our Civil Rights are under attack, and must pursue accountability no matter what the political cost.

The FISA Vote

Today I voted against the so-called FISA "compromise" bill, as the only thing that is really being compromised is our civil rights.

In spite of the earnest, hard work of many Members of Congress, the President has continued to demand that Congress rubber-stamp his illegal wiretapping program.

Every American wants to protect our country from terrorists; but the President is not asking for tools to thwart terrorists. He is demanding unchecked power. He expects the Congress to throw out even the most modest, expedited court review on the absurd premise that a specially designed court with over 30 years of experience handling surveillance requests is suddenly going to bring our nation's intelligence operations to a standstill.

The rights of everyday Americans are at issue here, and full accountability needed. A court that is given full and appropriate review of the particular circumstances in each case is the only appropriate venue for making decisions about immunity for actions that may or may not have violated the civil liberties of some individuals.

In addition, while I am sympathetic to the difficult position telephone and Internet service providers, who may have thought they were doing their patriotic duty, the fact remains that I simply cannot support offering retroactive immunity. I have had the opportunity to view some of the documents in question, and I can say that my position on this subject is unchanged.

I will continue to support the March 14th House bill that preserves the appropriate court review of all surveillance of US citizens and gives judges the discretion to review all the necessary documents related to telecom lawsuits without offering blanket immunity.

Continue Our Fight for Accountability

I also want to thank the thousands of Americans who sent emails to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel defending my position in favor of impeachment. I can assure you I will not back down.

In fact, over the next week I will appearing on numerous television programs where I intend to raise these issues as often as I can. You can see me on the following television shows:

• Sunday, June 22nd at noon (EST) on CNN's Late Edition,
• Tuesday, June 24 at 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm (EST) on Hardball on MSNBC,
• Wednesday June 25 at 3:30 pm (EST) on CNN's the Situation Room,
•Thursday June 26 at 11:30 pm (EST) on Comedy Central's the Colbert Report
•Friday June 27 at 7:30 am (EST) on MSNBC's Morning Joe.

I am grateful for your continued support and advocacy.

Congressman Robert Wexler

Friday Granddaughter Blogging

2008-06-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

Well, my gramma is uspet because the Chicago Cubs have lost three games in a row to Tampa and now they have to play the Chicago White socks at home and we don't like the white socks at all I like pink socks but they don't play baseball. But the Cubs and the white socks are both in first place and Carlos can't pitch cause his shoulder is sore so it is Ted Lilly and my gramma is ~~neeresvos~~ worried. I am learning how to catch a big beach ball its fun and I like water aboons more than blow up aboons. You can throw water aboons, but regaler aboons you have to tie on a string and they float.

Obama Opts Out of Public Financing

2008-06-19T07:14:00.000-07:00

For the first time since 1976, a major party US Presidential candidate is opting out of Public Financing for the general election. Using John McCain's candidacy as the example of how the current public financing system is broken, Obama said

If we don’t stand together, the broken system we have now, a system where special interests drown out the voices of the American people will continue to erode our politics and prevent the possibility of real change.

McCain's campaign is beholden to Washington Lobbyists like his economic advisor, Phil Gramm, and special interest PACs.

Obama's decision is nothing short of refreshing, especially since the last 7 1/2 years have been driven by special interests and greed.

Greed and oil lust have driven the current administration. I am convinced that Bush's cronies have been deliberately manipulating the price of oil, raising the cost at the pump, just so he can railroad through the ban on offshore drilling. Bush faces opposition in Congress, but he really hopes to leverage the soaring pump prices to get Congress to cave in before election day. And when they start drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge, I wonder who will get the no-bid contract?

But Barack Obama is not afraid of the big bad guys on the other side. He presents genuinely alternative points of view and ways of doing things, and he does not back down from a fight. Funding will come from people like you and me rather than the likes of UBS. Yes, we can.

Fruits of Endurance

2008-06-18T07:12:00.000-07:00

Israel and Hamas agreed Tuesday to an Egyptian-brokered Gaza truce. While Hamas has observed previous unilateral truces and cease-fires with Israel in the past, all of which broke down within a short period of time, this truce is different for two significant reasons.

First, the truce means Israel has given Hamas de facto recognition, acknowledging that the US-backed blockade has not worked.
Second, although Hamas's charter calls for the destruction of Israel, with this truce Hamas showed a willingness to co-exist with Israel as Hamas's leaders have said they will pursue a long-term truce in order to build a Palestinian state.

Hamas has said that all militant groups in Gaza have promised to abide by the terms of the truce, which calls for Israel to ease restrictions on blockade against Gaza.

Skepticism abounds on both sides. However, both Israel and Hamas need this cease-fire. The Gaza strip has become an intolerable burden for both parties. Israel's economic blockade against Gaza has worsened a horrific humanitarian crisis. Israel has allowed only the most basic foodstuffs and medical equipment in, and virtually nobody out. Hamas is finally admitting the blockade is really hurting them.

What escapes notice is the people who live in Israel's border communities, who have also been suffering. Palestinian militants fire crude rockets into the border towns, killing and injuring Israelis, which then brings down massive retaliation from Israel's military. However, Israel has no effective defense against these rockets.

For Hamas, the lifting of the economic embargo and the subsequent improvement of daily life might persuade Gaza's leadership that negotiation is the best response. Why do I have hope it will last? Because of these words:

"We believe that what was agreed upon will last and the Palestinian people will see the fruits of their endurance," said Ismail Haniyeh, the senior Hamas political leader in Gaza.

It's a first step.

March 18, 2003 on Good Morning America

2008-06-17T06:42:00.000-07:00

Babs and the modernized version of "Let them eat cake." This callous disregard for our military men and women, and their parents, bears remembering. It bears repeating. Barbara Bush lacks compassion, she lacks integrity, and she lacks a soul. For if her son can send these young men and women off to war, then she and her family should have the decency to honor them when they fall.