Anyone watching Warner's hearings on UAE Ports issue? I had to turn

[KoKo]

it off. It seemed staged and hokey to me. A rubber stamp of what Bush wants to do anyway, but given an approval by the fact that Warner is holding hearings and getting "assurances" from everyone that he and his committee will be kept informed.

Also the fact that several of the witnesses said that some of the deal is "secret" and Warner said "well I hope that we here on the committee will be able to be briefed on some of that."

We are PAYING THESE PEOPLES' SALARIES, DAMMIT. Why are SECRET DEALS being made that I as a citizen am not privy too...but I paid for the REPORT.

We need a taxpayer revolt ....This government is totally out of control and the greed, graft and corruption is being done In Our Names with Our Money!

This Endless War, the Outsouring, Privatization to Bush buddies, the Revolving Door from the House and Senate onto K-Street and back again selling their wares inside the Congress and across the world.

It's OUR COUNTRY....IT'S OUR MONEY...IT's OUR LIVES...

[sarcasmo]

1. Carl Levin a Dem from Michigan is slamming the board right now with facts.

[goclark]

3. Love Carl, what's happening now?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

9. play by play here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x499563#500322

[marmar]

2. That government of the people, by the people, for the people bullshit...

is so pre-2000.

[MadMaddie]

5. When are the people going to....

revolt...at what point do American citizens stop accepting the criminal actions of the * cabal?

[marmar]

11. Exactly....

I don't know what more it will take. They've led us into wars based on lies, they've bankrupted the future of the country, they're spying on us and laughing about it, they've completely destroyed our reputation around the world, they've turned back years of equality gains, demonized people (gays and lesbians AND people or Arab descent or Muslim religious background), stomped on civil liberties, wrecked the environment - really there's nothing left for them to F..k up.
Howard Zinn says that eventually, the people will wake up. I hope he's right.

[MadMaddie]

12. Do you think it's possible of Civil war in America?

Or even a secession of states....

I know it's extreme but it seems to me we are getting to that point!!

[marmar]

14. I'll be honest with you...

I'm all for secession right now.

The United Democratic States of America - D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Mass., Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, USVI and Puerto Rico.

The rest can call themselves whatever they want to.

[MadMaddie]

16. I agree....

I think that it is crossing many peoples minds these days.....

[IsItJustMe]

21. I don't think so, The mind control is too great. It's everywhere.

In our commercials, our media, school boards, you name it. It is everywhere.

We seem to be told WHAT is important and WHEN it is important.

I'm not saying there is a defacto conspicacy, but there are huge forces in our socitiety for conformity of thought which truely discourages such free minded thinking.

[EFerrari]

4. It's difficult to watch these hearings when you realize

how much of them is just theater. :(

[berner59]

6. Looks like a lot of Dem senators...

Where are the Repubs except for Warner??

[EFerrari]

7. No idea. Maybe we're being set up to be "obstructionists".

[pk_du]

15. 4 Dems and Warner - thats it.

[KoKo]

19. Then what was the point? Will they issue a report? And if so, won't

Warner overide the three Dems since he Chairs the Committee. And even if there's a report...what happens to it?

[hiley]

17. out of town...

guess they forgot how to fly in.

[ChiciB1]

8. I've Predicted From Day ONE... That This Deal

will be APPROVED!!

Even IF Repukes don't over-ride a VETO, it will send a message to The Idiot and ALL his cohorts that THEY CAN do anything THEY want, and NOT ONE PERSON will stop them!!

Repukes may be up for re-election, but today on C-Span I detected a change in the views of some people. They are starting to BUY the WH rhetoric, and the SPIN is on!

How many times has this happened in the past 6 years??? So many scandals, so many upheavals, so much CRAP, and STILL THEY get THEIR way!

American people are going to have to REVOLT for sure.... I've been saying this for many many many months!! We need a massive demonstration in D.C., but I have no idea how to get this started!!!

IMO, The Idiot DOES think he's King George!!! And he LOVES it!!

[IsItJustMe]

10. Of Course, Warner is a brown nosing YES man, but Levin

is making some real good points. A question to the panel, Has anyone asked the 9/11 commision about the UAE's ties to 9/11, NO, duh.

Levin's Insinuation, maybee you should have of considerer this. Seems important.

The oversight of this deal was a broken process with a president who cares more about his theory of Globalization than the real world problems of any type of honest security at our ports.

[converted_democrat]

13. I understand your frustration, but if we tried something like that

they'd crush us, and we'd have it worse than we have it now.. People don't seem to understand how quickly they could starve us out, and besides that cut of our oil and medicine.. Peaceful protests, and assuring clean elections are the only ways to go..

[KoKo]

18. Taxpayer's Revolt....Meaning banding together to withhold our Tax Money

by putting our witholding in "Escrow" until the Bush Administration stops waging war and doling out money to their Halliburton type cronies.

I wasn't suggesting anything that isn't peaceful.

[converted_democrat]

22. I understand what you're saying, but it won't work..

If we tried something like that they'd crush us.. They'd stop the essential things that we need to survive.. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you meant anything violent.. I'm just saying assuring clean elections and peaceful protests are the only way to go.. These people are on level to gangsters.. They'd figure out a way to make us pay.. They have alot more control than what meets the eye..

[ChiciB1]

23. Okay... Let's Get On With A PEACEFUL Protest!

Hey, I live down here in Florida and when I hear ELECTION REFORM, I laugh out loud!

These corrupt, evil monarchists OWN corporations and make deals with them on a daily basis! I hardly think they want free & fair elections and I do believe they've shown that already!

To THIS day, I still believe The Idiot LOST both times!! And I don't care if anyone thinks another way, it was all TOO simple for them!

[converted_democrat]

24. The whole point I'm trying to make about fair elections is that we

need to step up the efforts to bring about fair elections.. It isn't happening yet.. There's a group here and a group there, but that's it.. The people of this country need to understand what an issue this is, and do something about it as a group.. Until everyone in this country understands just how big of deal it is we're screwed.. I live here in Florida and I don't for a minute think our elections were fair.. I saw things first hand that lead me to believe 2004 election wasn't free and fair.. That's one of the many reasons I switched parties in the first place..

On the peaceful protest point, I don't see how we could go wrong with that.. It was a big factor in the Vietnam era, and I think it's under utilized today..

All I'm saying is that those are the only two options that I see will work..

[KoKo]

25. We've been working on fair elections since 2000. But, with exception

of Progressive Caucus in the House...the Democrats want it hushed up. Mark Crispin Miller couldn't even get interviewed by the MSM for his well documented book on what happened with Election Fraud in 2004 Election. The "Media Consortium's" Report on the 2000 Election proving that Gore won was overshadowed by 9/11.

Still given the lack of support Voting Rights Groups have sprung up helping those of us working for reform in our states. Here in NC we got help from the EFF Electronic Freedom Foundation in law suits to keep the DRE Machines out. Information from Fair Elections Websites and folks here on DU allowed us to get a bill that mandates a Verifiable Paper Trail with open code for the Optical Scan voting machines. It was really hard to do it....and we got no help from our National Party DNC on it...but we've had some success.

The volunteer time devoted to this was too much, though. Many folks gave up vacation time and State meetings were announced and then cancelled making it hard for folks working on this to plan and hold down a job.

Without the funds to have full time lobbyists ...just volunteer citizens time makes it impossible to fight against what the Repugs are up to. They can hire consultants and lobbyists to go against citizen activists and undermine us because we have to do this on volunteer time.

I think NC was an exception...many states seem unorganized...and we don't even know if what we've done here will unravel or be overturned because of the Repug Control and money.

As far as Protesting against Bush policies...we've had Marches of Millions and Vigils since before the Iraq Invasion. The Media doesn't cover it and won't talk about it.

So...we've got to CUT THE MONEY OFF....:shrug: I don't know what else we can do, other than capitulate or leave the country ....those who can.

[converted_democrat]

26. With as vindictive as they have proven themselves to be time and time

again, you don't think they will retaliate? You don't think that they will squeeze us by every means they have?? They are oil men, and I have no doubt that they will cut off the oil.. People will starve, we won't be able to transport anything, and we'll be screwed...

[ChiciB1]

28. I KNOW People Who Are Starving Now!

I have personally "loaned" a SUBSTANTIAL (thousands) amount of money to two families in the past year! Not money I had on hand either, I took it out of our IRA! One was going to lose their house, the other had lost their house, had to rent which was much more than their mortgage, was facing having their electric and phone cut off and couldn't pay their "new" rent! And I KNOW despite all their best intentions, I will never see that money again. And they're back in the same situation, but I just have to say No now. But they keep calling because of their desperation! I hate answering their calls now because I just CAN'T help out anymore.

It's hitting the middle class and very few are seeing it yet! But IT IS coming, even here in Florida, a state where we have many many "snowbirds" coming down during season to help the economy! I have to go to my insurance office right now and am dreading getting into the traffic! It's horrendous!

I'm not trying to argue just for the sake of arguing, and perhaps since you were once a Repuke you know more than I, but we MUST take some kind of ACTION! What shall we do???

[KoKo]

29. We have to do the best we can in whatever way we can...even if

it's small steps. Supporting anything Progressive we can. Trying to get out information in our communities. Giving what money we can afford to candidates locally who will speak for us and not the lobbyists.

Most of all if we are here...we are spreading the word and connecting. That may be what eventually will make the difference.

[ChiciB1]

27. Cut What Money Off??

If you're talking about money to Repukes, I don't see HOW that can happen.

As for getting Election Reform, especially HERE in Florida, well Good Luck!! Plus, I live in a county that I think has been "RED" forever! My representative is Cruella herself... Katherine Harris and you can't even get her to reply to ANYTHING!

We can't get National coverage on almost anything, other than perhaps "Is Hillary Running?" Then of course when someone DOES take a stand they are vilified and berated beyond belief, then hung out to dry!

I try to do all I can to get the message out to as many people as possible, but I certainly can't mount a campaign on election reform. I have a full-time job taking care of my mother-in-law who is now 93 and has Alzheimer's! It hardly leaves me any time for much else... it's 24/7 care. I can stuff envelopes I suppose, and sign petitions, but where has that gotten us?? I can't even remember how many petitions I've signed!

Unless the DNC is REALLY going to go Hog-Wild about Election Reform, WHO has the money for US to do it?? I DO understand about demonstrations, I did get to go to the 9/24 in D.C. and we got very little attention. So what IS the answer?? I DO keep asking THAT question ALL the time!

[KoKo]

30. We've got to find a way to CUT THE MONEY OFF...I don't have

an answer...but you are getting rid of Jeb Bush due to "term limits." Work your butt off for a replacement that speaks to you...YOU!

I have relatives in FLA...but I still can't understand how they can be Dems and still support what's been going on down there. They tell me..."It's the Climate...things are really good with Real Estate...and they are glad they moved there...even thought theyu don't like Jeb and have been through numerous hurricanes...they got their insurance...and they are OKAY even though they are Dems and hate Jeb."

I don't understand it...but ...HEY...as long as Floridians are Happy...why should I tell you what to do. :shrug:

[ChiciB1]

31. Hey KoKo1.. Real Estate Ain't That Good No More!!

I have 5 acres of PRIME land that I'm trying to sell in the fastest growing city in FL, and that's since December! North Port, FL!! As for the hurricanes, I live on the West Coast about a mile from the beach, Charley was about 25 miles down south and we really suffered NOTHING!

Of course, the prices are outrageous and since they are so high we put a high price on it too. We need a High Roller to buy! But you are correct... real estate has skyrocketed and that's the reason we are selling! The taxes on the property went up at least 200%!

I can't afford my house and the land too!

Please someone, buy my land!!

[FormerRepublican]

20. Just don't listen when Warner's talking - he'll make you sick.

The Dems are doing OK, though.