Three Rhode Island Blogs Launch "Countdown to Change" to
Monitor the First 100 Hours of the New Congress

In an unprecedented act of web-based collaboration, three of Rhode Island's most popular Blogs, RIFuture.org, Kmareka.com, and Pat-Crowley.org, announce that they will provide collective coverage of the first 100 hours of the new Democratic Congress to provide Rhode Islanders with immediate and comprehensive access to the actions of Rhode Island's four Democratic Congressmen and the new Democratic Congress.  

During the fall campaign, Democratic leaders promised to make substantial changes during the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress in 7 key areas: Lobbying reform and fiscal accountability; Increasing the Minimum Wage; Making college more affordable; Making health care more affordable by passing legislation to negotiate lower prescription drug prices; Allowing stem cell research; Implementing the 9/11 recommendations and Rolling back subsidies to the big oil companies.  

The three Bloggers have agreed to work together to discover if Congress will enact the changes that will put America on a better course for working families, the elderly, college students, and healthcare consumers.

The "futures trading" online business is now into election outcomes, and Sheldon Whitehouse's stock price has been steadily rising.  The price has gone from $50 in mid-July to its current price of $82 yesterday.  Click here to see a page at Intrade.com which shows the current prices for the Rhode Island Senate Election.  

It's not looking like Chafee is going to overcome the anti-Bush sentiment of Li'l Rhody.  According to Realclearpolitics.com, Chafee has not polled above 45% in a single poll over the last 5 months.  

Where have you gone, Joseph Lieberman?
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Woo woo woo.
What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson?
Joltin' Joe has left and gone astray.
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey.

--(with apologies to Simon & Garfunkel)

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As anyone who follows politics knows, Joe Lieberman, the less than esteemed senator from Connecticut, is currently a man without a party.  Some might say that he is a man without much manhood.  (I've always suspected that Bill Frist performed an orchiectomy on Joe as a prelude to party reassignment.)  Defeated in the Democratic primary by upstart Ned Lamont, Lieberman--mustering all the chutzpah he could squeeze out of his scrawny frame--has nonetheless continued to vie for his Senate seat, albeit now as an independent candidate.

On Monday, Joltin' Joe met his two opponents in a debate.  By all accounts, this face-off was about as exciting as watching oatmeal cool--a tone no doubt set by the incumbent, who possesses all the charisma of a limp handshake.  "Sandwiched between the Republican and Democratic nominees, Mr. Lieberman stuck to his well-honed general-election campaign message, saying: `I'm fed up with the partisanship and the bitterness in our politics.  There's too much personal hatred.'"  He then proceeded to plop his bony tokhes on the stage floor, refusing to debate any further unless everyone promised to stop being so mean to him.

Apparently, at the White House, the apple does not rot far from the tree when it comes to denying or distorting reality, most especially during election season.  White House Press Secretary (and former Fox News shill) Tony Snow--who, less than a year ago, asserted that "George Bush has become something of an embarrassment" and, in 2000, criticized his future boss for "barking out absurd and inappropriate words, like a soul tortured with Tourette's"--offered up a preposterous comment at a Republican rally in Illinois yesterday.  Snow said of the President that "he reminds me of one of those guys at the gym who plays about 40 chessboards at once."

Wow.  I hardly know where to begin, except to say that Tony Snow must use the same hallucinogens as Paris Hilton, who a few months back proclaimed: "There's nobody in the world like me.  I think every decade has an iconic blonde--like Marilyn Monroe or Princess Diana--and right now, I'm that icon."  Has Snow even been paying attention?  Likening the mulish and befuddled Commander-in-chief to a chess grandmaster is akin to calling Velveeta a world-class cheese or Weekend at Bernie's 2 a work of cinematic genius.  Not only am I incredulous that Snow would make such a ludicrous comment but that he could do so with nary a guffaw or titter.  I wonder how many of the Republicans who forked over $175 to hear the Press Secretary dole out such gems wound up doubled over in laughter with Chardonnay spurting out their noses.

BURNT TOAST to Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), who "pleaded guilty to corruption charges Friday but said he would not immediately resign" his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Apparently, the only thing smaller than the man's name is his good sense and integrity.  He says yea to accepting bribes from Jack Abramoff but nay to stepping down from the elected office that he has shamed.  What a horse's patoot!  more...

The Christian Science Monitor has an article on the GOP's strategy to keep elections local and emphasize incumbents' "strong local identities" within their districts. Nowhere was this tactic more evident than in the first debate between incumbent Republican Lincoln Chafee and Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse.  Chafee attempted to change the subject to issues of corruption in Rhode Island. From the Projo:  

Perhaps George W. Bush is not as divorced from reality as he frequently appears.  Why, just yesterday, appearing at a Republican fundraiser in Chicago, he wowed the audience by demonstrating his ability to distinguish between a politician and a balloon.  Speaking of his embattled comrade, Speaker of the House Dennis Hazmat, the President sagely noted that "he's not one of these Washington politicians who spews a lot of hot air."  Bush then went on to give an uplifting speech in which he touted what a heckuva job the Rebumblicans have been doing and how they are clearly the "best to protect you" (unless "you" happen to be a congressional page).  He asserted that "we're keeping steady pressure on a group of people who would want to do America harm"--by which, of course, he was referring to the Democrats, of whom he actually said, "they can run...but we're not going to let them hide."  As to what the majority party will do with all those tax-loving, terrorist-abetting unAmericans once they nab them, rumor has it that Halliburton has received a no-bid contract to build internment camps in which to house the Dems.  Be afraid; be very afraid.

Giving Kudos to those who deserve a yummy treat.