What's up?

Bev vs. Pat meet in their two-way debate tonight. Who's watching?

Here's the link

Talk about getting ugly. Hey James, this one is front page worthy, huh?

http://www.dailyadvance.com/opin/content/news/opinion/stories/2008/08/16...

Editorial: Pooping the party

Saturday, August 16, 2008

No doubt it was not ElectriCities' intention to show how ridiculously insensitive, self-serving and out of touch elected officials can be. But by staging its annual meeting at the Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach, S.C., last weekend, just weeks after raising its members' electricity rates by 14 percent, the group managed to do just that.

Robert Greenwald has released a new viral video about the many mansions of John McCain. It's disgusting.

However, I've also been doing some thinking (in the aftermath of the Edwards whizzbang) about how wealthy candidates are able to inflate their own bubbles, float safely within them above the machinery of party and populi, and thus avoid so much of what makes financially scrappy politicians more accountable.

Phillip Gilfus hit the N&O with a splash yesterday in this story by Rob Christensen. Sorry I missed this, but I do tend to gloss over Christensen's byline. All the same, it's a good article.

Gilfus has long been a Democrat, interning with two Democratic state senators in the legislature when he was younger. An Episcopalian, Gilfus said his religious beliefs influenced his political choices.

"That is why I am a Democrat," Gilfus said. "The Gospel does teach us about caring for our fellow man."

O-No! says pull the plug on Duke Energy's plans to expand its wholesale operations. Good call.

The NC Budget and Tax Center says it's time to rethink taxes noting that next year ain't gonna be pretty.

The Puppetshow criticizes drought planning because the mean old government might be trampling on the rights of property owners to use as much damn water as they want.

A bunch of men (yours truly included) debating abortion at Ed's place. I don't know how women stand us.

Mike Munger is still listed on the Board of Advisers to one of the rings in Art Pope's Circus. Ah well. I've been checking him out more closely to see if I could actually bring myself to vote for him. Sorry, Mike. No can do.

Most people consider themselves fairly well-informed, and are not likely to admit that they (personally) are vulnerable to manipulation. Those other people are, of course, but not me. And while we might think we carefully "choose" the sources of our information, our brains often store and edit things according to a different set of often less "enlightened" rules. Whatever. It's part of our psychological makeup, and not likely to change any time soon.

As democrats take a long hard look at these women [and the men] we have running as our candidates. They are quality people, one and all, and we should be proud to have them carrying the banner of our party.

As a county party chair I have had a chance to work with almost all of them over the last year.They are to a person great folks that care about the people of this state and their lot in life. They are kind and concerned about this state, and are willing to take the time and efford to move this state forward.

I have had the honor of hosting many of these candidates at events in my county and surrounding counties in Eastern North Carolina. They are, to the man or woman, people of substance. They are people that are willing to work for the good of the state and her people.

Scapegoating moves forward, albeit slowly.

Federal prosecutors have sent target letters to six Blackwater Worldwide security guards involved in a September shooting that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead, indicating a high likelihood the Justice Department will seek to indict at least some of the men, according to three sources close to the case.