The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[Joe Fields]

Maybe some of you here are tired of hearing a bunch of dem bashing. I'm heartsick to have to bash them myself. But I have no choice. We know what to expect from George Bush's republican party. But did anyone of us expect what we have received from our own party's leadership? I swear, I see no difference between the rubberstamp congress that Bush enjoyed for so many years, and Pelosi, Hoyer and Reid's congress, except for a slowdown in the legislative process. The end results have been the same. The madman at the helm gets what he wants. Every damned time. And so, as I see it, it is only a matter of degrees.

Our dem leaders talk a good game, but it is just empty talk. A lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing. How does evil succeed? By a lot of supposedly good men and women, who are in a position to stop it doing absolutely nothing. There was a lot of talk about oversight, when we took control of congress. But what have the hundreds of hearings and investigations led to? Not much. Smoke and mirrors. Dog and pony shows, call them whatever you want.

Alberto Gonzalez, U.S. attorneys, phony corporations receiving government money that gets funneled to Republican candidates, phony intel, torture, illegal wiretaps, war funding, more phony intel to start another war, the systematic shredding of our constitution and the erosion of our rights, the manipulation of the media, the crushing of dissent, the private Blackwater army, that will eventually be turned against us. These are just some of the things from the top of my head that our democratic leaders should be outraged over and wholly committed to defeating.

Impeachment? If ever there was a "slam dunk" issue for the dem leaders, in fact, the whole of congress, then this would be it. In all of history, can any one of you think of a more compelling set of circumstances, a rather large collection too, to impeach both a president, and/or a vice president? I sure cannot. And if our dem leaders choose not to impeach, then they may as well vote to take the impeachment remedy right out of the constitution, because ladies and gentlemen, we have lowered the bar so dramatically, that we have virtually set no standards for grounds to impeach. From here on out, a president will be able to get away with anything, without fear of impeachment. It disgusts me to the very marrow of our bone. Our democracy depends on this remedy. Without it there is not much hope. Pelosi has spoken. She is adamant. It is off the table. Conyers, who has told us that he's waited 43 years for the job he has now has let us down. He has waited 43 years to do what? Nothing.

As democrats, is this type of leadership something to be proud of? Especially if you are a progressive? Is this type of leadership what separates our party from the republican party? Is this the kind of leadership you feel comfortable in supporting? I truly hope that when it comes time for Pelosi, Conyers and Hoyer's re-elections, that the people of their great states throw the bums out on their ear. These "leaders" of ours have been saving their powder so long for a fight, that they missed it. They have missed the greatest and most worthy battle of all; the battle for the soul of our democracy. Maybe I'm wrong in saying so, but I honestly feel that they have betrayed us; that they are traitors to us. They have betrayed their oath of office, and they have strayed from the bedrock ideals that make us believe in the democratic party, as well as believe in what used to make the United States of America so great. They are nothing more than co-conspirators now. I cannot even recognize them as coming from my own party. They make me sick for America.

[Kokonoe]

1. I have a good feeling that things are going to be better than ever.

Don't give up.

[Joe Fields]

5. I would like to know what gives you such a good feeling.

[Kokonoe]

6. I feel the future

[Joe Fields]

7. You may feel the future, but I have the ability to see into the past.

And what the past tells me is that more of the same is coming, unless we can get our party leaders fully engaged in battle mode.

[catmandu57]

2. I feel the same way Joe

And I have absolutely no frickin idea what to do about it, I feel like I'm punching a bag of marshmallows, no matter how hard I hit nothing happens.
The only thing I know is to get some real opposition for everyone of out "leaders" and get them to hell out of there.

Next year is going to be a real hold your nose election here, we have a choice between sam the nazi graves and kaye the corpratist barnes for representative. The only thing is with graves you know you're going to get screwed, barnes is going to smile at you then twist the knife, she'll get elected because she has a d after her name, and we're sick to death of repukes around here.

I'd almost go for a real populist third party right now, someone who talked people issues not what we've been told concerns us.

[Joe Fields]

3. I can't stand Graves, but I'm no fan of Kay Barnes, either.

Bill Carpenter, the ex-mayor of Independence did the same thing years before Barnes and gave away the keys to the city to the businessmen. As a result, the 39th st. corridor is booming, while the older parts of the city have been completely forgotten. Why? Because of super T.I.F.F., that's why. Our city still begs for tax dollars, while businesses get rich. I wonder how Wyandotte County will fare, 15 years from now?

[Joe Fields]

4. self kick. c'mon, people. Jeez, I feel like Tyler Durdan...