Al Franken’s swearing in.

H/T Buck in New Mexico. I so agree with Ms. Yarrusso!
Open letter to congress from Carmen Yarrusso:

Dear honorable representatives of the American people:

The so-called “drug war” is a blatantly dishonest, extremely expensive, highly destructive, grossly unjust, abject failure of our government.

Despite 30 years and more than a trillion (a million times a million!!!) dollars of taxpayer money spent trying to stop — not robbery, not rape, not murder, not even shoplifting — but trying to stop adults from using certain arbitrarily banned drugs, despite draconian punishments, despite currently jailing 500,000 non-violent American citizens, despite tens of thousands of prohibition related murders, these drugs are cheaper, purer, and more readily available than ever.

Why do you allow this insanity to continue?

How many more taxpayer billions must we waste, how many more thousands of productive Americans must we lock up, how many more thousands of human beings must die in drug war violence before you honorable representatives of the American people put an end to this foolish, futile carnage?

When will you find the courage to openly admit that drug prohibition (just like alcohol prohibition) is guaranteed to be counterproductive, guaranteed to be extremely violent, guaranteed to be perpetually futile, and guaranteed to leave a wide swath of human suffering and death in its wake?

When will you find the courage to tell the truth about drug prohibition?

Prohibition Truth Number One

The “drug war” is not a war against drugs — quite the contrary — it’s a war for drugs. It strongly encourages both production and distribution of prohibited drugs by guaranteeing extremely high profits for everyone involved. Does it make any sense to believe a government policy that guarantees massive profits for any activity could possibly result in less of that activity?

Let’s be very clear: the “drug” war is a war against living, breathing human beings, not drugs. Drugs are merely the dishonest excuse for an extremely profitable, ruthless enterprise, the victims of which are real people.

The violence in Mexico, where more than 6,000 have been murdered in just one year, where bodies are often mutilated and beheaded, is NOT the result of America’s demand for prohibited drugs (as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has implied). Not at all. That demand, such as our demand for alcohol and nicotine, could easily be satisfied without any violence.

The thousands of murders in Mexico (and thousands more in this country) each year are the direct result of drug prohibition itself. When alcohol was prohibited, the murder rate in America skyrocketed, when Prohibition ended, the murder rate rapidly declined. When’s the last time you heard of a murder during an alcohol deal gone bad?

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PALIN HIT WITH ANOTHER ETHICS CHARGE

SCHUMER: WE DON’T HAVE TO COMPROMISE ON PUBLIC OPTION WITH 60

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE JUST STFU AND GO AWAY

HOW HEALTH CARE RATIONING IS DONE IN TODAY’S FOR PROFIT SYSTEM

FORMER GITMO DETAINEE SEEKS PRESERVATION OF TORTURE PHOTOS

NEW CHALLENGE ON “STATE SECRETS”

RACISM: FACEBOOK STYLE!

WHAT JOE BIDEN REALLY SAID

ADVOCACY GROUPS? SHUT UP! LOBBYISTS? TAKE A SEAT

CHALMERS JOHNSON: BASELESS EXPENDITURES

U.S. AND RUSSIA DECIDE TO WORK TOGETHER IN AFGHANISTAN

140 ACTIVISTS KILLED IN CHINA

Looking more and more that way. It’s really sad to be so close to something we need – to have a democratic majority and a president with so much clout – and still bow down to the will of cold-hearted republicans and their corporate buddies.

White House Open to Deal on Public Health Plan

WASHINGTON — It is more important that health-care legislation inject stiff competition among insurance plans than it is for Congress to create a pure government-run option, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said Monday.

“The goal is to have a means and a mechanism to keep the private insurers honest,” he said in an interview. “The goal is non-negotiable; the path is” negotiable. [...]

However, insurers, and most Republicans, strongly oppose creation of a government-run insurance option, saying it would ultimately drive them out of business. Most Democrats support a public option.

The president and his aides already have signaled a willingness to consider an alternative to a public plan under which a network of nonprofit cooperatives would compete with for-profit insurance companies. That is the leading idea in the Senate Finance Committee.

A bunch of rich, powerful people are having a tough time deciding what’s worse: Americans without any health care or the possible profit loss of a cut-throat business. Who do you think will lose out here?

People on Planes
“If You Talk Too Much”

They will never give it up…….NEVER. They’re worried about the government standing between you and your doctor unless, of course, it involves abortion.

Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee are pushing for language in health care reform legislation that would eliminate coverage for abortion services, according to a coalition of religious groups that support abortion rights.

“If this happens, many women could lose coverage for abortion services that their private insurance currently includes. Plus, millions of uninsured women will still lack a basic health care service despite having been promised a better quality of life,” says Rev. Carlton Veazey, president and CEO, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.

The Senate Finance Committee is a key group of senators currently shaping a national healthcare reform package. The committee is led by Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and ranking Republican Charles Grassley of Iowa. Baucus and Grassley are top negotiators for their respective parties on how healthcare reform will eventually look.

“If these senators are allowed to deny coverage of abortion services, the burden will inevitably fall on low-income women and widen the huge gap in health status and access to health care services that reforms are meant to remedy,” Veazey says. “Compared to their higher-income counterparts, low-income women are four times as likely to have an unintended pregnancy and five times as likely to have an unintended birth.

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Can we do away with the justice system in America now? As long as public opinion finds you guilty, no ifs, ands or buts, you are guilty!

I suppose I am a little sensitive to MJ’s unfair treatment. After all, public opinion has always been less than kind to people like me, so I can relate.

But do continue with your slings and arrows, Mr. King. I doubt if you could make it a whole week without satisfying the need to elevate yourself at the expense of others.

Congressman calls Michael Jackson a ‘pervert,’ ‘pedophile’ who ‘did some dancing’

A conservative New York congressman [Rep. Peter King, R-NY] who’s stuck his foot in his mouth before has begun to bemoan the coverage of the late Michael Jackson, labeling him a “pervert,” a “child molester” and a “pedophile” and saying that society is “glorifying” a “low-life” while ignoring the efforts of teachers, police officers, firefighters, veterans and volunteers.

The Associated Press notes wryly, “Jackson was acquitted of molesting a boy.” [...]

Jackson, he said, “may have been a good singer” and “did some dancing,” but asserted that the “day in and day out” coverage of Jackson’s passing is “too politically correct.” [...]

“The media has disgraced itself,” King added. “The bottom line is, would you let your child or grandchild be in a room with Michael Jackson?”

King has made other controversial comments before. Earlier this year, when Bush-era memos were released showing the Justice Department’s endorsement for the torture of detainees, King said the lawyer who authored the memo “should be given a medal.”

Eric Clapton & Dr. John
“St. James Infirmary”

Part I Billy Bob Thornton on Real Time with Bill Maher

Part II

THE LEAST FREE PLACES ON EARTH

FREEMASONS SPAT OVER BLACK INDUCTEE SPILLS INTO COURT

BREADLINE USA: WHY PEOPLE ARE GOING HUNGRY IN THE LAND OF PLENTY

HEALTHY EXAMPLES: PLENTY OF COUNTRIES GET HEALTHCARE RIGHT

UNVEILED: FIRST AMERICAN MADE STREET CAR IN 60 YEARS

SAUDIS GIVE NOD TO ISRAELI RAID ON IRAN

LEADING CLERICS DEFY AYATOLLAH ON ELECTION

MULLEN: IRAN STRIKE WOULD BE DESTABILIZING

IRAQ SANDSTORM SENDS 100′S TO HOSPITALS

SCHUMER PROMISED PUBLIC OPTION IN FINAL HEALTH REFORM BILL

BIBLE QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY KIDS

ABC’s “This Week” – Vice President Joe Biden.

CBS’ “Face the Nation” – Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

NBC’s “Meet the Press” – Pre-empted by coverage of Wimbledon tennis.

NBC’s “The Chris Matthews Show” – Panel: Gloria Borger, Bob Woodward, Joe Klein, Tina Brown. (repeat)

CNN’s “State of the Union” – Former Secretary of State Colin Powell; Mullen; Queen Noor of Jordan.

CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” – Fareed speaks to British Foreign Secretary David Miliband about why Iran is so angry at Great Britain. Plus, a discussion on aid in Africa — are celebrities throwing money at the problems or making an actual difference?

“Fox News Sunday” – Mullen; Reps. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and John Boehner, R-Ohio; Alaska Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell; former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark.; and former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove.

Keb Mo’
America the Beautiful

Here’s hoping y’all had a great day!