"What you’ve got to do is look at people’s actions. Now, I’m in the business community a lot and I’ll tell you what any businessman will tell you when you’re gonna to put someone in a leadership position: Look at the record of their actions. People repeat their actions in life again and again and again. Are they strong? Can they make decisions? Can they handle pressure? Do they have a track record of dealing with tough issues effectively? Now that’s the basis on which you’d start in considering candidates in my view.

I wasn’t surprised. I was a little disappointed but when you put ten people on stage...last time it was like a beauty contest....and the amazing thing was that pretty soon everybody, after about five or six debates, everybody started sounding just alike. And I’m finding it now. Three years ago I was the only one saying we needed a new strategy. Now everyone says “Hey I’ve got this great idea, we need...”OK, OK, fine. It’s not about what people say. It’s about who they are and what they’ve done because that’s the best indication of what they can do."

....from my transcription of Wes' address to "young progressives" in Manhattan at a DL21C event in March '07.

"She hopes to open shadowed eyes on a different world...." Robert Smith, borrowed from Penelope Farmer

This from AOL's 10 Countries That Love America feature today:

Albania

This country's considered to be the most pro-American in Europe. There's even a trend among Albanian parents to name their kids Bill and Hillary, and most Albanians are quick to recount the story of how their country was saved by President Woodrow Wilson. Still not sure why to visit? Think fabulously preserved castles and far emptier Mediterranean beaches than you'd find in Croatia along what's being dubbed the Albanian Riviera. Get there before it gets overrun.

:)

"She hopes to open shadowed eyes on a different world...." Robert Smith, borrowed from Penelope Farmer

Well, it looks like the price of oil has dropped about $20/barrel since Bush removed the executive order barring offshore drilling. Obviously, the markets have responded to this decisive leadership that has put an end to our energy problems (NOT!). If Congress acts, I'm sure that we'll get back to oil priced at $30/barrel (NOT!)

We've had a supply and demand problem for decades. That's not been our main problem for the past 7 and a half years.

That problem is having two oil men in the White House.

Oil companies and their stock holders decided to play CATCH UP the day Bush took office. Prices for gas got up to about $1.25 per gallon over a 40-50 year span.

It's taken them 'just' 7 years to more than triple that dollar amount.

This summer is a last minute ditch effort to get it to between $3.60-3.80 per gallon and keep it there....because it's evident that Democrats will be taking control in 2009.

Americans, by fall will be OVER JOYED to see that dollar price -- anythings better than $4.00 gas.

Exactly what the oil companies want to happen.

It's also what they've done each year/summer that Bush/Cheney have been in office. Get it way high, then drop it by half. Still making a huge profit.

Coonsey's World
http://coonsey.wordpress.com/

Glenn Greenwald and Cass Sunstein -- an Obama adviser, recently married to Samantha Powers (a former Obama adviser), and a man who has cautioned against prosecuting criminal conduct from the current Administration -- were on Democracy Now this morning.

Sunstein is frequently mentioned as a possible SCOTUS appointee for Obama, were he to win the presidency. He also has been defending the Bush Administration's illegal actions and the Bush Administration's preposterous claims for many many years now. (Armando diaries at DK from 2005.) BTD adds: This is who he is. I think that any connection he has to Barack Obama is extremely troubling.

Transcript and audio to Greenwald and Sunstein's discussion, wherein the two debate issues ranging from the FISA bill to Obama’s refusal to support calls for the prosecution of President Bush and top White House officials for war crimes and other abuses of power are at Democracy Now.

Big Tent Democrat posted about it here.

Glenn Greenwald debates Cass Sunstein on FISA, on Amy Goodman's program, Democracy Now. It is the second segment after headlines, starting at the 33 minute mark. Glenn also speaks about the ATT sponsorship of the Democratic National Convention about 15 minutes earlier. I have not listened to it yet and will update this post with my thoughts afterwords.

Sunstein: we peons have "widely misunderstood" what Obama did. Oy. Greenwald: to say this was not a flip flop by Obama is "insultingly false." Sunstein is a condescending ass - "I appreciate the vehemence." What a creep (speaking for me only.) Listen to it because Sunstein proves he has no idea what he is talking about. It is hard to explain what a disingenuous appearance Sunstein makes here. Today, he says he does not agree with the Bush inherent authority argument. But in in 2002 (on military tribunals) and in 2004 (on warrantless surveillance) he DID agree with the Bush Administration's outrageous legal claims. Sunstein can not be trusted (speaking for me only.)

Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right.