Of course you can say it backwards, which is "docious-expiali-istic-fragicali-rupes" but that's going a bit too far, don't you think?

Gert, we hope you're enjoying the best of days. May you and the General enjoy many, many more such happy birthdays.

Click here for the whole article. My comments (and the Clark quote) are below the fold.

John Edwards (no, NOT somw) wins Arkansas Legislative House District 38 after a close race.
From KARK-TV this evening:

Democratic candidate John Edwards wins the State District 38 seat over Republican Kelly Eichler. Eichler requested the recount, after she lost November 4th by only 74 votes. Edwards won the recount with 7,067, 77 more votes than Eichler's 6,990.

Jim Martin and Paul Carmouche face runoffs next month, and we can't back down until they're over. Click here to donate to their campaigns today!

November 4 was an historic day. The Democratic wave created competitive races in "red" areas that the pundits never believed would be close. Two of those races are now headed to runoffs, and we can't back down until they're over.

Jim Martin in Georgia and Paul Carmouche in Louisiana have campaigned tirelessly in their races, and now we have an opportunity to put them over the top. Next month, Jim Martin faces a runoff against Saxby Chambliss for the U.S. Senate seat in Georgia, and Paul Carmouche will compete in a runoff against his opponent for a seat in Louisiana's 4th Congressional District. We have come too far and have fought too hard to back down in these tight races.

Click here to help Jim and Paul in their runoffs next month. Donate to their campaigns today!

Jim Martin

Jim Martin

I've written to you before about Jim Martin. He has served our nation honorably as a member of the Armed Forces in Vietnam, in the Georgia House of Representatives, and at the Georgia Department of Human Resources. Throughout his career, he led Georgia on health care issues, helped provide quality health care for thousands of children, and put foster children in loving homes.

Jim's opponent, Saxby Chambliss, is doing everything he can to cling onto his seat. In 2002, Chambliss ran one of the most despicable TV ads I've ever seen in which he compared war hero Senator Max Cleland to Osama bin Laden. And now, in a desperate attempt to win the December runoff, his latest ad uses images from 9/11 to exploit voters' fears about terrorism. To top it off, John McCain flew into Atlanta last week to campaign for Chambliss. We can expect more attack ads and other national Republican figures to descend on Georgia for Chambliss, and Jim needs our help now.

Click here to donate to Jim's runoff campaign!

Paul Carmouche

Paul Carmouche

Paul Carmouche is running for an open seat in Louisiana's 4th Congressional District. As the District Attorney for Caddo Parish, Paul has taken thousands of violent criminals off the streets and put them behind bars. He has cracked down on child predators and domestic violence. His opponent, John Fleming, on the other hand, wants to cut taxes for millionaires like himself and raise taxes for middle class families.

Paul has shown an ability to win over Republican voters and current polling has him ahead of his opponent. But we can expect the right-wing to launch full-scale attacks on Paul's record, and he needs our support. Let's help put Paul over the top, and add the 4th Congressional District to the growing list of Democratic seats in Congress.

Click here to help Paul in his runoff next month. Donate to his campaign today!

Runoff races are all about turnout and that depends heavily on the ability to raise money. Please rush a contribution to Jim and Paul today.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark

Wes has an important op-ed in the New York Times today. Here's part of what he says:

In a little more than a year, the Army has procured and fielded in Iraq more than a thousand so-called mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles. The lives of hundreds of soldiers and marines have been saved, and their tasks made more achievable, by the efforts of the American automotive industry. And unlike in World War II, America didn’t have to divert much civilian capacity to meet these military needs. Without a vigorous automotive sector, those needs could not have been quickly met.

More challenges lie ahead for our military, and to meet them we need a strong industrial base. For years the military has sought better sources of electric power in its vehicles — necessary to allow troops to monitor their radios with diesel engines off, to support increasingly high-powered communications technology, and eventually to support electric propulsion and innovative armaments like directed-energy weapons. In sum, this greater use of electricity will increase combat power while reducing our footprint. Much research and development spending has gone into these programs over the years, but nothing on the manufacturing scale we really need.

Those are excellent points. We need to help Wes get this important message out as widely as possible.

but, they may be a beginning. Teddy Roosevelt was right when he said:

A man who is good enough to shed blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards.

Here's to fallen comrades, and to those who have thus far survived as well. May they and their families receive not only our thanks and everlasting gratitude, but also that ever promised square deal.

I hope you can appreciate the following video tributes:

Vietnam Vets.

Hello Everyone:

Here is the MSNBC video link of Gen. Clark on Morning Joe today where he talked about important veterans and economic issues:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27660855#27660855  (05:35)

With 40,000 ballots still to be counted, Charlie Brown's race is too close to call. Help him fight back -- click here to donate to Charlie Brown's Election Protection Fund today!

Our friend Charlie Brown needs our help. The margin in California's 4th Congressional District is razor thin, and they're still counting votes. After more than 300,000 ballots were cast in CA-04, the race is tied. The current difference stands at less than half of 1% (less than 500 votes).

With 40,000 vote-by-mail and provisional ballots still to be counted, the race is way too close to call. That's why it's critical for us to make sure all the votes are counted in CA-04.

Please contribute to Charlie Brown's Election Protection Fund today!

Charlie's opponent, Tom McClintock, has hired an election attorney and brought in a team of lawyers to "watch" the locations where absentee and provisional ballots are being counted. McClintock's team is doing everything they can to challenge the votes of thousands of people who faithfully cast their ballots.

Charlie needs our help to fight back.

Please contribute to Charlie Brown's Election Protection Fund today!

In 2006, the WesPAC community's support carried Charlie to within 3 points of victory. Charlie, a 26-year military veteran who served from Vietnam to the Gulf War, will be a strong advocate for our veterans and an important voice to end the war in Iraq.

His opponent never served, has accumulated the worst voting record on military and veterans issues in the California legislature, and yet had the gall to attack Charlie's patriotism with blatant lies and innuendo.

There's too much at stake. It's critical we ensure all the votes are counted in CA-04.

Please contribute to Charlie Brown's Election Protection Fund today!

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark

Wes Clark, Ernest Green and Sec. Rodney Slater It was a deeply moving experience to be in Grant Park last night with thousands of others. The sight of Barack, and Joe Biden, and their families on that platform, the warmth of the crowd, and its diversity will long linger as I reflect on how America has changed.

Last night, I was in Chicago when our country made history -- electing Barack Obama President of the United States.

As I walked onto the field in Grant Park -- there were thousands of us around the podium -- a couple of reporters asked me what I thought of this. "Transformational," I said, "but, ask Ernest Green, right here, who was one of the original young people at Central High who broke segregation in the South. Ask him!"

It was a humbling and deeply moving experience to be there with Ernest and with former Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, Ambassador Sam Brown and his wife, and so many others who have shared our passion to set this country on the right course. And to see the faces of all around us, representing all the diversity that Barack cited in his remarks. Some were jubilant, some were softly sobbing, some were joyous, a couple were watching others in the crowd. Cell phones and cameras were everywhere as people called friends and families to share the experience.

This was, truly, a transformational event. And I can't thank you enough for making it happen and for stepping up and helping to elect candidates in critical House and Senate races down the ballot.

After we left Grant Park, we found ourselves walking back to the hotel, a couple of miles north. Celebration was still in the air, along Michigan Avenue and Wacker: groups of young people high-fiving, and shouts of "Yes, we can." I was surrounded by electric smiles and energy...so alive.

There is no doubt -- the challenges confronting our nation are great. We are engaged in two wars abroad and facing an economic crisis at home. Our nation will require great sacrifices from all of us to overcome them. However, with these challenges come tremendous opportunities, and I know we will come together to carry this great nation forward. As Barack said last night:

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -- we as a people will get there."

The sight of Barack, and Joe Biden, and their families on that platform, the warmth of the crowd, and its diversity will long linger as I reflect on how America has changed, and how we have changed ourselves. And as I looked at his expression, I could see Barack's seriousness of purpose, and his recognition that far greater challenges lie ahead. But I'm proud, and so hopeful for our country.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark