I know that its been a bit confusing to the blogosphere to keep track of the constant moving of goal posts that is Jerome Armstrong while many people believe that is shilling for Edwards and using mydd as the official Edwards campaign blog but I think at this point I hope someone is keeping sharp objects and prescription drugs away from him as his last straw (The laughable Zogby poll) has just abandoned him.

More on the flip.

While I'm really excited about the latests Des Moines Register poll results that put an end to all of the Edwards surge nonsense and reinforce what is happening on the ground in Iowa versus capturing the power of the Edwards recommended diary operation I am concerned about Jerome Armstrong.

We are at least an hour past some information that supports Obama and doesn't play into his flawed frame of the race and I'm desperate for a lecture.

More on the flip.

I was completely stunned yesterday by David Axelrod's comments that Hillary was responsible for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto but I cannot believe Hillary's almost South Park-esque assertion that if Iowans don't caucus for her then the terrarists have won!

This is beyond the pale and I hope frequent Presidential Candidate Sen. John Edwards has the courage to come out and call her statements "Ridiculous".

More on the flip.

HOUSE WILL NOT VOTE ON CUTS TODAY!!
*Please recommend this diary to keep it on the front page*

As predicted in my diary yesterday the Republican leadership is trying to pass their draconian budget reconciliation ammendment by pulling or adding things to sweeten it.  They've pulled the ANWR and off-shore oil provisions.

So sometime today (They are currently in recess), the U.S. House will vote on whether to cut Medicaid, Food Stamps, foster care, SSI, and child support, and to restrict TANF.

The leadership has made a deal to delete the Arctic and offshore drilling, which will make the bill easier to pass. They have also made an extremely small and temporary change to their Food Stamp cuts (see below), but have not changed any other human needs provision. It's close - your call is urgently needed!

Details below the flip ---

I keep seeing all this speculation on Fitzgerald impaneling a new Grand Jry so I'd thought I'd create a diary to post links to any tea leaves folks would like to post to make the case that it has or has not.

I'm currently residing in the south and it seems to me the biggest complaint down here among former Democrats is the vicious cycle that is the poor abusing the welfare system.

I'd like to read up on it to have a solid knowledge base to justify its existence, not to Democrats but to Republicans in terms and with examples they can relate to and understand.

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.

On Tuesday Sen. Harry Reid showed what it is to be a true to our party's core values and beliefs by announcing he would not vote in favor Judge Roberts' confirmation.  He does so not because he believes Roberts is hostile to settled law or an ideologue but because Roberts refused to answer any questions that would allow the Senate to form an educated opinion on what kind of Chief Justice he will be.

Today Sen. Feingold decided the opposite as he voted for him in committee which not only undermines the party leadership's effort to oppose his confirmation but it sets a very dangerous precedent.  Sen. Feingold has made sure that their next nominee doesn't have to answer the questions that must answered in order to preserve years of progress through precedent after precedent.

What you may already know is that Gen. Wes Clark (D-AR) has endorsed and Paul Hackett for Congress in what seems to be shaping up into a very tight race in a special election being held this Tuesday, August 2nd for OH-02's open seat.

What you may not know is below the flip --

This is how Democrats should act when another democrat is attacked via the corporate media.  

Screw John Edwards and his attack first/apologize after you know what you're talking about.  Screw Biden et al for not showing the same loyalty that Clark instinctively showed.

I guess this is just further proof that Clark isn't a real Democrat or isn't Democrat enough.  If Biden and Edwards are examples of "real Democrats" then I'll take Clark's example because he and I....HAVE HOWARD'S BACK!

I just found out that there will be a huge rally outside Republican Rep. Jim McCrery's district office in Shreveport on Tuesday at 1 pm.

From whatI understand this will be the only rally in the state that day whiich marks the first day of Senate hearings that will roll out the first parts of Bush's plan to destroy Social Security.

So take an afternoon off from blogging and come and make some serious noise in front of the assembled media.  I'll even buy a beer after the rally for any kossacks who show up!

Details after the flip!!

Or "Feingold Announces He Cannot Win Presidential Election"....

I'm a huge fan of Sen. Feingold but this makes him a non-starter as a Democratic candidate for President in 2008.

More below the fold --

Sen. Harry Reid needs to begin a PR campaign to start grabibng headlines that will make it easier for Americans to realize why what Delay has done is so wrong.

More below the fold --

Vatican to make announcement at 9 am PST.

Apparently President Bush didn't think that the world was insulted enough by his nomination of Paul Wolfowitz to head up the world bank.

More below the fold...

...since President Bush signed the futile care bill into law in Texas???!

I've looked and can't find the information anywhere.  Does anyone know how I could track that info down?!?

I'm of the opinion we've got to plant the flag in swing states to maximize the exposure of our new message (At some point we've got to actually come up with one, right?) but I'd be interested in your thoughts.

I for one would like to congratulate Gov. Dean on winning the chair. In a way this is exactly what this party needs at this point and time. While there are many are angry that we lost and just as many demoralized by a loss that could and should've been avoided with the right candidate, Dean is the perfect person to draw upon those negatives and create positives out of them. My only concern is that he will much too quickly pursue a 50 state strategy from the beginning. I think this is what we should build toward but I think it is a grave error to do this from the outset.

More below the fold.

"Democrats said they expected a lively competition for the party's nomination. Possible candidates range from Minneapolis lawyer Mike Ciresi, who ran against Dayton in the 2000 primary, to radio show host Al Franken, who told The Associated Press he would make an announcement on his show Thursday."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11400-2005Feb9.html

Anyone have any thoughts on this?  Mine are below :