Tom Joad's Place

Welcome to Tom Joad's Place! Join me for political discussion and banter on important national subjects and VA politics. I've also noticed that there are a lot of people looking for information on "Grapes of Wrath". Look for the sidebar and we'll discuss. Contact Kevin, at applejackking@hotmail.com

Name:
Location: Fairfax, Virginia, United States

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Say what?

Virgil Goode makes me laugh

"Referring to a wave of demonstrations in recent weeks, Rep. Virgil Goode of Virginia said, "I say if you are here illegally and want to fly the Mexican flag, go to Mexico and wave the American flag."

It's 10:30 and I'm tired but does this make sense to anyone else?

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

New feature- Music links

I just put some music links on my sidebar.

Carbon Leaf is on there because they are a Richmond band that is up and coming. If you like what you hear when you click the link, I suggest buying the album "Indian Summer". If you are in more of a Celtic mood, I would try "Echo Echo". Their version of "Mary Mac" is a crowd favorite at most of their concerts. They have other great albums too and I believe my girlfriend and I own every one of them now.

Lower Case Blues is a young band from Deleware that I've seen play at least 6-7 times in Rehobeth Beach. Their blues riffs are outstanding for their age...very mature. Jake, the lead guitarist, is a young Stevie Ray Vaughn. Check out their sample selections...you won't be disappointed. They will be making a DC appearance in May at Madam's Organ.

Erin McKeown is someone that I discovered in fall of 2003. I was looking for something to do in Fredericksburg when I stumbled into "Blue Dog" (now defunct). Her album "Grand" was playing at the listening post. I only had to listen to the first three songs because they were are all different and totally catchy. Most of her music has a certain pop, country, rock mix with a sarcastic twist. I played that album out for about 3 months straight. I picked up another album by her called "Distillation". If you like a folk/rock mix, this album is definitely for you.

Listen and tell me what you think.

Allen doesn't understand how the Senate works

Seriously, why is George Allen running for re-election?

From the Richmond-Times Dispatch:

"U.S. Sen. George Allen, R-Va., says he is not bored with the Senate, just frustrated at its slow pace.

"It moves at the pace of a wounded sea slug," he said yesterday after a meeting with Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and other members of the Virginia congressional delegation at the Executive Mansion."

...

Allen said he looks forward to returning to the Senate and working on national security, creating jobs and preserving the nation's values.

"There needs to be more action," Allen said of the Senate. "There is too much concern with process."


That darn Senate set up in the Constitution as a deliberative body is just too slow for the hard right conservative. Allen wants the Senate to be more like the House of Representatives which limits debate on contentious issues. Allen clearly doesn't understand what he is doing in the Senate. Let's make sure that he doesn't get a chance to win.

To quote Harris Miller from the article, "Senator Allen should step down immediately and let someone else take his place, who still cares about putting the needs of Virginia first."

Amen.

Wadhams heading Allen's campaign.

From The National Journal: Dick Wadhams to head George Allen's campaign

Excuse my ignorance on the inner workings of the Allen campaign. Is this news to anyone but me? Does this mean anything about Allen taking this race a little more seriously?

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Senator Warner and the transportation crisis

Sounds like Senator John Warner is tightening the screws on the budget stalemate between Governor Tim Kaine, Senate Republicans and House of Delegates Republicans.

From The Washington Post:

"Warner, the state's senior Republican senator, praised Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine for proposing a $1 billion tax increase and challenged members of his party in the legislature to reach a compromise that allows Virginia to receive the maximum amount in federal matching funds.

"It is really up to our distinguished speaker of the House and the majority leader in the Senate and others to sit down and show a measure of political courage to resolve it," Warner told reporters after a meeting with Kaine and other members of Virginia's congressional delegation. "The people of Virginia deserve no less."


I agree. The Republicans in the House of Delegates are acting like children. They want instant gratification on transportation and do not want to pay for anything. They think that the solution will just magically appear.

It takes a bold leader like Gov. Kaine to propose solutions like raising taxes and restructuring VDOT that might actually work. I applaud Senate Republicans for taking transportation seriously enough to work with Gov. Kaine. Money (billions) is necessary for tackling our transportation problems for the next 20 years.

It takes the courage of a lamb to propose higher taxes as the Republicans in the House have done and call them ticket fees and tolls. The Republicans in the House have NO SUBSTANTIVE SOLUTIONS. They want to put a bandage on a head wound and pretend everything is all right. It's not all right.

We cannot make changes around the edges when it comes to transportation. Virginia is a growing state. Any solution we propose today will be obsolete by tomorrow. We have to think 20 years down the road and make changes for population shifts in the future. We will never catch-up if we keep thinking 3-5 years down the road.

Sen. Warner sees that his party is fracturing in Virginia because the hard right does not understand fiscal responsibility not the mention the money they will lose from the federal government when it comes to transportation. If they do not heed the call for transportation solutions, Republicans in 2007 can see their advantage in the House slip even further.

Monday, March 27, 2006

George Allen bored with the Senate?

From the New York Times via The National Journal:

"I made more decisions in half a day as governor than you can make in a whole week in the Senate," Senator Allen said earlier this month as he dashed into a recent Republican fund-raiser in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Over eggs and hash browns with a Republican crowd in Davenport, he lamented about being in the Senate, "It's too slow for me."

Well Senator, do not do us any favors by staying in this seat. We have two very capable men on the Democratic side that would consider it an honor to serve in the Senate. We know that you will be running for President whether you win or do not win the seat. So I suggest moving out of the way and letting someone else be "bored" for awhile. This quote should be trumpeted all over the internet. Ahem...Raising Kaine!

Update:

Note to self: When you go away for the weekend make sure you check the archives of Raising Kaine so your don't look like a dumbass. Sorry Lowell...mea culpa!

So where are we going to get the money?

From the Washington Post:

"This year, Kaine and state senators each want to raise $1 billion a year in new transportation money through tax increases. House Republicans do not want to raise taxes for transportation and have a $350 million transportation plan.

...

Nearly all of those interviewed said that they will not consider a course of action similar to that taken in 2004 because the state's financial health is better. And Virginia's sterling credit rating is not on the line this year, as Warner and senators argued it was in 2004. The state is running a $1.4 billion surplus; in 2004, the state had just completed a round of budget cuts totaling $6 billion."


The problem with that argument is that it is extremely myopic. Virginia has a transportation crisis. I repeat VIRGINIA HAS A TRANSPORTATION CRISIS! From gridlock in Northern Virginia, Fredericksburg, Richmond, and the Tidewater, this issue cuts through almost all regions and across all party lines. The Democrats and Senate Republicans, though, seem to be the only ones who want to take on the responsibility of funding our roads.

Yes, there is a budget surplus. Unfortunately, most of that surplus is already been allocated to other pressing needs in the future. It's also a good idea to have a small stash of money to break into when economic times are not as rosy. Money needs to be raised for transportation only.

The Republicans have to understand that this issue is not a one year budget fix. This will require a new financial discipline for the next twenty years. If we do the bare minimum, we are just going to have the same problems five years from now. Is the solution that I'm offering of more taxes to pay for roads painful? Yes. But someday we are going to have to pay the piper for our hyper growth throughout the Commonwealth.

The Republicans in the House of Delegates want to play politics with Governor Tim Kaine. They want to give him a political black eye in his first legislative session. That's fine. Play hardball if you want. If there is not a viable solution that is passed, Democrats will use this as a hammer to bash Republicans for the next two years.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Go figure...

The expression is "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." I've seen this political test bouncing around the VA blogs. So I decided to take the test...I was surprised at the results.

You are a

Social Liberal
(76% permissive)

and an...

Economic Liberal
(18% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Socialist




Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid
Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Al Gore not running for President...newsworthy?

From MSNBC:

"Former Vice President Al Gore said Monday he’s not planning to run for president in 2008 but hasn’t ruled out a future in politics.

...

“I’m not planning to be a candidate again. I haven’t reached a stage in my life where I’m willing to say I will never consider something like this,” he said. “But I’m not saying that to be coy; I’m just saying that to be honest — that I haven’t reached that point.”


Look, I like and voted for the guy. But to me, just like John Kerry, he is unelectable now and forever. This is not a case of Nixon winning 8 years later after his defeat at the hands of John F. Kennedy. Our media is very different from the media in the '60s. Back then you could theoretically bounce back from a loss. Today's media, though, portrays people as either a winners or losers and the stench of losing lasts a lot longer than the one of winning.

It's time to start looking for some fresh blood on the national scene for the Democratic Party. Mark Warner anyone?

Saturday, March 18, 2006

The straw that broke the camel's back?

Senate Democratic candidate Harris Miller apparently lost a straw poll to James Webb (58-42%) at Gerry Connelly's St. Patrick's Day event.

The question is this the straw that breaks the camel's back? Apperently, NOVA Democrat, Virginia Centrist, Not Larry Sabato, and of course Raising Kaine think so. Perservando seems to be good at photoshop. But this isn't the end of the campaign.

People who don't read blogs are still going to vote in the primary. Work still needs to be done. If you're a Webb supporter, congrats you won a straw poll. Keep working to get your man elected. If you're Miller, take this in stride and continue to working the voters on a one-on-one basis.

Finally, Miller and Webb should not turn the guns on each other. They should make positive assertions about what they want to do and why they are better than George Allen...he's the real enemy this year.

Friday, March 17, 2006

What you don't say as a lobbyist

I know this is Virginia but I saw this item the other day in the Metro section about the Maryland Assembly session:

"Gutierrez (D-Montgomery) had been grilling lobbyist Joseph A. Schwartz III on why his client, the association of doctors known as Med Chi, was not doing more to ask the insurance company Medical Mutual to alleviate the malpractice rate problem.

Schwartz fired back, "I know it's popular to make Med Mutual the piñata of your Mexican party."

The words hung in the air for a beat. One member of the committee shook his head and said, "Ouch." Then an outraged Gutierrez stormed out of the committee room, with a sheepish Schwartz chasing after her."


I campaigned in the 18th District when Del. Gutierrez was running for office in 2002. She is a lovely woman who wants to serve her constituents. I hope Mr. Schwartz was just saying this in the heat of the moment.

Source: The Washington Post

Pounding square pegs into round holes

Yesterday, Waldo posted a story about how the Virginian Republican Party is "on the verge of a meltdown".

Today, The Washington Post has printed a story about the meltdown occurring at the national level in Congress.

"For years, the Bush White House and its allies on Capitol Hill seemed like one of the most unified teams Washington had ever seen, passing most of Bush's agenda with little dissent. Privately, however, many lawmakers felt underappreciated, ignored and sometimes bullied by what they regarded as a White House intent on running government with little input from them. Often it was to pass items -- an expanded federal role in education under the No Child Left Behind law and an expensive prescription drug benefit under Medicare -- that left conservatives deeply uneasy."

President Bush for most of his time in the White House has a complacent Congress to do his bidding. Anything Bush wanted, Bush received. Want tax cuts for the wealthy and oil companies? No problem. Drill into our pristine wilderness for oil? No problem. Invade a country on the word of the President? No problem. Big federal mandates that cost a lot of money? No problem.

The problem is that with "quid pro quo" you have to get something in return for your support. Republicans were led to believe that if you do what Bush wanted, checks and balances be damned, this country would be fine. Congress is starting to realize that Bush is like a Burger King customer, he wants to have it his way or no way at all. For passing everything that Bush has wanted, Republicans in Congress have received back a bloated budget deficit, a mismanaged war, and oh yeah their precious jobs. That's it. They have no dignity, no respect left.

It shocked the hell out of Bush when the deal over the Dubai ports fell through and Congress did not back him. He thought he could flex his veto muscle and show Congress who was boss. It didn't work. Now Bush has been left to scramble to see what support he still has.

Now that Republicans in Congress figure that Bush has little to no clout, they have crawled out from their shells and want to fight back...why? Could the fact that there is an election in eight months be the real motive behind the Republicans new found backbone. Or have they figured out they sold their ideological souls to Bush to guarantee their jobs and feel bad about it? I'll take the former...it's the cynic in me.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Updated: My Final Four! Quick overview!

I've made my picks in Not Larry Sabato's Yahoo Group. I've had good luck in tournament pools. I've won 6 pools in total (since 1998). My most recent wins (2004) were in the same year with different picks for the final four but with the same champion. I fell to the West Virginia bug last year and they clipped one side of my bracket. I expect to back in top form this year.

Final Four projections:

2 #1 seeds Connecticut, Duke
1 #2 seed UCLA
1 #4 seed Boston College

Also, I predict two 5-12 upsets (Texas A&M, Utah State) and no seeds 13 and below are going to win. The only scares will be Pacific-Boston College and Xavier-Gonzaga.

I have a few upsets in the 6-11 (3- S. Illinois, San Diego St., Wis-Mil) and 7-10 (2- Alabama, NC St.) matchups...A number #1 seed WILL go down in the second round (Memphis). Two to three #2 seeds will go down in the second round (Texas, Ohio St., Tennessee).

Update #1:

Good news- I still have my Final Four intact. I was right about the 7-10 matchups. The #2 seeds went down except for Texas.

Bad news- I was off on my prediction of Utah State and no 13 seeds or below winning a game (1 made it to the Sweet 16). I was also wrong about a #1 going down also and my 6-11 picks were a debacle.

Somehow I've managed to stay near the top in the NLS pool. If I thread the needle, I can still win it all.

Go Mason!

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Miller and Webb Website Review

From Alice Marshall:

Harris Miller has a new blog up on his website. I like the overall design of the blog and that it allows for commentary (although you have to sign up...no anonymous posts here). It's a decent way to put some issues out there that are on the periphery. I noticed Mr. Miller himself has not "blogged" (a short one...I know he is busy). I think that would be interesting if he did although it might just be satisfying the "blogophiles" out here.

James Webb does not have a blog up on his site and I don't know if that's necessarily good or bad. What I don't like right now from both candidates are the lack of issues and their positions on them. Mr. Miller has an "agenda" but it really doesn't say much.

Mr. Webb has his "four themes" but doesn't go into great detail. His website does give a well written biography about the candidate if you're interested in reading it. But that's basically it...no meat (re: issues) yet.

They both ask for money:

Mr. Miller has an interesting "for every two dollars you donate, I donate one" deal going. That's one way to self-finance your campaign. (Between you and me though, if it came down to brass tacks, I think Mr. Miller would drop as much money as he could afford into the campaign."

Mr. Webb has a simple "contribute" page but if you click the banner below, you get a much snazzier donation page. Hint to Webb campaign...use this one.



I'm done with the critique of both pages...here are the grades. (As a teacher, you are taught that you must have some sort of way to measure progress.)

Miller: "B+" needs issues...but the blog helps and I like the fundraising idea of 2-1 matching funds.

Webb: "B-" needs issues and has to have better press coverage...fundraising page should be about the 3wks/$300,000 right now!

That was fun being a Monday Morning Quarterback!

I will update these grades in the future...

Monday, March 13, 2006

It's limbo time! How low can Bush go?

From CNN: The bar just keeps getting lower!

You would need to either be a great contortionist or one of the worst presidents in history to get under this bar. I think Bush still has a way to go. Let's look at the trend:

12/08/05- 43 approve 52 disapprove -9

01/12/06- 43 approve 53 disapprove -10

02/12/06- 39 approve 56 disapprove -17

03/12/06- 36 approve 60 disapprove -24

That's one hell of a swoon in 3 months. Democrats have to use this to their advantage. The narrative has to be that Bush and in turn Congressional and Senate Republicans are out of touch with what America wants. For the love of all that's holy, whoever makes it out of the primary between James Webb and Harris Miller needs to stamp this on Allen's chest like a scarlet letter! Bush is the key to victory against Republicans nationally this year.

Update: I promise I didn't steal the headline from Waldo.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

This blog in a newspaper?

Over at Bearing Drift, there is a post up about the Virginia-Pilot's blog review. Funny thing is this blog was included on that list.

I agree with BD that more conservatives should be on the list. There were some excellent posts last week. It could also be said that blogs that don't get a ton of play in the blogosphere were included.

This the text from BD:

"A writer says Republicans are spending too much time worrying about political appointments such as Danny LeBlanc and not enough time on transportation. He warns: "Kaine about to go medieval."

My girlfriend says the term "writer" should be used loosely. She's a funny one!

Just noticed something...

On the top of my site, I noticed that I still have the words "non-biased as possible". I've come to the conclusion that this is a ridiculous statement. I have a liberal bias...duh. I think I forgot I had it up there...oh well it's corrected.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Bush: You've got some 'splain' to do!

Ricky Ricardo would be chastising President Bush right now.

Because of his sagging poll numbers, Bush is hitting the road to give a series of speeches about winning the war in Iraq according to the Washington Post.

"President Bush plans to begin a series of speeches next week again explaining the administration's strategy for winning the war in Iraq, as the White House returns to a familiar tactic to allay growing public pessimism about the war that has helped keep the president's approval rating near its historic low."

...

The public relations offensive is being launched amid intense concern in the White House about polls showing that a growing majority of Americans disapprove of Bush's handling of the war and harbor growing doubts about the prospects for success. A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll found that four in five Americans believe that the ongoing sectarian violence in Iraq will mushroom into civil war. Also, more than half of those surveyed believe the United States should begin withdrawing troops from Iraq, the poll found.


Three years later and Bush is still trying to sell us that this was the right decision and that there is a strategy for winning. President Bush should not be selling us anything. Aren't Republicans the ones that crow that there decisions are not driven by poll numbers? That doesn't seem to be the case now.

"He also waved away concern about his low poll numbers, saying that they will not cause him to lose sight of his core beliefs. "I understand some of the things I've done are unpopular. But that's what comes with the territory," he said. "If you're afraid to make decisions and you only worried about, you know, whether or not people in the classroom are going to say nice things about you, you're not leading."

Does this get anymore contradictory? He's not worried about the popularity contest but he wants to impove his image and support. What? Am I taking crazy pills here?

Look, Bush is driven by the human condition of wanting to be popular. When he went to war in Iraq, he was very popular. Now that he is not as popular, he's trying to prop himself back up in the minds of the American public, including many Republicans. Unfortunately for Bush, the violence in Iraq has a stronger message than any words he can say.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Don't stand so close to me...

This shouldn't come to a shock to anyone who doesn't have blinders on butBush is in ultra, freak-out, politcally radioactive mode!

Just think about this in 2003 Bush was between 60-74 percent. Nobody would have dared questioned the President then. Now, Republicans are starting to defect. The wall is crumbling bit by bit.

Here are a couple of questions that I have: Can the Democrats can keep the pressure on Bush until November and tie Bush to Allen so it can have a effect on this year's Virginia Senate race? Will Sen. Allen embrace Bush as much this year or will he keep his distance?

Kaine about to go medieval.

Clock running down? I don't think so.

Look, Gov. Tim Kaine and the Democrats are building up a narrative of irresponsible politics by the Republicans in the House of Delegates. Republicans over the last couple of weeks have been more worried about petty squabbles about labor leaders than what the people want: roads and responsible government.

There is a rift between the Senate and House Republicans. Kaine is going to exploit it and get most of his transportation package. Republicans will harp and moan about "tax increases" although they are advocating for them but under different names like "fees" and "tolls". If the Republicans keep it up, the Democrats will put them out of their misery in 2007!

On Harris Miller...and in turn James Webb.

Virginia Centristand Raising Kaine

I've been standing on the sidelines watching this Democratic primary develop over the past month and the sniping from both sides that has followed. I do not understand the fascination about sending a Democratic candidate against strong Republicans for the sake of appeasing the God of Principles! Some Democrats are trying to torpedo James Webb because get ready for it..."He was a Republican". Oh the HORROR!!!

Look, from what I've read about Mr. Webb he's pro-choice, digs civil unions, and is anti-war. What more can we want in a candidate during a time when the Iraq war can be placed around the necks of people (re: George Allen) who voted for it? Webb satisfies a lot of my requirements for being a good candidate.

Now Mr. Miller is a fine person. He stepped up to bat when nobody else did. But from what I hear he's pro-death penalty, doesn't have a definite position on the Iraq War (re: uncertain how to spin his support), and is a lobbyist. Now I generally have nothing against lobbyists. But in a year where the whole world is falling around the lobbyist likes of Jack Abramoff, do you really want one to be your Senate candidate? Talk about not very smart politics.

Just a question Miller supporters: What is so scary about James Webb that you would risk the opportunity to gain a Senate seat so you can feel better about yourself?

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Abramoff and Sen. Burns

Via Daily Kos:

This story coming out in Vanity Fair is the tip of the iceberg for a lot of Republicans in Washington. The main target is going to be Sen. Conrad Burns as of right now.

Virginia Centrist thinks this is a bad thing because Burns will drop out and the Republicans will replace him with someone stronger. I politely disagree. I feel getting an incumbent out of a race is net plus because it will cause major disorganization in the Montana Republican Party. I'm not naive enough to think the GOP hasn't thought about this. But it will take a lot of effort that would not have to be expended if Burns were in the race (i.e name recognition, fundraising).

Either way, I think Burns is going down. It's just another piece in the puzzle to slowly take back the U. S. Senate.

Shell games and tax increases!

This article from the Washington Post makes me believe that the reason why Republicans in the House of Delegates will not pass a tax increase for transportation, is that they know that localities will pass tax increases for them.

It's a shell game. The Republicans in the House think that their anti-tax credentials are a good policy in the long run. But instead of making a tough vote like some Republican Delegates did in 2004, these Republicans would rather someone else make the tough decisions for them at the local level.

That's irresponsible politics. They hide in their shell waiting for someone else to do the dirty work. They then pop their head out when session is over, go back to their districts and say "All is well. I did not raise taxes on you." If you are not going to make the right decisions for the state of Virginia and your district in terms of transportation, then lets find someone else who will stick their necks out and will vote for a small tax increase. If this tax increase is not passed, we'll continue this cycle of inaction and passing the buck to localities for years to come.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Jack Bauer Facts

Fans of the show "24" will appreciate this...

Saw this post at Kos and I had to google "Jack Bauer Facts". Check it out!

V is for Vendetta

Vendetta:
1.A feud between two families or clans that arises out of a slaying and is perpetuated by retaliatory acts of revenge; a blood feud.

2.A bitter, destructive feud.

I often don't get into pissing contests that occur between Democrats and Republicans because 1) Generally, nothing good comes out of them and 2) Both sides have done it repeatedly.

Which is why I am struck about the news of Mr. Danny Leblanc.

To block Governor's Kaine pick is pretty serious. This sort of thing doesn't occur everyday. In fact, Kaine's father-in-law, in the 70's, was the last Governor to have one of his picks blocked in Virginia. That's a pretty strong precedent that you can pick anyone you want to be in your cabinet if you are governor.

The problem is that a little over a week ago William Leighty said what is known but unspoken about politics. "People use power for leverage to get what they want." Shocker!!!

Republicans seized this opportunity to cast the Governor in a bad light. Leighty apologized for his comments and that's where it should've ended. But no...House Republicans want to flex their muscle to show Gov. Kaine that they are in charge. I say flex.

This little tit for tat is going to backfire in Virginia Republican's faces not necessarily at the voting booth but for this year's ongoing session. The Republicans in the House of Delegates have handed Gov. Kaine and the Democrats a bat and have goaded them to take a swing. If they wanted it, they're going to get it. Kaine now has the proof that the Delegates in Richmond are obstructionists.

No? You don't think so? Let's look at three bits of evidence.

1) Republicans have offered nothing but disdain for Kaine's transportation plan. They should offer opposition. But they don't have any solutions. It's one sleight of hand after another.

"The House has a much smaller plan, which relies on the budget surplus, increased fees on repeat-offender drivers and the creation of revolving loan funds to improve the road system, largely focusing on the most congested areas such as Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads."

House Republicans are not serious about fixing transportation. They want the "Transportation Fairy" to come along and fix everything. That's not going to happen and the citizens of Virginia are not buying it.

2) The House Republicans care more about petty squabbles than actual work. James Dillard was a lawmaker who served with his fellow Republicans for 30 years but they stabbed him in the back. Yes, I know he helped Del. Dave Marsden with support in the recent election but for God's sake...It was a Board of Visitors position at an institution where he would have done some good!

House Republicans are angry. They feel their power slowly slipping. And they are lashing out.

3) This is especially apparent in this latest incident. Mr. LeBlanc would have done his job effectively and there was no reason for him to be blocked except for the Republicans to stick out their chest and pound their fists. Tim Kaine has chosen his cabinet wisely over the last month or two...even including a Republican.

I say lay it on them Gov. Kaine. You've shown you can work with Republicans on some issues. But if they are going to show you a total lack of repect, well give them hell back! That's your job!

I love sitemeter.com

I love Site Meter. I wanted to see how many hits I was actually receiving. I found out that it wasn't much. I mean what can I expect. I post pretty irregularly.

Not that I mind. I understand the necessity of not clicking on a blog that doesn't update much but I just wanted to see where most of my hits come from. Not surprisingly, most of my hits come from Too Conservative which I believe is one of four blogs that link to me. That's awesome!

But my second most clicked on link was for people googling Tom Joad. I've even made it to the fourteenth link piggybacking on the name of a famous literary character.

By the way if you don't know anything about Tom Joad, click here and read the book. The song that Springsteen wrote has also given me a lot of curious passerbys.

Now something I thought was curious was a search on yahoo for "canada sex clubs" brings up my website on the second mention. Unfortunately for the person that clicked this. Ha...I laugh.

Just thought I'd share...oh yeah by the way. There was a whole blow up about links and how to rank them on blogs. Whatever. Rank them, sort them, put them on anyway you want. I put my links on because I'm too lazy to type out the blogs that I read on a consistent basis and they're more for my mojo than anyone else's...peace.

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