Oh sure, you've read both of his autobiographies and you dig the way he presents himself.

You made phone calls and pounded the pavement for him.

You've even sent him money.

But do you really know the man?

 "It’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential." – Barack Obama

Today, Kos wrote:Obama gained in Central PA.

This is a story of how volunteers put their lives on hold to press for those gains in Lancaster and beyond.

Boycott Dell.

Punish Dell for eliminating thousands of jobs here and shipping jobs overseas to pay international workers starvation wages.

Support fair wages for all workers. That is the only way to stop off-shoring. Let corporate profiteers know that paying their muckity-mucks gazillions and workers peanuts will not get them customers.

With a history of being arrested, the incoming Governor of New York State awaits pouncing by mainstream and right wing press.

In the Faubourg Tremé, the sit-ins began in the 1800s, the Harlem Renaissance started before the Civil War, and the roots of jazz music and Creole cuisine were being nurtured every Sunday in Congo Square. Faubourg Tremé is a historical documentary film about the enduring legacy of this incredible New Orleans neighborhood.

The premiere to tonight is open to the public, and you are invited to attend.

This from Chris Nelson's Nelson Report via Steve Clemons:

Mitt Romney Disgraces Himself: A "New Abyss" in High Fear Politicking

From Chris Nelson's insider daily political essay, The Nelson Report:

. . .Romney today disgraced himself and his party by charging that a Democratic victory in the presidential race will turn America over to the terrorists.

As we said, a new abyss. . .even for the man who reversed every important policy position he had ever held. . .in order to make himself attractive to the worst elements of the Republican "base".

Fortunately, in national politics, when you aim low most folks see it. And in any event, Republican voters, to their credit, rejected both Romney and his cynical messages.

"The war on cancer, begun in 1971, has largely failed. Today, 36 years later, one of every two men and 4 out of every 10 women in the U.S. will get cancer at some time during their lives. Now scientists are emphasizing the need to take a preventive approach to cancer based on an understanding that cancer is caused by multiple interacting factors and not single agents."

This is important for free speech and the preservation of small publications like In These Times and The Nation as well as small pubs on the right that need no introduction.

We're asking only for your signature on this petition and for you to contact your congressional rep to remind the rep of the importance of this issue to all of us.

Below are the words of the publisher of the very Funny Times on this unfunny issue.

Merci.

As you likely know, three rescuers were killed last night and many injured trying to reach the miners who have not been heard from in the 12 days after a cave in at the Crandall Canyon Mine in Emery County, Utah.

If you can, please send a few bucks to the fund to aid the families of the miners at:

Just got off the phone with Zions Bank. There are TWO donation funds:

Crandall Canyon Family Support Donation
account #: 047342613

Crandall Canyon Rescue Worker Donation
account #: 047342639

(Make check out to the fund name.)

MAIL TO:
Zions Bank
P.O. Box 30709
Salt Lake City, Utah
84119

(You can put the account # corresponding to the fund on the envelope to speed processing.)

by Horsefeathers on Fri Aug 17, 2007 at 11:10:32 AM PDT

Credit card donations

You can also donate by phone using your credit card. Call Zion's customer service number and they will transfer you.

1-800-974-8800

by Horsefeathers on Fri Aug 17, 2007 at 11:28:24 AM PDT

(Double Thanks to Horsefeathers for getting the details.)

The Mainichi Daily News has put together extraordinary photographs of the devastation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki that you may not have previously seen. I know I had not.

This is not so much a diary as it is a roundup of links to pictures and stories about what nuclear weapons have wrought, and the Bush regime's attempt to cut a deal with India to make India an exception to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This is illegal and can be stopped only by Congress.

Will Congress prevent the further erosion of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?

Modern management techniques are finally being applied in the Federal Government, and none too soon. It is the wave of the future!
Congress Votes to Outsource Presidency

Added at the end of diary is link showing insurgents taking break from civil war to step up attacks on occupation troops.

I would think this would have made headlines but it didn't. The corporate news media cares when American children are killed in school. But Iraqi kids? No.

• Around 10.30 am, an American helicopter opened fire on a primary school at Al-Nida ( 9 km north west of Mendli ) killing 7 pupils and injuring 3 other pupils with huge damage to the school building. Eyewitnesses confirmed this report while the American side said that they opened fire on the building after being fired from it.

This was reported by McClatchy (formerly Knight-Ridder) news reporters in Iraq four weeks ago, and yet...

Let no one mistake who has been at the helm these last six years. It is one person and one person alone.

San Francisco Chronicle editorial writer Louis Freedberg is critical of  Rep. Barbara Lee for not drinking the Kool Aid.

Barbara Lee was alone in voting against war on Afghanistan, and she is alone among Democrats in opposing a continuation of the war in the way that Move On and the Democratic leadership in the House proposes.

I asked Howard Zinn to comment and here's what he said.

The primary cause of World War I was the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand. Right? That's what we were taught in history classes all over this land. Do you believe that? I never did.

...but only one way to leave Iraq: Load our people up on their trucks and tank transporters and Bradleys and Humvees and head for the border. Now.

So writes Joseph L. Galloway, former senior military correspondent for Knight Ridder Newspapers and co-author of the national best-seller We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young.

I would add: crank up the airlift and fly 'em out. NOW

In Greek mythology, the architect Daedalus fashioned wings for himself and his son Icarus so they could both flee the island of Crete. Daedalus warned his boy not to fly too close to the sun because the heat would melt the wax on his wings. Daedalus warned Icarus, too, to stay away from the sea as its wetness would dampen his wings and make it hard to fly. Together, they left Crete but Icarus grew both excited at the thrill of flying and careless. He flew near the sun and its heat did melt his wings, as his father had warned. Icarus fell into the sea where he drowned.

Like Icarus, Rove is falling.

"Democrats are within striking distance of taking control of the U.S. Senate on Election Day, a series of new polls for McClatchy Newspapers and MSNBC showed Monday."

If this has been diaried, I will delete.