One of which is knowing who your true friends are. Tonight I realized that true friends are one of the rarest possessions known to woman/man. Just when you think you know who they are, something happens and you realize you don't know.

You learn that giving someone your trust is a sacred gift and when that trust is broken, you wonder how people can live with themselves when they are the one who breaks the trust.

I am a bleeding heart liberal who would give the shirt off my back to help another and too often I am taken advantage of. But I don't want to change who I am. I like being giving and generous, I just need to be more selective of who is on the receiving end.

The end of my time here in Pocatello can't come soon enough.

I anticipate Idaho Falls and Pocatello getting it soon, but tomorrow would be nice! SiCKO has gotten really good reviews so far, including from Fox News.

Truly the health insurance crisis in this country affects Republicans and Democrats and the debate boils down to possible solutions. I always get annoyed at the cracks against Canada's system and the comments about all of the Canadians coming to America for health care. Uh, yeah, of course people do, this is the United States, a country with many doctors, many specialists, and a lot of technology. Did you know about all of the people who travel to Canada for lasix eye surgery because it is half as much there? What about all of the elderly folks who drive there for their prescriptions because it is so much cheaper?

You really can't compare any two countries, especially when one of them is this great country. And no one system in any country will fit this country perfectly. Moore has been advocating that we take good ideas from many countries and use what would be best here.

I leave for Vegas Sunday night. I figure driving at night through Utah would be a wise and cool choice. The first few days they will train me, though I anticipate not needing a lot of training. I think the biggest challenge will be acclimating to Vegas, and I mean that in a lot of ways.

It gets hot here in the summer, but never past 100 degrees for more than several days each summer. Pocatello has a population around 53,000 so getting used to a large city will be interesting. And getting familiar with the different groups down there will be challenging for me as well. But I know I will do well and I think it will be a great experience for me.

So, should I change the name of this blog? Temporary change? Can I even change it??? Not necessarily the url, but the name...I think it would be cool to do a strikethrough of Idaho and replace it with Vegas, but I don't know how to do that and if it is even possible.

The Vet told my parents that this kitty in particular is mentally retarded. He is adorable and I would take him if I could. The last mentally retarded kitty that our cat had would lay in your hand forever and let you pet him and rub his little belly. Awww...

He stopped eating because our cat wasn't producing milk, so my mom had to feed him by putting the tube down his throat. Poor little thing. Anyone in the Seattle area who wants him? I think it is a boy, but I don't know for sure! Pure bred!

Gonzales is going to be in Boise tomorrow. United Action for Idaho is planning an event to welcome him to Idaho. I hope everyone that is able to attends this event. I think it is important we show our support for Gonzales at this time.

I don't think he will ever resign and Bush certainly won't ask him. What a shame.

Watching C-SPAN right now and I love Rep. Tim Ryan. If you haven't seen this clip, which isn't anything recent, you should. He speaks with a fire and passion that is too often missing from our representatives.

The deadline for fundraising for this quarter ends June 30th. If you haven't already, donate some money to John Edwards.

John Edwards is one of the most progressive candidates who beats the top Republicans in the '08 race. The same can't be said for the other Dems running. Show him some love.

I miss my friends already and packing is tedious and never ending.

I have acquired way too many items and find myself in a position where I need to sell/get rid of most of it. I will have to rent a storage unit for my things and don't want to pay a lot of money for that and need to cut down. If I had a truck, I would pack up a lot of it and take it to Seattle to store with my parents, but I have a little sedan and renting a U-Haul is way too expensive.

Today is my garage/moving sale. I am getting rid of all of my furniture except my rocking chair my dad refinished for me. It was the rocking chair my mom rocked me in when I was a baby. I have over 500 books and have probably 10 big boxes full of books and still have many left unpacked. I want to take lots of books and dvds with me so when I am not working, I can relax at home and unwind.

There is something going on right now that some of you know about (Edwards thing). I don't want to discuss it publicly but I might have an announcement to make soon and I am hoping beyond hope that I can make that announcement on Monday or Tuesday. For those of you who pray, pray that I can make this announcement!

Sorry my blogging is light and non-political. For the next little while, expect nothing more. Moving in a week is very difficult to do! If anyone is in Pocatello, look for white/pink moving sale signs for my moving sale on 5th Ave.

I was offered a political organizer position with the organization, Americans Against the Escalation in Iraq, a coalition of groups (including MoveOn, VoteVets, etc) who have strategically placed people all over this country to pressure members of Congress to vote to end the war. You can see their press release about this summer of action here.

I don't know what I will be doing after this temporary position ends, but I look at this as the start of a dream and I am grateful for this opportunity to try to make a difference. I thank all of you for your support and I fully intend on continuing to blog. I will still maintain ties in Idaho and will keep a close eye on how things develop here over the next two months. Perhaps I can gain a lot of political experience and bring it back to Idaho to help get more Democrats elected!

Is it supposed to feel this scary?

How do you know when a dream has become realized? Is it that first moment you realize what the dream is? Even just the basic idea? Or could it be when the day arrives that you realize you could actually live your dream? Standing on the edge of one of the most pivotal moments in your life is scary and exhilarating. I have never experienced anything like this.

I spent a lot of today asking myself if I was ready to leave "all of this." The life I have built up in Idaho. The name I have made for myself. The friendships created and developed. I realized that somewhere, during the midst of my time in Pocatello, I fell in love with Idaho. But Idaho is limiting. The dream career I have desired can never be experienced here, at least not for a while and certainly not while I am a Democrat.

Am I willing to put a dream on hold because I don't want to leave my friends? Am I willing to sit on the sidelines of life while life altering opportunities pass me by? Can I do what Camus recommended and "live to the point of tears." And not just sad tears, but tears like the ones that fell when I met John Kerry in Twin Falls in 2004. Will I be able to trust that the friendships I developed are strong enough to survive long distances?

This week there have been a lot of questions, a lot of wondering, and a lot of second guessing. I don't know what the future holds, but I do know I am tired of sitting on the sidelines and watching the great game and being nothing but a spectator. I wanna play.

Copied and pasted from here:

The Obama Illusion
Presidential ambitions from the start

• lent his support to the aptly named Hamilton Project, formed by corporate-neoliberal Citigroup chair Robert Rubin and “other Wall Street Democrats” to counter populist rebellion against corporatist tendencies within the Democratic Party
• lent his politically influential and financially rewarding assistance to neoconservative pro-war Senator Joe Lieberman
• supported other “mainstream Democrats” fighting antiwar progressives in primary races
• criticized efforts to enact filibuster proceedings against reactionary Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.
• voted for a business-friendly “tort reform” bill that rolls back working peoples’ ability to obtain reasonable redress and compensation from misbehaving corporations
• oppose the introduction of single-payer national health insurance on the grounds that such a widely supported social-democratic change would lead to employment difficulties for workers in the private insurance industry
• expressed reservations about a universal health insurance plan recently enacted in Massachusetts, stating his preference for “voluntary” solutions over “government mandates.”
• voted to re-authorize the repressive PATRIOT Act
• voted for the appointment of the war criminal Condaleeza Rice to (of all things) Secretary of State
• opposed Senator Russ Feingold’s (D-WI) move to censure the Bush administration after the president was found to have illegally wiretapped U.S. citizens
• distanced himself from fellow Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin’s forthright criticism of U.S. torture practices at Guantanamo
• refuses to foreswear the use of first-strike nuclear weapons against Iran
• makes a big point of respectfully listening to key parts of the right wing agenda even though that agenda is well outside majority sentiment
• joins victim-blaming Republicans in pointing to poor blacks’ “cultural” issues as the cause of concentrated black poverty
• he claims that blacks have joined the American “socioeconomic mainstream” even as median black household net worth falls to less than eight cents on the median white household dollar
• “If the Democrats don’t show a willingness to work with the president, I think they could be punished in ‘08”

This was inspired from this article.

I don't know what it is and maybe it is just the fact that I tend to rebel from what is popular, but I don't like Obama. Well, sometimes, I rebel. I haven't read a single sentence from the Harry Potter books. The hype turned me off. I cannot stand Jaime Foxx. The hype turned me off. Haven't seen some of the most popular movies of our time (Pirates of the Caribbean). The hype turned me off. Adam Sandler isn't funny and I don't like his movies. The hype turned me off. (His best movie is Click and it is the only Sandler movie I own.) So maybe with all of the hype surrounding Obama, that explains why I don't support his candidacy.

When I talk to Obama supporters, I only hear how he offers people hope, how he is charismatic, and that he is a different type of candidate. I wasn't blown away by his DNC speech in 2004. The hype made me think it would be one of the best things I have ever heard. It wasn't. His speech announcing his candidacy was supposed to be amazing. I didn't think it was.

He doesn't really offer me hope. I think he can be charismatic. I think he is good looking, he is a great man who has done wonderful things, but I don't support him. I think his supporters have grand illusions about who he is, what he has done, what he represents and what he will do. I can't help but feel that his support is based on way too much hype and not enough substance.

And maybe I am crazy, but I can't just support a candidate based on hype and that he makes someone feel warm and fuzzy inside. I want more. I want their policy ideas, I want them to not tuck their tail and run when someone questions what they say. I want someone who shows leadership through their words and actions. I want someone who appeals to people all across this country. Not just the west, not just the midwest, not just the east, and not just the south. I want John Edwards.

"We are sixteen votes away in the Senate from ending this war. And so we need to keep turning up the pressure on all those Republican Congressmen and Senators who refuse to acknowledge the reality that the American people know so well. We will call them, and knock on their doors, and we will bring our troops home." Obama

I hope to be doing something this summer to help sway some votes...

For some political work...I will know soon.

I am a big fan of Rosie O'Donnell. Always have been and always will be. I recorded The View everyday while she was on. I think she is one of the most remarkable human beings out there.

I watched the E! True Hollywood story of her and got choked up when it was revealed that Rosie barely missed the Forbes 100 richest celebrities list a few years ago (2001?) because she had given over $50 million dollars to charity. Had she kept more of her money, she would've made the list. Another fan of hers saw this and wrote to her on her blog (she has a blog and a section where you can ask questions ). This person wrote that she had seen how Rosie didn't make the list. Rosie responded with something similar to this. " I told my people that if I ever make such a list, they are fired. Give it away."

Anyways, so I am a frequent visitor to Rosie's website. I have asked her questions many a time without a response-she gets thousands of questions a day. Today, I was elated to see that my "question" was the first one posted with a response:

ask ro

Scarborough: I agree with Democrats, 'surge has failed'

"Sectarian violence leads to a religious bloodbath," reported Joe Scarborough on MSNBC Thursday, saying that the most recent attack on the Shi'ite Golden Mosque has been met by revenge attacks on three Sunni mosques, and that Democratic leaders in Congress "are now planning new legislative attempts to limit the US mission in Iraq and finally bring our troops home."

"I can tell you the moment that I realized this Iraq thing was going south ... when the Golden Mosque got blown up the first time," said Scarborough to guest Pat Buchanan. "What in the world can the United States government do to stop this? ... I don't think there's much we can do, Joe," answered Buchanan. "The numbers show the surge is not stopping the insurgency. ... I think some Republicans are going to be joining those Democrats in calling for deadlines."

- snip -

Scarborough then asked columnist Mike Barnicle about General Petraeus's claim that he sees "astonishing signs of normalcy" in Iraq, such as soccer stadiums and amusement parks. Barnicle replied that there are always isolated signs of vitality during wars, but "if you talk to returning majors, captains, colonels, returning from Iraq after second and third tours, they will tell you, speaking to the surge, that it will not work. And the rubber is going to hit the road in late summer. ... I think the war has failed, not just the surge."

Scarborough's final comment, addressed to White House correspondent Ryan Lizza, was, "At what point do Democrats in Congress and some moderate Republicans say 'Enough is enough, Mr. President, we're not following you off this cliff any more.'?"

David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Published: Friday June 15, 2007

I find it sad that people are willing to overlook inexcusable actions because the person is a Democrat. Come on, party loyalty should fall by the wayside when someone targets several religions and organizations, yet protects a few, including two they are affiliated with (Boy Scouts and the Mormon Church).

ALL religions and ALL organizations should be treated equally. Our elected officials shouldn't allow a law firm to help draft legislation which provides their client(s) with a carve out. All should be subject to the same laws with no special treatment. The safety and protection of children should come first and foremost ALWAYS.

Shame on you Rep. Ruchti and Senator Hill. Shame on you for ignoring the plight of survivors. And shame on the Democrats who can conveniently overlook this fact because they value party loyalty over children. Sick, just sick.

I really really really love John Edwards. I wasn't always a big supporter of his candidacy, but as I started thinking more and more about it, I realized he would be my top choice for the Dem nomination. Why, you ask?

I believe he is the most electable Democrat in the field so far. I think running as Kerry's VP was both good and bad. Bad in that many people didn't like Kerry (I loved him). But good in that he has a lot more name recognition and has been tried and tested on the campaign trail.

We know that Republicans will go after his career as a "trial lawyer." I happen to think the world has a place for trial lawyers and I have had nothing but good experiences with them. Yes, some of them are certainly "ambulance chasers", but many have good intentions and are there to help the little guy. The other negative with Edwards is his lack of experience. Having been a lawyer and then a Senator, he has no executive experience and correct me if I am wrong, but he has no experience with foreign policy, except what he did as a Senator.

I don't think foreign policy experience is a necessary litmus test. Not when we don't know who would run as his VP (maybe Clark or even Richardson-either of these would make up for his lack of experience in the aforementioned areas). So, his two biggest weaknesses are things that he can easily overcome.

The thing about Edwards is how attractive he is to Republicans and Independents. I have 3 really close friends of mine who are strong Republicans. Upon talking to them about the '08 race, they have all said the only Democrat they would vote for is Edwards. Now I know it is early and it is anecdotal at best, but I think they are at least somewhat representative of a larger group.

Edwards is charismatic, good looking, and has a great accent. Democrats from New York, Mass., and other northeast states, I don't believe, are electable at this point in time. We need Democrats to run from other areas of the US. This is also a good thing for Obama because he is from the midwest and doesn't appear to be so elitist (don't get me started on how I think the term "elitist" is incorrectly used by Repubs).

Edwards also has a populist platform on which he is running. I think most people would agree that poverty is an issue that must be addressed. Maybe I am not paying attention, but can someone tell me what Obama and Hillary's platforms are? Besides the fact that they are Democrats?

I love how Edwards isn't afraid to say what might not be so popular. Obama and Hillary provided NO leadership on the recent vote to continue funding the war. Obama missed the vote of no-confidence for Gonzales. The vote in and of itself isn't a huge deal, but I think it is symbolic and somewhat important.

I remember reading how Hillary and Obama spent six figures on polling. This early in the game, you aren't polling for numbers, you are polling for messages. Edwards spent nothing. Does that mean that Obama and Hillary are tailoring their message based on polling and Edwards is, gasp, saying what he actually believes!? Heaven forbid we should vote for a candidate who actually doesn't say what his pollsters tell him to say but says what he/she actually believes in.

Edwards is the only candidate that can beat any of the Repubs running. He is our best shot at the White House and he has my full support.

how much I would love to blog about John Edwards, but I have other things on my mind. Things which have made me reflect on this quote from Bob Paris, "Survivors always have an obligation to those who will face the same challenges."

Zogby poll: Majority supports impeaching Bush for wiretapping

WASHINGTON, D.C. — By a margin of 52 to 43 percent, citizens want Congress to impeach President Bush if he wiretapped American citizens without a judge's approval, according to a new poll commissioned by AfterDowningStreet.org, a grassroots coalition that supports a Congressional investigation of Pres. Bush's decision to invade Iraq in 2003.

The poll was conducted by Zogby International.

The poll found that 52 percent of respondents agreed with the statement: "If President Bush wiretapped American citizens without the approval of a judge, do you agree or disagree that Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment."

Of those contacted, 43 percent disagreed, and 6 percent said they didn't know or declined to answer. The poll has a margin of error of 2.9 percent.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I say impeach the guy.

This afternoon, I was privileged to sit with some of Bannock County's finest Democrats and the new Executive Director of the Idaho Democratic Party, John Foster. Although I couldn't stay for very long, I was excited to meet him and hear some of his thoughts.

But first, John wanted to hear about Bannock County. Those of you who live in this area won't be surprised to hear that the biggest topic around town is the future of the hospital. Two of the three Bannock County Commissioners are Democrats and are taking a beating in the media, but that also includes the Republican Commissioner. This is important to the state Democratic party as we don't want to just win legislative and statewide races, we want to win county, city council and school board races. What happens with the hospital fiasco will play a huge role in who wins county races in Bannock County and could have a trickle up effect on other races as well.

John Foster brings a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of respect for the internet and the role it can and should play in politics. I am hoping that one of the things that is looked at is the Idaho Democratic Party website. Come on, it is an embarrassment! It is being updated more frequently, but I hope the whole thing is overhauled. I really liked John Kerry's presidential website that had links for certain communities/populations. I think the Idaho Democratic Party should look at something like that.

Sections for women, college students, college Democrats, minority groups, senior citizens, etc... would be something I would like to see. Under each section, the party could post plans/goals that are targeted for each group. It could post what the party/elected officials have done that is specific to each group. We are always accused of not having a plan, but we can change that perception. It could also provide useful links and information that people in those communities would benefit from. The college Democrats section could provide a space for various College Democrats across the state to gather and communicate with each other. Maybe each section could have a blog and people from different populations could blog under their section(s).

There could be a section where people can go to find out what our Republican legislature has done. Like a one-stop shop for all of the things Republicans have done that are ridiculous-it would certainly be a big shop!

The future of the party looks brighter with John Foster and I know he will bring some much needed change and enthusiasm. We have an awesome staff in Boise and I expect great things!

I am excited to meet the Executive Director of the Idaho Democratic Party, John Foster. He will be in Pocatello tomorrow afternoon and I hope to hear some of his ideas related to the party, the state, etc...

He actually emailed me this evening about my minority outreach post and sounds really receptive to the idea. Can I just say that so far, I am so impressed with him, I can't even express it in words?!?

I have a phone interview tomorrow at 1:30, so I will only be able to spend a little bit of time with him, but I appreciate the time he will be spending here in town.

I also emailed Larry LaRocco last week and am awaiting a response. Larry, if you are out there, drop me an email!

I just created a demand for John Edwards to come to Pocatello. John Edwards coming to Pocatello would be a dream come true.

Here is the link,

Please visit the link and sign up to demand that John Edwards come to Idaho State University!

This weekend at the retreat I attended, I had the chance to have an interesting conversation. I was discussing my issues with the Idaho Democratic Party and the other person mentioned one issue he has and that is the lack of minority outreach.

Before I discuss this further, let me preface it by saying that the staff with the Idaho Democratic Party are smart and hardworking. There is no doubt about that. They have been asked to accomplish nearly impossible things and I think they are doing a good job. However, there is an aspect that needs to be worked on. This is an aspect that the State Party shouldn't shoulder on their own. Every county party should have a minority outreach plan and committee.

I find it incredibly humorous that candidates, local parties, and others think they can walk onto a Native American reservation once or twice a year and expect a decent voter turnout. Or, have a voter registration event and quit after only a few people register-I've been guilty of this myself. While every voter outreach should be about establishing relationships, this is far more true in regards to minority populations, especially Native Americans.

I don't claim to be an expert in any aspect related to minority outreach, but I hope the State Party and county parties will take the time and effort to reach out to the disenfranchised and not just during an election season. If there is any hope to win races beyond Ada, Blaine, and Bannock County, that hopes resides in minority outreach and voter turnout.

In the middle of last week, I received an email from Jim Hansen, one of my favorite people in Idaho, inviting me to attend a retreat for progressives. Of course I went and it was interesting to learn more about United Vision for Idaho (UVI) and United Action for Idaho (UAI). I have been familiar with UVI for the last few years and knew they provided an important services to not just Idahoans and our elected representatives, but to many organizations that rely on UVI for valuable support and assistance. But I didn't realize just how important UVI was and is until this weekend.

I learned about UAI as I received a brochure and letter a few weeks ago. UAI is able to do things UVI can't do as they can lobby and provide more action (UVI is a 501 (c) 3 and can't lobby as more than 20% of its overall activities. UAI is a 501 (c) 4).

This weekend was intended to bring UVI members, including such organizations as Idaho Community Action Agency, The Interfaith Alliance of Idaho, Your Family Friends & Neighbors, and many others together to discuss what has been accomplished in Idaho, what we want to do in Idaho, and everything related to fundraising (you can donate to UVI online here).

Everyone was connected with some organization in Idaho, in fact, many were connected with multiple organizations, but I was just there because I was invited. Julie from Red State Rebels was also there and it was fun to catch up and talk about how much we both love The Mountain Goat Report. Speaking of which, let's start an official fan club for MG! Julie was able to teach everyone about blogs and I am hoping some of the attendees will start blogging and/or start commenting on the blogs already out there.

Jim Hansen posted a brief blog about the retreat and I hope you will visit it as well as bookmark this link so you can return and read more of his entries on his blog. Also, as I mentioned above, UVI depends upon donations from people who want to make Idaho a better state for ALL of us. Please, donate what you can.

I will be out of town for the rest of the weekend. I know I will have plenty of things to say when I return from...Jerome, Idaho.