What's Karl Rove's October Surprise?

Republicans are an ambitious group of fellas. They'll stop at nothing to get elected and they'll let no one get in their way. So when Karl Rove brags about having a secret plan, an "October Surprise", that will guarantee Republican control of both houses of Congress, you gotta wonder - what's he got up his sleeve?

From therawstory.com:

"In the past week, Karl Rove has been promising Republican insiders an 'October surprise' to help win the November congressional elections," reports Ronald Kessler for Newsmax.

[...] A few weeks ago, another conservative publication, The American Spectator, reported that White House staffers had "been talking up the possibilities of an 'October Surprise' or two leading into the mid-term elections."

"They say the President feels confident he can still play a role in the election, that he intends to campaign hard for Republicans, and that on the policy front, there are a couple of issues that can be used as wedges along the way," according to a column written by "The Prowler."

I've come up with a few ideas of my own, but enough about me. This is about you! Here's your opportunity to predict what Rove's "October Surprise" might be - and not just because you think you're spot on, nope. There's a $1000 prize to the person who guesses right. Really. I'm not kidding.

Here's how it works: Post your guess in the comments section here - no guess is too outrageous, remember we're predicting how low the Republicans will go to win the November elections. Will they send soldiers into Iran to "fight terror"? Well, that's almost too easy. Perhaps Osama bin Laden will be captured? Or maybe the US will have to invade Iran to catch Osama bin Laden! Now that's creative thinking. Anyhow, you have until midnight September 30th to post your guess.

Then we all get to sit back and see what unfolds. How will you know if you've won? Well, I'm asking a few political savvy friends to help me judge this contest. The most Rovarian event occurring before the election will be the winner. The winning event will be posted on this site by midnight Nov. 7th. If you guessed correctly, you win $1000. If more than one person guessed correctly, the first post wins. So post your Karl Rove October Surprise prediction now!

And remember: On November 7th, vote for your Democratic candidate. Anything less is unpatriotic.

Good Luck!

Raging Gurrl
(double "geh errr")

Photo from AP/World Wide Photos
Newsmax story, "Karl Rove Promises October Surprise" written by Ronald Kessler, can be found here:
October Surprise

View "Right to Life" on YouTube.com

You can now view my short film, "Right to Life", at YouTube.com

A few years ago, as I watched and read the early reports on the Iraq War, I wondered: If the media and our government are reporting victory, then why are American soldiers still fighting and dying? Victory means the conflict ends. So, why are we still there?

While searching for answers, I was taken far, far from the mainstream media where I was horrified by pictures of American and Iraqi casualties. Children with limbs in shreds; mothers pulling out their hair in anguish. And the brave, young and tragically misled American soldiers, lying in the streets, mortally wounded. These images would never be allowed to appear anywhere in the mainstream media. Yet, they truly do need to reach us. Why? Because Americans need to understand what we are doing, why we are increasingly hated by so many, and how we are suffering. So I created a short film that juxtaposed images from the Iraq War with two evangelists’ views on the value of life; I chose this perspective because many members of the religious right are fervent Bush supporters. But, in order to support him, they must ignore their faith. I asked these evangelists preaching on a street corner, a few questions about their beliefs, the war, politics – I was surprised by their answers.

I have so many more questions to ask. I feel that as a “nation under God” we have lost our bearings. Human suffering results when forcing one’s own religious beliefs on others and the evidence can be found in world history. Christianity's teachings of peace, love and tolerance are too easily subjugated by those who crave power.

By exposing the truth, my hope is that we will put the significance of our actions in context so that we can get out of Iraq and heal our wounds. We have created a horrific image of America - the killing needs to end or else it will continue to be what defines us to the rest of the world.

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."
- Galileo Galilei

Mr. Cheney! Stop! You're scaring the children!

Richard Bruce Cheney, you should be ashamed of yourself! Your fear mongering is terrorizing the babies. And do you know what that makes you? Yes, a terrorist!

A Salute to Volunteers

After the glow of activist participation has dimmed a few things will come to mind:

One can never thank the volunteers enough.
When planning an action - keep in mind that people are participating by donating their time, personal resources, talent and funds to its success. If you're going to write a summary of the day, ask yourself, have I written a note of thanks to the volunteers yet? If the answer is no, then get those emails written first. Because folks will compromise their schedules to fit these actions in, so while you're sending follow up emails to the new contacts in your Palm Pilot, send a personal thank you note to the volunteers, too.

Volunteers can't live on love-of-country alone.
I've worked on independent film projects where many folks are donating their time and talent for free. We, at the very least, will provide a break for folks to grab a bite or provide lunch, snacks, beverages. If this is not in your schedule, then you haven't planned it through. If you can't do this, then find someone who can.

DO NOT get huffy with volunteers.
You lose your temper, you lose respect. Check acerbic tendencies at the door. Consider yourself Ambassador to VolunteerLandia. If your strength isn't dealing with people, then allow someone else to guide your volunteers.

Just remember that each member's participation is invaluable. Make it a beneficial experience for them as well.

People Powered Politics

Net Roots is something you should know about. It's a group of folks gathering in their states, not in person, but online through Google Groups. They've decided to do more than just complain about state and national politics.
For example, take a look at what us New Yorkers had the gall to do recently:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/04/25.html#a8042

Yup, we actually visited our Senators' Offices. I wrote to friends about the stark contrast between our reception at each office and I have to share this response, from a wise friend, with you:

Hillary Clinton's reception (or lack thereof) of the group is a further illustration that she is not much better than her Republican counterparts. If she is the best candidate we have to do battle in 2008, we are in trouble (again). Interesting how the receptionist wanted to know what company these people represented; a further example of who many, if not most, members of congress believe their constituency is.

The Schumer response was much more what I would expect my senator to do.

Regarding Nancy Polosi: I admire her spunk, and side with her positions, but she lacks the ability to deliver an off the cuff speech that can hold the attention of those "not in the choir". Also, her energy message does not tell the complete story. We Americans have been spoiled by cheap gas for ages while citizens of most other nations endure prices up to twice what we pay at the pump. Of course, the pump price is not our actual cost, which comes in the form of higher taxes to protect our access to the oil supply. These other nations have dealt with the real price of energy by using mass transit and driving sensibly sized vehicles. They don't give tax breaks to business owners to offset the cost of a Hummer or Lincoln Navigator, at the expense of every other taxpayer, not to mention their impact on the environment.

If the Democrats are looking for a cause, The Environment is the place to be. Within that subject are issues of the carbon effect on severe weather patterns, national security (energy independence), health and managing personal finances through tough times of energy procurement.

The Republicans will throw up political smoke screens in the form of Anti-gay marriage, Anti-choice, and Anti-immigration initiatives, all in an effort to diffuse the real issues of sustainability and survivability in the competitive global market place. Cogent arguments why environmental issues affect people's lives in real ways, in language understandable by the masses must be presented and the voices of our spokespersons must be heard above din. The concept of Global Warming is not something that is readily understood by most of our citizenry, and new terminolgy must be developed to better advance the message.

Join Net Roots by sending an email to: stateproject@gmail.com, list your state as the subject of your email. You will be added to your state's discussion group. Participate as much or as little as your schedule allows. It's your group. It's your country.

Bush is Tracking YOU

Listen up: Bush wants to know who you're calling and emailing...wait, he already knows!

The Times article disclosing the data mining program last December quoted officials in the government and the telecommunications industry who have knowledge of parts of the program as saying the N.S.A. has sought to analyze communications patterns to glean clues from details like who is calling whom, how long a phone call lasts and what time of day it is made, and the origins and destinations of phone calls and e-mail messages. Calls to and from Afghanistan, for instance, are known to have been of particular interest to the N.S.A. since the Sept. 11 attacks, the officials said.

Senator Russell D. Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat who is also on both the judiciary and intelligence panels, expressed dismay over what he termed the administration's "arrogance and abuse of power." He said the United States can fight terrorism and still protect privacy, "but only if we have a president who believes in these principles."

We'll have to wait until 2008, Russ.

Excerpt from NY Times article, Written by By John O'Neil
Image By Dan Heller, www.danheller.com

Republican Governor is in a Jam

Excerpts from article By LARRY MARGASAK, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - A GOP telemarketing firm implicated in two criminal prosecutions involving election dirty tricks got its startup money from Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, financial records show.

Barbour's investment company arranged a quarter-million-dollar loan to GOP Marketplace in 2000 and also gave a promotional plug to the telemarketer several months later, according to Virginia corporation records and other documents.

Barbour, who became Mississippi governor in 2003, gushed over the prospects of GOP Marketplace in a company press release in 2000. He predicted it would be profitable and "give Republicans an edge" by using the Internet to buy and sell telemarketing services.

The loan made Barbour and his Washington business partners part owners of the company, the incorporation papers show.

By 2002, federal court records contend, GOP Marketplace president Allen Raymond and the Alexandria, Va.-based company were carrying out political dirty tricks in New Hampshire and New Jersey.

Raymond, who once worked for Barbour at the Republican National Committee, is serving a three-month prison term after pleading guilty to arranging for hundreds of hang-up calls in New Hampshire in 2002. The calls jammed Democratic phone lines that were offering people assistance in getting to polling stations in a close U.S. Senate race.

In a New Jersey indictment, prosecutors said Raymond and his company were implicated in a separate scheme to make harassing calls to voters, but neither was indicted. Rather, the indictment charged the losing candidate who hired Raymond. Ex-candidate James Treffinger pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and mail fraud.

GOP Marketplace's New Jersey operation preceded the New Hampshire phone jamming and used a different tactic, prosecutors said. Raymond arranged for annoying "attack ad" calls during the 2002 Super Bowl. The ads attacked a Treffinger opponent, but appeared to come from a third candidate. Treffinger served spent 13 months in prison.

In a company news release from Aug. 7, 2000, announcing the agreement, Barbour praised the company's use of the Internet and described his own role.

"I am convinced that GOP Marketplace will not only be a profitable business, but will also give Republicans an edge in the 2000 elections," he said.

"Campaign managers are always battling time constraints, and GOP Marketplace will clearly save campaigns time. As soon as I heard about the idea, I started pulling together the necessary financing."


Delicious. This jam is sweet and tart.