At the July 17, 2007 rally against the war, these veterans, mothers and sisters are talking about Republicans and the War but I feel the same about our Blue Dogs and this weekend's FISA vote. These speakers talk about how they can't understand why Republicans don't see that their votes do not support our troops. But can't we now say the same thing about our Representatives who voted to support the President's insane domestic spying agenda?

The first speaker, John, a veteran, had spent the day on Capitol Hill. He talked to Republicans and their staffers. John says: "They agree with us. For some strange reason, they won't vote right." Yeah, Heath Shuler and friends, what's your reason to give Alberto Gonzales more secret powers?

Retired Lt. Colonel Andrew Horne said: "They were saying all the things you want to hear . . . They took the same oath we did. It doesn't say anything about fealty to George Bush." So, Blue Dogs, why did you support his late-night arm-twisting expansion of secret powers?

Today North Carolina Congressman Charles Taylor (R-11) fights for his political life: admitting to $10,000 in contributions from Saginaw Chippewa but denying he's ever met Jack Abramoff. I guess in Chuckie-world, personal e-mails don't count. In the Asheville Citizen-Times website, there is video.  It's really pretty funny. Check it out.

They've got several somewhat repetitive clips where you can see and hear him call his April 11 fundraiser (that netted $30,000) unrelated to Abramoff or his lobbying efforts. Good try. He can't seem to stop denying he's ever meeting Abramoff, seems to be unaware of the e-mails (and unreminded of them by the interviewers).

Yee-haa. You'uns from outside the great tarheel state of North Carolina might not count this as big news, but for the major newspaper of the 11th district to question our great Congressman Charles Taylor. Well, that's big stuff.

Today, dear Chuckie's formerly reliable propaganda apparatus came up with the intestinal fortitude to tentatively remind the Titanic's captain there appears to be an iceberg ahead (i.e.: email evidence tying him directly to former lobbyist Jack Abramoff's bribery/fundraising scandal).

In an editorial aggressively headlined:

Voters deserve some answers from Taylor

the usual subservient Asheville Citizen Times had the temerity to remind Taylor that "hey, cap'm. You know if the ship goes down, there really ain't enough lifeboats."

Which is better? That Congressman Charles Taylor (NC-11)got caught in incriminating emails that the Associated Press "obtained" Tuesday? Or that the Chippewa tribe that benefited from his ill-doings is showing him up (as well as Abramoff et al) by giving back the money!!!

But their suggestions on how to reallocate the funds are even classier than returning it (which, to be fair, was to build a school, can you believe it? What they have to do to get money for a friggin' school!)
   

The tribe asked that the funds be redirected to programs targeted for cuts by the Interior Department.