Huh. John Sasso's working for Kerry? There's an association I'd have thought he'd want to distance himself from.

MyDD,

One of the exciting things that has happened because of 9/11 and Bush-Cheney messes is the "dynamic and everyday" participation by minorities and especially women (all women) in the policy discourse.

This is one of the best outcomes of the rather sad tragedy. In other words, minorities/women are no longer passive. No longer willing to let someone else do their bidding. (I suspect Hillary! is still an exception as she somehow - I cannot figure out - encourages blind-support from millions and millions otherwise smart and able women.)

All my friends, women/minorities, are very active in discourse. They have more opinion on things (such as North Korea) than they had before.

What does this mean? Bush-Cheney are finished.

Forget what I said before. Bush-Cheney cannot be re-elected. They will defeated by virtually any pair of Demos. X-Y will defeat Bush-Cheney. (X or Y can be any body in the entire US.)

I suspect I will get some hate mail. By the way, on an average day, I get about 3 or 4.

-AKB

More on my thoughts (see above).

I think this means that 2004 is the best opportunity for women/minorities to have a VP spot.

I really do this is critical. I suggest we consider the following:

-John Lewis (you already knew this, right?)
-Bill Richardson (he is rescuing Bush-Cheney as we speak now...)
-Ed Rendell (well, there is no such thing as not ready now when you have people like Edwards running)
-Jeanne Shaheen (twice elected as Gov.)
-Dianne Feinstein (mayor and senator, perfect for VP and from California)
-Mary Landrieu (she defeated Bush already in Dec. 2002)
-Gary Locke (twice elected in WA and Asian American).

You know my preference - Lewis.

Cheers,
AKB

Well they certainly didn't show up to vote in 2002! But, I think you are saying something that's probably a profound truth just below the surface.

Alot of observers, when they saw the American flags go up in minority homes, and stickers onto their cars, first thought of it as a sort of safeguard. And that might have been the case in a few examples, but it's too cynical to cover the entire happening. There's something that happened along a varient of an assimilationist thing, with their a more vested interest than before.

I too have argued that the Democrats need to think outside the "two white men who are longtime politicians" box for 2004.

Digby said something that I think spells out the profound mistrust that Bush has created in the US, which I lifted from 'that other blog':

"Meanwhile, just a little over a year ago we got attacked by terrorists who used low-tech box cutters to destroy Americas most vivid symbols of economic and military power. We got attacked on our own shores and thousands died and the success of that action absolutely guarantees that it won't be the last. For this administration to basically sideline that issue into bullshit "homeland security" with a color coded danger chart and bogus manhunts to pretend they are doing something --- in fact, to exacerbate the danger by provoking all manner of violent and unpredicatable global reactions with their swaggering bullyboy rhetoric --- mainly because they refuse to relinquish their cherished vision of themselves as astride a great global military Colossus, is about as irresponsible a position as I can imagine."

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/

There's just so many good bloggers coming online, I added some more links on the sidebar.

Michael Dukakis gets raked over the coals for John Sasso, but nobody condemns George Bush (41) for hiring Lee Atwater and nobody questions George Bush 43 over it either.

From everything I read, Sasso is a pretty decent guy who made one error in judgement. He is also a smart pol and it is to Kerry's credit for hiring him and I think he will be a good advisor for Kerry.

BTW, MyDD, Politics1 says Dennis Kucinich is likely to announce he is running before the end of the month.

"BTW, MyDD, Politics1 says Dennis Kucinich is likely to announce he is running before the end of the month."

I heard he was going to get into the race. I just hope he doesn't turn into our Pat Buchanan...

MyDD,

You raise all good points, as usual. I think Gore made a statement that I thought was so on target: He said that Bush has squandered all good will. Gore meant in terms of US foreign policy. But,I think Bush wasted it in terms of domestic goodwill.

Each poll that comes out shows support for Bush lower and lower. There is another discussion going in coffee shops, malls, etc. where there are no blog centrals. Even there the people (esp. women/minorities) are scared with Bush-Cheney. It affects everyday lifes - visa, INS, police, privacy, taxes, etc.

Bush-Cheney have no idea what is in store for them. I predict that their votes will be the lowest in US history, lower than Jimmy Carter.

Now, as a minority, I want to capitalize on it. So, I hope John Lewis is selected. It will help the country go forward in focussing more on civil liberties, equity, non-violence, etc.
Lewis can be the best ceremonial/catalyst VP in US history.

I will say that JFK will win the nomination. He will need the south to break Bush. Lewis is the best shot. (Edwards can be the AG:)

-AKB

I have no doubt that Sasso's a great guy and a great advisor; it's just that there's no strategist in the whole party who's more associated with The Duke. If he wants to avoid the impression that he's not Like Mike, hiring his key guy doesn't seem to be the strongest signal in that direction.

Just my two cents.

I'm dying of curiosity, so I have to know, even though I don't particularly like engaging AKB. But here goes.

AKB, on the day you posted on Daily Kos about your hatred for the GOP (which I hadn't ever heard you express before; the only hatred comments were directed at "Clintons" and other moral degenerates like that), you said you'd had a very, very sad day. I remember noticing that it was the same day as the INS "registration". I know you've said you're Turkish, and you've never said that you're a citizen, so I hope that you won't find this question bigoted, but: did you have an ugly experience with the INS that day? I wouldn't ask, except you listed the INS above. If this question is inappropriate, please tell me to shove off. But you've seemed unusually vitriolic towards the GOP in the past few days, and usually your only rage is reserved for "Clintons" and "whining Demos."

Dean will be in Atlanta on Jan 18th to speak to gay rights donors I am considering going.

GaDem, you're different than Ga6thDem, right?

Sorry. The above was me.

GaDem, please do go, file a report and I'll post it online here and at the Dean 2004 weblog-- these first person testimonials are the real thing.

The interesting thing about Kerry's team, is that alot of them have experience against the strategists with Bush-- not Rove & the other Texans, but Card and the other MA players, who were with Weld when Kerry whooped him-- Weld had planned on taking that team straight into 2000, as had Kerry his team after winning, and now, they are gunning at eachother again.

Kerry and Lieberman are going to be the frontrunners, but that will change when it gets to crunch time.

Joey Dee
Ga Dem is different from me. I think he lives in a different part of the state.
I picked Ga6thDem just to avoid the confusion.

Dear Joey Dee,

I am Turkish. You got that right. You have good memory, friend. But, no, I did not have any bad experience with INS. I had my things cleared previously, but it was a long, long wait.

I am for strong INS. I just say that Ashcroft, etc. are going bad to worse.

Yes, I still dislike Clintons. You see, I consider them as Vaporware, just like dot-coms that went bust. Clintons are like parasites. We, as Americans, must want better. Where are today's Woodrow Wilsons, Teddy Rosevelt?

My question to all Demos. is:

Will you consider a minority or woman as a VP? If yes, you have my note. If not, you can kiss my vote good-bye.

-Ali Karim Bey

I would like to see a progressive, like Dean, win the nomination and run with an equally progressive (and articulate) minority as a running mate. This will be great if it happens, but I'm not counting on it. Instead, we'll probably either have a progressive candidate with a "centrist" running mate or a "centrist" candidate with a "centrist" running mate. Both are disappointing scenarios to me, though the former is much more appealing. I wish to see the Democrats stand for something again, or get out of the way of the Greens if they're not going to. By that, I mean let the Green Party and Libertarian Party candidates participate in the debates and ease state election laws so that it is easier for “third parties” to get on the ballot.

what about a Graham/Dean ticket?

GaDem,

This is an exciting ticket. But, there are no minorities/women in your scenario. So, I am not sure. Yes, it will give Bush a run for the money. Your ticket will carry the south, north-east, west, and mid-west. Bush is a toast. But, what about people like me? We want a break this time. The time is ripe. Lewis is the right man for the job.

So, how about a compromise? What do you think of:

Dean/Lewis

Would not that be awesome. A doctor as president and a civil rights leader as VP.

-AKB

Dean/Tubbs-Jones

It's got all the makings of success!

How about a Howard Dean and Barbara Lee ticket? :)

For those who don't remember Barbara Lee, she was the one person in Congress who had the courage to vote against giving Bush authorization to use force right after September 11th. This will probably disqualify her for being too "radical." However, it's a good example of what I mean by progressive/progressive ticket. Also, it's worth noting, that she won re-election in 2002. She may live in a peace-nik district in California but she still deserves credit for beating Bush' tide of Republican wins, in spite of her controversial vote. Plus, this will shore up support from the Democratic base, or at least a large percentage of "Naderites" like me.

This might sound bad but, if Dean is lucky enough to win the nomination, height might be a factor in who he chooses for a running mate. It's my understanding that Dean isn't the tallest guy in the world. Having a Vice Presidential candidate that towers over him might actually make him look less presidential. Therefore, an articulate minority woman might make the perfect running mate for him. First, however, Dean has to win the primaries. Chances are he'll lose to one of the "centrist" candidates. The Democratic Party just isn't that progressive anymore.

I still like Graham/Dean why not give minorities a job with some teeth!? Vice President is a useless thankless job. I say make John Conyers the Ranking Dem on the House Judiciary Comm the first African American Attorney General

Conyers will probably get Attorney General in the next Democratic administration.

Barbara Lee may run for Dianne Feinstein's U.S. Senate seat in California, if Feinstein retires in 2006.

How about Joe Lieberman and C. DeLores Tucker in 2004? They have already proven that they make a great team. :)

Feinstein will hold on with her teeth, now that she knows a black republican is going after Boxer's seat in 2004. She evidently ran for governor in california, and lost in the primary. Not surprising knowing how the republicans are. She might get lucky with Boxer though.

How about Edie Bukewihge for the United States Senate in 2004. California needs a break from racism. A minority woman in the place of Boxer might do us some good. I found her site on yahoo.

The Worst Mayors (1820-1993)
Next, and seventh, is Cleveland's Dennis Kucinich (1977-79). Only thirty-one years old when elected, Cleveland's "boy" mayor had failings that were not the sins of venality or graft for personal gain, but rather matters of style, temperament, and bad judgment in office. Kucinich earned seventh place the hard way: by his abrasive, intemperate, and confrontational populist political style, which led to a disorderly and chaotic administration. He barely survived a recall vote just ten months into office, then disappeared for five weeks, reportedly recuperating from an ulcer. When he got back into the political fray, his demagogic rhetoric and slash-and-burn political style got him into serious trouble when he stubbornly refused to compromise and led Cleveland into financial default in late 1978—the first major city to default since the Great Depression. That led also to Kucinich's defeat and exit from executive office. Out of office, he dabbled in a Hollywoodesque spirit world and once believed he had met actress Shirley MacLaine in a previous life, seemingly confirming his critics' charges that he was a "nut-cake." After that, he experienced downward mobility, losing races for several other offices and finally ending up with a council seat; but more recently, he climbed back up to a seat in Congress. Bad judgment, demagoguery, and default also spelled political failure in the eyes of twenty-five of our experts, who ranked Dennis, whom the press called "the Menace," as seventh-worst.

The American Mayor
The Best & The Worst Big-City Leaders
By Melvin G. Holli
The Pennsylvania State University Press

Excuse me, but Dennis Kucinich as a presidential hopeful? How outrageous a notion. This is the man, the mayor, who brought Cleveland to its knees financially. Under his "leadership," the city went into default. We were broke by the time George Voinovich took over.
Voinovich brought the city back by working with corporate CEOs and visionaries in a consortium that helped bring renewed vibrancy to the city in terms of companies investing in real-estate development and manufacturing, revitalizing downtown after years of decline under Kucinich.

I can't believe Kucinich's constituents have been so gullible as to elect him for four terms as a congressman. What has he done for them - in Congress or as mayor?

Think back. The city had no money. Standard & Poors downgraded Cleveland's bond rating during Kucinich's outgoing year.

This man is to be considered to lead our great country? Get a grip, all you blue-collar workers and voters who cling to the hope that Kucinich is the answer. Forget it. He doesn't know how to lead or to bolster an economy.

Laura Carrabine

Cleveland, Ohio

GO TO WEBSITE: www.kucinich.com