Kucinich: Bush ready for loony bin?

Rep. Dennis Kucinich's comments Tuesday about President Bush's mental stability regarding reckless war-making bear repeating. This story comes from philly.com:

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D. Ohio) suggested today that President Bush's comment about a nuclear Iran precipitating "World War III" is a sign of mental instability.

"I seriously believe we have to start asking questions about his mental health," Kucinich, a back-of-the-pack candidate for president, said in an interview with The Inquirer's editorial board. "There's something wrong. He does not seem to understand his words have real impact."

At a news conference two weeks ago, Bush said, "I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them (Iran) from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon."

“Dennis Kucinich has always been a hard guy to take seriously. but this takes the cake," said Dan Ronayne, Republican National Committee spokesman. "Maybe he thinks preposterous quotes are the only way he can get his failed campaign any attention.”

Kucinich, who thinks Bush and Vice President Cheney should be impeached and
charged with war crimes, is running sixth in most national polls. He said he doesn't believe his comments about the president's mental health are irresponsible.

"You cannot be a president of the United States who's wanton in his expression of violence," Kucinich said. "There's a lot of people who need care. He might be one of them. If there isn't something wrong with him, then there's something wrong with us. This, to me, is a very serious question."

Clinton returns to the Intermountain West

Former president Bill Clinton will be speaking in Salt Lake City a week from today (Nov. 4). I found the above announcement on The Utah Amicus blog. Bill Clinton can still stir up a crowd, and I'm sure he'll linger for many handshakes. Here's a guy who likes the spotlight, likes mixing it up with real people, can hold his own in any conversation -- even speak in complete sentences.

Need I point out how different Bill's personality is from George W. Bush's?

Mr. Clinton has also visited Wyoming. Not recently, but when he ran for president in 1992. It was October, and his campaign dropped into the Cheyenne Municipal Airport one sunny afternoon. The evening before, my wife Chris, son Kevin and I attended a sign-making session at our local Democratic Party HQ. Kevin, then seven, helped make some placards to welcome the candidate to Wyoming. "Wyoming welcomes the next president" and "We love Bill" and "Bill Yes, George No." Things like that. Kevin wrote one: "Clinton Yay, Bush Boo." He spent a lot of time on it, but at home later that evening, our second-grader burst into tears. We asked him what was wrong, and he said that President Bush had been a big influence on him and he didn't mean what he wrote on the sign. He asked us not to use it the next day at the rally. So we didn't. Our son, the budding Republican. He's 22 now, with a different outlook on the world.

At the airport hanger the next day, hundreds of us waited for the next Prez to touch down. Outside the chain-link fence, a dozen demonstrators lined up with their own signs. I don't remember the wording, but some referenced abortion. One referred to Bill as a draft dodger, which of course he was (just like Wyoming's Dick Cheney). But we didn't care. We were happy that any Democratic presidential candidate had decided to come to WYO, an overwhelmingly Republican state who always send their three electoral votes to the Red Team.

Clinton lingered longer than anticipated. He spoke for awhile, and then spent an hour shaking hands. Chris, four months pregnant, pushed her way through the crowd with cries of "pregnant woman coming through." The assembled masses parted like the Red Sea. She shook Bill's hand and and held his fingers briefly to her swollen belly in the traditional "laying on of hands" ritual. Bill's hands, of course, had done much laying on during his life and were to do so much more during his presidency. But Chris was elated with her contact with a future president, and after she returned to tell me about it, surged through the crowd again for another handshake. I was unable to follow, so didn't even get close to a handclasp. I did give him a thumbs up sign, but I don't think he saw it.

Mr. Clinton departed and a few weeks later was President of these United States. Wyomingites went to the polls in the season's first blizzard and voted in big numbers for Bush Sr. My father, a Republican in Florida, called to wish me well. He said there had been a story on the nightly news about a family near Lusk, Wyoming, riding horseback through the snow to vote. I said I hoped they were Democrats and a discussion ensued about the state of politics and the world. My father and I disagreed on most things political. But that night, I took it in stride. Our guy won. We set off the celebrate at the Hitching Post Inn with our fellow Dems.

But Kevin was upset with the election results. George Bush Sr. had been a big influence on him. We asked if he wanted to drop by Republican HQ to commiserate with his homeys. He said he did. When we arrived, I decided to take off my Clinton button in the interest of peace and good will. Chris stubbornly wore hers. We sipped coffee while Kevin ate a sandwich and sat in front of the big Republican TV to watch the returns. The Republicans were gracious, especially when we told them Kevin's story. One of the women asked if we wanted to join the party. We had a big laugh over that one. We were invited to eat and drink. The Republicans offered a nice spread, with one of those six-foot-long Subway sandwiches, bowls of chips, veggie and fruit plates, and lots of desserts. I was tempted to gorge myself, as it would feel righteous to eat food paid for by Republican funds. Instead, I grabbed a cup of coffee and hung around.

Later, at the Dems' party, we had to buy our own drinks and had only stale pretzels and nuts to munch on. But people were giddy. We had won. Things would be great from here on out. And that was partially true. The 1990s were a time of peace and plenty. Wretched excess, too. We didn't know that it was only the calm before the storm. We didn't know the shitstorm that awaited us in the new century.

Now another Clinton runs for president. Her spouse will be speaking and campaigning in Utah which is right next door. I am not a supporter of Hilary Clinton. But I will vote for her if she is nominated at the convention in Denver. I will have no other choice. She will have to campaign in Wyoming, as it is good luck to do so. Remember 1992? Remember the great time Bill had during that drop-in visit to Cheyenne? I would urge Mrs. Clinton to speak to Howard Dean, who can remind her of the so-called 50-state strategy. Wyoming, believe it or not, is one of the official members of the U.S.A. Don't forget us out here, and we won't forget you.

Pay the mortgage, or buy Rockies tickets?

Spare $2,100 for World Series tickets?

I think not. That's how much my wife's coworker wanted for three tickets to game three of the World Series Saturday at Coors Field in Denver. A little rich for my blood -- and my budget. That's two mortgage payments. Eight car payments. Fourteen weeks of groceries. Seven hundred lattes. I mention lattes because that seems to be the measure of most things in newspaper stories about the economy. "If the average consumer gave up one latte a day, he/she could buy a yacht in five years." Something like that. Three World Series tix for seven hundred lattes?

This offer was made before the Series started in Boston on Wednesday. They may be cheaper now that the Rockies are down two games to none. But maybe not. The Series has never been held in Denver. This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime events that you'll be able to tell your grandkids. "I saw the Rockies whip the Boston Red Sox in ought-seven." Or "I saw the first World Series game ever played at a mile high."

It's not worth it. The best I'll be able to do for my grandkids is say that I saw Helton and Tulo and Matsui play during the World Series season of 2007. I might also mention that I paid 90 bucks for three great Rockies tix in August. First base side, 20 rows up. We watched the Rox beat the Brewers. In front of us were four bearded guys from Milwaukee, about my age, who'd decided to catch one of their hometown team's road swings. They'd been touring the mountains that day, and now sat back with beer and brats to watch the game. They thought the Denver fans were a bit timid, too laid-back. An old criticism of residents of Rocky Mountain High-land. Did I mention that they also were Green Bay Packers' fans? Diehards. I suggested they attend the next Packers-Broncos game at Mile High Stadium and sit in the south stands. See if they can find any laid-back fans there.

I'm not a diehard fan about any team. I like the Broncos and Rockies, but don't live and die with their fortunes. In August, I took the family to a Broncos' exhibition game (three tix for $56!) and we sat amongst a bunch of drunks. One very large drunk, at the game with his son and a male friend, spent most of the game trying to pick up an apparently single mom seated with her two young kids. He made no headway, despite his bonehead witticisms and the obscenities he aimed at the refs. He and his pal gave a hard time to the interracial couple seated below them. Then he and his friend lit cigarettes and that was too much for my wife. "No smoking in the stands!" The overage bad boys stared at her but said nothing. I was thinking: "My wife is going to get my ass beat." I've seen more than one fight in these stands. As they filed out between the third and fourth quarters (what kind of fan leaves early?), one of the guys told my wife that it was lucky she was a woman. He gave her a hard look. She stared at him, said nothing. Ditto for me. I was just glad they were gone so I could enjoy the Broncos' dismantling of the Arizona Cardinals on a warm August night.

My wife and I have watched all the Rockies' post-season games, including the one-game divisional playoff against San Diego. That went thirteen innings and I didn't go to bed until after the last out. I guess that's pretty dedicated. I wasn't there, choosing instead to watch from the comfort of my front room.

The Red Sox have been impressive during the first two games. Excellent pitchers, and they knocked the cover off the ball on Wednesday night. Rox pitchers pretty much shut them down last night. Unfortunately, they still got two runs and the Rox only one. But Coors Field is friendly to Rockies hitters. So we'll see what happens Saturday and Sunday and (we hope) Monday.

I could spend all day and many calories/electrons writing about the economics of baseball. I hate its excesses, the huge profit that greedhead owners pull from the wallets of gullible fans, the big paychecks for some of the players. Owners regularly blackmail fans to build big new stadiums so they can boost their already obscene revenues. It happens in football too.

Here's something else. Who are the people who sit behind home plate and get their well-groomed mugs on TV? No matter the ballpark, those faces are white. Yuppies with cash, by the looks of it. They can buy the tickets, pay the mortgage, and sip lattes 'til the cows come home.

The excesses of big-time sports are legion.

Still, I like the Rox and not the Sox. I like the way the Rox play hard and play as a team. Intriguing personalities, too, although none have a goofy dance like Sox pitcher Jonathan Papelbon. Rooting for a winning team makes my anemic little life more interesting.

But pay $2,100 for three tickets? Never do it. But do I hear $1,500? Now you're talkin'...

Kucinich: Impeach Cheney first

This was picked up from Tim Carpenter at Progressive Democrats for America and seen on http://www.democrats.com/:

At 9 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, October 23rd, in a nationwide phone call organized by Progressive Democrats of America, Rep. Dennis Kucinich announced he will go before the U.S. House of Representatives on a point of personal privilege to move the impeachment of Dick Cheney. Mr. Kucinich stated he will bring the impeachment forward before Thanksgiving. As soon as we learn more details we will post them immediately. NOW's the time to put pressure on all representatives, to impeach Cheney.

CALL NOW — here are toll-free phone numbers you can use to call congressional offices in DC: 866.340.9281 — 866.338.1015 — 877.851.6437 — 800.828.0498 — 800.459.1887 — 800.614.2803 — jam the capitol switchboard with our demand to restore justice and reclaim democracy.

Searching for progressives in "the wilds of Wyoming"

Prowling the progblogs, you occasionallyy run into odd comments about Wyoming. We often are linked (and not in a good way) with V.P. Dick Cheney and his anti-democracy excesses. Cheney, of course, grew up in Casper and now only occasionally (thank goodness) drops into his Jackson redoubt. He did speak to the state legislature a few years back. He received thunderous applause, but what can you expect from a joint session that's two-thirds Repub?

Here's what I picked up on the Belgravia Dispatch blog via Daily Kos. The first excerpt is from a recent Cheney speech; the second is the blog's response.

As time passed, the terrorists believed they'd exposed a certain weakness and lack of confidence in the West, particularly in America. Dr. Bernard Lewis explained the terrorists' reasoning this way: "During the Cold War," Dr. Lewis wrote, "two things came to be known and generally recognized in the Middle East concerning the two rival superpowers. If you did anything to annoy the Russians, punishment would be swift and dire. If you said or did anything against the Americans, not only would there be no punishment; there might even be some possibility of reward, as the usual anxious procession of diplomats and politicians, journalists and scholars and miscellaneous others came with their usual pleading inquiries: 'What have we done to offend you? What can we do to put it right?'"

Here's the response from Belgravia Dispatch:

It's really an appallingly strange time in our country. We have a singularly powerful Vice-President (compared to any of his predecessors)--openly quite enamored by the tactics employed by the Soviet Union--our former arch-foe whose human rights standards we derided. Indeed, we fought a decades-long Cold War so that Western style constitutional freedoms would trump Soviet authoritarianism. But yes, from this Sovietophile posture, use of torture and black-sites and detention without habeas corpus protections makes all the sense in the world, doesn't it? Because we have a Vice-President all but openly emulating and cheer-leading the tactics of the KGB, not in the wilds of Wyoming, but to a soi disant sophisticated audience in Washington DC. Put differently, he is very proud of his world-view, indeed eager to share it with Beltway 'elites'. Who will clear this dangerous rot out of Washington and help us restore our good name? The stakes are high, that is, the preservation of the American democratic model as a leading force for moderation and rule of law on the world stage.

Here's text of a comment by Bruce Moomaw:

As for Wyoming: having driven through it a couple of times, I'm not entirely sure it's part of the planet Earth. (It certainly doesn't look like it.) And it sure as hell is not any more entitled to two Senators than any other single Congresional district in the country.

Here's my response:

Wilds of Wyoming? Have you ever taken the time to actually stop and talk to some of us Wildmen and Wildwomen? You'd find people like me who cringe every time Cheney opens his mouth. Yes, he does have admirers in the state, but he has admirers in D.C. and southern California and possibly among Russians who yearn for the good-old-days of Uncle Joe Stalin. As you're driving through, remember that Wyoming has a strong progressive community. Short on numbers, long on passion.

Blogging is fun and educational, too.

Here's an essay I wrote last February after Cheney's address to the Wyoming Legislature:

From the Sublime to the Ridiculous

On Thursday, Feb. 16, I took a break from our board meeting at Wyoming Arts Council HQ and walked through mounds of new snow to hear our poet laureate read to the State Legislature. I walked in the building, greeted Judy at the Capitol Building front desk, and bounded up the stairs. Not bounded exactly, as my ex-jock knees were reacting to the cold. But I did climb to the third floor and passed a few lobbyists on my way into the House Chambers.

A debate was raging about whether to exempt (or not exempt) the equipment of new businesses from taxes. Apparently the fate of the western world rested on the decision, and I sat in the right-side gallery, fascinated by the give-and-take among our elected officials. I admire the arcane culture of politics; its infighting and maneuvering. It was on display Thursday for anyone who felt like wandering in and sitting down.

But I was there for poetry. Wyoming Poet Laureate David Romtvedt had been invited by the Legislature to read his poems, “Oh, If You Could Know,” from “How Many Horses,” a great book now out of print. His new book is “Some Church” from Milkweed Editions. David chose his poem carefully, as there are some poems in the new book that might not go down well in a very conservative Legislature in a very conservative state. So he passed over “Fuck You, Patriotism” and “The Bells of Balangiga,” a poem that takes the state to task for not returning church bells stolen by U.S. troops during the so-called Philippine Insurrection in 1901. The bells are on display at the nuke base outside Cheyenne, war booty you might say. The VFW and American Legion raise hell every time it’s even hinted that the bells should be returned.

But David won’t read that poem today. For one thing, he’s an appointee (unpaid) of Governor Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat who has to walk a fine line through the minefield of WYO politics. David is a mature writer, like me in his fifties, the author of nine books, a world traveler with progressive -- even radical -- views of the world. But he came to the capital city to bring poetry to the legislators in an effort to help them remember -- while they conduct the people’s business in the people’s house -- that poetry and the arts in general are crucial. More on David’s reading later.

On Friday, a different sort of visitor came to the people’s house. Vice-President Dick Cheney flew in from his Jackson redoubt to speak to an invitation-only crowd in the Legislature. An overly friendly crowd, you might say, as the Veep was an intern in this very building 41 years ago. He then served as a state legislator from Casper, where he and his wife Lynne attended high school. He’s set to speak at 11 a.m. to an invitation-only crowd. The people’s house will be restricted to a select few, which is how Cheney and Bush like it. No raucous peaceniks allowed. No Democrats but for the few that sit in each chamber.

On my way into work Friday, I counted seven satellite trucks parked on 24th Street, which passes between the Capitol and my offices at the Wyoming Arts Council. I couldn’t resist strolling into the building through the front entrance, guarded by a highway patrolman in arctic garb (temp was 1 below) and the only entrance not locked on this auspicious day. Inside, I asked Judy if I could go upstairs and she said the H.P. troopers assigned to Capitol Security Forces and the Secret Service were in the midst of a sweep of the building. I looked up from my spot in the rotunda and spied my friend Jim, ex-military and now a H.P., waved down at me. I yelled “Hey Jim” and he smiled. I decided not to engage in a long conversation, as he was on the job and if I yelled, I might startle the Secret Service, and they might nail me as a troublemaker.

What a difference a day makes. Poet arrives and very few pay attention. Veep drops in and the place goes ga-ga. From the sublime to the ridiculous….

David read first in the House chamber. In his intro, he talked about the ranch country east of the Big Horns and into the Powder River Basin. It’s under threat from coal bed methane drilling, and David said he chose the poem because it talks about that country and how much it means to his wife’s Basque family. The poem takes the voice of his wife, Margo. During his prologue in the Senate, David quoted new Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, a single mother of three children who once was tortured by the secret police of General Augusto Pinochet. President Bachelet dared to mention “love” as part of her agenda. Great to hear a quote from a Leftist in a very non-Leftist chamber.

David brought to life the poem’s persona. Margo and her cousin Brad rode horses to Powder River. “We’d pick up fallen branches and pretend/ to be knights in armor, aim our cottonwood lances/at each other’s hearts, galloping/as fast as we could, at the last minute/veering away so we never hit each other./We’d just run and run and run.” When David finished, he departed without fanfare as the Senate got on with its work as “legislators of the physical world,” as David referred to them last year. There was no time to waste as hundreds of bills vied for attention during this short 20-day session. Besides, the Veep will disrupt proceedings on Friday, usurping the time devoted to the people’s business in this people’s house that is not as populist as we Wyomingites like to think.

Poetry was replaced by vacuity when Cheney spoke. When he speaks, I hear “The Daily Show’s” Jon Stewart and his imitation of Cheney, which is a squawking voice reminiscent of The Penguin on TV’s “Batman.” The Veep's Feb. 17 speech was all sweetness and light, with little of his usual squawk about the War on Terror. His words were greeted with loud huzzahs from the partisan chambers.

Made me sick to hear my legislators cheer a war criminal and war profiteer. Maybe he too will end up like his fellow traveler, Pinochet, finally brought to task for his crimes against humanity. Chile's president is right, maybe I should love those that inflict pain. But today, my heart is as cold as the weather, and awaits a thaw.

Rep. Cubin reports from the war zone

If Iraq’s such a fine place, why aren’t either of your sons over there?

That’s my question for Wyoming’s lone rep in the U.S. House, Barbara Cubin. She traveled to Iraq recently and wrote an account for her e-mail newsletter. I am very thankful that Ms. Cubin risked her neck to bring me this first-hand report of the battle zone. Knowledge is better than ignorance, which is all that we usually hear from Ms. Cubin. She has stubbornly clung to the claim by Bush & Cheney that Saddam Hussein was in cahoots with Osama bin Laden. She tells us that Iraq is the front line in the so-called War on terror. Well, it wasn’t before we invaded -- but it is now.

You can get more balderdash about the war at Cubin's web site: http://www.house.gov/cubin/.

Here are some highlights of her dispatches from the war:

Imagine anything you have ever seen on television, in the movies or in newspapers depicting war – being on the ground in a war zone in Baghdad and Balad is incredibly more dramatic and intense. I traveled with four other Members of Congress. We rode for hours on C-130 planes, strapped to the same uncomfortable seats in which our military men and women travel into war. We slept in military beds, ate in chow halls and in Baghdad traveled through a "red zone" (an unsafe, unsecured area) in humvees, all the while wearing approximately 30 pounds of heavy protective armor.

*********************

I have always believed we as lawmakers have a responsibility to listen to our military commanders on the ground and trust in their first-hand experience of battle. During my time in Iraq, that is just what I did -- listen. I met American generals, Iraqi police, State Department officials, military medical teams, officers and enlisted men and women, including several out of the hundreds of Wyoming's own sons and daughters. I asked the same three questions of everyone I met while in Iraq. I asked how the current U.S. political debate affected their efforts, how we were doing on the ground and if we were making progress. The people with whom I spoke told me frankly that the debate in Washington over troop withdrawal and the lack of support for the war hurts morale. They said it makes their jobs harder and diminishes their overall chance of success in Iraq. They do not understand how opponents of the war can say they support the troops, but not the war. The soldiers are proud of their jobs, their work in Iraq and their country. They see their jobs and the war as, understandably, linked.

*********************

Each person with whom I spoke said that while the situation in Iraq remained critical, real progress is being made. Sectarian violence has been curbed in many areas, security in some contested regions has improved and the Iraqi people have been joining with U.S. forces against Al-Qaeda. I was told that our presence in the country was not only important for Iraq and the region, but important for the United States and the entire world in deterring terrorism.

***********************

In my opinion, as a country we must stop bickering and unite behind our troops and their mission. Not adequately funding this war in a timely fashion would be a severe mistake for our nations' security and would not serve our troops. If we truly support our soldiers and their families, we must give them the means to carry out their mission and return home after success, not failure.

**********************

Our service men and women truly make the red, white and blue proud.

News travels fast about Trauner bid

Last week, Bill Luckett at the Wyoming Democratic Party posted some links with news about Gary Trauner's announcement to run against Barbara Cubin for Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat. Here they are:

Casper Star-Tribune: Trauner tries again for House
Wyoming Tribune-Eagle: Trauner retries Congress run
Jackson Hole News and Guide: Trauner to seek House
New West: Trauner announces bid for Wyoming's at-large House seat
Congressional Quarterly: Deja vu contest for Wyoming House seat
Blogosphere: Let's make sure Gary wins this time!

To contribute and get more info about Trauner's campaign, go to http://www.traunerforcongress.com/.

No baseball weather in Casper

While in Casper for conferences this past week, I started each morning with a walk on the town's trail along the North Platte. The river is in view most of the time, and there are a few places where you can park your keister on a bench and just watch the river flow. On one lookout, I stood and watched dark clouds boil over Casper Mountain. It had snowed overnight and the mountain range was white against the gray-brown prairie. The city was just waking up.

On my way back, I passed Mike Lansing Field (built by the Casperite who once played with Colorado) where the Class A Casper Rockies play each summer. I've been in the stands here to watch games against Idaho Falls and Billings. In early August, I took the family to a Colorado Rockies game against Milwaukee. Little did we know then what the MLB Rockies were capable of. Now they're in the World Series against the Sox or the Indians.

Baseball fields look odd outside the parameters of summer. The wind blows harsh from the West and yellow leaves skitter across the infield. The outfield grass is still green but no skinny 19-year-old from Texarkana is out there shagging flies. No day for sitting in the stands for a 14-inning pitcher's duel. But then I think: the Colorado Rockies will probably be playing ball in this weather in Denver. Bring your parka, football blanket, and something warming to drink.

Go Rockies!

Lynne Cheney & book drop into Casper

Continuing dispatches from the public library in Casper...

Walked the path along the North Platte River this morning. It snowed overnight, so Casper Mountain was white under low clouds. I shared the path with two young women who were jogging and pushing a baby carriage. No other humans to be seen. Crows cawing in the yellowing trees gave the cold morning an ominous feel.

Speaking of ominous... Lynne Cheney will drop into her hometown of Casper on Saturday, Oct. 27, to speak about her new book, "Blue Skies, No Fences: A Memoir of Childhood and Family." She'll be at the Krampert Theatre at Casper College. The Casper Star-Trib reports that ten percent of the sale price of the book will be donated to the college's Western History Center.

When I was at Ralph's Books yesterday in the Hilltop Shopping Center, the staff said Lynne Cheney will be at the store the next day (Sunday. Oct. 28) to sign her new book. She'll be camped out next door in the artists' co-op shop for the event. I didn't catch a time, but I think it's 2 p.m.

Lynne Cheney's book combines the history of Casper with her own history. The narrative allegedly stops in 1959, before she and The Antichrist Dick began working their mischief on an unsuspecting world. The Good Ol' Days.

The Veep will not accompany Ms. Cheney, as his work is not done.

Greetings from Casper (a.k.a. Oil City)

Blogging "Live" from the Natrona County Public Library in Casper...

I'm here for the Casper College Literary Conference, which features Nick Flynn, author of the boffo memoir "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City," and Belarus poet Valzhyna Mort. They both read at a lunchtime session on campus, as did Casper short story writer Chad Hanson. More to come over the next two days.

I always enjoy reading the Casper Star-Tribune Online. The Trib has traditionally been Wyoming's statewide newspaper and, at least when Charles Levendosky was editorial page editor, the only paper that printed your letter to the editor verbatim and, if possible, in its entirety. Now those comments can be found Online. Lots of juicy comments recently about Gary Trauner and his renewed run for Barbara Cubin's seat in the U.S. House. Right-wingers call Gary a carpet bagger, which means he's from some place other than Wyoming. In this case, he's from THE EAST COAST. Horrors! Cubin isn't a native either. She's fallen for the Bush agenda hook, line, and sinker.

Also check out the comments about wolves and their place in the ecosystem. Most are along the line of the bumper sticker I recently saw in Cheyenne: "Wolves: Eliminate, don't legislate."

Maybe we could say the same about Barbara: "Cubin: Eliminate (via election)! Don't let her legislate!"

Lots of good name-calling on the CST Online. Many aspersions are cast. Great breakfast reading.

Why conservatives hate Al Gore

Why do conservatives hate Al Gore? Because he keeps being correct on so many issues, and they can't take him down with their smear tactics.

Here's Paul Krugman's take in the New York Times:

The worst thing about Mr. Gore, from the conservative point of view, is that he keeps being right. In 1992, George H. W. Bush mocked him as the "ozone man," but three years later the scientists who discovered the threat to the ozone layer won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In 2002 he warned that if we invaded Iraq, "the resulting chaos could easily pose a far greater danger to the United States than we presently face from Saddam." And so it has proved.

Gary Trauner to announce House bid?

Gary Trauner, the Democrat from Jackson who almost booted Barbara Cubin from Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat in 2006, is set to make a big announcement tomorrow. Could it be that he will run again in 2008? We hope so.

Mike Bell, head of the Laramie County Democrats, dialed up Gary on his cell phone last night during the Jim Byrd Memorial Dinner. Dems in the room sent loud greetings to Gary. Later, over the traditional Democratic repast of chili, hot dogs and apple pie, we agreed that another Trauner run was what we'd all been hoping for. We will be knocking on a lot of doors and walking all the neighborhoods before November 2008.

Cubin beat Trauner by only 1,000 votes last time. Most of those votes came from rural precincts in central and northeastern Wyoming. Can Gary pursuade those voters that he will work harder than Cubin, who has a dismal no-show rate of 45 percent? Can he pursuade them that he's not an elitist East Coast liberal, which was the brush Republicans painted him with last time? Should he forget rural voters and concentrate on the cities, most of which he won in 2006? We'll need to increase the number of Trauner voters in Cheyenne, Casper, Rock Springs, Sheridan, Riverton, Lander, Gillette, Laramie and Jackson. That would put Gary over the top.

Stay tuned...

Weather report: snow and bright colors

Oct. 14 is late for fall's first measurable snowfall. Awoke this morning to the falling of nickel-sized flakes, with only a dusting of white amongst the yellow leaves and still-green grass. The TV weather people often call for snow "on the grassy areas." I know what they mean, that it will only accumulate on the grassy areas. Still, it makes it sound as if snow has the ability to sidestep streets and sidewalks for my lawn. I wish it did, really, as snow is a bonus for growing things but must be shoveled (per city ordinance) when it clogs the sidewalks.

We've had early snows. On the final day of summer six years ago, we drove through a blizzard to Salt Lake City for a book festival. The Wyoming Department of Transportation closed I-80 behind us. Near Rawlins, we passed a group of Harley riders who failed to watch the Weather Channel that morning. It was balmy in SLC. On Sunday, as we headed home, we had to wait for WYDOT to open I-80 at Evanston. The town was clogged with semis, waiting with us. When we got home to Cheyenne, much of the 16 inches of snow had already melted.

In September 1995, it snowed while we moved into our new house. We've moved three times in the snow, a few others on days of bone-chilling winds. If we could only harness those winds to do man's bidding. If only one could toss a couch into the air and have the winds bear it to one's new home. A pipe dream, I know.

During our morning walk yesterday, my wife and I noticed the vibrant colors of the trees. It was cloudy, too, the skies charging up for a day of rain (1.2 inches in my rain gauge). The colors seemed more vivid on a cloudy day than on sunny days last weekend. Is that true, or just a delusion? Our fall colors in the High Plains tend toward browns and yellows. Those yellows are sometimes referred to as "gold." We do have a few red maples in the neighborhood. There are hedges and bushes that turn a bright red.

I've seen New England in the fall. Those are some wild colors. I stayed with friends outside Putney, Vermont, one late September weekend. I awoke to sun, looked out the window, and the reds and oranges and golds about knocked my eyeballs out. I'd arrived the night before so the colors were a revelation.

We have nothing similar. But on a cloudy Wyoming weekend, as the days move deeper into fall in the physical world (and in my own life) the view was just as spectacular.

Frontline exposes "Cheney the Crafty"

When V.P. Dick Cheney isn't hunkering down in his bunker or buzzing the bucolic hamlet of Jackson in his taxpayer-funded 747, he's terrorizing the Free World. But some of us are wise to your game, Mister-I'm-Just-An-Aw-Shucks-Fella-From Wyoming. Syndicated columnist Rick Horowitz blew Cheney's cover in his most recent column, "We watched as Cheney seized power." He takes us back to the year July 2000 when Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush was in a quandary about who to choose for a running mate. Enter his dad's pal, Dick Cheney, head poobah of a tiny Texas-based concern known as Halliburton.

"Enter Dick Cheney. Cheney the Calm. Cheney the Wise. Cheney the Crafty... He searched high and low, not to mention hither and yon. He compared and contrasted. He did everything you'd want a search committee to do. With one exception: He didn't take himself out of the running. And wouldn't you know it? When Mr. Cheney had finished, there was only one candidate left standing. Mr Cheney found: Mr. Cheney. So why didn't the alarm bells go off right then?"

Good question, Rick. But that's just Cheney's modus operandi. Ask progressive Wyomingites about Cheney's dictatorial sensibilities, his tendency toward my-way-or-the-highway. We'll tell you that this is nothing new.

Rick sums up the situation:

"We didn't know then what we know now, but still: shouldn't Cheney-chooses-Cheney have seemed...dangerous? Putting that sort of man that close to that much power? Now we've seen the results. What were we thinking?"

Some of us were thinking, which is why we elected Al Gore with the popular vote in 2000. That's why we voted for John Kerry in 2004. We know the evil that lurks in Mr. Cheney's heart.
This Tuesday at 8 p.m., we'll have the opportunity (unless the Colorado Rockies are still playing) to watch the Frontline documentary, "Cheney's Law," on our local PBS station. Here's a description from PBS:

"For three decades, Vice President Dick Cheney has waged a secretive, and often bitter battle, to expand the power of the presidency. Now, in a direct confrontation with Congress as the administration asserts executive privilege to head off investigations into domestic wiretapping and the firing of U.S. attorneys, FRONTLINE meticulously traces the behind-closed-doors battle within the administration over the power of the presidency and the rule of law. go to
<http://www.wyoptv.org/>."

Wyoming Democrats: Help wanted

Dems are looking for a few good field organizers:

Come work for the Wyoming Democratic Party! We are currently looking for regional field organizers to help develop and execute our field program in parts of Wyoming. Application deadline is Oct. 31. Click here for more!

Kucinich empties his pockets on Colbert

According to his campaign's e-mail newsletter, Dennis Kucinich will be appearing on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" this Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 8:30 p.m. This is Eastern Daylight Time. "The Colbert Report" comes on after midnight in the Rocky Mountain time zone. I usually catch it on repeats nightly at 9:30 p.m. So I'll have to wait until Wednesday.

Says the press release:

Throughout this presidential campaign, Dennis has talked about serious issues affecting this country, such as the war in Iraq, the eradication of our civil liberties, the healthcare crisis and other important problems. This Tuesday, we will have the opportunity to see the comical side of Dennis, as he accepts Stephen Colbert's challenge to Empty his Pockets!

The Kucinich web site is www.dennis4president.com

Poetry meets centering prayer

My old pal Dick Lechman, poet and owner of Grandfather Books in Arvada, Colo., is starting a new adventure. Dick has always been interested in writing as a spiritual quest. He 's launching Desert in the City. Here's info on his first gathering:

Desert in the City, at 5612 Olde Wadsworth in Arvada, is sponsoring a Contemplative Centering Prayer Night which includes writers checking in on spiritual search and how their writing affects themselves and the broader community. We eventually will read aloud our own writing in turn. Meetings held each Wednesday, 7-9 p.m. Initial goal is 10-12 men and women (preferably seniors 50-75, 40 minimum age) who are writers. Second goal is to plan renting permanent housing to form Desert in the City as a non-profit. Oct 17 is the first meeting. Visiting writers any age welcome.

FMI: Dick Lechman, zorrolechman@qwest.net

Dems remember Jim Byrd on Saturday

Laramie County Democrats and the Democratic Grassroots Coalition co-host a chili dinner to celebrate the legacy of Dem activist Jim Byrd on Saturday, Oct. 13, 6-9 p.m., at the VFW Club, 2816 E. 7th Street (off of Nationway). There's no admission, but a donation of $10 is requested. The funds go toward electing Democrats in 2008.

Food includes homemade chili, hot dogs for the kids, beverages and desserts. Entertainment will be provided by Las Flores de Colores, the talented Cheyenne folklorico dance troupe that's on the Wyoming Arts Council roster; musician Steve Ganison; and guitarist Earl Janeck.

FMI: Nicole Novotny, LCD secretary.

Back off, Jimmy. Dick had better things to do than go to Vietnam.

Former President Jimmy Carter made some waves yesterday when he stated the obvious: the U.S. does torture its detainees.

He also ripped the almost-invisible Dick Cheney a new one. Not to say that Democrats are the only ones ashamed of Cheney's actions over the past six years or so. Republicans, except for a select few, also don't want to be seen with him in public. He's dropped into secretive, invitation-only events in his adopted hometown of Jackson, and he also popped into the right-wing Christian conclave held recently in The Kingdom of Deseret. Other than that, he's keeping a low profile.

Still, Jimmy Carter (a U.S. Navy veteran) had a few choice words about Dick. This excerpt was taken from the Houston Chronicle:

In an interview that aired Wednesday on BBC, Carter ripped Vice President Dick Cheney as "a militant who avoided any service of his own in the military."

Carter went on to say Cheney has been "a disaster for our country. I think he's been overly persuasive on President George Bush."

Cheney spokeswoman Megan Mitchell declined to speak to Carter's allegations. "We're not going to engage in this kind of rhetoric," she said.

No, Cheney would never engage in that kind of rhetoric. He's based his entire career on it, from the Wyoming Legislature to The World Stage.

Run, Barbara, Run!

Wyoming Democrats eagerly await another crack at U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin in 2008. Gary Trauner came within a thousand vottes of beating her last time. Calamaties in her personal life have combined to make her even less viable in 2008.

Here's the latest from a story in today's Casper Star-Tribune:

U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin has missed almost half of all House votes this year, staying away from the Capitol due to her husband's illness, her brother's death and her own broken foot.

"It has been an extraordinarily difficult year for our family," Cubin, R-Wyo., said from Wyoming Medical Center in Casper Tuesday, where Dr. Frederick "Fritz" Cubin is scheduled to undergo another surgery this week. "No one regrets the votes that I've missed more than I do.

"Cubin, a Republican, has missed 427 votes this year, or 45 percent. That's the third highest percentage in the House, and the top two -- Republican Reps. Charlie Norwood of Georgia and Jo Ann Davis of Virginia -- are both deceased.

The average number of missed votes per member is 3.9 percent, according to The Washington Post database.

Cubin, who was first elected to the House in 1994, says she is frustrated by rumors and reports that she may not seek re-election in 2008.

"At this point in time I absolutely intend to run again," she said.