As far as upstart paoliticians

Martin O'Malley has done a good job in Baltimore. He is rebuilding a city that has plenty of issues in a resource crunch(Urban Amaerica, Oh My God!, Osama Bin Laden has effectively redirected our resources away from our problems there is no doubt). He has taken a strong stand on public education (a much more important battle than gun control in my opinion and worth investing effort in!) And, he fronts a pretty good Irish Band (O'Malleys March, google'm if you have not heard of them). I think he has done well at the City Level. How about a strong Woman other than Hillary, Any Thoughts?
I have seen Rep Eschoo on National news a couple of times. She has a good presence and i agreed with her words. Any info from Cal?

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This was emailed to me by an old friend in Oklahoma and after the discussion here I thought it would be appropriate. Its By Maureen Dowd, Pretty good rant!

The Red Zone
With the Democratic Party splattered at his feet in little blue puddles, John Kerry told the crushed crowd at Faneuil Hall in Boston about his concession call to President Bush.

"We had a good conversation," the senator said. "And we talked about the danger of division in our country and the need, the desperate need, for unity, for finding the common ground, coming together. Today I hope that we can begin the healing."

Democrat: Heal thyself.

W. doesn't see division as a danger. He sees it as a wingman.

The president got re-elected by dividing the country along fault lines of fear, intolerance, ignorance and religious rule. He doesn't want to heal rifts; he wants to bring any riffraff who disagree to heel.

W. ran a jihad in America so he can fight one in Iraq - drawing a devoted flock of evangelicals, or "values voters," as they call themselves, to the polls by opposing abortion, suffocating stem cell research and supporting a constitutional amendment against gay marriage.

Mr. Bush, whose administration drummed up fake evidence to trick us into war with Iraq, sticking our troops in an immoral position with no exit strategy, won on "moral issues."

The president says he's "humbled" and wants to reach out to the whole country. What humbug. The Bushes are always gracious until they don't get their way. If W. didn't reach out after the last election, which he barely grabbed, why would he reach out now that he has what Dick Cheney calls a "broad, nationwide victory"?

While Mr. Bush was making his little speech about reaching out, Republicans said they had "the green light" to pursue their conservative agenda, like drilling in Alaska's wilderness and rewriting the tax code.

"He'll be a lot more aggressive in Iraq now," one Bush insider predicts. "He'll raze Falluja if he has to. He feels that the election results endorsed his version of the war." Never mind that the more insurgents American troops kill, the more they create.

Just listen to Dick (Oh, lordy, is this cuckoo clock still vice president?) Cheney, introducing the Man for his victory speech: "This has been a consequential presidency which has revitalized our economy and reasserted a confident American role in the world." Well, it has revitalized the Halliburton segment of the economy, anyhow. And "confident" is not the first word that comes to mind for the foreign policy of a country that has alienated everyone except Fiji.

Vice continued, "Now we move forward to serve and to guard the country we love." Only Dick Cheney can make "to serve and to guard" sound like "to rape and to pillage."

He's creating the sort of "democracy" he likes. One party controls all power in the country. One network serves as state TV. One nation dominates the world as a hyperpower. One firm controls contracts in Iraq.

Just as Zell Miller was so over the top at the G.O.P. convention that he made Mr. Cheney seem reasonable, so several new members of Congress will make W. seem moderate.

Tom Coburn, the new senator from Oklahoma, has advocated the death penalty for doctors who perform abortions and warned that "the gay agenda" would undermine the country. He also characterized his race as a choice between "good and evil" and said he had heard there was "rampant lesbianism" in Oklahoma schools.

Jim DeMint, the new senator from South Carolina, said during his campaign that he supported a state G.O.P. platform plank banning gays from teaching in public schools. He explained, "I would have given the same answer when asked if a single woman who was pregnant and living with her boyfriend should be hired to teach my third-grade children."

John Thune, who toppled Tom Daschle, is an anti-abortion Christian conservative - or "servant leader," as he was hailed in a campaign ad - who supports constitutional amendments banning flag burning and gay marriage.

Seeing the exit polls, the Democrats immediately started talking about values and religion. Their sudden passion for wooing Southern white Christian soldiers may put a crimp in Hillary's 2008 campaign (nothing but a wooden stake would stop it). Meanwhile, the blue puddle is comforting itself with the expectation that this loony bunch will fatally overreach, just as Newt Gingrich did in the 90's.

But with this crowd, it's hard to imagine what would constitute overreaching.

Invading France?

Thanks Pat. I was worried when I heard about
Gonzales on the radio here, now I'm really worried.
Thanks PSBeaty. Great rave!! Am I having a nightmare???????
Trouble is OZ is following right behind!!
Johnnie is like Dubya'S puppy dog! I can't get my head around what's happening in both my countries. Is this a wake up call or what!!!!!

Someone mentioned overreach. Well, remember Oliver Cromwell? The people wanted him...er, at least they thought they did. Things will get worse before they get better. Not enough folks are unhappy or hurting enough yet. When that number becomes larger than those who are satisfied, then a reversal in the social spectrum will begin again.

John has a suggestion for the Dems. We were talkin about why so many married women voted for Dubya even after Oprah's speech and all. And about women just voting with their menfolk instead of thinking about it for themselves. He said " They need some good old fashioned Suffragettes (like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony) to get to the mid west and down south,in town halls and churches and get some conciousness- raising going on again! Let's go Shel, ruthie,(hey you live there, that's a good start!!!!!!!! Hee Hee.)If you get the half of the women in those states,who voted for Kerr to talk with the other half,who voted for Dubya we might have a chance next time!