Clean Elections killed in the state Senate
Earlier today, during a budget hearing, the Massachusetts State Senate voted by voice vote to kill the Clean Elections law ["Senate votes to kill Clean Elections during ongoing budget debate"].
This is absolute despicable. The Clean Elections Law was supported by almost 70 percent of the people in 1998. I didn't support the law when it was put on the ballot; I didn't think there should be the strict qualifying contribution standards in the law which made it impossible for "normal" people to run. Advocates said during the 1998 campaign that without the qualifying contributions, the Legislature would kill the bill. Well, they killed it any way. But in reality, "normal" people can't get 6,000 qualifying contributions of between $5 and $100 from people to run for governor. Ask Green-Rainbow Party gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein about how hard it is for normal people to run as Clean Elections candidates. But, the people voted on it and the Legislature should have abided by the people. Same with the seat belt law that the Legislature, thankfully, were kept from implementing an enforcement mechanism into the law yesterday. However, like always, they didn't. They stuck their thumb in the eye of the voters and in a voice vote no less, so that none of us know how our senators voted. Sickening.

Liars, liars, and more liars ...
Just about everyone fibs at one time or another. A little fib here, another there, no problem. But when you start getting into the big lies, then you will have some problems. Below are some examples of some of the lies going on right now. So much for restoring "honor and integrity" to the White House, eh Mr. President?
"The Case for War is Blown Apart" The Brits are going absolutely haywire over the fact that no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq.
"Tax Law Omits Child Credit in Low-Income Brackets" Surprise, poor workers and families don't get jacksh*t in the Bush tax cut.
"Was the case for invasion built on deception?"
"Lying, Like Gambling, is a Virtue: The Republican Party 2004 Playbook"
"Will new jobs-counting method affect 2004 election? Change in Labor methodology could alter perception of employment health" This article is a must read: Corporations cut over 500,000 jobs over three months and the feds decide to count military workers for the first time in history in order to doctor the job numbers. Give me a break. However, the unemployment numbers have always been doctored in one way or another. The real unemployment numbers are much higher than most people think. Accurate "unemployment" numbers would include people who aren't working, people in prison, people who were collecting but fell off the rolls, etc.