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"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried." - Sir Winston Churchill

You can quibble about the definition of 'democracy' but the key is the vote.  Without the vote you have guaranteed tyranny.  You can expand the franchise or contract the franchise and your results may vary, but the government must absolutely be accountable to the people.  

"If you don't vote, you've got no right to complain." - Anonymous

First diary here, so go easy.

O.K., I admit, Rick Santorum, owner of the humiliating large defeat in Pennsylvania Senate election of 2006, didn't blame snowfall in Norway on gay marriage. But he might as well have. Channeling his best Kevin James of Chris Mathews fame, and without giving one bit of evidence to support his "conclusions", in an editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer Santorum blamed high out of wedlock first pregnancies and low heterosexual marriage rates in Norway on the legalization of gay marriage.

Anyone that has come to this site via Google knows my opinion of Matt Shaner.

I think he is the worst candidate in the race to represent Pennsylvania District 5 as a Congressman.

He seems woefully ill prepared, completely disconnected from the common voter, and incapable of sound judgement. But that's just my opinion.

Why should anyone in PA Congressional District 5 vote for a person who:

Thiscan't bode well for Hillary, especially if she is the nominee in November:

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has something in common with former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum. A large percentage of Pennsylvania voters dislike both of them.

In fact, greater percentages of voters here have consistently viewed Mrs. Clinton unfavorably than Mr. Santorum, according to a review of data from a respected statewide poll.

The data could buttress arguments by Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign that Mrs. Clinton, if she wins the Democratic presidential nomination, might not be able to defeat Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, in the Keystone State.

In one of the more hilariously ironic developments of Campaign '08, the Politico reports that the GOP is undertaking a crash course in diversity training of sorts.  Desperate to avoid another devastating "Macaca moment" in the fall campaign, the Republican National Committee is "working on plans to protect the GOP from charges of racism or sexism in the general election."  Unfortunately, that's a tall order for a fractured party united only by its common disdain for immigrants, blacks, gay Americans and above all, Muslims.  Like the proverbial leopard, the Party of Hate cannot change its spots.

I don't know about you, but I am getting real tired of Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell stepping on Democrats' toes at every opportunity. In my book, he has now placed a close third in that category, behind Joe Lieberman and DLC Chair Harold Ford, Jr.

In yesterday’s diary, I made a case for why George "Macacca" Allen would be a strategic choice for the Republican VP slot.   McCain lacks the conservative credentials and probably intends to serve only one term in office if elected.  So, for all intents and purposes, a McCain presidency would serve not only to perpetuate the Bush/Cheney regime and all its excesses, including torturing, but to keep the seat warm for a real conservative in 2012.  

I can't take credit for this delicious piece of hearsay.

...it turns out the guy sitting behind me was Rick Santorum, which makes it all the more fun and all the more interesting. So pretty much the whole trip this guy is working his cell phone, talking to people about how anyone is better than McCain and Giuliani would be better than McCain because then at least he wouldn't betray the conservative movement... yeah, Giuliani is bad on some issues like abortion, but at least he would stand with the conservative movement. He was saying that there are people like Susan Collins who vote moderate sometimes, but at least she is a team player who always plays with the team and never plays against the conservative side even if she has to give the liberals a vote because she's from Maine. But McCain will sometimes go against the team even when he doesn't have to.

This is going to be just a short heads up diary about a fascinating post that just went up at Open Left.  Mike Lux, a regular poster over there,  tells a humorous story about overheard conversations on the train from New York.

Let's jump over the flip for the quotes and link,

Forget terrorism. Bush, Cheney and their allies in Congress and the media are the biggest threat to our health and safety.

Book Review

I just finished "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army" by Jeremy Scahill. Scahill is an award-winning investigative journalist, who's reported from Iraq, the former Yugoslavia, and Nigeria. He writes a very compelling, very well researched book (the reference index is 45 pages long, citing articles and materials from all over the world.)

Folks, everyone here who's been reading this week about the gassing by Blackwater should read this book.  Check it out from the library (what I did) or buy it on Amazon (link: http://www.amazon.com/... or Powell's (link: http://www.powells.com/...

Thankfully, we won't be seeing Former Senator George Allen on any ballots in the near future.

In a statement to the Associated Press, Allen said he and his wife, Susan, "will always fondly recall our time in the Governor's Mansion as an unparalleled honor and a period of historic initiatives and transformational accomplishments for Virginians.

"Yet, as we look forward, we are excited about other significant ways we can serve and contribute outside of elected office. Therefore, I will not be a candidate for governor in 2009," he wrote.

Source: Bob Lewis Associated Press 1/8/08

In response to the tragic church shootings in Colorado, Family Research Council head Tony Perkins naturally pointed the finger of blame at the "secular media."  The senseless massacre of several deeply religious people by one of their own reflected, he claimed, "hostility that is being fomented in our culture from some in the secular media toward Christians."  Of course, Perkins has it almost exactly backwards.  Whether concerning abortion, gay Americans, immigration or judicial appointments, the line connecting the rhetoric of the Republican Party and the mainstream conservative movement to right-wing terror is a very short one.

There's more where this came from; I also asked him how serious he can really be about wanting nothing but the best for the Muslim world given the fact that he was so happy to go on the Rush "Abu Grahb was a frat prank" Limbaugh Show (and who can forget his "Gitmo Gear") - when he was seeking re-election.

There's actually quite a bit of funny stuff from this "meet-up"; it'll be a while before I can post it all...

Anyway, here's one question I had for him.  Funny, Rick "man on dog" Santorum had the same problem with my question that he's had with his St. Bernard's penis...  it made him choke.  

In Washington, House Minority Leader John Boehner is struggling to rebrand a downtrodden and disheartened Republican Party in time for the 2008 elections.  It's no wonder.  Its agenda stymied and burdened by an unpopular war and an even less popular President, the GOP is being pulverized in the polls.  And with its evangelical base splintered and big business supporters jumping ship, the only message seemingly uniting Republicans is disdain - of immigrants, of blacks, of gay Americans and above all, Muslims.  The GOP is now the Party of Hate.

Just when you thought he had crawled back under a rock on K Street. Ricky Sphintorum is back, writing a new regular column for the Phila. Inquirer - the largest paper in PA. The announcement was greeted with a number of letters to the editor that basically said: We defeated this guy in a landslide. What makes you think we want to read anything he has to say?

In the column, Santorum neglected to mention any of the media quotes involving man on dog sex or the new widely accepted definition of Santorum (if there are no children in the room, google "santorum" with "definition").

http://www.philly.com/...

Excerpts are below.

Let's see...Newspapers like the Philadelphia Inquirer are complaining that they are losing readership. Philadelphia is an overwhelmingly Democratic city. And yet, here is the announcement from the Philadelphia Inquirer, as reported by Editor & Publisher.

Rick Santorum is just the gift that keeps on giving. And now, after losing his senate seat and considering a run for president, he is seriously considering entertaining us again by running for governor in 2010..