Here's How it Really Was

"Geez," I said to Mark Lazar as I looked around the crowded room. "I'm beginning to think Bush was the best thing that ever happened to the Democratic Party." You could see the wheels turning in Lazar's head. When it come to nuance, Mark makes John Kerry look like the King of Soundbites.

"Why, yes, Spacedark [*click, *click], I suppose in a sense, you're [*click, *click] right . . . " But you couldn't help feeling the love & righteous anger in the room, couldn't help noting the microcosm of the unity & newfound strength of will that was going on nationwide and most of all in Boston.

Kerry's speech drew from the Panhandlians a religious fervor complete with Hallelujahs and Amens that were perfectly appropriate responses to a speech that retook God & Flag and put the Republicans on notice that we would no longer allow them to usurp religion & patriotism for their own nefarious purposes.

And, according to Lazar, this wasn't even the only Democratic event in town. Apparently, there was another house party going on with "at least forty to fifty" people in attendance!

It was a lovely night. Judge Abe Lopez, State Senate candidate Elaine King-Miller, Justice of the Peace Nancy Bosquez and others held court in various sections of the building. Young Jennie from AC Young Democrats was an excellent bartender as always and also interviewed well for the local Fox affiliate, appearing young and enthused for the cameras. That's right, Fox showed up. The local Fox and NBC affiliates are two sides of the same coin, so we were on two of the local stations. Shame and infamy should rain on KVII (semi) ProNews 7 and KFDA NewsChannel 10 (news10@newschannel10.com).

And, yes, I know I used the word "young" about three times up there, but it's so freaking fantastic to see youth in this party again. I stormed for Dean up in Iowa, so I knew it was happening, but if young people are looking at the Dems in Amarillo, they're lookin' everywhere. Yep. Bush was the best thing that could have happened to the Democratic party.

SPACEDARK

Media on Notice

Ms. Dickerson,



Regarding your column in today's AGN;   

Thank you for your reporting on the opening of the Democratic Headquarters 

in Amarillo. However, you left too soon. As a result, you printed an error. 

You state that 70 people attended.  Actually, it was over 200 hundred.  



Attendees and organizers said that they had never seen so many people 

show up at a democratic event here.

 

Shouldn't that have been an important reportable fact in such a (supposedly) 

all-republican Texas panhandle?



I look forward to your correction and follow up reports on the success of 

Democrats in our great part of the country.

Sincerely Accurate in Journalism yours,

-Panhandle Truth Squad

E: PTS

W: PTS

President John Kerry

Sounds good doesn't it?

Kerry's speech was amazing. Powerful. We are united Americans who are also Democrats.



Some of my favs:
_________________________________________

"I don't wear my religion on my sleeve, but faith has given me values and hope to live by, from Vietnam to this day, from Sunday to Sunday. I don't want to claim that God is on our side. As Abraham Lincoln told us, I want to pray humbly that we are on God's side. "
__________________________________________

"I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war. I will have a vice president who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws. I will have a secretary of defense who will listen to the best advice of the military leaders. And I will appoint an attorney general who will uphold the Constitution of the United States."
___________________________________________

" I want an America that relies on its ingenuity and innovation, not the Saudi royal family."
___________________________________________

"In the weeks ahead, let's be optimists, not just opponents. Let's build unity in the American family, not angry division. Let's honor this nation's diversity. Let's respect one another. And let's never misuse for political purposes the most precious document in American history, the Constitution of the United States."
___________________________________________


Please give of yourselves to help elect the man who can turn America's face toward a more secure and prosperous future.


WE NEED A PRESIDENT KERRY!

What do you think? Comment below!

-Prodigal Son

Demo Headquarters Opening

Potter-Randall Democratic Headquarters will be opening on Thursday night, 5:30 pm, at 18th and Polk.  A conference call with John Edwards will be at 6:00 pm.  The convention coverage begins at 7:00 pm, with the highlight of the week, John Kerry's speech at 8:00 pm.  Hope to see all PTSers there!

Will Farrell back as Shrub !

Take 5 minutes out today and laugh.

Here is Will Farrell doing the Dubya he does best. Hilarious!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW


-PRODIGAL SON

AGN Headlie of the Day

Turns out both Prodigal Son and R. Spacedark were wrong about Barack Obama's beautiful and patriotic keynote speech at the Democratic convention.

Turns out Obama's just a big hater.

At least according to the Amarillo Globe-News which ran an AP story about the speech under the headline "Keynote speaker jabs at Bush." 

And, on this rare occasion, Panhandle Truth Squad acknowledges that the AGN is right, that they got something out of the speech that we missed.  Underneath the main headline, the AGN ran a sub-headline that states "Illinois state senator says Americans want a shot at life."

Okay, now we get it.  That was a subtle jab at Bush, because we all know Bush rightly thinks all Americans want a shot at death.  Thanks for clearing that up, AGN.

But what was up with running the most unflattering, lopsided photo of Obama you could find on the front page of the print edition?  Sheesh.

SPACEDARK

Barack Obama

B.A. nailed it last night.  I was wiping away tears.  Caused by pride in the nation I live in, pride in the reaffirmation of the values that makes us a light on the hill to so many, and pride in a party that is united like never before.
 
My favorite line?
"A belief that we are connected as one people. If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for her prescription and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandmother. If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. It's that fundamental belief-I am my brother's keeper, I am my sisters' keeper-that makes this country work. It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. "E pluribus unum." Out of many, one." . . .
 
Yep.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE TEXT OF THE SPEECH
 
-Prodigal Son

Would've Been Perfect if They'd Only Sent Scarborough to Cover the Tour de France

Another good night of speeches from Boston.  Teresa Heinz Kerry did what she needed to do, framing her attackers as the sort of insecure muscleheads who call any strong woman a bitch:

My right to speak my mind, to have a voice, to be what some have called "opinionated" is a right I deeply and profoundly cherish.  And my only hope is that one day soon, my only hope is that, one day soon, women, who have all earned their right to their opinions instead of being labeled opinionated will be called smart and well-informed, just like men. 

Ron Reagan delivered a solid speech on stem-cell research which was heartfelt and strongly worded but notable mostly because it was Ron Reagan speaking at the Democratic convention.  I've liked Ron Reagan ever since he parodied Risky Business on Saturday Night Live, but his speech was clearly the weakest of the evening.  MSNBC's Chris Mathews, however, gave it the most gushing praise.  Why?  Easy: the man's a colleague.

Speaking of media whores, it's been a little gruesome listening to Joe Scarborough criticize Heinz Kerry's and Bill and Hillary Clinton's morals.  Hey, Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand?  Hey, Joe, at least Bill C. didn't murder Monica Lewinsky.

It is impossible, however, to overstate the brilliance of the keynote speech, given by the first African-American President, Barack Obama.  The speech had great, quotable moments . . .

We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states. We coach little league in the blue states and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states.

. . . but it wasn't a soundbite speech.  It was what I had begun to think we'd never hear again in American politics: poetry.  I wasn't sure about the "keep it positive at the convention" edicts we heard about (and the speakers haven't completely resisted the urge to take some underhanded swipes at Bush, thank God), but after hearing Heinz Kerry and Obama rhapsodize about America, after having to wipe the tears from my eyes, after hearing even the pundits (Scarborough excepted) get caught up in the red-white-and-blueness of it all, I'm beginning to think it was a good idea. 

To everything there is a season.  Loved Fahrenheit 9-11.  But I'm also loving this classy, elegant reminder that the flag doesn't belong to the Republicans.

SPACEDARK

Boston . . . nuff said!

WOW!  is all I can say about yesterday's speeches at the DNC convention.
 
There was a classy, moving tribute to the victims of 9/11 that will make the September Republican schlockfest in NYC look like the shameless exploitation it will be. 
 
It was clear from the Fleet Center crowd that they were going to be very unlike Democrats usually are. This year, it's all about winning, and outfoxing Karl Rove and his brown shirts.
 
First, a Vietnam swiftboat crewmate of John Kerry's, Reverend David Alston, brought the house down with his forceful account of Kerry's heroics.
 
President Carter's speech was amazing also.
 
And then it was time for the Big Dog . . . 
Clinton left the wimpy, mommy's boy, rich kid Bush in the dust. The guy could swat away Bush's inability to handle world affairs like a mosquito.  I doubt there is even one other person alive today who can give a speech like Bill Clinton.  He makes Bush sound like the village idiot he is.
 
CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEOS FROM LAST NIGHT
 
(Video links are under "Video/Audio" section)
 
-Prodigal Son

Back to School

Oh, dear.

Once again we're going to have to remind the editors of the Amarillo Globe-News of some of the lessons they have forgotten from the English classes they skipped in their misspent youths.

In this mornings "Monday Briefing," the editors are shocked that Jadakiss, a rapper, has included a line on his latest CD that asks "Why did Bush knock down the towers?" The AGN editors expose Jadakiss's horrible, horrible hypocrisy by pointing out that he

admits he doesn't really think the president is responsible for 9/11, but rather the lyrics are "a metaphor."

Makes sense to me, but then I'm an English teacher. It's kinda like when T.S. Eliot admitted that the yellow fog didn't really "lick it's tongue into the corners of the evening," or when Homer admitted that Dawn didn't really have "rosy fingers" or when the Beatles admitted that they didn't really live in a yellow submarine.

A metaphor, according to Holman & Harmon's invaluable Handbook to Literature is "an implied analogy imaginatively identifying one object with another." Bush is being imaginatively identified with a King Kong-like creature who can simply knock down buildings. By so identifying, Jadakiss invests Bush with monstrous qualities and evokes the true horror of this administration: the fact that, in Jadakiss's view and ours, Bush did not sufficiently protect this country from the nightmare of 9/11. See how that works?

But the editors say that the line is "a metaphor for money."

Um, no. It's not. That doesn't even make sense. Re-read the Holman and Harmon definition again.

SPACEDARK

When the CHIPs fall...

Is it possible that Republicans' kids never get sick? And what do 1,000 poor ones look like in Lubbock's ER?

We're about to find out, because 1300 Lubbock County and 1150 more local children who live at or slightly above the poverty line are being cut off their health insurance next month.

Writes John Reynolds in the Lubbock Avalanche:

The clock continues to tick for up to 1,368 Lubbock County children who will
be kicked out of the state Children's Health Insurance Program unless their families pay overdue premiums by Aug. 15. The number of children at risk of losing their benefits accounts for 44 percent of Lubbock County children enrolled in the CHIP program, according to figures supplied by the Lubbock-based West Texas CHIP Coalition.

In the 14 surrounding counties, 1,151 more children stand to lose their CHIP eligibility for overdue premium payments. Since September, the number of children enrolled in CHIP has de clined 29 percent, from 507,259 to 361,464 in July. In Lubbock County, the numbers show an even greater decline, according to figures provided by Suarez. The number of CHIP children in the county dropped 34 percent, from 4,718 to 3,127.

In related news, a HHS audit exposes that an insurance company made some money off CHIP for doing virtually nothing...oh, say $20 million or so.

Polly Ross Hughes of the Houston Chronicle reports:

The state failed in its responsibilities to the public by overpaying a contractor $20 million to manage the Children's Health Insurance Program, according to a highly critical state auditor's report released Thursday.

The 72-page report comes as nearly 150,000 children have lost CHIP coverage to budget cuts and accuses the state of "serious deficiencies" in its contracts and oversight of Clarendon National Insurance Co.

In the report, then-state Auditor Lawrence Alwin said the Health and Human Services Commission's lack of oversight and lax standards for the CHIP contractor for rural Texas led to "excessive or unnecessary" payments. The auditor's report specifically criticizes Clarendon's management pay and billing practices under the health commission contract.

Between May 2000 and April 2003, for instance, Clarendon's program manager received $5.5 million in fees that did not directly benefit CHIP, the report said. "Clarendon's not going to comment at this time, pending a review of the report," said Tom Faust of Stanton Crenshaw, a public relations firm
representing Clarendon.

OK, OK, OK...so Clarendon Insurance Company gets the gold mine and 2500 Panhandle kids get the shaft. Just imagine how many got it in Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, Houston or the Valley. Sure, it's such a political puppy-kicking that we'll get an investigation -- but the damage is done.

That money was taken from CHIP, and now, because (surprise!) families at the poverty level can't keep up with spiraling healthcare costs, their kids will go without. Some will die.

Put that in your actuarial tables.

Pants on Fire

In todays amarillo globe news, Chuck Jones, who is dean of students for Trinity Fellowship Christian School, lies to the general public.

Here it is. . . " We must realize, however, that more than half of the country's voters voted against Gore in 2000" . . . CLICK HERE TO VIEW COLUMN

This is a COMPLETE lie, as Gore received 500, 000 MORE popular votes than Shrub.

What is disturbing is that this guy was a delegate in the electoral college, and he spouts inaccurate info on the 2000 election. And further that he is Dean of a Christian School, teaching kids this garbage.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE REAL STORY ON THE HIJACKING OF OUR DEMOCRACY BY UNINFORMED RUBES LIKE MR. JONES.

Here's the contact info for Trinity Fellowship Christian School, if you feel so moved to help Mr. Jones discover the truth:

(806) 355-7207
reneewhitaker@tfchurch.org

I know I will be writing AND calling. Our kids need to know what really happened in 2000.

-Prodigal Son

Well, my pop-up blocker still isn't working, and this morning I got blasted in my face by a stars-and-stripes infested ad demanding

"YOUR OPINION IS NEEDED!!!  JOHN F. KERRY OR GEORGE W. BUSH!!!"

And then the attention-getting

"WIN A PLASMA TV!!!!!" 

Hm. Maybe that's the solution to 50% voter-participation rates.

SPACEDARK

Short Version

Well, I'll soon be back posting political, but first a word about my absence from posting.  In the process of a move, I changed Internet providers.  I won't say to which company, but they go by initials that stand for nothing.  This isn't a fly-by-night company, it's a very big and old company.  I was supposed to be hooked up last Thursday, but that didn't happen.  Three separate technicians were sent to my apartment to "fix" the problem.  That's appropriate because, in setting up my service, at least three separate major mistakes were made.  The techs helped only in the same sense as a three-year-old when he says "I help."  That is to say, not at all.  But I am finally back online-- sort of.  My e-mail still isn't working because the site for the company I won't mention by name is down, but when I am able to receive mail, my e-mail will be my screen name at sbcglobal.net.  Oops-- did I give it away?

SPACEDARK

CALL TO ACTION !

Call to action from PANHANDLE TRUTH SQUAD:
 
The house ethics committee meets today to hear the case against crook Tom Delay, R-TX.
 
DeLay possibly helped direct illegal corporate contributions to influence Texas legislative races in 2002; sought a corporate contribution from a Kansas company in return for legislative favors; and improperly called on federal resources to search for missing state legislators during congressional redistricting.
 
Below is the contact info for the members house ethics committee. 
If you feel so moved, give 'em a call and ask them to throw the book at that thug DeLay.

rep. joel hefley (r-co), chairman 202-225-4422
rep. don hastings, (r-wa) (202) 225-5816
rep. judy biggert, (r-il) 202-225-3515
rep. kenny hulshof, (r-mo) (202) 225-2956
rep. steven latourette, (r-oh) (202) 225-5731  
 
rep. alan b. mollohan, (d- wv)  ranking minority member (202) 225-4172
rep. stephanie tubbs jones, (d-oh) (202) 225-7032
rep. gene green, (d-tx) (202) 225-1688
rep. lucille roybal-allard, (d-ca) (202) 225-1766
rep. michael f. doyle, (d-pa) 202-225-2135

Email us back any interesting responses, and GOOD LUCK ! !

-Panhandle Truth Squad

Darwin 2004

Monkey Apes Humans by Walking on Two Legs. CLICK HERE TO SEE 


 
All you evolution deniers out there, whadda ya think of that?

Thought this was cool.
 
-PTS 

I'm a WAR PREZNIT . . .

 

Then:
"I'm a war president. I make decisions here in the Oval Office in foreign policy matters with war on my mind." 
- President Bunnypants, 2/8/04 
 
Now: 
"I want to be the peace president." 
- President "Iraq ain't so popular anymore", 7/20/04 
 
Who's a flip-flopper? 
 
Oh, and by-the-by, Bush's war has passed the 900th dead soldier mark.
900 soldiers of whom Shrub is not worthy of licking their boots. 
 
-Panhandle Truth Squad

Bush At Work

100 POSTS ! WOOHOO !

Yep, we have posted 100 times !  Cool, eh?
 
And the last email membership campaign signed up 5 more folks from the panhandle. Thanks to all !  Keep sending 'em our way.
 
2 quickie news items this am:
______________________________________________________________________
-The good little Republican white-washers have decided to postpone an investigation into whether the Shrub administration outed a covert CIA ant-terrorism agent just to get back at her husband.  CLICK HERE   Hellloooooo Democrats. . . you out there?
 
Shouldn't voters know whether  Mr. "Making the world safe from 'terra'" committed a felony BEFORE they step into the voting booth?  Hey, just asking.
_______________________________________________________________________
-True to their Corporate paymasters, the 24-7 news cycle media has jumped on the pseudo-scandal involving Sandy Berger.  It was the top story on all channels this am.
CLICK HERE and judge for yourself why this is coming out now. 
 
NOW FOR THE BIG NEWS !
________________________________________________
David Van O's, one of the candidates that Howard Dean's PAC is backing, found his way to our little campfire here and signed up.  Surf around and see what's David's about: CLICK HERE TO SEE DAVID VAN O's WEB PAGE
 
He is a Democrat running for Texas Supreme Court, and we have to get this guy into office!!!!
 
PTS will be working with his Area Coordinator.  But there IS something you can do now.
 
Contribute a few bucks to David.  CLICK HERE and don't forget to mention Panhandle Truth Squad, so we can track the amount sent in by the good folks up here.
 
-Panhandle Truth Squad

Sorry for the light posting

Check back later today!
 
-PTS

Veterans vs. Bush

The Shrubistas constantly proclaim that they are for "Supporting our Troops"

Uh, no. Not really.

EVERYONE should print the following article out and hand it to any Vet they know.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW BUSH'S IDEA OF TROOP SUPPORT



-Panhandle Truth Squad

Bush Might Cancel Elections in November!

Yep, this ain't no joke.

In the July 19 edition of Newsweek, Mikey Isikoff reveals that Tom Ridge is exploring what would be needed to be done to postpone the fall presidential election, if there were to be a terrorist attack:

. . ."American counter-terrorism officials, citing what they call "alarming" intelligence about a possible Qaeda strike inside the United States this fall, are reviewing a proposal that could allow for the postponement of the November presidential election in the event of such an attack, NEWSWEEK has learned"... CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Some of Bushistas analysts have even said that, "they [Al Qaeda] want to interfere with the elections."

Ever since the conservatives in Spain were ousted in the wake of last spring's bombings, Shrub's supporters have suggested that the Spanish election results represented a "victory" for our terrorist enemies -- who might, they warn, attempt a similar coup here.

Hint, hint. Wink, wink. Get what they are saying? A vote against President Bush would be, in essence, a vote for Osama bin Laden.

How cynical is this!! How despicable is this!! The Bush thugs will say/do anything to remain in power.

Even during the US civil war, Lincoln did not postpone elections.

Your thoughts? CLICK HERE TO LET FLY

-Prodigal Son

Now This Is Funny!

This about sums it up! 

-Panhandle Truth Squad

Your Taxes at Work

Did you know that your tax money, through American Forces Radio, is paying for Rush Rumproar to be broadcast to our troops?

The same Rush who calls you a traitor to your country for pointing out Iraq is Fubar?

The same Rush who called Chelsea Clinton the "White House Dog"?

The same thrice divorced, felonious, hillbilly heroin drug addict who allegedly doctor shopped for his oxycontin, and who day after day after day lies about EVERYTHING?

Yep. That's that one.

Know how many liberal radio folks are on? ZIP!

Think that stinks? CLICK HERE TO SIGN A PETITION requesting some balance on AFRTS.

Media Matters is on top of this.

-Prodigal Son

Did anyone see "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart"

. . . last night?

Jon's interview of Wolfie "I have no journalistic integrity" Blitzer was BRILLIANT!

An Excerpt: . . .

STEWART: So what does the media do differently [now]?

BLITZER: I think we learned from our mistakes and try to do it better next time.

STEWART: Specifically.

BLITZER: Specifically, we learned from our mistakes and try to do it better next time. We look back and we say, "You know what, we should have been more skeptical."

STEWART: But...Wolf...Come on! It was a...

BLITZER: We're trained to be skeptical by our very nature, that's what journalists...

STEWART: Why weren't you? Because people...

BLITZER: I think we could have been more skeptical, I think we...

STEWART: Are they afraid of the Bush administration? Is the Bush administration so ham-handed that - ham-handed, and this is coming from a Jew who knows nothing of ham - but are they so forceful that they have intimidated the press corps into NOT asking those questions?

BLITZER: No. The answer's no.

STEWART: So...is the press corps, and again I'm gonna use the word, suffering from groupthink? OR...OR...or another word, retardation?

(Audience explodes in cheers as Stewart grabs Blitzer by the shoulder and rocks him)

STEWART: Come on! Tell me the truth! I want to know! I'm really curious. I'm baffled.

BLITZER: It's groupthink. Not retardation. You know, when you're told repeatedly - and I was told going into the [Kuwait] war...everybody said the same thing. There is no doubt, there are stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and it's only a matter of time before he has a nuclear bomb. Condoleezza Rice said on my show..."We can't wait for a smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud." You remember that?

STEWART: And as it turns out, Pakistan had already sold mushroom cloud material to every country in the area BUT Iraq! It's crazy! The whole thing's crazy!

BE SURE TO WATCH THE REPEAT TONIGHT ON COMEDY CENTRAL!

-PRODIGAL SON

Delay gets the smack down!

100 years ago Texas realized that corporate cash (mostly from the railroads) was corrupting the political process.

So we outlawed it. No corporate donations may be spent on a political campaign in Texas.

Tom DeLay, in addition to using childrens charities to raise funds for his election, is now being investigated for using Enron donations to help Rethugs in 2002 and subvert the redistricting process.

(BTW, I thought that the killer D's should have holed up in the Alamo during the redistricting fight! LOL.)

DeLay needs to be measured for an orange jumpsuit ASAP!

READ HERE and MORE HERE ON KOS

-PRODIGAL SON

New 2004 Bumpersticker

Anyone seen Shrub's new bumper sticker?





Seem harsh? Whadda ya think? CLICK HERE and chat away!

-Panhandle Truth Squad

What He Said . . .

Yep, Bush actually said this. Hello irony;

. . . "[W]e need to bolster human intelligence. In other words, one of the best ways to figure out what the enemy is thinking is to get to know the enemy firsthand, I guess is the best way to put it -- is to have as much human intelligence as possible. Good quality intelligence and enough human intelligence agents, assets out there so that we can cover the globe." . . . CLICK HERE

Whadda ya say we start at the top Chimpster!

-PRODIGAL SON

Who WRITES Those Headlines?

On page 6A of the Friday News-Globe the headline reads "House stands by Bush, Keeps Patriot Act." Well, before the house stood by Bush, it voted down the amendment, then the Republican leadership kept open the normal time limit of 15 minutes for 20 MORE MINUTES, so the "Hammer" DeLay and his cronies could brow-beat their weaker members into submission to make the vote 210 to 210. The Globe-News headline writer calls this STANDING BY BUSH?
GIVE ME A BREAK!

The Liberalator

Quote of the Week !

Say it far and wide !

"You need two Johns to flush the crap out of the White House."
-As seen on BARTCOP.

LOL!

-Panhandle Truth Squad

You Are a Terrorist

Amarillo Resident Evelyn Wells says in this AM's Amarillo Globe News that if you disgree with the Chimp in Chief, YOU ARE A TERRORIST.

. . ."The anti-gun crowd, anti-Bushers and the freedom-hating political, Hollywood and media elite want you to surrender your independence and hand over your hard-earned wages on the promise that the government or society will take care of you. They oppose freedom for everyone but themselves.

They are the real terrorists when they speak out against Bush, the Second Amendment and freedom of speech (for everyone but themselves)". . .

CLICK HERE TO READ THE PAGE FULL OF LIBERAL HATING

How does that make you feel? What, you didn't know you hated freedom? You didn't know you hated your country?

Don't know about you, but I've had enough of conservatives being allowed to spew this bullsh** over and over and over unchecked.

Join me in letting the AGN know what liberals believe, rather than let a right wing hater speak for us. CLICK HERE TO EMAIL YOUR RESPONSE.

And email us your responses and we will post them anonymously.
Our email address is panhandletruthsquad@yahoo.com

Go get the bastar**.

-Prodigal Son

Results Are In !

I have inside info that the Amarillo Globe News was overwhelmed by responses to their asinine Fahrenheit 9-11 movie review by area letter writers calling them on the carpet.

Methinks it might be because OF THIS!

Great work folks! We CAN make a difference.

-Prodigal Son

The Editors Have Moved to the FRONT PAGE

The Wednesday, July 7th Amarillo-Globe News has decided to quit factually reporting and start editorializing on their front page -IN THE HEADLINE no less! The first statement "Kerry seeks balance with Edward" is a straight-forward fact. Then "Demos still could come up empty" - so could the republicans! - strictly editorializing! Come on Eds, your bias is showing! Give me a break!

The Liberalator

More John Edwards

Did you hear? John Edwards is one of those TRIAL LAWYERS!

Yeah, he was, and check out one his best cases. CLICK HERE

. . ."The defining case in Edwards' legal career wrapped up that same year. In 1993, a five-year-old girl named Valerie Lakey had been playing in a Wake County, N.C., wading pool when she became caught in an uncovered drain so forcefully that the suction pulled out most of her intestines. She survived but for the rest of her life will need to be hooked up to feeding tubes for 12 hours each night." . . .

Read this article, and ask yourself, "Whose side do you think the Bushistas would be on?"

BTW, Aren't they trying to cap damages for malpractice?

Texas passed this law. Any doctor out there seen his malpractice insurance cost drop? Anyone . . . anyone?

-Panhandle Truth Squad

In your FACE Rethugs!

As predicted, the right has jumped into scared sh*tless mode, and begun their attacks on our boy, John Edwards.
So far?

-Edwards is 'inexperienced'

-Edwards is a 'liberal'

-Edwards doesn't support our troops.

They are even using their poster boy McCain, a decent guy for a right winger, to try and hammer Edwards.

Well, I'm callin' 'em out on their boolsheet with a little truth disinfectant! Here we go. . .

-Edwards is 'inexperienced'
September 28, 1999 "McCain's speech today implied that Bush was a glib, inexperienced lightweight."

-Edwards is a 'liberal'
April 2, 2004"I think the Democratic Party is a fine party, and I have no problems with it, in their views and their philosophy," he (John McCain) said."

-Edwards doesn't support our troops
How is this for a record? (sorry this is so long peeps)

Cheney Proposed to Cut Defense Programs Vital to Recent Military Operations

Cheney Proposed Cutting F-16 Aircraft. In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, Cheney said, "If you're going to have a smaller air force, you don't need as many F-16s...The F-16D we basically continue to buy and close it out because we're not going to have as big a force structure and we won't need as many F-16s." According to the Boston Globe, Bush's 1991 defense budget "kill[ed] 81 programs for potential savings of $ 11.9 billion...Major weapons killed include[d]....the Air Force's F-16 airplane." [Cheney testimony, House Armed Services Committee, 2/7/91; Boston Globe, 2/5/91]

Cheney Proposed Cuts to B-2 Program. According to the Boston Globe, in 1990, "Defense Secretary Richard Cheney announced a cutback... of nearly 45 percent in the administration's B-2 Stealth bomber program, from 132 airplanes to 75..." [Boston Globe, 4/27/90]

Cheney Proposed Cutting AH-64 Apaches. In testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Defense Subcommittee, Cheney said, "This is just a list of some of the programs that I've recommended termination: the V-22 Osprey, the F-14D, the Army Helicopter Improvement Program, Phoenix missile, F-15E, the Apache helicopter, the M1 tank, et cetera." In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, Cheney said, "The Army, as I indicated in my earlier testimony, recommended to me that we keep a robust Apache helicopter program going forward, AH-64...I forced the Army to make choices...So I recommended that we cancel the AH-64 program two years out." [Cheney testimony, Senate Appropriations Committee, Defense Subcommittee, 6/12/90; Cheney Testimony, House Armed Services Committee, 7/13/89, emphasis added]

Cheney Proposed Cutting M-1 Abrams Tanks. In testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Defense Subcommittee, Cheney said, "This is just a list of some of the programs that I've recommended termination: the V-22 Osprey, the F-14D, the Army Helicopter Improvement Program, Phoenix missile, F-15E, the Apache helicopter, the M1 tank, et cetera." The Boston Globe reported on the impact of Cheney's cuts to armored tanks: "The Army's cupboard is left particularly bare. Coming in the wake of last year's killing of the M-1 tank and the Apache helicopter, the death of the M-2 means the Army will soon have virtually no major weapons in production." [Cheney testimony, Senate Appropriations Committee, Defense Subcommittee, 6/12/90; Boston Globe, 2/5/91]

Cheney Proposed Cutting B-52 Bombers. In 1990, Cheney proposed cutting 14 B-52 bombers. Cheney also sought the retirement of two Navy battleships, two nuclear cruisers, and eight nuclear-powered attack submarines. In 1991, Cheney scrapped the Navy's A-12 Stealth attack plane, a fighter that was proclaimed to be a key part of the future of navy aviation in advanced stealth technology. [Newsday, 2/5/91; NY Times, 1/8/91; Boston Globe, 4/27/90; Boston Globe, 1/30/90]

Cheney's Record as Secretary of Defense also Includes Cutting Troops and Bases

Cheney Cut Thousands of Active-Duty, Reserve, and Civilian Forces. In January 1990, Cheney banned the hiring of any new civilian personnel in the Defense Department through the end of September, which left more than 65,000 jobs vacant. Under the budget proposed in 1990, the Pentagon would have reduced active military personnel by 38,000; selected reserves would have fallen by 3,000. The budget called for the deactivation of two Army divisions. Long range, the Pentagon planned to reduce its work force by 300,000, including about 200,000 military personnel and 100,000 civilians. In 1991, he called for reduction of 200,000 active and reserve military personnel over two years. In 1992, Cheney called for cutting 500,000 active-duty people, 200,000 reservists, and 200,000 civilians over five years. [Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 2/2/92; Chicago Tribune, 2/20/91; 1990 CQ Almanac, p. 672; Washington Post, 1/13/90; Boston Globe, 1/30/90]

Active-Duty and Reserve Forces Endured Huge Reductions Under Cheney. The LA Times reported in November 1991 that the number of active-duty military personnel had decreased by over 106,000, or 5 percent of the total forces. The National Guard and Reserves had been cut by nearly 38,000, instead of the 105,000 the Bush Administration sought. [LA Times, 11/2/91]

Cheney Proposed Over 70 Base Closures. In 1990, Cheney proposed the closure of 72 domestic military installations and 12 overseas facilities. On April 12, 1991, Cheney proposed to close 31 major domestic military bases. The plan also called for shutting 12 smaller bases and reducing operations at 28 others. He submitted his list of closures to a commission on base closings on April 15, 1991. In 1992, Cheney proposed 70 overseas military base closures, three of which were in Turkey. [Aerospace Daily, 8/17/92; 1991 CQ Almanac, p. 427; Chicago Tribune, 1/30/90]

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Hey Right wing liars . . . who's soft on defense again? Yeah, that's what I thought.

-Prodigal Son

IT'S EDWARDS FOR VEEP!

John Kerry just announced that John Edwards will be his running mate!

This was a great move IMO. John is a true defender of the common person.

Expect the nutball right to start attacking his "inexperience". When you compare Crash-Cart Cheney's 'experience' (Corrupt ex-CEO, chicken hawk, and known WMD liar) to Edwards' I know which way I'm leaning.

CARE TO DISCUSS WITH OTHER PTS'ERS? CLICK HERE.

-Panhandle Truth Squad

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

The Constitution of the United States of America
Preamble:
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
-Thomas Jefferson

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.”
-Abraham Lincoln

"When I found I had crossed that line, [on her first escape from slavery, 1845] I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything."
-Harriet Tubman

"A man who will not labor to gain his rights, is a man who would not, if he had them, prize and defend them.
-Stephen Douglas

“True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.”
-Franklin D. Roosevelt

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
-Mahatma Ghandi

"I never did give anybody hell. I just told them the truth and they thought it was hell."
-Harry S. Truman

"There is nothing more dangerous than to build a society with a large segment of people in that society who feel that they have no stake in it; who feel that they have nothing to lose. People who have a stake in their society, protect that society, but when they don't have it, they unconsciously want to destroy it."
-Martin L. King

“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”
-John F. Kennedy

"The best way to enhance freedom in other lands is to demonstrate here that our democratic system is worthy of emulation."
James E. Carter

"There is nothing wrong in America that can't be fixed with what is right in America."
-Bill Clinton

-Panhandle Truth Squad

CALL TO ACTION !

Team,
At least one media outlet, the Amarillo Globe News, has had their say, now it's OUR turn.

It's time to tell the local media how important Fahrenheit 9-11 is to our national discourse, and how much Bush needs to be fired this November!

Some points (Just use your own words):
-It's not just people who agree with Michael Moore seeing this movie.
-Last Saturday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took his Nascar crew to see it.
-It's selling out to audiences near military bases.
-People are seeing it because the media has FAILED to keep us informed.
-If the media had spent A FRACTION of the time they spent rooting around in Clinton's zipper investigation Bush's Iraq war lies, OVER 800 SOLDIERS MIGHT BE ALIVE TODAY.
-Everyone should see this film, and make up their own minds about it.
-Bush exploited our fears after 9-11, a national tragedy, to push a far right agenda for monetary and political gain.

You can send a message at once to all media outlets in the area, using a right-wing site. (HA! So There!).

CLICK HERE TO USE THE SITE FOR THE PANHANDLE (Scroll down to the bottom!)

THANKS and GOOD LUCK!

Best,
Panhandle Truth Squad

Gov. Goodhair: Busted?

veddy veddy interesting. . .

A group of Democrats (and at least 1 Repub) are looking into possible impeachment hearings against Gov. Goodhair.

Rick Perry allegedly diverted funds from the lottery commission (which should be spent on our schools and kids) to pay for $250,000 in services from a Las Vegas law firm.

If true, this is an illegal expediture.

CLICK HERE FOR A LOOK


-Prodigal Son

Time to step up!

Thanks to all you PTS'ers out there, we now have 150 MEMBERS, and this site is averaging 40 HITS A DAY !! Let's keep going!

Think there are not enough of us to make a difference?

When MOVEON.ORG had a calling campaign, or 'virtual march' on Washington DC to protest the Iraq war lies, WE SWAMPED THE PHONE LINES. Over 1 MILLION people called and faxed their representatives.

That is what we are building here. You are NOT alone!

We are moving forward so PLEASE tell anyone you know about PTS, and ask them to shoot us their email address and join up.
(Our email address is panhandletruthsquad@yahoo.com)

You CAN and you ARE making a difference.

Thanks mucho,

-PANHANDLE TRUTH SQUAD