My Cats Are Kissing!

Here are some assorted articles that don't really have any connection with each other except that they should definitely be of interest to you. So, first is this week's article from Arianna Hoffman. This week Arianna discusses, basically, the concept of 2 Americas, made famous by Vice Presidential nominee John Edwards, as well as a bit of advice for our friend John Kerry. Some quick little snippets:

Of course, leadership is about more than "a spine of tempered steel". It's about character, values, priorities, and a clear vision of where the country should be heading. So Kerry needs to offer a compelling, overarching narrative tying his strength -- and Bush's weakness -- on issues like jobs, the economy, the environment, and health care to his vision for America's future.

What's more, it's impossible to talk about the reality of the Two Americas without talking about Bush's miserable failures in Iraq, as Kerry did on Labor Day, pointing out to a crowd in Cleveland that this "wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time… cost all of you $200 billion that could have gone to schools, could have gone to health care, could have gone to prescription drugs, could have gone to our Social Security."

The people who flock to John Kerry's rallies know the truth. People like Lori Sheldon, a 45-year old mother of two who approached Kerry at a Labor Day rally in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania where he spoke of the struggle of middle-class Americans no longer even trying to get ahead but just to hang on.

You can read the entire article of Heroes And Villains: Reframing The 2004 Race here.

Next on our plate is a speech made by the government's former anti-terrorism chief Richard Clarke at Berkeley Tuesday night. He basically describes how he believes the so-called war on terror has been a disaster. You can read the entire article via Common Dreams here. It is titled War Against Terror is a Failure, Ex-White House Official Says.

Molly Ivins' article appeared today too. Today's article, The Nerve of Bush can also be accessed via Common Dreams. In a nutshell, she discusses how Bush continues to stump at his speeches about how good things in Iraq are and the economy is when in reality they really aren't. You can read the entire article through the link above.

Finally, one of the best and very important pieces I came across today...I figured I'd save the best for last. Former President Jimmy Carter wrote a letter to Democrat Zell Miller (GA) that spoke venomously last week at the RNC against the Democrats. Some clips from his letter...

Everyone knows that you were chosen to speak at the Republican National Convention because of your being a "Democrat," and it's quite possible that your rabid speech damaged our party and paid the GOP some transient dividends.

Perhaps more troublesome of all is seeing you adopt an established and very effective Republican campaign technique of destroying the character of opponents by wild and false allegations. The Bush campaign's personal attacks on the character of John McCain in South Carolina in 2000 was a vivid example. The claim that war hero Max Cleland was a disloyal American and an ally of Osama bin Laden should have given you pause, but you have joined in this ploy by your bizarre claims that another war hero, John Kerry, would not defend the security of our nation except with spitballs. (This is the same man whom you described previously as "one of this nation's authentic heroes, one of this party's best-known and greatest leaders --- and a good friend.")

Zell, I have known you for 42 years and have, in the past, respected you as a trustworthy political leader and a personal friend. But now, there are many of us loyal Democrats who feel uncomfortable in seeing that you have chosen the rich over the poor, unilateral pre-emptive war over a strong nation united with others for peace, lies and obfuscation over the truth, and the political technique of personal character assassination as a way to win elections or to garner a few moments of applause. These are not the characteristics of great Democrats whose legacy you and I have inherited

You can access the letter through Common Dreams News Center