The pioneer of change has left the building

I've been close to tears today since hearing the news that Democratic candidate, John Edwards, is dropping out of the race for the White House. It's sad this had to happen so early on in the primaries. The primaries have produced wishy-wash results at best and it is still hard to say who is going to be crowned the Democratic candidate. I believed Edwards could have risen from the underground and taken us all by storm on Super Tuesday. I guess he can't do that now.

I thought the Democratic voters were ready for change. I thought they were more open to voting for someone more liberal. People complain about Obama and Clinton, yet they still vote for them. Those two names have been driven into our heads with a power drill and it looks like the screw is not easily removed. The power mass media has on our vote is disgusting, really. It's always been that way. You'd think the increased power of the internet over the past few years would have made this race even more contested than it already was. And you'd think that it would have given Edwards a great chance at winning our hearts.

Mass media killed Edwards campaign. As a future political journalist, it pains me to say such a thing, but it is true. He went on talk show after talk show and was treated like dirt. He was rudely interrupted and cut-off by television hosts like he was a good for nothing Republican. They stomped all over his attempts at a campaign. They said his tactics weren't good enough. They would have been good enough if the media had stopped attacking him. Why the media thinks they can decipher everything and knows everything is beyond me. When they run for president, then maybe we can talk. For now, it's their fault our last hope for real change is now dead and buried.

I know Edwards had support. He came in second in Iowa, for bob's sake. I thought support would increase after that caucus--but it went in reverse. He once had a strong hold over voters, but those voters gave in too easily to the media's ploys that Obama or Clinton was our Democratic saviour (while bashing their inconsistencies at the same time). Voters were lured last minute from supporting Edwards. They were filled with thoughts that he couldn't gain the majority's vote. With that type of attitude, it's true. We can thank those people too for Edwards' concession.

Now the race is down to Clinton or Obama. Let it be Clinton. I've had enough with hearing energetic speakers who speak nothing but fluff (Obama). I don't want to be lied to. I don't want to be led. I just want the most honest candidate left in the race for the Democratic ticket to be the one left standing. Please oh please. The chance to have a liberal president has been robbed of me twice. The least the country can do to make it up to me (as I sit here in Sheffield, kicking and screaming) is to vote a woman to the Democratic ticket. And lets cross our fingers Clinton puts Edwards on her ticket as VP. She needs someone liberal to talk some sense into her.

It's up to us lower and middle-middle class voters and working class voters to get Hilliary into the White House. Let's aim high, eh?

I'd attack Jon Kyl, but I'm too tired

As most of the world knows, their is a serious issue of trust between the US government and it's citizens at the moment. Okay, since 2001. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) has allowed the illegal phone tapping of US telecommunications and the Act is up for a renewal discussion with the Senate as we speak. The possibility this discussion will go on for a few days is undeniable (at least I hope so) and hopefully there will be a positive resolve at the end of the debate. US citizens like myself are tired of being exposed to the fact the US government has been tapping into our phone lines for years. We're upset that phone companies like AT&T blindly handed over the ability to the US authorities to illegally listen in our private conversations and monitor us like we're all in on a conspiracy together. I say enough is enough!

Luckily, I am a resident of Washington state, who has two hard working Democratic Senators: Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray. Today I emailed them to ask them to vote against the renewal of FISA. I would like to email the Senators from my old home of Arizona, Senators John Kyl and John McCain; alas it is almost 2am GMT and I can't be bothered to yell at their sorry Republican asses. (excuse the language) If you have the time, I urge you to write your Senator about this traitorous, good-for-nothing piece of legislation.

You can find your Senator's web address here: http://www.senate.gov/

(At the top right corner there is a drop-down menu with all 50 states. They will lead you to the appropriate link after you've clicked on your state)

I wanted to put the letter I sent to the Washington state Senators on this blog to share with the people back in the United States and those of you in England how seriously against FISA I am. I have been affected by it's evil plan, for those of you who have not heard me complain about it. I have heard the dreaded *click* that people warned me about on both my landline and cell phone since 9/11 occurred. I was never approached by the authorities; however, I'm sure I would have been if the media and the Supreme Court didn't act out against FISA's plot to take away a form of our freedom of speech. I hope you all will learn a little about how important it is to have this Act stopped in it's tracks. We don't need another Patriot Act. We don't need another way for the government to keep tabs on us. And we don't need another Republican-ridden piece of legislation haunting our government.


Dear Senators,

I understand that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is up for renewal and is on the agenda of the Senate today and tomorrow to be discussed. As a fellow Democrat who is terrified of what a "Big Brother" the federal government has become, I'm sure you'll agree with me that the FISA legislation is wrong and needs to be stopped.

My sister and I have been customers with the cell phone company AT&T for several years and I understand recently they were revealed to cheekily allow the government to tap into their customers' phone calls. I am shocked and outraged they have been able to get away with this. I have no problem talking ill over the phone about the stupid things Bush and the previously Republican led Congress has done over the past seven years, but to know that the FBI could have shown up at my door and arrested me at any time if I ever went to far with my conversations on my allegedly tapped AT&T phone line is down right scary. This fear should NOT continue!

If the vote for FISA hasn't already taken place, then I will take this time to beg of you to make sure that you, the rest of the Democratic Senators and hopefully some sympathetic Republican Senators will stop the continued existence of this Act. It has no right to exist. This isn't the WWI era. We don't need another espionage act.

If the FISA discussion is currently on the floor for deliberation, I ask you to stand up and tell the other Senators that US phone customers are not the enemies. Phone tapping is only necessary when the authorities need to find out if a convicted criminal or someone they've been watching for suspicious behaviour is up to something. It should be a last resort, like it is in the movies. It's not something to be used against the citizens of this country on a daily basis just because some rubbish Act says it's okay.

I understand the world is a dangerous place at the moment. But the more you poke and prod the beast, the angrier he becomes and the consequences become worse. So please, don’t let the fear of an unknown danger impair your judgment on phone tapping and the FISA. Please understand that the Constitution is violated by this Act and the Founding Fathers are rolling in their graves because of it. And please understand that I’m a human being just like those of you in Congress and have the right to live a life that was guaranteed to me by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Thank you for your time.