Ammunition

The latest links to the information you need to counter right-wing spin...

The Reality of Abortion

Colbert, Stewart viewers more well-informed than those watching O’Reilly, Dobbs

And here's a whole lot of ammunition on Jerome Corsi's anti-Obama book/crusade:

Bark Bark Woof Woof: Hitting Back

MyDD: Smear Merchant Also A 9/11 Truther?

Daily Kos: What a Surprise: Jerome Corsi Promoting Book On White Supremacist Radio Show

Media Matters: Weekly Standard's Hayes notes "significant problems" with Corsi book, but promotes problematic Freddoso book

Frameshop: Frameshop: Corsi Frequent Guest on White Supremacist Radio

AMERICAblog: Cheney aide Mary Matalin published the Corsi smear book -- and Corsi is a 9/11 conspiracy theorist to boot

Media Matters: Despite "all my apologies" for bigoted comments, Corsi reportedly scheduled to appear on "pro-White" radio show

Frameshop: Frameshop: What America Needs To Hear About Jerome Corsi

Media Matters: Corsi appeared on show hosted by "9/11 Truth Movement" leader, who said having non-American parents should be disqualification for president

Media Matters: Corsi: Critics of Obama might be "put ... in jail" if he's president

The Road to the White House

What are Florida bloggers saying about the presidential race? Here are the top 5 posts from yesterday...

1. Smashed Frog: Obama on Roberts

2. BlueHerald 2.0: Bigots Oppose Obama 1000-1

3. FLA Politics (FDP): Straight Talk On McCain's Failed NASA Record

4. BlueHerald 2.0: The Two Faces Of John McCain

5. Bark Bark Woof Woof: Civics Lesson 101

6. Bark Bark Woof Woof: The Old Fashioned Way

7. Incertus (Brian): Enough Already

8. BeThink: Lady Clinton

9. Betty Cracker: Cone O' Doom

10. Workbench: Media Ignored McCain's Faith Forum Fumble

Action Alerts

The latest action alerts from around the country...

Send an e-mail: Tell Congress: Stand firm on energy (TWS)

Send an e-mail: Tell your member of Congress to make the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act a reality (COC)

Send an e-mail: Birth Control is NOT Abortion (NOW)

Send an e-mail: Urge the Department of Agriculture to act now to save bees (NRDC)

Send an e-mail: Help Hold Congress Accountable at the Conventions (PC)

Donate money: Can you help inform voters about McCain's tax breaks for big oil? (MoveOn)

Sign the petition: Demand Congress investigate the Army's cover-up of LaVena Johnson's murder (COC)

Sign the petition: Help Write the Prescription for Change in the U.S. Healthcare System (HU)

McCain Loves Big Oil

This seems to be a running theme with John...

10 Stories to Read

This is our regular feature where every day I do a post with the top 10 blog posts that I think people should read from the previous day. Posts are included here and ranked based on a combination of originality, focus on Florida, length (longer, more thorough analysis is better), quality of writing and impact of the story.

1. Alan Farago - Crimes against the state: the Florida Mortgage Crisis: "It is also perfect timing for the editorial boards to connect the dots between the failure of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation and the dominant political ideology of the past decade that abjured regulation in favor of 'the free market'. This may be easier to do, now that real estate advertisement revenue from the Growth Machine has dried up."

2. Dan Gelber - Forecast: Darker skies ahead: "This Friday, Florida's Revenue Estimating Conference will convene to present their official budget forecast for the upcoming year and beyond. Prior to Friday they believed Florida's declining revenue might show a slight uptick. Prepare yourselves for more bad news as conditions have only worsened and their forecast is likely to reflect darker skies."

3. FLA Politics (FDP) - How Did We End Up With The Looming Space Flight Gap? Just Ask John McCain: "McCain's NASA stance went from 'downright schizophrenic' to outright delusional yesterday with his campaign boasting of his influence on space policy in his former role as Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation - without mentioning that, under McCain's watch, the impending five-year gap between the retirement of the Shuttle and the development of the next generation vehicle was created, putting thousands of Space Coast jobs at risk."

4. Progress Florida (Ray Seaman) - High Noon at the Florida Supreme Court: "The fate of 3 key right wing backed amendments to the Florida constitution will be decided by the Florida Supreme Court in the very near future."

5. Progress Florida (Ray Seaman) - Who Will Fill the Widening Press Gap?: "I can't say I've ever really been a fan of the press. There are some really great reporters and columnists which still operate in the traditional press, but I lament the sheer lack of coverage of state and local politics that has existed even before this latest round of layoffs. The traditional press has been largely complicit, and indeed an enabler, in a lot of the failed politics and policies of the last quarter century."

6. Eye on Miami (gimleteye) - Have courage, Governor Crist...: "We, the public, don't have the full story on 'who knew, what' about the US Sugar buyout offer that Governor Crist proposed. One thing is for certain: Governor Crist took an intractable problem-- an Everglades restoration plan that cannot work-- and proposed a big step in the one direction that has the chance, at some point in the future, of helping the Everglades."

7. Florida Politics - The elephant in the room: "It is worth recalling that Florida's current system of public finance is a house of cards built by pusillanimous pols owned and operated by the no-taxes under any circumstances crowd (a/k/a the Chamber of Commerce, the Associated Industries of Florida, and other such denizens of the Jeb!'s hole in the ground). Now, with no backstop, we Floridians get exactly what Jebbie's patrons bought and paid for..."

8. Southern District of Florida - Juror research: "Julie Kay examines the new trend of investigating jurors here..."

9. Incertus (Brian) - Evolution and the Classroom: "Olivia Judson makes (as usual) a compelling case for teaching evolution in the classroom. It bothers me greatly that this is even an issue, considering how poorly US students do on the world stage in math and science scores--deliberately handicapping them by allowing nonsense like ID and Creationism in the public schools is criminal in my mind."

10. spacecoastweb - FDP promotes Kosmas with push poll in FL-24: "Could this be a subtle way for the FDP to prompt Democratic voters into supporting the establishment’s chosen candidate? It might as well have been. There was no mistaking the intent behind this call. I wasn’t being asked whom I supported; Instead, I was being led to accept the FDP’s suggestion."

Ammunition

The latest links to the information you need to counter right-wing spin...

Myths and falsehoods about oil policies

The "Drill Here, Drill Now" Myth

Report: Abortion is not a threat to women’s mental health

The Road to the White House

What are Florida bloggers saying about the presidential race? Here are the top 5 posts from yesterday...

1. Blast Off!: Today's forecast: mostly Obama, with only a slight chance of McCain

2. FLA Politics (FDP): McCain Plan to Privatize Social Security an Absolute Disgrace

3. Pensito Review (Trish): McCain Plays the POW Card Like a Pro

4. Blast Off!: You gotta have faith ... or not

5. Discourse.net: Obama's New Tack

6. Smashed Frog: Bill Clinton's Bull

7. Betty Cracker: The REAL Presumptuous Nominee

8. tinylittledots: Presumptuous Maverick

9. Discourse.net: Please Not Evan Bayh

10. Blast Off!: John McCain needs a campaign song

Action Alerts

Send an e-mail: "Drill" in Detroit to Bring Down Gas Prices! (UCS)

Send an e-mail: Tell John McCain To Cancel On Ralph Reed! (PCAF)

Send an e-mail: Tell McCain: No Offshore Drilling (Credo)

Send an e-mail: Tell Obama: No Offshore Drilling (Credo)

Donate money: Expose the atrocities occurring in Zimbabwe (AI)

Donate money: Help save the Endangered Species Act (EJ)

Sign the petition: Birth control is NOT abortion (MoveOn)

Sign the petition: Demand Quality, Affordable Health Care for All (HCFAN)

Sign the petition: Tell the media that when it comes to news on Obama, don’t trust FOX (BNF)

Lest We Forget

The business we are involved in -- politics -- creates strong feelings and people who aren't mentally stable quite frequently. Sometimes this leads to the extremes. Like today in Arkansas:

A man barged into the Arkansas Democratic headquarters and opened fire Wednesday, fatally shooting the state party chairman before speeding off in his pickup. Police later shot and killed the suspect after a 30-mile chase.

Police said they don't know the motive for the 51-year-old suspect, whose name has not been released.

They said Chairman Bill Gwatney, 49, died four hours later at University Hospital in Little Rock after the midday shooting near the state Capitol.

Our thoughts go out to the family, friends and colleagues of Gwatney, who are suffering right now.

Winners & Losers

Winner: Florida's DNCC Delegates - Looks like we'll be getting full voting power after all.

Winner: Kevin Beckner - Continues to rack up the endorsements.

Winner: South Dade Democratic Club - Working hard and changing Miami.

Loser: State Democratic Party Committee Members - If you're going to be on the committee, maybe you should show up for the day that electors are chosen. I'm just saying.

Loser: Harry Sargeant II - So much for John McCain being a maverick who is great on campaign finance...

Loser: Trey Traviesa - Couldn't you have retired before helping Republicans ruin the state?

10 Stories to Read

This is our regular feature where every day I do a post with the top 10 blog posts that I think people should read from the previous day. Posts are included here and ranked based on a combination of originality, focus on Florida, length (longer, more thorough analysis is better), quality of writing and impact of the story.

1. Incertus (Brian) - More on property taxes: "Not to belabor the points Amy and I have made recently about the south Florida housing market and property taxes, but it just so happens there was another article on the subject today that kind of backs up our argument that the problem is that the market is overpriced, not that taxes are too high."

2. FLA Politics - Slavery Update: "Recent legal developments may aid in the fight against modern day slavery in Florida"

3. Interstate4Jamming2 - Another Embarrassment, And I'm Angry!: "This weekend, the Florida Democratic Executive Committee was scheduled to meet in Tampa, and one of the items on the agenda happens to be one of their most important duties as a committee...electing the 27 presidential electors who would possibly vote in the Electoral College should (rather, WHEN) Barack Obama carry the Sunshine State. It didn't happen --- or, for that matter, anything else --- because the committee failed to get a quorum together to conduct business."

4. FLA Politics - Why is this not being investigated?: "Harry Sargeant III, the Republican Party of Florida finance chairman and part owner of a Boca Raton-based oil trading firm, has been credited with collecting more than $500,000 for McCain. But about $50,000 of those contributions reportedly were solicited by Mustafa Abu Naba'a, Sargeant's Jordanian business partner at International Oil Trading Co."

5. Adam4PD - I Said Goodbye to my Dog Today: "Grendel came into my life about ten years ago. She had been adopted from the pound by my step-son's girlfriend. They all moved in around the corner from us, and lived together three or four years. Grendel wold roam the neighborhood, visiting different dogs and people from house to house. She was a frequent visitor to our home where her face would suddenly appear at our back door. She got along with our miniature dachshund, Nicki, and tolerated Georgie the cat. When her parents broke up and were not in a position to take care of her any longer, it was only natural that Regina and I would adopt her."

6. Miami & Beyond - Wet and dry conundrum: "Myriam Marques, the Herald's clunky replacement for Ana Menendez, finds herself wrapped in a dilemma over wet/dry foot. Not that she would realize it -she has been demonstrating a knack for stating the obvious while making it sound as if there's an actual point being formulated. This time she rages against the symptom without looking at the cause."

7. Smashed Frog - Foley, Walsh and Hatch: "What do Mark Foley, John Walsh and Orrin Hatch have in common?"

8. Samm Simpson - Georgia, Russia and the U.S.A.: "There seems to be evidence that the Georgian military not only had United States training, but possibly U.S. mercenaries participated in the attack. Florida resident Joe Mestasl, who was visiting Ossetia when the attack occurred, had these comments..."

9. Miami-Dade Dems - Democratic clubs operating powerhouse office in South Dade: "Those activist Democrats in South Dade are at it again. Led by the powerful Democrats of South Dade Club, a bustling Coordinated Campaign Office opened at 9507 S. Dixie Highway in Dadeland Plaza last month and is serving all the Democratic candidates."

10. Doug Tudor - The Optimist Finds the Silver Lining: "After straw polls on Thursday and Friday, I would be entirely justified to be discouraged in our fight to unseat Adam Putnam and to return true representation to Florida's 12th District....Despite these lopsided defeats, I know there are some qualifiers to be taken into account."

Ammunition

The latest links to the information you need to counter right-wing spin...

Evolution: Myths and Misconceptions

Evolution as Described by the Second Law of Thermodynamics

Two-Thirds of Corporations Pay No Taxes

The Coal Time Bomb Is Ticking

The Road to the White House

What are Florida bloggers saying about the presidential race? Here are the top 5 posts from yesterday...

1. Incertus (Brian): Racism and the Race

2. Bark Bark Woof Woof: A Matter of Choice

3. Pensito Review (Trish): Video Shows McCain Was Wrong About Almost Everything: Iraq, Afghanistan, Anthrax

4. Broward's Blog: Obama Leads McCain Among Christians

5. Incertus (Brian): Maybe you're asking the wrong question

6. Blast Off!: In a Myopic Corner of D.C., a Glimpse of the Mainstream Corporate Media's Obama Problem

7. BlueHerald 2.0: Where Does John McCain Get His Policy Speeches? Wikipedia!!!

8. Pensito Review (Trish): My Choice for Obama VP: Sen. Chuck Hagel

9. Seminole County Democrats: Latest Alaska poll: Obama up by 5%

10. Tampa's Back Door Ways: "Free" Speech "Cages"

Story of the Day

The most talked about story on the Florida blogs last week was Barack Obama coming out in favor of seating the Florida delegates with full power. Here's what people said...

FLA Politics: Florida delegates get full votes?

The O-Train Station: Senator Obama calls for Florida and Michigan delegates to be seated

Pushing Rope: All Delegates to Be Seated

Madfloridian: Steve Geller, D-FL, said to be dropping DNC lawsuit if Obama seats all FL and MI delegates

AMERICAblog: Obama to DNC: Give full seating to Michigan and Florida

MyDD: Barack Obama Asks Credentials Committee To Seat MI & FL At Full Voting Strength

Action Alerts

Send an e-mail: Support Human Rights Defenders in Zimbabwe (AI)

Send an e-mail: Approve a pro-choice platform (NARAL)

Send an e-mail: Tell the Bush administration to help gray wolves recover! (NRDC)

Send an e-mail: Don't Weaken the Endangered Species Act (ED)

Donate money: Help End the Slaughter from the Skies (DoW)

McCain Hates...Himself?

Otherwise, why would he appoint a high-ranking member of his own campaign who has actively lobbied against the Cuban embargo McCain says he supports? FDP asks the following questions:

1. What does it say about John McCain that he would appoint someone who has spent so many years working to end the embargo to such an important post in his campaign?

2. Is John McCain really the staunch supporter of the embargo he claims to be if he stands to make millions on the sale of Anheuser-Busch to a company that does business with Cuba, appoints a senior advisor that has worked to end the embargo, and refuses to meet with the Cuban American National Foundation?

3. In the event that John McCain became President, would he appoint people who have lobbied against the embargo to key posts in his Administration, where they would have direct influence on Cuba policy?

4. How will Cuban Americans react when they learn that McCain accepted $30,000 from a lobbying firm that is working to end the embargo and his lobbyist who tried to end the embargo and legitimize Castro's selling of the Havana Club trademark, after confiscating it during the revolution?

5. After giving McCain $9,200, how will the Bacardi family react when they learn of the fact that McCain's lobbyist has worked for years to block their claims on the Havana Club Trademark?

6. How will Republicans - including Mel Martinez, the Diaz-Balarts, Ros-Lehtinen, Ana Navarro, and others - react when they learn that McCain's lobbyist worked to end the embargo?

7. How will these McCain supporters react when they learn McCain's lobbyist worked to legitimize Castro's selling of the Havana Club trademark after confiscating it from the Bacardi family?

McCain Hates Doing His Homework

McCain says he is "better prepared to be commander-in-chief," but he can't even get foreign leaders' names right:



He knew he'd have to talk about this issue, shouldn't he have gotten someone to figure out how to say the name right?

You're Stupid and Here's why- Americas look on John Edwards

Citizens, know it has been awhile, so sue me. Were in America, I am sure somebody will try. Onward, today we will talk about the ongoing John Edwards debacle. America, I a kinda upset. We are the country that has no problem bombing and occupying another country, at the same time as shooting ourselves in the foot with an failing economy, while pissing off a good portion of the rest of the world, and the so called "American Dream" is falling further and further out of grip. Promiscuity built this country. Yes he was married and yes it was defiantly unfortunate that Mrs. Edwards was going through treatment at the time but this kind of thing happens everyday. Why is it that it does not read at the top of my paper every morning that " Your neighbor cheated on his wife with.......THE BUTCHER!" All I am saying America is that the fact that he cheated on his wife doesn't mean that his strength and intelligence to lead this country in its time of need went out the windows with his morals. I am still under the firm belief that John Edwards would be a fine VP candidate. If you really want to get back at John McCain about this, blame his wife for robbing the pharmaceutical companies because God knows that she is robbing them of bot ox. Then it will all go peacefully into the night. I am not endorsing this type of behavior, but I am saying that I understand. If the religious right wants to jump my case over this, all that needs to be said is "Wasn't it God that said everybody is a sinner?" "HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN, CAST THE FIRST STONE." That my friend should shut them up. John (Edwards), I guess in short all I can say is no matter what kind of evil you do, at least you didn't get into a war that you had no business being in, and don't do it again.

Keep monogamy America, unless your both cool with it then Party On.
Legend Killer

Action Alerts

The latest action alerts from around the country...

Send an e-mail: Keep our country's bedrock environmental law strong - preserve the National Environmental Policy Act (SoE)

Sign the petition: Tell Congress: You Won't Stand for Polluted Water (EJ)

Sign the petition: I am Against the Killing of Cats! (ACA)

Sign the petition: Investigate McCain's Sketchy Oil Donors! (MO)

Take the Pledge: I pledge to inflate my tires to the correct pressure and stand with Barack and common sense (TM)

32 More Small Donors to Go

Okay, now we're in the homestretch. With less than two weeks to go until we leave for Denver, we need you to really commit to helping us get to Denver. Even if you can only toss us a few bucks, please do it as soon as you can. We want to get things taken care of before prices rise on travel costs and the like. The sooner you donate to us, the less money we have to raise. Pay day is tomorrow or the next day for many people. Please set aside a little bit to help us get to Denver, be it $10, $25, $50 or more.

And we've just set up a deal where we're going to be able to bring you videoblogging from Denver as well. Look for multiple video updates from us each day in addition to our blog and radio coverage.

In our fundraising efforts to attend the Democratic Convention in August, we've decided to focus on a small donor campaign. We originally figured out that it'll take us 240 people contributing $25 each for us to reach what we need to go to Denver and provide you with the best convention coverage in America. We've managed to cut some costs, though, so we've reduced that number a bit. So far, we have the equivalent of 118 ($2940). That means we need only about $1000 more to be able to cover our costs. That's just 32 more $25 donors. We need you to be one of them.

(BTW, if you want a preview of our Denver coverage, check out our Netroots Nation 2008 Coverage).

Go to PayPal and donate through our Florida Progressive Coalition account (quinnelk@gmail.com), or you can write a check to Florida Progressive Coalition and send it to me:

Kenneth Quinnell
3328 Whirlaway Trail
Tallahassee, FL 32309

You can also inquire about advertising by sending me an e-mail. FPC is a media entity set up as an LLC, so we don't fall under campaign finance laws and contributions are not tax-deductible. But they do go to a good cause.

If we don't get the 32 donations we still need, someone will have to stay home and miss the convention. That shouldn't happen, as there's no need for your $25 to prevent someone from going, so give as soon and as often as you can.

We'll also publicly thank all of the donors, so let us know if you wish to remain anonymous or pseudonymous. Our latest contributions came from:

Gil Creque
fletch
Dan Smith
Rochelle & Byron Cisneros
Zannel

You can read more about Florida Progressive Coalition's fundraiser and Democratic Convention Coverage if you'd like.

Winners &Losers

Winner: Annette Taddeo - She's all over the blogs getting great support in Florida and beyond.

Winner: Florida science students - Florida Citizens for Science is on the case, our students should be better off.

Winner: Kevin Beckner - Getting big endorsements from the St. Pete Times and Equality Florida.

Loser: Floridians - You should've listened to us and voted against Amendment 1. There may not be an end to state/local budget problems in the near future.

Loser: Charlie Crist - He's clueless, he doesn't show up for work, he's pursuing a quixotic campaign for VP and he's selling out himself and Floridians.

Loser: Darryl Rouson - Hate is hate, even if you don't remember it (or pretend not to).

10 Stories to Read

This is our regular feature where every day I do a post with the top 10 blog posts that I think people should read from the previous day. Posts are included here and ranked based on a combination of originality, focus on Florida, length (longer, more thorough analysis is better), quality of writing and impact of the story.

1. Blast Off! - Thanks, Republicans, for killing public education in Florida!: "Seriously. The Republicans are slowly yet inexorably strangling public education in Florida, at all levels, with the budget slashes that are made necessary by their pandering tax cuts. Take a look at how one Florida university is dealing with the massive decrease in state funding..."

2. FPC (Mark Ferrulo) - This is sick…Cancer hospital hires Tobacco Lobbyists: "And not just any hospital, we’re talking H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, one of the top 20 cancer hospitals in the country. This nationally renowned cancer treatment and research institute is paying thousands of dollars to lobbyists in Tallahassee, that are also registered lobbyists for tobacco companies. Seriously, I’m not just trying to grab your attention with a provocative headline and then blogger-judo you down some tangentially related, but less interesting story line. The Moffitt Cancer Center has seven registered lobbyists that represent them in Florida’s capital, who also walk the halls of The Capitol building on behalf of cigarette companies, cigar manufacturers and purveyors of chewing tobacco and snuff."

3. Dan Gelber - Jefferson was right, “Information is the currency of Democracy”: "Today, I forwarded my concerns to the FCC regarding the proposed purchase by WPLG Channel 10 of their rival WTVJ-NBC 6. While I appreciate that Florida’s tanking economy can impact all businesses –including media – the public’s interest in a vital and diverse press must be taken into account. As newspapers downsize, and television stations merge, the losers will be our citizens who will be shortchanged the critical information that informs and empowers them."

4. Miami-Dade Dems - Bush rubber-stamp identifies Democratic "dear friends": "Attention in the camps of Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Kendrick Meek. This is what you get from your failure to be fully on board the campaigns of your Democratic colleagues. Your Republican incumbent friends will use your names – your Democratic names – in their desperate attempts to fend off strong electoral challenges."

5. Florida Citizens for Science - Let’s help science education here in Florida!: "Florida Citizens for Science is launching a fundraising campaign to help teachers and students right here in Florida with science education. Through the great site Donors Choose, FCS has selected five science-related education projects to fund. As the school year kicks off in just a couple of weeks, let’s give these teachers and students the equipment they need to succeed!"

6. Incertus (Brian) - We tried to warn you: "Lots of us did. Tons of Florida bloggers warned that Amendment 1, passed last year by overwhelming margins, wouldn't save taxpayers much money and would cause huge service cuts, and not enough people listened. As a result, we have layoffs and service cuts across the board--police departments aren't replacing cops who leave the service, schools aren't replacing teachers who leave, and so on. Fortunately, people are starting to notice that a tax cut has some negative sides as well."

7. Miami & Beyond - Oh, but it's all about the sports and the pretty buildings: "It pisses me off how the world has agreed to cooperate with the Chinese in this gigantic whitewashing. Everybody is babbling about keeping politics and the Olympics separate."

8. the 13th juror - Homeless man convicted of trespassing — at Naples shelter: "St. Matthew’s House has been full for the past three years, so Juan Trejo stretched out on the floor of the Naples shelter’s old soup kitchen. He had no place else to sleep. Then he spend the next 97 days in the Collier County Jail, charged with trespassing."

9. Progress Florida (Ray Seaman) - Clueless Crist: Part II: "Now Crist wants Floridians to trust him and vote for Amendment 5? Get real Charlie. Seriously, Floridians really need to stop trusting this guy."

10. Adam4PD - The Promise of Our Youth: "On Saturday night, I was a judge at a debate contest as ten teenagers addressed racial, gender and age stereotypes head-on. A crowd of over 100 mostly young people sat in the audience, fully engaged in the exchange of ideas on stage. The next day an even larger crowd gathered at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park for Gospel music, performances, and hot dogs. Spending time with these fine young men and women, primarily African-Americans, was just the antidote I needed to combat cynicism."

Ammunition

The latest links to the information you need to counter right-wing spin...

Gulf Breeze petroleum geologist Klaus H. Gohrbandt asks in a Viewpoint article, "Can Offshore Florida Be a Major Contributor of Oil, Natural Gas?" Short answer: No. Longer answer...

Cover Florida, the health-insurance policy touted by Gov. Charlie Crist as a way to reduce the state's 3.7 million uninsured, is unlikely to work. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a non-profit policy-research group in Washington, D.C., came to that conclusion after analyzing Florida's law which allows insurance companies to offer low-cost plans with limited benefits.

I know it’s asking a lot I’d like to see the mainstream media actually report the truth when they show McCain mocking Obama for suggesting conservation and developing new sources of energy like solar and wind. The Energy Dept. reports that expanding drilling will on the continental shelf add a whopping 0.2% to world oil production in twenty years. The impact to oil prices will be insignificant.

The Biggest Lie Of The Presidential Campaign: The Surge Has Worked

Auto Makers Deflate McCain’s Ignorant Hot Air On Value Of Proper Tire Inflation

The Road to the White House

What are Florida bloggers saying about the presidential race? Here are the top 5 posts from yesterday...

1. Pensito Review (Trish): McCain’s Campaign Worker Apologizes to Black Reporter

2. thefos: McCain Suggests Wife Participate In Topless Contest

3. Pensacola Beach Blog: Pensacola Beach Drilling: Compare and Contrast

4. Blast Off!: In Florida, Obama spends while McCain spins

5. Situation Awareness: GOP "Takes Pride in Being Ignorant"

6. Incertus (Brian): Work the refs even harder

7. Morning Martini: Thinking way ahead

8. Make Me a Commentator!!! - Vice Presidential Pics

9. Bark Bark Wof Woof: Bayh Now?

10. Discourse.net: Is Obama Too Young to Be President?

Action Alerts

The latest action alerts from around the country.

Sign the petition: Sign the Declaration of Inter-Dependence (FPFP)

Send an e-mail: Tell Obama: Pick a Progressive (PFAW)

Send an e-mail: Urge your senators to clean up our beaches (NRDC)

Send an e-mail: Don't Let Oil Money Buy a Bad Energy Policy! (TM)

Donate money: To Protect Internet Freedom (FP)

Sign the petition: A Nuclear Weapons-Free World: An Appeal to the Next U.S. President (NAPF)

Sign the petition: Tell Secretary Rice: Israel Must Stop Settlement Activity (JStreet)

Twitter Bomb

This wasn't my idea (although I came up with the cool name), I think Liza Sabater was the one who started it, but it's too brilliant to pass up.

Those of you who are on Twitter, send as many tweets as you can over the next few days with #dontgo in them. The conservatives are using this hash mark (like a tag) to spread misinformation about offshore drilling and their latest publicity stunt. What Liza and a few others started doing was to flood that hash with counter-commentary or irrelevant posts. Sort of like a google bomb, this can either disrupt what they're doing or, at the very least, annoy the crap out of them. We can all do this.

Whatever you're posting on twitter, try to fit #dontgo into it. And make sure you include the # sign, which is key.

If you aren't on Twitter, this might be the type of thing to get you into it.

Action Alerts

The latest action alerts from Florida and around the country.

Sign the Petition: Drilling for Campaign Cash (PCAF)

Send an e-mail: Take Action for Better Transit Alternatives! (ED)

Send an e-mail: Tell the FEC to investigate Wal-Mart (ARAW)

Send an e-mail: Save the Internet (FP)

Send an e-mail: Recycle EPA head Stephen Johnson! (PC)

Send an e-mail: Whales Collide with White House Politics (UCS)

Send an e-mail: Will Your Representative Stand Up to Fat Cats? (DOW)

Donate money: Help pass the Employee Free Choice Act (ARAW)

Sign the petition: Don't Deny Insurance Coverage for Pre-Existing Conditions (SUFHC)

Sign the petition: Demand Comprehensive Hate Crime Legislation (PFLAG)

Sign the petition: Lead With Your Heart (Clinton Foundation)

Tell Your Story: Stop the Pain at the Pump

Ammunition

The latest links to the information you need to counter right-wing spin...

Down With Tyranny!: How To Respond To The Republican and Big Oil Lies About Gas Prices

The Road to the White House

What are Florida bloggers saying about the presidential race? Here are the top 5 posts from yesterday...

1. FLA Politics (RFK Lives): How does McCain win w/o FL?

2. Incertus (Brian): About Sebelius and Clinton

3. Beating the Bushes: Barack Obama: The Enemy of My Enemy

4. Pensito Review (Trish): Exxon Posts Another Record Profit; McCain Says We Can Trust Them

5. Pushing Rope: Obama Sums Up the McCain Campaign