Blowing Smoke

Want to take a real step to prevent gasoline shortages and keep a lid on energy prices? Easing regulations on refineries may sound good. But the Administration could make things truly easier for refineries by requiring that the nation use just one blend of fuel, instead of the current dozens that various states require. Of course, that wouldn't be a hit in many of the red states, which currently don't use the cleanest-burning fuels. 

It would be a bold step that would make a real difference, however. Want to increase supplies of oil and gas? Instead of drilling in the ANWR or adding a few LNG ports, Bush could open up areas like the Gulf coast of Florida or the Rocky Mountains, which has a 60-year supply of natural gas, to exploration and drilling. But that wouldn't be popular in Florida, where his brother Jeb is governor, or in some of the Western states that are strong Bush country. The President's failure to propose any meaningful solutions, while claiming to do the right thing for America makes it hard not to conclude that the Administration's main goal is not energy independence, but rather improving its standing the polls.

Liberal

Liberalism, a political ideology

Classical liberalism, a political ideology that advocates unregulated markets, limited government, rule of law, due process, and individual liberties including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and others

Conservative liberalism, a variant of liberalism, combining liberal values and policies with conservative stances, or, more simply, representing the right-wing of the liberal movement

Economic liberalism, the ideological belief in organizing the economy on individualist lines, such that the greatest possible numbers of economic decisions are made by private individuals and not by collective institutions

Social liberalism, the belief that liberalism should include social justice and that the legitimate role of the state includes addressing issues such as unemployment, health care, education, and the expansion of civil rights

An adherent of a Liberal party

Liberal democracy, a form of government based on limited majority rule

Liberal Democratic Party, a common name for political parties around the world

Liberalism (international relations), a theory of international relations

European liberalism

In the US, "liberalism" can refer to either or both of the following:

Modern liberalism, the current American manifestation of the ideology

Progressivism

See also Liberalism by country

Guinea pig

The guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea. They originated in the Andes, and earlier studies based on biochemistry and hybridization suggested they are domesticated descendants of a closely related species of cavy such as Cavia aperea, C. fulgida, or C. tschudii and, therefore, do not exist naturally in the wild. Recent studies applying molecular markers, in addition to studying the skull and skeletal morphology of current and mummified animals, revealed that the ancestor is most likely Cavia tschudii.

The guinea pig plays an important role in the folk culture of many Indigenous South American groups, especially as a food source, but also in folk medicine and in community religious ceremonies. Since the 1960s, efforts have been made to increase consumption of the animal outside South America.

In Western societies, the guinea pig has enjoyed widespread popularity as a household pet since its introduction by European traders in the 16th century. Their docile nature, their responsiveness to handling and feeding, and the relative ease of caring for them, continue to make the guinea pig a popular pet. Organizations devoted to competitive breeding of guinea pigs have been formed worldwide, and many specialized breeds of guinea pig, with varying coat colors and compositions, are cultivated by breeders.

Biological experimentation on guinea pigs has been carried out since the 17th century. The animals were frequently used as a model organism in the 19th and 20th centuries, resulting in the epithet "guinea pig" for a test subject, but have since been largely replaced by other rodents such as mice and rats. They are still used in research, primarily as models for human medical conditions such as juvenile diabetes, tuberculosis, scurvy, and pregnancy complications.

The Minnesota Senate Race of 2008

"To be very blunt, and God watch over Paul's soul, I am a 99 percent improvement over Paul Wellstone." -- Norm Coleman (Republican-Minnesota).

In 2002, arguably the most important Senate race was Paul Wellstone (Democrat-Minnesota) versus Norm Coleman. Coleman had been hand-picked by the Bush White House to defeat Wellstone. I deeply admire Paul Wellstone for his early opposition to the Iraq War, his defense of the poor and overall compassion for the little guy. For all these reasons, the Bush White House decided he really needed to go.

I like John Kerry quite a bit, but I think Paul Wellstone would've been a much better opponent against George W. Bush. But, you see, Paul Wellstone lost his Senate race, and, not only that, he was physically unable to run for President. You see, he died in a plane crash (which some claim was an assasination) during his race against Coleman. I was saddened muchly by this, and incensed by the above statement by Coleman.

Well, I was watching CNN just now and Al Franken was discussing a run against Coleman in 2008. I really want to see Coleman lose. I may just move to Minnesota to help run a grassroots campaign against Norman "99 percent improvement" Coleman. By the way, I will from here on out refer to Norm as "99 cents man".
Funny article by Al Franken on Norm Coleman's "99 percent" statement.

It's comments like that (by Coleman) and men like him (Wellstone) which define, for me, which party I belong to.