As I put some finishing touches on our New Year's Eve party, I try to anticipate the needs of my guests. What kind of finger food would they like? What kind of booze should I purchase? What sorts of games should we play? Etc., etc. At the same time, I'm also trying to anticipate some of my guest's reactions to my New Year's toast to Obama and the new administration. For you see dear readers, not all of my loved ones are " democraddicts". However, despite my loud, opinionated and internet-aggressive rants, they manage to love me anyway.

( And although your voting practices infuriate me, I do manage to love you too.)

Over the years, I have heard many critics of political party die-hards. " Why do you only vote on party lines? Why can't you just vote on the issues and not the candidate?" ( Blah, blah, blah). As many times as I've been asked those ( annoying) questions, those rare, brave nay-sayers have been forced into listening to my response. And you, dear readers, are about to hear it as well.

I am confident in being a democraddict, I subscribe to my political party full-heartedly. The reason? I am not conservative socially, religiously or economically. There have been moments in which I claim to be conservative about immigration, but my liberal friends and family talk me down from that tree on a regular basis. In fact, the only reason I have inklings to keep our borders tight, is that I want our country to be able to provide for it's citizens even more so than we already do.

I could never vote on a single issue as our government is not a single issue institution. It needs to be said that there at times, albeit rare, where I do feel like I vote for the lesser of two evils, so to speak. Some dear friends, who support the European democracy model, in which there are many political parties to ensure a cohesiveness between a voter and whom they chose to represent them in government. I hear ya, it does seem to make more sense. Unfortunately, our government is do deeply entrenched in it's party system that a drastic change such as that would probably only result in splintering among the parties, weakening our main parties yet still not resulting in enough support for newer, smaller parties. Therefore, it would cause some significant damage and dissension within an already-damaged government.

No, I'm happy with our party system. I'm proud to be a Democrat. I do stand by my party's fundamentals as I do believe that they echo my own. I am not a socialist, I am a capitalist yet I do think the government could do a much better job at providing for it's citizens. I think we've come a long way in terms of protected rights of our people, yet we could do so much more about tolerating and protecting the rights of every citizen, no matter their race, religion or sexuality. Yes, taxes stink, but they are necessary in providing the funding this nation needs to operate.

We are an incredible nation, yet we cannot sit back and let our government work for us. It is our job to participate in your government, everyday, not just every four years. Democracy is a gift, not just a birthright. Our participation and engagement in it, is our gift back.

Therefore, as the New Year approaches, my wish for the coming is year is for our new, blue administration to works towards repairing a hopelessly injured government and move towards a more unified nation. We may not agree on our political parties, but that doesn't mean that we cannot agree to rescue our dear nation out of the near-ruin that the Bush administration has gotten us into.

Here's to the new blue working for you!

Happy New Year!

I'd like to take a break from politics, and my critiques of it, to wish you and your families a wonderful holiday and New Year.

I would have titled this entry " Merry Christmas Democraddicts" but that wouldn't be very all-inlcusive and open-minded of me would it? Therefore, if I won't limit my holiday wishes to religion, I cannot possibly discriminate against party lines. Especially since our own Blagojevich will be finding coal in his stocking right alongside that Palin woman come Christmas Day.

( There is not enough coal in the world for that Dick Cheney. And, for that matter, most of the Bush administration.)

Happy Holidays to all you non-democraddicts, no matter what political party you subscribe to, I wish the happiest and healthiest holiday and New Year to you all. I hope that the New Year and a new president brings about unity and understanding both at home and abroad .

While on the topic of the New Year, I would like to research and write about things that matter to you. Feel free to email me any suggestions/comments at :
thedemocraddict@democraddicts.com

All the best,
Bevan

According to a recent, AP article : http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/12/22/whered_the_bailout_money_go_shhhh_its_a_secret/), the congressional committee to oversee the bailout has a lot of questions about how and where the billions of our money has been spent, yet they haven't been able to gain any answers.

Apparently, unbeknownst to me, the bailout plan did not include mandatory disclosure of how the governments funds are being allocated.

For those non-New Englanders, we here in the Northeast got slammed with a snowstorm thoughout the entire weekend. I was furious at the thought of where my city taxes were going as the streets were a mess! Now, realizing that near trillion dollars, that we as taxpayers, will be responsible for, is it so much to ask for these giant banks to be held accountable for our money?

Don't take this one lying down. We have every right to know where that money is going and the fact that these banks are not forthcoming with that information makes me both suspicious and furious. You should feel the same. Talk about gratitude, they begged on their hands and knees for this money and now they brush off the government.

The days of Laissez-faire are over. The government needs to do a better job of reminding these corporations of that. We also need to remind our government of that as well.

could create so much content! Yes, there are some topics that I harp on ad-nasueam, yet this one has been inspiring some of the most reflective thinking that I've done in quite some time.

I suppose what I'm feeling right now, is that, as a country, we were able to collectively stand together and oust ole' Georgey Boy. We had enough of his and his cronies bullying us around and treating our government and its affairs as one giant board game, without care for Americans or anyone else for that matter.

I loathe him, I wanted him out. I worked ferverishly, along with millions of you, to make sure he, or any other of the GOP jerks, would not be stepping into the White House to merely pick up where the idiot left off.

I have the luxury of living in a democracy. I value that privilege. Six weeks ago, I got to see how democracy worked for me.I sleep better knowing that the moron in chief will be heading back to Texas soon ( poor Texans).

Yet, what do Iraqi's have? How will they find a resolution from the damage that horrible man has caused them and their country? They didn't get to vote him out. They don't get to sleep easier knowing, that in a few months, their government is going to be turned around. They continue to live in an American occupied state. They live under the laws of their " new" government, while still under the watchful eye of an administration, and its military presence, that is responsible for massive death and destruction in their country.

Quite a pragmatic victory for the U.S. huh? We " defeated" the enemy and desolated a country. Last I checked, we did the same with Afghanistan; trained, armed and supported their military, and then took off, without a care for the people, or government, left behind. Look how that turned out? It inspired resentment and hatred in its people and became a breeding ground for Al Quaeda. To make things worse, we're back there!

What's important for Americans to understand, is that, shoes aside, the US is not held in high regard internationally. We need to realize, above and beyond what we already know, how much Bush and his administration tainted the image of the United States. What that journalist did merely represents how tens of millions of people feel, worldwide.

Was it right? No. Yet, besides condemning that man, or Bush for that matter, there is something that we can do to help our international image.

We did a great thing in electing Obama. Hopefully, he will be able to restore the international regard of the United States. For now though, what I'm asking of you is to do your own part to restore our image. I encourage you to encourage peace and understanding. And, yes, its easier than you may think. Comitting a small act of kindness if one of the most amazing things that you can do these days. Just one person can do so much. Just think, our individual votes for Obama resulted in a collective landslide.

Spread the love, with your shoes on.

I've been reflecting on Sunday's incident with George Bush and the shoes that were launched at his head. Yes, I did laugh at first. However, this is a grave matter that speaks to deep-rooted issues.

I don't condone that man's actions. I don't. No matter how much I despise George Bush, and believe me, I really, really do.

Yet, I find myself frustrated because I do want George Bush confronted, but, in a non-aggressive way. It really gets my goat to know that on January 20, he'll walk out of office without a care in, or for, the world.

Therefore, if we could do Sunday over, this is what I would have liked to have happened. As George Bush walked the desolated and destroyed streets of Iraq, I would have liked a young, Iraqi child to approach him and ask, " President Bush, I want you to know how it feels to walk in my shoes."

Would George Bush be brandishing that smarmy grin if he had to live in the nightmare that has become Iraq? Would he be as good at ducking mortar bombs as he is shoes? Would he shed a tear for the close to one million Iraqi civilians that have been killed over the course of the war the way that he did when speaking about his father at a Yale graduation last week? Would he admit that it was all a mistake? That in fact, Iraq is mission failed, not accomplished?

No, he wouldn't feel any of these things because Georgey Boy prefers the out-of-sight-out-of-mind mentality. That's why I loathe him.

I have no respect for George Bush. However,I deeply respect the office of the president. Therefore, it was terrible for anyone to threaten and or disrespect that office, even when it is an idiot is at the helm.

Let's all flashback to that amazing moment 43 days agao when Barack Obama was elected our next president.

Yay for Barack! Yay for the country! Yay for Democrats!

After what seems like pure laziness on behalf of the Democratic Party in both the 2000 and 2004 election, I was delighted with the party's iniative and both rapid and desperately-needed turnaround. The future of our party was looking bright.

Until....

My readers who are not Massachusetts residents may not be aware, both those that are know perfectly well that corruption within the Democratic party has been alleged on both the city and state levels. The Illinois governor, Rob Blagojevich ( I had to copy and past that one!), is on the cusp of being impeached for allegedly seeking favors in return for appointing a new Senator to fill Obama's vacant seat.

Come on! Get your acts together! The party has worked too hard to reshape it's image. They're not only making the party look bad, they're casting a shadow on Obama's historic transition into the White House.

Is the party fastly becoming greedy and corrupt? Or, are they just becoming lazy? Maybe all of the spotlight on corrupt Democrats is a way of clearing out the ones that are making everyone else look bad.

Obama winning this election was monumental and amazing. Yet, this is only the beginning. We can't rest on our laurels simply because he won. The whole reason he was elected was because he inspired the force of change that the majority of the country so desperately wants.

That change cannot soley rest on Obama's shoulders. It is up to us as well. Keep talking, stay informed and most importantly, continue to do your part. Your voice in our government is not confined to every four years.

Living in a Democracy is a gift. Treat it as such.

Shoo!

That's what an Iraqi journalist was saying to Bush as he hurled his, apparently size 10 shoes, at George Bush. The journalist launched his shoes shouting, " This is a farewell gift you dog!"

I don't condone violence, but I don't blame his frustration. Although I wouldn't actually throw shoes or engage in any other violent behavior towards our president or anyone, I've certainly launched millions in my mind, both at George Bush and his entire administration. I've also thought about tossing shoes at some McCain supporters as well. And, if you count Sarah Palin, in my mind, I've lost an Imelda Marcos's worth of shoes in the direction of that woman.

This brings me back to one of my favorite movie quotes from Austin Powers, " Who throws a shoe? Honestlly?"

I'll tell ya who. Someone who's family has been killed in the "war", someone who has been kidnapped by the government. Someone, who has watched almost a million of his fellow Iraqi's die.

Violence is certainly not the answer but I can appreciate the bitter resentment and frustration. YET, violence only begets violence. In a world in such bitter turmoil, we all have to find a way to be proactive, productive, and, most of all, safe.

" Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me". Obviously the shoe thrower doesn't employ this principle. But, that doesn't mean that we can't.

My shoes are on, but my heart's with you. My heart is with those innocent US military and Iraqis who have lost their lives or who have watched those that they love, lose theirs.

This war was a mistake. It has cost us close to to a trillion dollars. That's just the monetary value. What's the price that we can put on human lives?

Think about it.

Apparently my previous post upset a few people. Let me be clear, it is not astounding for a liberal Democrat to believe that a woman of color can be a conservative Republican. What is astounding however, is that any individual, despite race, gender of political party, with so much intellect would pair themselves up with such an idiot.

She may be called " Condi" by her friends and family. However, both the U.S. and the world are not her friends or her family. In fact, they can be enemies at times. We have to move away from the casualness and simpleton semantics that Bush tried to impart on this country.

A good majority of the world looks up to us. Those that don't still watch because every decision that the U.S. makes has deep impacts throughout the globe. Therefore, it is our duty, and that of our government to chose representatives that embody a shred of intelligence. Clearly Ms. Rice does, however, Georgey Boy praises her work while referring to her like an old buddy. We're not talking about a recap of what happened at recess, we're talking about relating to the world serious, international conflicts and resolutions.

To me, that's dumbing her down, and she doesn't deserve that.

Rice is not the only intelligent member of Bush's administration. Take Dick Cheney for instance. He's extremely intelligent. Unfortunately, he's the evil mastermind sort of smart. He saw an opportunity to play puppet master to George, Pinocchio, Bush. Cheney, one of the most evil men on the planet, used his cunning to make millions off of the devastation of others. He brought intelligence to the White House, but he also brought an evil agenda.

I do not compare Ms. Rice to Cheney at all. Condoleezza Rice is an accomplished, educated and refined woman. I have always found her capable of her position and any future positions that she may hold both within and out of the government. Her political party doesn't bother me. Her choice to step into the national spotlight on a sinking ship does confuse me however.

She seems smarter than that to me. Now, unfortunately, such a brilliant woman may forever be linked to the disaster that is the Bush administration.

As I watched Condoleezza Rice play a private piano concert for the queen of England, I thought, " damn, I wish we had her on our side!" She's extremely intelligent, sophisticated, cultured and graceful. In the midst of international turmoil and growing resentment towards the U.S., she plays the diplomatic game with an admirable poker face.

For someone who is as bright as she obviously is, why the hell would she ever have taken a position in Bush's administration? I often wonder why she would allow herself to be guided by the biggest idiot on the planet. There is no way on God's green earth she sees him in a laudatory light. For heaven's sake, she let him call her " Condi".

A woman as accomplished as Rice deserves to be treated with respect. If that's too much to ask, at least don't refer to her as casually as you would one of the cattle on your beloved ranch. She is the top diplomat from the world's super power. The Secretary of State needs to exude level-headedness, exquisite manners, international hindsight and open-mindedness. This is why it infuriates me every time that man calls her " Condi". It's demeaning and infantilizing.

Thank God this will be over soon.

I sometimes fantasize about her exit from the White House. I imagine her tossing aside her poised demeanour long enough to give ole' Georgey boy a swift kick in the rear as she screams, " It's Condaleezza, damnit!"

As much as I respect her, she made a bad judgement call jumping on the ole' Bush train.

Learn from your mistakes Ms. Rice. I wish you the best, I mean it.

As the CEO's of the big three, American auto-manufacturing companies nervously await a possible Congressional bailout, I put forth my bid for car czar candidacy.

As part of a $15 billion bailout, Cogress has asked that a " car czar" be appointed to oversee the Congressional loans and the industry's restructuring. I feel that I am just the one to fill this position.

I cannot self myself on any sort of experience within the financial or manufacturing industries. I can only impart to you my platform.

Simply put, as car czar I will demand that American automakers :

1) stop making crappy cars
2) start making fuel efficient cars
3) pay the US taxpayers back every cent that they borrowed

Think it's safe to quit my day job?

Literally.

Today, five   more »

It's going to get worse before it gets better. This is the sentiment that Obama relayed this morning on Meet the Press. All in all, the economy is crap, and, unfortunately, it's going to stink a lot more before we get some relief.

As I volunteered to decorate homeless shelters with the staff of Harpoon Beer yesterday, I had a candid conversation with my team leader, who happened to be the chief financial officer. When asked how sales were doing, he said. " flat." However, he reminded us all that when unemployment is up, so is drinking.

In preparing for the worst, yet we can only hold on to the hope that things WILL get better.

I am realistic of our immediate future, yet, I have insurmountable hope in both Obama and the future of our economy.

Here's to hope....

Cheers.

This evening, as I made my, self-proclaimed, world famous, tomato sauce, I was half-listening to the evening news. There was a segment that followed up on Iraq veterans ,with severe brain injuries, that the network had interviewed years before. One of them was " better", another permanently disfigured, and one, sadly, passed away during one of his countless operations.

It was a sobering moment for me. I have always been against the war in Iraq. However, I have been guilty of only focusing on those who have lost ther lives, both the American military and Iraqi civilians, and not those who have returned, injured.

Since I was a child, I have been very naive about those who have been "injured". Whenever I hear about an accident, I only worry about the deceased and pay no mind to those who were injured. Its almost as if as long as you remain alive, then you're automatically OK.

Of course anyone who has suffered bodily injury is never OK. I gave my mind a proverbial beating for forgetting those who are still among us. The number of those who have returned injured from Iraq is staggering. We're talking in the tens of thousands. That also means tens of thousands of individuals and families who will never be the same.

As a teacher to children afflicted with severe emotional difficulties, I know that trauma never leaves someone. Therefore, we must also add every person who has served in the military as "injured" as their emotional health will never be the same.

Tonight, I though about how easy it would be for me to change the channel. I thought how, in a matter of seconds, I could make that painful reminder disappear. With the push of a button, I could be finding out who Britney Spears is dating, or what the Jona brothers are up to. I could have pusehd the button and thus erase the thought of all those men and women, whose lives are forever changed.

I didn't change the channel. I continued to watch. I also became enraged, again, at the Bush administration for getting us into this mess. However, I cannot let my anger be the way in which I honor the men and women in our military. I cannot continue to spread anger and bitterness into the universe. Hate begets hate.

I read about the massive funeral in Israel this week, to honor those who had died in the attacks in Mumbai. A rabbi there spoke of forgiveness. He spoke of reacting to those terrorists; hate by doing good deeds for the rest of the world.

I don't fight in Iraq. I admit that I don't want to. I'm not a member of Congress who voted for this war under false pretenses. I'm not one of the private security firms that's making millions off of the lives, limbs and minds both our men and women in service and the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians.

I am merely a civilian, who wants the war to end. Honor the memory of those whos lives were lost, but also, respect the day to day struggle of those who are still among us.

They are here, but no longer forgotten in my eyes.

Open your eyes, this war needs to end.

On Monday, the National Bureau of Economic Research stated that the U.S. is indeed in a recession and has been for over a year.

Well, duh.

( Are our tax dollars paying their salaries?)