Welcome to DU, Rockyj!

Glad you're here! They ARE. They are indeed. I just don't see how they qualify as anything but! Total unabashed greed. From coast to coast. Trying to buy their way in locally, state-wide, regionally, nationally, and in both policies and candidates. They're the worst opportunistic infections I've seen in quite some time. They are literally human toxins. What they do to benefit themselves is quite literally toxic to those around them, and to those who have to live in, and around, the areas of their influence They deal in so many pollutants and pollution-generating industries that they endanger people's health.

assa hutchinson.

One of the Clinton persecutors. FUCK him.

Yep. All this lean 'n' mean stuff is just plain mean. AND stupid. AND short-sighted.

It takes money to make money. Penny-wise, POUND-FOOLISH!!!!!

You have to invest - as a public, as a state, in your infrastructure, and I don't mean only the roads and bridges! You have to invest in your PEOPLE. Your YOUNG PEOPLE who are going to age into the generation that will be running things when you die or get too old to matter much anymore. SHEESH.

This austerity shit is just that: SHIT. Austerity is an atrocity. It gets you NOWHERE in the future and it doesn't really help the bottom line that much at all. Not unless you're okay with the decline and pain and suffering and backsliding that WILL, guaranteed, come with it.

ROFL!

YES. They all had fun. Let the modern-day Puritans fume!

Me, too!

Major Wow Factor!

Yes. She can't just assume that her celebrity-status entitles her to ANYTHING like this.

I was kind of pissed off about that, because I did want to hear her. I wanted to hear her explain why I should support a "religioso" going to Congress. Even one whose philosophy I can easily sympathize with and get behind. Ours is a SECULAR government. It's not an offshoot of any church. It's not supposed to be! And religiosos of any stripe, even the ones I like, even the new-age ones, DO NOT BELONG IN GOVERNMENT!!!!! I HUGELY and STEADFASTLY support the separation of church and state. That's pretty sacred to me, pardon the pun. All those wrong-wingers who talk about the "sanctity of marriage" and the "sanctity of life" and the "sanctity of this" and the "sanctity of that" - well I believe in the sanctity of the separation of church and state. She has no place running for office to begin with. Neither does my parish priest. Neither does the rabbi down the street. Neither does the minister of either the cool, new-age Christian institute a mile down the road OR the Southern Baptist Bible-thumper who thinks the only scripture of record is the Book of Leviticus. NONE OF THEM.

I wouldn't even want Jim Wallis of Sojourners (whom I like A LOT) OR my absolute favorite - Sister Simone Campbell - to run for office either! And I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE Sister Simone Campbell. I've said it before here, that if I were President, I'd ask HER to deliver the Invocation at my Inauguration. The religiosos DO NOT BELONG IN GOVERNMENT. Frankly that government-sanctioned Prayer Breakfast stuff needs to stop, too, IMO.

And I also figured that, with her resources and connections, SURELY she had someone available on her undoubtedly-enlarging staff, to show up at that panel discussion and at least meet people and "fly her flag" - or at least hand out literature or campaign flyers or buttons or stickers - or SOMETHING. There were two other candidates who didn't show up either, but at least they left their campaign literature behind so you could read about them and could study their bullet-points and maybe follow up with some research later because you'd thus have their contact info and websites and stuff at the ready. I appreciated that because I know these folks are busy and that there are probably lots of forums and panels and receptions and things they need to squeeze into their schedules. But shit! A couple of the people who did show up brought an assistant or two along with them - so their assistants could work the room as well. THAT tells me they really want the job. THAT tells me they're deliberately putting themselves out A LOT and going to extra trouble, and that this or that gathering is important to them. It frankly tells me that I THE VOTER am important enough for them to do that, and all the other voters in that room are, too. It's a show of respect. And it definitely gets my respect, too. THAT ALONE gets them extra brownie points. But Marianne Williamson didn't bother with any of that. And she's NOT going to get my vote. PERIOD. (And since I'm an activist myself, I won't hesitate to share that opinion with others who ask me about it - which I've already done elsewhere than just here.)

They say WE VOTERS have to show up. Well, agreed. That is an absolute. But dammit, the candidates better show up, too!!!!

ACES!!! Should be up near the top!

That so-called "American Exceptionalism" died the day we turned our backs on NASA as a priority.

Besides, I'm one of those who believes that the only way our species can hope to survive through the next centuries - is to find a way to get off our planet. Space colonization is the only long-range answer. We need several space stations, a colony on the moon, a colony on Mars, and that's only for starters. We need to figure out gravity differentials and velocity issues and other challenges .

I keep thinking about what Stephen Hawking said when somebody asked him about the fabled warp drive we only enjoy when watching "Star Trek" and other sci-fi. His answer: "we're working on it." I feel like Princess Leia in that holographic SOS - "help me Obi-wan Hawking! You're our only hope!"

Yeah, well, I don't want to see anybody from our side buying into the crap the other side is

spewing. DON'T START by using their arguments - or react to them or START OUT by using their wordings and framings. Don't even go there! All you do is feed into what they're trying to stir up, and give it validation!!! We're supposed to shoot that shit DOWN, not whine and clutch our pearls along with it!!! SHEESH, Deval! HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT IT??? You don't get this??????? I had a really high regard for him until this. He should know better!!!! Democratic naiveté strikes again.

I wish she would have shown up at the local candidates forum.

Matt Miller, Ted Lieu, David Kanuth, and Wendy Greuel all got their asses out to this rather large meeting of progressive activists. There were a couple of others who couldn't make it but at least provided literature. NOTHING from Marianne Williamson. She's not acting like she really wants it. She's behaving almost as though she expects some sort of coronation by acclamation. NO WAY! If she wants my vote she really ought to be out working for it. Putting forth an effort. I was very disappointed that there was NOTHING from her. Not even a campaign worker or spokesman to be there at least to put forth even a modicum of an appearance. EFFORT. Put in the EFFORT. You should have seen some of them working the room before the panel discussion was called to order. The takeaway from that is - sheesh - these people REALLY WANT This! They want my vote and they're willing to fight for it and put themselves out for it.

That carries tremendous weight with me.

Perhaps I will at some point. Haven't ruled it out completely.