I haven't done a diary in quite some time now and felt it was time to put one together. Only problem is, there's so many big issues and so many issues that have been analyzed to death that I can't decide what to write a diary about. Should it be Wolfowitz? Or Imus? Anna Nicole's baby's daddy? The Presidential race? Edwards- John or Elizabeth? Bush-Destroying e-mails or destoying our military? Kossacks-too sensitive or too unfeeling? Snark or Serious? Iraq? Darfur? Poinsoned Pet Food?

My solution below-

Todays papers, specifically the NY Times, has several stories that all fit together in a nice little bundle. The issue that binds is Global Warming. Or Climate Change. Or whatever one calls it. The 3 stories that jumped out at me included a front-page piece on the climatic harm to maple syrup trees, another on a long-delayed US emissions report and one, reflected in this diary's title, about why James Dobson, Gary Bauer and friends say that talking about the issue just distracts us from really, really important stuff.

This is a question I heard posed by Al Franken a few days ago and its gnawed at me ever since.

It's a great question because the fact that one really has to contemplate whether the sitting President will even be invited to his own party's convention puts the absolute collapse of the Cult of Bush into a stark light.

I'll discuss my thoughts briefly below, then I'll offer the poll and wait for your opinion.

The depth to which our media has lazily accepted the BushCo framing of the major issues is horrifying. Today the front page of the NY Times illustrates the problem in spades as regards the Fiasco in Iraq.

The story, headlined Sectarian Attack Is Worst in Baghdad Since Invasion, begins with hard news about the deadly warfare between Sunnis and Shiites that continues unabated. But then it slips into pundit-esque cowardice by hoisting the BushCo framing. The story- and the incideous BushCo spin- below the fold.

Today, November 11, is Veteran's Day. November 11, 1918 was, of course, the end of WWI, The original war to end all wars. A couple of years ago I recall a Vets Day thread where all the kossack vets stopped by to post what branch they served in, when they served, and a little something about their time in. It was stunning in the breadth of service time it entailed and the impressive patriotism of those who find themselves now drawn to the liberal Democratic ideal. I'd love to read about some of your stories again.

My brief story below the fold-

On September 19th of this year a judge ruled that Georgia's new Voter ID law violated the state constitution by placing unnecessary restraints on those Georgia citizens otherwise qualified to vote. Today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that between September 20th and 25th Georgia's State Elections Board sent 200,000 letters to remind voters about the January legislation that required voters to show one of six forms of government-issued photo identification at the polls.

My tax dollars at work. For the GOP.

It has been great fun these past few days here at DKos. Pies have been a-flyin' ever since Hank Johnson forced a run-off with Cynthia McKinney in Georgia's 4th Congressional District race. Since this weekend, things have been quiet here, but its about time to start anew.

Today's AJC announced that the candidates will square off in their first televised debate Monday at 7:30pm (eastern, of course. When will you people just set your clocks to our time and be done with it?) Here in Atlanta the debate will be on PBS, but NATIONALLY it will be live on C-SPAN. Those Spanners know good theatre when they see it.

Let me get things started- below the fold:

I'll admit it. I don't watch much soccer. But during the World Cup, I pay close attention because it is so important to so many people around the globe that the enthusiasm is infectious. I was stationed in Panama during the 1994 World Cup and was surprised to find how much fun I had watching with locals. The broadcasts were in Spanish, so they would all tell me what was going on. Since then I always watch the Cup. But my lack of soccer knowledge is obvious. So my picks are based on one factor that I feel strongly about- FOOD. My picks are based on which teams cuisine I prefer.

Below the fold are my picks for the remainder of this round of 16. Come tell me who's dishes I've under-rated.

So many of us progressives, and quite a few trolls, come here to dkos to discuss our thoughts on politics and the news. Here we get to talk to thousands of people of all ages and ethnicities and backgrounds from all over the globe. But many of us also have our our tiny blogs. Where we share our views with just a few folks who share some special interest with us. It may be place or family or hobby or pets. But we put in the effort to maintain our own little corner of the blogosphere. And I'm just curious to hear about what non-political and rarely seen sites are maintained by kossacks. And why.

Next week the campaign of Greg Hecht, the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for Lt. Governor of Georgia, will announce that former Deaniac chairman, Joe Trippi, is joining the team. It's a surprising spot for such a high profile campaign expert to be found. But the prospect of taking on Christ-ploitation meglomaniac Ralph Reed is too much of a draw to resist. Reed has stated publicly that he intends to win this race, then become governor next, before moving on to a bid for the White House.

Be prepared for national attention to focus on Georgia's race for Lt. Governor following the primary in July. Hecht vs. GReed. Trippi vs. Fox spin. Good vs. Evil-posing-as-good.

I, like so many good kossacks, have been doing a little volunteer work for a local Dem campaign. My choice in this election cycle is Greg Hecht, a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the Lt. Governor's race. The primary is just 4 months away, and few people are paying much attention to the Democrats running in this race. They are, however, paying close attention to the likely GOoPer nominee, Ralph Reed.

This Sunday I will be with the campaign's field coordinator handing out literature at Victory Baptist Church in Stone Mountain. Want to come join us? Let me know in the comments.

A little more "how and why" about helping Greg Hecht win below:

I recently read of the military trial at Guantanamo of Ali Hamza Ahmad Sulayman al Bahlul, a Yemeni prisoner who has refused to participate in the proceedings. Mr. al Bahlul, an accused former bodyguard for Osama bin Laden, has been in the facility since 2002. He complains that the American attorney appointed to represent him, Army Major Tom Fleener, is his enemy and could not properly represent him.

Maj. Fleener has also voiced doubts about defending Mr. al Bahlul, saying that he intended to try to go to Yemen to find him a lawyer who's counsel would be acceptable. This led me to think that somewhere among the professionals in the dkos community may be a Yemeni attorney or someone who knows one, who's name we can pass on to Maj. Fleener.

Want to know how to make a teenager cry? How about a hundred of them? No, the draft has not been re-instituted. But instead, here in the Peach State, many high school seniors who applied for admission to The University of Georgia are crying over a simple clerical error:

...more than 100 high school students who mistakenly received a congratulatory note and a bright red UGA banner from the state's flagship university, only to receive a follow-up letter Monday telling them that -- oops -- they hadn't been accepted yet after all.

Ouch. That's gotta hurt.

The US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs has been embroiled in controversey for the past year, due to overzealous and inappropriate proselytizing by Christian officers and chaplains. It seemed that in late 2005, the Academy and the Pentagon had decided that such behavior must cease and desist. Well, once again, we see the administration making public claims of reform, but then, as soon as no one is watching, they offer a new gift to the Religious Right-Wingers.

The Air Force has just announced that officers and chaplians are not required to respect anyone's religion except their own. That is official policy. This veteran, who happens to be Jewish, is offended and shocked. You will be too after you read below the fold.

The Washington Post is reporting that a beef cow from Texas has tested positive for Mad Cow Disease. But the USDA, supposedly the federal agency responsible for keeping Americans safe from diseased animals, originally fought against field inspectors recommendations to retest the animal after the original test results were inconclusive.

Why?

"...because they feared a positive finding would undermine confidence in the agency's testing procedures"

Think that logic through a few times. Then come read below the fold- before you take another bite.

Has Bill O'Reilly moved his clownish act to the legislative chambers beneath the Gold Dome in Atlanta? Could be. Yesterday, Georgia's House of Representatives voted 136-25 in favor of a bill that:

"Simply put, in the state of Georgia, it's going to be OK to say 'Merry Christmas' in the public workplace and in our schools," said Rep. Clay Cox (R-Lilburn), the bill's sponsor.

Thank God. Praise Jesus. In your face, Kwanza lobby! Our school system is saved. This is why we elect GOoopers, isn't it? More invasive governance?

The US Marine Corps has established a new type of unit for use in Iraq. No, we are not instigating a revival of the Central America-style military assassins. These death squads are a company of Marines whose sole (soul?) duty will be retrieving the bodies, body parts and personal effects of those killed in action. The first ever "personnel recovery and processing" unit will be on the ground in Iraq in September. The very need for such a specialty is very telling of our situation in Iraq.

The premier recovery unit, based out of Atlanta, is intended to free up combat soldiers from having to recover the bodies of those fighting along-side them, a duty the military brass views as "an emotionally draining job that can distract them from their missions."

Think your state legislature is screwed up? Here in Georgia, the epi-center of the Christian Coalition branch of the GOP, Ralph Reed is running for Lt. Governor, the Repugs want to put a statue of Zell Miller on the Capital grounds, Robert E. Lee's birthday is a public event under the gold dome, and the most prominent bills are to make abortion more traumatic, the divorce process lengthier and shootings in public places more acceptable.

How screwed up has Georgia (a state that once elected Jimmy Carter) become? Come inside. But you'll want to shower by the time you leave.