Gosh if we hadn’t gone to Afghanistan, then we would not have caught Osama bin Laden nor crushed Al Queda nor stopped Afghanistan from growing drugs! Ooops I guess that didn’t happen, so why did we go the Afghanistan? Oh because two planes made 3 buildings fall in New York on 9/11, Each building fell as fast as a falling rock, straight down, from plane impact and from fire damage. And we know that Al Queda caused 9/11 because we have the Al Queda bodies to prove it, right? What ever happened to that high tech air force that is supposed to scramble a moments notice - 4 airplanes got through. So instead fixing our security, we invaded Afghanistan.

After we invaded Afghanistan, we attacked Iraq because obviously even though they were Shia, they were linked to Sunni in Al Queda (see same sentence - linked).

And even though the US gave the nuclear bomb to a bunch of countries, we have to invade Iran because Iran might have the bomb in ten years or so! Just because military force has been so successful for us. Congress just passed a resolution that that could be interpreted as a war authorization for Iran. After all, we have so many people who just really want to be in the military!

Hmmm, so maybe -just maybe- war should be the last resort, not our first choice? Or do we need a few more wars to figure that out?

So Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer is politician who from the start has told us that there were other better peaceful ways of achieving our goals! A few commenters just off handedly dismissed that - might be just Republican commenters. Maybe if we would have worked with countries using peaceful means, we would have stopped Al Queda, captured Osama bin Laden, have stability in Iraq and gosh, have a trillion dollars to spend on education, bridges and infrastructure.

Hmmm maybe the methods of peace are worth looking at?

What’s more interesting about him is this. He will be knocked out. Period, end of sentence. But when will he be knocked out?

In CD5, there was an obvious candidate for JNP to pass the torch to early in the DFL nominating process. Here, not so much. Mike Ciresi has far better anti-war credentials. But he also has been active in the real world doing real things, and that tends to make one un-appealing to the peace community.

Franken on the other hand, is an entertainer who’s had license to say whatever he feels - often with the aggressiveness that the peace community takes for principle. But he at one time supported the invasion. Big no-no.

So, here’s the question: does Pallmeyer get knocked out after convention, or does he ride it out to the primary? And if he rides it out to the primary, who does that help at the convention both of the real candidates have pledged to let decide it?

The announcement was pretty great. Pallmeyer gave a great speech, and delivered a powerful message of courage and hope on the environment, education, health care, poverty, and the war. He had key electeds and former electeds lined up with him, and put about 100 people to work on the spot calling delegates from the 2006 state convention.

There are lots of folks who aren’t satisfied with the two candidates who jumped in early. They’re waiting to be persuaded, and especially in the listening sessions and one to one conversation’s he’s had, Jack’s been very persuasive. This race just got interesting.

Beanfeed is more traditional. There are some Senate Districts who roast a whole pig. Its usually delicious beyonds words.

Sean