We stood in line for hours to see Obama shatter barriers and make history. I only had to travel a short distance to attend, but I spoke to one woman who drove to St Paul from Duluth (about $60 in gas). I am sure she wasn’t alone.  I heard on the radio as I returned from the  event that the line was more than a mile long. The crowd was different than it was during the previous election; I saw a large cross-section of America, including many minorities.  

This woman brought her daughter to see the event.

Bush is laying the groundwork for a report to the US public that the surge has been a success. The facts state otherwise, but Bush and his handlers latest spin is that local progress is dramatic and good, but the central government isn't showing the same success.

To make his point, Bush presented his weekly radio address with this goal.  The address was titled "The way forward in Iraq."  Bush cited three examples of progress: Muthannna, Diyala and Ninewa provinces.  Today, the Governor of Muthanna province was assasinated by a roadside bomb.

UPDATE at end.

Details are beginning to emerge about serious concerns about the safety of the I35W bridge prior to its collapse. Records observed by the Star Tribune

reveal that last year bridge officials talked openly about the possibility of the bridge collapsing -- and worried that it might have to be condemned.

This news is reported in an article titled Phone call puts brakes on bridge repair

I would like to begin by expressing my heartfelt condolences to Franki and her family. Some of us learned from Franki last Saturday evening,in a post here on Dailykos, that her father had passed away. He was 86 years old and had been ill for some time. She had shared with us two weeks ago news that her father was ill and that his condition was worsening.  

Earlier this week, I received an email from Franki informing me that her father's funeral is today (Saturday) and that she would be unable to host her dairy. She asked me if I would be willing to be a guest host; I am honored by this opportunity to help out.  

I was watching international satellite TV yesterday morning before work because I’m tired of hearing about the guy with TB. On a news channel I saw a story that was quite interesting. It was about peace: the Global Peace Index. Watching this story, I learned something about the US that you probably won’t hear a lot about from our media.

The theme for this year’s Minneapolis May Day parade was water. For those of you not familiar with the parade, it’s street theater at its best. During the cold winter months, artists  from the Heart-of-the Beast  Puppet Theater and volunteers make costumes and floats for this annual event. This photo essay documents parts of the parade.

Five thousand rallied and marched earlier today in Minneapolis. These photos were all taken today at that rally.

I just read a NY Times article by Burns titled  "Before Hanging, a Push for Revenge and a Push Back." In this article I learned that the US Government’s stated position was to delay the execution of Saddam. Unfortunately, the heavyweights on the US side during this crisis were on vacation.

The American push back was complicated by the absences of Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and the top American military commander, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., who were both out of Iraq on leave. The American message throughout was that rushing Mr. Hussein to the gallows could rebound disastrously, as it did.

George W. Bush is unhappy. He announced today that leaks of the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) are wrong. Those leaks contend that the Iraq war has raised the threat of terror rather than reduced it. Given that the War on Terror is Bush's strong suit, he is fighting back.

To counter this news, which everyone knew already, Bush has agreed to declassify parts of the NIE. Here is the portion he has agreed to release. A friend in the government leaked this to me; it doesn't say anything about Iraq.

A coalition many Twin Cities activist groups protested in the Uptown district of Minneapolis last Saturday as part of a nation-wide declaration of peace. About 400 persons participated. I hope you are impressed, as I was, with the diversity of the protesters and their creativity.

The protest was lead by Military Families Speak Out, an organization of people opposed to the war in Iraq who have relatives or loved ones in the military. Some of them that I spoke with have relatives who are currently serving in Iraq, including the child in the photo. Their sign in the image below makes it clear that every day that Congressman Mark Kennedy (US senatorial candidate Kennedy) doesn't act to bring home the troops, 2 more servicemen die. The death toll for Iraqis is much greater and should not be ignored. 

It's not surprising that bass fishermen are against Bush. Just about everyone is nowadays. Bush's approval ratings hover around 35 percent so the people against Bush includes nearly everyone except the religious right and influence peddlers who want to use the government to expand their fortunes at the taxpayers' expense. This diary is about those remaining Bush supporters and a protest against them on Lake Minnetonka last week to expose their agenda.

I visited the Minnesota State Fair the other day. Everyone had a grand time. For a moment, my family and I almost forgot there is a war going on.

The state fair is an urban event where most of the older participants focus on the food. Most of the food at the fair is more suited for photographs than it is to eat, but someone must be buying it or these businesses wouldn't be selling the same thing every year. A few years ago Alex Trebek, the host of game show Jeopardy, visited the State fair to promote his show. He was offered a plate of fair food on a live morning newscast, and he didn't even sample one bite to be polite. In my view, he was justified. It is mostly nasty stuff -- a majority of offerings are deep fried fat.

This year I saw some of the regular delicacies such as deep fried twinkies:

I came across a story on the internet that shows photos of Israeli girls writing messages on shells that will be shot into Lebanon. I'm a Vietnam War Veteran, and while serving on the USS Midway I saw artwork on bombs in the hanger bay of the ship that were eventually dropped on the Vietnamese. Some of the messages on the bombs I saw in Vietnam were about Jane Fonda. Others had racial slurs on them. I enjoy photography but I never took any photos of them because I was disgusted by what I saw and didn't want any reminders of those times.

In my view, people should say a prayer when the bombs are loaded and hope that they will never be used. These weapons are instruments of death and destruction, and for me, this kind of behavior is very inappropriate. What kind of society permits children to participate in this cultural aberration?

Flag desecration was the right-wing topic de jour for the past few weeks. Most of the discussion and examples that were brought up in the debate were about flag burning, but the amendment addressed flag desecration. What the right failed to mention was that many of their supporters desecrate the flag on a daily basis. I thought I would use this July 4th holiday to show you some images that represent how many GW Bush enablers are supporting the economy and the country by going shopping (snark) and wrapping themselves in the flag.

First, they put on their flag t-shirt and fill up their tank because Walmart might be 40 miles or more from home now that the local stores are all bankrupt.

Several hundred people turned out for a rally to support Keith Ellison's campaign for US Congress (MN-05), including Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. State Representative Ellison hopes to be the first Muslim elected to the US Congress, but the right-wing smear machine is gearing up for a fight. Read in-depth analysis below the fold:  

[Update: This diary was posted at the same time as Alegre's diary below it. My diary emphasizes the press conference with the looney admiral in charge of Gitmo whereas his emphasizes different content]

Ignore those thoughts you might have had that led you to believe that those three hostages at Gitmo committed suicide out of desparation. They did it to embarrass the U.S.

Navy Rear Admiral Harry Harris, commander of Guantanamo, told a news conference the suicides were an act of warfare.

And Admiral Harris had more to say about the men who have been held captive for as much as 4-1/2 years with no end in sight, no opportunity for a fair trial or to contact their relatives.

"They have no regard for life, neither ours nor their own. I believe this was not an act of desperation but an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us."

Last week I wrote about the Mayaguez, a US ship captured by the Khmer Rouge back in 1975, in a Memorial Day tribute to a shipmate lost at sea.

This week I learned that a United Emirates  registered ship has been captured -- this time by pirates in Somalia. Twenty Filipino crew members are hostages, and one has reportedly died.  This was reported by satellite phone by one of the hostages, who also said he is only being fed once a day. The hostages have been held for 9 weeks so far, but we are just hearing about it. The shipping company lied about the incident even happening until that one seaman phoned home on his satellite telephone. The story is a big one in the Philippines, but it's not getting any international coverage. The seamens' wives are appearing on TV pleading for their release -- but who is negotiating for them? The public doesn't even know who owns the ship.

He died back in 1975, and his death was so unnecessary. We were serving together on the Harold E. Holt, a destroyer with a crew of around 220 men. The Vietnam War had just ended, and our ship, which was located in the vicinity of Vietnam, was called to rescue the SS Mayaguez , a US cargo ship captured by the Khmer Rouge.