On July 15th, The State Newspaper in South Carolina reported that Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) issued a challenge to Barack Obama to begin holding hearings on Afghanistan.  

"With oversight of NATO relations and its role in Afghanistan, I believe it is time for us to focus closely on these issues," DeMint writes. "As Ranking Member of your Subcommittee on European Affairs, I would welcome a chance to hold a hearing on NATO's mission in Afghanistan upon your return."

We can argue that this is an attempt to setup Obama by DeMint and others in the Republican party and show that he's all talk and no action.  However, I believe that Obama should meet this challenge when he returns home and here's why....

When I heard about the 60 year old librarian in Denver who was arrested and given a citation for trespassing at a John McCain Town Hall meeting for holding up a sign "McCain = Bush", I had longed wish that I had the money to start up a defense fund and put "plants" at various campaign stops.

My thought process was to have two volunteers with signs.  One that said McCain = Bush and the other that said I Love McCain.  Have them both standing side by side and see which one was told to leave the premises.  Of course there would be someone there with a video camera to tape it all.

The pragmatist in me tells me nice fantasy but rather unrealistic.  Not only would funding the project be an issue, but realistically, how many people are willing to go to risk going to jail for an experiment?

Ah the hypocrisy of the Republican and right spin machine.  After General Clark's comment and then Representative Jim Webb's interview on Countdown, they're up in arms, claiming that there's a smear attack against McCain's service record.  Oh good, freaking grief, where is the shovel?

First off, I had seen both the Clark and Webb interview and neither one had anything disparaging to say about McCain's service record, in fact, they lauded him as a hero.  Yet of course, they have to find something to spin against the Democratic party, and this one seems to be the one that may just draw the ire of the American citizens, right?  I'm still looking for my shovel because it's getting deep from the fake indignation.

Here's a question from someone who saw the antics from the Bush "surrogate" team in South Carolina in the 2000 Republican Primaries to the Republican spin machine wanting to spin this in McCain's favor...

Perhaps I should start off with this disclaimer, I do not speak for all Independents, just myself.  Perhaps I'm naive, perhaps idealistic, some would even say that I'm stupid.  I tend to vote for the person who best represents my concerns, for what's important to me.  Somethings I'm able to compromise on, others I'm not.  The issues that are important to me, usually have me leaning left for the most part.

Before the cries of troll or false accusations of being a McCain supporter start getting tagged on me, perhaps you should hear me out.  Over the past eight years a rubber stamp Congress, the establishment of free speech zones, the status quo of a war that we should never have been in, the creation of fear and complete disregard to the law, along with many others have made me vow never to vote Republican again.  That doesn't mean, I've become a card carrying Democrat, just that this election I've chosen to support the netroots movement and the Democratic Party.

I guess to understand where I'm going, it may be helpful to understand where I've been, so meet me after the jump...

Ok, I'm watching Olbermann's special comment on Obama and the FISA bill.  

What I am going to do is dissect the criminal versus civil case meme that it seems most don't understand...

In the early morning hours, sipping coffee and mindlessly hearing the noise from the infomercials on the television as I peruse the blogs and news, I had found myself contemplating.  It's easy to be reflective, now that the initial shock and emotion of feeling betrayed has died down.  To look at things objectively, at least a little, and to formulate a plan on what to do next.

I guess to figure out where you're going, you have to look back at what got you here, or at least that's the way it is for me.  Most recently my feelings on the passage of the FISA bill by Congress.  Yet this wasn't the start of it, it was the abuse of power by an executive branch and the failure of the system to provide the checks and balances that became blatant after 9/11 and the attempt to carry it through to today.

So as I look to place blame and try to hold those responsible accountable, I look at myself and have to admit, it began with me, it's my fault.  

Welcome to South Carolina, the land the Dem's forgot.  Well, okay, not really.  It's not a secret that this historically entrenched red state often gets written off as going to the Republicans in terms of national seats and races.  

Currently, out of the 6 congressional seats within South Carolina, only two are held by Democrats, Representative James Clyburn SC-06 and Jack Spratt SC-05.  Both seats are expected to remain within Democratic control.  

It's logical for the DNC not to put alot of effort into this state, given it's history and the seemingly losing battle that goes with the political races here for the Democrats.  Of course, Mississippi showed us that anything is possible.  

Perhaps I don't think too well until I've had about three or four pots of coffee in me, so if this sounds like rambling, I apologize profusely.  In other words, I'm still on the first pot.  

Before I get into this diary further, let me state...I have not withdrawn anything from Obama, and I believe in him enough to not want him to become the lesser of the two evils in this campaign.  (and no, I was not an original supporter for Obama, though he was my second choice.)

So now that I have the disclaimers out of the way, let me digress here after the jump so I can make some sense what's going on with my thought process of the firestorm brewing on dKOS.

There will be an outcry from the religious right this week.  There will be gnashing of teeth and the tearing of cloth and wailing in the street at how religion is being attacked.  I'm sure we'll hear O'Reilly and Limbaugh comment on this in the upcoming days on how Christianity is once again under attack.  This should be fun to watch.

It was over 200 years ago when brave men stood their ground and were willing to die to establish a new country, to gain the freedoms from tyrrany.  If they were to see us now, would they be rolling over in their graves?  Would they, like me, be shedding tears of grief because those freedoms that they fought for have been thrown aside by our nations leaders of today?  

I was just going to go, leave quietly.  Unfortunately, I can't.  I'm a newbie,it doesn't matter, but since I promised to do a series, I have an obligation.  So on behalf of that obligation, I came to say goodbye.

It was our first reality check on war.   Every night, the news would stream the names of those soldiers who were either killed, missing or had become prisoners, across the screen, in what seemed to be never ending.  There were no clips of the "Donut Dollies", the women of the USO seeing our troops off, only stark cold reality.  We learned then, by the coffins returning home, by the pictures of the little girl running, screaming down the road as her body was covered with napalm, by the men returning home, that war is hell.

Hollywood would no longer glamorize war.  The images of John Wayne and Audie Murphy valiantly driving off into the sunset in their jeeps were replaced with Robert Duvall and John Voight trying to hold on to their sanity.    For the first time in the history of the US, our soldiers were not greeted with a hero’s welcome, but were advised to not to wear their uniforms when they returned home.

I was probably in fifth grade, when we had the obligatory reproductive lesson given by the school nurse.  It was a girls only class, explaining the ovaries, the uterus and how babies are made.  At that time, the only method of birth control that was allowed to be taught was abstinence.  Although Griswold v Connecticut had made birth control legal for married couples, it wouldn't be until the next year, 1972, Einstadt v Baird allowed unmarried women access to birth control.  It would be a year after that, in 1973, abortion would become legal under Roe v Wade.  

It would be a few years that my mother decided it was time to get me the "Lifecycle" series of books.  No, she didn't actually sit me down and discuss the birds and the bees, but gave me books to read.  So I read them, and then asked questions.  We discussed sex and of course, I received the classic, "you'll want to wait until you get married".  It wasn't too long after that, while sitting on the steps, talking to my mother that I asked if I really had to wait until I got married.  

Cross posted from A Woman's View

You could feel the excitement in the house building for days.  It was like that anytime we had plans to head into the city.  We were kids then, so a trip to Kennywood, the zoo or a Pirates game was always a major event.  My parents planned in advance and would build it up, until the point, where the night before, we were sleepless from excitement.

The next morning, mom would be packing a picnic lunch and then we'd pile into the car, to make the 40 minute trip into the city.  Imagine three little girls sitting in the backseat of the car, giggling; chattering about what they were going to ride first, what animals we wanted to see, wondering if we'd catch the ball that Roberto Clemente hit.

On these trips, I often found myself looking out the window, watching the scenary as we drove along.  There was always one point where I knew we were close.  It wasn't the signs, nor was it the tunnels; I knew we were close when the sky started turning brown.

The struggle for freedom and equality is an age old story and not unique to one specific group of people.  Indeed, if you believe in God, then you acknowledge the Israelite's struggle for freedom from the Egyptians.  Throughout time, history books recount these struggles, sometimes in a short blurb, sometimes devoting whole chapters to them.  The basis for these struggles began as a fight against slavery, oppression, tyranny and injustice.

The short history of the United States has had several such struggles, itself.  Indeed, the creation of our own country was born on a fight against the oppression of King George and the injustice at the hands of his appointed governors.  It would be less then a 100 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed, that another struggle, another movement would begin.  This struggle, like the last would be an excuse for war, which pitted brother against brother and would divide the nation.  Depending on which history book one reads, the Civil War was either about the abolishing of slavery or independence from a government that chose to overtax its’ southern citizens.   Eventually slavery would be outlawed, but another struggle was forming.

As the 110th Congress took their seats in January 2007, they've promised the American voters many things.  Increasing the minimum wage, holding the administration accountable, work to end the war, and many other issues, that were fed to the msm.  As the nation was focused on failed referendums and bills with no teeth, something that never was announced publicly was introduced.

With the debate on reproductive rights, abortion and the erosion of women's rights raging on, not sure how we could have missed this one. I checked the archives and couldn't find it.  I looked for news articles and couldn't find it.  You ask what it is, come with me and I'll tell you.

The state of South Carolina isn’t in that much of a shock, given the recent indictment of Thomas Ravanel on cocaine charges.  In fact, it’s basically status quo, when it comes to our elected leaders.  Either they’re funneling state funds to personal projects, defying police authority, or under investigation for something illegal.  Okay, maybe I exaggerate.  Not all the elected officials are corrupt and dirty, but it only takes one straw to break the camels back, and the Ravanel instance may be the straw to break the Republican stronghold in this red state.

After serious deliberation, which amounts to 15 minutes before my first cup of coffee, I’m announcing my decision to throw my hat into the ring.  I believe that in 2008, a Democrat can challenge Lindsey Graham’s for the Senate and win.  Now all it takes is some help from the DNC.

The indictment of Thomas Ravanel has put a big blemish on the Republican party in my fair state.  The level of discontent and distrust amongst the voters for our elected officials is growing.  It's not the first time that a lawmaker here has been caught with his hand in the jar, defied police or has been subject to criminal investigations.  Frankly, the voters of this fair state are damn tired of it, too.

So I sat here thinking long and hard, about 15 minutes before having my first cup of coffee, that yes, I can do it.  I can challenge Lindsey Graham and win that seat as a Democrat.  The only question, can the Democratic party help me do it?