We have so many insightful and powerful diaries written here at Daily Kos. Our diaries inform, inflame, impassion, and even entertain. We Kossacks have strong voices and an even stronger will to be the change we wish to see in this country.
One of the richest, and perhaps most under-appreciated, areas of thought come in the form of comments attached to these diaries.
Here at Top Comments we strive to recognize and promote the talent of this community by highlighting outstanding comments found throughout the day by the diarist, and through nominations at made at topcomments at gmail dot com by your fellow Kossacks.
These nominations are subjective, and certainly not complete (as no one can read the complete site on a daily basis!). But hopefully they will serve to shine a light where deserved, and to give the reader a good starting point in finding conversation on the site.
Please come in and make yourself at home! Join us beneath the fold...
I've been scarce lately - had computer trouble. During my cyber-hiatus, I've managed to do some phone- and afoot-canvassing. I don't have any heart-warming stories to tell about those experiences but then again, I don't have any horror stories about angry hang-ups, door-slammings, or death threats. It is hard work, though, so give a shout-out (and big applause) to all the Democratic volunteers. And don't forget to put a few bucks into the coffee fund at your nearest campaign office. Bake some cookies, whatever - every little bit helps.
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While canvassing, I heard the following from a retired miner who served in Korea and Vietnam:
The way I figure it, John McCain has had socialized health care for his entire life - damn near cradle-to-grave, eh? 'Cept for those few years when he was a POW and even they kept him alive. How come he's opposed to giving us working folks the same privilege? And I bet it would cost a lot less than $700 billion.
Great debate question, huh?
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Action item - got this via e-mail and wanted to share. While we're all focused on the election, Bush isn't about to go silently into that good Texas night:
Your Stream Beds Need Your Help Desperately NOW!
For decades federal protections have kept coal companies from mining within 100 feet of streams. Now the Office of Surface Mining is proposing to repeal those protections, allowing coal companies to mine next to and even through our waters.
In Appalachia alone more than 1,200 miles of streams have already been buried and the problem will only worsen if protections are removed.
Many of you, as SAMS members and beyond, participated with us last year in our Stream Buffer Zone Campaign. We worked tirelessly along with other organizations to get comments (approximately 44,000 nationwide) sent to OSM and worked diligently to get a public hearing set by OSM in our own local coalfield. The hearing request was denied.
However, after many efforts, we were granted a meeting at OSM's office in Big Stone Gap where all of our testimonies were recorded and we were assured they became part of the public record. That campaign was a huge success. We had many people to show up (the room could not hold us and many lined the hallways) and all who spoke were in favor of leaving the SBZ rule in place. Some of those who came and participated did so in direct response to the beautiful newspaper ad we ran.
Now we have learned that the current administration is trying to force the rule through in the final days of this Administration. This proposal must be approved by the EPA before it can be published as regulation.
Will you take action today and tell the EPA to protect our mountains, stream beds, and our communities? Tell the EPA Administrator to reject the proposed stream buffer zone rule change and help us protect our waters from toxic mine waste. There are several ways in which you can do this.
Call the EPA administrator, Stephen Johnson, at 202 564 4700.
Write a letter to: Stephen Johnson, Adm., US EPA Headquarters, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW , Mail Code 1101A, Washington, DC 20460
Send an electronic letter through the ilovemountains website.
Thank you immensely for all your efforts to save our stream beds.
Best wishes,
Kathy R. Selvage, V-Pres.
Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards
Appalachia, VA
samsva@gmail.com
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ON TO TOP COMMENTS!
From DemocraticLuntz:
I AM HAVING TAPE. Larry Johnson's whitey tape as Nigerian e-mail scam.
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From bronte17:
This video has probably been widely seen and diared already, but it was new to me. And it sure brought the tears. It's the happiest homecoming ever. roses posted this comment with video here. Here is a direct link to the video.
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From NTerriDL
I want to nominate this comment by keeplaughing: He makes me proud to be American. His success.
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From phonegery:
On the Palin's house, start with Mas Gaviota's comment and follow the thread. Also see I'm glad she has all those windows by southofboston.
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From Samer:
jjmn provides a perfect analogy: Oh good golly gosh O'MIGHTY.
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From phoebe1st:
DoobyOne and I would like to submit this as a top comment. It was in the diary McCain deserves some credit and Lurtz describes perfectly why McCain doesn't deserve any commendation for his lame defense of Obama in a head-on confrontation with an angry voter: Brickbats.
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From St. Louis Woman:
I was scanning through a thread in which the commenter was criticizing the Obama campaign because they " had their chance to fight back against Palin right after the Republican Convention and they held their fire. They could've undermined her credibility, but they decided to ignore her instead. They're paying the price for that now. She's very popular with the knuckledraggers and she's whipping them up into a frenzy of racist hate."
I was puzzled because I thought we’d sort of moved past blaming everything on the Obama campaign and begun to acknowledge that the Obama campaign seems to know what they’re doing. Before I could decide whether to respond or not Bob Johnson responded in a far better way than I would have come up with: They didn't have to attack her.
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My own picks:
Noweasels gets called a 'Deminazi' - this I actually feel sorry for these haters. by hannah. Also this great canvass story: I needed that video too. by Christin
On crying our last tears, I'm a white female ex-NYC, soon to be by MillieNeon
Sarah goes to Wal-Mart? Oh good golly gosh O'MIGHTY by jjmn
Sad but true: In the US, you can be forgiven for being wrong. by melvin
Save this comment for all the good contact info when you want to complain about the Traditional Media's need to buy a clue: that pissed me off. call and complain by robertacker13
Will BushCo remove all 'O'-keys from White House Computers? Your "removing the O keys" inspired me by CA coastsider and ...but for war you need W. n/t by RandomGuyFromGermany
Good writing here: My response to Frank Rich this morning by Deoliver47
Hilarious! The GOOD news for McCain supporters: by Taya Lawrence
Being part of the Obama team has many 'gifts': Such an important message by Michael Yarbrough
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Top Mojo - thank you, sardonyx!
Top Mojo (cskendrick/sardonyx-style) excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments:
1) You should report that threat to the police. by kissmygrits — 281
2) The media isn't incompetent by banjolele — 226
3) you got a good heart weez by FireCrow — 200
4) I'm still trying to figure out the McShame by Jeff Y — 187
5) Great diary. by kissmygrits — 159
6) ok, pigs are flying somewhere by St Louis Woman — 152
7) MSM Shocked, Shocked! to find Racism in the US! by Jbearlaw — 144
8) Violence assessment tools in healthcare: by mamamedusa — 127
9) I love you, dear FireCrow by noweasels — 125
10) I needed that video too. by Christin — 118
11) Media Guilty of Incompetence -- backs down by Parallax857 — 117
12) Pictures :o) by Muzikal203 — 111
13) Keep at it! by RaspberrySwirl — 109
14) hehe i live in north alabama.... by wargolem — 106
15) Bless you, dearest BoiseBlue by noweasels — 105
16) It seems you'll never be plagued by bumblebums — 105
17) Top ten all time favorite diary, easy. by The Termite — 102
18) I used to work as an insulter at Ren Fairs n/t by Relevant Rhino — 102
19) Like trying to nail jello to the wall n/t by OldYellerDog — 97
20) thanks weez by FireCrow — 94
21) They are going to be studying this campaign by Omir the Storyteller — 92
22) I agree. by LaSylphide — 84
23) I agree by Pandoras Box — 83
24) How about both? by Parallax857 — 82
25) Your dad is way ahead of my parents (sigh). by mofembot — 81
26) Absolutely by oxfdblue — 80
27) That's certainly a sign of domestic violence. by Arken — 78
28) Best ground game I have ever seen. by Gator — 78
29) You, are behaving like a termite by BoiseBlue — 78
30) I think he sounds a bit by Kevvboy — 77
31) Ohhhh, I'm trying to work up the nerve!! by SteelMaggie13 — 77
32) When Greenspan crashed interest rates to negative by UneasyOne — 77
Top Mojo with No Exclusions:
1) Tips for canvassing by FishOutofWater — 1062
2) Turning Alabama blue? by SteelMaggie13 — 773
3) tip jar by Relevant Rhino — 752
4) tip jar by possodent — 688
5) tj n/t by Kula2316 — 681
6) For our brothers and sisters volunteering by noweasels — 648
7) This is my rambling story by BoiseBlue — 647
8) Keep your eyes on the prize by NLinStPaul — 580
9) Tip Jar - 12 October by Jerome a Paris — 518
10) in case you missed it by amad — 443
11) Let's hear it for America's free press! by Inky99 — 402
12) t/j by bethcf4p — 393
13) Dead.Spot.On. by bradreiman — 387
14) Tip Jar by Steven R — 372
15) tips and suggestions by bkamr — 366
16) You should report that threat to the police. by kissmygrits — 281
17) Awesome! Go, go, GOBAMA! by DiegoUK — 245
18) Thank you!!!! by jennyL — 238
19) The media isn't incompetent by banjolele — 226
20) SHOCKING.... by Taz Man — 222
21) you got a good heart weez by FireCrow — 200
22) I'm still trying to figure out the McShame by Jeff Y — 187
23) Great diary. by kissmygrits — 159
24) ok, pigs are flying somewhere by St Louis Woman — 152
25) Tip Jar by MichaelMorrillPA — 148
26) MSM Shocked, Shocked! to find Racism in the US! by Jbearlaw — 144
27) Violence assessment tools in healthcare: by mamamedusa — 127
28) I love you, dear FireCrow by noweasels — 125
29) tips by thereisnospoon — 125
30) I needed that video too. by Christin — 118
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Always the mountains,
va dare