Police outside New Delhi ignored reports of missing children ages 3-11, as a wealthy businessman and his servant preyed upon them, sexually abusing, raping and then murdering these kids.

38 children missing.  Possible connection to the underground market for kidneys.

Yet another example of how the wealthy and powerful can prey upon children while authorities ignore or are paid off to look the other way, because these are the children of poor migrant workers, the children of the powerless.  This happens all around the world every day, and when these acts are finally uncovered, local officials refer to them as "unfortunate."

Progressive women outnumber 'blue dog' Dems

Denise Baer, president of Strategic Research Concepts, a political consulting firm in Bethesda, Md., said that the Blue Dog Coalition's numbers don't compare to the strength of the progressive or women's caucuses.

"We heard a lot about the Blue Dog Democrats being the largest caucus in the House of Representatives," Baer said at a post-election news conference. "The Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues is really going to be the largest caucus . . . So women are going to be leaders."
...
Two women-California Democrats Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey-currently chair the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and both are seeking re-election to lead the caucus in the 110th Congress. If they win, they will hold sway over the largest ideological voting blocs in the House of Representatives.

Barbara Lee and her co-chair and fellow California Democrat, Lynn Woolsey, renewed the Congressional Progressive Caucus by hiring an able full-time staffer, staking out a clear set of stances that defined the left wing of the possible, holding forums and hearings on the Iraq War and developing strategies for aiding progressive contenders in House races around the country. The approach paid off. The Progressive Caucus will be the largest ideological grouping in the new Democratic House, and it has the ear - if not always the full agreement - of incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Progressive Caucus members - such as John Conyers, Charlie Rangel, George Miller and Henry Waxman -- and their allies are moving into key committee chairmanships. (Bet on Waxman, who will guide the House Government Reform Committee's investigations of Bush to be a contender for MVP next year.)

Waxman, dubbed "the Eliot Ness of the Democrats" by Nation magazine, aims to go after the Republican administration with zeal over the coming two years.

"The most difficult thing will be to pick and choose" what to investigate, Waxman told reporters after the November elections.

"He's got a very long list," said Norman Ornstein, a congressional analyst with the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank. "I'm sure he's going back to the contracting mess (in Iran and Afghanistan and post-Katrina), Halliburton and others. And not just contractors."

Waxman will also be examining the role of the federal government, from the Defense Department to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and grilling the officials who greased the deals with contractors, Ornstein predicted.

"Henry is not afraid to go after anyone," said Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., his predecessor as chairman of the committee with the widest investigative mandate in the House. "He's going to be very aggressive."
...
"Does Henry have strong liberal views? Yes. Can he be a tough-as-nails partisan? Absolutely," said Ornstein.

In the past the administration has been inclined, not to disregard Congress, but not to take Congress very seriously. I think this time Congress has to be taken seriously, there's been an election, Republicans lost the election. There's going to be a change in leadership on my committee, and likewise on the House side. What I would advise, would be maybe a retreat, it could be right here in Washington, but for several hours, in which the Foreign Relations Committee, just to take our group, really studies, what is the President's plan?
...
WALLACE: You're saying this could get ugly.

LUGAR: Yes, it could. And it need not.

Many, many of us are with you night and day and some of us don't eat, play, or sleep the same knowing you're out in harm's way, praying that it will soon be over and there will be a return to peace and America can once again play.

And I even wish a Happy New Year to the Washington men of empty suits and even emptier souls and pray they grow enough to restore some semblance of men that are whole, that they recognize this turning point in history and come to understand their role.

And that is to abandon the concept of eternal and preemptive war and the insanity they are inflicting with their phony war on terror. And if they fail at this most important task I'll pray that we boot them out of office and if it is, "why?" that they ask,

We'll tell them it is plain that the American citizenry themselves wish to be free to pursue a life of freedom, not by decree of would-be royalty, but because it was the foundational principle
of this land of the brave and the home of the free.

And meantime for many of us as our hearts still bleed, knowing that evil men sent you to perform evil deeds and that they care not how many of you die and they will ignore your families pleas to end this all before it becomes a permanent disease.

Spreading neocon evil throughout society and metastasizing as a cancer on our democracy, weakening our will and the moral authority that once was associated with an America that is now being brought to its knees.

God bless you all. And let's pray that better heads come to prevail so we can bring you home with cheers and hail your bravery, devotion to family, duty, and country you exemplify so well.

(my apologies for the html foulup before).

Happy New Year everybody!

Can't say it better than Ray Davies (the Kinks).

"Here's wishing you the bluest sky,
And hoping something better comes tomorrow.
Hoping all the verses rhyme,
And the very best of choruses to
Follow all the doubt and sadness.
I know that better things are on the way.

Here's hoping all the days ahead
Won't be as bitter as the ones behind you.
Be an optimist instead,
And somehow happiness will find you.
Forget what happened yesterday,
I know that better things are on the way.

It's really good to see you rocking out
And having fun,
Living like you just begun.
Accept your life and what it brings.
I hope tomorrow you'll find better things.
I know tomorrow you'll find better things.

Here's wishing you the bluest sky,
And hoping something better comes tomorrow.
Hoping all the verses rhyme,
And the very best of choruses to
Follow all the drudge and sadness.
I know that better things are on the way.

Under Saddam Hussein, prisoners were regularly taunted and mistreated in their last hours. For many of them, death must have come as a relief.

But the most disturbing thing about the new video of Saddam's execution for crimes precisely like this, is that it is all much too reminiscent of what used to happen here.

It is going to be increasingly difficult for the government of Nouri Maliki to convince Sunni Arabs here that Saddam's execution was not merely an act of retaliation.

All past recipients EXCEPT for those of bush should be given this new award, posthumously if need be, so that truly meritorious persons would again be able to take pride in their country's recognition.