The Washington Post reported today, in an article by Karen DeYoung, that the U.S. Embassy in Berlin has instructed Foreign Service workers not to attend Barack Obama's speech in Berlin this evening.

You aren't going to believe this one. I am having a hard time believing it, myself. But when our legislative district Democrats' chair sends out an official email with this information, I have to believe it. Come to our next meeting if you want to really have some fun: Dino Rossi is coming. I need some good suggestions for questions I can ask him.

The following is the final text of the Washington State Democratic Party's platform plank on health care as passed by the Washington State Democratic Convention on Saturday, June 14. I worked on this health care plank from the beginning. The main group of us who worked on the plank initially were a doctor from Physicians for a National Health Plan, a nurse, and a chronically ill patient (me). What you see is the result.

This will be sent forward to the national convention.

John McCain wants to kill me.

He doesn't know who I am, has never met me, and has probably never heard my name. Nonetheless, he wants to kill me.

Here we go again. Today, all over Washington state, delegates will gather in their Congressional District caucuses and caucus for their choice of candidate. As before, I expect that we Obama people will outnumber the Clinton people by a fair margin.

Today I'm also running for national delegate, one of 89 women in my district to run for the 2 female slots we have. I am handing out M&Ms packages with stickers on them that read "My Real Name for National Obama Delegate"; I spent several hours with labels and 300 packages of M&Ms the other night, sticking two labels on each package.

Local TV station KIRO TV has an online poll out, asking whether people want Chris Gregoire, our fantastic Democratic governor (and a Kossack in good standing), in 2008, or her rival Dino Rossi. Rossi is leading hugely. This cannot be left to stand. Please go vote for Chris Gregoire in this poll, and pass it on to your Democratic friends. Show her some love.

Sorry to make this diary so short; violates the length rule, I know. But I thought it was most needful to get this info out there ASAP.

How long can I afford to live?

It's a question I ask myself over and over, one that keeps me awake nights. It's a question I've asked my beloved husband. It's a question that is entirely reasonable to ask if you're an American in 2008 with a chronic, expensive-to-treat illness that causes you to depend on medical technology for your very life.

It's a question I want to ask every significant presidential contender, and have him or her answer for his or her health care proposal: How long can I afford to live under your system?

With the new Medicare Part D, he's not able to afford all of those drugs. He has to pick and choose. Does he treat his heart condition this month, or keep his blood sugars under control so his eyes and kidneys don't get ruined? Or is he going to get to see a doctor this month, and pay a co-pay instead of getting his prescriptions filled? It's Russian roulette to skip medications for these conditions. I know; I share two of his three.

Does he deserve single-payer health care, and a prescription plan that would get him the drugs he needs at little to no out-of-pocket cost to him? Damn right he does.

More below the fold.

Ask. Tell. You're still going to Iraq. There'll be plenty of time to dishonorably discharge you later, if you live.

Hypocrites.

Some Kossacks from either area may be in need of a place to which to evacuate. We are not close - we're west of Seattle - but we have room for a couple or a  small family.

There are probably other Kossacks thinking the same thing. If you can offer a place to which to evacuate, or temporary (or permanent) housing in case the worst happens, post here. If you need such, post here. Let's connect.

I'll start in the first comment, below.

That I was unemployed and at home yesterday may well have saved my house, barn, land, and everything therein, including my dogs and cats.

Read more below the fold.

I think he needs a challenger.

That said, I think the states and the little guys may just have won one with this decision:
LINGLE V. CHEVRON U.S. A. INC. (04-163)
363 F.3d 846, reversed and remanded.

Source here; more below the fold.

23 year old Amancio Corrales was found dead in the Colorado River on May 6. He may have been killed for being a gay male cross-dresser and flirting with a Marine while dressed as a woman.

The Yuma Sun has few details. The site GayInYuma has details that don't appear in the newspaper article, which it claims were confirmed by Mr. Corrales' family.

More below, but it's not for the squeamish.

This specifically means contraceptive prescriptions as well as all others.

The bill's here, at thomas. More below the fold.

As far as I can tell, this is real:

From BushFish.org.

Held: Section 922(g)(1)'s phrase "convicted in any court" encompasses only domestic, not foreign, convictions. Pp. 2--9.

David Small was convicted, in Japan, of trying to smuggle firearms and ammunition into Japan. Apparently it's just fine for him to have a gun here.