Hello, faithful readers,
I sincerely apologize for the lack of bloggage these last few months. This semester was crazy busy, but now it's summer. And with summer comes the possibility for new adventures. Thus, this post will serve as the announcement of my return to semi-regular blogging, at new digs I call...
Check it out! If anyone is interested in helping, please contact me, either through the comments or (this option is probably better) email-- it should be listed at upper right.
Sorry this is a couple days late...
First things first: I am officially a delegate to the SD-59 convention March 25th. Let the bidding for my vote begin... j/k. It's not for sale. You can try to convince me if you want, though.
The caucus was pretty fun. In my precinct (2-9) there were maybe 35 people there (a few came, filled out the straw poll, and left.) It was mostly college students, or maybe just out of college, and senior citizens. There were 27 delegate slots for our precinct (must be a big precinct, but it's mostly students, and you know they don't show up) but only 19 of us wanted to be delegates, so there wasn't even a vote. We passed some resolutions on healthcare, the DREAM act, GM wild rice, Instant Runoff Voting, and putting the proposed University Avenue light rail underground or above street level so it wouldn't cause traffic problems.
Then we got the straw poll results back. I was pleasantly surprised: in my precinct at least, Steve Kelley got about 2x the votes of anyone else; Mike Hatch got only 3. Ford Bell actually beat Amy Klobuchar 15-10-(a few undecided.) Mark Ritchie beat Christian Sande by a few votes, and Rebecca Otto was the clear choice for auditor. Unfortunately, the straw poll didn't cover congressional districts, but delegates get to vote on that at the district convention. (I'm still undecided, but I'm seriously leaning towards Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. He seems like a pretty nice guy.)
Senate (22,821)Ford Bell 15.9
Amy Klobuchar 76.9
Undecided/other 7.2Governor (22,697)
Kelly Doran 6.4
Mike Hatch 38.3
Steve Kelley 22.4
Becky Lourey 22.7
Ole Savior 0.3
Undecided/other 9.8Attorney General (20,729)
Matt Entenza 81.8
Undecided/other 18.2Secretary of State (19,427)
Christian Sande 15.4
Dick Franson 5.4
Mark Ritchie 38.3
Undecided/other 40.9State Auditor (19,157)
Reggie Edwards 12.1
Rebecca Otto 46.8
Undecided/other 41.1
(75% of precincts reporting.)
From dfl.org. Anyone else noticed that the SOS website is sloooooooow as heck?
More soon.
One last time, here are the deets for RTC:
Friday, March 3
8-11pm
Manhattan Loft (Corner of Oak St. & Washington Ave.)
Remember, you'll get 100 APS points just for attending! Seek me out to get your points, or send an email (see sidebar) proving you were there, and you will be immortalized forever on the sidebar! "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"
Even if you can't make it, get thee here next Tuesday:
Also: Click here for a nifty tool that'll let you find your DFL precinct caucus details. Just type in your zipcode and away you go!
We've already established that the Daily article/video combo on Tuesday's U-DFL-sponsored gubernatorial debate is pretty skimpy on useful detail or thoughtful analysis. Luckily for us, MN Campaign Report, who was liveblogging the debate (I logged him in to the network!), has a great post summing up the points the candidates made for each question. That means I won't waste time writing my own summary, and I can just dive into my own thoughts on how it all went down. Here goes:
I'd seen Steve Kelley and Becky Lourey before at U-DFL meetings, and their debate styles were consistent with their stump-speech personas: Kelley the practiced, polished politician; Lourey the overtly (and sometimes overly) enthusiastic grandmotherly type. Kelly Doran was a pleasant surprise for me. I'd seen his billboard on 35W, but didn't really know much about him. Turns out he is a pretty good speaker (I can't say "debater," because, despite its billing, this wasn't much of a debate.) He plays the role of the sensible, no-nonsense, non-partisan moderate very well. As I mentioned before, Doran had the applause line of the night (if there had been any applause in the entire debate): "My generation is doing a pretty good job of trying to screw your generation. And that's wrong."
The format of the debate was somewhat confusing for me as an audience member, and doubtless even more confusing for the candidates. At first, the candidates, especially Sen. Lourey, had trouble staying within the 1-minute time limit for the specific questions. Later, the moderators (Kelly and Noah) opened it up to more general 15-minute discussions of topics (environment, health care, education, and "effectiveness and vision," or something-- the candidates had trouble defining this one.) I think the intent was to allow an actual debate where the candidates could interrupt each other, but they either didn't catch on or didn't want to appear too combative by interrupting, instead opting to pass the speaking duties down the line. Only once did things get even remotely snippy, as Steve Kelley took a swipe at Kelly Doran, saying that he (Mr. Kelley) wouldn't presume to step directly into the management of a real-estate company (Doran is a wealthy developer)-- the clear implication being that Mr. Doran doesn't have the experience in state government to be an effective leader, while Sen. Kelley believes he does. Doran popped back by saying that the Founders envisioned private citizens stepping up to serve their states and nation, and that he'd like to believe that state government isn't so complicated that he can't manage it, especially with his business experience. [aside: MNCR says "Doran was NOT ready for Kelley's comments"; I disagree. His response was logical and well-delivered, and, if delivered in the right setting, would have opened up Kelley to criticisms of being a "lifer." Then Doran could make the case that he's just the "breath of fresh air" that MN needs. But I digress.]
In my opinion, there wasn't a clear "winner" in this debate. But I did learn a lot about the candidates. Becky Lourey is definitely the most liberal candidate in the race, and she seems to have the most concrete plans of any candidate, especially on healthcare. She obviously has a great grasp on the policy details of the health-care debate, as her appearance at our U-DFL meeting made clear (she spent probably close to 30 minutes detailing her health-care plan, which was great, but she went into such detail-- this type of account vs. that type, what she did with her businesses, etc.-- that none of us had any idea what she was talking about.) She has been a strong voice for programs like MNCare-- and is one of the founders of that program. But Lourey needs to learn to better communicate her ideas. Many times, she ran over her allotted time, or launched into digressions that seemed to have no relevance to the topic at hand. These stories are told with a grandmotherly exuberance that is charming, but in the wrong audience, she could come off as a less-than-serious candidate. I enjoyed her ending story: she told of being called an "F.B." (think curse words) by a veteran over an anti-flag-burning amendment that she opposed, and then later finding him crying in the hallway because, apparently, her words in defense of freedom of expression had made him see why he had fought for his country- to protect these very freedoms. However, it had absolutely no relevance to the topic of "effectiveness" or "vision." She also repeated her joke that she is the only candidate that has had her arm up to the elbow in the uterus of a cow. I think it's a funny story. I also have a sick, morbid sense of humor. Is Minnesota ready for such an incendiary anecdote?
Kelly Doran is a pretty good speaker. He effectively stayed within the time limits, and didn't make any huge gaffes. Rather than going into specifics of his plan, Doran tried to connect his general political beliefs with examples from his own life and business career. (Examples: when speaking of the need to support the University, he revealed that he had paid his own way through the U back in the day; in stating that Pawlenty's "greatest mistake" has been that he lost touch with where he came from, he brought up his own family background of growing up in a single-parent household without a lot of money. He also connected a lot of his policy stances to his experience in the business world.) I think this is a style that could appeal to a lot of voters, especially independents. I'd have to review the Doran campaign's policy specifics, but as of now, I would not have a problem voting for Doran in November, if he makes it past the primary.
However, barring some last-minute change of heart, I will be voting for Steve Kelley in Tuesday's caucus. He is the only candidate that has promised to abide by the DFL endorsement, which I appreciate. I also liked his views to the effect that conflict in politics is OK, as long as it's constructive. He understands the need to build a broad base for the DFL, and believes that being partisan is a good way to encourage participation. He also praised the state DFL because "we can't be rolled over like the national party," as they proved in the last session. I generally agree with Kelley's positions, but even more, I believe he is the candidate that can successfully appeal to progressives, moderates, DFLers, He is definitely the most polished campaigner of the three.
It would appear that Kelley has quite a bit of momentum going into the caucuses: He won the DFL straw poll last weekend, and appears to have more traction against Pawlenty than Hatch does :
2/20. Likely voters. MoE 4.5% (1/16 results) Pawlenty (R) 40 (47) Hatch (DFL) 45 (44)Pawlenty (R) 42 (46)
Kelley (DFL) 42 (37)
He's moved up 5 points, while Hatch shows no movement. And this despite the fact that AG Hatch, perennial candidate for governor and publicity hound, doubtless has better name recognition than Kelley. Also remember that Hatch never shows up to anything. In fact, he doesn't appear to be doing a whole lot of anything. I mean, I'd vote for the guy if he ends up with the endorsement, but he needs to prove he is going to put the work in to deserve it.
Overall, I was impressed with all three candidates. I would not have trouble voting for any of them. We've got to get Pawlenty out of office. ...and that's the end of that chapter.
The gubernatorial debate tonight was an overall success, I'd say. We didn't have a great turnout, and only once did a real "debate" break out, but I learned a lot about each of the candidates and think I know who I will support in next Tuesday's caucus. Hopefully I will have time to do a detailed write-up sometime in the next few days. I know that a couple of people from the Daily were there, as long as a few other media outlets and at least one blogger from the Kelley campaign (I hope he didn't abuse the access I gave him to the U's wireless network!) You could check other outlets for news until yours truly finds the time to write something decent.
Also, if I get the chance, I will be making a comic about one of Becky Lourey's infamous stories. So check back!
MPR's Polinaut blog has the scoop on a CD-ROM, sent out by the Minnesota Republican Party, that surveys voters on a number of issues and stealthily sends the data to the Republican Party to be used in voter ID lists.
Ingenious idea, yes. But apparently there is no privacy notice on the CD, which poses frightening risks to data privacy. From ThinkProgress:
The problem – the CD sends your answers back to headquarters, filed by name, address, and political views. No mention of that in the terms of use. No privacy policy at all. The story concludes: “So if you run the CD in your personal computer, by the end of it, the Minnesota GOP will not only know what you think on particular issues, but also who you are.�These practices fall way below the standard for today’s polling firms and web sites. The norm for polling firms is to anonymize the data and report only statistical totals. The norm for commercial web sites is to have a privacy policy, with Federal Trade Commission enforcement if the web site breaks its privacy promise.
Without a privacy policy, the state party can tell your views to anyone at all. If you give the “wrong� answers on abortion or other issues, they can tell your boss, members of your church, or anyone else. In fact, these answers could get distributed to campaigns in your town during get-out-the-vote efforts – precisely the place where “wrong� answers can be most damaging.
Worse still, something apparently went wrong with the programming, and some people have figured out how to access the GOP's data on an unsecure server:
What's worse, the information is on an unsecured Web site. I'm not going to tell you what site we found it on (until it's been secured), just to let you know that the data is there. And it can be found by anyone who can decompile the program on the CD. [...]We could -- if we were malicious (and we're not ) -- change the questions that are "on the CD" because they're really not on the CD. The program connects to a database and provides the questions.
Imagine if thousands of CDs arrived in homes with the question "do you like Siegried and Roy?"
We could steal the data. In fact, the mailing list of more than [...] 25,000 names is also on the site, and is easily downloaded into a spreadsheet. Cool. Twenty-five-thousand names and addresses. Free.
This is a significant security flaw. And it's coming to a mailbox near you in a few days.
Ridiculous. They don't tell you that the CD uploads your personal information to the internet, and they can't even be bothered to secure that information?
Props to North Star Politics for the catch.
Good to see Mark Dayton isn't wasting his dwindling time in the Senate. From the NY Times:
The issue is among those likely to be debated on Tuesday, when the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration meets to draft changes to the lobbying law. Senator Mark Dayton, Democrat of Minnesota and a member of the rules committee, is furious with Mr. [John] Thune [(R-SD)] over the rail project, and intends to propose language imposing a two-year ban on lawmakers' getting "personally and substantially" involved in matters affecting former clients."This makes some of the Jack Abramoff deals look like penny ante," said Mr. Dayton, who has a prominent constituent, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., that is fighting the rail expansion. "It's the most despicable special-interest deal I've ever seen in all my 30 years in government."
What's he angry about?
As a lobbyist in 2003 and 2004, Mr. Thune earned $220,000 from the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad, a small but ambitious company in South Dakota. The railroad hopes to rebuild and rehabilitate 1,300 miles of track, the nation's largest proposed railroad expansion in more than a century.Now, as a junior senator from South Dakota, Mr. Thune is working to make that happen [...]
Last year, his first in the Senate, Mr. Thune wrote language into a transportation bill expanding the pot of federal loan money for small railroads, enabling his former client to apply for $2.5 billion in government financing for its project. The loan has yet to be approved; Mr. Thune said he was trying to promote economic development in his home state.
Sounds pretty bad. I mean, it's par for the course for the GOP, but this seems especially blatant. Personally, I think a two-year ban is far too little, but it's a start, at least.
The Dems need to hammer the Repubs on ethics, and keep up the pressure. Since he's not running for re-election, Mark Dayton's got nothing to lose by going after this type of thing hard. I say they shut down the Senate until America gets a real debate on ethics reform.
P.S.: What has Normie been doing all this time? Grandstanding (with hilarious crony-on-crony results!) ... abusing the public trust ... and the public in general ... but let's not forget, he's great at leading prayer breakfasts.
2 more years, buddy.
Apparently, they went and changed the times for tomorrow's DFL Governor's Debate. Here are the real details:
Tuesday, Feb. 28th, from 7-9 PM in the Great Hall of Coffman Memorial Union (in the basement.)
Becky Lourey, Steve Kelley, and Kelly Doran will be in attendance.
I wish I had a digital camera so I could post a pic of the amazing dinosaur-themed advertisement Melissa and I chalked on the sidewalk near Ford Hall. Trust me, it's awesome. Go see for yourself... before it's too late.
OK, see you at the debate!
What: 3rd Annual Rock the Cauc(us), sponsored by U-DFL
When: Friday, March 3rd, 8 PM - 12 AM
Where: Manhattan Loft, 802 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis (near the corner of Washington and Oak on the East Bank campus of the University of Minnesota)
Cost: FREE
We're gonna have at least two great local bands playing (one is called Battle Royale, and the other I can't remember right now... but believe me, they are awesome. Or at least decent.) But the main draw is the candidates. We have nearly 10 state-wide candidates confirmed as of right now, and we are still working with more campaigns. Come hear the DFL candidates for Governor, Secretary of State, and U.S. Senate speak and mingle with the crowd. Did I mention it's COMPLETELY FREE?!?! Oh yeah, I did. (You have to buy your own pizza, if you want any... but it's not too expensive.)
P.S. Free prizes!
P.P.S. More free prizes: coveted Arbitrary Points System points! (See sidebar for details.) If you are a reader of this blog, come to Rock the Cauc and you will win 100 APS points. Either find me at the event, or somehow prove you were there to claim your 100 points.
When did Chuck Norris ascent to his current title as the king of ironic hipness begin? I'm not a devout student of this history, but I'd guess it started with his cameo in Dodgeball-- who can forget the classic, inspirational thumbs-up and Stiller's immortal line, "F***in' Chuck Norris"? Now, it seems, Mr. Norris is more popular than ever, mostly due to the Chuck Norris facts site. I'm sure you've seen it by now, as it's been the most quoted thing on the internet for quite some time. The quotes have grown stale through overuse, but you have to admit it was funny for a time. (One of my favorites: "Chuck Norris uses all seven letters in Scrabble... Every turn.") The "Walker lever" on Conan O'Brien's (mostly unfunny) show (you suck, Conan!) probably also helped raise his image in the public consciousness. This article in the Washington Post does a good job of summing up more reasons for Norris' popularity.
Now, I enjoy myself a good episode of Walker (and especially the theme song) as much as the next guy, but I don't know if I can hold Chuck Norris up as a sterling hero any longer. I read today that Mr. Norris celebrated Valentine's Day at the White House with George and Laura (for the record, so did Joe Lieberman, D?-CT), and it piqued my interest. I did some googling, and it turns out that Chuck and George are pretty tight:
Here is a picture of the good ol' boys in the good ol' days (before Enron, 9/11, Iraq, Social Security, Katrina, Plamegate, and Shotgun Dick), taken in 1997. Further research reveals that Mr. Norris has maxed out in his contributions to Bush a few times, and has given at least $32,225 in political donations since 1989-- all to Republicans. He must be close with the family; Chuck accompanied H.W. on his infamous sky-diving trip, and in this official WH press release from a 2004 campaign rally, G-Dubs gives a shout-out to "my friend Chuck Norris." I guess I don't begrudge Mr. Norris his right to have an opinion, and to exercise his quasi-constitutional right to corrupt the political process with vast sums of money, but it somehow hurts deep inside that a man who had seemed so good, so pure, and so invincible, could be so wrong on everything that is so important.
Remember that Walker episode where a high-school teacher is thrown off of a roof by a shop teacher/drug lord because he uncovers the guy's drug ring, and Walker steps in as principal to uncover the devastating truth (and deliver some devastating roundhouse kicks?) To encourage the kids to break their addiction to drugs and to identify the perpetrator of this horrific crime, Chuck brings in a few extremely muscular friends, the Power Team, members of an body-building/inspirational speaking squad, who perform amazing feats of strength involving fists, foreheads and piles of bricks. There is an inspirational moment where a man snaps a pair of handcuffs in two, and the crowd erupts in cheers. Chuck Norris, this could be you. Stand up and break the manacles of oppression, and you will be revered as much more than a washed-up martial arts star: you, too, can be a True American Hero.
Num-Chucks:
*An all-time classic video: two legends collide as Norris meets Danza on Danza's show. Danza reads Norris some quotes from the "facts" website.
*Chuck speaks out about the "facts":
“I’m aware of the made up declarations about me that have recently begun to appear on the Internet and in emails as “Chuck Norris facts.� I’ve seen some of them. Some are funny. Some are pretty far out. Being more a student of the Wild West than the wild world of the Internet, I’m not quite sure what to make of it. It’s quite surprising. I do know that boys will be boys, and I neither take offense nor take these things too seriously. Who knows, maybe these made up one-liners will prompt young people to seek out the real facts as found in my recent autobiographical book, “Against All Odds?� They may even be interested enough to check out my novels set in the Old West, “The Justice Riders,� released this month. I’m very proud of these literary efforts.�
During Christmas vacation of 1974, my father flew us all to Disney World by route of Tampa, Florida. Ignorant of geography, it did not occur to me that Tampa was out of the way to Disney World until my father drove the rented van to the gates of MacDill Air Force Base. Military personnel met me there and escorted me into the base TOP SECRET high tech mind control conditioning facility for "behavioral modification" programming. This was the first in what became a routine series of mind control testing and/or programming sessions on government installations that I would endure throughout my Project Monarch victimization. [...] Dick Cheney, then White House Chief of Staff to President Ford, later Secretary of Defense to President George Bush, documented member of the Council on Foreign relations (CFR), and Presidential hopeful for 1996, was originally Wyoming's only Congressman. Dick Cheney was the reason my family had traveled to Wyoming where I endured yet another form of brutality -- his version of "A Most Dangerous Game," or human hunting. [...] Dick Cheney had an apparent addiction to the "thrill of the sport." He appeared obsessed with playing A Most Dangerous Game as a means of traumatizing mind control victims, as well as to satisfy his own perverse sexual kinks.
It gets worse...
Also, as TAPPED points out, this is potentially libelous stuff. If it's any testament to the legitimacy of the site, a prominent link leads to a section called "Dolphin Dreams Dream Catcherz," and another hawks a product called the "Novalite 3000â„¢Tesla Photon Vibe Machine" which promises "vibrational healing." All I can say is, I didn't write it.
From now on, at any of Cheney's public appearances, you are hereby instructed to wear blaze orange. Also, all instances of Cheney's name will be replaced with "Shotgun Dick," or another clever moniker of your choosing.
...but seriously, it's no laughing matter. The victim had a heart attack today. Wonder if he'll still be voting Republican after this one... [UPDATE: Yes, yes he will.]
On national TV this morning, Howard Dean called Dick Cheney "Aaron Burr," referring to the disgraced former VP who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel and was later tried for treason for his (alleged) crazy conspiracy to forge his own Southwestern empire. Dean said that, if the recent report that Cheney authorized "Scooter" Libby to leak classified information about Valerie Plame is true, he must step down-- in effect, he equated such an act with treason, which explains the Burr reference.
Well, a few hours later, we learned that Dick Cheney accidentally (allegedly) shot a man in Texas the other day (and covered it up for 24 hours), making him the first Vice President since Aaron Burr to shoot another person. In effect, Dean predicted the news. Coincidence? Or psychic??
We have some unique opportunities here at the U to learn more about the 2006 elections that are soon approaching. I guess I will just list them for convenience.
1. Sen. Becky Lourey will address the UDFL next Monday, Feb. 13 at 5:30 PM in Coffman 324. (Watch for the sign.) New members or interested parties are welcome!
2. The UDFL is also holding a gubernatorial debate on Tuesday, February 28th from 8-10 PM in the President's Room. We hope to have at least 3 candidates, if not all 4, there. It should be a lively discussion and a chance to see the candidates before the precinct caucuses.
3. We will also be sponsoring "Rock the Cauc(us)," an event that will combine performances by local bands with speeches and information from statewide candidates (or their representatives) running for Governor, Attorney General, and Secretary of State. See some free live music and meet the candidates in person to see what they're really like. "Rock the Cauc" will be taking place at the Manhattan Loft (near the corner of Oak and Washington on the East Bank) from 8 PM - 12 AM on Friday, March 3. It was a good time last year, and with 2006 a "real" (*sarcasm*) election year, it should be fun again.
4. Don't forget about the PRECINCT CAUCUSES, Tuesday, March 7! There's no better way to have your voice heard by the party. You could even become a delegate to the state convention, which is a surefire ticket to wealth and fame. Here is a brochure about the caucuses, with helpful "jargon" section and details. DYK: Under state law, you can miss work or school to attend the precinct caucuses with a written notice at least 10 days before they occur.
Pick your party...
Caucus information: DFL / GOP / Independence
*there is no Green Party precinct caucus I'm aware of, but I'll link to their site anyway, in the interest of fairness.
Thanks for listening. This was supposed to be my Steve Kelley wrap-up post, but it turned into something else entirely. So that will still have to wait.
As promised, I'll continue with another installment of my Steve Kelley piece from yesterday, this time focusing on what he had to say about the issues:
1. Education. Since he is the chair of the Senate Ed. Committee, Mr. Kelley is understandably focused on education. On education policy, he wants to focus on early childhood investment. We shouldn't cut childcare, ECFE, and other programs for the critical ages of 3-6 years. He believes that every child should come to kindergarten ready to learn.
He also spoke on the need for getting high schoolers ready for college, and improving funding so everyone can afford to go without amassing huge amounts of debt. He reminisced about the time when students could attend the U and graduate with little or no debt; today, the average student (nationally, among those with bachelor degrees) graduates with $18,900 in student loans. (Sorry, I couldn't find the figure for the U of M specifically, though it is probably a bit lower since it is a public school.) [UPDATE: I just found this article in today's Pioneer Press which reveals that "a typical undergraduate on the Twin Cities campus who borrowed money for school, took five years to finish and graduated in spring left with nearly $26,000 in debt." Wow.]
Talking specifically about the U of M, Kelley said that the Governor must be the chief advocate for the Twin Cities campus, and stated his committment to providing enough resources for the U. He pointed out that all Minnesotans benefit from the research done here and the public outreach that the U does, so the burden shouldn't be placed entirely on students. He dismissed the idea, espoused recently by some, for a "high-tuition, high-aid" plan at schools that would tie funding for schools to the number of students. (Read Rep. Joe Opatz' response to this plan from a couple of years ago for a good overview of this plan and why it's shortsighted.)
2. Health care reform. Sen. Kelley supports universal healthcare! He said that he is "tired of waiting for the federal government" to address the issue of skyrocketing medical costs, and that it is time for the states to step up on their own. Kelley proposes joining forces with the business community, which is concerned about ever-increasing medical bills eating into their bottom lines, and the direct providers (the hospitals, doctors, etc.), who recognize that the system is broken both for them and for their patients. Kelley endorsed the Minnesota Medical Association's outline for moving towards universal coverage. Check out their press release, which provides a nice summary of their recommendations, here. From their full report:
For most of the last decade or more, policymakers have tried to ensure universal "access" to care – meaning insurance is available for those who can afford it, and emergency care is available even if you don’t have insurance. [...] The task force concluded that universal access will never get us to a fundamentally more effective and efficient system. The task force advocates a return to what was once law in Minnesota, but was regrettably repealed – a commitment to achieve universal coverage. Minnesota needs a system in which all residents have continuous coverage for services necessary for the preservation and restoration of health and function. The current system, which rewards cost avoidance on the part of insurers and insulates consumers from the cost of the care and the consequences of behaviors, cannot be maintained.
He didn't go into specifics, but it seemed Kelley's plan would involve having every citizen pay into a central health plan, with subsidies for those of lesser means. When asked about the job loss that such a plan is projected to create (presumably on the administrative side-- HMO's, etc.), he didn't try to dispute the allegation. Rather, he said that the weight of the business community and the direct providers would be able to overcome the resistance of the healthcare industry.
3. Transportation. Sen. Kelley didn't speak extensively on his plan for roads and outstate Minnesota, though he did mention the importance of passing a workable transportation bill that would include funding for repairing roads and increasing transportation safety throughout the state. He does have more details about this on his website.
He did talk about a plan to extend light rail coverage expansively throughout the Twin Cities, and also outside the immediate metro area (presumably to places like St. Cloud... I doubt people are going to be commuting from Duluth or Alexandria.) To him, light rail makes sense in an era of rising energy prices, since rail has lower operating costs than bus transit. If we make the investment in infrastructure now, we will be able to use electricity generated by wind power to run the trains, which would be a boon to outstate producers.
4. Immigration. In response to a question about Pawlenty's election-year fear-mongering on immigration, Kelley didn't give a clear response on how he would deal with the issue. However, he stressed that the U.S. Constitution specifically places the responsibility for regulating immigration under federal control, so it's really a non-issue.
Read more on Steve Kelley's official positions here.
I will post more at some point on some interesting political tidbits I gleaned from Sen. Kelley's talk, so be watching for that. In the meantime, you could check out this podcast interview with Mr. Kelley from Inside Minnesota Politics, if you so desire.
State senator Steve Kelley (D-Hopkins) spoke at our UDFL meeting today. I scrawled a bunch of notes on a piece of campaign literature, and I will now attempt to decipher them and translate them into Legible English. (As some of you know, I unfortunately never mastered Legible English. I am, however, fluent in an obscure dialect of Chickenscratch that makes my writing nearly incomprehensible to pretty much anyone who sees it. Although, I must say, my handwriting is not as bad as my dad's, IMHO.) Well, here goes:
First, Mr. Kelley outlined his background. You can read about it here, on Steve's campaign website (which is somewhat confusing to navigate and read. He might want to work on that.) He has been an active member of the Democratic party since 1980, when he attended his first caucus.
Having chaired the Senate Education Committee for the past 3 years, Mr. Kelley says he was motivated to run by his disgust with Gov. Pawlenty's education plans, which included support for "intelligent design;" school vouchers that would, in Kelley's words, "undercut public education;" and Cheri Pearson Yecke. He believes that Pawlenty has "painted [himself] into a right-wing corner" by, among other things, vetoing the bipartisan transportation bill and by cutting 30,000 Minnesotans from the health-care rolls. He also intends to make issue of the property tax hikes that many Minnesotans have experienced in the past few years, which he asserts was caused by Pawlenty's irresponsible "No. New. Taxes. (...but 'fees' are OK)" pledge. Cuts to Local Government Aid forced local governments to levy additional property taxes to fund essential services like fire and police protection, and failing to meet the needs of the schools forced districts to propose additional levies.
Kelley's platform, basically, is... well, I guess I will have to sum it up in another post, because I've run out of time. Check back later, or tomorrow, or next week, or something, to read about Kelley on the Issues and some other interesting tidbits he discussed. Also, next week at UDFL, another Democratic gubernatorial candidate (Sen. Becky Lourey) will be in attendance. Come to Coffman 326 (or wherever the signs point to) at 5:30 Monday to hear her speak.
Actually, I'm not even going to watch it. I just wanted to highlight a couple of interesting things I found browsing today...
*Latest Minnesota numbers, from Kos:
MINNESOTARasmussen Reports: Senate, Governor. 1/16. Likely voters. MoE 4.5% (12/14 results)
Senate
Klobuchar (D) 43 (48)
Kennedy (R) 42 (41)Bell (D) 36 (35)
Kennedy (R) 41 (45)Governor
Pawlenty (R) 47
Hatch (DFL) 44Pawlenty (R) 46
Kelly (DFL) 37President Bush
Approve 35
Disapprove 54
*While you're there, vote in the latest DKos straw poll. Looks like Feingold and Clark have a lot of support among "moonbats."
*Also, check out TPM's new feature, Grand Ole Docket. If you're confused about all the status of all the scandals and indictments bouncing around Washington, this will help you keep them straight.
*Two new great comics at shiftyeyes, by Nick and Matt. Check 'em out! (Sorry to keep plugging this, but, for once, one of our ideas is actually working!)
Well, this explains a lot.
Last month, Republican Congressional leaders filed into the Oval Office to meet with President George W. Bush and talk about renewing the controversial USA Patriot Act.Several provisions of the act, passed in the shell shocked period immediately following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, caused enough anger that liberal groups like the American Civil Liberties Union had joined forces with prominent conservatives like Phyllis Schlafly and Bob Barr to oppose renewal.
GOP leaders told Bush that his hardcore push to renew the more onerous provisions of the act could further alienate conservatives still mad at the President from his botched attempt to nominate White House Counsel Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court.
“I don’t give a goddamn,� Bush retorted. “I’m the President and the Commander-in-Chief. Do it my way.�
“Mr. President,� one aide in the meeting said. “There is a valid case that the provisions in this law undermine the Constitution.�
“Stop throwing the Constitution in my face,� Bush screamed back. “It’s just a goddamned piece of paper!�
I thought this was pretty good. Read the original here.
And now it's off to the library for me.
"Duke" Cunningham, a California Republican, resigned yesterday after pleading "guilty" to accepting bribes from defense contractors in exchange for his help obtaining lucrative Pentagon contracts. Corrupt Republicans? Nothing new here. But what's astonishing to me is the sheer magnitude of the graft he confessed to receiving, at least $2.4 million in all.
"It is a truly breathtaking scope of bribes," said Phillip Halpern, an assistant U.S. attorney who worked on the case. In a plea agreement, the California Republican said he accepted cash, expensive antique furniture, rugs, yacht club fees and a Rolls-Royce.Speaking to reporters, Cunningham, a former Vietnam War fighter pilot, broke down as he confessed about abusing the trust of his colleagues, friends and family. "The truth is I broke the law, concealed my conduct and disgraced my office," he said in televised remarks, his voice shaking. "In my life I have had great joy and great sorrow. And now I know great shame."
Now, if it were me up there, and I had just plead guilty to receiving massive amounts of graft, I wouldn't be resigning. It would be a classic scene. I would stride across the stage to the microphone, looking serious and somber. I would tap the microphone, cough lightly, and nearly begin speaking. But then-- SIC!-- I would pull a gigantic ghetto-blaster from underneath the podium and intone in my deepest voice, "America, I'm too legit to quit." Pressing play on my tape deck, the soulful sounds of MC Hammer's "2 Legit 2 Quit" would blare from every speaker in the land. I would then rip off my button-up stripper pants, revealing the perfectly preserved pair of parachute pants-- Made in Taiwan, circa 1991-- and proceed to breakdance my troubles away. After my performance, the press corps would sit in stunned silence, reflecting on what they've just witnessed. One by one, they would begin to stand up and give a slow clap-- the heroic kind, not the sarcastic kind. Six months later, I would be unanimously elected president by every American citizen, with 100% turnout.
Anyway...
The charges carry a maximum 10-year sentence...
Reminds me of one of my favorite "tough-on-crime" Republican sayings-- If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.
Here's a list of the Duke's plunder. It's kind of amusing to read.
Apparently the "holiday season" starts in two days. If you are a Democrat/progressive and haven't started your holiday shopping, consider supporting the folks on the BuyBlue "Blue Christmas" list. It is a list of the companies that:
a) gave most of their political donations to Democrats, and
b) have a history of being a responsible, progressive organization (as determined by their commitment to labor and human rights, the environment, equal-opportunity employment, and corporate and social responsibility.
Now, admittedly, I don't like it that corporate money plays such a big role in the American political process. However, if I know that corporations are going to donate anyway, I'd much rather they give their money, which was once my money, to Dems.
By putting our money where our mouths are, we make sure that our hard-earned money doesn't end up in the hands of politicians we don't support and companies whose practices we despise. (Guess I won't be shopping Target or Wal-Mart this year...)
On the BuyBlue website, they also have a nifty tool to let companies know why you chose to do business with them this holiday season. Check it out!
This is not one of those blogs where we celebrate every sub-40% Bush approval poll. Sure, we're glad that America is finally waking up to the fact that they have the worst president ever, but schadenfreude never got us anywhere before, and we're not going to start gloating now. So let this be the first and last time we'll mention this subject (for a while, at least.)
Historical Bush Approval Ratings. Enjoy!
Great diary by cal45.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Friday to cut $700 million from the food stamp program, despite objections from antihunger groups complaining that estimates show some 235,000 people would lose benefits.The House bill, which also trimmed other social programs for the poor in an effort to reduce federal spending by $50 billion, was narrowly approved 217-215.
Later that night...
The Republican-controlled Congress helped itself to a $3,100 pay raise on Friday, then postponed work on bills to curb spending on social programs and cut taxes in favor of a two-week vacation.Effin' ridiculous. I think the Dems should take a day from their vacations, withdraw $3100 in cash from their bank accounts (for visual effect) and donate it to a good D.C. food shelf or homeless shelter to put pressure on the GOP to reinstate the billions in poverty-assistance and student-aid money they stripped from the spending bill.
I would encourage everyone who reads this, first of all, and most importantly, to VOTE tomorrow. I will be voting for R.T. Rybak, Cara Letofsky, the endorsed candidates from Citizens for Park Board Reform, and (I guess) the DFL endorsed candidates for everything else.
I submitted the following letter as a Letter to the Editor of the Minnesota Daily last Thursday, but they didn't publish it-- probably because it would make the terrible writing on the Opinions page this year look bad. Anyway, read it over, see what you think, and consider voting for Cara tomorrow.
Dear Editor,Cara Letofsky’s November 3rd column was a good demonstration of the leadership and ideals that have convinced me to support her for Ward 2 City Council.
When the campaign for City Council began last winter, I supported University student Dan Miller. I was disappointed when he lost the DFL endorsement, but, since then, I have grown steadily more impressed with Cara’s ability to organize and her willingness to fight for students’ priorities.
Cara has been extremely visible and available to the University community, and has promised to continue to engage students in the political discussion on issues that matter—housing, transportation, the environment, student involvement in neighborhood groups, and many others. She has an impressive record of success in her roles as a local progressive advocate and community leader, and has worked with diverse groups of community members, business leaders, and politicians to get things done.
Since both candidates in this election have campaigned on essentially the same progressive outlook and priorities, all of which will benefit students, this race comes down to who will be more effective at implementing solutions to the problems that face the University community and the city as a whole. With her drive, enthusiasm, and proven history of accomplishment, Cara Letofsky is the best candidate, and I will be proud to cast a vote for her on November 8th.Sincerely,
(me)
University student
Good news for the dude I'm votin' for, R.T. Rybak. The new Star Tribune poll has him up by a 55% to 33% margin over (angry, nonsensical) challenger Peter McLaughlin.
R.T. Rybak-- our next President???
P.S. This picture rocks. Hard.
Peter McLaughlin-- trying so hard to hide his inner rage. (But failing.)
*shudder*
From the New Jersey Governor's race, which will pit Republican Doug Forrester against Democrat Jon Corzine on Tuesday.
(Props to Atrios for the link.)
My caption: Leaving the Senate floor today, Harry, Dick, and Chuck do their best Reservoir Dogs-style strut after whipping some well-deserved Republican ass.
(The real caption:
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., right, leaves the Senate floor accompanied by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., left, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., after his speech on the Senate floor, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2005, invoking Rule 21. Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session Tuesday, questioning intelligence that President Bush used in the run-up to the war in Iraq and accusing Republicans of ignoring the issue. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)
Maryscott O'Connor has a transcript of what she's calling the "Yippee-Ki-Yay, Motherfuckers" (her words, not mine!) speech by Harry Reid. By calling for a closed session to discuss cooked intelligence for the Iraq War and the Plame scandal, Reid and the Democrats shut down the Senate until the Republicans agreed to a real, bipartisan investigation with teeth, and served notice that we will not be silenced. At DailyKos, Hunter has a great analyis of the implications of this maneouver.
It's fun to hear Billy whine:
"Never have I been slapped in the face with such an affront to the leadership of this grand institution."
Well, lucky for you, Mr. Frist, you won't have to be part of the "leadership" much longer. Maybe then you can start your video-diagnosis business you've always dreamed of.
Today was a day in which Democrats stood up and took control of the debate. I hope we'll be seeing MUCH more of this new, tough spirit in the weeks and months to come. Folks, make no mistake-- the 2006 election season began today. (Actually, yesterday, when Bush nominated Alito without consulting the Dems. This is payback.)
Faced with a conservative backlash and resistance from Democrats to Harriet Miers' nomination to the Supreme Court, the White House is now shifting tactics. Rather than focusing on her religious and political views, they want to move the focus to Miers' qualifications for the job.
As one Bush staffer puts it, "As the focus becomes less on who she's not and more on who she is, that's a better place to be."
To which Josh Marshall says:
So things will look better when interest moves from her not being a qualified candidate for the Court to her being an unqualified candidate.
Ha.
Whatever you can say about Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, you can't say she's behind the times!
She's got her own blog:
"You Have the Right to Remain Stylin'
And, for all you narcissistic hipsters out there, she even has a MySpace profile.
In another sign of her internet prowess, she's crediting her newfound success to a hot new job site, CronyJobs.
[NOTE: These sites are intended as satire. If you think they're real... umm.. you're dumb. (No offense.)]
Wow. Patty Wetterling has now officially made bringing the troops home from Iraq part of her campaign platform.
The war in Iraq is costing this country and Minnesota in lives, treasure, and opportunity, and we can no longer afford to continue down the path we're on.Today I am calling for the Administration to end our involvement in Iraq by Thanksgiving 2006 and prepare for the return of our brave men and women by launching a new generation of programs to honor their service.
[...]
Let me be clear: from today until the last American has left Iraqi soil, we must spend every dollar necessary to arm, support, and protect our troops. But the time has come to bring them home. This is not a call to abandon our troops or their mission. It is a call to honor them, a call to respect them, and a call to bring them home.
We're spending too much money on the wrong priorities. Removing our troops by next Thanksgiving ensures that by the time the next Senate begins its session, we will be debating how to spend this money on health care, job creation, education, rebuilding our own Gulf in the wake of Katrina, and keeping America safe.
Facing underdog status in her primary race with Amy Klobuchar for the Democratic nomination for the MN '06 Senate race, it appears Patty has decided to risk it all by taking on a huge issue in America right now. "Bring them home"-- This is a position that few mainstream Democrats have been willing to take. In a prominent ad on Kos, aimed at tapping the fundraising power of the overwhelmingly progressive and anti-war netroots, Patty claims she is "the ONLY Senate candidate with the courage to set a date." And it's probably true. But is it the right thing to do? And will it pay off politically?
I will be watching this race closely. I had assumed that Patty, as much as I love her, was dead in the water against the better-connected, well-funded Amy Klobuchar. This is an attempt to tilt the balance. But will it be enough?
A new Zogby/Wall Street Journal poll shows that both Klobuchar and Wetterling have a slight lead on Republican candidate (and major dickhead) Mark Kennedy.
Klobuchar 49%, Kennedy 42.9%
Wetterling 48.1%, Kennedy 44.9%
Wetterling's website also has a poll from February that puts her 9 points ahead of Kennedy, while Klobuchar has only a 2 point lead. Her favorability rating and statewide recognition are obviously much higher than Klobuchar's, because of Wetterling's tireless work as a child advocate and the nationwide media frenzy over the abduction of her son Jacob, 15 years ago. I think she is a great person and a great candidate. The only reason I have to doubt her is a subpar speech she gave at the UDFL convention last spring. While Wetterling was forced to rely on her notes and stand at the podium, Klobuchar had her material down pat and was able to interact with the crowd while she spoke. Klobuchar also had much more of a speaking presence than Wetterling. However, that was months ago, and it could have been just a bad night for Patty. If her speaking act has improved, this new announcement could breathe new life into her campaign.
Also, Democratic candidates Mike Hatch and Mike Ciresi both have a tiny edge on sitting governor (and huge d-bagger) Tim Pawlenty.
Read this! The whole thing!
This is the definition of righteous anger:
Your party has set aflame the entire political landscape, and now, once burned, you warn sternly from the branches of a burnt-out tree about "playing with fire". You used the ashes of one of the great liberal cities of America, New York City, as war paint for your own sick, racist dreams. You shudder at a burning flag, yet are willing to snip-and-cut basic tenets of the Constitution as needed or convenient.And now, you're outraged, not by any of the rest of it, not by anything that has come before, but because a few prominent Republican faces have -- shock of shocks -- been indicted in probes that have spanned years of investigation, and interrogation, and deposition. That, you say, represents the underpinnings of a civil war.
Thank you Hunter.
A little background reading:
DeLay is indicted, leaves post:
Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, the second-ranking Republican in the House and one of the most powerful legislators on Capitol Hill, stepped down from his post as majority leader yesterday, after a state grand jury indicted him on a charge of criminal conspiracy. The grand jurors alleged that he and two associates had funneled corporate campaign contributions through the Republican National Committee and a political action committee connected to DeLay.
Frists' HCA Now Under Investigation by SEC
Federal prosecutors and the [SEC] ... are probing [Senate Majority Leader Bill] Frist's sale of stock in HCA, the Nashville, Tenn.-based company that grew into the nation's largest for-profit health care chain.[...]
Documents show that while HCA insiders were selling millions of dollars of their own stock this year, they were also painting an upbeat picture of the company's outlook for investors.
Things are looking bad for the Republicans. And therefore, looking good for our country.
Activists rented a truck whose cab was flanked by two twin billboards, featuring Field Marshal [Grover] Norquist's famous quote juxtaposed with an image of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina - a drowned New Orleans. Appropriately, at 8:45 this morning Working Assets parked the truck in front of the offices of Americans for Tax Reform, an essential part of Norquist's New Right brigade, and the meeting place for that weekly breakfast strategy session of rightist revolutionaries.
More here.
"Umm... yeah... I'll have what he's having."
Last week, after “more than an hour of solemn ceremony” swearing in Rep. Marco Rubio (R-FL) as House speaker, Gov. Jeb Bush stepped to the podium to tell “a short story about ‘unleashing Chang,’ his ‘mystical warrior’ friend.”
U.S. President George W. Bush writes a note to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a Security Council meeting at the 2005 World Summit and 60th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York September 14, 2005. World leaders are exploring ways to revitalize the United Nations at a summit on Wednesday but their blueprint falls short of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's vision of freedom from want, persecution and war. REUTERS/Rick Wilking
What a fascinating historical document. I really think they need to get ahold of it and put it in the Smithsonian, right next to George Washington's teeth. Or possibly in the ExxonMobil George W. Bush Presidential Library, next to the flight suit and My Pet Goat.
Thanks to first draft.
Just got back from voting in the Minneapolis primary election. Apparently I was the 4th (!) person from Middlebrook to vote today, 1 hour before the polls close. Great turnout. I really think the University needs to do a better job of letting people know about elections, and where to vote. I'm in friggin' UDFL, and I didn't even know about the primary until yesterday. So how is the other 95% of the population, that isn't involved in political organizations, supposed to know?
The Daily did a pretty good job of covering the primaries, but their list of "places to vote" is worse than useless. It makes it seem like you can vote at any of the places listed in your Ward, but really you have to vote in the right precinct. I tried to vote at Coffman, but they wouldn't let me because I live in Middlebrook and thus am in a different precinct. Unfortunately, the workers there couldn't tell me where exactly I should vote. I ended up having to look it up on the Secretary of State website.
I think the University needs to:
a) Make election information readily available-- even an email a week before the election and the day of would go a long way towards getting the word out.
b) Provide accurate information as to where each of the dorms vote. I think it's great that the Superblock can vote right there, but what about the rest of us?
c) Provide transportation or bus routes to off-campus voting sites. I didn't mind walking 0.8 miles to my polling place, but for some people, it's just not worth the trouble.
Anyway, I voted for this guy:
R.T. Rybak. What a guy. Wish him well!
P.S. Psst. I also voted for this guy. Consider it a protest vote.
I got an email from MoveOn today:
A House panel has voted to eliminate all public funding for NPR and PBS, starting with "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow," and other commercial-free children's shows. If approved, this would be the most severe cut in the history of public broadcasting, threatening to pull the plug on Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch. [...]The cuts would slash 25% of the federal funding this year—$100 million—and end funding altogether within two years. In particular, the loss could kill beloved children's shows like "Sesame Street," "Clifford the Big Red Dog," "Arthur" and "Postcards from Buster." Rural stations and those serving low-income communities might not survive. Other stations would have to increase corporate sponsorships.
This shameful vote is only the latest partisan assault on public TV and radio. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which exists to shield public TV and radio from political pressure, is now chaired by Kenneth Tomlinson, a staunch Republican close to the White House. Tomlinson has already forced one-sided conservative programs on the air, even though Tomlinson's own surveys show that most people consider NPR "fair and balanced" and they actually trust public broadcasting more than commercial network news.
Tomlinson also spent taxpayer dollars on a witch hunt to root out "liberal bias," including a secret investigation of Bill Moyers and PBS' popular investigative show, "NOW." Even though the public paid for the investigation, Tomlinson has refused to release the findings.
The lawmakers who proposed the cuts aren't just trying to save money in the budget—they're trying to decimate any news outlets who question those in power. This is an ideological attack on our free press.
Talk about bad timing. Every day brings another story about media consolidation. Radio, TV stations and newspapers are increasingly controlled by a few massive corporate conglomerates trying to maximize profits at the expense of quality journalism. Now more than ever, we need publicly funded media who will ask hard questions and focus on stories that affect real people, instead of Michael Jackson and the runaway bride.
As the House and Senate consider this frightening effort to kill public broadcasting, they need to hear from its owners—you.
Sign the petition! Help save the great programs of our youth: "Sesame Street," "Clifford," "Arthur," "Reading Rainbow," "Wishbone," "Ghostwriter," and, of course, my favorite: "Square One" (does anyone else remember this show? the math show? where they did the segment called MathNet, a math-themed parody of Dragnet?)
I ripped these off from Atrios... hope he doesn't mind...
In this case, I have to steal the caption, too: "Vroom, vroom!" Look, Mr. Putin, I'm driving! Wheeeeee!
Here, he looks more like a retarded butler than a President.
Please, just let Laura do it. You're hurting America.
For more pictorial mayhem, read this post.
This is outrageous. In Waynesville, NC, 9 members of East Waynesville Baptist Church were kicked out of church after they refused to "repent" for voting for John Kerry. Approximately 40 other principled members resigned from the congregation in protest.
Watch the video. (Right click-->Save as.)
"One of the local women who got excommunicated said on TV that it was like a cult. Another man who got excommunicated said that the rest of the congregation stood up and applauded as the Democrats were told to leave."
This is all over the internet, but major news sources haven't picked it up yet. Hopefully we will learn more soon-- When did this happen? Is it legal? Will the church lose its tax-exempt status? Obviously, it has ceased to be a religious organization and has moved into the political realm. Wonder if they'll have to start filing with the FEC?
Yep. That's a real magazine cover. Al Gore is starting his own cable TV channel, to be named Current. I don't have cable, so I won't be able to watch it. But maybe you should check it out.
From the article:
On April 1 INdTV transformed into Current and publicly resurfaced for a preview press screening at its stylish two-story headquarters--exposed brick walls and beams, wood floors, modern and minimalist art. Flat-screen TVs everywhere glowed with Current's new logo, four green squares reminiscent of a Josef Albers painting. Gore, wearing a gray suit, open black-collared shirt and black cowboy boots, amiably opened the press conference and reiterated what his network was not. "We have no intention of being a Democratic channel, a liberal channel or a TV version of Air America. That's not what we're all about. We are about empowering this generation of young people in the 18-to-34 population to engage in a dialogue of democracy and to tell their stories of what's going on in their lives, in the dominant medium of our time." The programming, Current officials explained, will be a mix of material produced by David Neuman's in-house team of young correspondents, queries from freelancers and submissions from the audience, which Current hopes will be the network's core. At the beginning, viewers will provide less than a third of all programming. But Neuman hopes to ramp up quickly, eventually soliciting a "tapas bar for young adults."
Chuck Olsen (of "Blogumentary" fame) has more, and personal stories to boot, here.
Oh right, we're not supposed to call it "ANWR" anymore, it sounds too cold and professional. We're supposed to call it "the wildlife refuge." But anyway, yeah. Norm Coleman confirms his status as the #1 douchebag in Minnesota. Congrats, Norm.
THEN...
"In ANWR, it just tilts a little different for me. . . . Let's save that little pristine piece of the world."
--Norm Coleman, quoted in the Star Tribune, March 16, 2002.
and NOW...
A $2.6 trillion federal budget blueprint approved by Congress late Thursday may clear the way for a Republican plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, according to congressional aides.The budget plan does not specifically mention ANWR drilling by name.
But Judd Gregg, a New Hampshire Republican who heads the Senate Budget Committee, indicated its language was carefully crafted to ensure that Senate legislation to give oil companies access to the Alaskan wildlife refuge would not be subject to a filibuster.
Reuters, April 29, 2005.
Oh... and guess who voted "YEA" on this measure?
Finally, George has met his match. We've had our differences in the past, but I guess I can say I'm truly happy for him. So funny.
Possibly the greatest political candidacy website ever...
If I lived in the 8th Ward, I'd definitely support Dennis Tifft for City Council. He's just so dang optimistic! I especially like his "Lift Initiatives":
Lift Initiatives are innovative plans and programs for improving livability in the Eight Ward and Minneapolis . They include: a Graffiti Strike Force to take proactive steps at controlling this blight, a Home-based Business Consortium to support and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit within neighborhoods, a Rehab Resource Initiative to assess what the City can do to help property owners preserve and protect residential housing stock, and Places to Be Me, a program to develop constructive alternatives to drugs, gangs, and violence for teens and adolescents.
Graffiti Strike Force... go!
adding to our (my) earlier discussion of poll results, I proudly present:
...in addition to a 80% disapproval on this issue among Democrats, and 70% among independent voters, Republicans are split evenly at 48/46. That's not just bad, that's baby-eating bad. (And by that, I mean Dick Cheney could eat a human baby on live TV, and you'd see Republican numbers not much worse than that.)
--Hunter, on Daily Kos, writing about poll results showing that the vast majority of Americans disagree with Republican efforts to use the "nuclear option" to get rid of the filibuster.
I demand more quotes about eating babies! Dead baby jokes are always in order, as well.
Just got back from our final UDFL meeting for the year, in which we elected a whole new slate of officers. Here's the list, in the unlikely event that you care... at all...
President: Max Page
Vice President: Kelly Kubacki
Secretary: Noah Seligman
Treasurer: Monica Heth
Affirmative Action Coordinator: Chris Montezon
MSA Representative: Adam Engelman
Should be a good year next year. We have a lot of work to do, though. But here's some good news (shamelessly cribbed directly from Armando at Daily Kos):
A new WaPo Poll shows Bush's approval is in fast descent:Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bush is handling:
Approve Disapprove
A. Social Security 31 64
B. Iraq 42 56
C. Economy 40 57
D. Terrorism 56 41
E. Energy Policy 35 54A lot of other stuff, but this one is my favorite:
Which party better represents your personal values?
Dems - 47%
GOP - 38%The Democratic Party, the Party of Values. Can I get an Amen for that?
This squares with polls from last week: CBS had Bush's approval at 44% and disapproval at 51%, while Harris Interactive had "44% positive, 56% negative."
I'd imagine that those numbers are even better (worse for Bush) among college students. But we still have a long way to go towards getting more young people active and enthusiastic about politics. I think we did a great job of this during first semester with the energy that people had towards getting rid of Bush, but things definitely slid during Spring semester. Rock the Cauc and the campaign for Emily and Colin went well, but other than that, I can't really think of anything we did that was very successful. Here's hoping that UDFL revs it up this fall.
I thought this was kinda funny, seeing as I'm taking Russian myself...
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tried out her rusty Russian in a Moscow radio interview Wednesday, only to get caught out by a question on whether she might run for president."Da (Yes)," Rice answered in Russian, before realizing her misunderstanding and hastily adding "Nyet" (No) -- seven times.
Hmm. And we thought she was a "Soviet expert," "fluent in Russian." What happened? Maybe it was just a Freudian slip, sorta like when she called George W. her husband. But wait-- there's more...
Rice, in Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin, started out in English. "It is an opportunity for me to come back to Russia, a place I love very much. I love the culture and the language."She then switched into Russian, but quickly hit trouble.
Apparently meaning to say that she would like to do her next interview in the language of her host, she chose a verb that sounded more like "to earn money" than the Russian for "to do."
"You understand it will be very difficult because I am out of practice, and in your language there are these awful cases!" she continued. "It's very difficult for us, and it is very difficult to talk without making mistakes."
Ah. Trouble with cases, eh? Yeah, I get that, too. Well, Ms. Rice, I have a solution... perhaps you should enroll in some classes here at the U of M. Take RUSS 3001. I'm in the 10:05-10:55 class with Schweikert. It might be kind of nice to have a "famous person" in our class. Maybe you and Professor Schweikert could swap some stories about the bad old days in the Soviet Union.
More about this here.
I thought this was funny...
Do you have my stapler?
Oh, P.S., John (Milton?) Bolton sucks.
From this site via this site vis-a-vis Take a Left...
The Crazy Antics of the Honorable Senator Michele Bachmann (R-Stillwater)...
Apparently, keeping those "homos" in their place is so important, it is no longer enough to harass them with a discriminatory Constitutional amendment. Marriage is in peril... desperate times call for desperate measures... desperate measures such as hiding behind a bush and spying on a gay rights rally. Take a look at the pictures. It's kinda hard to definitively ID her, considering that she's hiding in the bushes, but I totally think it's her... the bodyguard gives it away. Also, note clue #2-- her fashionable color scheme. Sky-blue slacks, white sweater... always a classic.
Those crazy Republicans... what will they think of next?
Post your favorite Republican's wacky antics in the "Comments!"
Well, I could sum it up myself, but I'll just let you read what the Minneapolis Observer's Ballot Box has to say...
After a tense, four-ballot struggle this afternoon, Cara Letofsky won the DFL endorsement for City Council in the 2nd Ward. Letofsky, who we considered the favorite when she entered the race, took 41 percent on the first ballot, with challengers Dan Miller garnering 31 percent and Bill Svrluga taking 28 percent. Svrluga lost ground in the second ballot and withdrew. On the third ballot, Letofsky’s total jumped to 53 percent, with Miller getting 45. But on the pivotal fourth ballot, Letofsky attracted 55 percent of the vote and Miller graciously conceded. In a brief acceptance speech, Letofsky acknowledged the coming race against Green Party candidate Cam Gordon and pledged to work with all residents of the ward.Afterward, the exuberant, but slightly shaken Letofsky told us that the convention vote “went the way I was hoping it would go.” From our vantage point, her campaign workers did a great job maintaining Letofsky’s considerable base and slowly bringing the Svrluga delegates into the fold. They took nothing for granted. Of her coming campaign against Gordon, Letofsky noted that she and Gordon are friends and that she expects a lively and civil campaign. “I think I have a good chance to win in the fall,” she said.
Though he didn’t prevail today, Miller proved to be the strongest speaker of the candidates here and did a marvelous job of mobilizing his U of M campus base. We expect we haven’t seen the last of him.
[Emphasis mine.]
I have been looking at other media for their convention stories, but I've come up with nothing. I guess they don't do a very good job covering local politics. Not even the Minnesota Daily, which ran at least three or four articles (all basically the same) about Dan Miller's campaign, gave it a mention.
So I guess I will add my own take on the convention. It was interesting, but at the same time incredibly boring. But, in the end, I'm glad I went. It was "an experience."
Poor Dan Miller. At first, I supported him because I think we need young people to get elected to office if things are ever going to change in this country. Think of the things he could do if he were elected to the City Council at age 25. However, as I got more informed about the race, and listened to all the candidates, I came to really believe that Dan was the best candidate and would make the best councilmember.
He definitely showed that he was the best politician out of the three candidates. His speech was great, and he was successful in the Q&A sessions. He was the only candidate that succeeded in connecting local issues with national issues and the identity crisis in the Democratic Party. He showed he had a good grasp of all the issues, especially in the Q&A segment-- especially compared to Letofsky, who sometimes stumbled and looked unconfident, and then tried to cover it up with lame jokes. Svrluga did OK, but he just didn't connect with me. The entire crowd seemed receptive to him, but whereas both Cara and Dan got huge cheers from their respective delegations, old Bill only received polite applause.
I believe that the main thing that killed Dan's campaign was that he relied too heavily on students. The third and fourth ballots were very close, with Letofsky getting 53 and 55, while Dan remained at around 45. If he had just been able to turn out a few more students... who knows what would have happened? I don't believe that the delegates in that gymnasium truly represented Ward 2. Cara Letofsky succeeded because she had a hardcore, dedicated base that did the thing that was most important-- they showed up, got themselves elected delegates, and then showed up at the convention.
Who knows how many students were unable to attend precinct caucuses, or became delegates and then couldn't make it to the convention, or discovered just how excruciatingly boring a DFL convention truly is and left halfway through? I know quite a few people who fit into one of those categories.
Dan Miller really connected with students, but he couldn't reach out to the older demographics as well. (Although I did see one elderly couple who were very enthusiastic Miller supporters, and it made me happy.) People just didn't take him seriously. I saw a good example of this when talking to a middle-aged, pony-tailed, probably ex-hippie delegate, who didn't even seem to recognize that Dan was a serious candidate. He kept referring to "both" candidates, meaning Letofsky and Svrluga, implying that they were the only two in the race. It's sad, but I guess people like that couldn't get past Dan's youngish appearance. (It also didn't help that someone started spreading the ludicrous rumor that Dan had interned for George W. Bush in Washington, D.C., a rumor which, he claimed, he had to repeatedly deny. Apparently this race wasn't as "clean" as some thought.)
Well, that's my take on the convention. We'll have to see if Cara Letofsky can defeat Cam Gordon, a founding member and the former state chair of the Green Party of Minnesota. Who knows, maybe I'll write more on this later. Right now I'm just disappointed with the local Democratic party, and I need to go to class.
I'm a sucker for the underdog. I always root for the underdog in sports, which was why I didn't really care that my NCAA March Madness bracket was screwed after the first weekend-- there were some great upsets! If an underdog were an actual type of dog, you can bet I would have one.
I'm guessing there's more out there like me. What's more American than the underdog? Why do we love Horatio Alger and Rocky and Paul Wellstone? Because, for the longest time, America itself was the underdog. Or, at least, that was the mythology. (Today, it's a different story-- that's why I root for Cuba. ;) Naw, j/k. But seriously.)
So here are two underdog stories to make you believe in something again. (As Dan Miller would say. And as it just so happens, Dan Miller is story #2!)
Story #1
Remember the Minnesota Twins? The greatest professional sports team on the planet? Valiant almost-Yankee-killers? The team that does the most with the least money?
Well, I was recently informed that ESPN.com predicts that they will win the World Series. Wow! And they have them currently ranked 4th out of all the MLB teams.
We remember it well:
And the Yankees were, in fact, in big trouble. Nobody remembers it anymore, thanks to the trouble the Red Sox wound up dealing them. But the Yankees were two outs away from trailing the Twins in the Division Series, 2-0 -- and about to head to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4.Asked how often he thinks about how close his team came to plummeting into that canyon, Yankees manager Joe Torre laughs.
"All the time," he says.
He thought about it all winter. Now he can think about it again all summer -- because six months from now, after the Yankees and Red Sox have finished obsessing about each other, the Twins figure to be waiting for one of them again, hiding out innocently in baseball's October minefield.
I got that familiar sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when Gardenhire sent Nathan back out for another inning in Game 2. And that sinking feeling is never wrong. But you know what? I'm over it, Joe. Just get out there and win us that World Series.
So, hopefully, our first underdog story concludes this way:
MINNESOTA TWINS
WORLD CHAMPIONS
1987
1991
2005
Story #2
As promised, Dan Miller is our second bedtime story of the night. (Sorry, ladies. This is a non-sexual bedtime story. We know that you all "want on" Dan Miller. Seriously, try to contain yourselves.)
So, Dan Miller came to Middlebrook tonight for a little "meet 'n' greet" with some students tonight. It was fun. There was pizza. And we got to be "dictators of Minneapolis." (We didn't get to dress up, though.) In my fascist state, I decided, I would crank that gas tax ALL THE WAY up so people would: a)buy smaller, more fuel-efficient cars; b)invest in alternative energy technology; and c)take public transportation more.
Anyway, it was a really cool session. Just a handful of students sitting around, discussing ways to change our city and our nation, from the ground up, and how to get youth interested in politics and empowered.
Dan has some really great ideas, like setting up an endowment for Minneapolis schools. He threw out the statistics that the schools are 69% underfunded, and frankly, if that's true, than it is not only bad, it's criminal. (And possibly unconstitutional. Which is why, he said, some groups might sue the state to provide more funding for the public schools, a strategy that has worked well in other states such as New York. It would be a handy way to get around those obstructionist Republicans that control our state and their "no new taxes.")
Another idea I liked was to have the city stop taxing wind power as it taxes other forms of energy. Right now, you can pay Xcel Energy a little more per month and get all of your power from wind. It's not like it's any better than electricity you get from oil or coal, so a lot of people probably just say, screw it, I'm not paying extra. But what if we didn't tax it? Then, says the prophet Dan Miller, wind power would actually be cheaper than other forms of energy. Do you think people would start signing up for it then? What if the entire city of Minneapolis decided to "go wind?" That would be a huge chunk of demand, and Xcel would have incentive to build more wind turbines. I thought this was a great idea that could help us impact energy policy even at the local level, something you don't really think about too often.
Well, cool. But what makes this an underdog story, rather than just an excuse to talk about (my hero) Dan Miller some more? Well, Dan Miller would seem to be a very extreme underdog. No one expects him, a 25-year old (or so) kid, just out of college, to win against a grizzled old guy who's done pretty much everything impressive you could do with your life, besides being President or the First Man on the Moon, or a middle-aged hippie lady who hasn't done so much but seems to be a prototypical white Minneapolis Democrat with a lot of rock-solid support in her own neighborhood.
But guess what? According to Dan, he's actually winning! He has the most support, at least according to his informal polling. (Derived by personally calling the delegates and asking who they're voting for. We can't trust Zogby anymore. Remember "Kerry 311, Bush 213?" Bah. I'd rather not remember.) He doesn't have a majority, but his prediction was that Bill Svrluga (I literally jumped at this-- I would have expected Svrluga to be dominating the race) would have to drop out after the second ballot, and then it would come down to which candidate could pick up the most of Svrluga's supporters. So, the convention could be really interesting. And hopefully our second underdog story concludes this way:
DAN MILLER
MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL, WARD 2
2005 - ?
To infinity... and beyond!
Well, that's all for now. I must sleep. Goodbye devoted fans.
So, until today, I have been unwilling to go along with the so-called "tin-foil hat" crowd who believes that the 2004 election was stolen. Well, today I'm putting on my tin-foil hat. Everyone must read this report:
Analysis of 2004 Presidential Election Exit Poll Discrepancies
Its core finding is shocking:
...National poll results projected a Kerry victory by 3.0%, whereas the official count had Bush winning by 2.5%. Several methods have been used to estimate the probability that the national exit poll results would be as different as they were from the national popular vote by random chance. These estimates range from 1 in 959,000 to 1 in 1,240. No matter how one calculates it, the discrepancy cannot be attributed to chance.
It is a response to this document, put out by the Edison/Mitofsky group, which blamed the discrepancies on "reluctant Bush responders." It's theoretically plausible-- hell, I'd be ashamed to tell anyone that I voted for George W. Bush. Thank God I didn't. Or did I? How do I know? Was my vote counted? Who knows?
Meteor Blades of The Next Hurrah says:
[...]George W. Bush still squats in the White House.[emphasis mine.] The post itself was about gay marriage and is highly recommended. I'm more concerned with the language, though. "Squats." Hahaha. That is awesome.
Let us deconstruct.
via Answers.com
squat (skwŏt)v., squat·ted, squat·ting, squats.
v.intr.
1. To sit in a crouching position with knees bent and the buttocks on or near the heels.
2. To crouch down, as an animal does.
3. To settle on unoccupied land without legal claim.
4. To occupy a given piece of public land in order to acquire title to it.v.tr.
1. To put (oneself) into a crouching posture.
2. To occupy as a squatter.
What are the possible meanings of the verb "squat," and how can we apply them to our President?
a) George W. Bush is an illegal "squatter" in the White House. (Think about the stolen 2000 election and the possibly stolen 2004 election.)
b) George W. Bush is an animal. (Think "Chimpy.")
c) George W. Bush is taking a dump in the White House. (OK, this is not in the dictionary, but when examining language we must occasionally delve into the dark realm of "slang." Think about the way in which this administration has taken a metaphorical crap on: the lower and middle classes, the Constitution, the democratic process, etc.)
others?
Anyway, it's fun to think about. I thought it was a good word choice. Thumbs up, guys.
Wow. What an amazing picture. This, my friends, is democracy in action.
From the Times:
BEIRUT, Lebanon -- With shouts of "Syria out!," more than 25,000 flag-waving protesters massed outside Parliament on Monday in a dramatic display of defiance that swept out Lebanon's pro-Syrian government two weeks after the assassination of a former prime minister.Cheering broke out among the demonstrators in Martyrs' Square when they heard Prime Minister Omar Karami's announcement on loudspeakers that the government was stepping down.
Dang. I wish our government would step down.
[UPDATE]: More from this website and this one. "Caveman in Beirut" says:
As of 1:45 pm [Beirut time, I think], LBC reports that the crowd has swelled past the 200,000 mark - for those readers interested in statistics. I add my usual caveat that this number is neither accurate nor exhaustive - the actual number could be far greater. The important thing to remember is that this is happening in spite of extensive measures to prohibit protesters from reaching the site.
There's a great piece in the NY Times today about the newfound friendship between George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The two ex-presidents are currently touring the areas devastated by the South Asian tsunami a couple of months ago. Apparently, they have been able to put aside their differences and have even become somewhat friendly.
The new warmth arises as President Bush and Mr. Clinton, who had little love for each other in the past, have grown closer."Frankly, President Bush likes Clinton a lot," Roland Betts, a close friend of the president, said. "He says he thinks he's a terrific person. He's not judging his administration. He just likes being around him."
Mr. Betts, who made those remarks in an interview in December, added in a brief interview this week that in his view the current president and Mr. Clinton were charismatic people and that they "saw a little bit of themselves in each other, and they liked it."
Staff members for the three men say they first noticed the thaw last Memorial Day, when the 41st, 42nd and 43rd presidents, on stage after the dedication of the National World War II Memorial on the Mall in Washington, shared private laughs. At one point, George H. W. Bush gave Mr. Clinton a playful but vigorous shove as a reaction to something Mr. Clinton had said. Aides could not recall this past week what it was, but one person did say the current president joked at the time that Mr. Clinton's biography, "My Life," was so long that he would have to read one half and his father the other.
The warming trend continued a few weeks later, when the president unveiled Mr. Clinton's official portrait at the White House with such gracious words that aides said Mr. Clinton was stunned. Mr. Bush praised Mr. Clinton as a man "with far-ranging knowledge of public policy, a great compassion for people in need and the forward-looking spirit the Americans like in a president."
Mr. Clinton reddened and his eye teared as he acknowledged: "I had mixed feelings coming here today, and they were only confirmed by all those kind and generous things you've said. Made me feel like I was a pickle stepping into history."
[...]
When [Bush and Clinton] are together... they joke about the 41st president's skydiving and which one is in the best health.
"President Bush likes to say, 'I'm 80, for God's sake,' " [an aide] said. "And President Clinton says, 'Well, you're the one jumping out of airplanes.' "
Who knows if this friendship is real or not, or if it just something cooked up by the media to give us hope in these hyper-partisan times. I thought it was a good story, though. If these guys, who were at each others' throats in '92, can work together for the good of the world and even become close friends, perhaps we all can...
Well, it's a beautiful dream, anyway. It might not happen anytime soon, but at least there's hope.
I don't really care what he did. Heck, I barely know who Brit Hume is. But he should resign anyway.
Well, actually I do care. In an astonishing breach of journalistic ethics, Mr. Hume "mixed and matched" a few of FDR's statements to claim that our Greatest President Ever (TM) supported privatization of Social Security. What a bastard.
Hey, I have a good idea. Maybe we should all just stop watching FOX NEWS, or any other cable news channel for that matter, and then these types of things wouldn't happen!
But Brit Hume Must Still Resign! That's why I'm putting up this nifty banner. (Look over at the sidebar.) (Props to Oliver Willis.)
Outsies.
From the New York Times: "Bush Budget Raises Drug Prices for Many Veterans."
Co-pay is raised to $15/month per prescription, from $7/month, and many veterans will have to pay a yearly $250 "user fee."
The government had no immediate estimate of how many veterans would be affected if the user fee and co-payment proposals were adopted. But veterans' groups said that hundreds of thousands of people would end up paying more and that many would be affected by both changes.Veterans groups attacked the proposals. Richard B. Fuller, legislative director of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, said: "The proposed increase in health spending is not sufficient at a time when the number of patients is increasing and there has been a huge increase in health care costs. It will not cover the need. The enrollment fee is a health care tax, designed to raise revenue and to discourage people from enrolling."
You know, if you're going to send soldiers to war, don't you at least owe them the basics they need to take care of themselves?
Can't people see that Bush doesn't give a damn about soldiers and their problems? If he did, they might have armor for their vehicles. Rumsfeld wouldn't have a job. They would be able to get into veterans' hospitals.
If he did, they wouldn't be in Iraq.
You know, this reminds me of an incident from this summer. I was at the state capitol on the day after Kerry picked Edwards as his VP pick, at a small rally to celebrate the occasion. It was a pretty dumb rally, but I got a free bumper sticker and button out of the deal.
As I was walking back to my car, I met this guy at a street corner. He wore an old army camo jacket and carried a big canvas duffel bag. I said "hi" to him, and he enthusiastically greeted me back. He remarked on the John Kerry bumper sticker I was carrying-- he said he was voting for Kerry, because he hated to think of the kids in Iraq dying for Bush's "oil war." He told me he had served in Vietnam-- then he pulled up his pant leg to show me the shrapnel that was still embedded in his calf.
I asked him where he was from. He said Detroit. He had been drafted straight out of high school. Until he was drafted, his plan had been to play baseball for the Detroit Tigers-- apparently he was a pretty good pitcher. (I didn't know whether to believe him or not. Confronted with the evidence in the form of his disfigured leg that his Vietnam story was true, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.) I asked him what he was doing here. He said he left his daughter and grandkids in Michigan to come to the Fort Snelling VA Hospital. Once he got there, however, they turned him away. Now he needed to go to a different hospital somewhere, but he didn't have any money for the bus.
I felt really sorry for him. All I had in my wallet was a $20, but somehow anything I could use it for didn't seem all that important. So I gave it to him to use for the bus. He also wondered where he could get a Kerry sticker for himself and a few to give to his friends. I walked him back down to the rally, where they were still cleaning up, and he got the stickers he wanted. He told his story to a couple of the DNC workers that were there, too, and they were as shocked and saddened as I was.
I don't know if the guy ever got to the hospital. I hope he did. But the whole incident really made me sad and angry. As I drove home, I thought about how fortunate I've been in my life so far. And I wondered: how will we repay those who are serving over in Iraq right now?
One of my favorite commercials during the Super Bowl last night, and the only one that was truly emotionally touching, was the Anheuser-Busch commercial with the soldiers arriving at the airport and the people breaking out into applause. I actually teared up during that ad. But, in the end, it was not really a "thank you" to American troops. It was a cynical attempt to sell us beer.
That's exactly what the Bush administration does. They use the love and admiration we all have for the troops to sucker us into buying their agenda. They wrap themselves in the flag and the soldiers' camo gear. (Sometimes they even put on a flight suit.) They claim they have the troops' backs. But their actions speak louder than their words.
When will we ever learn?
DavidNYC over at Daily Kos reminds us that today marks the second anniversary of the first ever Howard Dean "meetups," which took place in coffee shops and pizza parlors in cities around the countries. Eventually these meetups and other grassroots meetings, as well as the phenomenal power of grassroots websites such as Dean for America (now Democracy for America) would propel Dean to be the frontrunner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Well, along with most people, I'd never heard of Howard back then. I didn't start paying attention to the Democratic primary race until probably November or December of 2003, and I didn't get at all involved until Martin Luther King weekend in January '04, when I and several others travelled to Waterloo, IA to campaign for John Edwards in the whirlwind last days before the all-important Iowa caucuses. Back then, I was doing it more as a learning experience, but I came to respect John Edwards as a person and a politician. This process culminated in me casting a vote for John Edwards on Super Tuesday at my first-ever political caucus at Mahtomedi High School. I believe he actually won our district (May Township) Later that night, however, we learned that Edwards had conceded the nomination to John Kerry.
Flash forward 11 fateful months later. We have Bush as president once again. Who knows if any of the candidates could have beaten him? All we know is that, after a series of campaign triumphs but also some glaring missteps, Kerry lost.
But I am through being depressed about The Re-Election. We Democrats now have an historic opportunity: Howard Dean, barring a last-minute takedown by the powers that be (and Dean supporters have reason to be paranoid, after Iowa 2004), is poised to become the new Chariman of the Democratic National Committee.
In the few months since the election, I have become steadily more and more enthused and optimistic about the prospect of a Dean victory. I have become a Deaniac. I believe that Howard Dean's enthusiasm and ability to really connect with people will make him a great figurehead for Democrats to rally around these next couple of years, and hopefully will spark us to take back the Senate (at least) in 2006. I don't know anything about his organizing ability-- I've one of the problems with his campaign at first was that, as an outsider campaign, it was not prepared to handle the mass of Deaniacs who turned out to contribute their time and money, and it ended up being a little disorganized-- but I think that, if Dean surrounds himself with proven, talented organizers (many have mentioned Simon Rosenberg of the New Democrat Network), we will be in great shape.
We'll never know how the presidential race would have turned out if any of the variables had changed-- if we had nominated Dean, or Clark, or Edwards, or if Kerry had done this or that differently, or if... We just don't know. There are so many "what if"s. But one thing I do know is that I'd be glad to have Howard Dean as Chairman of the Party. The formal election is on the 12th, I believe, so stay tuned... More on this later.
Thanks, Mr. Dayton!
Sen. Mark Dayton, at Condoleeza Rice's confirmation hearing.
And of course, the Republicans are not-so-subtly labeling every Democrat who votes to oppose her "racist." (We learned this in psychology. It's called "projection.") Now, this might be true for someone like Sen. Robert Byrd, a former member of the KKK. But Mark Dayton? Gimme a break.
So, by now we have all heard that tomorrow will be Mr. Bush's Second Inauguration. It will be the most costly and extravagant inauguration celebration in history. ($35 million, but who's counting?) The 51% of American voters who decided that a second term would be good will be watching the parade, hoping to catch a glimpse of the radiant beams from their Great Leader's face. Me? I'll be watching the protests. Heck, I might even go to one-- I've seen flyers for a protest on the Mall outside Northrup at noon. My class doesn't get out 'til 12:30, but I might make a sign and get out there for part of it. We'll see. My only problem is that the protest is organized by Socialist Alternative. The flyers say something like, "Fight Bush's Right-Wing Agenda." Now, you would expect them to be fighting a right-wing agenda, considering that they profess to be socialists. However, these are the same people that, two-and-a-half months ago, were fighting the left-wing agenda of John Kerry, for no particular reason that I could discern. The only particular rallying cry I heard was, "Democrats and Republicans are all the same! They are owned by corporations! Corporations are the devil! VOTE NADER! AAAAGH!"
Now, it's true that corporations and big money have too much influence in politics today. (Sorry to say, but this ain't gonna change with the Repubs in power.) But seriously-- no difference between Bush and Kerry? What the hell? You tell us to "PAY ATTENTION!" to what's going on. Well, I have been paying attention, and I know this country is going further down the crapper in the next four years (based on current trends). My theory is, these guys just want something, anything, to protest. Their job only gets easier when a fascist like Bush is in power. So, they try to convince others to vote Socialist, or Green, or whatever else. This way, nothing will ever change, and they will have endless things to protest-- things that they may or may not believe in. (My other theory is, these people subconsciously hate Kerry because he killed a few of their Communist brethren in Vietnam. Please, guys. Let's let bygones be bygones. Even the American Communist Party endorsed Kerry-- I should know, I got a sweet pin out of the deal.)
Damn, now I've got myself pissed at all these dudes-- Socialist Alternative, the College Greens, Students for Nader. (Someone should check the membership lists for these groups, and see how much the membership overlaps.) Maybe I won't go to their protest after all. But, dangit, I love me a good protest! I fondly remember an anarchist climbing a flagpole in D.C. in 2000, trying to rip down Old Glory and hoist a black flag instead. I remember the chants, the tear gas, the riot gear, the eggs thrown at the limo. "Hail to the Thief." Ahh, good times. I'll let you know later if I decide to go or not... stay tuned!
Before we part, here's some food for thought:
Menu in Washington, D.C.: (via Yahoo!)
"First course: Scalloped crab and lobster
"Second course: Roasted Missouri quail with chestnuts and brined root vegetable
"Third course: Steamed lemon pudding and apple wild cherry compote
"The china will feature a woodland design set on amber-colored, pressed velvet tablecloths. The table centerpieces will be a unique arrangement of berries, leaves and roses."
Menu in Iraq:
Here are a couple of sample MREs, found on this website. (Click on "What do Soldiers Eat?")
"Menu 19: Roast Beef w/ Vegetables, Wet Pack Fruit, Peanut Butter, Crackers, Cheese Spread (Jalapeno), Cookie*, Cocoa Beverage Powder, Hot Sauce." Thoughfully packaged with "Accessory Packet A, Spoon, and Plastic Heater" for your dining convenience.
"Menu 8: Beef Patty, Nacho Cheese Pretzels, Macaroni & Cheese (Mexican)**, Cheese Spread w/ Bacon**, Wheat Snack Bread (2), BBQ Sauce, Hot Sauce." Also packaged with the far superior "Accessory Packet C," and the requisite "Spoon" and "Plastic Heater."
*Type not specified. I just hope it's not Oatmeal Raisin.
**WTF?!
I've had one of these MREs, at a campout in Boy Scouts... I believe it was the Beef Stew. As I recall, it wasn't bad, but it's certainly no roasted Missouri quail. I doubt they get table settings, either.
Okay, I'm out.
"While many questions concerning Oil-for-Food remain unanswered, one conclusion has become abundantly clear: Kofi Annan should resign." --Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Norm, quit being such a dick. Could we please start being a little mature? You are looking more like good old Joe McCarthy every day. Except instead of phantom "communists," your whipping boy is the UN, or John Kerry, or those who oppose the war in Iraq. Here's a bright idea: maybe you should stop your cute publicity stunts and start doing some work for Minnesota. We just had our homeland security funding reduced, at a time when we've got a $700 million (or higher!) defecit at the state level. Start with that. Then, how about speaking out about the Bush administration's 80% cutback in salmon habitat protection funding? We Minnesotans love to fish, and if he's loosening restrictions on development in the Northwest, who's to say Minnesota isn't next? Plus, as you may or may not know (not being a true Minnesotan yourself), Minnesotans occasionally like to travel, and some of us might like to fish in Washington or Oregon someday. So would you quit being Bush's poodle for just 1 second and try to get something accomplished?
But if you really need some metaporical "witches" to burn, to keep your name in the news, how about investigating the Halliburton contracts in Iraq? You know, they are implicated in the oil-for-food scandal, as well. Or--why not investigate when the Bush administration knew about the abuse at Abu Ghraib?
Oh, and Norm: The day I support your call for Annan to resign is the day you call on Donald Rumsfeld to resign too, for how badly he fucked up in Iraq. Just to make things fair. Rice, Cheney, Wolfowitz, and Perle, and probably some others, can go, too. After all, to paraphrase you,
"The massive scope of this debacle demands nothing less. If this...had occurred in any legitimate organization around the world, its CEO would have been ousted long ago, in disgrace."
Dammit, Minnesota, how can we stand 4 more years of this? (Norm and Bush.) Why do you keep electing hypocrites? Aww, screw it. I'm out.
I hereby pledge never to go back to Alabama again. I know, I have the shirt, and my uncle is a professor at the University of Alabama. But I cannot, in good conscience, visit a state where poll taxes and segregation are still enshrined in the state constitution.
I just read this article, which tells how Alabama voters narrowly rejected an amendment that would have removed Jim Crow-era language from the state constitution. Yes, the Civil Rights Act made this language unenforceable under federal law, but the fact that it still exists, and Alabamans apparently don't want to change it, says to me: they are all a bunch of honkies.
One argument against, espoused by local hero Roy Moore (he of the "Ten Commandments in the courthouse" fame) and other right-wing wackjobs, claims that removing the language would make it possible for "activist judges" (there they go with that phrase again) to "force" Alabama to spend more on education, and thus raise taxes (*gasp*). Never mind the fact that this argument has been widely ridiculed by legal experts and by Alabama newspapers-- if those who voted "no" to Amendment 2 buy that argument, then they oppose spending more of their precious dollars on education. Alabamans recently rejected their conservative Republican governor's $1.2 billion tax raise to help improve Alabama's education system. Perhaps they should rethink their priorities: Alabama was ranked 44th out of the 50 states in "smartness" by the Morgan Quitno Press.
So, Alabamans don't value education as much as we might here in Minnesota (#7, thank you very much). That's all well and good, right? Let's dig a little deeper. Perhaps the reason they rejected the amendment was that many whites can afford to send their kids to private, Christian schools, while the majority of blacks cannot. Why should whites pay for those lazy, shiftless negroes to go to public schools? (Please note the sarcasm.) The moral of the story is: racism disguised as "states' rights" is still racism. Please, Alabama. The Civil War is over.
Wow, that was a pretty good rant, wadn't it? To top it all off, go watch some Dave Chappelle. Click on "The Time Haters." It's funny stuff. OK, signing off, love ya! --Pat
Yep. Iraq. Looks like a real success story over there, don't it? I know, I stole this from Michael Moore (who, by the way, is a supporter of information-sharing, so ha!), but I think it's a great picture. To go along with it, and in honor of his new album, which I heard sucks BTW (except "Mosh," of course), I will quote Eminem. Directed at Bush, in case you can't tell.
"I hope you can't sleep and you dream about it / And when you dream I hope you can't sleep and you scream about it / I hope your conscience eats at you and you can't breathe without me."
--Eminem, "Stan"
Well, that's about it for now, maybe I will play with this a little later. If I don't see you, have a nice Thanksgiving, World. I know I will. Latez.
