Super Tuesday
My Pick…
If It Wasn’t So Outrageous It Would Be Funny
Here is how our federal government is “protecting” us from shadowy networks of freedom haters:
One F.B.I. document indicates that agents in Indianapolis planned to conduct surveillance as part of a “Vegan Community Project.” Another document talks of the Catholic Workers group’s “semi-communistic ideology.” A third indicates the bureau’s interest in determining the location of a protest over llama fur planned by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Llama Fur– it’s the new yellow cake.
NY-19 — Meet the Candidates Tonight in Peekskill
Back in the comments of my previous NY-19 post, there is a debate brewing about the bona-fides of one of the candidates. I think the purveyors of take19 have some great advice:
If you want to see Ben and the other four candidates vying for Sue’s seat, they’ll all be at the Peekskill Democratic meeting tonight (12/15) which begins at 7 p.m. in a room at the Field Library in downtown Peekskill.
As a group — we formed Take19 last year to take back the 19th district — we’ve met with all five of the candidates and each has their plusses and minuses. Though we don’t plan to endorse anyone right now, we’re more than a bit concerned with some of the misinformation being pumped out into the blogosphere about Ben, primarily on DailyKos and primarily by some of the same people who have posted here.
So if you’re tired of being spun by a few posters, come to tonight’s event — there’s more info on the Peekskill Dems site — and make up your own mind about the candidates. Clogging the blogosphere with misinformation about the candidates only helps Sue Kelly. Many of us are working way too hard to see that happen yet again. (emph. mine)
I don’t think I will be able to make it tonight, but hopefully others will, and can see the candidates for themselves. I hope there are more events like this one.
One thing I would really hate to see is this primary become a circular firing squad resulting in a politically wounded Democratic candidate. Obviously, people are going to have primary favorites, and they should talk up the strengths of their preferred candidate, but attacks on the other Democratic candidates benefit no one. I think it would be better for people to keep the focus of the race on where it should be — defeating Sue Kelly. After all, each of the candidates running would be an improvement over the current congressperson.
A Slew of Announced Democratic Candidates in NY-19
Republican Sue Kelly has held my “new” Congressional district since, I believe, 1994. In fact, I do not believe she has ever faced a serious challenge. Well, that is about to change. Perhaps emboldened by the big Democratic gains in the area back in November, there are now 5 announced Democratic candidates vying for her seat.
They are:
I don’t yet know enough about any them to pick a favorite. I do know, however, that John Hall is/was the lead singer of the band Orleans. He took on the Bush Campaign last year when they attempted to use the Orleans song, “Still the One” at campaign stops. Aydelott, who was formerly a Republican, was the first to enter the race and, has raised $200,000 since Labor Day .
take19 is a blog that is completely focused on the race. They have the scuttlebutt on the dealings of Sue Kelly.
The DCCC has a Races to Watch site where you can find your own district. Interestingly they seem to be framing the overall congressional campaign strategy as a referendum on Tom DeLay. That seems like a good idea to me. Here is what they have to say about Sue and Tom:
Some facts about Sue Kelly and how tied up Rep. Kelly is with Tom DeLay…
- Sue Kelly has taken $12,020 from Tom DeLay’s ARMPAC. No surprise that Kelly voted with Tom DeLay 90% of the time between Jan. 1 2004 and March 31 2005.
- Sue Kelly voted to weaken the ethics rules in a move that many say served only to protect Tom DeLay.
- When Republicans realized it was “impossible to win the communications battle” over the gutted ethics rules, Kelly flip-flopped and voted to put the old rules back into place.
- When Democrats offered a solution to clean up the House by strengthening ethics rules, Sue Kelly voted twice to make sure it never even came to an up or down vote.
- Sue Kelly voted to allow DeLay to continue serving as Leader even if he is indicted.
With all these candidates, the primary should be interesting. I’ll update the blog as I learn more about the candidates.
[UPDATE 12/6/2005] It turns out that Ben Shuldiner was the first candidate to officially enter the race as Radha Iyengar notes in the comments :
Ben Shuldiner was actually the first candidate to enter the race, filing with the FEC long before Judy Aydelott.
Ben is the founder and principal of a public school in New York City. His school has had enormous success and for this he was named the Greatest Public Servant under the Age of 35.
I apologize for the oversight.
Gigantic Presidential Heads
Two springs ago, Charles, Ted, and I went to photograph the gigantic Presidential head sculptures created by David Adickes, the Houston-based sculptor of very large things. The heads were created for a sculpture garden in Colonial Williamsburg, VA.
A couple of weeks ago, Mrs. gd! and I decided to develop several rolls of film that had been sitting around since our move. Among the rolls was this collection of photos from that lovely day.
For more on the heads, check out these two posts from Charles.
Enjoy!
get baby!
Sometime in March or early April, a new member of the get donkey! family will be arriving. We are very excited. Right now, with an early assist from my folks, I am wrapping up the process of preparing his chambers. Can I just say that I hate wallpaper? Mrs. gd! and I have made some initial voyages to Babies R Us to look at baby gear and have come a away with headaches. There is so much baby stuff out there! Anybody have any advice on what is necessary and what is not?
Buddy the spazzhound is already getting into adjustment mode. He and Bailey (who could care less) have been banished from sleeping with us in the bedroom since August. He is being trained to sit in his “house” on command and stay there, until we tell him he can leave. I think he’s starting to get it. On the advice of a veterinary behaviorist, he also is being trained to wear a basket muzzle (which, for some stupid reason, I call his “treat hat”) for about 30 minutes a day just in case he doesn’t accept the baby as one of the pack (he has been strange around kids in the past). He isn’t crazy about it, but it doesn’t really seem to bother him after a few minutes. We bought some treats that we can slide into the slots in the muzzle and he actually figured out how to drink with it on his head.
I hope that I will have more to write about as it gets closer to his arrival (did I mention the baby is a boy?). I also want to start writing more about the local area here in the mid-Hudson valley. To be honest, I get my fill of national politics on kos and atrios, so I don’t feel a pressing need to cover that here anymore. There is an excellent blog about the town I live in, but it is the site of the monthly town paper and is only monthly. I have been unable to find any other websites or blogs up here that cover the culture of the area, the politics, and, especially, the adjustments of moving from a large city (aside from here, there are many transplants from NYC) to a small city. It’s an interesting situation as there is some palpable tension between people who have lived here for their entire lives and the people moving in. This town used to be solid “red country”. That changed on election day, however when the city council went from a 4-2 GOP majority to a 6-0 Democratic majority. The only Republican left on the council is the mayor. Things should be getting interesting.
Anyway, it’s Thanksgiving time in these parts, so, if you celebrate it, have a happy Turkey Day. If you are interested, here is a link to my Thanksgiving Prayer from last year. I still like it.
Insurance not Investment — The Human Face of Social Security
I haven’t linked to anything political in a while, and while this Kos diary post may be a bit political, it is more about putting a human face on Social Security and what it means for so many people. I was espiecially touched by this post because the author is very close in age to me. But for the grace of God or good Luck or whatever, his story could be mine.
It’s All About the Giblets
Like all good blog denziens, I bow before the insurmountable power and genius of Giblets and the rest of the crew at Fafblog.
They have two great posts up today, that I just had to link to (okay, I am compelled to by Giblets’ New World Order).
The first outlines Giblets plans for the media now that the media is dead and the blogosphere is ascendant…
DECREE THE FIRST! All news is now NET-news! All reporting is now E-reporting! The New York Times will spend 90% of its content bickering with the Washington Post in an increasingly abstract yet personal argument regarding the feasibility of anarcho-capitalism in the works of A. A. Milne! The CBS Evening News will be replaced by one man persistently correcting the Washington Post’s spelling and grammar for thirty minutes! The Wall Street Journal will consist entirely of excerpts of the New York Times and the Washington Post followed by a single “Indeed”!
The second post discloses the real reasons we went to war with Iraq. Here is the most frightening one that the now-dead media so often forgets cover:
SAND! It is well-known in the “blogosphere” that Saddam was mastering the creation of unstoppable Sand Golems capable of crushing whole cities in monster rampages! Only by siezing control of deadly Iraqi sand could we protect decent Americans from this menace. But the threat of high-sand-content nations isn’t over! Giblets hears that Syria may already have a sand processing plant up and running!
I have nothing to add except to say I wish I had a quarter of the amount of talent the writer of Fafblog has.
Speeches like this…
…are why I supported this guy. Howard Dean delivered the following at George Washington University today:
Remarks made by Governor Howard Dean on the Future of the Democratic Party. Given at The George Washington University on December 8, 2004.
Thank you for that introduction. It’s a pleasure to be here.
Let me tell you what my plan for this Party is:
We’re going to win in Mississippi
…and Alabama
…and Idaho
…and South Carolina.Four years ago, the President won 49 percent of the vote. The Republican Party treated it like it was a mandate, and we let them get away with it.
Fifty one percent is not a mandate either. And this time we’re not going to let them get away with it.
Our challenge today is not to re-hash what has happened, but to look forward, to make the Democratic Party a 50-state party again, and, most importantly, to win.
To win the White House and a majority in Congress, yes. But also to do the real work that will make these victories possible — to put Democratic ideas and Democratic candidates in every office — whether it be Secretary of State, supervisor of elections, county commissioner or school board member.
Here in Washington, it seems that after every losing election, there’s a consensus reached among decision-makers in the Democratic Party is that the way to win is to be more like Republicans.
I suppose you could call that philosophy: if you didn’t beat ‘em, join them.
I’m not one for making predictions — but if we accept that philosophy this time around, another Democrat will be standing here in four years giving this same speech. we cannot win by being “Republican-lite.” We’ve tried it; it doesn’t work.
The question is not whether we move left or right. It’s not about our direction. What we need to start focusing on… is the destination.There are some practical elements to the destination.
Textbook stickers
It’s the hottest trend sweeping the science-hatin’, gawd-fearin’ school boards of Red ‘Merika. Some fine folks at Swarthmore have come up with a few of their own. Check ‘em out.
Exit the “Moderate”
As I am sure everyone in the blogosphere already knows, Powell is out (as are some other “moderates” in the cabinet). I remember back in 2000, after Bush stole that election, that it comforted me a bit to know Colin Powell would at least be in at State to moderate things. Of course even he couldn’t quell the ambitions of the neo-cons and eventually he started talking and acting like one himself. Now he is gone. And so is his reputation. I wonder who will replace him. My early bet is on Condi Rice, one of the biggest liars and failures of the last four years. I’m sure that she will be sworn in easily, however, because anyone who dare assail her horrible record will be accused of either racism or sexism or probably both. Of course I can’t think of anyone else who wouldn’t be worse and even more frightening (Wolfowitz?).
On top of this, I have been reading this morning about the horrors in Fallujah (here and here and here). It’s just awful and it’s a crime. Of course you won’t hear much about what’s really happening there on your local or cable news.
God, I hope we all make it through these next four years.
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
After today, there is one week down and only 202 more to go!
Our true “moral values”
E.J. Dionne’s column is today’s get donkey! must read. It has a nice dose of venting, but I feel this is the strongest bit:
As someone who has been arguing for years that liberals should show more respect for people of faith, I’m happy that more Democrats are now saying the same. But the post-election talk is much too facile. Most of the voters who cast ballots for Bush because of abortion, stem cell research or gay marriage won’t suddenly switch sides because Democratic candidates pepper their speeches with prayers and a few more “God bless you’s.”
What’s required is a sustained and intellectually serious effort by religious moderates and progressives to insist that social justice and inclusion are “moral values” and that war and peace are “life issues.” As my wife and I prepared our three kids for school the day after the day after, we shared our outrage that we in Blue America are cast as opponents of “family values” simply because we don’t buy the right wing’s agenda. No political faction can be allowed to assert a monopoly on the family.
Amen.
I’m sure I’ll have more to say about this at a later date. Right now, I am a little too angry that Christianity is being hijacked by a group of people who rip a line or two out of Leviticus or take whatever bit of scripture they find ideologically helpful and use it to put a “Christian” label on their ignorance, fear, hatred, and bigotry. Anyway, I agree that the progressive tenets of civil rights; social and economic justice; and environmental stewardship are much more in line with the actual teachings and philosophy of Jesus Christ than what is now being bandied about by right-wing radicals. How we communicate these things in a way that resonates with a majority of the population is a challenge, but it is definitely one we progressives must address. Of course, whether these right-wing “Christian” evangelicals are actually open to or even capable of hearing a message of true “moral values” is another issue entirely.
Yesterday I wrote about the new progressive groups that came out of the 2004 election. In light of the Dionne piece and this new media focus on “moral values”, I’d like to add to that list two organizations that existed before the election: Sojourners and The Center for Progressive Christianity. I think supporting and listening to groups like these may be part of the answer. I’m sure there are other groups like this out there. If you know of any others, please leave them in the comments.
Of course, I am not advocating that the Democratic Party attempt to become a Christian Party. I am saying, however, that we need to figure out how to communicate our values in a way that appeals to the better natures of all Americans, Christians included.
UPDATE: There are a couple of diarists over on Kos that are also thinking along these lines….
stillnotkings Democrats’ Moral Compass is a good read as is seamus’ Reclaiming the Abortion Debate and JamesK’s proposal for an Anti-Abortion Act.
UPDATE II: Maybe all hope of getting through to the religious right is truly lost. From Slate’s Jane Smiley:
…The error that progressives have consistently committed over the years is to underestimate the vitality of ignorance in America. Listen to what the red state citizens say about themselves, the songs they write, and the sermons they flock to. They know who they are—they are full of original sin and they have a taste for violence. The blue state citizens make the Rousseauvian mistake of thinking humans are essentially good, and so they never realize when they are about to be slugged from behind.
Here is how ignorance works: First, they put the fear of God into you—if you don’t believe in the literal word of the Bible, you will burn in hell. Of course, the literal word of the Bible is tremendously contradictory, and so you must abdicate all critical thinking, and accept a simple but logical system of belief that is dangerous to question. A corollary to this point is that they make sure you understand that Satan resides in the toils and snares of complex thought and so it is best not try it.
Next, they tell you that you are the best of a bad lot (humans, that is) and that as bad as you are, if you stick with them, you are among the chosen. This is flattering and reassuring, and also encourages you to imagine the terrible fates of those you envy and resent. American politicians ALWAYS operate by a similar sort of flattery, and so Americans are never induced to question themselves. That’s what happened to Jimmy Carter—he asked Americans to take responsibility for their profligate ways, and promptly lost to Ronald Reagan, who told them once again that they could do anything they wanted. The history of the last four years shows that red state types, above all, do not want to be told what to do—they prefer to be ignorant. As a result, they are virtually unteachable.
Third, and most important, when life grows difficult or fearsome, they (politicians, preachers, pundits) encourage you to cling to your ignorance with even more fervor. But by this time you don’t need much encouragement—you’ve put all your eggs into the ignorance basket, and really, some kind of miraculous fruition (preferably accompanied by the torment of your enemies, and the ignorant always have plenty of enemies) is your only hope. If you are sufficiently ignorant, you won’t even know how dangerous your policies are until they have destroyed you, and then you can always blame others.
The reason the Democrats have lost five of the last seven presidential elections is simple: A generation ago, the big capitalists, who have no morals, as we know, decided to make use of the religious right in their class war against the middle class and against the regulations that were protecting those whom they considered to be their rightful prey—workers and consumers. The architects of this strategy knew perfectly well that they were exploiting, among other unsavory qualities, a long American habit of virulent racism, but they did it anyway, and we see the outcome now—Cheney is the capitalist arm and Bush is the religious arm. They know no boundaries or rules. They are predatory and resentful, amoral, avaricious, and arrogant. Lots of Americans like and admire them because lots of Americans, even those who don’t share those same qualities, don’t know which end is up. Can the Democrats appeal to such voters? Do they want to? The Republicans have sold their souls for power. Must everyone?
Tough stuff and more than a bit elitist, but unfortunately, from where I am sitting deep in the heart of Texas, it rings true.
What’s next? I Have No Idea.
I tried writing this nice conciliatory post about how silver the lining to this awful election loss really is, but I keep coming across little anecdotal snippets of people who waited in line for 10 hours in Ohio, 6 hours in Florida, and 4 hours in VA (my brother and sister-in-law) and I can’t quite get over the sneaking suspicion that the election was stolen. I just cannot believe that people would wait in line for a whole damned day to vote for the status quo. How many people could truly be that afraid of gay people getting married or whatever “moral values” means? Of course, like I said, these stories are all anecdotal and therefore don’t, include verifiable evidence of fraud. I still wonder why Kerry folded so fast. I think he should have waited the 11 days for the provisional count in Ohio and had his legal team kick over as many stones as possible in the interim. I think he failed us there, but there is nothing any of us can do about that, and I can’t hold it against him.
On top of that I heard Bush’s press conference this morning and I almost had a stroke. His arrogance goes to 11.
At this moment, my political feelings can best be summed up by the chorus to the Bloodhound Gang’s “The Roof is on Fire”. It’s probably not constructive to feel that way, but that’s the way it is.
I don’t have any answers. I don’t know what the Democratic Party is supposed to do now. I don’t know who should lead it. I don’t know if they should swing right or left or spin around in circles. I do think there is a lot of entrenchment and inertia in the party hierarchy on all levels and somehow that needs to be cleaned out. Of course I don’t have a clue about how to do it
My gut tells me that some really bad things are going to happen in the next 4 years. I hope to God that’s not the case, but, if the far right really is allowed to fulfill its agenda, I hope it wakes people up to the fact that the most pressing social problem in the nation is not gay marriage.
There are a few slivers of silver, I guess. On a personal level, I have made a lot of friends and gotten to know people I would never have met had I not become involved in the political process. Those friendships will carry on. We’ll need each other for moral support.
On a larger, less personal level, we on the left have some nascent institutions that weren’t there in 2000. We now have groups like the Center for American Progress, Media Matters for America, MoveOn, ACT, the New Democrat Network, and Democracy for America. We have a new media outlet in Air America that will continue to grow. We have an online community that has real power when it is united (see Dean and Sinclair). We need to support all of this stuff and probably more so than the party apparatus. If I had to guess, I would say these new institutions are where our success lies and our new leadership and direction should come from.
For now, I am going to take a step back from activism in the purely political realm. For the immediate future, I’m going to focus my energy on getting involved in my community. Initially I have chosen to volunteer with an organization that mentors kids in inner-city public schools. I feel that I can make a difference there, and Lord knows public school kids will need all the help they can get in the shadow of No Child Left Behind. I think a lot of Democrats who don’t know what to do next would do well to try the same. It can only be good for the soul after this awful, brutal campaign. On top of that, secular non-profits are really hurting right now. They need help and they are surely not going to get it from this faith-based administration.
As for this blog, all I know right now is that I have no desire to spend the next four years posting articles about Bush Administration atrocities. Others can do that. Additionally, as much as I enjoy it, I will probably not post many articles about process. I think that was part of the problem with the Democratic effort this time. Many of us, myself included, got too focused on polls and strategy and electability and just being anti-Bush. Somewhere in all that mess we lost our message, or at least allowed it to be diffused. The truth is I don’t want to be solely against something anymore. That sucks up too much energy. I want to be for something. Maybe I can use this blog to figure out what that should be. At the very least it will be a convenient place to post pictures of my cats and dogs.
So that’s it for now. It’s over. And it sucks. But we are still here and we have to move forward.
Just remember
I know a lot of lefty web denizens are in a tizzy over this bin Ladin tape, and partisan pundits like Andrea Mitchell are already giving the election to Bush, but the only reason that Osama bin Ladin is alive and well and able to make video tapes like the one released today is because George Bush and his administration failed to “smoke him out” or capture him “dead or alive”. If Bush hadn’t taken his eye off the ball and attacked Iraq instead of correctly finishing the job in Afghanistan, bin Ladin might be dead or in prison.
Simply put–George W. Bush has failed and Osama’s continued existence is proof of that failure.
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