Swing State Project

CONTACT INFO FOR ALL SANTORUM OFFICES IN EXTENDED ENTRY

Washington, D.C. Office:
511 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-6324
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Allentown Office:
Counties: Monroe, Carbon, Schuylkill, Northampton, Lehigh, Berks
3802 Federal Office Building
504 West Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA 18101
Main: 610-770-0142
Fax: 610-770-0911
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Altoona Office:
Counties: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Clearfield, Fulton, Huntingdon, Somerset
Route 220 North
Regency Square, Suite 220
Altoona, PA 16601
Main: 814-946-7023
Fax: 814-946-7025
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Coudersport Office:
Counties: Cameron, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, Tioga
1705 West 26th Street
Erie, PA 16508
Main: 814-454-7114
Fax: 814-459-2096
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Erie Office:
Counties: Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, Warren
1705 West 26th Street
Erie, PA 16508
Main: 814-454-7114
Fax: 814-459-2096
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Harrisburg Office:
Counties: Adams, Centre, Clinton, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, Mifflin, Northumberland, Perry, Union Snyder, York
555 Walnut Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Main: 717-231-7540
Fax: 717-231-7542
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Philadelphia Office:
Counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia
1 South Penn Square
Widener Building, Suite 960
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Main: 215-864-6900
Fax: 215-864-6910
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Pittsburgh Office:
Counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Westmoreland, Washington
100 West Station Square Drive
Landmarks Building, Suite 250
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Main: 412-562-0533
Fax: 412-562-4313
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Scranton Office:
Counties: Bradford, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Montour, Pike, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming
527 Linden Street
Scranton, PA 18503
Main: 570-344-8799
Fax: 570-344-8906

Posted at 05:45 PM in 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Netroots, Nuclear Option, Pennsylvania, Scandals | Comments (3) | Technorati

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Email Manny Miranda

From Kos:

The email address he's using to rally his troops and wage this battle:

mmiranda@att.net

Spread the word.

UPDATE 6:00 P.M. (Tim): If you needed reminding, Miranda is the source of Charles Hurt's infamous Gannon-like article attempting to smear Harry Reid last week. He's the guy that "jacked" Senate computers of data that prompted his resignation while working for Senator Bill Frist--same guy Orrin Hatch called improper, unethical and simply unacceptable. And he's the guy who is coordinating efforts behind the scenes to blow up the Senate via the nuclear option.

Posted at 05:47 PM in Activism, Nuclear Option | Technorati

PFAW Email: Getting the Word Out On The 'Nuclear Option'

People for the American Way has blasted their first email. Full text after the fold.

We told you Sen. Frist would begin his nuclear countdown this week, and as you read this he is using one extreme judicial nominee, with more to follow, to launch the rule-breaking plan.You may have also heard in media reports that some senators have been discussing ways to avoid a nuclear showdown. Our position remains simple: the filibuster must be protected to prevent our courts from being packed with right wing judges who would turn back the clock on decades of social justice progress.

The filibuster is a critical part of our system of checks and balances, a tool for the minority to prevent out-of-the-mainstream judges from taking lifetime positions on the federal bench. The nominee being debated - Priscilla Owen - has a record of pushing a right-wing agenda hostile to individual rights and Senate Democrats are right to filibuster her nomination.

Furthermore, People For the American Way Foundation continues to provide research that describes how the "Nuclear Option" could break at least six senate rules and precedents, concluding that the senate Republican leaders plan to break the Rules in an attempt to change them for momentary partisan advantage."

Since Sen. Frist is steering the Senate into dangerous and uncharted territory, the timing is unclear. Debate on the Nuclear Option may continue into next week please watch for upcoming alerts as the vote may occur quickly. Meanwhile, the senate must hear from us!

TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS

We've been spending millions on print and television advertisements, but nothing is more powerful than an army of grassroots activists. Download our eye-catching flyer, gather some friends, and post copies around your city, town, or workplace. Hand out flyers at local markets, grocery stores, and movie theaters, and make sure all Americans know what's at stake. Be sure to follow any local regulations, be considerate of your neighbors and communities, and post and distribute the flyers where they'll be seen.

Click here to download the flyer (PDF)

GET THE WORD OUT

Support our campaign:
http://pfaw.kintera.org/pfaw_courts

Participate in our Massive Immediate Response:
http://www.pfaw.org/go/textalert

Sign our petition to Save the Filibuster:
http://pfaw.kintera.org/savethefilibuster

Forward this e-mail:

I signed up for the text alert some time ago, this is cutting edge activism.

Posted at 03:42 PM in Activism, Nuclear Option | Technorati

Nuclear Option: Senator Ted Kennedy

Senator Kennedy rocks, check out STOP IT NOW:

Senator Frist and the Republican Party believe they have absolute power to change our system of checks and balances and challenge our independent judiciary.

Their drastic and destructive path has only one destination: the Supreme Court.

Tell Senator Frist to stop it now before it reaches the pinacle of our independent judiciary:

I signed. Crystal Patterson, the Senator's Online Director, has an important diary on Daily Kos: ALERT: Senator Kennedy To Speak on the Floor at 2:45.

Posted at 03:22 PM in Activism, Massachusetts, Nuclear Option | Comments (1) | Technorati

Send a Telegram

Harkening back to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, send a telegram. You can do it online, using the internet to pile-on with the oldest form of wired lobbying. Go to Western Union, click on Send Now -> Telegram, and send one, especially if you are represented by a Republican Senator. In addition to email, phone and fax, invest $15 in sending a telegram. Here's a sample to Leader Harry Reid:

Time to escalate, time to go old school.

Posted at 01:10 PM in Activism, Netroots, Nuclear Option | Technorati

Monday, May 09, 2005

Princeton Filibuster Phase Two

Via Talking Points Memo, I see that the minds behind Filibuster Bill Frist are raising money for a Phase II. They need to raise $5,000 (by tomorrow) and are at $3,719.16 right now. If a lot of people help a little... donate

UPDATE: They are now at:

$4,083.84
$4,320.84

Posted at 11:02 AM in Activism | Technorati

Sunday, May 08, 2005

On Mother's Day: Mainstreet Moms

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

From Megan Matson's MyDD Diary:

This summer: Leave My Child Alone!

We're just launching (the HTML's still wet) a partnership with Working Assets I am completely excited about. Leave My Child Alone takes on a sneaky ingredient of the "No Child Left Behind" Act that strong-arms local high schools into turning over student information to military recruiters. Many parents have no idea this is even happening.

I hope you'll decide to add this action to your Meetups on June 1st. Just email Eden James, a DFA Meetup Organizer extraordinaire, for full info. We're developing a database of 12,000 School Superintendents, Opt Out forms, and backgrounders.

Other actions at The MMOB include our California creation titled Moms-to-Maria. We're urging Maria Shriver to "pillow talk" her husband out of his Special Election schemings.

Next up is Register-Don't-Recruit, a mom-created campaign that handholds you through registering kids on your local high school campus. And as soon as THAT dust settles and we catch up on the laundry (which could take a while), it's onto Election Reform, and an Energy action called Mercury-Free Schools. So join us, if you can, and please add your idears to our Yahoo! discussion group.

Thank you DFA, thanks to every blessed one of you still going, and going, and going, and happy, happy Mother's Day.

Posted at 10:33 PM in Activism | Technorati

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Philly-DA: Philly Bloggers at it Again

Last week, about a dozen bloggers from Philadelphia launched a concerted effort to promote the candidacy of a 38 year-old Philadelphia prosecutor running for District Attorney, Seth Williams.

As I noted on first day to raise awareness online for Seth's campaign, this is pretty important news. But today, the rag-tag group of bloggers helping to raise the profile of a candidate they deeply believe in are taking it to another level.

They have a specific request on how you can help the campaign if you live anywhere near Philadelphia, and unlike most campaigns, their request is not money. In true grassroots fashion, they are asking you to volunteer for Seth's campaign. So if you can, I would encourage you to do so. I am signing up as soon as I finish writing this post.

But what makes these bloggers special is three things: As I have already noted, they recognize that the best way to change the face of the Democratic Party is to get involved in the primaries. In this instance, among many other issues they recognize the importance of the death penalty in a District Attorney's race. They are deeply concerned with incumbent Democrat Lynn Abraham's reliance on it as a "crime prevention" tool.

The second item of note is their sharp realization that, collectively, they have power. They have the power the make a real difference in this race. It's all about the blogosphere trending towards regionalization, and they are way ahead of the curve. They are forming the bonds of a solid network that will not only help Seth Williams over the top, but infrastructure that will help elect Democrats in 2005, 2006, 2008 and beyond. As important, these bonds will also help to keep elected officials accountable once in office.

But there is more. These bloggers see the big picture; the impact that online communication has offline and the elusive meshing of the two. That's why it's so important that they are soliciting volunteers on the ground. That's why one of them is, as I type, working on creating a blog to coordinate many of these efforts in a central location and give the tools and direction necessary to make online activism translate directly into votes. And if all goes well, I hope that the largest paper in Pennsylvania will cover today's day of action.

For more information on Seth, read the recent Philadelphia Inquirer article about him. And again, to volunteer for Seth's campaign, please click here. And if you have a blog, please write about it.

Posted at 01:08 PM in Activism | Technorati

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

S.F. Move-On Filibuster Live-Blog

Bob just called me from San Francisco's Moveon event, as advertised. While this event is a lot more mellow than the LiveBlog of the Ahnold protest the second I picked up the phone, Bob's voice was drowned out by horns honking and cheering supporters.

The event is taking place on the main one-way thoroughfare that connects the Golden Gate Bridgea and the Bay Bridge, so there is plenty of traffic to compliment that 1,000+ event-goers Bob estimates are still pouring in. The rally is taking place right infront of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, often a target of the radical right-wing power grab, at the James R. Browing building.

CBS is respresenting the local network news organizations and there are professional photographers in attendance as well to record to the rally. Signs include: "Save the courts" "Right-wing judges only" "Keep out" "Courts Seized by right-wing radicals."

It's been raining all afternoon, but the showers went away in time for the rally and the crowd continues to swell. Bob described it as a real mellow event thus far.

Updates in the extended entry.

Update: 1

Frank Chiu is doing an interview on the 12 Galaxies. Apparently that is something that natives understand that escapes me.

Chanting has begun, "save the courts." A lot of people with digital cameras and mini dv camcorders, so Bob is guessing there is going to be a lot of images coming down later. A lot of families and kids are there.

The people from Phil A. Buster are at the event, giving away audio CDs, music that they are using for an MTV ad campaign. It's just a real well organized. There is a high ratio in event organizers in arm-bands that are doing a great job.

Small speeches from a bullhorn in the center of the group have started happening as well.

Posted at 08:02 PM in Activism | Technorati

Live Blog Tonight

Tim Tagaris and I have spent some time doing phone-relay, live blogging where the one on the ground phones in updates to the one in front of a computer.

The most notable was the Schwarzenegger protests in San Francisco. Tonight we'll be providing live coverage of MoveOn's Stop the Judicial Takeover protest in San Francisco.

The event will be held in front of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which should combine with the passion over the "Nuclear Option" and the excitableness of Bay Area protests to create a memorable night.

It starts at 8 PM Eastern (5 PM local), tonight. Join us.

Following the San Francisco protests of Arnold Schwarzenegger live-blog, we posted on the protest in Berkeley that scared off the Governator. We also did this for the DNC Western Regional Caucus: #1, #2, and #3. And we've live-blogged conference calls with Simon Rosenber and Donnie Fowler. Tonight should be fun and I'm sure we'll have more to come.

Here is what MoveOn says about tonight (from an email):

MoveOn PAC Sponsors 150 Rallies in 48 States
to Oppose Nuclear Option

New TV Ad Features Rampaging Elephants in Slam of
Republican Move To Control Federal Courts

Vice President Gore Speech Will Headline DC Event

View Rallies at: http://moveonpac.org/event/events/index.html?action_id=4

Washington D.C. --- MoveOn PAC will kick off a week of campaign activities to oppose a Republican attempt to eliminate the filibuster of presidential nominations for the federal judiciary. A new TV ad and at least sixty rallies in over forty states will spearhead the effort. On Wednesday, Vice President Al Gore is scheduled to give a major address on the subject at a MoveOn PAC rally in Washington DC. The Senate may vote this week to eliminate the 200-year-old rule.

"Our government was founded on principles of checks and balances to ensure that no one party holds absolute power," said Ben Brandzel, MoveOn PAC Advocacy Director.

The ad, which begins airing tomorrow on CNN nationwide, features animated elephants, symbolizing radical Republicans, rampaging through the Capitol, only to be stopped on the steps of the Supreme Court.

"You would think it would be enough for Republican leaders that their party controls both houses of Congress, the White House, and has appointed most of the sitting Supreme Court Justices and appellate judges, but no, they want complete control of the federal government. To get it, they're willing to toss out a 200 year old rule that has balanced the rights of political majorities and minorities and served the American people well since the early days of the Republic, said Brandzel"

Wednesday, MoveOn members and allied organizations will participate in “Rallies to Stop the Judicial Takeover”. They will call on their senators to vote against the Republican effort to seize full control of the federal courts by packing them with right-wing judges. The events are organized by the 3.1 million-member grassroots organization, MoveOn PAC, and the Coalition for a Fair and Independent Judiciary, an alliance of the nation’s leading civil rights and public interest organizations opposed to a right wing judicial takeover.

To dramatize the impact of the attempted Republican judicial takeover, volunteers will symbolically cordon off court houses and declare them property of the Republican leadership. The rallies will occur on Wednesday, the day Senate Republican leaders are expected to call a vote to eliminate the filibuster.

This past weekend in 800 neighborhoods across the country, MoveOn PAC members went door-to-door handing out window signs and urging friends and neighbors to call their senators.

MoveOn PAC
TV :30

“Elephants”

MOP-05-401

VIDEO

WE OPEN ON THE WHITE HOUSE. THE LAWN STARTS SHAKING. SUDDENLY, ELEPHANTS COME LUMBERING INTO FRAME. AN ELEPHANT WRAPS ITS TRUNK AROUND SOME OF THE COLUMNS AND DEVOURS THE BUILDING.

AUDIO

ANNOUNCER (VO): Republicans control the White House.

VIDEO

CUT TO THE HOUSE SIDE OF THE CAPITOL (SOUTH). THE ELEPHANTS DEVOUR IT TOO. CUT TO THE SENATE SIDE (NORTH). IT IS DEVOURED.

AUDIO

ANNOUNCER (VO): And the House of Representatives. And the Senate.

VIDEO

WE THEN SEE FEDERAL COURT BUILDINGS BEING EATEN. THEN, FROM BEHIND, WE SEE THE ELEPHANTS FORMING A SINGLE FILE AND GOING DOWN THE STREET TOWARD THE U.S. SUPREME COURT BUILDING.

AUDIO

ANNOUNCER (VO): Republican Presidents appointed the majority of judges on most of our appeals courts. But radical Republicans want absolute control of the entire government. So they’re planning to break the rules, eliminating checks and balances to get more extremist judges approved.

VIDEO

WE THEN SEE THE ELEPHANTS COME INTO FRAME IN FRONT OF THE SUPREME COURT IN SINGLE FILE. WE SEE A SINGLE PERSON STANDING IN THEIR PATH. HE RAISES HIS HAND AND STOPS THEM, AS IN THE FAMOUS TIENNEMAN SQUARE PHOTO.

AUDIO

ANNOUNCER (VO): A few courageous Republicans have said “no” to the radicals. Will your Senators have the same courage? Call them.

VIDEO

SUPER “CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY, 202-224-3121.” THEN SUPER “PAID FOR BY MOVEON PAC, www.moveonpac.org. THIS COMMUNICATION IS Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. Moveon PAC is responsible for the content of thIs ADVERTISEMENT”.

AUDIO

ANNOUNCER (VO): MoveOn PAC is responsible for the content of this advertisement.

View ad at: http://www.MoveOnPAC.org

Posted at 05:50 PM in Activism, Site News | Technorati

Sunday, April 17, 2005

TX-22: DFA Billboards Final Call

Last week, I wrote about the wonderful campaign by Democracy for America to open-source the message creation for billboards in Tom DeLay's 22nd Congression District in Texas. DavidNYC then posted on the idea Richard Morrison suggested. Even DNC Chair and for DFA leader Howard Dean seems to catching the spirit.

Blog for America just mentioned Swing State Project and a great Kos Diary by Fran for Dean.

Greg Greene writes:

Let's keep the brilliance coming — make your bid for billboard immortality today. The finalist slogans will be annouced tomorrow.

So send in your entries.

Posted at 04:28 PM in 2006 Elections - House, Activism, Netroots, Texas | Comments (7) | Technorati

Saturday, April 16, 2005

OH-2: Open Seat Update & Testing New Ideas

Six GOP candidates have already announced their intention of running for the soon to be open 2nd Congressional District in Ohio. The latest two to throw their hat into the ring are State Representative Tom Brinkman and former U.S. Representative Bob McEwen. So far, no Democrats have announced their intention to run for the seat. Current Representative Rob Portman (R-OH) was nominated by President Bush to become the next U.S. Trade Representative and is slated to stand before the Senate Finance Committee in a confirmation hearing next Thursday.

Swing State Project's very own DavidNYC started a discussion on DailyKos a few weeks ago about using this special election as a "trial run" to test out ideas involving grassroots/netroots type activism that might be risky to give a first go in a hotly contested seat.

I agree. When it comes to netroots activism, this would be a great opportunity to attempt the difficult process of distilling national support for a candidate down to the local level where it actually translates into votes, volunteer hours, and results on-the-ground. That means creating an online infrastructure that gets people talking to people in like-minded communities, whether those are interest or location based. As of right now, and outside of fundraising, most candidates/campaigns think the only option is to cast a "national net" and attempt to catch the pieces that fall between the cracks into their own states/districts. The "national net" might be fine for Presidential races, and it certainly has helped out quite a few statewide and congressional campaigns, but until we attempt to create the infrastructure that targets specific demographics (ie. location), we are leaving a lot of potential on the table. This would be my first priority with the OH-2 special election.

Now we just need a candidate. But as Bob is fond of saying. "Forget about the candidate, we have an election to win."

Posted at 07:54 PM in 2005 Elections, Activism, Ohio | Comments (5) | Technorati

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

TX-22: Taking Aim at DeLay's Contributors

Working for Change is taking aim at one of Tom DeLay and the Republican Party's biggest contributors, Verizon. The effort builds upon activism by similar organizations, such as, Dropthehammer.org, a group intent on drying up the money used to pay for Tom DeLay's legal defense fund.

Working Assets, the group behind Working for Change, does a good deal of promoting and funding of progressive causes across the country. They note that since the year 2000, Verizon has contributed upwards of $5.5 million to Republicans and even hired St. Ralph Reed as a consultant recently.

Similar groups, like Buy Blue, have received national attention and success educating Democrat on how to make purchasing decisions that are in-line with their principles.

Posted at 02:53 PM in Activism | Comments (1) | Technorati

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

2006 House: Is Delay Ethically Fit? Ask Your Representative

Campaign for America’s Future has a great new action to hold Republican's accountable for supporting DeLay's corruption. From an email:

Our plan is to have constituents call their member of Congress and get them on the record answering the question, “Does my Representative believe that Tom DeLay is ethically fit to serve as House majority leader?” We request that callers enter their information on our website so that we can keep track of who stands with DeLay, who stands with democracy and who ducks the question. Once we gather, analyze and double check the data, we’re going to release it to the public and to the press.

Take a moment and help CFA Open Source the research.

Posted at 06:27 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, Activism, Netroots | Technorati

TX-22: Project for SSP Community

One of the most interesting aspects of post-modern politics is the potential of using Open Source message creation. While this scares the hell out of many political consultants, I'm confident enough to realize that all of you are smarter than me. It appears I'm not alone in this realization, check out this email:

From Democracy for America:

If you could say something -- in a big way -- to the people of Congressman Tom DeLay's district in Texas, what would it be?

We're looking for a slogan -- something short, something memorable, and something that lets the people of his district know that it's time for him to go.

We're buying billboards in the 22nd Congressional District, and if your slogan is selected, it will be part of Democracy for America's big splash in Tom DeLay's backyard.

Suggest your Tom DeLay slogan here:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/slogan

You have a lot of material to work with, thanks to Tom DeLay himself. Everything is fair game -- his abuse of power, his money-for-influence machine, his corporate shilling, his ethics rebukes, his foreign trips with lobbyists, his huge campaign payouts to family members, his bullying of fellow Congressmen.

You can even use his more recent threatening of judges and his wild lashing out at critics. And remember, his nickname is "The Hammer" and he's a former exterminator -- those facts might come in handy as well.

What message do you want to send?

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/slogan

With the folks at Democracy for Texas we're going to take your slogan and make a stand on DeLay's home turf -- where his political base erodes more and more every day.

You were the first to put an ad on the air in his district last year, when everyone thought Tom DeLay was untouchable. Our efforts helped give him the scare of his political life and his lowest margin of victory ever.

Now it's time to finish the job -- and have a little fun doing it.

Thank you,

Tom Hughes
Executive Director
Democracy for America

P.S. -- Don't forget to suggest your slogan:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/slogan

My hunch is that Swing State Project has a pretty smart readership. Here is your chance to prove it. Feel free to brainstorm in the comments, maybe collectively we could both identify a line of attack and refine the message prior to submission.

Posted at 02:14 PM in 2006 Elections - House, Activism, Netroots, Texas | Comments (10) | Technorati

Monday, April 11, 2005

Joe Lieberman is a disgrace

While Reuters headlines, "Democrats Seek to Block Bolton as UN Ambassador" we have quite a different message coming from Senator Joe Lieberman.

Lieberman is being used alongside Oliver North to bash Democrats for blocking Bolton.

Over at DailyKos there is a comment that deserves to be printed out, framed, and mailed to Senator Lieberman. From IGrantius:

You know, here's the thing I think Joe never quite understood:

When you're just some senator or congressman, or governor or mayor, you're always free to criticize the party over anything. We need disparate voices, challenging voices, we're a big tent, all that.

BUT. The moment that you accept a presidential or vice presidential nomination, you also agree to represent the entire party, and the unspoken agreement is, you will do it for the rest of your life. It is no small thing for 40 some million Democrats to invest their hopes in you. In exchange for that support, we ask only one thing. Win or lose, you will spend the rest of your life staunchly defending the party, laboring to get Democrats elected wherever you can. You can leave the moralizing, the deal breaking, and what have you to the next generation of young Turks. You have just graduated to Senior Statesman.

That's why Democrats love Teddy Kennedy. It's how Bentsen wound up in the Clinton administration. It's how Dole survived Ford. None of those men ever shat on their friends. They danced with the girl who brung them.

Not Joe. Somehow he thinks that he can return to his cozy position as the Grand Poohbah of Centrist Scolding.

It doesn't work like that. We get one chance every four years to nominate two people. If you accept our invitation, you owe us your blood sweat and tears. Now and forever. If you can't life up to that, fuck you. You're gone.

I'll second that "fuck you" and add a friendly reminder to Stop Bolton.

Posted at 03:19 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Connecticut, Democrats, International | Technorati

Saturday, April 09, 2005

Walmart major politcal issue

Walmart is finally getting the scrutiny the company deserves. The more that is learned, the more people are boycotting.

David Sirota:

Progressives in Colorado are on the verge of passing one of the most important pieces of legislation when it comes to workers, health care, and Wal-Mart. Denver's Rocky Mountain News reports that under pending legislation, the state "would publish a list of companies that offer little or no health insurance - as well as how much they're costing the state in Medicaid." Wal-Mart is expected to be high on the list.

Consider the following statistics to understand how disgusting Wal-Mart's willingness to shaft its workers really is: The company is one of the wealthiest in the world, regularly topping the Fortune 500 list, with almost $300 billion in annual sales. The company is so flush with cash, it pays its top executive almost $20 million a year, showers the Republican Party in campaign cash, uses its army of lobbyists to push for estate tax cuts for the Walton family, and, according to a former top executive, spends freely on anti-union activities.

MyDD's Levana:

I was doing my daily email actions which included an email from the Citizen's Action Network(CAN) for Naral Pro-choice America to all major US Pharmacy Chains. As most of you probably already know, Pharmacists across the country have been denying to fill prescriptions for birth control due thier personal opposition to women being allowed to control their own fertility. [...]

I already hate Walmart for other reasons, but a lot of women shop there. Not only do they refuse to stock certain products, but they give their employees carte blanche to decide who gets what medicines they need based their "personal convictions." Now, this policy is against the law in some states, and I'm sure it is illegal under the Civil Rights Act. Not only am I angry at the discrimination against women, but this policy is just ridiculous. If employees are allowed to decide which customers are allowed to buy certain products based on their personal beliefs, then chaos could ensue at Walmarts everywhere.

Posted at 11:43 PM in Activism | Technorati

TX-22: Tom DeLay Corruption: Drop the Hammer

I have taken a previous look at Drop the Hammer, but I wanted to come back to the subject to focus on a couple of key points in the effort to expose Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay as corrupt.

First of all, I think www.DropTheHammer.org deserves some serious credit. The Drop the Hammer effort deserves an 11 on a ten point scale when it comes to online activism. The American Progress Action Fund has given clear notice that companies willing to facilitate corruption will face accountability.

But what I really like about the Drop the Hammer effort is the flow-chart of the corruption. If you care at all about America's democracy, you should check out the DeLay corruption page on Drop the Hammer.

Posted at 09:01 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, Activism, Netroots, Republicans, Texas | Technorati

Friday, April 08, 2005

Action Hero Chickens Out in Berkeley -- Live Blog

Not a very good week for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Bay Area. First their were the mass protests in San Francisco, his approval rating dropping to a paltry 43%, and today, the action hero known as Governor was a no-show for a speaking engagement with Bayer.

Girlie Man? Yeah.

Ahnold, who is "not beholden to special intersts," has taken tons of money from the pharmaceutical indusrty, vetoed a bill making safe importation of affordable medicine. Today, the California Nurses Association, Machinists Local 1546, Teamsters, and teachers all showed up at the event to protest to support patients, students, workers, and affordable health care.

The only person missing was Arnold. (Liveblog in the extended copy)

I just got off the phone with Bob Brigham who, again, was at the event. He said that the rain was coming down so hard that you could see the animals marching two by two to the ark. He told me that the event was very well organized and attended, especially since no one really knew about it until yesterday.

"The passion is certainly here," Bob said.

I also had a chance to speak with frequent Kos and MyDD contributor, Paul in Berkeley. He said, "We drew a line and said, the Bay Area is not a place where he is welcome. He should stick to doing visits to shopping malls in orange county, because the bay area is an Arnold free zone."

As I was on the phone with Bob and Paul, I could hear all kinds of people driving by and honking their horns in solidarity. The California Nurses Association is to be commneded especially. They were the ones that gave Bob the bottle of water as he breathed in the smoke from smoke bombs at the San Francisco rally; today, they were there with an umbrella for him. They are really taking the fight to the action hero.

The moment that word came that Arnold had cancelled the event, a celebration ensued among the dozens and dozens of protesters in attendance.

If you are in California, take a look at the campaign website of Phil Angelides. I know at least one member of his staff, and I am very impressed by what they are doing. Maybe you can volunteer a few hours if you live out that way?

Posted at 01:17 PM in 2006 Elections - State, 2006 Elections - State, Activism, California | Comments (1) | Technorati

Arnold Schwarzenegger down to 43%

Reuters:

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is showing himself to be an ordinary mortal after all with a significant policy retreat on Thursday and a new poll showing his approval rating down sharply.

Swept into office in an unprecedented recall election in 2003, the Republican's approval rating fell to 43 percent from 59 percent in January, according to a Survey and Policy Research Institute poll released on Thursday.

I'm heading to the a Schwarzenegger protest right now. The link to the last protest is here, today's is in Berkeley.

More to come...

Posted at 11:03 AM in 2006 Elections - State, Activism, California | Technorati

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) declares war on Democrats

A.P. Short says the DLC wants war with Democrats:

Over the weekend, a key Democratic leadership coalition escalated hostilities along an already volatile front in one of Washington's bitterest ideological disputes. It was a savage and overwhelming broadside - talking heads fanned out across the entire spectrum of the broadcast media, and establishment bloggers fired up their iMacs to take their case to the global network with coordination, zeal, and ruthlessness. [...]

The DLC wants to fight a war with the activists and the progressives for the soul of the party. They believe that if if this fight is fought on their terms, using the empty language whose use they have perfected over the course of so many soulless and lackluster campaigns, they can win easily. [...]

So as the Democratic right wing takes to the airwaves to declare war on us, the soul of this party, let them hear the cry of this lowly "activist," proud to have stood up against a foolhardy, counterproductive response to a national tragedy, proud to have vehemently opposed the return to aggressive war in the nuclear age in Iraq, and proud, even still after everything, proud to be a Democrat.

For the life of me, I can't understand why the DLC attempts to triangulate by bashing Democrats. That isn't quite true, I understand that is what they are paid to do. What I can't understand is why Democrats let the Democratic Leadership Council get away with it.

Campaign finance reform has rendered the DLC obsolete, they no longer own the Democratic Party and these desperate cries for relevance are the last gasps from the political deathbed of the corporate bagmen.

Posted at 04:36 PM in Activism | Technorati

TX-22: Tom DeLay vulnerable; Democrats gearing up

Republican Congressman Tom DeLay (R-TX) has been getting plenty of ink on the likelyhood of Majority Leader losing his seat in congress.

Now the Associated Press is bringing the story to every small-town paper in the country:

HOUSTON - Democrats, who often ignored Rep. Tom DeLay's Republican-leaning district, see a political opening in 2006 now that the House Majority leader faces ethics questions and dismay over his intervention in the Terri Schiavo case.

The AP story mentions the latest polling (see more here):

This week, a Houston Chronicle poll in the district found that 49 percent said they would vote for someone else. That number has sparked the most interest in a Democratic primary in the district in years.

"Now that DeLay is being pushed ever closer to the political brink, everyone is realizing that any of these challengers on his worst day might be better than DeLay on his best day," said longtime Democratic strategist Kelly Fero.

The AP also lists possible contenders:

Among the potential Democratic challengers:

_Richard Morrison, a lawyer from Sugar Land, Texas, captured 41 percent of the vote with only $630,000 against DeLay's $2.9 million in last November's election. Morrison is favored by local Democratic activists who believe he deserves their loyalty for his strong showing.

_Houston City Councilman Gordon Quan, a Chinese-American immigration lawyer, could capitalize on the district's growing Asian and South Asian population.

_Former Rep. Nick Lampson, whose district was redrawn to favor the GOP and covered areas that DeLay now represents, including the NASA area and Galveston. Lampson said he has been approached by several people but hasn't decided whether to run.

A nascent effort to draft former Rep. Chris Bell (news, bio, voting record) fizzled when Bell responded to e-mailers that he preferred to focus on his gubernatorial ambitions.

The good news for Democrats is that it is looking like we'll have a contested primary. That would allow more exposure early and help Democrats in the nationalization of running against Tom DeLay. The story of local campaigning will speed the increase in DeLay's name recognition nationwide and give Democratic challengers across the country the perfect villan.

I was delighted when I read the following:

Morrison, who initially offered to step aside out of party loyalty if Quan wanted to run, said he has changed his mind.

"I'm not going to be scared to spill Democratic blood," Morrison said. "I'm a victim of my own success. Last time, the wisdom was, don't do it, he (DeLay) will stomp you into the ground. ... And now it's a race."

Indeed.

Posted at 03:32 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, Activism, Texas | Technorati

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

TX-22: Drop the Hammer

Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay is one day closer to a perp walk. Today, both the New York Times and Washington Post broke new ground in the Republican corruption scandal.

And now there is a new website:

www.DropTheHammer.org

The website is targeting the corporation funding the corruption Majority Leader:

Tell Corporate America to Drop the Hammer House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is widely regarded as the most powerful member of Congress. DeLay's abuse of this power has encircled him in a web of scandal. He has already been admonished three times by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee and a political action committee he set up in Texas is currently the subject of a grand jury investigation.

A network of large corporate backers have come, cash-in-hand, to DeLay's defense. American Airlines, Bacardi USA, Nissan USA, RJ Reynolds, and Verizon have all contributed thousands to Tom DeLay's Legal Defense Fund.

Send a message to these corporations and tell them to stop enabling Tom DeLay's unethical behavior. Let these corporations know that unless they stop supporting Tom DeLay, you'll stop supporting them.

The website has an easy-to-use form to send the following letter:

Dear [Company]:

I am writing concerning [Company's] contribution of $[XXXX] to Tom DeLay's Legal Expense Trust.

The bi-paritsan House Ethics Committee has rebuked Tom DeLay three times. DeLay's Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee is the subject of a grand jury investigation for money laundering and illegal campaign contributions. Three of DeLay's closest associates have already been indicted.

Everyday the accounts of Tom DeLay's corruption get worse and worse. Prominent conservative voices, such as the Wall Street Journal editorial page, are saying that Tom DeLay has gone too far.

As a consumer, it's unacceptable to me for your company to support Tom DeLay's unethical behavior. It is time to restore ethics in Washington. It is time to demand more of our politicians.

You can restore my confidence in your company by:

(1) providing an explanation of why your company contributed to Tom DeLay's Legal Expense Trust;

(2) pledging that you won't donate any more money to Tom DeLay's Legal Expense Trust; and

(3) formally requesting that Tom DeLay's Legal Expense Trust return the money you have already contributed

I look forward to a response from you on this important matter.

Thank you.

I used their form to voice my displeasure. You should too.

Posted at 03:20 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, Activism, Texas | Comments (1) | Technorati

2006 Senate Primary: Lieberman is in trouble

Via Kos...

Quinnipiac Univ. 3/29-4/4. MoE 2.5% (No trend lines.)

Lieberman approval ratings
            All    GOP    Dem
Approve      67     72     66
Disapprove   22     18     23

Lieberman deserves reelection?
            All    GOP    Dem
Yes          66     73     65
No           25     22     25

Senator Lieberman is more popular with Republicans and more loathed by Democrats?

Posted at 01:30 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Connecticut | Comments (2) | Technorati

California needs a real Governor

Read the protest live-blog HERE.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is no longer the hero, he is the villan. Tonight every news station from Santa Rosa to Santa Cruz had a truck to document the fact that teachers, nurses, and firefighters know Schwarzenegger is screwing up California. Tomorrow, every paper will have coverage of how the people who make California great have joined together to explain how Schwarzenegger is hurting the people of California.

Every day from now until November 7, 2006, Schwarzenegger will be held accountable. He is beatable. And he will face a wrath unlike anything Gray Davis faced.

Check out the Democrats, Phil Angelides and Bill Lockyer because one of them is going to beat Schwarzenegger.

Posted at 12:39 AM in 2006 Elections - State, Activism, California | Technorati

Schwarzenegger backlash, critical mass achieved

Tonight was a turning point in California politics. The gubernatorial race is more than competitive, I'd now call it leaning Democratic.

Tonight, the people who actually run California, the teachers, the nurses, the firefighters, the citizens joined together with a united message that the Governator is hurting the people.

Living in San Francisco, one sees a great deal of protests. But the crowd tonight was not the people I marched with all night when Bush started the war. Tonight's crowd wasn't radicals, but radicalized opinion leaders. Imagine your second grade teacher, face strained while shouting, "Shame" and you'll know tonight's story.

...more to come.

Read the protest live-blog.

Posted at 12:21 AM in 2006 Elections - State, Activism, California | Technorati

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

CA Gov. 2006: "The Tipping Point" (LIVEblog Part 1)

This is one thing I love about California, and San Francisco in particular, they don't play around. Bob Brigham is on-the-ground right now, phoning in updates from a large scale protest against California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The event: Arnold's $1,000 to $100,000 a plate fundraiser. Bob referenced it in a post earlier today, here are the updates. It looks like Govenator's re-election will not be as smooth as many anticipate:

Bob says that there are easily 3000 people there right now, and they are all over the place. He counted at least 10 telvision news trucks, 30 photographers, and 2 helicopters constantly circling overhead. He said he couldn't tell what the plane flying above had on it's banner, because it was directly overhead (that made me laugh). He told me that this is nothing short of a rock concert atmosphere.

Bob just called me back to let me know that there is a group forming to the side that is going to attempt to block the Governor from even entering the event. Firefighters are all over the place with signs that read, "Not my neighborhood firehouse," and are holding professional looking signs with burning buildings demanding that local firehouses be kept open. Other signs read: "Money for schools not corporate interests"

Bob's quote to me was: "It looks like the tipping point. There is blood in the water. The race is going to be extremely competitive."

The two Democrats vying to compete for the Governor's mansion in California are State Treasuruer Phil Angelides -- (campaign website) and Attorney General Bill Lockyer.

He also mentioned that Assemblyman Mark Leno was rushing down from Calfifornia to speak at the event.

More on everything (updates) in the extended entry--cause Bob keeps calling.

UPDATE: Bob just called back and put his phone in the air to let me hear the chant, "RECALL ARNOLD."

He says that every single off-duty emergency personnel is there to protest George Bush and Arnold. The police are now breaking out more barricades. Bob claims that there are more off-duty police officers on the people's side of the barricades than Arnolds.

"They are taking over the street now. The street is shut down. There are about 50 people on the middle of the street, they just took it over." "There are smoke-bombs going off." He is laughing/coughing. "I am right in the middle of all of this, this is amazing."

There are green smoke bombs going off--green and gray smoke going off all throughout the crowd.

"We have the street" -- "We have taken the street." "The cops have no interest in restoring control. The police are laughing." Bob has no idea how Arnold will even get inside his fundraiser.

The limos that were approaching the hotel, the motorcade, has been surrounded by protestors. Traffic is shut-down. The situation is completely out of control. The dirt-bike cops are leaving. It is all shut down he says.

More later...

UPDATE 3:

The police just tried just arrest somebody, and the crowd started chanting "shame on you," -- the cops let him go. And now that same guy is leading the march to re-take the street, and Bob is right next to him wearing his BlogPAC hat.

They had the guy cuffed, uncuffed him, and now he is leading the charge the re-take the street.

Bob just put him on the phone for me to interview him. His quotes:

"If I felt any better I would be the cupcake, like the sprinkles. Its about taking back the power."

He just told me that when the cops cuffed him, he told them he was out fighting for their rights as well. Then they patted him on the back, uncuffed him, and said, "let's get this thing going," and sent him on his way.

He said he is not worried about getting arrrested -- not for this cause this cause. He would pay a fine go home, feeling good, and he would hang that citation on the wall.

Five reporters were waiting to interview him while he was on the phone with me.

COPS ARE GETTING OUT OF CONTROL. IT IS GETTING VIOLENT, Bob says. They are shoving people all over the place.

More soon...
UPDATE:

Backup called for: The California Highway Patrol is there.

The banner on that airplane I referenced above was paid for by Calif. Nurses Association and it said, "Arnold, Calfornia is not for sale."

Arnold is going to enter the building on the opposite side of the building that the protesters shut down the street. The police are now marching down the street in lock-step.

The violence has worn down. Bob said that the cops ruthlessly arrested one guy and hauled him into the hotel. The crowd is swelling, Bob puts the number at 10,000 for crowd size. More and more people keep on coming.

Again, the police do not have on full riot gear, just helmets so far with the huge nightsticks. But the violence has calmed. But, Bob can only comment on one of the sides of the building, but there are people on all sides.

UPDATE:

The motorcade is now forming to come down Nob Hill. Sixty motorcycles (police) are escorting Arnold's motorcade down the street.

UPDATE:

"Arnold's San Francisco priveleges have been revoked; he can never come back again." - Bob Brigham

He also wanted me to let you know that there is a protest going on at the GAP right now that one of his friends is organizing (Cory Black is leading the boycott). People are protesting the chain because of the owner's contribution (Don Fisher) to Arnold's re-election campaign.

Four streets are now blocked. And the crowd continues to grow. No word on the motorcade, as it is coming down the street on the opposite side of the building.

Bob Brigham just talked to rising star Mark Leno and he asked Californians to sign a petition to stop Arnold at:

Petition at California for Democracy.

"Using the Internet there is going to be a grassroot uprising in California." -- Assemblyman Mark Leno

UPDATE:

"It is amazing how many nurses are here in their scrubs. They just gave me a bottle of water to quench my thirst after the smoke from the smoke bombs." -- Bob Brigham

Street Closings:

California Street
Pine Street
Grant Street (Chinatown)
Stockton Street

UPDATE

"The sun has set. The streetlights are on. The crowd has laid siege to the building, controlling all entrances, and all streets. The streets belong to the people." -- Bob Brigham

The crowd is chanting that Arnold is chicken. The crowd is now chatning "na na nana hey hey hey good bye" (I can hear that). The professionalism of the organizing is "pure west coast."

The nurses have a staging area at St. Mary's park -- a half block away. The firefighters provided the flatbead truck that serves as a stage with sound equipment to amplify music and speeches.

More signs:

Stop the budget cuts -- save social security
Public Health - Not Corporate Wealth
Don't Target Our Children (held by an 8 year old over her head)
Hands off workers pension
Workers are not a special interest

UPDATE:

People were pounding on the Governor's car, while it was speeding out of the garage. Bob said the car peeled out, and you can literally smell the burnt rubber from where he is standing. He fled with his tail between his legs.

The motorcade is following the Governor's car down the street. It's over.

The people won.

UPDATE

LINK

Code Pink, a group founded by women to protest the war in Iraq, also showed up -- and not the same way as the other protesters.

Instead, they rented a $325-a-night room in the hotel, donned pink wigs and hung an anti-Schwarzenegger banner out a window before hotel security intervened. [...]

The protest organizers weren't content to limit their efforts to the hotel on Tuesday. The California Nurses Association drove a mobile anti-Schwarzenegger billboard to opening day at SBC Park and had an airplane flying over the city with a banner saying: "Arnold: California is not for sale."

"We're going to have a blast,'' said Rose Ann DeMoro, executive director of the nurses group. "We've been protesting at 38 of the governor's fund-raisers since November, and we expect this to be the most significant."

Earlier on Tuesday, protesters also took their complaints to the governor's biggest financial backers. Demonstrators showed up outside the Gap store on Post Street in midafternoon to protest the $225,000 that company founder Don Fisher and his family have given to Schwarzenegger and his committees.

Posted at 08:32 PM in 2006 Elections - State, Activism, California, California, Netroots | Comments (5) | Technorati

Primary campaign against Lieberman heats up

NOTE: Swing State Project is closely following the 2006 Senate Primary in Connecticut. You can read more about the strategy and check out the maps.

Manchester Journal-Inquirer:

In an extraordinary encounter last week with members of the Democratic State Central Committee, the senator was forced to defend his hawkish record by Myrna Watanabe, Harwinton's town chairwoman.

Watanabe, a professional science writer who took notes on the exchange, told Lieberman that while she appreciated his "very good" voting record, she wanted to know how she could present him for re-election in her town when "our people are pretty pacifistic" and were opposed the war in Iraq "from the beginning," when "our people don't support Rice," and when "they are most unhappy with Gonzales."

She said Lieberman responded that he does what he believes is right, that he didn't want the war to be used as a litmus test, and finally that he didn't have to come to Harwinton. [...]

Watanabe said she was unsatisfied when Lieberman concluded that they had had a "difference of opinion." She subsequently wrote him saying it was more like a "gaping chasm between you and the state party's rank-and-file."

"Your 70 percent approval rating will do you no good in getting the party's nomination if our Democratic town committees refuse to support you," she warned.

Lieberman's voting record:

In the last three months, Lieberman has sided with the president's stated position on five votes and disagreed on just one, according to VoteTracker, a nonpartisan subscription service that follows every vote cast in both houses of Congress. [...]

The president doesn't take a position on every bill before the Senate, but the Republican majority certainly does. So far in the 109th Congress, Lieberman has agreed with the opposition on 17 votes and disagreed on 63.

His stands with the Republicans included his vote against California Sen. Barbara Boxer's objection to certifying the results of the 2004 presidential election, which failed 74-1, as well as his vote to invoke cloture in the debate over the bankruptcy bill, which passed 69-31.

Lieberman's votes with the Republican majority included his votes on the Rice, Gonzales, and Chertoff nominations, the class action bill, and the genetic information bill.

But it is his words that embarrass Democrats:

Lieberman's toughest critics, however, say he has become not so much embarrassed as traitorous at a critical time when Republicans -- and very partisan Republicans at that -- control both the White House and the Congress.

Many point to the much-publicized kiss Bush planted on Lieberman's cheek on the night of his state of the union address in January as the most poignant symbol of the senator's fealty to the president.
[...]

John M. Orman, a Fairfield University political science professor who recently announced his intention to mount a Democratic primary campaign, says he's also disgusted with Lieberman's support of Bush's claim that Social Security is in "crisis" and with the senator's support for the invasion of Iraq.

Citing a statewide poll from last year that showed slightly more Republicans supported Lieberman than Democrats, Orman branded him a "Republicrat" who might as well switch parties.

"He calls it being a New Democrat or a DLC Democrat," the professor said, referring to the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, which Lieberman helped to create.

"But in a Democratic primary, that's what the Democrats' rank-and-file will have to decide. Are we a party of accommodation or of opposition? I believe we must be a party of opposition."

"Lieberman, for example, was just on national television with Chris Shays," Orman added, referring to the Republican congressman from Connecticut's 5th District. "Shays was arguing that the Congress had gone too far in the Schiavo case, and Joe Lieberman was there talking almost like Tom DeLay."

It isn't just words that have create the "gaping chasm" between Lieberman and Democrats, it is also the blood on Lieberman's hands:

It may be Lieberman's early and continued support for the invasion of Iraq, however, that has drawn the most wrath from Connecticut Democrats, including some party leaders.

The lead Democratic co-sponsor of the Gulf War resolution in 1991, Lieberman joined Republican John McCain in 1998 to introduce the Iraq Liberation Act, which made the "liberation" of that country U.S. policy. He later became the lead sponsor of a 2002 resolution authorizing Bush to use force, if necessary, to disarm Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Lieberman's corporate donors may be able to buy him the seat for another six years, but the boos he will hear whenever he takes the stage he's earned on his own.

Posted at 07:37 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Connecticut | Technorati

Senator John Cornyn

Kos has the early roundup but it looks like the blogosphere will (rightly) be pushing on Cornyn for some time to come. I especially liked this idea from TPM:

Apropos of Sen. John Cornyn's suggestion today that judicial activism may be an underlying cause of the rash of murders of judges and their families, perhaps the Democrats need to introduce a sense of the senate resolution condemning those who threaten violence against judges or offer excuses for those who commit violent acts against members of the bench.

Posted at 11:20 AM in 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Texas | Technorati

Howard Dean to speaks to politics of old

AP:

LITTLE ROCK - Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont and now chairman of the Democratic National Committee, will be the keynote speaker Friday at the Association of State Democratic Chairs luncheon.

Dean will highlight the committee's agenda to strengthen the state parties in his speech.

That couldn't be a better topic for the ASDC. Under Mark Brewer's reign ASDC has been a disaster.

Posted at 01:49 AM in Activism, Arkansas, DNC Chair | Technorati

Monday, April 04, 2005

Online Campaigning

Swing State Project covers more than what is going on in the states, we also try to following the evolving role of the internet in political campaigns. The 2006 cycle will take online campaigning to a level few can imagine now. These drastic changes in the fundamentals of campaigning will create winners and losers.

When Tagaris and I aren't posting here, we are both busy consulting candidates and causes in the best practices to catapult movements online. Here are some things we've been writing about lately.

My ATM Pin Number or On-Line Fundraising

There are many good reasons why this has become a cult classic. Read this one first.

Here are some more classic posts by Tim:

The Small Blog as the Small Donor of 2006/2008

No Filter: The Net as a Tool for Upstart Campaigns

I've been laying off the campaign guides for a few months, but you might enjoy a three-piece series I did for the New Democrat Network:

The 2024 Presidential Campaign

Modern Fireside Chats

Mehlman's Modernization

Also, you might be interested in:

Post-modern Politics

Simon Rosenberg's DNC Blog Plan

We'll be doing more of these posts, use the comments to suggest any subject areas.

Posted at 05:21 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, 2006 Elections - Senate, 2006 Elections - State, Activism, Netroots, Site News | Technorati

Anti-Sam Brownback

In the comments, our friend KansasNate gives us a heads-up about his new blog, which is dedicated, "to the Savaging of Sam Brownback" (R-KS).

The Anti-Sam

Posted at 02:27 PM in 2008 Election - President, 2008 President - Republicans, Activism | Comments (1) | Technorati

Sunday, April 03, 2005

2006 Primary: Joe Lieberman credibility bankrupt?

I actually did vote for it before I voted against it:

The greatest hypocrisy on this bill may come from the Democrats, who often speak as if they are the party of working people. Some Democratic senators spoke against the bill and then voted for it. One of them, Senator Joe Lieberman, spoke for it and against it, voted for cloture (cutting off debate and moving the bill toward passage) and then voted against the bill.

Posted at 06:28 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Connecticut, Economy | Technorati

Friday, April 01, 2005

OH-02: Open Seat, Special Election 2005

Blogfather Jerome Armstrong on OH-02:

Seems pretty clear that this is a longshot, but one worth contesting with the backing of Project 90 and BlogPac. As David NYC has stated, this is where the netroots can put ideas to test, taking this Open Seat on a trial run for '06. We'll be running against DeLay in '06 in all 232 of the Republican held seats, starting with the OH 2nd this fall.

Cincinnati Enquirer:

Two Hamilton County Republicans - county Commissioner Pat DeWine and state Rep. Tom Brinkman - said Monday that they are running to replace U.S. Rep. Rob Portman.

DeWine and Brinkman are the first to commit to what's expected to be a crowded contest. Both men hustled to Pike County Monday night to introduce themselves to Republicans in the easternmost part of Portman's 2nd Congressional District, two hours east of Cincinnati. [...]

Other possible GOP candidates include former U.S. Rep. Bob McEwen, who splits his time between Hamilton County and Northern Virginia; former state Rep. Jean Schmidt of Clermont County; WLW talk-radio host Bill Cunningham; Cincinnati lawyer Bill Keating Jr.; and state Rep. Tom Raga of Warren County.

On the Democratic side, state Rep. Todd Book of Scioto County is thinking about running. State Rep. Tyrone Yates of Hamilton County says he would consider a run only if Book didn't.

Even though the election date has not been set, DeWine is kicking off his campaign today with a bus tour of the 2nd District. His father, U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, will be among those aboard.

Brinkman said he decided to enter the race when county Commissioner Phil Heimlich, a close ally, opted to run for lieutenant governor instead of Congress. Heimlich is joining Attorney General Jim Petro in his run for governor in 2006.

To recap:

Potential Republican Candidates:

• State Rep. Tom Brinkman


• WLW talk-radio host Bill Cunningham


• County Commissioner Pat DeWine


• lawyer Bill Keating Jr.


• former U.S. Rep. Bob McEwen


• State Rep. Tom Raga


• former State Rep. Jean Schmidt

Potential Democratic Candidates:

• State Rep. Todd Book


• past nominee Charles Sanders


• State Rep. Tyrone Yates

Posted at 03:25 PM in 2006 Elections - House, Activism, Ohio | Technorati

Montana Senate 2006: Third Degree Burns

Via Left in the West, I've learned that some Montanans want to give Montana Senator Conrad Burns the dreaded Third Degree. In fact, they have a Federal Political Action Committee and a website:

www.ThirdDegreePAC.org

This PAC was founded to make a "big impact" by running "negative attacks" as part of a strategy that plans, "to run early and repeated negative ads" in an attempt to "raise those negatives so high that they can not be overcome" as part of a "truly grassroots effort, fueld by constituent anger."

Conrad Burns has consistently voted against the interests of the people of Montana and the United States since he's been in office. In 2000 he won re-election by a mere 3% - fewer than 15,000 votes.

The 2004 election proved the power of negative campaigning. The persistent raising of doubt, early in the cycle, creates an enormous obstacle for a candidate. True or false -- and we have the advantage of truth-- negative attacks make a big impact.

To that end we've founded the Third Degree Political Action Committee. The Third Degree PAC is dedicated to shining the light of truth on the actions of Montana Federal candidates and politicians. With an eye towards the future, Conrad Burns is only the first target. The plan is to raise money with which to run early and repeated negative ads - probably on radio at first - against Burns. Raise those negatives so high that they can not be overcome.

This is a truly grassroots effort, fueled by constituent anger. We need more volunteers, for research, web and ad design, strategy, and more.

You heard them, they need:

• Volunteers
• Reseach
• Web Design
• Ad Design
• Strategy
• "more"

Visit the forums.

www.ThirdDegreePAC.org

Posted at 12:14 AM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Montana, Netroots | Technorati

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

CT-2: Rob Simmons challenged to refuse DeLay Money

Campaign for America's Future:

The Public Campaign Action Fund begins a $25,000 buy of television ads also calling on Rep. DeLay to resign this week in three districts represented by Republican members Rep. Rob Simmons, R-Conn., Republican National Committee Chair Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-N.Y., and House Ethics Committee Chair Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash.

The Campaign for America’s Future spot is available for viewing at www.ourfuture.org. Text of the ad follows:

“Without DeLay” TV :30

Female narrator:

He has scoffed at the law.

Male narrator:

Tom Delay. A pattern of abusing authority.

Female narrator:

Repeatedly the House Ethics Committee has found Tom Delay guilty of serious rules violations.

Male narrator:

Tom DeLay is a national embarrassment. He should resign his leadership position, if not his office.

Female narrator:

It’s time for Republicans to stand up and demand Delay’s resignation

Male narrator:

Congressman Simmons. Refuse the tens of thousands of dollars Tom DeLay’s PAC just raised for you, and clean up Congress without DeLay.

Posted at 07:17 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, Activism, Connecticut, New York, Washington | Technorati

TX-22 Tom Delay corruption ads launch

Campaign for America's Future:

NEW TV ADS HIGHLIGHT TOM DELAY’S CORRUPTION

Campaign for America’s Future Fights Most Corrupt Congress’ Abuse of Power

WASHINGTON – The Campaign for America’s Future unveiled a new television ad today that urges Congress to “wash its hands” of Rep. Tom DeLay, highlighting the controversy surrounding the House majority leader, who is increasingly seen as a liability to his party.

The Campaign for America’s Future spot begins airing Thursday throughout Rep. Delay’s Texas district and on major news stations in Washington. The initial $75,000 buy runs for a full week.

Text of the ad:

“Washing Hands” TV :30

Narrator:

Tom DeLay. He’d like to wash his hands of corruption.

He'd like you to forget he's been accused of accepting a gift worth thousands from a foreign agent.

He'd like you to forget that two of his close associates have been indicted for money laundering.

Tom DeLay can’t wash his hands of corruption by involving Congress in one family’s personal tragedy.

[Onscreen: www.ourfuture.org, paid for by the Campaign for America’s Future.]

But Congress can certainly wash its hands of Tom DeLay.

The Public Campaign Action Fund ads are available for viewing at www.pcactionfund.org/resign.

Posted at 07:10 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, Activism, Texas | Technorati

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Skip the filter, talk directly to the People

Christian Science Monitor:

Yet politicians are beginning to see blogs are more than forums for snoops. [...]

In many ways, the blog provides politicians an opportunity to recast themselves away from the mainstream media. [...]

"Blogs are where online fundraising was before Howard Dean," says Michael Cornfield, a political scientist at George Washington University. "Radio was around for a while before [President Franklin Roosevelt's] first fireside chat.... For the Internet, nobody's had that breakthrough moment yet."

Posted at 01:15 PM in Activism, Netroots | Technorati

Monday, March 28, 2005

An Open Letter To The National Press Club

I added my name to the Open Letter To The National Press Club:

Members of The National Press Club,

We, the undersigned bloggers, are very concerned about how liberal political bloggers are being systematically under-represented and belittled in the mainstream media, academic settings and media forums. By being intentionally excluded away from these venues, we are effectively pushed out of the discourse of opinion-leaders. The result is that the conventional wisdom about blogging, politics and journalism, as it concerns liberal blogs, becomes a feedback loop framed by the Conservatives and their media allies.

Indeed, just a few weeks ago, The Brookings Institution hosted a panel that originally included no liberal political bloggers and yet while including numerous conservative political operatives in the event. We registered our protest and the Brookings Institution's response was simply to invite a few liberal political bloggers to attend, yet not sit on the panel, as we had originally insisted upon.

Today, however, we are faced with an entirely new situation that is more insult than misrepresentation. The discredited conservative media operative Jeff Gannon, nee Guckert has been invited to sit on a panel at the prestigious National Press Club to talk about the scandal surrounding his access to the White House and more generally, the similarities and differences between bloggers and journalists. Guckert's token liberal counterpart will be a gossip blogger and sex comedy blogger. While we have nothing but the greatest respect for Mr. Graff and Ms. Cox we believe that neither represents bloggers who write about hard-nosed politics. And as for Mr. Guckert, he isn't a blogger, he's barely a journalist, and not a single political blogger involved with the Gannon/Guckert scandal, or otherwise, has been invited to sit on the panel to counter Mr. Guckert's arguments.

Therefore, we the undersigned bloggers, respectfully but firmly insist that a serious political blogger such as John Aravosis, of Americablog.org be included on the panel to fairly and accurately represent our industry and us. Mr. Aravosis has agreed to our request that he serve on the panel as our representative and is available should such an invite be forthcoming.

This situation is simply unacceptable. We will push back against the growing bias and sloppiness we see in the mainstream media as it concerns serious political blogging. If we do not we will never achieve any semblance of balance in the media. If we do not, we abdicate our ability to tell our own side of the story. If we do not we leave it to others to define us and defame us.

Please call Julie Shue at the The National Press Club and politely insist that they include John Aravosis of Americablog.org at their event. Here are there numbers: 202-662-7500 or 202-662-7501 or email at tglad@press.org and info@npcpress.org.

Posted at 11:11 PM in Activism, Netroots | Technorati

2006 Rhode Island Senate Democratic Primary

Providence Journal:

But I do get a kick out of his calling on Secretary of State Matt Brown to drop out of the race for the Democratic Senate nod and pave the way for an unimpeded bid by Rep. Patrick Kennedy, or, more likely, former Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse. Who is Langevin -- or anyone else -- to suggest Brown needs permission to run? [...]

Whitehouse has mulled so many offices this time around -- governor, lieutenant governor, and Senate -- that Chafee says it reminds him of the kids' game, Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Chafee wonders, "Where's he going to end up?"

It seems much more credible to think that Whitehouse, not Kennedy, will enter the Senate fray. Kennedy, whose father, Ted, is the famous Massachusetts senator, for years has episodically eyed a Senate bid and passed up the chances. As recently as December, he ruled out running in 2006 and urged Langevin on. Kennedy said it was more important that he stay in the House, where his service on the Appropriations Committee enables him to funnel big bucks to Rhode Island.

Though colorful, wealthy, and impassioned, Kennedy also has had a lot of personal scrapes that well-financed detractors -- you know, Swift-boat veteran types -- could rehash and turn into a campaign nightmare.

Still, with Langevin out, Sean Richardson, Kennedy's top aide, says the congressman is now taking a "serious" new look at a Senate run. My instinct: If Kennedy really wanted to be in the Senate, where he'd be in the direct shadow of his dad, he'd already be running.

Posted at 02:07 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Rhode Island | Technorati

2006 Connecticut Primary: Lieberman unacceptability

From The Washington Times:

"His message is basically 'Republican good, Democrat bad,'" says Keith Crane, a member of the , Branford, Conn., town Democratic Committee. So lately Crane has taken on another role: He is one of the founders of Dump Joe, a group dedicated to finding and supporting a candidate willing to challenge Lieberman in next year's primary election. "Opposition to Lieberman is driven by the sense that at a time when Democrats are seeking to achieve unity, and liberals are seeking to construct a new infrastructure comparable to the one the conservative movement has built over the past 30 years, Lieberman is uninterested in acting as a team player. Postings on the Dump Joe e-mail list cite his willingness to disparage fellow Democrats on Fox News, often alongside his 'good friend' Sean Hannity, as evidence of his unacceptability."

Kissing Bush on the floor of Congress, good friends with Sean Hannity? Brings to mind the old saying: The friend of my enemy is my enemy.

Posted at 01:42 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Connecticut, Netroots | Technorati

Rhode Island 2006 Senate: Reproductive Rights

From Brian Faler in the Washington Post:

Abortion rights advocates were sighing with relief this week, after Rep. James R. Langevin (D-R.I.) announced that he will not challenge Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee (R-R.I.) , a supporter of abortion rights, in the 2006 elections.

Langevin, who was considered his party's preferred candidate -- but who opposes abortion rights -- said he will forgo the race to hold on to his current job. "I have come to the conclusion that rather than starting over in the Senate, I can be most effective for Rhode Island by building seniority in the House," he told the Associated Press.

Posted at 11:57 AM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Rhode Island | Comments (1) | Technorati

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

No Filter: The Net as a Tool for Upstart Campaigns

When an underdog campaign gets started, it generally has a difficult time taking the fight to opponent(s), a negligible ability to impact the daily mainstream media cycle, and often lacks the staff and organizational tools to effectively talk with the grassroots (ie. ground game).

Fortunately, it's a brave new world.

Some of you might have read what I consider the first piece in what I hope becomes a series based on my campaign experiences: "My ATM Pin Number: Or Online Fundraising." If not, you can check it out HERE, but not until after you finish reading this full entry. Deal?

It is a collection of observations I had while working Communications/Online Outreach for Jeff Seemann's Congressional campaign. The writing is mostly about the ill-informed belief in "political circles," that the Internet is good for one thing, fundraising. It also touches upon what I believe are good practices and how treating the Netroots as an ATM Machine simply will not work.

This piece will focus on some of my early observations while working on Chuck Pennacchio's U.S. Senate campaign in Pennsylvania. It will focus on some of the tactics we have used to propel a previously unknown candidate into a national spotlight, get the statewide media to pay attention to us, recruit staff, and disseminate our message throughout the blogosphere.

There are a lot of great progressive candidates out there that continue to get shunned by the party establishment across the country (Jeff Smith 2004 comes to mind). While I wish I could work for every single one of them, I can't. I do, however, hope that there is something in this post, or the ATM one, that people on sites like Swing State Project, Kos, MyDD, or wherever you are reading this can take to the candidates you support, regardless of who might pretend they don't exist.

There Is No Filter

One of the biggest problems that insurgent campaigns have is making that initial splash, and getting something about their campaign, or their opponents, into the news.

On February 22, 2005, Rick Santorum was in the midst of criss-crossing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania when he stopped at Drexel University. As he was walking into the event, his youthful idealistic supporters (College Republicans) serenaded the Senator with chants of "hey hey, ho ho Social Security has got to go."

The event ended innocuously enough. Most of the attendees walked away remembering two LaRouchies getting carted out by security for disrupting the proceedings. That changed the next day when the video of the serenade went live on the website of a previously unknown U.S. Senate candidate. So unknown, in fact, that most of the bloggers who originally linked to the piece were hesitant to even include the candidates name. However, because of the event, many of us know about him now.

Maybe I buried the lede a bit here, but the most important point here is that with the Internet, there is no filter. I'll say it again, there is no filter. You don't have to wait for some traditional press-type hack to pick up your message; your ability to inform the public has a direct relationship with the time, effort, originality, and investment you are willing to make in the non-traditional medium.

In our case, we went to the event, shot it, stumbled upon the clip, and used every means necessary to get it into the public spotlight. As it happened, MyDD picked it up, then Atrios, then Kos and Talking Points Memo, 60 plus blogs linked it, MoveOn put it in an email, and Paul Krugman talked about it in the New York Times.

What's really interesting about that story is that CNN sat on the footage they had of the chant for over 24 hours. By then, they were scooped--scooped by a little known campaign and an armada of bloggers who recognized that the media filter of old is just that, part of the old-guard.

The same can be said (to a lesser extent) with the poll that Rick Santorum yanked from his website when people weighed in at a clip of approx. 90% against Social Security Privatization. He yanked it, one of our supporters "screen-shotted it," we had it on our site, and the next thing you know, Raw Story and Roll Call were writing about it.

We have all of the tools we need online to dictate to the mainstream media the issues we see as important. If there is information "good enough," we are more than capable of catapulting it into the national spotlight.

The Power of the Internet Distilled Locally (Press Part II)

"Yeah, yeah, that's great, but how has that event produced tangible results outside of web hits for the campaign?"

Fair question. In short, it helped to legitimize our effort. It showed that we are not afraid to take the fight to Rick Santorum. Alright, tangible results? It proved to national and local press that the campaign is one that deserves to be taken seriously and in conjunction with our "standard" Netroots outreach, and subsequent support, has opened up the door to numerous main stream press opportunities.

Let me take a step back, because this part of the piece veers off in two directions.

1.) Getting the Mainstream Media to take you seriously

On the day Bobby Casey Jr. announced his run for the United States Senate seat in Pennsylvania, I made numerous phone calls to newspapers and radio stations across the state to let them know this is NOT an uncontested primary. Some covered us, some did not. One call in particular stuck out in my head.

It was a phone call to the Associated Press. In the call I was basically challenged to legitimize the campaign. Forget the fact that we have filed with the FEC, are raising money, have a staff, HQ, and hundreds of volunteers. My explanation wasn't good enough. Not only did the article not include Chuck's name, but the author included quotes from sources that indicated their would be no primary challenge.

Wrong answer.

That weekend, the grassroots/netroots supporters of our campaign took action. We put out a call to our local supporters, it was up on the front page of MyDD, Atrios, AmericaBlog, and in the diaries of DailyKos (as well as the campaign blog). If I had to guess, the AP probably received over 200 emails and over 50 phone calls from Pennsylvanians and others across the country. Whatever the number was, the wire service let us know that, we probably "over-reacted," but at the same time, they "got the message."

One week later the AP was at our first Philadelphia organizational meeting the next weekend, and since then has been very receptive to our campaign and even informed us of the best way to get our information to them.

Just another power of the grassroots/netroots that has nothing to do with money: Collective action online can spur results offline.

2.) When the Mainstream Media Notices Your Efforts

You can't badger every reporter across the state with your grassroots/netroots supporters. That in itself would be an organization feat. But what campaigns have to realize is that breaking ground/stories online will lead to coverage offline in the mainstream media. This will take us back to the Santorum "hey hey, ho ho" video.

Example: The Philadelphia Inquirer has the largest circulation in Pennsylvania. You can imagine my initial outreach to them after the Casey announcement was an important moment in campaign HQ.

I was eventually given the contact information of a reporter who would be covering the 2006 U.S. Senate race. After a brief introduction and discussion about the campaign and it's progress, I brought up the Santorum video. The reporter responded, "That was you guys?" I can tell you, because I was on the phone, that was the moment the conversation turned. The Inquirer will be running a full feature piece on Chuck this weekend. They have also assured us they are very interested in our campaign. They have done so through their words, and they are about to do so in deed this weekend.

Not only that, but the reporter also wants to investigate the way we are using the Internet to reach out directly to voters. Even more earned media! And earned media about the "novel idea" of a candidate talking directly with voters. Imagine that. The Net will also generate earned media, which is a HUGE problem for most upstart candidates and campaigns. With the Dean campaign, and since then, a lot of the press attention has focused on how much money someone can raise online. Once again, the world is changing. You don't even have to raise $40 million dollars for someone to talk about the exciting new ways a campaign will use to reach out to voters.

Viral Blogging

The first I saw of it on such a large scale was thereisnocrisis.com (TINC). Matt, Josh, and Bob put up that graphic that people were given the code to syndicate on their own blogs and websites. Next thing you knew, over 600 bloggers had it up on their own site, directing traffic to TINC. So, by the order of the mighty scoop, we copied the idea with Chuck's campaign.

You will notice on our website, we include instructions on how to place our graphic on your blog or website, I can tell you, as the guy that looks at the web statistics a few times a day--this has been quite a success. Dozens of bloggers (from large to small) have taken us up on the offer and the results, in terms of hits, show.

Now of course, any old candidate can put up a syndication link on their own website, but that doesn't mean bloggers are going to take them up on the offer. The first place I would point candidates and campaigns to is the piece I linked above on the ATM Machine. While placing the graphic on a blog might not seem like a big deal to "seasoned operative," to me, I take it as something pretty serious. I know how people feel about their blogs, and it means a lot to me, and the campaign, every time I see a Pennacchio for Pennsylvania banner out there.

The Greatest Medium for Rapid Response

I am already getting pretty long-winded, and I still have something to ask of you at the end of this email. I will toss out some links if you are inclined to keep reading after the next few paragraphs. I would be remiss if I didn't address the rapid response capabilities of the Internet. But what I want to talk about specifically is the use of Internet Advertising as a rapid response tool.

Sure, anyone can get online and create a regurgitated press release that poses as a thoughtful diary, and some do. It's a great idea, and I am sure that we will see more and more campaigns doing so in the upcoming election cycle. I would argue that it's not the best strategy for outreach, but what the hell. They will do it anyway.

That said, one of the greatest tools online in terms of versatility, speed, and targeting is advertising. Specifically, Blog Ads.

The founder of BlogAds, Henry Copeland recently cited our use of Blog Ads to promote a conference call we had with local bloggers, and some of their subsequent reactions. Here is what Henry said,

Another cutting edge ad. It doesn't ask for an action or a "buy." It provides content, information, newsy stuff people actually might enjoy using. Rather than trying to megaphone its message over the community, this advertiser is engaging the blogosphere and using blogads to facilitate that communication.

But back to the speed part of the message.

Remember when the Democrats introduced the "Sense of the Senate?" That one line that said we shouldn't make massive cuts into Social Security benefits or incur serious debt in its "reform?" Well, Rick Santorum voted that down. Within hours, people were calling for ads against Republicans who voted against the "sense."

So, we took our BlogAds, and turned it into an ad against Santorum's vote. How did this help? Well, I can tell you that a couple thousand more people know for sure that Rick Santorum is pro-massive debt and benefit cuts. I can also tell you that it helped prove to even more that we are willing to take the fight to Rick Santorum on important issues. People noticed.

That's about it for now. This has already dragged on entirely too long, but I will write more later. Also, this message was truncated from its original format, because the original piece was a campaign communication. If I have left anything in here that asks you to do anything for the Pennacchio complain, ignore it.

Thanks,

Tim

Posted at 07:27 PM in Activism, Netroots | Technorati

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Push to Revoke Frist's Medical License

They play hardball at the Liberal Oasis:

You may recall that last December, LiberalOasis encouraged readers to contact the Nashville Academy of Medicine and request that Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist have his medical license revoked.

That was because he violated the AMA Code of Medical Ethics by spreading misinformation about HIV transmission and condom use.

Now once again, he has violated his pledge to be honest in all professional interactions, advance scientific knowledge and maintain a commitment to medical education by claiming to make a superior diagnosis than Terri Schiavos doctors by watching a few video clips.

Since LOs earlier Frist post, LO has obtained the official Nashville Academy of Medicine grievance form from the academys executive director.

To file an ethics complaint, download the form, follow the directions, have it notarized, and return it to the address at the bottom of the form.

Feel free to roll all of Frist's ethical violations into one comprehensive complaint.

Posted at 02:37 PM in 2008 Election - President, Activism, Tennessee | Technorati

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Reid and Lieberman

Tuesday, Democrat Leader Harry Reid threatened to shut down the Senate if the Republicans went Nuclear, invoking a MAD paradigm of interaction.

But MAD only works if everyone is on the same page. Imagine the response if a general, in the heat of the Cold War, had said that he wouldn't respond in-kind to a nuclear attack.

If your friends aren't with you when the other side goes Nuclear, then they are probably your enemies.

MSNBC sets the stage:

'Cataclysmic event' “If Republicans want to go down this road, they are going to be beginning a huge, partisan, cataclysmic event, the implications of which are so profound that none of us really know the answer to it,” said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., one of the Democrats arrayed behind Reid on the Capitol steps.

The next subhead:

Key Democrats: Nelson, Lieberman Conspicuous by their absence from Reid’s Capitol steps event were two Democrats: Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who has voted against all but one of the Democratic filibusters since 2003, and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Both men are up for re-election next year, and Nelson is running in a state Bush won with 66 percent of the vote.

Damn straight Lieberman's absence was conspicuous.

Harry Reid responds in Raw Story:

Sen. Reid took pains to detail why he feels blogs–and Internet news sites in general–are paramount. Reid says he believes much of the American agenda today is dictated by wealth and power, and that blogs offer “regular, ordinary people” a place to have a voice.

“What has happened in recent years… [is] the concentration of media power, so one station, one owner can own 1,200 radio stations,” Reid said. “What this means is that wealth and power control most everything in this country. But one thing they do not control–wealth and power does not control the Internet.”

“I think the blogs are a tremendously important way for the American public to find out what’s really going on,” the senator continued. “That’s why I go out of my way to communicate any way that I can on the Internet.”

Of late, Reid and other Democrats have taken heat from progressive bloggers on the issue of party unity. The Democrats in the Senate split nearly evenly on the recent bankruptcy bill, and some Democrats have been tagged as waffling in their opposition to the president’s Social Security plan.

Reid dismissed the critique, saying it was “not valid.”

“That’s really not valid,” he told RAW STORY. “We have people who have different views on what should happen once privatization is dropped. But that’s good and healthy; there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“We have had unity on Social Security,” he added. “Total unity. Everyone agrees that privatization would destroy Social Security and we have also total cooperation and unity in the fact that if he’s willing to back off that–privatization–we’re willing to work on Social Security’s out year problems.”

Total unity on Social Security is a good start.

Posted at 11:50 AM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, 2008 President - Democrats, Activism, Connecticut | Comments (1) | Technorati

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Lieberman Primary challenger?

Dr. JOHN ORMAN has announced the formation of an exploratory committee. It looks like it is getting interesting in Connecticut 2006 Senate Primary.

Full release below the fold, from a Kos diary

PRESS RELEASE March 16, 2005

Citizen activist and political analyst, Dr. JOHN ORMAN, Politics Professor at Fairfield

University, announced today his intention to create an advisory committee to evaluate

his candidacy to challenge Joe Lieberman for the Democratic nomination for U.S.

Senate in the 2006 primary. Orman said, "There is a great national debate going on

for the heart and soul of the Democratic party. Let the battle begin here and now in

Connecticut."

Orman said, " What sealed my discontent with Lieberman was the famous kiss

that President Bush planted on him after this year's State of the Union Address."

"Our party's Senator is no longer a Democrat. He has joined the Republicrat Party.

After 17 years as a safe seat Senator, Joe has lost touch with his party and with his state."

Orman declared," Just as Lieberman indicated in 1988 that Lowell Weicker was a

sleeping bear in the woods who was an arrogant incumbent, Lieberman has crossed

over into that same forest. Joe is a minority member of the national minority party who

has a worse attending record in the Senate than Lowell Weicker ever did."

Orman noted, "Lieberman was wrong on his support of Bush's claim that the Social

Security System is in crisis. He was wrong to support Bush's war on terror diversion

into Iraq. He was wrong to support Attorney General Gonzalez for confirmation.

Lieberman should just join the Republican Party."

Orman observed, "Lieberman has ignored his Connecticut Democratic base of seniors,

working women and men, students, teachers, liberal Democrats, progressives and others.

Regardless of whether I decide to run for the U.S. Senate nomination against Joe

Lieberman, the Senator has been put on notice that he will be challenged."

Orman was the Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in 1984

in the 4th Congressional District who ran against Stewart McKinney. In 2000

Orman was the Connecticut citizen who stepped forward to challenge Joe Lieberman

for running for two different national offices at the same time. When Orman started to

file official complaints in September ,2000 he made it a national issue. By October 2000

the issue had become a state issue and the Quinnipiac Poll reported that 45% agreed

with Lieberman and 46% disagreed with him running for two offices at the same time.

Orman is the author of five books including PRESIDENTIAL SECRECY AND

DECEPTION; COMPARING PRESIDENTIAL BEHAVIOR; PRESIDENTIAL

ACCOUNTABILITY; THE POLITICS OF ROCK MUSIC; and his most recent book

CELEBRITY POLITICS (co-author Darrell West). Orman has appeared on CNN, Fox,

ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR, BBC and other networks talking about politics in America.

He is frequently quoted on American politics in national newspapers and publications.

Posted at 11:47 AM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Connecticut | Technorati

DLC List of Shame

In the comments of my post on the DLC agreeing that Kos was right, DavidNYC directed me to the google cache of the Democratic Leadership Council list (David has screen captures).

The site was cached on March 4, 2005. In addition to finally granting Senator Obama's request to remove his name, there was at least one additional change.

The March 4th version identifies Gavin Newsom as member of the Board of Supervisors, San Francisco CA while the current version has been updated to reflect that Newsom is Mayor. In fact, he celebrated the end of his first year on the job (a couple of months ago).

I'm sure the DLC was as instrumental in Newsom's campaign as in Obamas, which makes me wonder why they didn't notice that he won. Or maybe they are just incompetent.

If anyone else is trying to decide whether the DLC was out of the loop or simply incompetent, here's Al From discussing Newsom's victory -- two days after the 2003 election:

Newsom's election "puts him together with a group of young, really bright stars who are emerging as the new leaders and future leaders of the Democratic Party in the cities," From said Wednesday.

Posted at 12:50 AM in Activism | Comments (2) | Technorati

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

More controversial than a phone book

For some time, the DLC has been lying about Barak Obama. Kos called them on it and the DLC freaked out:

Man, talk about beams and motes. The vitriol that's been poured on the DLC by Kos and several other netwarriors in the last couple of years is endless, personal, often obscene, and frankly, a little nuts. If we're as irrelevant as he keeps insisting we are, why bother? Just ignore us, and we'll go away, right? If our only value, as Kos suggests today, is to provide right-wing media with anti-Democratic quotes, then you have to wonder why so many elected officials bother to identify with us and come to our events (e.g., one today attended by Sen. Joe Biden)?

Indeed, that question seems to bother Kos as well, since his very next post begins a process of "calling out" DLC-friendly Democratic pols and asking them to disassociate themselves from us. He even took the trouble to dig down in our web page--bypassing a few hundred thousand pages of policy work, which is what we do to pass the time while waiting for the next call from Fox News--and discover that Sen. Barack Obama is still listed in our data base! Scandal! (He's in there because he recently joined the Senate New Democrat Coalition, all of whose members are in our database, which is about as controversial as a phone book).

a few hours later...

UPDATE: Turns out I was misinformed about Obama's being a member of the Senate New Democrat Coalition. The misunderstanding was based on the two different meanings of "New Democratic Senators," but we were wrong about that, and have removed his name from our Directory.

If there are any other mistakes with the list, people should call them out. Feel free to use press releases. If you work for somebody on the list, point out this is a quick and easy way for a politician to score some points with the netroots.

Posted at 08:55 PM in Activism, Illinois, Netroots | Comments (2) | Technorati

Lieberman's potential 2006 primary

In my last post on a potential Lieberman primary, I used a series of maps to illustrate the problem Lieberman would have due to the unique situation of his state being situated in the middle of a high density bastion of Democratic support. The argument that I laid out was for the potential of an invasion of out-of-town Democrats focused on enforcing Party discipline.

In response, it was noted how Howard Dean’s invasion during the Iowa Caucuses backfired.

I agree with the analysis that the Iowa voters were turned off by out-of-state activists telling them who to vote for. This was heightened by the vast cultural divide between the Dean supporters and Iowa Democrats.

However, this will not apply to a potential primary campaign for three main reasons.

The blogosphere learns very quickly and having identified this, the blogosphere will adapt. Any such primary campaign will focus on organizing Connecticut residents who support a united Party to convince their neighbors to join them in support.

The second major reason why this won’t be relevant is because the cultural divide between Connecticut and the surrounding area is minimal. Many Connecticut voters work in New York and New Yorkers campaigning will not intrinsically offend their cultural sensibilities.

Finally, the lesson of the Dean campaign is that people don’t want outsiders telling them who to vote for. The inverse of this statement has yet to be tested. At this point, any primary campaign would not be a positive movement for a candidate, but a negative statement. Extensive evidence proves that voters respond as intended to negative attacks and a campaign that focuses negatively will not face the same hurdles.

When these factors are considered, it is easy to conclude that out-of-state volunteers could effectively contribute to a potential primary campaign against Lieberman. By focusing out-of-state volunteers on communicating and organizing supporters, their efforts could help build the type of infrastructure necessary for a true grassroots campaign. When interacting with undecided and Lieberman voters, having their efforts focused on a purely negative message would allow their argument to gain traction regardless of their home address.

These are only some initial points and strong on-the-ground leadership and direction will surely refine such tactics.

But it is true that if there is a challenge, people will come. By realizing how such efforts have been counter-productive in the past, organizers could construct a campaign that will minimize liabilities while maximizing effectiveness.

Such a campaign could be an exciting test case for post-modern primary involvement.

Posted at 11:02 AM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Connecticut, Netroots | Technorati

Monday, March 14, 2005

Proud partisanship

Over at the DLC, logic has long since left the building. This was quite apparent with the recent Bull Moose post, Grow up Bloggers:

The recent rage on the left is to heap scorn on Joe Lieberman. The Moose is honored to stand with Joe against the dogmatic idealogues of the blogosphere. And he wears their scorn as a badge of honor.

What the aisle-crossers over at the DLC refuse to accept is that the angst against Lieberman isn't ideological, it is pragmatic. Bloggers love Reid and hate Lieberman because the Stormin' Mormon fights for Democrats and Lieberman fights against Democrats.

Specifically, the blogosphere is ready to unleash a savage fury against Lieberman if he gives Bush cover on Social Security.

So who does the DLC stand with? Today's Washington Post/ABC News poll suggests the DLC stands with the 35% of Americans who approve of Bush's privatization. Last week's AP poll says the DLC stands with the 37% of Americans who approve of Bush's privatization.

For those who haven't been reading the cross-tabs, this means the DLC is standing further away from the Democratic Party than a good deal of the Republican congress. This means the DLC would rather stand with the most right-wing of Americans than help our Party win on an issue that is the bedrock of Democratic values.

The scorn of the blogosphere is shared by almost 60% of Americans...and that number is growing. The DLC had a good thing going, they filled their pockets by getting Democrats to cross the aisle and help out the GOP, but the gig is up.

Lieberman needs to stop being such a baby. And the Bull Moose needs to stop "grazing" at the privateers trough. The gig is up.

Posted at 10:07 PM in Activism | Comments (2) | Technorati

Gavin Newsom wins on Gay Marriage

SF Chronicle:

A judge ruled Monday that California can no longer justify limiting marriage to a man and a woman, a legal milestone that if upheld on appeal would pave the way for the nation's most populous state to follow Massachusetts in allowing same-sex couples to wed. In an opinion that had been awaited because of San Francisco's historical role as a gay rights battleground, San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer said that withholding marriage licenses from gays and lesbians is unconstitutional.

"It appears that no rational purpose exists for limiting marriage in this state to opposite-sex partners," Kramer wrote.

Eric Jaye, Newsom's political consultant, has an important strategy memo on Gay Marriage that I posted earlier. Big day for Newsom.

Posted at 03:46 PM in 2008 Election - President, 2008 President - Democrats, Activism, California | Technorati

West Coast Offense

The thing about leadership is that, inherently, you must be a leader. Unfortunately, the poll-hacks think there is a magic formula of stances that equals victory. Total horse-shit.

To lead requires standing up for beliefs, not backing down…running and hiding.

Polls don’t tell us what issues to choose, they tell us how well we are doing in the fight for each issue. If an issue Democrats care about polls poorly, it means our leaders aren’t leading enough -- we aren’t doing a good enough job. Leaders drive polls, they don’t follow.

But, before a voter looks at any issue, they will decide whether or not they respect the politician. Poll-driven candidates appear shallow. People respect action, people respect leaders who stand-up and fight for their values. Even if people disagree, they will still respect the politician. Cowards are the doormats of post-modern politics.

Gavin Newsom showed us how a Democrat can grab a difficult issue by the horns and fight.

Friday, Eric Jaye (Newsom’s political consultant), published an important piece in the subscription-only Hotline.

Here’s what he had to say:

A Democratic Strategy on Gay Marriage
by Eric Jaye

Last year the Democrats had numerous opportunities to stand on principle -- and in doing so show they had the courage to stand for something. No opportunity was greater than the raging debate over gay marriage.

Facing an evenly divided electorate, Republican strategists surmised that victory in 2004 lay in driving turnout among their base voters. That's why they placed attacks on gay marriage on state ballots in swing states. They believed that such a debate would drive turnout, particularly among low-turnout Christian evangelical voters.

What did the Democrats do? By and large they ducked, with poll-crafted drivel that made them seem like typical politicians, not courageous leaders.

Most voters do not yet support gay marriage - although support for equal matrimonial rights has risen dramatically in the past decade. Polls show a sharp generational divide, with the majority of voters under 40 in support of gay marriage and the majority of voters over 60 strongly opposed.

But in this day and age, most swing voters reserve more venom for vacillating politicians than they do for two gay people deciding to adopt the bourgeois convention of lifetime commitment and matrimony.

It is this disdain for vacillating politicians that allows President George Bush to take so many controversial stands yet still win elections for himself and his party. It's called leadership and voters reward it.

On a woman's right to choice, Iraq, environmental protection, outsourcing and Social Security - Bush is 'wrong' from a pollsters' perspective. Yet, why does he still seem so right to so many voters?

Bush wins by being "wrong" because his controversial positions resonate as authentic. American voters don't agree with him on key issues -- but they tend to believe he "stands up for what he believes." In a political landscape in which character matters more than ideology, Bush wins by seeming "real" to voters.

So while Bush seems authentic at the very moment he is pursuing a political ploy to excite his right-wing base - Democrats seem weak and untrustworthy - not just to their base supporters, but to the broad mass of swing voters.

With a few exceptions, most Democrats simply lack credibility when they say they oppose gay marriage. We have the honor of belonging to a party that has been on the forefront of the civil rights movement for more than 50 years. Most voters, in most states, expect us to stand for civil rights - even when these very same voters are taking a go-slow approach.

So who do we think we are fooling when we mumble finely nuanced positions on gay marriage? The truth is we are only fooling ourselves.

We have now survived an entire generation of poll-tested politicians and incremental politics. Finely crafted "agreement" messages, once an innovation, are now an invitation to ridicule. Not just late at night on television, but at almost any hour, we can all enjoy a good laugh at the expense of a politician who is merely reading from a poll-tested script.

So what's the right answer when Democrats are asked, "Do you support gay marriage?" The right answer, in almost every case, is the truth. And in most cases, the truth is "Yes."

First and foremost - by saying "Yes" we are standing for something, even when the majority of voters don't yet support our position. And telling the truth makes us sound like real people, not like robo politicians. But more than this - by saying "Yes" we can seize political terrain that allows us to drive the debate, not duck it.

And we are finding that when we take the offensive on the issue of gay rights and gay marriage, we can make real progress. At the very least, we have a fighting chance when we stop ducking the issue of gay rights and start debating it with clear and concise language.

Along with a team of top-notch consultants, we worked on the successful campaign in 2004 to repeal Article 12 of the Cincinnati City Charter, which allowed discrimination against lesbian and gays. Just this month we helped defeat the Topeka City Question in Topeka, Kansas that would have allowed discrimination against gays. Both campaigns were played out in the context over the debate on gay marriage.

Last year, as former consultants to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, we were closely involved in presenting the "winter of love" gay marriages to the public. We were also part of the unsuccessful effort in Oregon in 2004 to defeat the attack on gay marriage.

We took away from those successes, and that failure, the belief that when it comes to gay marriage the simple truth is better than a complicated lie.

But more than that - in the long run we can't win if we don't debate. And let's not fool ourselves, this debate is not going away. The Republicans put it on the agenda, and they will keep it there, particularly so long as we refuse to even articulate our own position.

Cautious Democrats should face the fact that no position on gay marriage is the weakest possible stance. Silence is read as support for gay marriage. And your silence is seen as political at best, cowardice at worst. As a party, we might not have chosen this fight. But it is here. Unilateral surrender is not a workable strategy.

And to my fellow consultants I would offer this hard-learned lesson. Anti-gay marriage amendments are being fought on the basis of gay marriage -- not some "hidden flaw" or "costly consequence." These measures are not analogous to some down-ballot initiative that we can define. Voters know what they are about -- gay marriage.

In California, we found during the San Francisco gay marriage insurrection that support for gay marriage increased slightly across the state, and support for civil unions increased dramatically, after we captured the airwaves with images of couples who were absolutely unremarkable in any way other than in their desire to profess life-long love and responsibility for each other.

First in Cincinnati, and then in Topeka, we won campaigns against discrimination in part by seizing the language of morality, rather than ceding it to our opponents.

We crafted mail pieces entitled "Not Just on Sunday," and "Daily Bread," that took up the language of the Lord's Prayer in defense of tolerance and equal rights every day.

We didn't hide from the issue. We didn't run from the moral debate. We embraced it - and won. Democrats around the country have nothing to lose, and so much to gain, from doing likewise.

Posted at 06:42 AM in 2008 Election - President, 2008 President - Democrats, Activism | Technorati

Friday, March 11, 2005

Santorum Funeral

Last time Senator Rick Santorum was seriosly slapped around, it was due to two bloggers. Chris Bowers and Tim Tagaris went to a Townhall meeting the Senator was throwing.

Tim captured the legendary video footage of the College Republicans chanting, "Hey-hey, Ho-ho, Social Security has got to go.

Once inside, Bowers got Santorum to admit that he couldn't name a single Democrat willing to privatize.

Now, the two are at the Funeral March for Social Security.

Bowers told me that there are well over 200 people marching and that the sound is echoing off the buildings...creating a roar.

Tim has a camera again and told me, "People do real stupid things when you turn the camera on." He claims to have, "great video" of the protest.

UPDATE: There is a great deal of press...at least eight cameras. Bowers says they are loud enough to be heard inside.

more to come...

Posted at 05:32 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Netroots, Pennsylvania | Technorati

Thursday, March 10, 2005

Potential Lieberman Primary

Some people need to realize that it isn't the blogosphere that would organize a potential primary campaign, the blogosphere would just nationalize the effort.

It is Connecticut Democrats, on the ground in Connecticut, having the discussion:

Connecticut Democrats dissatisfied with U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman want to mount a primary election challenge to the three-term incumbent in 2006 and say they are debating the merits of as many as six alternative candidates. Tom Swan, executive director of the Connecticut Citizen Action Group and a party insider involved in the insurgency, declined this week to name any of the potential challengers. "There's a great deal of displeasure with Joe and some of his recent actions," Swan said, referring to the senator's stance on proposed changes to the Social Security system and his support for the confirmations of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. "But it would be premature at this point to discuss specifics."

For those unfamiliar with Citizens Action, they spend most of their time walking door-to-door, but take breaks for in-your-face media events.

Nevertheless, Swan and Nathan Karnes, a member of a Democratic ward committee in New Haven and a leader of a "DumpJoe" message group at Yahoo.com, said those under consideration include current and past state officials and at least two "high-profile" figures from the entertainment industry who live in the state and are politically active.

They said the latter do not include actor and philanthropist Paul Newman, a Westport resident who had been rumored to be considering a race against Lieberman that party leaders have since discounted.

How do you nationalize a primary?

The insurgents' comments came as a Web site created by a former Connecticut resident now living in southern California began collecting cash pledges from those who would help fund a primary bid against Lieberman.

Under the rubric "timetogojoe," the site brands the senator as "a Democrat in name only" and seeks to raise as much as $1 million for "any real Democrat" who might oppose him.

The tone of web campaigns?

"Had enough of Joe Lieberman playing both sides of the aisle?" the site's home page asks. "Let's give the Left-Hating, War-Hawking, Bush-Kissing, Neo-Con, Torture Apologist the primary he deserves."

In one of the most recent postings, a participant calling himself "joesnotmyhometownboy" attacks Lieberman for his position on the board of directors of The Nixon Center, a division of the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation. The Washington-based think tank is headed by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

It isn't about being a leftwing Democrat, it is about being a proud Democrat:

"We're saying, "Hey, what do you guys think about this guy?'" Karnes said. "We don't have to accept him at the Democratic nominee in '06 without a challenge, and I think the reception has been very good."

The listserve's participants have bristled at characterizations of Lieberman's Democratic opponents as "liberal," and Karnes said it is not necessarily true that he and his colleagues all hail from their party's left wing.

He noted that his parents and their friends, who he said were by no means liberals, shared the sentiment prevailing on the listserve.

"It's really Joe Lieberman that's moved away from the Democratic Party," he said. "And it's not just the social issues where he had moved away."

In news probably unrelated to Lieberman looking at a tough primary, CREW exposes he has taken $16,000 from smut peddlers. Atrios posted the story and gave a good laugh to 50,000 netroots activists...

Posted at 05:47 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Connecticut, Netroots | Technorati

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

The Takeover: Part II

Jay-Z would be proud:

Months after their historic wins in November, Colorado Democrats have ousted party chairman Chris Gates in an upset organized by activists angered by his handling of Mike Miles' failed bid for the U.S. Senate.

Pat Waak - a nonprofit director from Erie who is little-known in statewide political circles - narrowly edged out Gates in a final vote of 187 to 184 during Saturday's meeting of the Democratic State Central Committee.

Chris Bowers has the rest at MyDD.

Posted at 01:46 PM in Activism, Netroots | Technorati

Lieberman, DLC, Bloggers and the 2006 Primary

As of late, there has been a great deal of discussion concerning a potential primary challenge to Senator Joe Lieberman. As is to be expected, the DLC is flacking for Lieberman, here's what our friend at Bull Moose says:

While the Moose is clearly partial to the blogosphere, as of yet, he has not seen evidence it carries much political clout outside of raising money.

First of all, I'm glad we can all agree that any primary would be very well financed. Furthermore, it bears notice that bloggers don't pay consultants on percentage, and absent such conflicts of interest the bulk would not be wasted on TV (Lieberman would not have such an advantage and considering the expense of the media markets involved, this is very relevant).

Democratic Primary voters love an underdog (cue: Eye of the Tiger), so any such investment in media would gain immediate traction. The numbers I spend all day looking at on Social Security suggest that any such campaign would have even more support among seniors than among young anti-war activists.

So, bloggers would have the money to run plenty of mail, robo-calls, radio, etc. And the money to build the organization.

The organization is where things get interesting. Because the unique geographical location of the district in relationship to a fuckton of people.

In fact, if you look nationwide at population density outside, but nearby a state, Connecticut would be the poster child for volunteer mobilization in a nationalized primary. Here's a density map based on population density that I pulled together from National Atlas
Keep reading for all the maps.

Clearly Connecticut brings this potential dynamic into play more than any other state in the union. Not only would comparisions to non-internet driven campaigns be irrelevant, but so would comparisions with past primary campaigns in other regions.

In fact, when we zoom in, it becomes even clearer that there are a helluva lot of people nearby.

The problem is that this map uses the same color (dark blue) to show density of 250-66,395. Which is a fairly wide range, so let's look at the extreme population density with another map where each point of light represents 7,500 people. When you look at the area around his district it is lit up like it could be seen from space.

The biggest problem for Lieberman in any potential primary campaign is that a great deal of these people are Democrats. Playing around with Professor Robert Vanderbei's maps shows that not only are there a great deal of people, but that the people who live near Connecticut compromise a bastion of Democratic voters. The following map is a sliding partisan scale (blue to red) with the vertical axis representing population density.

The blue skyscrapers just outside of Connecticut represent the northeastern base of the Democratic Party. Many of these voters are activists and if organized (hmmm, such as online) could be mobilized to form an organization unlike any army ever raised for a primary campaign.

The important thing to note is that these volunteers would have more than idealogy on their side, they would actually have science. Yes, scientists study how Lieberman hurts the Democratic Party in the minds of swing voters. Cognative Scientist Professor George Lakoff concludes:

There is a myth that voters are lined up in a left-to-right line, and that to gain the support of swing voters, you must move to the center. When progressives move to the right, they lose in two ways, setting up a self-defeating double-whammy:

1) Moving to the right alienates your progressive base.

2) It actually helps conservatives because it activates their model in swing voters.

Notice that conservatives do not gain more voters by moving to the Left. What they do is stick to their strict ideology to activate their model in swing voters by being clear and consistent in policies and messages framed in terms of conservative values.

A potential primary be instantly nationalized, would have a pile of money that would fundamentally be spent more effectively, access to a greater pool of out-of-district activists than any race in the country, and the volunteers would know that they are scientifically doing the best thing for the Democratic Party.

Oh yeah, it it would start online so it would be extra nasty...

Posted at 12:35 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Connecticut, Netroots | Technorati

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Two more State Party Blogs

Take a moment and head over to the two newest state party websites that have included blogs as a means to communicate directly with the grass/netroots.

Maine

New Hampshire

I am particularly fond of the Maine blog. It looks like the party has really spent some time and effort in getting it up, running, and did an effective job getting people to participate.

On a sour note: The Pennsylvania Democratic Party basically said, "f you" to members of a DFA in Bucks County who requested a blog. CLICK HERE for more information -- and expect even more in the near future. As Chris Bowers of MyDD puts it:

Ahhh, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, where reform goes to die. Forcing candidates out of the Senatorial primary. Endorsing Fowler for DNC chair after Dean secured the votes to win. Not giving Ginny their full support (more on that later). And now, this. No wonder in a state where Democrats lead in voter ID and voter registration, they are substantially behind in the legislature, the congressional delegation, and don't have a Seantor. Color me disgusted

Posted at 05:56 PM in Activism, Maine, Netroots, New Hampshire | Comments (2) | Technorati

Friday, March 04, 2005

What a day...

When we started the day, Barbara Hafer was in the PA Senate race to stay, Bob Casey Jr. was unsure, no word from Joe Hoeffel, and Chuck Pennacchio wasn't going anywhere.

Well, at around noon, the stuff really hit the fan. Casey is now in, Hafer is now out, still no word from Hoeffel, and Pennacchio remains steady.

Read more at PoliticsPA.

Apparently the back-room efforts have paid dividends for the Casey Jr. campaign. I suppose its only a matter of time before Hafer is offered the Lt. Governor position for her party loyalty.

Pennacchio website

Casey Jr.'s new website

Posted at 01:10 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Pennsylvania | Comments (4) | Technorati

Thursday, March 03, 2005

State Party Blog Project

You can lend a hand with Pennsylvania, and have immediate impact. Tonight, I am meeting with the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, Don Morabito.

The local DFA asked me to speak to him about the importance of getting a blog up on the PA State Party website. So, that's where you come into play.

Are you from Pennsylvania?

If you are, please send me an email letting me know what it is you would like to see from a brand new Pennsylvania Democratic Party website. Let me know how you want the state party to use a blog in their grassroots outreach. In fact, pass along whatever you want passed to Morabito.

I will collect the emails and bring them into the meeting:

If you aren't from PA, feel free to write something on how your state party uses its blog, or even how you have seen blogs as an effective fundraising, organizational, and communication tool.

I will pass those along as well. I hope we can get about 10-15 of them by the time the meeting starts.

Thanks,

Tim

ttagaris@yahoo.com

Posted at 10:59 AM in Activism, Netroots, Pennsylvania | Technorati

Saturday, February 26, 2005

New Jersey!

Congrats to the people at the New Jersey Democratic Party -- Their new blog looks great. If you are from the Garden State, bookmark it.

http://www.njdems.org/blog.html

Quite frankly, it is f'n great. Allow me to give some public props to Michael Giglio over at the NJ State Party; he is an asset to our side. I have had the priviledge of talking to him a few times in the past week or two--he is one of the reasons I feel great about the relationship between the netroots and the future of our party.

It's a new day.

Posted at 12:17 AM in Activism, Netroots, New Jersey | Technorati

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

Rick Santorum Video From Yesterday

Here is the video I shot from the town hall meeting yesterday featuring Rick Santorum. Disclaimer, I work for the candidate whose site it is posted on.

That out of the way, there are two clips:

1.) Drexel College Republicans chanting "Hey hey, ho ho, social secrurity has got to go," as Santorum enetered the building.

2.) Chris Bowers calling out Santorum on an earlier statement by the Senator that Democratic colleagues of his supported privatization. Nice try Rick.

Tim

Posted at 12:18 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, General, Netroots, Pennsylvania | Technorati

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Report From Santorum Soc. Sec. Event in Philly

(video coming tomorrow of said events)

The first stop on Rick Santorum's re-election campaign this morning was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania--Drexel University. First of all, let me tell that I got lost on the way (not being from PA), and drove around for around 45 minutes more than I had to.

It was worth it...

I got there at around 9 A.M. in time to witness the pre-protest taking place outside of the ballroom the event was to take place in. At first it was a bunch of Drexel College Democrats standing outside, getting organized and passing out pamphlets. Then the College Republicans started strolling down the pavement.

You can see them coming from a mile away, or smell them coming, or sense them coming, whatever... It's funny, cause they feel like they have to put on a show; it's not even about supporting Santorum, it almost seemed like it was more about getting people to look at them. Example: One kid who deemed it necessary to put his Bush/Cheney t-shirt on in long exaggerated movements as he began approaching the crowd. It's a little thing, but it was obvious.

Anyway, the cameras were rolling and the literature was flying. One man stood out in the middle of the road with a giant sign that said, "TAX THE RICH" Back and forth, chanting, hooting and hollering like it was a college basketball game.

But the real show happened inside...

So, I am walking up the steps a few minutes before 10 A.M. to head inside and get a good seat. I was supposed to meet Chris Bowers from MyDD, but at this point I gave up hope. As I am walking up, the level of noise grew and people swarmed around me.

Well, not me, Santorum was walking up the steps right beside me. Yes, I was about 2 feet away. Soon the press swarmed and I just put my cigarette out, and moved aside from the spectacle. I walked inside the lobby and here he came again, as if he was following me. He motioned to one of the security folks that he had to use the rest room; it was only because I was restrained by a smarter man than I that I didn't follow him in with the video camera.

So, I headed inside and the show started. About 3 minutes into the event, Chris Bowers called and had no idea where to find the place. I got up and met him outside and we came back in. It gave me another chance to get a few puffs in.

Oh, I forgot to note that some shmuck from the SSA used some analogy about an aircraft carrier, let's call it, "The FDR," he said. And the ship's Admiral got an order to turn starboard. The admiral got pissed and the punchline was something about the orders coming from a lighthouse. Stupid, I know. But the "FDR" crack kind of pissed a few people off.

Where was I? Yes, Bowers and I get back inside.

Right away, Santorum asks, "and do you know what happens in four years?" Immediately, someone responded, "Bush is out of office." The smirk on the face Richy Rick (R-VA) was priceless. I only wish I got that part on tape. Sorry. The place clapped, it was great.

About two minutes later, a young man stood up and started calling Rick Santorum out and talking about Pinochet, Chile, George Schultz and the Govenator. Once again, Rick had quite a smirk on his face. The man was escorted out of the room while screaming something about "death squads."

Yes, he was a LaRouchie.

No more than 2 minutes later, the guy RIGHT INFRONT OF ME stood up. Same thing, Pinochet, Chile, and death squads. This guy kept on going--then he got roughed up. I have the entire exchange on tape, and as I said above, I will post a link to it tomorrow.

The entertainment value was high, but as someone next to me noted, "Every Democrat is hanging their head right now." He was right, it did not reflect well on us.

So, the rest of the event was pretty, ummm, uneventful. With the exception of the last minute. That was when Chris Bowers got to ask a question. Earlier in the forum, Slick Rick (R-VA) said something to the effect of conversations with Democratic Senators that supported atleast partial privatization. Chris called him on it and asked him to name names.

Rick could not.

In fact, he said that there were not any Democratic Senators who supported the Bush-Santorum corporatization scheme, but there was "one member in the House, I think."

Umm, yea. Nice try Rick--Great question Chris.

After that, I had my first Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, in Philly, and went home.

Tim

Posted at 09:02 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, General, Netroots, Pennsylvania | Comments (1) | Technorati

Call Joe Lieberman Day

I was at one of those Rick Santorum town hall meetings earlier today. It was quite interesting. I'll write on it tonight. In the meantime:

Stolen wholesale from MyDD.

Starting today at noon, make sure you drop Shaky Joe a line, letting him know you oppose all bill's to phase out social security, whether the bill is Bush's or Lindsey Grahams. Also let him know you don't appreciate his weak rhetoric in the issue...all that does is help Republican.

Here's the contact info:

706 Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4041 Voice
(202) 224-9750 Fax

One Constitution Plaza
7th Floor
Hartford, CT 06103
(860) 549-8463 Voice
(800) 225-5605 In CT
(860) 549-8478 Fax
(860) 522-8443 TDD

He's out of Washington today, so a call to his Connecticut offices might be in order. Especially if you are a Connecticutie.

For information why, read this.

Posted at 02:32 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism | Technorati

Friday, February 18, 2005

Lieberman Primary Challenge?

Believe me, I would love to see it. I am a strong believer that fighting inside primaries is the best way for us to change the face of our party. We do it in presidential races, why not the Senate? Is that body not important enough?

Personally, I believe the fact we don't routinely have contested Democratic primaries on the Senate level is the fault of our national party (more on this later). This is especially true in open seats and ones with a Republican incumbent. However, some Democrats need to be put on notice as well. Unfortunately, this is why it would be so tough to take out Joementum in a contested primary (MoE +/- 3.3%)

Among Democrats:

Approve: 72%
Disapprove: 19%
DK: 9%

His numbers drop only slightly when you expand beyond Democrats only and into Republicans and Independents.

Posted at 09:40 AM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Connecticut | Technorati

Monday, February 14, 2005

Support Howard Dean & the DNC

Howard Dean became chairman of the Democratic National Committee this weekend. Today, at the start of the week, it's time to show our full support for him. Why is this important?

• To those outside the Democratic Party, we must demonstrate that all Democrats stand united behind Howard Dean.

• To the old-guard establishment within the Democratic Party, we must show that the netroots must be taken seriously.

• And to all concerned, we must make it clear that we're willing to put our money where our mouths are, to back up our words with dollars.

There will be a time once again in the very near future where we will need to organize and mobilize. But right now, the way we can send our message is with our hard-earned cash. So I strongly urge you to contribute what you can via ActBlue:

You can keep track of donations here.

Posted at 02:27 PM in Activism, Netroots | Technorati

AmericaBlog blows open PropaGannon

John Aravosis of AmericaBlog.org has quite a Valentine's Day present for Scott McClellan. AmericaBlog.org has linked James D. Guckert, who "reported" on the White House under the pseudonym Jeff Gannon, to as many as six different internet escort profiles -- with X-rated pics -- and ratecards quoting $200/hour or $1,200/weekend.

Link Warning: The AmericaBlog scoop in not safe for work.

Posted at 01:48 PM in Activism, Netroots | Technorati

State Party Blog Project: Update

We can show them with more than just money.

In the hours since Howard Dean was selected to lead our party into the years ahead, the blogosphere has responded by contributing $97,000 plus in the past 48 hours to the DNC. We do so as a show of support for the Governor. "We've got his back." For the little its worth, I urge you to continue contributing nationally, but I also implore you to act locally.

One of the major tasks ahead of us is building a solid party infrastructure that has been woefully neglected until now--until the grassroots uprising inspired in large part by the Dean campaign. The State Party Blog Project attempts to take those first steps, online, in our own states. Please link our effort to your blogs and websites, and most importantly, keep working towards our goal.

We have been at the project for a few weeks, and already have had some successes. I want to take this opportunity to outline some of those victories, implore you to apply pressure in states that are close to coming around, and attempt to convince states that don't seem to be listening.

Success Stories

Alabama: Yes, I am partial. Not because I am from the state (cause I am not) but because working with the technology director of the Alabama State Democratic Party was a lot of fun. Great guy, the state party is lucky to have Brannon on the team. From our first emails:

i have been wanting to do this. not sure exactly how to go about it. any insight would be greatly appreciated. Brannon AL Dem Party

Well, a few weeks later--we have this: http://www.aladems.net/nucleus Great work, Brannon!

Florida: No real point in looking to the past, and it probably wouldn't have been used much--but imagine what a blog would have done in this state during the 2000 recount. With a Gov. and Sen. race in 2006, the party has jumped into the 21st century. From the first email returned by the Florida Democratic Party back in December:

I've gone so far as to walk through the blog creation process at blogspot.com and to download movable type for potentially hosting a blog on our webserver. We also wrote a very simplistic web diary for use by our delegation during the convention. [...]

I love blogs. I read several regularly. We already run a yahoo group that allows some members to carry on discussions. What more will a blog do for us?

I don't know if the emails back and forth had anything to do with it, and quite frankly, it's not important. But this is:

http://fladems.blogspot.com/

Tennessee: I wish I still had the emails to share, but the good people at the Tennessee Democratic Party were one of the first to respond when the initial call by the project's participants went out.

Now, they have a blog up.

Massachusetts: In response to a flood of emails from the netroots:

Hey folks, The MDP is going to start a blog. In addition to our forum.

http://p221.ezboard.com/bmassachusettsdemocraticparty.

Right now we are trying to decide who the blog moderator will be.

Iowa: This is another state that didn't have a blog when the project first started. Well, they had one, they just never used it. Which is another important facet of the project--getting states that have blogs, and don't use them, to start.

We have been assured in the case of Iowa, that will change. From the Iowa Democratic Party:

The Iowa Democratic Party does have a blog! See Here it is just getting started, and we have new staff coming on board next week, so things should start picking up. You can contact me if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or would like to volunteer to help.

-Andrew Brown
abrown@iowademocrats.org

But here is the point, once again. I could go down the list and count off state party websites that did not have blogs when we started, but do now. All of these blogs appeared after some form of outreach from our effort. Some of the states said they planned on starting a blog at first ask by the SPBP. Others did not. Either way, if they have a blog now, that is a victory.

But more important than celebrating our successes, is working towards states that are coming around--they just need a little more prodding. For example:

States We Can Get--Keep the Pressure On!

North Dakota is an easy get--if we follow up. From the Executive Director. Kind of makes me bad for going off on this state on the site.

We are interested. Thanks, Vern Thompson

Short and sweet, but that's fine. Someone, grab that ball. Here is the email address to use: vthompson@demnpl.com

New Jersey: Sorry to solicit more emails to the NJDP Mike, don't take it the wrong way--I really do like you.

Thank you so much for your input. There has been an increase in the number of requests for the New Jersey Democratic State Committee to provide a blog to our supporters. I assure you that the idea is being considered, so please check our website often for updates! We post new information, and ways for our supporters to get involved very often, so thank you for visiting our site, and we hope to hear from you soon!

Michael Giglio
IT Director
New Jersey Democratic State Committee

Pennsylvania: Could there be a more important race in 2006 than our opportunity to take out Rick Santorum? Seriously. This is why Democrats have lost 13 straight full-term U.S. Senate elections in PA. They say they are short-handed, well let them know that we will pick up the ball for them!

I just called and spoke to the PA Dem webmaster. He thought a blog is a good idea and told me that there is an intention to create a blog. But he is part of a three person team with a number of tasks, so it doesn't sound like we'll get a weblog soon.

He asked me if there is an email going around because I was "the fourth person" who called him today to inquire about a weblog.

So that is a quick down-and-dirty update. I have made all of the requisite updates on The State Party Blog Projet Blog. Atleast I hope I have. That is the hub for information and all of the tools you need to push the project down the field. Oh, not to glance over them. But we are going to include D.C. and Puerto Rico. More information on that shortly.

Please, take advantage of them. It is a new day for the Democratic Party. What better gift can we give our new Chairman than working to rebuild the infrastructure of our party and convince them (like we should have to convince) to implement the tools that allow us to participate and communicate directly from the roots.

Let's open those lines of communication.

Posted at 11:52 AM in Activism, Netroots | Technorati

Sunday, February 13, 2005

Calling out the Illinois Democratic Party

Yo. Anybody there in Springfield? Cause no one is responding. I hate to call you out in public, but many have tried in private. Now I gotta shame you. Your website is the worst mechansim for any sort of meaningful communication or information I have ever laid eyes on in my life.

I am not even trying to get all Internet evangelical on you; you gotta crawl before you can walk. But seiously, as a native, I am embarassed.

Where to even begin:

1.) At the very least, most candidates/parties make sure their contribution page is up to snuff. After all, they want the loot. But you can't even contribute on the website. You have to call or email to get instructions. What happens when you call? Do they get the information and a carrier pigeon comes to pick up the check?

2.) Maybe this is a simple oversight on your party, but do you know there is no way to even call on the front page? No telephone number, no email address to an info-at. The only HINT of contact information is an email address to the webmaster. Seriously, how can you not do better than that?

3.) The links page is funny. Someone got ambitious and attempted to link us to each state parties in the country. An ambitious goal for that crew, even if it doesn't really promote activism in Illinois. However, they apparently got lazy and stopped after twenty-some states.

Out of 102 counties in Illinois, there is contact information for seventeen of them. Sure, not every county has a Democratic Party, we are working to change that--especially if you won't. But I am quite sure that the number of existing counties with local parties is more than seventeen.

No one is asking for for an exhaustive list or user-friendly splash, heaven forbid. But let's make an effort.

4.) The candidates page says, in reference to 2005 races:

Visit this section again next election. Thank you!

That made me laugh. I really believe they were thinking, "yeah, visit it on election day and see who to vote for." Well what if people want to GET INVOLVED with some of those local candidates but don't know how to find them! Unbelievable. Does anyone else find that quote funny? Especially in light of the rest of the site?

5.) The Join the Team page still talks about building off the successes of 2002. Let's assume for a second they think 2002 was home to the last successes of the party. Whatever, fine. But you are missing the point. Give us some options to, umm, "join the team." I don't know, some form where I can check some boxes or type some text. We aren't asking for much here. . . We can even pretend that when I submit it, someone will read it.

6.) The press releases page is apparently under development. Unfortunately, it has been for a few months now. It is not too tough save a release, drop it on the server, and link it. No one is asking for beauty here.

Aaarrrgggghhhhh!

7.) The calendar page is the shining light of the website. Only, there is no calendar actually. It only provides information on fundraisers. Two of them to be exact. But beggars can't be choosers--thanks for updating that part.

People have tried. Many. I know because they email me or comment on it in other blogs. I know because I have tried myself. We want to help you here. Be pissed at me as you read this, fine. But myself, and many others want to help -- ttagaris@yahoo.com

Blow up their phone lines with this number: 217.546.7404
- email here: jgyure@ildems.com

Posted at 11:15 PM in Activism, Illinois | Comments (3) | Technorati

Goosebumps...

"It's time to punch the clock." The "Battle for America," has just begun.

Posted at 01:10 PM in Activism, General | Technorati

Saturday, February 12, 2005

Blogosphere United

BlogPAC is leading an effort to unite the blogosphere behind Howard Dean.

Here at the Swing State Project, we've been very focused on the future of our Democratic Party. We've covered the campaign for DNC Chair extensively. DavidNYC travelled to the Eastern Regional Caucus, I travelled to the Western Regional Caucus, and Tim has written dozens of posts on the campaign. We did this because we care about the future of our Party. Now that we have a reform Democrat leading the DNC, it is time for the blogosphere and the netroots to come together and support our leader.

If you have a blog, syndicate this and join a united blogosphere. You can also help by emailing your friends and sending them to:

http://actblue.com/list/dnc

UPDATE (DavidNYC): I just kicked in 25.01 - and I'm a poor student in debt up to my ears! So please, please contribute. Nothing could be more important than showing we are united in our support for Dean, and at this precise moment in time, dollars are the way to send that message.

UPDATE: $10467.69 from 215 donors in the first hour.
UPDATE 2: Be patient, ActBlue is running a little slow due to the response.
UPDATE 3: $22871.55 from 458 donors in the first two hours.
UPDATE 4: Interesting Times says Actblue, "appears to be swamped"
UPDATE 5: $34263.77 from 675 donors in the first three hours.
UPDATE 6: $43082.20 from 883 donors in the first four hours.
UPDATE 7: Kos says, "the ActBlue servers were so hammered that many went over and donated directly at the DNC site."
UPDATE 8: Blogsnow is tracking this as one of the most talked about items in the blogosphere.
UPDATE 9: Timeline: Atrios posted at 12:03 PM eastern, Markos posted the syndication code four minutes later at 9:07 AM pacific.
UPDATE 10: In five hours, 1000 people donated.

Atrios says:

We've set up a blogosphere-wide donation page, so show your support.

Remember: money talks. So, one way to get Candy Crowley to shut the fuck up is to play to Dean's strengths, which include gettting lots of turkee from the netroots.

Kos says:

Now that "Chairman Dean" is official, let's get Dean's back.

That fundraising link is being shared by a great deal of blogs.[...]

Remember, the GOP will unload on Dean. Everytime you hear the "Dean Scream" without context, consider donating. When you hear some empty head talk about the party "moving left" with Dean, consider donating. When you hear about unnamed big dollar Democratic donors whining about pulling their money out of the party, consider donating.

TalkLeft says:

Congratulations, Dr. Dean. Let's give him the ammunition he needs to successfully reform our party. Here's a blogosphere-wide contribution page.

Chris Anderson says:

The button may not work. ActBlue, the site handling the contributions, appears to be swamped right now. This is a good thing. If the button doesn't work you can go to the contribution page directly.

Articulate.babble says

Those of us who have followed Dean through the highs and lows know that he’s got our back. It’s time to get his. Donate to the DNC and show Howard that we support his efforts to reform this party!

I am a Reform Democrat.

For a trip down nostalgia lane, here’s a video link to Dean’s famous “What I Want to Know” speech two years ago at the DNC winter meeting. Now he’s DNC chairman.

What a country!

Damn Liberals says:

The GOP didn't want this. The status quo Democrats, like Lieberman, didn't want this. Dean represents a driving force that will give the party back to the people. This is a threat to those in power. As long as we are ignorant, they can rule. Dean refuses to allow us to remain ignorant any longer. As such, those in the GOP will open up with both barrels on him, probably starting tomorrow on the Sunday talking bobble head shows. We must watch Dean's back, and close ranks in support of him.

One way we in the Blogosphere can do this is through showing our support with our wallet. Please consider donating NOW to the DNC in support of electing Howard Dean to the chairmanship.

Posted at 12:11 PM in Activism, DNC Chair, Netroots | Technorati

Friday, February 11, 2005

Jeff Gannon

If you are a regular visitor to SSP, there is no doubt that you have come across the Jeff Gannon story by now. If not (or even if you have), here are two of the best recent summaries:

1.) Press release put out by the DailyKos diarists who broke, and have remained on top of, the story.

2.) Jon Aravosis, of AmericaBlog, on CNN last night with Aaron Brown. He did a great job and represented us (the lefty blogosphere) well.

And to think I remember joking around with David on messenger over a week ago about whether or not this story had legs.

Posted at 10:31 AM in Activism, Netroots | Technorati

Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Senator Feingold Interview

Is done...

Well, it turns out that I am second-to-last blogger to ask a question; chances are anything I have thought out will have been covered at that point. That's fine--I am just happy to be there. So. . .

Put your questions/comments in this entry. I will keep the screen open while the Q&A is going on, crossing off questions as we move along. If something is left by my turn, I will fire it out there.

Also, feel free to trackback people from your sites--I will do my best to blog the exchange as it happens, just like we did with Donnie Fowler's interview.

Overview: The first question I asked was about veterans and "supporting the troops." I got so pissed while thinking about 250,000 vets a year waiting in line for care, people I know personally who have died in Iraq, and Republicans waving their purple fingers at the SOTU, that I stuttered and stammered through the whole question.

The second question I asked was about the Senator's quote in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

"If at some point people say, 'Hey, we think you ought to run for president' (and) it's a serious thing, I'm going to listen. I would only run if I honestly believed that I was the guy that really could win, that I was the person who was the best candidate to run"

That one, I managed to get out without making myself sound like a smitten fifth grader. Extended entry...

5:52 P.M.

I am about to call in right now. I am a bit frustrated because on Tuesday night where I work--there is Irish dancing classes that go on upstairs. It sounds like a train is running through the building. I hope the conference is taken on mute for all callers, otherwise I will have to go outside to my car and take the call. If that happens, I will post a full update when its over.

6:02 P.M.

Gotta take the call outside. Will update when it's over. Sorry folks.

7:05 P.M. (Recap)

Right off the bat we got into 2008. Markos asked about other potential candidates for president wooing Washington insiders to bolster future runs.

The Senator countered with a refrain he repeated throughout the Q&A. Locking down insiders right now is a losing strategy. We don't even know what the world is going to look like in two years and it would almost be irresponsible (my word) to make a decision on 2008 right now, and start agressively moving towards it.

I gotta be honest--I had to take the conversation in my car (not running), so I was freezing and not able to take many notes. However, I think detailing the following is important:

He acknowledged a battle for the soul of the Democratic Party is taking place. He stressed that if there is a WINNER of that battle, and we divide ourselves in the process, the party is in trouble. I agree, sort of...

In my mind, Tim Roemer has little place in the future of "my" Democratic Party. See Mercatus. Congressmen like Martin Frost who run television ads claiming their Republican opponent isn't Republican enough. . . Umm, not palatable to me either. I understand that in some areas of the country you gotta do what you gotta do to win. But there is a line where personal principles have gotta come to the fore--and "Who supported President Bush?" "Speaker Hastert, and Martin Frost" "Kay Hutchinson and Martin Frost." Umm, no thanks.

But I think what most of SSP readers want to know is whether or not we got any clues as to whether or not Feingold is running in 2008. I came away from the interview unsure. It is obvious that he is seriously thinking about; waiting to see how things play out in D.C. and across the country before comitting to anything.

Were it Final Jeopardy, I would guess that he will be the progressive option on the ballot in Iowa, New Hampshire, or whatever states come first in the next cycle.

At the end of the interview, Chris Bowers asked him whether or not he was aware that in most online polls for 2008, he leads--almost exclusively.

Hopefully that translates at some point into him realizing that people are saying, "Hey, we think you ought to run for president."

Cause he "oughta."

Tim

Posted at 03:00 PM in 2008 Election - President, 2008 President - Democrats, Activism, General, Wisconsin | Technorati

Thursday, February 03, 2005

State Party Blogs: Quick Update

The response to the State Party Blog Project has been tremendous. Thank you. There has even been some direct feedback from the actual state parties on the site. I want briefly highlight one in particular: Arizona.

In short, the state's non-traditional campaign director made a direct appeal for bloggers. They need writers! It sounds like a great opportunity to get involved doing something most of us already enjoy. So, if you would like to do some blogging for the Arizona Democratic Party, please use the contact information below.

Tony Cani
ADP Non-Trad Campaigns Director
tcani@azdem.org
602-298-4200

Posted at 12:17 PM in Activism, Arizona, Netroots | Comments (3) | Technorati

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

The place to be for State of the Union

There is NO Crisis has a list of bloggers who will be commenting on the event in real-time HERE. There will also be a rapid response they have set up that you can visit and, more importantly, participate in HERE.

No further text necessary tonight. There is NO Crisis is the place to be.

Posted at 05:03 PM in Activism, Netroots | Technorati

State Party Blog Project: Now YOU have the tools

So it's looking good that Howard Dean will become our next DNC Chairman, and that means we have a mandate. A mandate to reform the party.

Don't get it twisted; the fact that Howard Dean will most likely be heading up the Democratic Party is our victory. It is the voice of the grassroots lifted up into the halls of power once owned by the "aristocracy of consultants." No more.

It is incumbent upon us to continue this fight and provide our state parties the tools available to communicate with the grassroots. When that is done, we begin at the county level - and so on.

For those familiar with the State Party Blog Project, I have created a website to give you all the tools to make the job happen. It will also serve as a hub for information and updates on our progress.

http://statepartyblogproject.blogspot.com/

For those not familiar...

This project is a grassroots effort encouraging all 50 Democratic state parties to not only put a blog on their official website, but to use it effectively. The Internet is the only medium of communication available for mass two-way communication. It is not only an effective fundraising tool (the language most "professionals" speak), but has tremendous organizational and communicative benefits most fail to recognize.

http://statepartyblogproject.blogspot.com/

The time has long passed to build an effective communication infrastructure online. If the good folks in Washington, D.C. don't want to do it, then the netroots will pick up the slack once again.

http://statepartyblogproject.blogspot.com/

Posted at 01:03 PM in Activism, Netroots | Technorati

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Positive Reinforcement...

If you have 30 seconds, please visit the Alabama Democratic Party Blog and post a comment. Praise the "yellow dogs" for creating a vehicle for two-way communication and offer suggestions you have their the blog.

It would help if we could use states like Arizona and Alabama as examples (and new ones as they emerge) to help push the state parties lagging behind towards creating their own blogs.

Posted at 02:00 PM in Activism, Alabama | Comments (2) | Technorati

Alabama!

A few weeks ago, many of us embarked on a project to bring each and every state party online with a blog for their home page. It started with Bob Brigham's discovery that 3/4 of state parties lack the most basic tools for two-way communication with the grassroots. So we embarked on a mission -- a mission to bring the 34 state party websites without blogs, up to speed. Today, I am happy to report that the next of those states has come on board, and who would have guessed it...

The New Alabama Democratic Party Blog.

I must admit, the project got me down. Tales of failed attempts to convince and outright refusal by some states to even discuss the prospect of a blog had me about to call it quits. Now, I am ready to pick the fight back up. Bouyed by the Alabama Democratic Party (Brannon), I want all who stepped in the first time to join me again.

In the extended entry you will find a list of states who don't have blogs, and ones that do but do not use them. Even if someone has claimed a state, jump on board and indicate in the comments that you will do so. Let's put the pressure on from all angles.

Please keep me updated as you progress, or decide not to progress. If states don't want to listen, we can adopt a plan 'B' for them. Let's set a stated goal of June 1, 2005 to bring every state party on board. Once again, please include the state you are adopting and your email address in the comments. If you have already done some work, please report on your experience as well.

The States:

AL: (ttagaris - ttagaris@yahoo.com) - Will have a blog next week
AK:
AZ: Just put a blog two days ago.
AR:
CT:
DE: (ttagaris - ttagaris@yahoo.com) - Currently talking with them
FL: (ttagaris - ttagaris@yahoo.com) - Have had a few conversations with them
HI
IL:
IN:
IA: (Hans - ) - Need an email address
KY: (ttagaris - ttagaris@yahoo.com) - Turning blog option "on" shortly.
LA: (ara - ara@rubyan.com) Just moved to Louisiana
ME: (Alna Dem - kjosephs@lincoln.midcoast.com)
MA: (Ken Michaud - dudeursistershot@gmail.com) - will email this weekend
MI: (Rabid Nation - david@rabidnation.com)
MS:
MT: (Bob Brigham - bob_brigham@yahoo.com) "Montana..I'll land"
NH: (Chuck - DriftawayNH@aol.com) -- Is in for New Hampshire
NJ:
NY: - We have one person that wishes to remain anonymous.
NC: (ttagaris - ttagaris@yahoo.com) Revamping webpage to include a blog
ND: (ttagaris - ttagaris@yahoo.com) - Talking with State Chairman Monday
OK:
OR:
PA: (Chris Bowers from MyDD) is going to handle it "in a way so large its hard to imagine"
RI:
SD:
TN: (ttagaris- ttagaris@yahoo.com) - Talked to them today. Putting one up
TX: (sharon - sharson@ureach.com) - Has decided to mess with Texas
VT: (Lunch Lady - 1cmdavis2002@adelphia.net)
WA: I think either Ron or N in Seattle had a lead here. Can't recall.
WV: (Carnaki -- arkhamnative@yahoo.com)
WI: (Mike - clawson@powerweb.net) - Has already taken step 1

Additionally, ID (Bernine - blberry@salmoninternet.com) Value of using a blog

NM, UT, and WY have blogs that they have decided not to use and

MD's blog has only 2 posts. (Steph@stephaniedray.com &

Tech Help: (Chiggins@chiggins.com)

Posted at 11:07 AM in Activism, Alabama | Comments (3) | Technorati

Monday, January 24, 2005

Democrats have a Positive Message

Sen. Reid's War Room kicked into high gear today as the Senate Democrats rolled out an ambitious positive agenda for America. We now have an agenda, we now have a Promise.

Senator Reid's leadership in taking our message online is very much appreciated, so I've posted the Senate Democrats' promise to America:
PUTTING AMERICA’S SECURITY FIRST
EXPANDING OPPORTUNITY TO ALL AMERICANS
MEETING OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE FUTURE AND THE PAST

UPDATE: From MyDD, go show your support by co-sponsoring our agenda. I've categorized these posts under "2006 Midterm Elections" because the Senate Democrats have told us what they're going to be talking about for two years, presented us with in-depth information, and told us what we can do. I co-sponsored:

Senate Democrats open the 109th Congress steadfastly committed to keeping the promise of America, the promise that all Americans who work hard can build a stronger and brighter future for their families. By embracing and affirming our core values of security, opportunity and responsibility, Democrats are united to help America fulfill this promise.

We need to show them our support. Cosponsor the Democratic Agenda by visiting:

http://democrats.senate.gov/cosponsor-form.html

Democrats.org

Posted at 12:33 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism | Technorati

Putting America's Security First

THE AMERICAN PROMISE

Senate Democrats open the 109th Congress steadfastly committed to keeping the promise of America, the promise that all Americans who work hard can build a stronger and brighter future for their families. It is the promise of security, that the American way of life and our freedom will be protected by using all the tools to take the fight to the terrorists and standing with those who have served.

PUTTING AMERICA’S SECURITY FIRST:

S.11: Standing With Our Troops. Democrats believe that putting America’s security first means standing up for our troops and their families. Democrats will work to increase our military end strength by up to 40,000 by 2007. We will create a Guard and Reserve Bill of Rights to protect and promote the interests of our dedicated citizen soldiers. Democrats will also fight for the families of those who serve our country. This includes providing income security and immediate access to affordable health care.

1S.11: STANDING WITH OUR TROOPS

Democrats understand that putting America’s security first means providing our troops, both the active duty and reserve components, and their families with the resources they need to protect our freedom. S. 11 recognizes the sacrifices our troops make on our behalf by providing them the personnel, equipment, compensation, and benefits they need to them accomplish their mission.

Increase Army and Marine Endstrength By Up To 40,000 By 2007. All Americans have seen and heard of our overburdened and overstretched military. S. 11 recognizes that need and adds up to 30,000 Army personnel and up to 10,000 Marines over 2 years to provide for our security.

Recognize the Sacrifice and Valor of Our Troops. Reports show that the DoD may be dramatically underreporting U.S. casualties in Iraq. S.11 requires the DoD to prepare a monthly report on casualties and establishes an advisory panel on medals and decorations to ensure that deserving servicemembers are honored.

A National Guard and Reserve Bill Of Rights:

Straight Answers About Deployment/Service Obligations. S. 11 requires the Defense Department to report on the lessons learned in connection with deployment, extension of duty, and troop rotations. It also requests that the Defense Department keep its commitment to limit the length of service for our citizen soldiers.

Best Equipment. In response to the widely publicized shortages of body armor, up-armored Humvees, and other vital equipment and gear, S. 11 would: establish an Office of Mobilization Planning and Preparedness within the National Security Council to plan and prepare for mobilization of private sector and other non-military entities during a national security emergency; require a report from the DoD on Armed Services needs with regard to reconstituting equipment stocks to recover from damage and destruction accumulated during recent combat operations; and authorize $8.5 billion to the Army and $2.1 billion to the Marines for reconstitution needs.

Better Representation Within Defense Department. In order to ensure that the reserve component’s increased role is reflected in the Pentagon’s leadership, S. 11 would elevate the Assistant Secretary for Reserve Affairs to Deputy Undersecretary.

Timely Compensation. GAO reports in November 2003 and August 2004 found that as many as 95 percent of reservists have experienced pay problems while deployed to Iraq, and that these problems have had a significantly adverse effect on these troops and their families. S. 11 would create a position in DoD to implement the recommendations of the GAO to fix the reservist pay system.

Fulfill Our Commitments To Military Families. Democrats also recognize the tremendous sacrifices made by family members of military personnel when their loved ones depart for duty. They must face the difficult task of continuing to support their families and households. S. 11 would ensure both financial and physical health for servicemembers and their families.

Provide Pay Security To Federal And Civilian Workers Called To Active Duty. S. 11 provides pay security to military families by offering a tax credit designed to entice employers of reservists to make up the difference between their activated military pay and their civilian income; requires the federal government to make up the difference between reservists’ activated military pay and their civilian income; allows reservists to make certain tax-free withdrawals from IRA accounts; and makes allowances for wage payments made in income tax calculations and retirement plan management.

Provide Access To Health Care For All Reservists And Their Families By 2006. A 2000 DoD survey found that 20 percent of reservists, including 40 percent of junior enlisted personnel, had no health care coverage while demobilized. In 2004, Congress passed legislation authorizing reservists to obtain access to the military’s TRICARE health care program for 1 year for each 90-day period of active service. While an important step forward, this provision only provides health care after a deployment is complete, and fails to provide the complete health care coverage necessary to ensure that reservists are medically ready to answer a call to duty. S. 11 provides access to permanent TRICARE coverage.

Increase Death And Survivor Benefit. Death and survivor benefits provide the government an opportunity to help military families at their hour of greatest need. S. 11 increases the death gratuity from $12,000 to $100,000. It also lifts a prohibition against receiving both the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) and Dependent and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits, and extends the thirty year limitation on paying SBP premiums to retirees who signed up for SBP between 1972 and 1978 (currently, those who joined after 1978 can stop paying premiums after 30 years).

Fulfill Our Commitments To Our Taxpayers. While we all support the brave Americans risking their lives in our nation’s defense, Democrats believe Iraq is the world’s problem and others should do their fair share. Unfortunately, U.S. taxpayers have paid over 80 percent of reconstruction costs and over 90 percent of military costs in Iraq. S. 11 requires the President to report to Congress on U.S., Iraqi, and foreign contributions to Iraq’s reconstruction before any new U.S. reconstruction funds are appropriated. Furthermore, the President is required to certify to Congress that he has been unable to generate additional support from Iraqi oil revenues or other nations before any new U.S. reconstruction funds can be allocated.

S. 12: Targeting the Terrorists More Effectively. Keeping America secure means stepping up the fight against the radical Islamic fundamentalism. Democrats will work to increase our Special Operations forces by 2,000 to attack the terrorists where they are and to protect our freedoms here at home. We will further enhance our efforts against enemies by targeting the institutions that spawn new terrorists. Democrats are also united to ensure that the world’s most dangerous weapons stay out of the hands of terrorists. We will expand the pace and scope of programs to eliminate and safeguard nuclear materials, enhance efforts to keep these and other deadly materials out of the hands of terrorists, and assist state and local governments in equipping and training those responsible for dealing with the effects of terrorist attacks involving weapons of mass destruction.

S. 12: TARGETTING THE TERRORISTS MORE EFFECTIVELY

Democrats are determined to wage the most effective war on terror. S. 12 lays out a comprehensive U.S. strategy to fight and win the war on international terrorism. In contrast to the Bush Administration’s piecemeal approach, S. 12 establishes four interlocking pillars necessary to wage an effective war on terrorism: (1) taking the fight to the terrorists, (2) drying up the breeding grounds that produce terrorism, (3) enhancing the U.S. government’s accountability and effectiveness to deal with this issue, and (4) reducing the possibility terrorists could acquire and use nuclear materials as a weapon, the greatest single threat to U.S. national security.

Take the Fight to the Terrorists. S. 12 contains three basic provisions that will allow the U.S. to take the fight to the terrorists in a more effective manner. First, S. 12 increases the U.S. Special Forces capability by 2,000 personnel over the next several years, greatly enhancing this nation’s ability to track down and eliminate international terrorists in all corners of the globe. S. 12 also increases foreign language experts in the U.S. government, thereby ensuring that our troops and security personnel receive timely translations of critical conversations between terrorist organizations. S.12 also strengthens measures to combat terrorist financing, a critical aspect of the war on terror.

Dry up the Breeding Grounds that Produce Terrorism. A long term complement to the offensive measures, S. 12 contains four key long-term initiatives that are designed to dry up the breeding grounds of terrorism. S. 12 authorizes additional funding for basic education programs to help nations provide a clear alternative to the madrassas preaching radical Islam; support to non-governmental organizations working to enhance democracy and development in the Muslim world; new public diplomacy programs to enhancing America’s image abroad, and a long term strategy to deal with key states; including Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.

Increase the U.S. Government’s Accountability and Effectiveness to Counter the Terrorist Threat. The U.S. government lacks the basic tools to determine if our efforts to combat terrorism are actually working. This fact was compounded by the errors in the State Department’s annual report on global terrorism. S. 12 deals with these problems by establishing an independent institution with the sole purpose of assessing the effectiveness of U.S. polices and programs on the war on terror; creates tough criminal penalties for anyone caught defrauding or profiteering from U.S. foreign assistance programs; and creates an independent commission to hold accountable all of those responsible for the Abu Ghraib scandal.

Prevent Nuclear Terrorism. Nuclear terrorism is the single greatest threat to U.S. national security. S. 12 expands the pace and scope of programs to eliminate and safeguard nuclear materials by authorizing a global cleanout of radioactive materials; constructs permanent security arrangements for radioactive materials; expands the Cooperative Threat Reduction program beyond the Former Soviet Union; and dramatically increases resources for a range of under-funded, yet vital, State and Defense Department programs. The bill also includes a number of measures to increase border and port security and respond to a catastrophic terrorist attack. It adds 1,500 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Customs and Border Protection agents over 5 years; authorizes $3 billion over 4 years to ensure that MTSA standards are met and funds other port security measures; and creates or restores a number of programs designed to ensure that this nation’s state and local first responders have the training and equipment they need to deal with this threat.

S. 13: Fulfilling Our Duty to America’s Veterans. A key component of keeping America secure is protecting the rights of our veterans. Since the time of Lincoln, Americans have made and kept a sacred commitment to those who served this nation in the defense of freedom. As a new generation of veterans return from Iraq and Afghanistan, Democrats are united to fulfill that promise. We will ensure that all veterans get the health care they deserve while also expanding the availability and accessibility of mental health care. We will ensure that no veteran is forced to choose between a retirement and disability check. We will also make the same commitment to the soldiers of today that was made to past veterans with a 21st Century GI Bill.

1S. 13: KEEPING OUR PROMISE TO AMERICA’S VETERANS

Since the time of Lincoln, Americans have made and kept a commitment to those who served in the defense of freedom. As a new generation of veterans returns from Iraq and Afghanistan , Democrats are united to keep that promise. We will ensure that all veterans get access to the health care and services they need.

Ensure All Veterans Get the Health Care They Deserve By 2006. The May 2003 report of The President’s Task Force To Improve Health Care Delivery For Our Nation's Veterans found a serious imbalance between demand and available funding at the VA that delays care and threatens its quality. Under the current funding process, the VA has experienced billion-dollar shortfalls every year for the past several years. At a time when the number of veterans needing services is increasing daily, S. 13 ensures that America keeps its promises to our veterans and they get the health care they deserve.

Expand Mental Health Care to All VA Hospitals By 2006. The New England Journal of Medicine has reported that as many as 1 in 6 soldiers returning from Iraq may suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Yet only 86 of 163 VA Medical Centers currently have PTSD clinical teams. S. 13 would place a PTSD clinical team at every VA Medical Center, and would improve outreach to at-risk veterans.

Make Prescription Drugs Readily Available to Veterans. Under current regulations, a veteran receiving a prescription from a private doctor must complete a physical with a VA physician before the VA will honor that prescription. This red-tape costs the VA an estimated $1 billion or more each year. S. 13 will overturn this regulation, providing veterans with quick and easy access to prescription drugs.

Ensure No Veteran Is Forced to Choose Between Disability Compensation and Retirement Pay By 2006. In 2003, Congress enacted a law phasing in full concurrent receipt of disability compensation and retirement pension over 10 years for all disabled military retirees with 50 percent or higher disability ratings. While such legislation constitutes an important step forward, over 400,000 veterans are still prohibited from receiving the compensation they have earned with their service and sacrifice. S. 13 will revoke the “disabled veterans tax” and make certain that no veteran will have to choose between a disability check and a retirement check.

Create A Seamless Transition From the Military to the VA. Many veterans have encountered obstacles to getting the services they deserve when they leave active duty status. While the Defense and Veterans’ Departments have been trying to iron out the kinks preventing a “seamless transition” from military life to the VA system, the agencies have yet to complete any of the seven recommendations for this necessity offered by the President’s Task Force. S. 13 would enact each of these seven recommendations, including requiring pre-separation medical examinations and disability benefits counseling, removing information-sharing barriers, and requiring greater cooperation between VA and DoD in tracking disabilities resulting from occupational exposure to hazardous materials.

Enact A New G.I. Bill For the 21st Century. Education assistance provided under the G.I. Bill and its successors has been one of the most successful federal government programs in history. S. 13 revitalizes the G.I. bill for the 21st Century by excluding G.I. benefits from financial aid eligibility computations, thereby allowing veterans to obtain greater financial aid, and offers Montgomery G.I. bill benefits to more veterans by creating a new enrollment window for Veterans Education Assistance Program participants.

Democrat's Promise

Posted at 11:40 AM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism | Technorati

Expanding Opportunity to All Americans

THE AMERICAN PROMISE

Senate Democrats open the 109th Congress steadfastly committed to keeping the promise of America, the promise that all Americans who work hard can build a stronger and brighter future for their families. It is the promise of opportunity so that every American can get the education they need to compete in the 21st century; live in an economy with well paying jobs and high quality health care; and participate in our democracy.

EXPANDING OPPORTUNITY TO ALL AMERICANS:

S. 14: Expanding Economic Opportunity. Democrats understand that the most effective means of increasing opportunity for our families is a high quality, good paying job. Democrats will fight to restore overtime protection to 6 million workers and increase the minimum wage for 7.4 million workers. We must do more to create good jobs today and in the future and the Democratic bill does so by eliminating tax incentives for companies that take jobs overseas, creating new jobs through an expansion of infrastructure programs to repair America’s backbone, and encouraging innovation in the American economy. We are also determined to pursue a trade policy that protects American workers and addresses our record trade deficit. Democrats will work to strengthen enforcement of our trade agreements while assisting those workers who have been unduly burdened by unfair trading practices of other nations.

S. 14 EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

Democrats understand that the most effective means of increasing opportunity for our families is a high quality, good paying job. We are committed to expanding economic opportunity to all Americans and investing in America to create the new jobs of the future.

Ensure Fair Wages for America’s Workers. This Administration has denied the availability of overtime wages to some of the workers who need it most. This bill restores that availability to 6 million workers. The existing minimum wage is no longer a livable wage. S. 14 would increase the Federal minimum wage over the next two years. Finally, the bill supports relief for multi-employer pension plans, which are used predominantly by small businesses to provide pension benefits to an estimated 9.7 million American workers.

End Tax Break for Companies Exporting Jobs. The tax code allows companies that earn income in foreign countries to defer paying tax on these profits until they are brought back to the United States. This quirk in the tax code provides a tax incentive for companies to move U.S. production facilities abroad, even if the eventual market for their products remains in the United States. Democrats will eliminate this loophole by requiring companies to pay tax immediately on the profits they earn abroad, but only with respect to products that are imported back into the United States. Companies that locate production facilities abroad for the purpose of serving those foreign markets would not be affected by this change.

A Marshall Plan to Improve Traditional and High-Tech Infrastructure. Across America thousands of infrastructure projects - from our smallest rural communities to our biggest cities - await the capital to move forward. Investing in our nation’s roadways and waterways would improve our quality of life and protect public health and safety. Equally important, it would create a huge boost for our economy - creating 47,000 well paying American jobs for each billion dollars in investment. America continues to fall behind our competitors in access to broadband internet service. Most of the communities lacking service are in rural and economically-distressed areas of the country. S. 14 expands broadband availability to these areas by allowing broadband service providers to immediately deduct one-half of the cost of their investment in equipment to provide current generation broadband access to rural and underserved areas.

Strengthen and Restore American Innovative Strength through Commitment to Research, Science and Technology. Research and development results in higher quality jobs, better and safer products and higher productivity among American businesses. U.S. economic strength is dependent on its leadership in science and technology, and the U.S. is losing ground to foreign competitors. The U.S. needs to re-commit itself to the value of public investment in research and development, which is being outpaced by investment in the private sector. This bill makes permanent a tax credit for entities that increase their research activities and makes a credit available to consortia of entities that research collaboratively. The bill also expresses support for legislation that will increase federally funded research at the National Science Foundation, the Office of Science at the Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Science and Technology so we can better compete in the international economy, as well investment in math, science and technology programs at our secondary education institutions.

Enforce Our Trade Agreements and Maintaining Level Playing Field. Democrats are determined to pursue a trade policy that protects American workers and addresses our record trade deficit. This bill requires the Administration to identify the most important export markets that remain closed to U.S. products and provides the tools needed to open them. It also creates the office of Chief Enforcement Negotiator, whose sole responsibility will be to police our trading partners’ performance of their obligations. This bill will force China to stop manipulating its currency and force China to choose between revaluing its currency to its market value or facing a tariff on all Chinese imports to the United States equal to the unfair trade advantage China currently enjoys.

Retrain Workers Displaced by Trade. Trade Adjustment Assistance has helped thousands of manufacturing workers get retraining, keep their health insurance, and make a new start. This bill will expand TAA to cover service workers who lose their jobs to offshoring. This bill will help rebuild communities hurt by outsourcing by integrating political and economic organizations and coordinating Federal, State, and local resources to develop a new plan and a new future for the people who live in them. Unemployed workers learning new skills can not stick with their training if they do not have effective health coverage. This bill allows them to complete their training by offering an effective health benefit.

Define a Ceiling for the U.S. Trade Deficit and Foreign Debt. The United States is now the world’s largest debtor nation, and risks serious consequences if its trade deficits continue unabated. While Congress has set a ceiling on the national debt, it has set no limit on the U.S. foreign debt, nor on the annual trade deficits that feed it. S. 14 will change that. Whenever the overall foreign debt reaches 25 percent of our GDP, or when the annual trade deficit reaches five percent of GDP, the Administration would be required to convene an emergency interagency meeting, and provide Congress with a trade deficit reduction plan to lower debt levels below the statutory ceiling.

S. 15: Quality Education for All. Democrats are committed to providing a quality education to all Americans because we recognize that education has always been the cornerstone of equal opportunity. Democrats will keep our promise to our children by increasing support for pre-school education, fully funding No Child Left Behind and improving its implementation. We are committed to providing safe and reliable transportation for our rural school children and meeting the Federal commitment to children with disabilities. Democrats will also address the shortfall of math, science and special education teachers by creating tuition incentives for college students to major in those fields. We will help expand educational opportunities for college by providing relief from skyrocketing college tuition, increasing the size and access to Pell Grants and supporting proven programs that encourage more young people to attend and succeed in college.

S. 15: QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL

Democrats are committed to providing a quality education to all Americans because we recognize that education has always been the cornerstone of equal opportunity. Democrats will keep our promise to education at all levels, from pre-school to college. We are determined to expand access to a high quality education for all Americans.

Strengthen Head Start and Child Care Programs. Children that participate in Head Start and Early Head Start enter elementary school ready to learn. Democrats will acknowledge and support the Head Start program by allowing poor families up to 130% of the poverty line to participate; improving school readiness of Head Start children by strengthening activities to promote social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development; requiring teachers to have a college degree within the next 8 years and that within the next 3 years, all new teachers must have an AA or be enrolled in a program leading to an AA degree; requiring teachers to receive on-going literacy training; and targeting the use of quality funds to promote early childhood development in addition to safety.

Provide Safe, Reliable Transportation for Rural School Children. Many rural local educational agencies do not have safe and reliable buses and lack the resources to buy new buses or retrofit the ones they have. This leaves children no choice but to ride in outdated, unsafe buses. This bill creates a federal program for rural school districts to purchase new buses so that they can retire substandard buses. It establishes a 75% to 25% federal to local match, and authorizes $50 million for 2006 and such sums as may be necessary for 2007 through 2010.

Fulfill Our Obligation to Children With Disabilities. Improving educational results for children with disabilities is an essential element of national policy. Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Reauthorization in the 108th Congress, which called for the federal government to honor its commitment to the States by providing 40% funding for the excess cost of special education. S. 15 calls for the federal government to fulfill its obligation to the states and approximately 6.5 million children by appropriating the funds authorized in the law by 2011.

Improve Elementary and Secondary Education. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) created unintended consequences for school districts nationwide. Due to the rigidity of the law’s requirements, many schools had difficulty implementing the mandate which was exacerbated by continual underfunding. S. 15 recognizes that NCLB can – and should – be improved. This bill makes improvements in the areas of supplemental services, highly qualified teachers and paraprofessionals, and recalculation of annual yearly progress (AYP). Democrats will provide the additional resources that will help our schools work with the nearly 4.1 million students, or 8.5 percent of our nation’s public school students, who are English language learners. The bill also provides full funding of Title I resources for local school districts that help disadvantaged students succeed academically. The bill also includes a Sense of the Senate Resolution to fully fund Title I: $22.75 billion in FY06 and $25 billion in FY07.

Address the Need for Math, Science and Special Education Teachers. Democrats recognize that math, science and special education teachers are becoming scarce. This bill creates a tuition-free program for future teachers in these fields. Democrats will make public college effectively tuition free for future math, science, and special education teachers.

Provide a Roadmap for First Generation and Low-Income College Students. Democrats will continue to support the opportunity of a college education. The bill provides additional funding to TRIO, a program that helps low-income, first-generation college student attend and complete college, and GEARUP, a program created to help lower-income students consider and prepare early for college. These are two of the most important and successful support systems for aspiring students and the budget should not be balanced on their backs. This legislation authorizes funding for TRIO at $1 billion and GEARUP at $400 million.

Provide College Tuition Relief for Students and Their Families. The Department of Education changed the eligibility determination for Pell Grants via tax tables in the dead of night. The new formula will purge about 90,000 students from the rolls. This bill provides a hold harmless component on the Administration’s change to the tax table determination and restores the formula for Pell Grants, saving 1.3 million students from receiving decreased funding. Democrats will also increase the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,100 starting in FY2006. Democrats are also committed to helping students succeed and graduate. The legislation authorizes $500 million to create a Summer Pell Demonstration Program to facilitate the ability of low-income students to complete their degree within 150% of the expected time.

Making College Affordable for All Students. Democrats are determined to expand the opportunity of college and will do so by increasing access to HOPE and Lifetime Learning tax credits. The bill makes these two credits refundable. We will also triple the maximum college tuition deduction to $12,000 and make the deduction permanent. Democrats also understand the difficult burden that college loan payments place on recent graduates and their families. Democrats will create a tax credit for student loan interest expenses. The credit is targeted to low and middle-income families and increases the current tax benefit for the average family from $375 to $1,500.

S. 16: Making Health Care More Affordable. Spiraling health care costs are putting the opportunity of America at risk, making it harder for families to buy health insurance and placing a difficult burden on small businesses and manufacturers. Democrats will address these concerns by making prescription drugs more affordable through the legalization of prescription drug reimportation and more safe by ensuring drugs are monitored after they are approved for use. Democrats will ensure that all children and pregnant women will have health care and protect Medicaid. We will reduce the growing cost of health care to small businesses by offering tax credits while also modernizing health care to cut costs for patients and businesses.

S. 16: MAKING HEALTH CARE MORE AFFORDABLE

Spiraling health care costs not only make it harder for families to buy health insurance and seniors to afford their prescriptions but these soaring costs weaken our economy by burdening small businesses and making American manufacturers less competitive. Democrats are committed to addressing the rising cost of health care with commonsense measures that will provide relief to businesses and families.

Make Prescription Drugs More Affordable. S.16 makes prescription drugs more affordable by legalizing the safe importation of FDA-approved prescription drug from other industrialized countries where they are more affordable. The bill also addresses the safety of prescription drugs and provides for better monitoring of drugs after they are approved for use.

Make Health Care Affordable For Children and Pregnant Women. This legislation would provide coverage to all children and would increase coverage for pregnant women. It also affirms Democrats’ commitment to protect the Medicaid program that provides coverage to more than 40 million Americans.

Provide Small Businesses Relief. S. 16 will provide small businesses relief by offering tax credits to help small employers provide coverage for their employees. The bill would create 25 pilot programs to build on the innovation of several programs across the country that help small employers cover their employees.

Modernize Health Care. This legislation would cut costs and improve care by increasing the use of information technology and assuring patients have electronic medical records. This bill would help in reducing medical errors which contribute to 98,000 deaths each year.

S. 17: Democracy Begins at Home. Equal opportunity in this country is based upon equal representation and fair voting. Democrats are determined to reforming the voting system in this country to create Federal standards for our elections. The bill adds verification, accountability and accuracy to the system. It increases access to the polls with Election Day registration, shorter lines and early voting. The bill also aims to modernize our election equipment and increase impartiality and provides the resources to our states to implement the bill.

S. 17: DEMOCRACY BEGINS AT HOME

Democrats are united in our effort to making voting reform a reality for all Americans. It is time for the opportunity of a fair and transparent voting system to be available to every voter. The Help America Vote Act made important steps forward and now it is time to continue to make reforms that will ensure each voter gets the opportunity to vote and all votes are counted.

Voter Verified Ballots. All voters must be able to ensure that their vote is accurately recorded. The bill requires that all voting systems used in Federal elections provide a voter verified ballot that is fully accessible to the disabled and ensures privacy and independence.

Election Day Registration. The bill requires each state to adopt Election Day registration procedures for Federal elections.

Uniform and Nondiscriminatory Standards 1for Counting Provisional Ballots. The bill requires that states count any otherwise eligible provisional ballot if cast anywhere in the state.

Shorter Lines at the Polls. Numerous and often widespread reports of long lines at the polls hinder the voting process. The bill requires states to meet Election Assistance Commission (EAC) mandatory standards that establish a minimum number of voting systems and poll workers which must provide geographic distribution.

Create a National Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot. The bill creates a National Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (NFWAB) for Federal office that every and any eligible voter is entitled to cast from anywhere inside or outside the United States and requires the NFWAB be counted without regard to which polling place, precinct, local unit of government, state, or country the NFWAB is cast in.

Accurate and Transparent Voting Rolls. The bill requires states to provide public notice of all proposed purged names from voting rolls 60 days in advance of a Federal election. It also prohibits states from purging names of voters from the list without specific notice provided in accordance with National Voting Rights Act (NVRA).

Establish Early Voting. The bill requires states to establish early voting periods for a minimum of fifteen calendar days prior to a Federal election, with uniform mandatory Saturday hours, and a minimum of four hours per day, including Saturdays.

Investigate a Federal Election Day Holiday. The bill requires the Election Assistance Commission to study and make recommendations for a national voting holiday within six months of enactment of this Act.

Upgrade Voting Machines and Improve Ballot Designs. The bill requires punch card voting systems to provide in-person notice of over-votes and prohibits central count optical scan systems from meeting the voter verification requirements through an education system to ensure all votes are counted.

Create Uniform and Inclusive Voter Registration Standards. This bill 1establishes the right of a citizen to use the Federal voter registration form under NVRA to register to vote in Federal elections and directs the EAC to issue a revised form that requires a mandatory affidavit/signature attesting to both citizenship and age.

Establish Fair and Uniform Voter ID Rules. This bill expands the means for establishing voter identification to allow a voter to execute a written affidavit attesting to their identification.

Impartial Election Administrators. The bill requires notice provisions, public statements, and other transparency/accountability measures with regard to election administrators, changes in state election laws prior to Federal election,; modifications to polling places, and denial of requests by international and other non-partisan observers for access polling places.

Increase Funding to States. The bill provides additional appropriations to states for the requirement grant payments to meet the new requirements included in this bill.

Democrat's Promise

Posted at 11:33 AM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism | Comments (1) | Technorati

Meeting Our Responsibility to the Future and the Past

THE AMERICAN PROMISE

Senate Democrats open the 109th Congress steadfastly committed to keeping the promise of America, the promise that all Americans who work hard can build a stronger and brighter future for their families. Keeping the promise of America means meeting our responsibilities both to future and past generations by providing our seniors what they have spent a lifetime work for; acting responsibly with taxpayer’s dollars and with our children’s future by restoring fiscal discipline; and enabling women to take responsibility for their health.

MEETING OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE FUTURE AND THE PAST:

S. 18: Meeting Our Responsibility to Medicare Beneficiaries. Democrats will take the special interests out of the Medicare law by repealing the provision that prevents Medicare from negotiating better prices for seniors and eliminating the slush fund for HMOs. We will also improve the prescription drug benefit by phasing out the current doughnut hole where seniors pay a premium but get no benefit. We will buy down the Part B premium so premium increases are not too steep. We will address incentives that encourage employers to drop retiree benefits and we will ensure that no seniors are forced into HMOs while helping seniors in their transition to the new benefit.

The Medicare Prescription Drug Bill created a number of problems for our seniors. The Republicans used every chance they could get to help their special interest HMO and drug company friends. Democrats believe that seniors and people with disabilities should come first and this bill takes the first steps to improving the Medicare program to reflect those priorities. The Meeting Our Responsibility to Medicare Beneficiaries Act will lower the cost of prescription drugs and Medicare premiums, eliminate the HMO slush fund and protect the interests of our seniors.

Lower Drug Prices for Seniors. Democrats want to lower drug prices by eliminating the prohibition on allowing Medicare to use the power of its 41 million beneficiaries to negotiate lower drug prices. Medicare negotiation would mean lower drug prices, just like it does for the VA and other bulk purchasers.

Lower Part B Premiums For Seniors By Eliminating the HMO Slush Fund. The bill eliminates the $10 billion HMO slush fund Republicans put in the Medicare law. In addition, it stops the Bush Administration from assuring that HMOs are paid more than traditional Medicare by redistributing overpayments back to private plans. The bill requires HHS to adjust the payments in a way that saves that money for Medicare beneficiaries and uses the savings to reduce Medicare Part B premiums for seniors who are coping with the largest premium increase in history this year.

Protect Seniors From Gaps In Coverage. The drug benefit contains a huge gap in coverage during which seniors continue to pay premiums but get no drug coverage at all. This coverage gap only gets bigger over time – from $2,850 in 2006 to $5,066 in 2013. This bill would phase out the gap in coverage.

Protect Retirees From Losing Drug Coverage. The Republican drug bill will cause 3.8 million retirees to lose the good drug coverage they already have. This bill requires HHS to develop incentives for employers to maintain coverage and ensures that current incentives function properly.

Ensure Seniors Are Not Forced Into HMOs. In some communities, the Medicare drug bill could force seniors into HMOs because there may not be enough competing plans. This bill ensures that a1 guaranteed Medicare fallback is triggered whenever there are not two stand-alone drug plans available in an area so that seniors are not forced to join HMOs.

Eliminate Late Penalties. The new law creates considerable confusion and new sets of choices for seniors. Seniors will be forced to sign up for a plan without fully understanding what benefits are offered, whether the drugs they take are on the plan’s preferred list, or how much they will actually pay. This bill waives the late enrollment penalty for the first two years to give seniors time to understand the benefit and decide if they want to join, without subjecting them to a 12 percent per year late enrollment penalty. This provision makes the legislation truly voluntary.

Protect 6 Million Low-Income Beneficiaries During The Transition. The new law prohibits states from getting federal Medicaid matching funds for covering drugs for beneficiaries who are eligible for the new drug benefit from day one. This bill allows Medicaid to continue to cover drugs during the transition, protecting 6 million of our most vulnerable beneficiaries from falling through the cracks and having no coverage for the drugs they need.

S. 19: Fiscal Responsibility for a Sound Future. Democrats know that fiscal mismanagement today only leads to greater problems for our children. It is our responsibility to address the fiscal irresponsibility of the current Administration by imposing discipline today and Democrats are united to strengthen budgeting rules that require the government to live within its means.

1S. 19: FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR A SOUND FUTURE

The Fiscal Responsibility for a Sound Future Act helps to restore budget discipline and fiscal responsibility to our nation’s finances. Democrats know that fiscal mismanagement today only leads to greater problems for our children. It is our responsibility to address the fiscal irresponsibility of the current Administration by imposing discipline today. Democrats are united to strengthen budgeting rules that require the government to live within its means. This legislation would return us to a path of budget discipline.

Spend Within Our Means. This legislation would restore the Senate pay-as-you-go rule to require that mandatory spending and tax legislation be fully paid for, or be subject to a 60-vote point of order. Pay-go is one of the crucial budget enforcement tools that allowed the federal government to move from deficit to surplus in the 1990's. The Senate pay-go rule has been weakened in recent years, in order to allow for passage of large tax cuts. Since then, deficits and debt have skyrocketed. The Fiscal Responsibility For A Sound Future Act of 2005 would end the current practice of exempting all mandatory spending and tax cuts assumed in the budget resolution from the pay-as-you-go rule, and extend the Senate pay-go rule (currently set to expire in 2008) through fiscal year 2015.

Reinstate Mandatory Spending Cuts to Balance the Budget. The bill would also reinstate sequestration (across-the-board spending cuts) to enforce pay-go and discretionary spending limits. Legislation that exceeds fiscal year 2005 discretionary spending caps, as well as mandatory spending and tax legislation that would increase the deficit, would trigger sequesters. The bill also expresses the sense of the Senate that statutory discretionary spending limits should be enacted for 2006 to prevent passing more debt to our children.

Limit the Use of Reconciliation to Deficit Reduction Legislation. The bill prevents procedural gimmicks from being used to increase the deficit. The bill allows the Senate’s fast-track “reconciliation” procedures, which cut off debate after only 20 hours, to be used only for deficit reduction. Legislation that would increase the deficit could still be considered in the Senate, but could not be expedited. This would restore reconciliation to its original purpose of deficit reduction, and ensure that any legislation increasing deficits is subject to full scrutiny, debate, and consideration in the Senate. In addition, the legislation would prohibit the fast-tracking of Congressional budget resolutions that contain a reconciliation instruction that would worsen the deficit.

S. 20: Putting Prevention First. Democrats are committed to reducing unintended pregnancies by increasing access to family planning services and improving contraceptive coverage. We will increase funding for family planning and empower states to enable more women to take responsibility for their health. We will also improve contraceptive coverage by assuring equity in prescription drug insurance.

S. 20: PUTTING PREVENTION FIRST

The United States has the highest rate of unintended pregnancies among all industrialized nations. Half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended, and nearly half of those end in abortion. By increasing access to family planning services, our bill will improve women’s health, reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy and reduce the number of abortions – all while saving scarce public health dollars. The Democratic bill will increase access to family planning services, reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and reduce the number of abortions. It will also provide relief to Medicaid by decreasing the financial burden of pregnancy-related and newborn care. Specifically, our bill will:

Increase Access to Family Planning Services. This bill increases funding for the national family planning program (Title X) and will allow states to expand Medicaid family planning services to women with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

End Insurance Discrimination Against Women. The legislation ensures equity and fairness in contraception coverage by ensuring that private health plans offer the same level of coverage for contraception as they do for other prescription drugs and services.

Provide Compassionate Assistance for Rape Victims. Women who suffer sexual assault should not have to face the additional trauma of an unwanted pregnancy. Our bill ensures that women who survive sexual assault receive factually accurate information about emergency contraception (EC) and access to EC upon request.

Improve Awareness about Emergency Contraception. Approved by the FDA as a safe and effective means of contraception, EC could substantially reduce the staggering number of unintended pregnancies. Our bill provides $10 million to implement important public education initiatives about EC and its benefits and uses to women and medical providers.

Reduce Teen Pregnancy. The bill would provide $20 million in annual funding for competitive grants to public and private entities to establish or expand teen pregnancy prevention programs.

Truth in Contraception. Government-funded abstinence-only programs are precluded from discussing contraception except to talk about failure rates. A recently study found these programs distort public health data and misrepresent the effectiveness of contraception. Our bill ensures that information provided about the use of contraception as part of any federally funded program is medically accurate and includes information about the health benefits and failure rates of contraception.

Democrat's Promise

Posted at 11:28 AM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism | Technorati

Democrats Promise

They are for Crisis, we are for Security. They are for Fear, we are for Hope. They are for Greed, we are for Opportunity. They are for Profit, we are for Duty. They are for Excuses, we are for Responsibility. They are for Fraud, we are for Democracy.

They might have Power, but we now have a Promise...

THE AMERICAN PROMISE
A Future of Security, Opportunity and Responsibility

The Democratic Agenda for the 109th Congress

Senate Democrats open the 109th Congress steadfastly committed to keeping the promise of America, the promise that all Americans who work hard can build a stronger and brighter future for their families. By embracing and affirming our core values of security, opportunity and responsibility, Democrats are united to help America fulfill this promise.

It is the promise of security, that the American way of life and our freedom will be protected by using all the tools to take the fight to the terrorists and standing with those who have served. It is the promise of opportunity so that every American can get the education they need to compete in the 21st century; live in an economy with well paying jobs and high quality health care; and participate in our democracy. Keeping the promise of America also means meeting our responsibilities both to future and past generations by providing our seniors what they have spent a lifetime work for; acting responsibly with taxpayer’s dollars and with our children’s future by restoring fiscal discipline; and enabling women to take responsibility for their health. It is these values that will continue to guide the Democratic agenda as this Congress moves forward.

THE AMERICAN PROMISE: A Future of Security, Opportunity and Responsibility

PUTTING AMERICA’S SECURITY FIRST:

S.11: Standing With Our Troops. Democrats believe that putting America’s security first means standing up for our troops and their families. Democrats will work to increase our military end strength by up to 40,000 by 2007. We will create a Guard and Reserve Bill of Rights to protect and promote the interests of our dedicated citizen soldiers. Democrats will also fight for the families of those who serve our country. This includes providing income security and immediate access to affordable health care.

S. 12: Targeting the Terrorists More Effectively. Keeping America secure means stepping up the fight against the radical Islamic fundamentalism. Democrats will work to increase our Special Operations forces by 2,000 to attack the terrorists where they are and to protect our freedoms here at home. We will further enhance our efforts against enemies by targeting the institutions that spawn new terrorists. Democrats are also united to ensure that the world’s most dangerous weapons stay out of the hands of terrorists. We will expand the pace and scope of programs to eliminate and safeguard nuclear materials, enhance efforts to keep these and other deadly materials out of the hands of terrorists, and assist state and local governments in equipping and training those responsible for dealing with the effects of terrorist attacks involving weapons of mass destruction.

S. 13: Fulfilling Our Duty to America’s Veterans. A key component of keeping America secure is protecting the rights of our veterans. Since the time of Lincoln, Americans have made and kept a sacred commitment to those who served this nation in the defense of freedom. As a new generation of veterans return from Iraq and Afghanistan, Democrats are united to fulfill that promise. We will ensure that all veterans get the health care they deserve while also expanding the availability and accessibility of mental health care. We will ensure that no veteran is forced to choose between a retirement and disability check. We will also make the same commitment to the soldiers of today that was made to past veterans with a 21st Century GI Bill.

EXPANDING OPPORTUNITY TO ALL AMERICANS:

S. 14: Expanding Economic Opportunity. Democrats understand that the most effective means of increasing opportunity for our families is a high quality, good paying job. Democrats will fight to restore overtime protection to 6 million workers and increase the minimum wage for 7.4 million workers. We must do more to create good jobs today and in the future and the Democratic bill does so by eliminating tax incentives for companies that take jobs overseas, creating new jobs through an expansion of infrastructure programs to repair America’s backbone, and encouraging innovation in the American economy. We are also determined to pursue a trade policy that protects American workers and addresses our record trade deficit. Democrats will work to strengthen enforcement of our trade agreements while assisting those workers who have been unduly burdened by unfair trading practices of other nations.

S. 15: Quality Education for All. Democrats are committed to providing a quality education to all Americans because we recognize that education has always been the cornerstone of equal opportunity. Democrats will keep our promise to our children by increasing support for pre-school education, fully funding No Child Left Behind and improving its implementation. We are committed to providing safe and reliable transportation for our rural school children and meeting the Federal commitment to children with disabilities. Democrats will also address the shortfall of math, science and special education teachers by creating tuition incentives for college students to major in those fields. We will help expand educational opportunities for college by providing relief from skyrocketing college tuition, increasing the size and access to Pell Grants and supporting proven programs that encourage more young people to attend and succeed in college.

S. 16: Making Health Care More Affordable. Spiraling health care costs are putting the opportunity of America at risk, making it harder for families to buy health insurance and placing a difficult burden on small businesses and manufacturers. Democrats will address these concerns by making prescription drugs more affordable through the legalization of prescription drug reimportation and more safe by ensuring drugs are monitored after they are approved for use. Democrats will ensure that all children and pregnant women will have health care and protect Medicaid. We will reduce the growing cost of health care to small businesses by offering tax credits while also modernizing health care to cut costs for patients and businesses.

S. 17: Democracy Begins at Home. Equal opportunity in this country is based upon equal representation and fair voting. Democrats are determined to reforming the voting system in this country to create Federal standards for our elections. The bill adds verification, accountability and accuracy to the system. It increases access to the polls with Election Day registration, shorter lines and early voting. The bill also aims to modernize our election equipment and increase impartiality and provides the resources to our states to implement the bill.

MEETING OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE FUTURE AND THE PAST:

S. 18: Meeting Our Responsibility to Medicare Beneficiaries. Democrats will take the special interests out of the Medicare law by repealing the provision that prevents Medicare from negotiating better prices for seniors and eliminating the slush fund for HMOs. We will also improve the prescription drug benefit by phasing out the current doughnut hole where seniors pay a premium but get no benefit. We will buy down the Part B premium so premium increases are not too steep. We will address incentives that encourage employers to drop retiree benefits and we will ensure that no seniors are forced into HMOs while helping seniors in their transition to the new benefit.

S. 19: Fiscal Responsibility for a Sound Future. Democrats know that fiscal mismanagement today only leads to greater problems for our children. It is our responsibility to address the fiscal irresponsibility of the current Administration by imposing discipline today and Democrats are united to strengthen budgeting rules that require the government to live within its means.

S. 20: Putting Prevention First. Democrats are committed to reducing unintended pregnancies by increasing access to family planning services and improving contraceptive coverage. We will increase funding for family planning and empower states to enable more women to take responsibility for their health. We will also improve contraceptive coverage by assuring equity in prescription drug insurance.

Posted at 09:40 AM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism | Comments (2) | Technorati

Sunday, January 23, 2005

Sacto Meeting

"What you're seeing is the transformation of the old party into the new party, which is the Internet party, which is going to fund the party." -Bob Mulholland

I've written about Mulholland before. Let's give the guy some props, he credentialed me and let me plug a mic plug into the mult box so I have press pool audio of the event. Mulholland was the first person to credential bloggers when he asked Kos and Jerome Armstrong to blog the 2003 Democratic Convention. Cheers to Bob...go check out Bob's Blog -- it is a model other state parties would be wise to copy. Mulholland isn't some 20-something geek, but an old school political hack who has realized that the internet allows him to take advantage of his political instincts and great writing to slap around his adversaries. Mulholland is the example of why old school political operatives shouldn't be scared of the net, the tools that made them successful in 20th century politics will allow them to triumpth in 21st century politics (if they are willing to allow their message to spread in real-time).

I say this because of the dynamics for DNC Chair. Many in the press are too simple-minded to see the race as more than a left-right battle. But the dynamics have always been more aptly described as reform vs. status quo; advancing vs. treading water.

The reform vs. status quo dynamic is now manifesting itself in a value-the-netroots vs. hate-the-netroots division. Frost and his staff are said to "hate" the netroots and I had a Roemer staffer tell me he has "no affinity" for DailyKos (most popular Democratic blog) and MyDD (blogfather's blog). I had scheduled an interview with Roemer to get his view on the Mercatus Scandal but I ended up blowing him off. You see, Nancy Keenan, the head of NARAL, snubbed Roemer last week. Nancy Keenan has been hero of mine and is a western Democrat legend -- I figure if it is good enough for her, it is good enough for me.

The small donor is the backbone of the 21st century political party. Frost and Roemer are politicians looking for a job so they don't care about the netroots -- and they won't get netroots money!

I have hours of audio and a lot more to say. But I can tell you two things out of today's Western Caucus:

much more to come

Posted at 01:09 AM in Activism, DNC Chair, Netroots | Comments (3) | Technorati

Friday, January 21, 2005

The Small Blog as the Small Donor of 2006/2008

You couldn't escape it. During the 2004 election cycle, Internet fundraising was all the rage. From Howard Dean's $40 million, DailyKos and ActBlue, to Terry McAuliffe receiving credit, some of it undeserved, for leveraging the small donor to pull even with GOP fundraising efforts.

That's great - for whatever the real reasons - the Democratic Party did a terrific job of using the Internet to raise money in small amounts as a counter to a traditional GOP advantage. But guess what? The Republican (Noise) Machine will learn, and we had best get ahead of the curve.

If the small donor was the phenomenon of the 2004 election cycle, the small blogger might very well be the next great hope for the Democrats.

The online financial contributions had implications for finance (and comm.) staffs working campaigns across the country. Leveraging the small blogger is predominantly a technological offshoot for traditional field programs (and comm). And as many of us know, the field organization is where is gets done in a grassroots effort. They are the group that will put in hours of tedious study to pull every last vote out of each precinct in a candidate's universe.

Much like everything else in the field plan, organizing the small blogger is laborious and requires a commitment often unmatched by other parts of traditional campaigns. The good news is, so much of netroots outreach crosses formerly compartmentalized groups within a campaign structure; so you can share the burden. What fun!

Let's begin.

If you listen to the pundits, why was the GOP finally able to effectively counter the Democrat's field operation? I have heard it a million times, you probably have as well, it was "the neighbor to neighbor strategy." Ken Mehlman and Karl Rove crafted a plan that had people convincing others in their communities to vote for President Bush. By most accounts, it worked terrifically.

We can accomplish the same thing using our netroots. The beautiful thing about this plan is that we have all the resources necessary to accomplish it without some sort of direction from the powers-that-be. But let's take it back into the campaign setting, because that is the reason I started writing this. Rest assured however, the blogosphere has every resource it needs to make this happen without direction.

Think about the characteristics of the small blog. Many of us run our own. You know the blog your friends, co-workers, and maybe your parents read? The same one you link to in your Kos diaries to boost your visibility? Yes, that one.

It's the blog that generally gets the same 15 people, most within same community you are targeting, reading it a few times a week/month. Maybe you see where I am heading now?

I propose that we take that personal neighbor to neighbor strategy and lead it in a technological direction.

Let's assume you are working on a campaign that has a very clear message. You are part of a functional effort that sends out consistent press releases, talking points, and uses the Internet to foster participation within your congressional district, legislative district, or even statewide.

Step 1: Start collecting each and every single blog that exists within the universe your campaign is operating in. Find them out, email them directly, then introduce yourself and your campaign.

Step 2: Give your supporters the tools to create their own blogs. And do it your website. Heck, it takes 3 minutes to start a blog - walk them through it on your homepage or get involved page. Get a volunteer in the office whose task it is to take people through it step by step over the phone if necessary.

Step 3: If a blog, even a small blog, asks for an interview, grant it! If it gets to be too much, then schedule a weekly/bi-weekly half hour conference call with all the bloggers who want to participate.

Step 4: Back to the press releases and talking points. Send them to bloggers. Send them in the same mass email that you are sending out to the traditional media outlets. Give them the same opportunity to ask questions of the campaign.

Step 5: Invite bloggers to attend your events, just like the press. Make your press conferences and events wi-fi when possible.

Step 6: Nurture the relationship. Rinse and repeat. Bloggers love the inside scoop before the newspapers can get it in print the next day or the news broadcasts it a few hours later

And this plan holds for medium sized blogs as well. The ones that candidates and their staffs would have never dared to enter before because there weren't enough ATM cards found on a consistent basis.

There are some great medium sized blogs out there on both sides of the aisle. There are quite a few of those smaller blogs that have HUGE POTENTIAL in the state I am working now; they include: Young Philly Politics and Philly Future. Pittsburgh Webloggers is also a great source.

The way that traditional communication directors compile lists of newspapers, reporters, journalists, and their contact information - that is the way they need to start with bloggers, especially the small bloggers within their universe.

Finally, cross your fingers and hope they remember you when they go big! Until then, just be content as you work with them to spread your information to their families, co-workers and friends in the district which you are running.

Posted at 02:18 PM in 2005 Elections, 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, 2006 Elections - Senate, 2006 Elections - State, 2008 Election - President, 2008 President - Democrats, 2008 President - Republicans, Activism, General, Netroots | Comments (1) | Technorati

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Post Modern Political Warfare: Part II

It looks like one reader has taken, and ran with, the idea I discussed in this post about waging politics on-line. The idea was to purchase potential URLs for 2006 GOP candidates, before they do.

SSP reader Max Palmer sent me this email earlier today:

Inspired by your post "Post-Modern Political Warfare", I registered several domain names tonight of Republic senators up for relections:

snowe06.com, talent06.com, kyl06.com, chafee06.com, lott06.com, ensign06.com, hutchison06.com, allen06.com - I also registered nelson06.com, b/c I am worried about both races and did not want anyone opposing them to get it. [...]

I consider the $90 I spent registering these sites to be a part of my donations to the democratic party and its candidates.

Imagine if Katherine Harris had to give out the URL, "katherineharrisforussenateinflorida.biz" on every piece of literature, in every speech, and in commercials. The fundraising, organization, and information loss would be staggering.

If nothing else, the people at Free Republic were pissed at my original post.

You can check out what domain names are taken and available here.

Disclaimer(s): You should not purcahse these URLs and attempt to sell them for profit later. If you buy a GOP URL, link it to the Dem candidate's site, or put your own blog on it and comment on the race.

If you buy a Democrat's URL, offer it up to the campaign as an in-kind contribution.

Posted at 04:07 PM in 2005 Elections, 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, 2006 Elections - Senate, 2006 Elections - State, Activism, Netroots | Comments (2) | Technorati

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

There Is No Crisis

A revolutionary website that gives the netroots the tools necessary to protect the integrity of social security. Click on the picture below and link it on your own sites.

The blogosphere has officially jumped into the mix.

[P.S. The "There Is No Crisis" blog is operated by none other than the SSP's own Bob Brigham. - David]

Posted at 10:30 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, 2006 Elections - Senate, Activism, Netroots | Comments (1) | Technorati

Sunday, January 16, 2005

Our Netroots

Great piece by Matt Stoller over at Personal Democracy Forum. As a party, we have managed to compile a world wide web of communicators that fail miserably at communicating with eachother.

1.) Traditional Democratic institutions fail to communicate with the netroots.

It seems that the powers-that-be have yet to find a useful purpose for millions of on-line activists short of asking them for money or an occassional letter to the editor. Until they open channels of communication from the bottom - up, they will never understand our potential for contribution far greater than a $20 donation. The "right" is already way ahead of us on this account.

2.) Many opinion leaders within the netroots fail to communicate effectively with eachother.

This was evidenced by the Kos v. Exley debate that unfolded over the holidays. Matt thoroughly documents this in his piece at PDF.

The funny thing is , I have seen firsthand what a wealth of communicative, technical, and organizational talent we have within the netroots. I don't know as much about the right-wing Internet infrastructure, but I would have a hard time believing that it is anywhere near as talented as ours. If we were able to get our shit together and act in concert with the traditional power structure within the Democratic party, what we could accomplish would be limitless.

But that involves a give and take.

As we saw last election cycle with the DCCC v. Kos, and Exley's lack of a seat at the table on the Kerry campaign, I am not sure we are quite there yet. So, the netroots operates in large part independent of the party, and the party fails to harness the limitless potential of the netroots. Everyone loses.

3.) Meanwhile, Republicans are finding a place within their vast noise machine for bloggers to amplify their message.

Look no further than "Rathergate" and the Daschle v. Thune blog.

Let me give the latest best example that just popped into my head. When Harry Reid announced the formation of his "war room," I immediately asked myself what role bloggers would play? I even called his Senate office earlier this week to ask the question and share some ideas.

I am still looking for the answer if anyone can help.

Posted at 03:37 PM in Activism, General, Netroots | Comments (1) | Technorati

Saturday, January 15, 2005

Ride-Sharing to the DNC Caucuses

Two down, two to go: The DNC's regional caucuses, which play a key role in the selection of our next DNC chair, are well underway. The Southern caucus took place last week, and the Midwest caucus went on yesterday in St. Louis. But there's still time to make it to the Western caucus (in Sacramento on the 22nd) or the Northeastern caucus (in NYC on the 29th).

If you want to be part of the process - it's your right; all DNC meetings are open to the public (PDF, Art. 9, §12 on p. 12) - and you're looking to share a ride, check out DrivingVotes.com, a great site I had occasion to plug during the campaign season last year. You can also look for rides to the Inauguration on the 20th, which of course I'll be around for. (Believe it or not, school is closed that day.)

So go, make your voice heard - or at least, have a listen.

Posted at 09:30 PM in Activism | Comments (2) | Technorati

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Post-Modern Political Warfare

Internet gamesmanship in the run-up to the race for Governor of Massachusettes in 2006:

Massachusetts Republicans have launched a pre-emptive strike against Democratic Attorney General Tom Reilly by snapping up online Internet addresses that would have been obvious picks for him if he decides to run for governor in 2006.

Reilly has not yet said whether he will challenge Republican Gov. Mitt Romney in 2006. But if Reilly does run, it will be hard for him to use the Web sites reillyforgovernor.com, tomreillyforgovernor.com, reillyforgovernor2006.com and reillyforgovernor06.com.

A smart move is a smart move, regardless of what party is behind the tactic. Get ready to see increased political warfare on-line during the 2006 election cycle. Since most web campaigns begin with a simple URL, I can't think of a better place to start.

So, if you have a credit card handy and $7 you are willing to invest...

santorum06.com is available.
santorum06.org is available.
santorumforsenate.com is available.
santorumforsenate.org is available.
santorumforsenate2006.com is available.
santorumforsenate2006.org is available.

Doesn't have to be Santorum; choose your race and knock yourself out. http://www.networksolutions.com can tell you if there are domains available.

If you buy any, for any Republican candidate, please email me to let me know.

Posted at 10:10 AM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, 2006 Elections - Senate, 2006 Elections - State, Activism, Netroots | Comments (6) | Technorati

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

BlogPAC: Governor Dean Conference Call

The call with Governor Dean is beginning right now. I'll have live-blog updates in the extended entry.

P.S. Sign up with BlogPAC!

Empowering people in 50 states with grassroots campaigns.

Don't be counter-productive with contacting DNC members, but he is saying it is fine to contact members in your state.

Reform is on the way.

Annatopia is live blogging.

Dean wants to focus on training young activists.

Won't shut down DFA.

Touts experience.

DFA has more people now than when Dean left Presidential race.

Split position (co-chair) is impossible.

There are a lot of good people in Washington.

We need to language, not beliefs.

When he is asked what he thinks he'll say it.

Job of DNC Chair isn't to be lone spokesman, it is to win elections.

Won't become somebody he isn't.

Blog for America is going to start rolling out detailed plans, campaign will be run through DFA.

Posted at 05:04 PM in Activism | Comments (2) | Technorati

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Red State, Blue State

AP:

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A panel of linguists has deemed "red state, blue state, purple state" the phrase that most colored the nation's lexicon in 2004.

Attendees at the annual convention of the Linguistic Society of America on Friday chose the word or phrase that dominated national discourse over the course of the last year.

"It was the best candidate for word of the year," said Dennis Preston, a professor of linguistics at Michigan State University. "It engaged the American public for the entire year. Nothing showed the bloodthirsty population-engaging election as this."

Pajamahadeen confirm lawn mullet, Hillbilly armor, flip-flopper, wardrobe malfunction and nerdvana unavailable for comment.

Posted at 09:40 AM in Activism | Technorati

Sunday, January 09, 2005

Rep. Rahm Emanuel to lead DCCC

AP:

Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel, a former political operative for President Clinton, was named head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Sunday, replacing the late Rep. Robert Matsui.

Emanuel, a former senior staffer for the House Democrats' fund-raising and recruiting organization, will lead the Democratic effort to regain control of the House in 2006.

You can find out more about the DCCC, read the Stakeholder (DCCC blog) and here is the link to the new DCCC Social Security site.

The Stakeholder has Pelosi's statement:

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi today named Congressman Rahm Emanuel of Illinois to lead the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

"House Democrats are focused and determined to win a majority in the House in 2006, and Rahm Emanuel will be an outstanding leader in this effort," Pelosi said. "Rahm knows this country, its people and its politics from the neighborhoods up, which has been a key to his success and will be a key to ours in 2006. Rahm is a master strategist with the expertise and passion to build on the foundation that our dear friend Bob Matsui built during the last two years."

In the 1980s, Emanuel held senior staff positions at the DCCC, and helped produce significant victories. He played a major role in the election of Bill Clinton as his Director of Finance in the 1992 Presidential campaign. Emanuel served as a top White House advisor to President Clinton from 1993 to 1998, first as Assistant to the President for Political Affairs and then as Senior Advisor to the President for Policy and Strategy. As a Member of Congress, he has distinguished himself with thoughtful ideas and strategic insights.

"Rahm brings something more than a long resume," Pelosi said. "He brings the passion of an immigrant's son, and the street-smarts of his hometown of Chicago. His uncle has spent decades as a police sergeant in the same northwest side district Rahm now represents in Congress. His father was a pediatrician and treated thousands of children in the community."

Emanuel said: "I thank Leader Pelosi and my Democratic colleagues for their confidence in me, and I appreciate the opportunity to lead the DCCC. This is about winning elections by setting the right priorities for our nation and its future. I look forward to a battle of ideas with the Republicans that will engage and motivate voters across this great country."

Emanuel, who was re-elected in November to his second term as Representative of Illinois' 5th District with 78 percent of the vote, was recently appointed to the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Emanuel was chosen by his Democratic freshmen class as Democratic Whip for their class. In the 2004 election cycle, he served as a Vice Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and as a member of the Executive Committee of the New Democratic Coalition.

Emanuel is the perfect choice to lead the DCCC.

Posted at 03:44 PM in 2006 Elections, 2006 Elections - House, Activism, General | Comments (2) | Technorati

Friday, January 07, 2005

Simon Rosenberg's DNC Blog Plan

Yesterday, Simon Rosenberg announced an aggressive draft blog plan for the DNC. BlogPAC has posted the details:

As DNC Chair, I'd like to take the DNC and make it a full part of the blogosphere. The principle behind what I offer here is to foment a continual and robust online discussion that the DNC actually is part of and that reinforces an overall Democratic political strategy.

This visionary document was said to only be a draft that would be revised after further input from the blogosphere. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the netroots to help choose future tactics before the future leader is elected. The day he announced he unveiled a plan for blogs that he wants us to refine. To take advantage, I am going to evaluate each of Rosenberg's nine points. Netizens, it is time for a discussion.

1. Regular conference calls, conferences, and a blog committee of ‘netroots’ representatives to advise various DNC departments on strategy, research, messaging and outreach.

Well I'll be damn. That is what I'm talking about. Full integration of the blogosphere into all aspects of campaigning. This is visionary stuff. The conference calls and conferences could go a long way towards building a team approach that unites the DNC with the netroots. The coordination in terms of strategy would allow us to harness the collective wisdom of the blogosphere while ensuring that Team Democrat is using the same playbook. Research is also an amazing opportunity for the netroots to help create open-source oppo that would allow anyone to put forth effective reasons why their republican representation should be sent packing. Message is also a vital area of importance -- working together we will find better wording while helping to build consistency. Outreach provides the most potential. Democrats are far from peaking when it comes to activating our supporters. A team approach could increase our results along the same astronomical curve we have seen during the last few years.

2. A consistent non-election year blogad budget dedicated to framing and testing messaging, as well as potential seed money for specialty blogs.

Now we are talking. The DNC investing in message creation instead of message distribution. This is post-modern politics at it's best. This is a far more effective alert system than relying solely upon emails and allows the DNC to "blog through ads" across the internet. Tim Tagaris calls this "thinking outside the website" and this approach provides an unlimited expansion ability. I would love to see the DNC message of the day on every liberal blog I visit.

3. An internal champion in the DNC to break news on blogs and connect elected Democrats and high level staffers with blogs, bloggers, and effective use of the internet with the goal of having the blogosphere surpass cable news networks in reach and influence.

A DNC that is ready to commit acts of news online? This reads like my wildest dream. And that is before the line of having the blogosphere surpass cable news networks in reach and influence. Rosenberg has true vision and when he's elected I look forward to working with the DNC's Blogosphere Champion. And what a great benefit for DNC staff, help leveragig the internet to increase their productivity.

4. To use the DNC’s 3.7 million person email list to create community and promote interesting spinoff projects like and grassroots created quality video and audio content.

My guess is that 3.7 million person email list will double in size during Rosenberg's first year once this plan is enacted. But the key here is that he wants to use email for interaction, not just fundraising. Rosenberg has Tim's ATM pin. The multimedia aspect is equally important. Online, ads aren't constricted by time limits which allows unhindered, real-time campaigning potential. The spinoff project idea shows how Rosenberg is re-writing the job description for DNC Chair. This is really good stuff.

5. Regular guest-posting from DNC representatives on willing blogs to talk through organizational, operational, and policy issues.

This appears to be the deal. Rosenberg will help us with everything we've asked for and more, but we need to let the DNC have a voice on our blogs in return. Where do I sign?

6. To work with blogs to figure out how to use Meetup effectively as a political tool for state and local parties.

Meetup vs. Get Local is a discussion that we need to continue. We know that there is vast potential but we all know it could be used more effectively. Bloggers need to work with the DNC to make this work better.

7. To promote a dialogue in which the blogs continue their discussion of the Democratic Party so that we can create the social networks critical to a vibrant progressive movement.

The social networking future is something that we could catapult under the framework Rosenberg is suggesting in his Blog Plan. Rosenberg is years ahead of the pack on this one. The fact that he realizes it isn't about campaigns, but rather a movement is a critical observation. Bloggers need to constantly push the Democratic Party to do more, to do it better, and then to expand. Rosenberg's thirst to foster this dialogue is revolutionary.

8. To integrate blogs fully into the progressive messaging machine that targets and unseats Republicans and Republican initiatives.

One thing I've noticed about Rosenberg is that instead of running for Chair of the DNC he is running to create a Democratic Party Empire. Better yet, he is focused on winning. The right is far ahead of us at this point but Rosenberg's embrace of the netroots could provide the catapult for us to rapidly catch up -- and then surpass -- the vast right wing conspiracy.

9. A New Politics Think Tank inside the DNC that fosters the sharing of best practices among those involved in netroots politics so as to allow for a supported network of savvy operatives to permeate progressive organizing. This organ would also investigate new technologies like RSS, wikis, podcasting, and their applicability to organizing at every level.

As far as I know, Rosenberg is the first candidate to ever mention podcasting. RSS as a message distribution tool proves that Rosenberg is an online visionary. When I encountered Wiki my first thought was oppo. My next thought was elected official achievement. My final thought was that my first two thoughts were only the tip of the iceberg. Rosenberg is embracing open-source politics and cutting edge technology. Wow.

Conclusion

Wow. What else can I say? Rosenberg "gets it" and is asking us to help him get it even more. This isn't a candidate willing to accept technological tools, rather Rosenberg is a leader focused on ruthlessly exploiting technology to provide Democrats -- as in each of us -- the tools to realize his vision of a Democratic Party Empire.: tools to match our passion:

We have to recognize how the Internet and the passion of Americans are fundamentally changing American politics. And when we think of the DNC in the years ahead and the Democratic Party, I hope that we don’t think of 447 people but we think of millions of Americans going to work every day to make their country a better place. That’s a better vision of what a Democratic community can be.