About
Learn More about our progressive online community for the Granite State.

Create an account today (it's free and easy) and get started!
Menu

Make a New Account

Username:

Password:



Forget your username or password?


Search




Advanced Search


The Masthead
Managing Editors


Jennifer Daler

Contributing Writers
elwood
Mike Hoefer
 susanthe
 William Tucker
ActBlue Hampshire

The Roll, Etc.
Prog Blogs, Orgs & Alumni
Bank Slate
Betsy Devine
birch, finch, beech
Democracy for NH
Live Free or Die
Mike Caulfield
Miscellany Blue
Granite State Progress
Seacoast for Change
Still No Going Back
Susan the Bruce
Tomorrow's Progressives

Politicos & Punditry
The Burt Cohen Show
John Gregg
Krauss
Landrigan
Lawson
Pindell
Primary Monitor
Primary Wire
Scala
Schoenberg
Spiliotes
Welch

Campaigns, Et Alia.
Paul Hodes
Carol Shea-Porter
Ann McLane Kuster
John Lynch
Jennifer Daler

ActBlue Hampshire
NHDP
DCCC
DSCC
DNC

National
Balloon Juice
billmon
Congress Matters
DailyKos
Digby
Hold Fast
Eschaton
FiveThirtyEight
MyDD
The Next Hurrah
Open Left
Senate Guru
Swing State Project
Talking Points Memo

50 State Blog Network
Alabama
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin

The "Big Difference" is It will be "Fact-Based"

by: Dean Barker

Thu Nov 18, 2010 at 05:44:14 AM EST
Good.
[Kathy] Sullivan told the Status she will formally announce the formation of a 501(c)(4) issues group, which, she said, will be up and running by the end of the year.
Oh, you mean like Cornerstone, right?  Well, not exactly:
"The big difference is that this will be a fact-based group," she said. "I look at this as pragmatic and progressive, which is the New Hampshire way."

There may also be a "think-tank" arm, a counterpart to the conservative Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy.

I'm especially down on that last graf.  There's little lefty infrastructure in this state that isn't - like this place - held together with some string and volunteer effort and the best intentions. I am convinced that one of the reasons it is hard to hold onto Democratic gains and values in this state is that the state media and political culture is in a state of stasis.

Adding: interestingly, at RootsCampNH last weekend I co-led a session on how to respond to Citizens United.  Despite the presence of a number of fierce campaign finance reform advocates in the room, and given the tsunami of cash that will inevitably roll our way in pro-GOP ads for 2012, the reaction to the question "Do we fight fire with fire?" was largely met with approval.
Dean Barker :: The "Big Difference" is It will be "Fact-Based"
Tags: , (All Tags)
Print Friendly View Send As Email
The "Big Difference" is It will be "Fact-Based" | 14 comments
Not good... (4.00 / 2)
excellent.  I'm particularly excited about the think-tank aspect, as well, though the reality-based issues group may have a greater impact sooner.  All great stuff though!
I am really on board with this. (4.00 / 2)
I agree with Kathy's last line in that piece (assuming an accurate quote in the UL-something of a stretch): "You have to play with the cards you're dealt."

I am saddened to the core when I think about how hard Doris Haddock worked to free campaigns from the thrall of Mammon, but it seems that the only pragmatic way to fix this is to regain enough clout to make it happen.

Now is not the time for dithering on some imaginary moral high ground; as much as we may wish it otherwise, both the game and the rules have changed.

Republicans believe government is bad - then they get into office and prove it.

Completely agree (4.00 / 1)
As long as one of the goals of a progressive issues group is cleaning up elections and limiting the role of money in them, I don't see any hypocrisy in playing the cards you're dealt.  Adhering strictly moral purity is suicide; it's unfortunate, but limiting the role of money at this point is an ends not a means.
[ Parent ]
Completely on board. (0.00 / 0)
Thank you, Kathy!

--
No tea; no decaf.

@DougLindner

All Rights Reserved (4.00 / 2)
I can only support something that leads us back to Lessig and Granny D.

This is my marker.

Whack-a-mole, anyone?

Requires federal action. (4.00 / 1)
In the meantime, no unilateral disarmament.

Let's never lose another election because we got outspent 9 to 1.

--
No tea; no decaf.

@DougLindner

[ Parent ]
And no MAD, either (0.00 / 0)
unless, of course, it involves Alfred E. Neuman.

Republicans believe government is bad - then they get into office and prove it.
[ Parent ]
I'm thinking...Abu Ghraib (4.00 / 1)
Y'know, where we say one thing but do another and it ultimatley hurts more than it helps.

So, respect my marker, allowing me to reserve all rights. I'm wound up pretty tight right now. FYI.



Whack-a-mole, anyone?

[ Parent ]
That works (4.00 / 2)
We don't have to agree on everything.



"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    
[ Parent ]
**Stretch** n/t (4.00 / 1)


SGS is Jack Mitchell of Lowell, MA. The symbolism of the "sleeping giant" is based on my HOPE for America.
[ Parent ]
Fee-fi-fo-fum (4.00 / 2)


Republicans believe government is bad - then they get into office and prove it.
[ Parent ]
Footnote to Mike H. (0.00 / 0)
and other tech-wise folk: turns out that there is a video embedded above, but you won't see it unless you are using some iOS device. I copied the code from YouTube using my iPod Touch without thinking, so that's the platform you have to be on to view it. Great way to set up  dog-whistle secret communication system...;)

Republicans believe government is bad - then they get into office and prove it.
[ Parent ]
Hm (0.00 / 0)
musta messed up technically or etiquette-ly, the Wayne Shorter tune (Fee-fi-fo-fum) I attempted to post above can be found here. Apologies if I transgressed in either fashion.

Republicans believe government is bad - then they get into office and prove it.
[ Parent ]
Abu Ghraib? (0.00 / 0)
That's a pretty weak analogy, Jack.

Torture is a war crime. Unlimited expenditure is just war.

(I say "war" to be consistent with the metaphor, not to stoke the hatred; I'm all for Restoring Sanity)

--
No tea; no decaf.

@DougLindner

[ Parent ]
The "Big Difference" is It will be "Fact-Based" | 14 comments

Connect with BH
     
Blue Hampshire Blog on Facebook
Powered by: SoapBlox