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Hi! I've been privileged to take part in creating a very local grassroots video project with family here in support of Obama, and we've just been able to release!
Check out our little website about the project at WeApproveThisMessage.net!
CHANGING TIMES, INDEED - I live in Lebanon, yet make the two hour drive (once-a-month) to North Conway to meet friends, traversing the rural and semi-rural traditionally Republican areas of the state. And so I get to see yard signs on the way: many for Ron Paul last year and even this past spring, then more McCain and Sununu signs in late summer/early autumn. But this weekend .....
While I, like everyone else, have been underwhelmed at Sarah Palin's fitness (or lack thereof) for the Vice Presidency, let alone the Presidency: I have always cut her some slack. Yes, she is an unpleasant thought behind the wheels of government, and yes, she accepted the offer to be a VP nominee. Yet I had always said that this, ultimately, is John McCain's doing. Someone who was considered a future star in the GOP was pushed, hurriedly, to the forefront in an act of desparation by Johnny Mac. She is not ready-for-prime-time, but it seemed unfair to this mild-mannered accountant to fault her primarily for that.
I suppose that when you are part of a desperate campaign, desperate stuff happens. Still, while I know it's an article of faith in the GOP that individual voter fraud occurs on a massive scale: it's sad to see that former N.H. Senator Warren Rudman is one of them. He and former Missouri Senator Danforth are challenging Democratic voter registration groups they claim would be "gumming up the system for registering voters."
Here's the worst part: responding to a lawsuit by the Democratic Party in Michigan alleging that the GOP is "caging" people whose homes were foreclosed:
Rudman said the suit was a "red herring", and that "all the local officials deny it".
Sounds like the snotty mother of a neighborhood brat who informs you, "My son says he didn't do it".
Coming from a Karl Rove or Alex Castellanos ... well, par for the course. I had hoped for more from Warren Rudman .... maybe it was näive.
Meet Chet Edwards, US Congressman from the TX 17th district which includes Crawford, TX.
I taped his remarks to a crowd at the VFW post in Manchester just last Sunday.
He was stumping in NH with Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) and the focus of the day was vet issues.
Edwards is extremely knowledgeable on Vet issues and a tireless champion for their interests, our interests, in the Congress.
The two have become fast friends in DC as Congressman Edwards, Carol's new BFF down there, is the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and VA (MILCON/VA) and she's trying to get either a full service VA hospital in NH which is currently the only state in the country without one or equivalent care in communities for the state's 130K plus vet residents.
MS-01 has proven to be a watershed in the recognition among Congressional Republicans that they are up to their ears in defeat. But it will do nothing to alter in any fundamental way the nature of this election cycle for their benefit.
I spent a lot of time tonight going through the various recriminations and public soul searchings done by GOPers high and low about how to avoid disaster come November. Words like "brand" were tossed around frequently. Bush is to blame for their bad fortunes, they claim. Republicans are losing because they are straying from their "core principles," we are told.
Socrates' finest advice is the famous "gnothi sauton" - know yourself. But it's clear to me from the 21st century GOPer incapacity to self-reflect that they don't read a whole lot of Plato in their spare time.
Republicans are losing because people don't like perpetual, purposeless war, and they gave that to them. They are losing because people used to prosper under Bill Clinton, and now they can't afford to fill their cars with gas. And Republicans relentlessly pursued an economic, a foreign, and an environmental policy that gave them that.
Republicans aren't losing because they have an image problem. They're not losing because of too close an association with President Bush.
Republicans are losing because the Republican party's platform has been unleashed on us, and we suffer under it daily. Republicans are losing because their ideas have been discredited by the reality of their fulfillment upon the American people.
Republicans are losing, and will continue to lose, because protecting the rich, starving the middle class, ignoring our health, and starting unnecessary wars haven't worked out too well.
Republicans can't run away from Bush to win in their individual districts and states, because they are Bush. With the minor exception of the Ron Paul contingent (itself better labelled "Libertarian" than "Republican"), there is no Republican party distinct from Bush's party.
They made that bed when they enabled and enacted King George's every whim, and now they will have no choice but to suffer the consequences come November.
Don't believe me? Count how many congressional Republicans have publicly distanced themselves from Bush's disgustingly un-American "appeasement" smear today against Barack Obama.
A fresh thread to hash out the returns on the four primaries/caucuses today. And don't forget that tomorrow our good friends next door in Maine will have their day in the sun.
Preliminary chatter in NE and WA is that turnout is overwhelming caucus locations, but in LA the fear is the opposite.
And did you hear? Huckabee absolutely demolished McCain, 60% - 24% (with 11% going to Ron Paul) in Kansas. Part of me is thrilled to see "GOP Whack-a-Mole" still going strong even when the nomination has been virtually settled, but another part of me sees an inevitable McCain-Huckabee ticket, which I long ago decided would be the GOoPers' best chance in the general.
I'll have a more comprehensive post up about this later, but kossack SaintPeter has a great early breakdown on turnout. The inescapable conclusion? The GOP is in serious, serious trouble.
Check out the numbers for key states like AR, CO, MO, and TN. And the close margins in the reddest of red states. Alabama? Un-freaking-believable.
I personally think last night was a significant victory for Obama, in terms of keeping apace with delegates with Clinton and coming so far so quickly from pre-SC polls, but the bigger story, by far, is turnout. I'm stunned.
In case you had not heard, the net roots organizers for Edwards have declared Friday Jan 18, 2008 the Edwards 'moneybomb' day.
https://www.johnedwards.com/ac...
Why? Well for one, Ron Paul's supporters are showing the establishment that the net roots can generate publicity in ways that can not be ignored - money.
The bus was late, but the show was sweet - bittersweet. John Edwards closed out his NH campaign in Dover last night to a rapt audience.
Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and James Denton were there. The whole Edwards family was there. The entire campaign family was there. The family of labor showed up in full solidarity for John Edwards. The enthusiastic family of environmental activists represented by Friends of the Earth was there.
But another family came to the Elk's Lodge in Dover tonight to support John Edwards at his final campaign event in NH.
The family of Nataline Sarkysian, a beloved daughter and sister, a friend and a young teenager so full of hope and potential, an American no longer on this earth for the sake of a few dollars more on the bottom line, that family was there tonight in Dover. The Sarkysian Family was there to raise their voices in protest during their time of intense grief to remind us that pernicious influence of corporations is not just the ultimate boogeyman out there in the political landscape today. No, the story of Nataline is a story about the human costs of the system we live under today in this country.
Hello, friends: I just arrived last night to put in some walking time, talking time and writing time for John Edwards. As a member of the United Auto Workers, I'm proud to be an Edwards supporter--we've got dozens of UAW people from around the region here who have taken their own time to comb the state for votes for John.
I've just been told my a lovely woman in the campaign headquarters that I look like John Stibile, a well-known man here in Nashua--who also owns the local baseball team. Anyone known John? I think I can attest to the fact that I don't have the funds he probably has but, as a passionate baseball fan, I like the comparison. Lest this thread and diary get sidetracked, I'd better not get into which team I support--I don't think that would play very well in these parts :):)
But, I digress? Why are so many union member supporting John and his message that we must change this country?
This will be the final installment of my "Obama: The Only Thing You Need to Know" series, which will also be my "closing argument". For what it's worth, I've been for an Obama presidency since 2004.
To me, it didn't matter when, or where, or how it happened. When you see a brilliant, inspiring man with real integrity and progressive ideals have a shot at the Presidency, it is my belief that you jump in head first and do everything you possibly can to make him the next President of the United States.
But where did this man come from? I was determined to find out..
The sprint to the end had begun! We all know that Edwards is workaholic. He's worked very hard for this nomination. He came prepared with plans, ideas, goals and ATTITUDE. This dude knows how to fight. He has been outspent by millions and millions of dollars by two celebrity candidates and he's STILL in the race. That goes to a testament of how strong his message is and how much people are to take their country back. AGGRESSIVELY. He didn't come to the table as entrenched insider and he brought a lot more than something and flighty and wishy-washy than hope. He came prepped with the plans and the fight to actually give REAL hope to millions of Americans.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! There I covered all grounds. LOL. It's Christmas night and there is hardly an Edwards story to be found. But I did the best I could. Join us....
Today, an insurance company denied a family healthcare. This case of denial of coverage, was so grievous, that a public outcry arose.
Nataline Sarkysian died after she was denied a liver transplant by CIGNA- even after her surgeons requested the transplant. Besides feeling anger and indignation against the insurance company, I felt sorrow for the family. 'Is anyone listening?' I thought to myself.
Turns out, someone is. John Edwards...
On Bill Richardson's recent push to restore the war in Iraq to the most prominent issue among the Democrats running for President, Chris Bowers writes:
While I know that everyone in American politics is supposed to have some ulterior motive behind everything they do in public, everything in my experience has indicated to me that Richardson's position on Iraq is genuine. Richardson isn't alone, either. The latest CNN poll on Iraq showed public sentiment for total withdrawal sharply rising to 39%, a clear plurality nationwide. Further, residual forces wouldn't even be an issue in the campaign were it not for Richardson. No matter what happens when the voting starts, and no matter what you may think of Richardson otherwise, that is an important contribution to the campaign. And yes, it is one reason not to be cynical about American politics.
Through his campaign stops, press releases, TV ads and postings on blogs, Richardson has been relentless in raising the issue of Iraq and forcing the media and other candidates to not ignore it.
A feisty and boisterous overflow crowd greeted Team Edwards Wednesday in Portsmouth, NH on a chilly and gray day with more snow forecast for the Granite State. "Only in NH would someone ask the band a question," and JJ, a volunteer who introduced Peter Coyote, Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne, even got heckled by another attendee.
That mood was matched by the tone and passion of the new John Edwards stump speech.
"America Rising" is not a warm and fuzzy retooling of a "harsh anti-corporate populist" message that Edwards has been accused of delivering in this race. The remarks by Edwards were fairly consistent with the message I've heard since summer and they encapsulate the core values of our nation. The speech is truthful and aspirational. We were all in the mood for some truth-telling on Wednesday.
Follow me below the fold for all the video of Edwards's closing argument: "America Rising."
We elected a Democratic Congress to stop the war, and it's not happening. I regret very much that those senators running for president weren't even there to cast their vote, they were out campaigning. We gave the president $70 billion more to continue this war without any restraint or timetable to reduce the troops - it's basically a blank check.
That's what Bill Richardson said yesterday in New Hampshire.
Will Clinton, Edwards or Obama promptly bring the U.S. occupation of Iraq to end? None of them have made an iron clad promise to bring our troops home. Instead, all want to keep their options open and refuse to pledge to bring home all U.S. troops from Iraq by 2013.
CNN is just releasing a poll showing Edwards is doing the best against all Republicans and has the highest margin of victory in General Election matchups.
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/im...
Interviews with 1,002 adult Americans conducted by telephone
by Opinion Research Corporation on December 6-9, 2007. The
margin of sampling error for results based on the total sample
is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
FOR RELEASE: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11 AT 6 AM
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITI...
