Christopher Hayes at The Nation wrote of attending a roundtable about Hurricane Katrina, sponsored by Oxfam, and wondered why the devastation of New Orleans has not been featured at the DNC.
I ask this because as I sat at a surprisingly interesting Katrina roundtable yesterday, it occurred to me that Katrina has been astoundingly, shockingly absent from the convention. And Sen. Mary Landrieu's comments during the event gave me a bit of a window into why.
"We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop."
Martin Luther King
April 3, 1968
Readers of my old blog, the Whiskey Bar, probably know I have had a long and conflicted relationship with the Democratic Party -- one that generally ranges between reluctantly supportive (on the really good days) to utterly disgusted (most days).
To compare it to a bad marriage would be an insult to unhappy couples everywhere.
I know there are a lot of these so just think of it as a reference sheet more than a diary.
Print this off and have reluctant Clinton supporters read it. The Democratic Party needs their votes.
This part 3 of Voting Record Comparison. I’ve added Hillary Clinton’s voting record on the important issues to Obama’s, Biden’s and McCain’s so that Clintonites and Hillraisers can judge whether or not they want to vote for Obama or McCain based on the issues not based on an emotional attachment to their disappointment.
While the example that I’m going to give is extreme, bordering on the ridiculous, it will illustrate the absurd nature of switching from Hillary Clinton to John McCain. If Mother Theresa, Mahatma Ghandi and Joseph Stalin were running and you couldn’t vote for Mother Theresa. Would it make sense to now vote for Joseph Stalin? A final word to Clinton supporters: Silence gives consent.
Tonight Hillary Clinton, I thank you. Your speech was sensational. The words were welcome. A call for unity could not be more needed. I believe only you could make this plea in a meaningful manner. As grateful as I am, and indeed, I am truly pleased that you spoke as you did. I wonder if this pronouncement, as presented, will solve what some see as the dilemma of the disaffected. Will your words alleviate the concern too often expressed about the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama?
Sick of Morning Joe, I just switched to CNN. And there I heard, first, some non-convention news, but second, Soledad O'Brien interviewing the CEO of the Democratic National Convention, and Howard Dean's Chief of Staff, Rev. Leah Daughtry. And she told a national (although I'm sure quite small, given the hour) audience, what I believe. I am a Democrat because I am a Christian.
It might be nice to look at the link between freedom and liberty.
Both can be defined as a relation to a state of limits and one of the limits can be whatever it takes to convince you to elect not to participate in the decision making process.
Poverty, education, healthcare, housing, opportunities for employment
transportation, language barriers, and other constraints such as laws
rules and regulations are often what limits civil rights,
Many more people might participate in our Democracy if they could
afford to take the time off from work or school, could afford
the travel expense, were educated and informed as to what happens
when and where, and didn't have pundits misinforming them as to
what was important in the process of elections.
WNYC radio's Brian Lehrer is doing brilliant coverage of the Democratic convention. During one interlude this morning he proposed that listeners participate in Senator Chuck Schumer's challenge: articulate the mission of the Democratic Party in seven words or less.
Democrats? In seven words or less -- -- what does the Democratic Party stand for?
Ted Kennedy spoke on Monday to call attention to the pettiness of the bickering between Clinton and Obama. He wasn ’t there for himself. Teddy was there to pass the baton to the future of the Democratic Party.
While Oregon is a small state, and its delegation gets seated in the nosebleeds behind Puerto Rico at the convention, it is one of the most politically exciting places in the country.
Innovative organizations like the Bus Project and 1000 Friends of Oregon are both putting feet on the street today and crafting progressive leaders and policy ideas for the future.
But perhaps most significant is the Democratic Party of Oregon, which has been a driving force behind Oregon's wave of new Democratic leaders in the state legislature and the tremendous surge in Democratic voter registration.
The passion and values of Oregon's grassroots party activists are captured well in the DPO's new video "We The People." Video after the jump.
Monday was a miserable day for the Dow, with the market suffering a 242 point drop. But rather than joining "so-called market analysts" in attributing the sell-off to credit market woes, higher oil prices and a fluctuating dollar, the National Review's resident class warrior Larry Kudlow found a predictable villain. Despite the inescapable history that the stock market does better under Democratic presidents than Republican ones, Kudlow blamed the market steep slide on the opening of the Democratic Convention in Denver.
With all the hoopla about Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama's speeches, plus the hype about the backstage drama involving the Clintons, it is easy to overlook one of the heroes of the convention: Howard Dean.
Ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages, let's hear it for Howard!
Quarter of Clinton supporters would vote McCain over Obama
Interesting result from a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press: If their favored candidate is not the Democratic nominee, a quarter of Hillary Clinton's primary supporters would defect and vote for John McCain in November, while only 10 percent of Barack Obama's supporters would do the same.
Here's another interesting thing -- the Clinton campaign is promoting this stat, both in an e-mail from spokesman Phil Singer and in an item on its "Delegate Hub" Web site.
Think this the latest poll number? You're wrong. This is from a poll published on March 3, 2008. Surprised? Don't be. The rage in some of Hillary's supporters has been building for quite some time. And it might just sink the Democrats' chances of retaking the White House this year.
I don't know about you, but the cooperate media is not covering a convention. Most of them are outside worried about Pumas and giving Mccain free airtime.
It is a senseless policy, apparently meant to intimidate Russia, but why? For the sake of perpetuating international tension so as to strengthen the forces that with Cheney and Bush have been promoting constitutionally unaccountable executive rule in the United States?"
The art of analyzing international affairs is somewhat like discovering new planets. The astronomer notes the behaviors of observable objects; when those objects behave in a manner that other observable phenomena can't explain, the astronomer begins hypothesizing what unseen phenomena may be present whose gravity could have produced an otherwise irrational event.
Saturday Aug. 23rd, was the first annual FDL SD61 Family and Fun Fair, and I live in MN Senate District 61. I hopped over to Powderhorn Park on a beautiful day and talked to several politicians... and also talked to the kids who danced as part of the festivities. While the politicians were intelligent and articulate, the kids are the fun interview. LiveJournal entry with pictures.
I will also brag: Back on May 31st, I posted a DKos Diary Make all FL and MI delegates uncommitted. What I suggested has come to pass: the disputed delegates are all seated but have been released by Hillary. (I assume the same is true for the other candidates; if not, it doesn't matter much since Hillary won the two in question.)
According to an article by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The article talks about the convention and how centrist Democrats like my Senator Bob Casey and Ex-Governor and Senate candidate Mark Warner will be speaking during the prime time slots during the convention. It also talks about the Dems shift to the center in the past 40 years. Here's a snippet:
Let me speak bluntly to some, condescendingly to others and the truth to all. Democrats will have the opportunity to govern only if the Democratic Party wins the upcoming election. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are the nominees of the Party. Should it be the work of some to continue to bellyache that their particular candidate did not become either the presidential nominee or the vice presidential nominee? I don't think so. If your desire is for Democrats (progressives, liberals, lefties, centrists or any of the many other positive or negative nicknames attributed to those of us in the big-tent Democratic Party abode) to run the government of these United States of America, you need to come on board the Obama-Biden express.
From the Democratic Party internal perspective, the race is over.... The nominees have been selected. It is time that we all get on board and start rowing with all our talents and strengths in the direction of beating John McCain and the Republicans. Get the message?
John McCain just walked into the trap with his new ad attacking Obama/Biden team. He's given Obama/Biden the ability to show why Joe Biden was Obama's best choice for VP.
That's right - Joe Biden said Barack Obama wasn't ready to be president yet -back in January.
Since that time however, Obama has more then proven his ability to "LEAD" and have good "JUDGMENT".
