Serpentine Dancing Queen

2004-12-23T16:14:00.000-08:00

Note to Anarchoblogs

I can't remember the contact info for the guy who put me on this feed service thing. You'd think I understood the technology of blogs more than I do, since I've been blogging a relatively long time. In any case, many people came to this blog through Anarchoblogs, for which I am grateful since I am simply a fellow traveler. Just to reiterate a previous post, I've moved. I'm now at Chicken Foot Stew.

Here's why I named it Chicken Foot Stew.

Here is the syndication URL for Chicken Foot Stew.

2004-12-06T17:23:00.000-08:00

Major Changes Are Coming

I'm moving on from Blogger, my trusted friend for many a year.

I still have a lot to do to spiffy up my new place.

From now on, new posts will be at Chicken Foot Stew.

Drop by my new pad and say hi.

2004-12-03T09:27:00.000-08:00

This Just In: 'Gay' is a Bad Word, Lose Recess for Using It

Right. So a kid was reprimanded by his teacher for using the word 'gay' to describe his lesbian parents. She made him go to the principal's office during recess and attend behavioral modification class the next week, wherein he was required to repeatedly write "I will never use the word ‘gay’ in school again." His mother threatened to sue the school board for discrimination and is represented by the ACLU. Before she could actually file the paperwork, the frickin teacher sue the mother, accuses her of defamation and demanded $50,000 for damages.

Full deets at 365gay.com
Story found via Atrios

2004-12-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

May Day: Anti Nuke Day

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom is a key civil society participant in the Nuclear NonProliferaton Treaty meetings and is also involved in organizing demonstrations to highlight public support for ridding the world of nukes. For more information on WILPF's work, please see Reaching Critical Will: Reaching for a Critical Mass of Political Will for Nuclear Disarmament.

United for Peace and Justice (a coalition that includes WILPF) applied for a permit to rally on the Great Lawn in Central Park - the same location they were denied access to during the RNC. There's precedent for using the space as a public common: in 1982, 750,000 people gathered at an anti-nuke demo there. More deets in this AP article posted by Newsday.

2004-12-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

This Just In: Blood Diamonds Only Bad if Linked with al Qaeda

AFRICAN 'BLOOD DIAMONDS' TARGETED IN OMNIBUS BILL

Spurred by concerns over al Qaeda's suspected involvement in the underground West African diamond trade, Rep. Frank R. Wolf, R-Va., has demanded that the FBI open an office in the region and given it money it did not request to do so. Wolf, chairman of the Commerce, Justice, State and the Judiciary Appropriations Subcommittee, inserted $2 million in the 2005 omnibus appropriations for the FBI to establish an office in an as-yet-to-be-determined West African country to track so-called blood diamonds, local gems traded by criminals and rebels for arms, CQ's Homeland Security Daily reports. At Wolf's urging, FBI agents have traveled to the region twice in the past two years to investigate reports that al Qaeda operatives were involved in buying and trading "blood diamonds" from rebel groups operating in the area from the late 1990s through 2001. The FBI said its investigations had failed to corroborate those reports.

from CQ Midday Update

I'm really unclear why blood diamonds are only horrible when associated with al Qaeda. Frankly, the use of diamonds to fund African civil wars is the primary reason I have no interest in owning one.

2004-12-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

Write Rap Lyrics, Ease Frustration Over Republican Hypocrisy

Rep. Major Owens, D-N.Y., pens poetry and rap lyrics to mock the conservative initiatives of the Republican majority, saying this gives him "an outlet for political frustrations."

from CQ Midday Update

2004-12-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

Your Tax Dollars Fund Perpetuation of Misogyny

Some course materials cited in Waxman's report present as scientific fact notions about a man's need for "admiration" and "sexual fulfillment" compared with a woman's need for "financial support." One book in the "Choosing Best" series tells the story of a knight who married a village maiden instead of the princess because the princess offered so many tips on slaying the local dragon. "Moral of the story," notes the popular text: "Occasional suggestions and assistance may be alright, but too much of it will lessen a man's confidence or even turn him away from his princess."

That is part of the course material in abstinence only programs funded and strongly supported by the Shrub administration. I am disgusted beyond words.

Even more lies passed off as scientific fact can be found in the WaPo article on Waxman's report.

2004-12-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Peace on Earth

Remember when you learned how to make an origami crane in Girl Scouts and they told you it was a symbol of peace? Turns out someone actually thinks the symbol creates peace -

The WSJ details the prime minister of Thailand's plan to quell the beginnings of a rebellion in the Muslim south. His idea: origami. "A flock of at least 63 million cranes--one Japanese-style water bird of folded paper for each Thai man, woman and child" will be dropped from the bomb bays of Thai air force planes, says the Journal. Opposition politicians aren't impressed. Until now, the prime minister has relied on crackdowns in the south that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds. The government's "policy is to depend on repression," said one Thai senator, "and litter."

From Today's Papers

2004-12-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

Salmon and Steelhead Not Important to USG

The LAT fronts an article on the fact that the Bush administration proposed cutting back the salmon and steelhead designated habitat by 90%. Ninety Percent! They also want to claim that hatchery-raised fish are wild fish. Right. And cultured pearls are made by nature.

I've never eaten steelhead, but salmon is my favorite fish to eat. And besides, I think maintaining wildlife is more important than logging or building new McMansions.

Slow Blogger
Anyway else experiencing painfully slow service? I'm extremely sick of it. Between my workload and the inability to edit posts (or even start a new one sometimes), I haven't been feeling the whole blogging thing recently. Hopefully, my friend will get my new and improved blogs up and running on his server soon....stay tuned.

2004-11-29T07:49:00.000-08:00

A Day Late Talkie Wrap Up

Ahhh...one of the few remaining joys of visiting my family is using their TiVo to watch both This Week and Meet the Press. My mom was worried about my religious conviction since she overheard the ministers chatting about Jesus on MTP. (I skipped that bit on This Week because (a)they had less prestigious ministers and (b)I was sick of listening to a bunch of old men talk about morality; what, there are no female moral leaders?!?)

Right. So the other thing on MTP was the chair and co-chair of the 9-11 Commission talkin about how the Intel legislation should be past immediately and like other legislation, the kinks can be worked out later. On ABC, a Republican actually defended the destruction of intel reform, tryin to scare the white, male audience into believing that denying driver's licenses to immigrants would have prevented 9-11. (I'm fairly certain a better intel community that shared its work is the only thing that could've stopped that tragedy; but what do I know? I'm a woman and apparently not a moral person since I'm a Jew and the only moral leaders of worth are Christian, according to the Sunday talkies.)

Right. Mr. Sharpton was decent on MTP - he got some zingers in, but also agreed with the fundies that women old enough to be mothers must consult their parents before deciding whether or not to have an abortion. This makes perfect sense, especially when the woman in question was raped by her father. Also makes sense that the same society that prosecutes 15 year olds as adults should decide that another 15 year old is not adult enough to make decisions regarding her own body. Perfect logic.

The good comics were on vacation last week, so the Sunday Funnies weren't that funny. (You know it's shite when they show a Jimmy Kimmel clip...but I guess they have to b/c they gotta promote their own.) And some people died, but the background music was too loud to hear how many soldiers died in Afghanistan and Iraq last week.

And randomly, the editor of Sojourner magazine is a white progressive minister. Anyone else feel like a female woman of color should head a magazine named an amazing former female slave? Maybe it's just me.

...in other news Starbucks at LAX is way over priced. And Western Bagels rock.

2004-11-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

The connection here in sunny SoCal is so slow that my nephew (age 9) thinks he'll be dead before I finish playing on the 'puter and give him a turn.

I wanted to point out all the interesting articles I read in yesterday's newspapers but I can't get connected to the sites fast enough to hold my attention (and keep Jake off my back).

So here's the most important stuff:

Monsignor William Quinn passed away.

As director fo the U.S. Bishops Committee for Migrant Workers, he tried to bring the workers' troubles to the forefront of society, said his cousin Rev. William Corcoran, pastor of St. Linus Catholic Church in Oak Lawn.

"He fought to raise the church's consciousness of this immigration that has continued to this day," Corcoran said. "He was an advocate for the fair treatment in the field and their working conditions and he pushed to protect their family life and their jobs that were so central to that."

Full obit in the Trib.

On a related note, the NYT had a heart wrenching cover story of the new crackdown on immigrants that is tearing parents away from their State-side born kids. One girl became severely depressed when her mom was thrown out of the country and another went from being a straight A student to failing most of her classes.

According to the LAT, delays at O'Hare reached 3 hours yesterday. According to the Trib, the actual number was 4.5 hrs. Lucky for me, my plane left at 2pm, right when the snow started falling so after a delay to de-ice the plane, we left without a hitch and even arrived at LAX 10 minutes early. Too bad public trans in LA sucks and I had to take the Fly Away back to the Valley (a private bus that runs every half hour). I had to STAND the entire 1.5 hours it took to get over the hill. (During non-rush hour, the bus takes 30 minutes to get to Van Nuys.)

Now both Zach and Jake are insisting that it's their time on the computer, so I must leave y'all.

2004-11-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

Africa and its children

A Boston globe reporter and photographer - John Donnelly and Dominic Chavez - interviewed African children and their families over the course of the past year and wrote / photographed three "Give Me A Pulitzer, Damnit!" stories which appeared in the Globe over the last three days. Give em a read, cause it's heart breaking.

Odongo was, like thousands of Ugandan children, kidnapped into a rebel army and forced, at age 12, to kill; Now free but alone, he is finding a way to live published November 21, 2004

Bidemi lost her mother and fled her father; Today she leads a pack of girls, orphans and runaways, scrounging life out of a Nigerian slum published November 22, 2004

Thandeka has lost her parents; Should she leave her siblings, too? It may be what she must do to survive published November 23, 2004

2004-11-22T11:12:00.000-08:00

FSWE Update

If you live in the States, you have until my birthday to register for the April 23, 2005 FSWE. But don't worry, you haven't missed your chance at your first choice testing center: registration will open in mid-January.

More deets at State's website.

Please read my thoughts on the FSO application process (which I updated yesterday).

2004-11-22T09:20:00.000-08:00

Chinese Economy on Target for 9% GDP Increase

That's according to Chinese President Hu Jintao, who schooled fellow APEC leaders on the Wonders of the Chinese Economy during a working luncheon yesterday. He also claimed that macro-control of the whole economy prevented over heating of the Chinese economy and will also prevent them from ever experiencing a 'hard landing' of their economy.

More deets on his briefing from Xin Hua.

2004-11-21T19:31:00.000-08:00

"How to Save a Troubled Kid?"

My ~~letter~~ email to the editors of Time regarding the above linked article:
Dear Sir or Madam,

Your article "How to Save a Troubled Kid?" stated that Spring Creek Lodge Academy opened in 1996. I am wondering about the accuracy of this statement. A family member attended Spring Creek in the 1980s and I am wondering if there are two schools for troubled teenagers in Montana named Spring Creek or if your article contained a factual error. [Please do not publish my email address.] Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, [name, email address, city, state in provided fields]

2004-11-21T12:16:00.000-08:00

This Just In: Pork is In, the Environment is Out

From Today's Papers:

Everyone fronts news that Congress agreed on a $388 billion spending bill that will fund much of the federal government in 2005. NASA and Amtrak were spared, but the EPA got slashed. Weighing in at 14 pounds, the bill almost collapsed: It bars agencies from requiring health care organizations to provide abortion services, a provision that sparked fury and threats of filibustering. But Democrats were appeased when they were promised a separate vote to repeal the abortion provision. Another flashpoint was a clause, apparently sneaked in by a staff aide and soon to be deleted, that would allow designated people to look at the tax return of any American. The White House had threatened to veto the bill if domestic spending grew by more than 1 percent, but some, um, pork nevertheless made its way in: The Missouri Pork Producers Federation came away with $1 million to convert animal waste into energy.

Good to know Republican fat cats never change.

2004-11-18T20:04:00.000-08:00

Latin Americans Have Better Military Men Than the US

US Defense Secretary Don Rumsfield (who, by the way, is shorter than you'd expect) met with his Latin American counterparts (defense ministers from 33 countries) in Quito, Ecuador on Wednesday morning. Shrub will be in Chile on Saturday for an economic summit. Here's some classic quotes from the Denver Post:

"In Latin America, there are no terrorists - only hunger and unemployment and delinquents who turn to crime. What are we going to do, hit you with a banana?" --Gen. Rene Vargas, a former head of Ecuador's armed forces, an ex-congressman and now a political player ...

"The only way to fight terrorism is to increase democracy," Brazilian Vice President Jose Alencar said in an interview. "The cause of terrorism is not just fundamentalism but misery and hunger. Developed countries must help less-developed countries." ...

In a speech Wednesday, Alencar said arms trafficking, central to any global terrorist threat, will persist "if the highly armed powers do not take measures toward disarmament."

Chile's defense minister, Jaime Ravinet, said the United Nations "is the only forum with international legitimacy to act globally on security issues."

When the Men of War say stuff like that, it makes me want to move to their country. Sigh. Would that I could be in Latin America.

2004-11-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

Discord on Sudan Could Poison China-U.S. ties

The International Herald Tribune has a great commentary by Drew Thompson, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Here's the kicker:

[Chinese people] foresee an aggressive United States increasingly focused on ostensible security threats in Sudan, Iran, Syria and North Korea. China maintains friendly relationships with each of these countries, a reflection of its historic and evolving national interests. This does not necessarily represent part of a grand strategy to aid and support "rogue nations," but rather China's rapidly growing demand for oil and the channeling of Chinese investment to markets with little competition from multinational corporations.

It's fascinating what our global economy and American-owned multinational corporations have created.

2004-11-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

Zimbabwe's Dictator Tightening His Grip on The Country

Mugabe forced his puppet parliament to pass a law demanding that all nongovernmental organizations register with the government. Here's why this law is so egregious:

Those not already on the Social Welfare Ministry’s voluntary register will be regarded as illegal as soon as the law comes into force. ...

Announcing the Bill in July, he declared that “we cannot allow them (voluntary organisations) to be conduits of foreign interference in our national efforts”. Since then, the state propaganda mill has incessantly denounced the groups as "puppets of imperialist forces seeking to destabilise the country to effect regime change". ...

And that's why I'm glad I don't live in Zimbabwe.

2004-11-18T18:11:00.000-08:00

Circumcised Men Less Likely to Get AIDS

from the Boston Globe:

According to a review of scientific research by the US Agency for International Development, the inner surface of the foreskin absorbs HIV up to nine times more efficiently than female cervical tissue.

There's some other interesting tidbits in the article. So apparently that Big One in the Sky got it right when he commanded his people to circumcise their sons....

Unfortunately, the NYT Company is po' and needs to jack your money by forcing you to pay to see articles written two days ago at their subsidiary, the Boston Globe. What can you do? Trust me on the fact that that was the most interesting of all the titillating quotes...

2004-11-18T18:00:00.000-08:00

Sing Us a Song, You're the Piano Man

Anyone else feeling like the refrain "Find a Message Dems!" is becoming a tired old song and dance in and of itself? Yeah, me too. In case you're interested, another opinion writer spewed his opinion on the subject in WaPo. Absolutely, positively nothing new except this line from the last graph:

defending the American middle class means creating the kind of global standards that the Democrats created on the national level during the 1930s and '40s, the time of their greatest popularity.

2004-11-18T11:02:00.000-08:00

Once You Start Working...

You start wondering how you ever had time to read so many articles and write so many posts. Today seems to be a light news day domestically, what with all the Democrats and a few Republicans in Little Rock for the Clinton Presidential Library Grand Opening.

I find it abhorrent that House Republicans changed their rules to allow Majority Leader DeLay to keep his post even if a grand jury indicts him. The LAT speaks on it, as does the political paper of record, WaPo.

Even more importantly, USAT has copy on Bush kissing his female subordinates.

Truly more important than all this riff raff is the fact that the UN Security Council is meeting in Nairobi, Kenya today and tomorrow to discuss the genocide in Darfur. More deets as I find the time.

2004-11-17T18:56:00.000-08:00

This Just In: 2005 Is the International Year of Microcredit

Actually, it was decided in 1998. If you'll recall, microcredit is when folks give money to poor folks in developing countries and let them work their own way out of poverty. Sounds simple, yet for some reason is not the normal way to handle development. (The specifics is that people are given small loans, usually less than $200, to buy a few goats or cows or sheep or to start a weaving company or to build a corner store in their village and the majority of the microloans are repaid and they tend to go to entrepreneurial women as opposed to male government fat cats.)

Here's the official website (cause everyone needs one).

Here's the official library of info leading up to the year of microcredit (cause the UN is great at creating a paper trail).

2004-11-16T09:29:00.000-08:00

Safire Retiring from Opinion Column, Effective January 24

Alas, it'll take awhile to take effect. The NYT reports that their beloved columnist, William Safire, will stop writing opinion pieces and only write his NYT Magazine column On Language.

I don't think I'm the only one who originally thought Safire was a grammar expert who only wrote that On Language column. Obviously, I was confused by his constant appearance on Meet the Press, until his opinion maker status was clarified in my mind.

2004-11-16T08:58:00.000-08:00

My Political Depression

Before the recent presidential election, I wasn't a domestic news junkie. I never knew the insider's political game and I never felt like I was missing something for not knowing it. If someone showed up on Meet the Press, I found out who they were; otherwise, who cared? Nowadays, I read way too much domestic news. It makes me depressed. Especially when it impinges on world affairs. I sincerely doubt that most voters who voted for Bush truly thought through the ramifications of another four years of neo-con foreign policy. When I was a wee lass studying international relations in college, I was always scared of Powell and his Doctrine because I thought it was the reactionary ravings of a Vietnam Vet. Little did I know how positively liberal he looks compared to Vulcans like Rice.

Right. This morning, the one article I finished was the Trib analysis with breakfast. (Side note: I really can't wait for the day when you pick up a razor thin tablet PC and your favorite morning paper automatically appears on the screen. I'm sure this could be done with current technology: it could be a touch screen addition to your home pc, connected via wireless high speed connection....it'd be so much nicer than a simple newspaper subscription b/c you could get all your news sources from one screen over morning coffee at the kitchen table...)

So, between that and the NBC News footage of a soldier shooting a wounded Iraqi and point blank range because the guy "was fucking faking being dead" and a retired General letting the home viewers know that without the embed photographic evidence, the soldier would have received an order to sleep for a few hours and a discussion on proper killing procedures before being sent back to combat, I really need a break from the 24/7 news cycle.

I'll be back later today to talk about Darfur and some other foreign places not on the front page, but for now I'm going to retreat into work mode. It's better that way.

2004-11-15T12:17:00.000-08:00

The Flood of Resignations

Does the fact that most of Shrub's cabinet is resigning mean that they don't like him? Here's CQ Midday Update's summary of the rush to the exit:

The trickle of departures from President Bush's Cabinet reached something approaching flood proportions Monday, with announcements that Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and Education Secretary Rod Paige will join a list that already included Attorney General John Ashcroft and Commerce Secretary Donald L. Evans. The White House portrayed the departures as normal turnover to be expected as the president prepares for a new term with fresh challenges. The resignations mean the Senate will face a busy round of confirmation hearings and floor votes on Bush's nominations to replace the departing Cabinet officials once the 109th Congress convenes in January. Those leaving are generally expected to serve until their successors are chosen and confirmed. There has been widespread speculation that at least three other Cabinet officers may also join the exodus: Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta.

Go, Ridge, Go!

2004-11-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

Powell Resigning

I don't have any deets yet (except that like Ashcroft he wont actually leave until his replacement is in place), and I'm sure you know more. I've actually been busy working all morning.

Here's CNN's story.
The BBC's take.
Reuters does Powell.

2004-11-14T07:52:00.000-08:00

Carville and Matalin with Tim

James just cracked an egg on his face b/c his prediction of the outcome of the presidential campaign was wrong. (He said 52% Kerry 47% Bush 1% Nader)

"They produce a narrative, we produce a litany." --James on the difference between Republican message and Democratic message.

Mary really likes the term "21st century." Either that or it was in her talking points. She says Bush increased his number in all demographics, most importantly Hispanics, Blacks, blah blah blah. (She made it sound like latinos and blacks were the most important of the demographic increases by the tone in her voice.)

Jim McGreevey? Who's he? James said he's the only one with a mandate. (Google check: he's the NJ Governor who resigned supposedly because of his queerness. Political types recognize that as a cover for all his corruption.)

Tim quoted the crazy Bob Jones letter on how I'm a heretic who hates Christians (or something like that). Mary tried to distance Bush and Republicans from him by explaining that moral values means more than being a crazy fundamentalist. James cut in to remind us that Bush campaigned at Bob Jones University at the invitation of Bob Jones.

"Traditional marriage has been the bedrock of this civilization since the beginning of civilization." - Mary Matalin

Mary thinks most people love the fat cats in their towns.

James thinks Democrats will never be for a Constitutional amendment banning abortion and the Democratic Party will never be the anti-gay party. He also agrees with the DLC that Dems need a helluva lot of help to win a national election.

Apparently, Mary holds the purse strings in their marriage. She said she gave James only one check (to write a $1000 contribution to the Boys and Girls Club, since he lost the "who will win the election?" bet they made on Meet the Press eight months ago). I certainly wish I had that kinda money sloshing around in my back account. I paid my bills on Friday (after getting paid) and realized I had to hit up my rents for help on my student loan bill. Sigh. No, I'm not bitter. Not at all.

2004-11-14T07:46:00.000-08:00

Tim's Exclusive Chat with Tony

That'd be Tim Russert, on Meet the Press, chatting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Fashion note: Tony's wearing a pink shirt with a black and purple tie and an extremely strange something on his lapel. It's red and green with a black dot on the red blob area. It sorta looks like a child's drawing of a vegetable. It's rather large and can be seen everytime they do a head shot of Tony, so don't bug me for pointing it out.

Anyway, what they're sayin: Tony thinks 9-11 fundamentally changed how all Americans view the world. He thinks post 9-11 terrorism is fundamentally different than pre 9-11 terrorism. I think he believe the difference is that terrorists now want to "Talibanize" countries.

Here's what I don't get - a majority of Brits hate the war in Iraq and think it was a stupid idea. So why is this guy still their Prime Minister? Can't the people push their representatives to leave Tony's coalition and force an election? That's how it works right? (My knowledge of Brit politics is rusty; last time I thought about the specifics was Intro to PoliSci, first year at Swellesley. That was eight years ago.)

He said it's the job of Enlightened Folks to school the rest of us and make us understand that this terrorism is fundamentally different and that Enlightened Folks should carry on their war whether or not they have popular support.

He doesn't think there's a need for more troops in Iraq! What a moron!!!

So he said a bunch of other stuff, but it wasn't very interesting.

Next up: my favorite pundits, Carville and Matalin! (aka Carville and Carville)

2004-11-12T11:32:00.000-08:00

Investigate the Vote

There's two more stories in today's NYT about how crazy bloggers are and how fabulous electronic voting is. On the flipside, MoveOn started a petition for people who want to support the call of some Congresspeople to demand that the General Accounting Office investigate the vote.

2004-11-12T09:21:00.000-08:00

The DNC Horse Race

The Democratic National Committee will soon need a chair, even though Terry McAullife hasn't announced his resignation yet. To that end, many names have been thrown about. Apparently there are 400 members of the party's national committee. I'd like to know how they're elected and who they represent (since they clearly don't represent me and I'm a member of the Democratic Party). Anyway, here are the highlights from "Democrats Vie for Party Chair: New DNC Leader Will Determine Direction of Party," by Marc Ambinder at ABC News.

The Candidates
(1) Howard Dean and his band of merry progressives. Please remember he's not the public image y'all were excited about during the primaries. He's a fiscal conservative for goodness sake! He cut healthcare in Vermont to balance the budget! Get over your progressive dreams about the guy already.
(2) John Kerry who doesn't want the position. He'd rather put his political capital behind a nominee he likes (and stay above the money fray).
(3) Governor Vilsack of Iowa. (Don't feel bad if you've never heard of him. I live in the Midwest and the first time I heard his name was when peeps started chattering about this DNC Chair opening.)
(4) Roy Barnes, former governor of Georgia, current Atlanta lawyer. Would they really let a true Southerner into the inner sanctum of the party?
(5) Governor Mark Warner of Virginia who doesn't want the job because he'd have to give up chairmanship of the bipartisan National Governors Association.
(6) Jeanne Shaheen, Kerry's campaign chairwoman and former governor of New Hampshire who also doesn't want the gig.
(7) Simon Rosenberg, president of the New Democrat Network. Apparently liked by the young people (or at least the young folks who matter, i.e. "younger party fund-raisers")
(8) Donna Brazile, former Gore campaign manager who doesn't want it
(9) Harold Ickes, former Clinton aide who also doesn't want it
(10) LA City Council member Antonio Villaraigosa Sorry, I'm partial to the guy. He used to be the head of the State Senate and he's really telegenetic and he's super good on the issues and he should be the mayor of LA, but well, we've got a bunch of conservatives within the city's limits.
(11) California state party chairman Art Torres
(12) Wellington Webb, former Denver Mayor
(13) Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri (can't we just let him go back to Missouri and his family in peace? On tv, even during the presidential primaries, he seemed so washed up)
(14) Ron Kirk, former Dallas Mayor
(15) Senator John Edwards of North Carolina (who wont have a job after the next Senate session starts)

The Issues
(1) shore up the state parties in battleground states (don't mind the rest of us who live in other places cause we ain't important)
(2) engage fund-raisers
(3) heal the fractured base
(4) deal with the 2008 primary calendar
(5) deal with labor unions
(6) get in touch with the party's softer side and make a push in the heartland and the South
(7) get in touch with the information age (i.e. copy the Republican data collection model).

Personal Comment
Dems In Power really, really, really have to stop relying on labor unions for GOTV strategy. Do you see many Americans flocking to unions? I didn't think so. Relational organizing is the way to go.

2004-11-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

Brain Droppings

My mind is so scattered today. I think I need more caffeine because I haven't been able to finish my morning news articles. And I am getting irritated by my regular blog reads. At any rate, here's some random thoughts about the articles I have finished reading -

"Reform on the right," by Robert Novak

Since its founding, the Club for Growth now has defeated EMILY's list, 10 to 3, in head-to-head contests. Economic freedom trumps abortion rights to the president's advantage as he pursues his new agenda.

See, it's the fact that they're able to spin thrusting the tax burden onto the poor and middle class (through a national sales tax) as "economic freedom" that causes them to win, not the relative value of their points. Also, as I've said many times, most people simply don't think the right to have an abortion will ever be completed taken away in this country. Since it's not as immediate a threat as getting raped in a Darfur refugee camp, or having your son who's in the National Guard get killed in Iraq, it just doesn't hold as much power at the voting booth. Ya dig?

"On 'Moral Valued,' It's Blue in a Landslide," by Frank Rich

This is actually an opinion piece that will be printed in Saturday's NYT, but the power of the internet brings it to us today. (Plus the power of The Note to publicize it.) The gist of the argument is that moral values is another election promise that no one ever delivers on and that the vast majority of voters have vastly different conceptions of morality (i.e. most peeps aren't Evangelical Christians). Also, Republicans drink from the fount of campaign contributions from Media Moguls. And those moguls (CEOs like Murdoch at Fox, Redstone at Viacom, Parsons at Time Warner, Immelt at G.E.) expect to be rewards with less regulation and an increased ability to market smut. Cause ya see, it's the moguls who determine what you see on t.v. and film, not Susan Sarandon or Bruce Springsteen. There was one factoid that seemed a bit inaccurate - Rich called Fox the "go-to network" for wife-swapping. But ya see, they jacked that idea from ABC and RDF Media (I believe the ABC program is called Wife Swap.) At any rate, Rich has no new opinions. That bit about the CEOs? He got it from Thomas Frank, author of What's the Matter With Kansas? - a book that was published on June 1, 2004.

"Labor Leaders to Look at Restructuring: Consolidation Proposal Also Calls for Attacking Wal-Mart Business Model," by Amy Joyce and Thomas B. Edsall

Turns out the AFL-CIO wont just turn over and play dead for Andy Stern. All the Executive Council agreed to was to study the proposal he put forward. It's amusing that they describe the AFL-CIO President John Sweeney as "once closely allied with Stern," since Sweeney's last job was being president of SEIU. The whole idea of Sweeney's AFL-CIO presidency was to start a culture of change within the organization: to make labor leaders stop in-fighting and start working together to beat corrupt companies. For all its talk of working with other unions, even SEIU doesn't do that very well - there are always problems when SEIU organizers work with another union on an organizing drive. The powers that be just don't want to share power (and don't trust the other union's methods, and think organizers that work with the other union are just positioning themselves for a job hop). Sigh. There's nothing new in the WaPo article, except this:

The consolidation of the federation Stern is seeking would mean that as many as 40 union presidents would lose their jobs.

That's clearly a serious problem since most (all?) of them have 6 figure salaries.

"Latest Conspiracy Theory -- Kerry Won -- Hits the Ether," by Manuel Roig-Franzia and Dan Keating

Yet another blame the nutty bloggers story about voter fraud. What no one gets is that election reform isn't about declaring Kerry the next president: it's about making every vote count. And yet again, the provisional ballot issue was not discussed in this article. Who cares about Florida and Ohio? I care about every voter in every state. But then again, I ain't running for president, which allows me the luxury of actually caring about people instead of electoral votes.

2004-11-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

Arafat Obituaries

"Arafat Was the Symbol of His People's Longing for Identity," by Judith Miller at the NYT

"A Dreamer Who Forced His Cause Onto World Stage: Goal of Palestinian State Proved Elusive," by Lee Hockstader of the WaPo Foreign Service

2004-11-10T20:28:00.000-08:00

Yasser Arafat, Palestinian President, died at a Paris hospital at half past three in the morning, November 11.

That's basically all that was said at the "news conference." A French spokesman said that in French, except he said the name of the Paris hospital. The BBC is talking about this and prior to the hospital's confirmation of Arafat's death was running an obit piece.

I didn't know any of the details of the terrorist attacks attributed to the PLO back in the day. I also had never seen video of the Six Day War. Probably because my only knowledge of that and other wars was told to me in Hebrew School, where Palestinians didn't exist and every Israeli conflict was righteous and good - simply to uphold Isreal's right to exist.

This situation is so complicated and I am not at all an expert.

Places for more info:
Rafah Pundits
Informed Comment
The Middle East Research and Information Project
The Angry Arab News Service (a professor featured yesterday on public radio)
The War in Context

I think that's enough for now. If you're interested in activism, I encourage you to join the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and get involved in our Middle East Committee. We have sections all over the world and are the oldest women's peace organization. All are welcome (including men).

2004-11-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

Arafat Died

News conference soon. Apparently, he was brain dead and then his kidneys and lungs failed.

A prayer for peace in Paris, Palestine, Israel, and the world.

2004-11-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

Puerto Ricans Have No Governor-Elect

From Puerto Rico in limbo after race. Governorship in question while voting lists probed." by Ray Quintanilla, Orlando Sentinel:

Puerto Ricans probably won't know their next governor until sometime in December, after the island's election commissioner Monday launched a precinct-by-precinct check of voting lists to see whether 30,000 uncounted ballots were legally cast.

That means the Nov. 2 election between Pedro Rossello of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party and Anibal Acevedo Vila of the pro-commonwealth Popular Democratic Party remains in limbo, with Acevedo Vila holding a 3,880-vote lead in the incomplete count. ...

If a recount is necessary, election officials said, the final result wouldn't be known until sometime around Christmas because all of the nearly 2 million ballots would have to be examined and retabulated by hand.

Um, did you know there were 2 million voters in Puerto Rico? Why can't they vote in the presidential election? Oh yeah, because they're not a state. Then why does DC have 3 electoral votes?

2004-11-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

Obit of the Ashcroft Justice Department

"We had an attorney general who treated criticism and dissent as treason, ethnic identity as grounds for suspicion and Congressional and judicial oversight as inconvenient obstacles," said David Cole, a law professor at Georgetown University. "He was a disaster from a civil liberties perspective but also from a national security perspective."

from "Ashcroft Quits Top Justice Post; Evans Going, Too" by Elisabeth Bumiller

2004-11-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

Big Media's Vote Fraud Stories Emphasize "Craziness" of Internet Chatter

The Boston Globe and ABC News really miss the point on election malfeasance. Neither article discusses the fact that you're more likely to receive a provisional ballot if you're a minority in a swing state and neither discusses the assessment of international observers that our election laws are more complicated than the Republic of Georgia and that our electronic voting machines leave less of a paper trail than those in Venezuela. Best quote (from the BG article):

Heather Gerken, a professor at Harvard Law School, said the fact that this year's election went smoothly compared to 2000 shouldn't blind policy makers to problems still inherent in the system. Many jurisdictions continue to use outdated equipment, states are behind in compiling reliable voter lists, and elections are still run by partisan officials, she said.

2004-11-10T09:01:00.000-08:00

Dems Lick Their Wounds

WaPo reports on official statements by Dems in DC who think they know how to beat Bush. Some highlights:

[Kerry:]"We need to be unified, and we have a very clear agenda. And I'm going to be fighting for that agenda with all of the energy that I have and all the passion I brought to the campaign." ...

"The president won't be able to blame anyone, because the Republicans have full control," Pelosi said. Although Republicans have controlled the White House, Senate and House for two years, she said, "the American people did not know that. And now they do." ...

DLC founder Al From said the 2004 election continued a "40-year slide" for the party, interrupted only by the elections of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Democrats must close the security, reform and culture gaps, he said, adding: "You can't have everybody who goes to church voting Republican."

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), who won reelection, said Democrats must trust voters' instincts and intelligence. "We can only lead people that we trust, and they'll only follow if they trust us," she said.

Progressive Democrats need to be vigilant and make sure From doesn't increase his power. His quote sounds reasonable, but in reality he wants to push us to the right to win elections. Pelosi's quote makes her sound like an idiot; Kerry's quote is hysterical since he never actually expressed a clear agenda; and Senator Lincoln's the first intelligent elected Dem to speak since 11-2.

2004-11-10T08:22:00.000-08:00

Andy Stern's Push For Power

The WSJ and the NYT report that the AFL-CIO's Executive Council is meeting today. The council has 54 members representing 60 unions, most with less than 100,000 members. Andy's president of the Service Employees International Union, the federation's largest and fastest growing union, with a reported 1.6 million members. The restructuring he wants for the labor movement is the same one he's rammed down the throats of SEIU locals since becoming president. Basically, the plan is to consolidate unions so that each geographic location has one local representing workers in a particular industry and servicing members is slashed so that the money can be spent on organizing new workers into the union. While it makes sense to streamline unions, it's the slashing of services part that troubles a lot of people. Why bother joining a union if no one has your back because they're too busy convincing other people to join your ranks? SEIU thinks that unions are in crisis mode and that members should learn to service their own contracts, leaving paid organizers time to organize new folks. That sounds reasonable from the outside, but why should a janitor be expected to be the most qualified person to uphold his union contract? Why should a nurse be expected to fight a violation of her contract without an expert's help?

Here's the short version of the WSJ article:

After two bitter presidential-election losses and decades of declining membership, the labor movement may be on the threshold of its most fundamental restructuring since the 1950s. ...

"Labor will be fighting issue wars on Capitol Hill, investigative wars with the administration and an internal war," says Vic Kamber, a longtime labor consultant.

Here's the NYT article highlights:

[M]any union leaders fearing retaliation because organized labor spent more than $150 million to try to defeat him. ...

Complaining that workers are often hurt when 10 or more unions represent workers in a single industry, Mr. Stern called for giving the A.F.L.-C.I.O. power to bar a union from negotiating a contract that undercuts the wages and benefits that unions in the same industry have already negotiated. ...

"We either transform the A.F.L.-C.I.O. or build something stronger together," language his aides said suggested that he might break off from the federation to begin a more aggressive, growth-oriented federation.

As part of an effort to make $2 billion available for unionizing efforts over the next five years, Mr. Stern called yesterday for giving half the dues that member unions pay the A.F.L.-C.I.O. back to the unions so they would have more money available for organizing.

He also proposed using the $25 million in royalties that the A.F.L.-C.I.O. gets each year from its Union Plus credit card to organize Wal-Mart, the nation's largest corporation. ...

Richard Sloan, a spokesman for the machinists' union, criticized Mr. Stern's proposals, asserting that they were part of a power play in which Mr. Stern and his allies were seeking to take over the A.F.L.-C.I.O.

Here's SEIU's marketing website for their new labor plan.

Here's the new blog on that site.

Here's the new addy of SEIU's blog.

2004-11-09T15:19:00.000-08:00

The Commerce Secretary Also Resigned

So much for staggering the resignations. I'm also wondering what country Ashcroft lives in. From his resignation letter:

"The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved," Ashcroft wrote in a five-page, handwritten letter to Bush.

I bet he can't type. Why else would you hand write five pages? Not much more deets from CBS.

2004-11-09T15:17:00.000-08:00

Ashcroft Resigned!!!

More deets to follow. Thanks to South Knox Bubba for the heads up.

2004-11-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

Get Off Our Backs: My People Voted

Who are my people? The 18-29 year olds that all the pundits are saying stayed home and didn't pull through and give Kerry a victory on 11-2. Turns out, the youth voting marketers ~~reached~~ exceeded their goal of 20 million young voters. Did you know only a third of the population age 18-29 is attending / has attended college? And the college kids are more likely to vote. Nevertheless, over 10,000 turned out for Hip Hop Summits. If you really want us to vote, make Election Day a national holiday. So we don't have to go to school, work two jobs, and take care of our kids in addition to voting. The kids, I'm sure, would enjoy a trip to the voting booth. As long as the line ain't five hours long.

Numbers pulled from this WaPo article found via The Note.

2004-11-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

Important Headlines

I've got a lot of reading to do before I can post something meaningful on these topics, but I wanted to put them out there for my handful of readers who look to this site as a primary source of news.

A judge halted Guantanamo hearings, ruling the Geneva Conventions apply to war-on-terror prisoners and that they can't be tried by military tribunals that deny them the right to see evidence against them.

The Supreme Court declined to decide if state laws barring felons violate minority voting rights. Rehnquist again failed to attend the discussions.

A federal trial in Georgia opened over a county's affixing stickers on school science textbooks saying evolution is only "a theory, not a fact."

Climate scientists said the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the Earth, and that it has lost 8% of its sea ice over the past 30 years.

Source: World-Wide News Box, WSJ, 11-9-04

2004-11-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

The Republicans Have Begun to Flex Their Muscle

Congress isn't in session and POTUS ain't doin public events. That doesn't mean they're not hard at work. Highlights from today's CQ Midday Update:

1. Senators will concede to House and POTUS wishes and keep the top line of the Intelligence Budget Top Secret. They'll also limit the ability of the Intelligence Czar to control the Spook Budgets. Both of these reforms were highly encouraged in the September 11 Commission Report.

2. Crazy Conservatives continue calling to deny Specter chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee. I really wanted to find an all "c" word way of saying that, but couldn't commit. Anyway, the calls are slowing down but still pouring into DC. Apparently, his back peddling yesterday on Face the Nation wasn't enough.

3. After firing all the union workers who couldn't prove their citizenship and hiring old people who can't open your suitcase in a reasonable amount of time, the Transportation Security Administration decided to privatize airport security (again). This time there will be strict rules to ensure that American fat cats own the companies raking in the money for checkin your luggage.

4. Chief of Staff Andrew Card will still be in the West Wing in the near future. He, Condi, and Dick have been helping Shrub re-arrange his organizational management chart for the next four years.

5. That crazy Dem from Minnesota who closed his DC office re-opened it today. His name is Mark Dayton and he's heir to the Target fortune. He gives his entire Senate salary (minus $1) to a senior citizen advocacy group.

6. I don't know what you'll think of me for posting this, but even my boss was talking about Republican tires being slashed on 11-2, so I figured I'd let y'all know the fate of that case:

A total of four men -- including the son of a newly elected Democratic House member -- have now turned themselves in to Milwaukee police in connection with the slashing of tires on 20 vans and cars rented by the Republican Party on election day, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. According to police records, the four have been booked on charges of criminal damage to property. One of the men, Sowande Ajumoke Omokunde, 25, is the son of Gwen Moore, elected last week to succeed retiring Rep. Gerald D. Kleczka, D-Wis., in the 4th District. He turned himself in on Friday and was released later in the day. On Election Day, 27 tires on 20 vehicles rented by the GOP to ferry voters to the polls were slashed. Police continue to seek other suspects in the incident, the newspaper reported.

2004-11-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

The Netherlands is Experiencing Revenge Attacks for the Killing of Theo van Gogh

Sigh. I was hoping this wouldn't happen. Blind Boy Grunt pointed out that an Islamic elementary school was bombed before dawn today and several other sites were targetted. Full deets from the AP available at Yahoo News.

2004-11-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

Coming to a School Near You: Moral Values Trump Science

Guess that whole scientific establishment believes evolution thing is passe. Apparently, what science teachers should really be doing is filling kids heads with creation myths. Article found by Blind Boy Grunt.

2004-11-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

AdAge Viewpoint Says Blogs Don't Influence Crap

Randall Rothenberg, director of intellectual capital at Booz Allen Hamilton, wrote an article titled "Reports on power of blogs have been greatly exaggerated." Lemme let the idiot speak directly to you:

Having reflected on blogs for the better part of two years, and having participated in the sport for a short two months, I am prepared to report that blogging is little more than hype dished out largely by the unemployable to the aimless. While there is a phenomenon that bears attention buried within them, blogs themselves are barely worth the attention politicians--or marketers--are paying them.

Gee, now that I know that I'm an unemployable aimless woman, I guess I'll stop having an opinion on things. Thanks for the insight, Rothenberg.

2004-11-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

Pundit Watch

Bob Novak wrote an article about Senator Specter's abortion comments and whether that will mean he isn't appointed Chair of the Judiciary Committee. My favorite graph is the last one:

In truth, Specter cannot really repudiate what he said. His modified stand only pledged to guarantee "prompt action" by the committee, not to actively support any Bush nominee. The test is whether the Republican establishment will tolerate a Judiciary chairman who opposes the will of voters who gave George W. Bush a second term and continued Republican control of Congress based on him favoring traditional values.

Novak's understanding of what happened on 11-2 is very interesting. I don't think anyone gave Congress or Bush the right to appeal my control over my body. Then again, I'm apparently not an important voter since I never voted for Bush.

Rob Brownstein spews CW about the Democratic need to move to the right. You really should read the article in its bile-creating entirety. This is why I hate the electoral college. As long as you can dismiss the vast majority of city dwellers simply because we don't live in South Dakota or South Carolina or New Mexico, democracy is dead in the USA. I have no problem listening to / reading articulate conservatives like Novak. I hate the liberal establishment that thinks Democrats should stand for nothing except winning elections.

Safire Spins the Cabinet Shuffle. I'm fairly certain this is the first time I've ever read a Safire column. He's better in writing than he is on Tim's show, but that's not saying anything at all. I dislike him as a television pundit only slightly more than I dislike Katty Kay. Now that's saying something.

The NYT on that Moral Values Landslide Not exactly a pundit's screed, but close enough. My favorite spinner:

Sheldon Gawiser, director of elections for NBC News, another partner in the poll, defended the wording of the "moral values'' question.

"It covers a group of things that people were very concerned about," he said. "There was a very significant religious component to this campaign that resonated with the public, that's what you're seeing here."

Gather round all ye faithful. Read thee bible religiously and get thee to a polling booth.

Democratic CW: We Need a Message, Stat
The NYT published an article yesterday full of Dem quotes on the need for a message and a reach into the South. None of the Really Intelligent Party Leaders mentioned the county by county divide, nor did they mention a purple map analysis of the nation. They also couldn't figure out that regardless of higher voter turnout, 40% of eligible voters Stayed Home 11-2. The only one with a brain in his head, expressing a new thought was the Reverend Jesse Jackson:

"We must be a 50-state national party," the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson said. "We must take on the South, reach more working poor people."

The working poor can take over the country by getting out and voting. I truly believe a button I have: "The rich get richer, the poor get to vote."

WaPo Dissects The Evil Rasputin Rove's Strategy
Dems pay attention: you don't have to change your message to create a stronger base. First, find a message. Second, stick to the message. Third, use electronic databases as well as the RNC. Fourth, recognize that UNIONS SUCK AT GOTV. If unions were great at getting out the vote, wouldn't they win more union elections and wouldn't a larger percentage of Americans be union members?? All but that last point are made in the WaPo article.

A NYT article on Ohio voting problems

Most scholars and lawyers agree the main problems in Ohio resulted from technical failures and inadequate resources rather than partisan bickering in polling places or intentional disenfranchisement. But they said poor and minority voters may have suffered disproportionately.

The article doesn't mention the charge that minority voters' right to vote was challenged more often than whites and that their votes were thrown out more often, especially in county's with Republican election officials, such as in New Mexico.

The LAT looks inside the belly of the beast: What Corporations Will Demand in Return for Their GOTV
This article is so sad its difficult for me to finish reading it. The power of the people might be mighty, but we're a long way from reaching the power of the corporation.

All articles found via The Note.

2004-11-08T02:54:00.000-08:00

Man Commits Suicide to Protest Election

um, hm. Yeah, not useful at all to kill yourself as a form of protest. Do you think the fact that AIM included it as a headline on their newsbar will encourage more people to take their own lives? Goodness. Here's what I don't understand: if you want to make a political statement, shouldn't you leave a statement? Shouldn't it be *very* clear why you do something? He apparently had no manifesto nor a suicide note. Huh?

I think it's time for me to go back to sleep (for a few hours).

2004-11-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

Tim's Death of Democracy Roundup

Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, an election was held on 11-2. Regardless of whether or not the election was stolen, I don't believe the Republican national leaders actually believe in democracy. My proof: how much control they had over who was allowed at their stump speeches; their desire to reach into my body and legislate my womb; their manipulation of the idea of global AIDS treatment and prevention: they actually believe it can be achieved without condoms.

Karl Rove is Scarier than I thought
Strict interpretation of the Constitution is apparently the one (publicly admitted) litmus test for federal judges. Know what that's code for? Repealing abortion rights, denying government the ability to help poor people because it's not a part of the Constitution, and generally sticking your head in the sand and saying big business governs our lives just fine.

Barack Obama is My Fabulous Senator Elect
Tim just played a clip of Obama talkin about people in Red and Blue States. My favorite two: "We worship an awesome G'd in the blue states....and yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states."

That Extremely Annoying Maureen Dowd and The Bumbling Needs to Retire William Safire
Terrifying quote from "I'm trying really hard to be funny" Mo: "She was able to get one Southern male, we'll see if she's able to wrangle more." Or something like that. The harpy was referring to Senator Hillary Clinton. Is it me, or was that an entirely inappropriate reference to a former President of the United States? Ew.

I'd tell you something about what Safire said but the only thing I can remember him saying is that Mo gave him the really ugly tie he was wearing as an Xmas present.

2004-11-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

Our Purple Country

You've seen the state by state blue and red map. You've seen the county-by-county blue and red map. Perhaps you've even seen the state by state purple map.

Here's a county by county Purple Map. Why purple? To show the proportion of the vote each presidential candidate received in each county. Also scroll down and see a map showing population density for the country.

By the way, it turns out, even USA Today has an article about voting machine malfunctions.

2004-11-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

Kerry Won, by Greg Palast

Apparently, Diebold "leave no paper trail" machines aren't the only way to disenfranchise voters.

2004-11-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

County by County Vote Map

Here's the Boston Globe's county vote map. I think Dems should pay attention to the counties they won in Red Country and figure out a message that works well in those markets and build their support from there. In other words: start with your base in the heart of the enemy's country and change em from the inside out. It looks like a Dem could safely take a ride down the Mississippi...and we could take on the Four Corners by building a movement in New Mexico...

2004-11-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

Behind the Scenes of the Presidential Campaigns

This Newsweek article is really interesting. Especially the way it throws a back-handed insult at Teresa Heinz-Kerry. There are several "chapters" to the article and I've apparently only read the intro...

2004-11-04T11:42:00.000-08:00

Arafat is Really, Really Sick

Some people think he's brain dead. I think they don't like him and are trying to dance on his grave before he's even dead.

Here's what I know: Arafat is in a coma in the ICU of a French hospital. Simply being in an Intensive Care Unit means he's in serious condition. Whether you like the man or not, is it really morally acceptable to pray for someone's death?

Associated Press, "Doctors Deny Report of Arafat's Death"

2004-11-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

What's Needed More, Message or Organization?

Some people think you should rally around a message. That's how the current women's movement works: scare people into thinking your abortion rights are about to be repealed and score tons of money for your professional activist work.

Several magazines told me that the conservatives have had years of message massaging experience and that's what makes them powerful. All those years out of office? They didn't go home; they created institutes in DC and created an intellectual backbone for their bigotry. Liberal institutions aren't nearly that old. And relying on unions and benevolent rich people to create our message doesn't appeal to me.

Some people think you should create a people's organization and fight each battle as it comes. You probably haven't heard of it, but that's how the Industrial Areas Foundation works. Created by Saul Alinsky (and a bunch of community leaders and financial backers), the IAF is the grand daddy of community organizing. A couple of books have been written about the modern IAF - they've done amazing things in NYC and Texas (along with other places). And they have a *significant* effect on local politics. So far, they haven't tried to go national because they're still building their local capacity.

This Atrios post made me ponder these questions.

Books Useful for Creating Radical Democracy:

Going Public: An Organizer's Guide to Citizen Action by Michael Grecan

Dry Bones Rattling: Community Building to Revitalize American Democracy by Mark Warren

2004-11-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

It's Time To Mobilize and Organize

Immediate Release
November 3, 2004, 2 PM
Contact: Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, US Section
Gillian Gilhool, 215-563-7110

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Responds to a Second Bush Administration

Throughout the Presidential campaign, George W. Bush has emphasized his intention to continue the key policies of his first administration:

• preemptive war
• rejection of international law
• contempt for negotiated resolution of conflict and international law
• deception of the US people, our representatives, and the world
• building a national security state
• rolling back civil liberties-particularly for women and minorities
• redirecting the economy to serve the very rich and the corporations they control
• and the ultimate violence of reckless disregard for natural resources, the environment, and the future of the earth on which we depend.

The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom has challenged, opposed, and protested these policies for the past four years. We now call on all citizens with a commitment to peace to rededicate our efforts to policies that will:

• restore our Constitutional liberties
• bring an end to invasions and occupations
• reconnect the US to our obligations under International Treaties on disarmament, the environment, and international law.

WILPF will organize its national membership to continue and intensify our efforts for democracy, disarmament, economic and racial justice. We particularly call on women, whose rights have been so seriously diminished and disregarded in the past four years, to join us in mobilizing for the linked causes of peace and liberty. In 2005, as this administration enters its second term, WILPF will enter its 9th decade of working to MAKE PEACE A REALITY. In the aftermath of an election campaign so sadly corrupted by manipulation of the deepest human concerns for safety, we will seek our security in a global community where all work together for a better life, not only in our own country, but throughout the world.

Since 1915, WILPF has worked to achieve through peaceful means: world disarmament, full rights for women, racial and economic justice, an end to all forms of violence, and to establish those political, social and psychological conditions which can assure peace, freedom, and justice for all. More information is available on our website: www.wilpf.org

2004-11-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

Tim's $5 Million Wipe Board

USAT reports that NBC spent a cool $5 mill creating Democracy Plaza and for the night's coverage even splurged and gave Tim a tablet PC instead of his $1 wipe board. (He kept an original board under the table in case the technology failed.) Most interesting news from the article: Telemundo hosted the first ever, all-night coverage of the election by a Spanish language channel in the U.S.

"NBC Supersizes set, keeps erase board" by Peter Johnson

2004-11-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

Counting Every Vote; Holding Every Vote Sacred

This is not about me being a sore loser. Regardless of your politics, I think we can agree that each citizen's vote should be counted and should be counted for the candidate they voted for. In other words, exit polls should mesh with vote tabulations and our election process shouldn't be more convoluted than the Republic of Georgia.

The observers said they had less access to polls than in Kazakhstan, that the electronic voting had fewer fail-safes than in Venezuela, that the ballots were not so simple as in the Republic of Georgia and that no other country had such a complex national election system.

Read about vote discrepancies and the Diebold machines at Daily Kos.

Read the analysis from international observers in the International Herald Tribune.

2004-11-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

Dutch Film Maker Theo Van Gogh Murdered; Shot and Stabbed in Broad Daylight Tuesday

yes, he was related to Vincent.
He also directed a ten minute short, Submission, which depicted violence against women in Muslim societies. It was going to be the first in a three-part series; the next film would explore the issue from a male perspective.

The film portrayed violence against women in Islamic societies - in one scene an actress in see-through garments was shown with Koranic script written on her body, which also bore whip marks.

Theo was killed by an "Islamist extremist" who left two knives in his body, one of which had a note attached which contained quotes from the Koran.

More on Van Gogh's death here.
More on Van Gogh's life here.

2004-11-02T23:49:00.000-08:00

Ohio? Florida?

TalkingPointsMemo says there was funny business in both states. Regardless, it seems like Shrub has one the popular vote for the first time. Here's what happened - evangelical Protestants rocked their vote for a misguided zealot. My peers, as always, talked a big talk and then shrugged their shoulders and stayed home.

It's time for the Reality Based Community to actually gel.
It's time to create grassroots, radical democracy.
What's radical democracy? It's democracy from the roots. It's having every person part of the decision making process. Every person.

Here's my platform: get rid of the electoral college and start truly caring about one person, one vote. Also, make the presidential election a national holiday. Today was my first corporate sponsored election day. How was it corporately sponsored? The Huge Corporation I work for gave its employees the day off to insure that we voted. It made me realize how important it is to take elections seriously. Could you imagine standing in a ten hour line if you had a college exam scheduled? How about if you needed to get to your job, where you were paid hourly? Only particular people could spend the time needed to vote in Ohio and parts of Florida and other states, and that's a damn shame.

Also needed, but slightly less important: abolish electronic voting everywhere. Get a national voting system that creates a paper trail and is easily expandable to deal with record turnout levels.

2004-11-02T21:04:00.000-08:00

Oregon IS BLUE!

MSNBC just called it.

2004-11-02T20:50:00.000-08:00

It's Not Just About the Presidency

Floridians have decided to amend their Constitution and insist on parental notification of abortions. Apparently, if you're old enough to be a parent you're not old enough to decide whether or not to actually be a parent; your parent needs to make that personal medical / moral decision for you.

I wanna move to the EU.

2004-11-02T20:32:00.000-08:00

Cali Dems Rockin the Vote!!

Those of us not in Cali, Oregon, Washington, and a few other states forget how many important legislative decisions can be made through ballot initiatives.

With a small portion of the precincts reporting (but still more than the total number of votes in many states)...

Californians are voting to amend the Three Strikes Law and to Spend Money on Stem Cell Research. CNN has the results. Congrats also to Barbara Boxer and all of those politicos workin for her.

2004-11-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

She's Going to Get it Tonight

Mi Chavo likes to think about the sex lives of politicians. Specifically, which spouses will be satisfied by their politico men later this evening.

Something more interesting than shrub's sweep of the sparsely populated states of the Midwest and the Mid South (yes, they do call Oklahoma "Mid South." Drive through there and check out their local news and you'll find my source for this geographical hot button issue).

Have you takin the Votergasm pledge? Neither have we. I mean, do you really want to be in some database stating your sexual decisions?

2004-11-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

Florida going Red, PA and Ohio BLUE

birdies singing to Wonkette

2004-11-02T17:10:00.000-08:00

Barrack Obama Is My Senator

Well, almost.
He's the projected winner according to everyone (and just officially announced on NBC).

Best electoral map online:
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/president/

2004-11-02T16:34:00.000-08:00

A Break from Election News: Tensions Elsewhere Make Us Look Like Hippy Tree Huggers, Despite the Huge Rift Felt By Many

Okay, so my headline writing abilities are diminishing as my alcohol consumption increases. Who cares?

Just thought you'd like to know about something that's not based on someone's prediction of how your friends and neighbors voted today. (If you're in a state where the polls are open, VOTE DAMNIT.)

Right, so here's the deal: Last week, starting on Wednesday, a huge ethnic struggle occurred in a Chinese province. It started when Han villagers (the ethnic majority, they comprise 90% of the Chinese population) got in a traffic dispute with Hui truck drivers (Muslims who believe they're descendants of Arab traders who moved to China through the Silk Road centuries ago).

At least 7 people are dead and 18 arrested.

Best additional info at WaPo.
More at LAT.
Even more from the Chicago Tribune, reporting from Zhongmou County

2004-11-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

NBC Predicts at 6pm

for Shrub: Georgia, Kentucky, Indiana
for Kerry: Vermont

2004-11-02T16:04:00.000-08:00

I'm Drinking Sam Adams Tonight

in honor of the Honorable Gentleman from Massachusetts.

What are you drinking?

2004-11-02T14:51:00.000-08:00

My Map's Ready, Is Yours?

Mi Chavo bought me a special election issue of The New Yorker. It included one of my all-time favorite ads; CNN inserted a map of the US, complete with spaces for little stickers (also included) so we can all follow along and dot our own maps as election results come in. The map and stickers were perforated for easy detachment from the book. See, it's the play along at home version of Democracy Plaza's Map on Ice. And yes, I will be watching NBC tonight. As mi chavo says, I'm looking forward to my man Tim and his $1 wipeboard. ...of course, I'm going to have to turn him off to see the live Daily Show broadcast from 9-10 CST. (Side note - damn WB for airing new eps on Election Night! ARRRG!!!)

2004-11-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

4pm Exit Polls

Taken from Slate. GET OUT AND VOTE!

Florida
Kerry 50
Bush 49

Ohio
Kerry 50
Bush 49

Pennsylvania
Kerry 54
Bush 45

Wisconsin
Kerry 51
Bush 46

Michigan
Kerry 51
Bush 47

Minnesota
Kerry 58
Bush 40

Nevada
Kerry 48
Bush 50

New Mexico
Kerry 50
Bush 48

North Carolina
Kerry 49
Bush 51

Colorado
Kerry 46
Bush 53

2004-11-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Sues US

The USG is being sued because it bans the publication of books by authors from Cuba, Iran, and Sudan. Last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, Shirin Ebadi, wants to publish her memoirs and our government wont let her. Ebadi is the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to receive the prize. Read some deets from the BBC.

2004-11-02T12:52:00.000-08:00

Sudanese Government Blocking Refugees From Receiving Aid

Reuters reports that the Sudanese government is blocking the World Food Program from getting into three camps in Darfur. They've also been spraying bullets in the air to intimidate the IDPs (internally displaced persons, aka refugees).

2004-11-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

Exit Polls Show Kerry Leading in Most Swing States

but don't bother reading the specifics unless you've already voted.
VOTE.

2004-11-02T11:39:00.000-08:00

I Voted for Kerry and Obama. Have You Voted?

I have to admit that I was nervous about posting until I had voted. And I was shaking at my polling place because my picture id is an out-of-state license. Nevertheless, I voted with no problems. I only had to wait while they dealt with the guy in front of me...there was a line when I left, but not when I got there. It was strange that there were *so* many election judges, but only one guy looking up names in my precinct. In Cali and Mass, they divide the names up and you wait in line by last name. Also, almost all of the election judges were extremely young. That's a first for me. Especially since a political party has to elect you to be a judge here in the Democratic Machine. Speaking of the machine, a guy who could only be described as a hustler tried to give me a Dem Voting Guide across the street from my polling place. That was a little freaky. Also strange was voting in a fire station. Felt a little more patriotic for some reason....although I was disturbed to have something in common with Shrub (he voted in a fire station in Crawford, TX).

I'm trying to stay positive. High voter turnout has *always* been good for Democrats, so I hope conventional wisdom holds in this election....I just can't believe my roommate has never voted and didn't vote in this election. ARRG.

2004-11-01T11:50:00.000-08:00

Vote Early, Vote Often
You know how Republicans have complained on the news talk shows that Dems are registered to vote in two states and that's illegal? Right, well, it turns out Republicans do that too. From CQ Midday Update:

Vote early, vote twice. That seems to be a real possibility in two of the biggest battleground states of this election, Ohio and Florida. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, hundreds of voters could easily cast ballots this year in both Ohio and Florida because they are eligible to vote in both states and have received absentee ballots from election officials in Ohio. More than 27,000 people are listed as active voters in both Ohio and Florida, the Plain Dealer said. As many as 400 people voted in both states in the same election over the past four years, records show. "In the 2000 presidential election, about 100 Ohio voters also cast ballots in Florida -- where the presidential race was decided by just 537 votes," the Plain Dealer reported. About 11,000 Republicans and 9,600 Democrats are registered in both states.

Sigh. I know I was probably an active voter in Somerville, Mass when I first moved back to Northridge, Cali. But I for one would never, ever vote in two states at the same time. What is wrong with people? And why is the fraud allowed?

2004-11-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

Women Still Excluded From the Peace Table

Last Thursday, UN Secretary General Annan's report on women, peace, and security was discussed by the Security Council. The report documents the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325, which mandates the equal participation of women in conflict resolution and post-conflict situations. WILPF's Peace Women project has been monitoring SCR 1325's implementation since its adoption on October 31, 2000. As those who follow these things already knew, the current status of women in conflict resolution is grim. Here is how the UN News Centre describes the situation:

Women remain overwhelmingly excluded from participating in peace talks and post-conflict reconstruction, and continue to suffer physical and sexual violence during war, Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in a report on women, peace and security. ...

"The facts on the ground point to our collective failure in preventing such violence and protecting women and girls from the horrors of gender-based violence and heinous violations of international human rights, criminal and humanitarian law."

State military organizations and rebel groups are both responsible for violations, he adds, including murders, rapes, abductions, torture and acts of sexual slavery. Some of the worst examples have occurred in Sudan's Darfur region, Afghanistan and Burundi, the report says.

I often hear my contemporaries talk about the so-called gender equality in the US and they wonder why older women insist on reminding them that gender differences exist. After all, isn't a "gender-blind" society the most equal society? Alas, my myopic sisters forget about the fact that worldwide women are more likely than men to be physically violated during war; women are more likely to be denied an education; women are more likely than men to be denied the right to vote; and even in the US, women on average make less than men doing the same job.

So, yes, women need to be included at the peace table. We also need to be included in *every* political discussion. And we need to stand up for ourselves and recognize that gender equality has not yet been achieved.

2004-11-01T07:36:00.000-08:00

The Rolling Stone Kerry Interview

While waiting to see Ray, mi chavo and I stopped by the Virgin Megastore downtown and I sat and read Jann Wenner's interview of Kerry in the newest issue of Rolling Stone magazine. My favorite Kerry quote is the last one he gave:

Finally, if you were to look back over eight years of a Kerry presidency, what would you hope would be said about it?

That it always told the truth to the American people, that it always fought for average folks. And that we raised the quality of life in America and made America safer. I want to be the president who gets health care done for Americans. I want to be the president who helps to fix our schools and end this separate-and-unequal school system we have in America. And I want to be the president who re-establishes America's reputation in the world -- which is part of making us safer. There's a huge opportunity here to really lift our country up, and that's what I want to do.

I understand Kerry's a much more subtle politician than the drawling shrub. I still don't understand why more people aren't inspired to be on his team (rather than simply being opposed to the shrub). I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I've been a Kerry woman since I was a resident of Massachusetts and happily voted for him to be my senator.

2004-10-31T08:08:00.000-08:00

The Infamous Cell Phone Voters

How many people do you know who only use a cell phone (meaning they don't own a land line)? No one I know.

The pollsters rambled and rambled.

When Tim said the Electoral College count could be tied, mi chavo asked what happens then. I flippantly said the House of Reps decides. I know that's happened in a past election (and I believe the chosen president came in third in the popular vote...one of the guys right before Lincoln). Here's the dirt on what happens, from electoral-vote.com:

What happens if the electoral vote is a tie or nobody gets 270 EVs?
The newly-elected House of Representatives chooses the president, with each state getting one vote. The new Senate chooses the VP. If the House ties 25 states to 25 states, the new VP acts as president. If the new Senate ties 50-50 and the House breaks 25-25, the normal order of succesion is followed. The next in line is the Speaker of the House, then the President Pro Tem of the Senate. See the Electoral college page for more information.

On a completely unrelated note, Tim continued to use his $1 wipe-board to talk electoral college count. Someone explain why the head of NBC's DC office can't use a more technologically advanced system to translate his thoughts to the audience. I'm thinking something like what the weatherman uses to show you how a forecast map will change over time; i.e. a computer graphic instead of the $1 wipeboard.

2004-10-31T08:03:00.000-08:00

Rudy Spins Faster Than a Cotton Candy Machine

Tim's talkin to the Master Republican Spinmeister, Rudy Guiliani. This man gets a free pass as a Patriotic Truth-Sayer because he was mayor of NYC on 9-11-01. First he said Shrub was patriotic for not making bin Laden a campaign issue and then blasted The Tall One for pointing out the obvious: that when he had the chance, Shrub took his eye off the ball and left bin Laden wandering the hills of Afghanistan.

Master Spinmeister has learned to mockingly laugh every time he says the name "Michael Moore." I'm not a huge Moore fan (check that, I'm not a fan at all) but give me a break. This man should get a Daytime Emmy nomination for this diatribe.

Now he's blasting The Tall One's idea about wanting terrorism to stop being such a huge threat. And now he's saying that using "elite forces" (code for a small number of American troops) supervising "Afghani troops, tried and tested in battle" (read war lord's soldiers, tried and tested in the practice of torturing their countrymen) is not outsourcing.

Two of Four Statistics, Inauuguration Day till Today (from Tim):
Unemployment: up 28.5%
Jobs loss of .9 million

Rudy's Spin:
9-11, 9-11, 9-11.
Tax Cuts creat spending.
Kerry would raise taxes.
Kerry will imperil our recovery.
Shrub follows in the footsteps of John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.

Please explain why we need unity on foreign policy. I'm not going to get lock step behind some idiotic "realist" neo-cons just because they say it's needed and patriotic.

2004-10-31T07:45:00.000-08:00

Bob Kerrey Speaks Nonsense to Tim

Tim's first guest this morning is Bob Kerrey, former US Senator and current head of the New School in NY. He likes to shout and he also really supports the Iraqi war. He also thinks that the old Iraqi army should have been kept for border security purposes. Because when you take over a country, you always keep your opponent's army armed to the teeth and call on them to support you. I don't think it's that simple. Perhaps the army could have been re-examined and some of them kept, but how does it make sense to keep Saddam's killers in power? Would the Iraqi people really support that?

Kerrey just rambled about the Swift Boat Veterans ads. Here's what I don't get: why do Shrub and Cheney get a free pass on their draft dodging? Why do they get to be the strong, tough team when they've never been on the front line? I'm not saying you have to kill people to be strong, I'm just saying it makes no sense that people call Kerry a pansy and think he would be weak on terror.

2004-10-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

bin Laden on tape

Um, I haven't seen the tape. I heard Bill Maher read excerpts on his show last night. I hear from Today's Papers that both The Tall One and the shrub are trying to use it to their advantage on the campaign trail. Should any of this matter? Not so much. I'm a wee bit sick of the horse race watching in these pre-election days.

I'm looking forward to Tuesday for two reasons: first, I get to vote in a new state (always an interesting thing). Second, I have the day off work. It's the first time I've ever worked for anyone who felt I deserved the day off to insure that I get to the polling place. It's kinda strange that I had to start working for an extremely large corporation for my employer to start caring about my civic duty. I haven't decided what to do with my glorious day. Most people are taking Monday off and creating a four day weekend. Alas, I cannot.

2004-10-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

Real Time with Bill Maher
First guest: Pompous man at the NYT, Thomas Friedman (who has been gaining weight and needed to tape down his suit jacket). Friedman thinks the apartheid wall is a good thing and that it makes "a good neighbor." He thinks that Hamas built the wall. He also called the terrorists and freedom fighters in Iraq "Islamists." Funny thing is, he thought it was wrong that Iraqis call all American troops "Jews." (Background: Germans were called "Krauts" during WWII, Vietnamese were called "Charlie" during the Vietnam War.)

So let's get this straight - it's wrong to call all Americans Jews, but it's okay to call all Iraqis who disagree with you Islamists??

Table Discussion with Men
Guests: Richard Belzer, Wesley Clark, and Kevin Costner
Bill made a good point that what bin Ladin said in his recent video could've been said by a Dem National Party spokesman.
Costner really hasn't aged well. He also rants and makes no sense. And his brown leather bomber jacket was styled in the 80s (replete with elastic cuffs).
Clark is great as usual. As mi chavo says, "I love this guy."

real explanation of SNAFU:
situation normal - all fucked up.

Kevin: lemme ramble about Vietnam instead of letting a four star general talk.
Clark: Key lesson of Vietnam is that you've got to have a strategy that has a real chance of success. It's the job of the civilian leadership to tell soldiers what to do.
Kevin: I've got to interrupt Clark because my career is so washed up, I need more air time on Real Time.
[audience really, really wants to clap b/c a few keep clapping even when Kevin is rambling.]

I think Kevin is drunk or stoned. If he's not, then he's got some mental issues.

me: I don't want to listen to him anymore honey; make him stop!
mi chavo: Just take satisfaction in the fact that The Postman sucked.

2004-10-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Inside the Belly of the Beast: Chicago's 47th Ward

I'm new to this town of Dems. I used to live in Los Angeles, which everyone thinks is full of yellow-belly liberals, but in fact is run by a Republican and helped to elect a Republican governor. Now I live in a place that has a city councilman (aka alderman in these parts) who writes me letters that include a handy sample ballot to remind me to vote for all the Dems on the ballot. (Yes, I am a registered Democrat, thanks for asking.) Anyway, my alderman, who has been this ward's alderman since 1975 (longer than I've been alive) can tell me who to vote for because he's writing on behalf of the Democratic Committee, 47th Ward. As far as I can tell, he's the only member of the 47th Ward's Democratic Committee. Here's his personal site. (Kerry likes him so much, he took a pic with him in the back of a garage.) Here's his 47th Ward site. Btw, I think it's b.s. that residential street cleaning is only announced a day before the cleaning occurs. Extreme b.s.

2004-10-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

Arafat on his way to Paris for Medical Treatment

Arafat has been seriously ill for several days and collapsed, losing consciousness, on Wednesday. Since he didn't know whether or not Israel would allow him to return to his compound (where he's been under virtual house arrest for two years), Arafat chose not to seek help. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reversed policy and said Arafat could return to his compound after receiving treatment. There's a lot of speculation about what's wrong with Arafat, since he and his doctors have been illusive, and at times misleading, about his ailments. He is 75 years old and left three people in charge of the day to day affairs of Palestine, but there's no clear line of succession if he can't return to power. More deets available from LAT.

2004-10-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

UN Condemned US Torture of Terror Suspects
Without mentioning the US specifically (so yes, my headline is a little misleading but they were clearly talkin about the Bush admin), the UN official who monitors compliance with prohibitions against torture said this:

"The absolute nature of the prohibition of torture and other forms of ill treatment means that no exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification for torture," the report said.

"No executive, legislative, administrative or judicial measure authorizing recourse to torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment can be considered as lawful under international law."

So you see, these "extraordinary times" call for a return to humanity and international law. And it doesn't make me a pinko to think that international standards for the protection of human rights should be upheld.

2004-10-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Year
The label is a badge of honor. In this election, liberals stands for a safer America, more jobs, better schools, and affordable health care for all our people. Republicans can't compete with that. --Edward Kennedy
From "Both campaigns invoke an image: the liberal's liberal," by Susan Milligan in today's Globe. Found via The Note.

2004-10-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

The NYT Gazes at Bloggers' Navels

In a story full of stuff you already knew, the NYT lets you know that political journalists are being held accountable by Bloggers. A few things pique my interest about the article: first, like this article about advertising blogs, the NYT gives free publicity to Daily Kos. Second, it names The Truth Laid Bear as its source for blog ranking. Third, it doesn't provided hyperlinks or URLs for any of the sites in the article. Fourth, Tom sure does need to retire; here's what he said during a convo on the 60 Minutes Air National Guard story:

"I think there were people just lying in the Internet bushes, waiting to strike, and I think that particular episode gave them a big opportunity."

I think it's sloppy journalism to not offer the site addresses in a story about online writing. I find it interesting that the only "blog" by a mainstream outlet mentioned is ABC's The Note. I suppose that means professional types really do read that completely unedited ramble.

2004-10-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

Bill Clinton Predicts Winner of Presidential Election. Guess Who He Picked?

Clinton spoke at an "off the record" Q&A at the Magazine Publishers of America conference in Boca Raton, Florida.

Clinton said he thought Sen. John Kerry was going to eke out a narrow victory in Tuesday's election.

"I think it is slightly more likely that he will win, but this thing is tight as a tick," Clinton said.