Showing posts with label Democratic Party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Democratic Party. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Like a Death in the Family
By the time word had filtered out last night, I was off the grid. Having to be at work around sunrise will do that to you. Therefore, I didn't learn of Ted Kennedy's passing until this morning.
This was a day that was pretty inevitably going to come once the news about his condition began to filter out last year.
Growing up, my parents were moderate right in their political views. In those days, they were Republicans, though they were known to cross party lines occasionally (my dad, for example, voted for Carter in 1976, mainly because of Watergate).
These days of course, the GOP is so crazy that my mom is a a fairly staunch centrist Democrat.
Like most Republicans of the day, my family, including myself, disliked Ted Kennedy. My political views didn't truly change until college, at which point I discovered the world wasn't lily white, that people from different backgrounds, races, and points of view made the world a more interesting place, and that the veiled (and not-so-veiled) classism, racism and sexism of the GOP was not something I could stand any more. In other words, I was a Republican, until I actually saw Republican ideals (an oxymoron in itself) in action during the Reagan years.
One of the political speeches I remember was Kennedy's speech in 1980 at the Democratic National Convention. I couldn't bring myself to support Carter (though I admire what he's done since leaving office), in fact, I supported John Anderson that year. But Ted Kennedy's speech in that convention was electric. Though it took a few years to percolate through, I think Ted spoke to me in a way that no politician has since.
Since that time, and particularly since 1984, when I reregistered as a Democrat for the express purpose of expressing my displeasure with the Reagan Administration (I voted for Mondale), I have come to admire the unique gifts of Ted Kennedy.
For the mess that his personal life was at times, politically, he had the rare gift of knowing exactly where he stood and what his core values were. Better still, he knew how to take those ideals, and work through the arcane procedures and roadblocks of the Senate to put those ideals in action. It's no surprise that Kennedy got so much done when you realize that he combined the unique combination of having unshakeable core values, combined with a willingness to negotiate to put those values into law.
In my mind, he may be the most effective Senator in the history of the Republic. Certainly, he was a political hero of mine. When he endorsed Barack Obama last year, I was at last comfortable with my vote for Barack in the Primary. I really think that endorsement, while it didn't give Barack Massachusetts, did put the stamp of legitimacy on Barack with a whole lot of Democrats, and immediately made him a candidate to be taken seriously.
To bring this full circle, I was saddened when I heard of his illness, was saddened at the mounting evidence in the last month that the end was near, and I haven't been the same since I read it at work this morning. Losing Ted Kennedy is like a death in the family for me.
Anyway, because this is the way I will always remember him, enjoy his 1980 DNC Speech below.
“For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die,” -Edward M Kennedy, 1932-2009.
This was a day that was pretty inevitably going to come once the news about his condition began to filter out last year.
Growing up, my parents were moderate right in their political views. In those days, they were Republicans, though they were known to cross party lines occasionally (my dad, for example, voted for Carter in 1976, mainly because of Watergate).
These days of course, the GOP is so crazy that my mom is a a fairly staunch centrist Democrat.
Like most Republicans of the day, my family, including myself, disliked Ted Kennedy. My political views didn't truly change until college, at which point I discovered the world wasn't lily white, that people from different backgrounds, races, and points of view made the world a more interesting place, and that the veiled (and not-so-veiled) classism, racism and sexism of the GOP was not something I could stand any more. In other words, I was a Republican, until I actually saw Republican ideals (an oxymoron in itself) in action during the Reagan years.
One of the political speeches I remember was Kennedy's speech in 1980 at the Democratic National Convention. I couldn't bring myself to support Carter (though I admire what he's done since leaving office), in fact, I supported John Anderson that year. But Ted Kennedy's speech in that convention was electric. Though it took a few years to percolate through, I think Ted spoke to me in a way that no politician has since.
Since that time, and particularly since 1984, when I reregistered as a Democrat for the express purpose of expressing my displeasure with the Reagan Administration (I voted for Mondale), I have come to admire the unique gifts of Ted Kennedy.
For the mess that his personal life was at times, politically, he had the rare gift of knowing exactly where he stood and what his core values were. Better still, he knew how to take those ideals, and work through the arcane procedures and roadblocks of the Senate to put those ideals in action. It's no surprise that Kennedy got so much done when you realize that he combined the unique combination of having unshakeable core values, combined with a willingness to negotiate to put those values into law.
In my mind, he may be the most effective Senator in the history of the Republic. Certainly, he was a political hero of mine. When he endorsed Barack Obama last year, I was at last comfortable with my vote for Barack in the Primary. I really think that endorsement, while it didn't give Barack Massachusetts, did put the stamp of legitimacy on Barack with a whole lot of Democrats, and immediately made him a candidate to be taken seriously.
To bring this full circle, I was saddened when I heard of his illness, was saddened at the mounting evidence in the last month that the end was near, and I haven't been the same since I read it at work this morning. Losing Ted Kennedy is like a death in the family for me.
Anyway, because this is the way I will always remember him, enjoy his 1980 DNC Speech below.
“For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die,” -Edward M Kennedy, 1932-2009.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Panetta as CIA Director
I'm not entirely sure to make of his selection, although I thought he served Clinton well. I will say the fact that Dianne Feinstein is cheesed off about the pick, on the other hand, makes me think Panetta might be the right choice.
Any time a Democrat does something to make a complete tool like Feinstein cry is a good day.
Any time a Democrat does something to make a complete tool like Feinstein cry is a good day.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Lack of Perspective (or Drama Queens, Get the F*ck Out)
OK, fellow travellers on the Left. Let's talk about a few facts.
On November 6, returning to work after a well deserved day off, I had the opportunity to speak with several coworkers who are fellow Obama supporters and Democrats.
My first two sentences were this:
1. Now the real work begins.
2. Be prepared for Obama to break your heart.
Let's talk about both of those for a minute.
Now the real work begins.
FDR was widely considered one of our more progressive Presidents. He didn't run forreelection that way in 1932. Truth is, on a lot of policies, he ran by offering to out-Hoover Hoover.
Then, when in office, his first attempts at economic policy were so tepid they almost led to his undoing.
Let's relate that to the present day. There are still a lot of god-awful, corporate Democrats out there. Last I checked, totally useless gits like the Nelsons, Joe Lieberman and the Salazars are still in the House and Senate. There are still going to be somewhere between 43-40 Republican assholes like Jon Kyl in the Senate and even more GOoPer neanderthals in the House.
If we don't fight for it, we're going to get more of the same bullshit we've seen in the last 16 years. Corporate giveaways, brain-dead, one-sided "free" trade deals. Be prepared to ride your Congressmen (or women) and Senators like a jockey flogging a horse on the way to the Winner's Circle at the Kentucky Derby.
If you don't pester your Congressmen and Senators when Obama's trying to push something important through theSenateCongress, you didn't win a damn thing last Tuesday. It's that simple.
Obama will break your heart.
Here's the truth. During his first 100 days in office, Barack Obama will do something, or not do something, that is going to drive you up a fucking wall. He won't prioritize something that is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING EVER. Or he will prioritize something you couldn't give a shit about.
All Presidents do. Now mind you, he won't probably crush your spirit like Bush did. Who could? But he will do something that will bother you.
Here's a secret. There's only one person that will absolutely agree with every sacred cow, my way or the highway, policy position that is important to you. Trouble is, you weren't running for President.
As for the stupid highlighted here, all I can say is people ought to be a whole lot smarter than this.
On November 6, returning to work after a well deserved day off, I had the opportunity to speak with several coworkers who are fellow Obama supporters and Democrats.
My first two sentences were this:
1. Now the real work begins.
2. Be prepared for Obama to break your heart.
Let's talk about both of those for a minute.
Now the real work begins.
FDR was widely considered one of our more progressive Presidents. He didn't run for
Then, when in office, his first attempts at economic policy were so tepid they almost led to his undoing.
Let's relate that to the present day. There are still a lot of god-awful, corporate Democrats out there. Last I checked, totally useless gits like the Nelsons, Joe Lieberman and the Salazars are still in the House and Senate. There are still going to be somewhere between 43-40 Republican assholes like Jon Kyl in the Senate and even more GOoPer neanderthals in the House.
If we don't fight for it, we're going to get more of the same bullshit we've seen in the last 16 years. Corporate giveaways, brain-dead, one-sided "free" trade deals. Be prepared to ride your Congressmen (or women) and Senators like a jockey flogging a horse on the way to the Winner's Circle at the Kentucky Derby.
If you don't pester your Congressmen and Senators when Obama's trying to push something important through the
Obama will break your heart.
Here's the truth. During his first 100 days in office, Barack Obama will do something, or not do something, that is going to drive you up a fucking wall. He won't prioritize something that is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING EVER. Or he will prioritize something you couldn't give a shit about.
All Presidents do. Now mind you, he won't probably crush your spirit like Bush did. Who could? But he will do something that will bother you.
Here's a secret. There's only one person that will absolutely agree with every sacred cow, my way or the highway, policy position that is important to you. Trouble is, you weren't running for President.
As for the stupid highlighted here, all I can say is people ought to be a whole lot smarter than this.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
A little worn out, taking the night off.
I'll be back tomorrow.
Rahm Emanuel is Obama's first appointee as Chief of Staff. Not a bad choice.
Rahm Emanuel is Obama's first appointee as Chief of Staff. Not a bad choice.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Kick the Mo-Fo Out
Joe Lieberman, yesterday, in his never ending quest to become an irrelevant back bencher who is despised in both parties:
Look, I'm just fine with a big tent party. There is room, in our party, for conservative Democrats in conservative districts.
But the truth is, the primary voters of Connecticut, in their wisdom, kicked him out of the party two years ago. But I'd say with his speech at the RNC, his open support of the Republican nominee, and worst still his nasty rhetoric towards President-Elect Obama (man, do I love writing that), and now with his concern over the party he is still supposedly loyal to building a larger majority, I'd suggest that Leiberman has removed himself from that tent.
About damn time. The fact that we will not get to 60 (with or without Leiberman), I'd say, frees Reid up to do this in a way he couldn't afford it before. Throw him out. Strip him of his chairmanship, and kick him to the curb. At this point, who gives a damn whether he caucuses with the Republicans or not.
"Senator Hatch said to me that if we don't at least have the firewall of the filibuster in the Senate, that in many ways, America will not survive," said Beck on Tuesday.
"I hope it's not like that, but I fear," the Senator said. "I think the filibuster is key...It was really put there...somebody said to me when I first came to the Senate, '[to] stop the passions of a moment' among the people of America from sweeping across the Congress, the House, through the Senate, to a like-minded president and having us do things that will change America for a long time."
Look, I'm just fine with a big tent party. There is room, in our party, for conservative Democrats in conservative districts.
But the truth is, the primary voters of Connecticut, in their wisdom, kicked him out of the party two years ago. But I'd say with his speech at the RNC, his open support of the Republican nominee, and worst still his nasty rhetoric towards President-Elect Obama (man, do I love writing that), and now with his concern over the party he is still supposedly loyal to building a larger majority, I'd suggest that Leiberman has removed himself from that tent.
Thursday will be Senator Lieberman's "day of reckoning," according to a Capitol Hill paper.
"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is scheduled to meet with Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) on Thursday to discuss his future in the Senate Democratic Conference, according to a Democratic Senate source," Tim Taylor reports for Roll Call.
Taylor notes that "a growing number of Senate Democrats have been pressuring Reid to penalize Lieberman for aggressively backing Republican Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) in this year’s presidential contest," and that his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and his place in the Democratic Conference are both "at stake."
About damn time. The fact that we will not get to 60 (with or without Leiberman), I'd say, frees Reid up to do this in a way he couldn't afford it before. Throw him out. Strip him of his chairmanship, and kick him to the curb. At this point, who gives a damn whether he caucuses with the Republicans or not.
Monday, November 3, 2008
One Last Post.
I promised not to spill the beans about all that the moment will mean to me, when Obama makes a likely victory speech (after a McCain concession speech, needless to say), but I will say this.
McCain ran the worst campaign I've seen a Republican run in my lifetime. It wasn't even close. It was like the worst parts of the Kerry and Dukakis campaigns, mashed together, and then multiplied. Bad photo ops. Ineffective, bungled television advertising. Lack of a coherent message. Gawd-awful choice of a running mate. Inability to give a coherent reason why the candidate should be trusted with the keys to the country for four years. Stupid, incoherent media surrogates. Bad consultants and campaign leadership. Inability to build grassroots enthusiasm until it was too late. Inability to let go of Republican dogma at a time when Republican dogma, particularly on the economy, was a political loser with a capital "L." There are so many reasons I could go on for the rest of the night.
It doesn't matter. He was up against a stacked deck, in any case. I've believed, for a long time, that if a black man, or a woman, for that matter, was going to be the first person to break through and break up the 43 strong Old White Guys club that is the Office of the President of the United States, that that person would have to run a perfect, or at least nearly flawless campaign.
Obama's run to where he has got now, the night before the election, has been the best run Presidential campaign by a Democrat in my lifetime. It starts with the candidate's steady, unflappable demeanor and the brightness of his own voice and rhetoric. But it trickles down from there.
His campaign is disciplined. At no time, do I recall an Obama strategist criticizing their candidate, even off the record. There's been no infighting in his campaign. This campaign was just as steady, and disciplined, when they were trailing McCain in early September, as they are now up by 6-8%. His campaign has defended him rigorously, and has been willing to go on the attack, where necessary, to defend him from attacks.
The same was true throughout the primary. They've been methodical in terms of their approach to the election, to the brief crises, to how they've gone about building their organization, and how they've gone about building the political machine he has assembled in all 50 states.
A lot of groundwork was laid to get here. Howard Dean deserves credit for building a national party willing and capable of competing everywhere. Small dollar donors have given Obama the luxury to build this machine. The economic and political climate has given the Obama campaign strong tailwinds. But Obama's candidacy and campaign took advantage of, and built a foundation around all these things, tied them together, and made the thing work.
It's something I've never seen on the Democratic side. It's something we may never see again. And it is the reason he is where he is tonight, on the verge of making history, changing America, and changing the world. It's been amazing to watch, and occasionally be a peripheral part of.
McCain ran the worst campaign I've seen a Republican run in my lifetime. It wasn't even close. It was like the worst parts of the Kerry and Dukakis campaigns, mashed together, and then multiplied. Bad photo ops. Ineffective, bungled television advertising. Lack of a coherent message. Gawd-awful choice of a running mate. Inability to give a coherent reason why the candidate should be trusted with the keys to the country for four years. Stupid, incoherent media surrogates. Bad consultants and campaign leadership. Inability to build grassroots enthusiasm until it was too late. Inability to let go of Republican dogma at a time when Republican dogma, particularly on the economy, was a political loser with a capital "L." There are so many reasons I could go on for the rest of the night.
It doesn't matter. He was up against a stacked deck, in any case. I've believed, for a long time, that if a black man, or a woman, for that matter, was going to be the first person to break through and break up the 43 strong Old White Guys club that is the Office of the President of the United States, that that person would have to run a perfect, or at least nearly flawless campaign.
Obama's run to where he has got now, the night before the election, has been the best run Presidential campaign by a Democrat in my lifetime. It starts with the candidate's steady, unflappable demeanor and the brightness of his own voice and rhetoric. But it trickles down from there.
His campaign is disciplined. At no time, do I recall an Obama strategist criticizing their candidate, even off the record. There's been no infighting in his campaign. This campaign was just as steady, and disciplined, when they were trailing McCain in early September, as they are now up by 6-8%. His campaign has defended him rigorously, and has been willing to go on the attack, where necessary, to defend him from attacks.
The same was true throughout the primary. They've been methodical in terms of their approach to the election, to the brief crises, to how they've gone about building their organization, and how they've gone about building the political machine he has assembled in all 50 states.
A lot of groundwork was laid to get here. Howard Dean deserves credit for building a national party willing and capable of competing everywhere. Small dollar donors have given Obama the luxury to build this machine. The economic and political climate has given the Obama campaign strong tailwinds. But Obama's candidacy and campaign took advantage of, and built a foundation around all these things, tied them together, and made the thing work.
It's something I've never seen on the Democratic side. It's something we may never see again. And it is the reason he is where he is tonight, on the verge of making history, changing America, and changing the world. It's been amazing to watch, and occasionally be a peripheral part of.
Toot
I was really hoping that she'd make it through election day. Nonetheless, I'm sure she died extremely proud of her grandson.
Sen. Barack Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has died following a bout with cancer, Obama and his sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, said Monday.I lost my last grandparent, my maternal grandmother, just a few weeks ago. From what I understand, Senator Obama's grandparents took a much more active role in raising him than my grandparents were able to (mainly due to the vagaries of geography). My sincere condolences to him and his family.She was 86.
At a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, Monday night, the Illinois senator said "she has gone home and she died peacefully in her sleep with my sister at her side."
"I'm not going to talk about it long because it's hard to talk about," he added.
Obama remembered her as "one of those quiet heroes we have across America, who aren't famous ... but each and every day they work hard. They look after their families. They look after their children and their grandchildren."
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
McCain Feeling Heat
Apparently, the McCain shipwreck, er, campaign's internal polling numbers must be inline with Dr. Merrill's poll numbers, as this looks like an act of desperation in a state that really shouldn't be in doubt this late.
The bottom line is this is an utter disaster for McCain. He's already being outspent in battleground states. He's having to fight to defend states that Bush won handily four years ago. And now he's got to play defense on a state that should absolutely have been in the safe column.
Even if he wins Arizona, the fact that the race will finish close has to give a lot of hope to Bob Lord, Ann Kirkpatrick, Harry Mitchell, Gabrielle Giffords, and a ton of lower ticket Democrats that they won't have to count on quite as many cross ticket voters to vote for individual Democrats.
Make no mistake. McCain has no coattails, and may even be a drag on his party here on election night.
UPDATE: Raw Story has more, including local reaction from Don Bivens, State Democratic Party Chairman.
Bivens says they are asking the DNC & Obama for some reasons to help turn up the volume to 11. Rumor has it Barack has more money than he can use between now and November 4. It'd be nice to see some of the money, and maybe a campaign stop from one of the surrogates (I'm assuming Barack will have higher priorities between now and November 4). Nothing would say schadenfreude quite like McCain losing Arizona...particularly since he may have another statewide race against a tough candidate in two years.
Go to Josh Marshall's link above to see the text, and hear the audio of the robocalls if you really have a penchant for self-abuse.John McCain and the Republican National Committee are now running robocalls attacking Obama as weak on terrorism -- in McCain's home state of Arizona, according to multiple readers from the state.
The call signals genuine worry about McCain's home state at a time when several polls show the race to be much closer than expected there.
McCain's robocall, which was played to us over the phone by Mary Joe Bartel, a retiree who lives south of Tucson, attacks Obama as unprepared to defend the country from terrorism, singling out Joe Biden's recent remarks about the likelihood of Obama being tested by an international crisis early in his first term.
The bottom line is this is an utter disaster for McCain. He's already being outspent in battleground states. He's having to fight to defend states that Bush won handily four years ago. And now he's got to play defense on a state that should absolutely have been in the safe column.
Even if he wins Arizona, the fact that the race will finish close has to give a lot of hope to Bob Lord, Ann Kirkpatrick, Harry Mitchell, Gabrielle Giffords, and a ton of lower ticket Democrats that they won't have to count on quite as many cross ticket voters to vote for individual Democrats.
Make no mistake. McCain has no coattails, and may even be a drag on his party here on election night.
UPDATE: Raw Story has more, including local reaction from Don Bivens, State Democratic Party Chairman.
Bivens says they are asking the DNC & Obama for some reasons to help turn up the volume to 11. Rumor has it Barack has more money than he can use between now and November 4. It'd be nice to see some of the money, and maybe a campaign stop from one of the surrogates (I'm assuming Barack will have higher priorities between now and November 4). Nothing would say schadenfreude quite like McCain losing Arizona...particularly since he may have another statewide race against a tough candidate in two years.
Election Night Blogging, Have Notebook, Will Travel
FYI. For reasons I'm still trying to fathom, KPNX TV, Channel 12 News-Phoenix, Arizona, is seeking yours truly to blog for their site from 8 PM to 11 PM.
While I suspect there's a strong possibility that the big race everybody's interested in may very well be settled more or less by that time, it will be a good time to be there.
In 2004, and 2006, Arizona results were just beginning to trickle in at 8 PM, and there is a lot of drama locally, with all of the ballot propositions, Shadegg vs. Lord in CD 3, and Ann Kirkpatrick's run for Renzi's old seat in CD 1 and Harry Mitchell's and Gabrielle Giffords defenses of their seats.
Then there's the other big questions of the night. Can Democrats flip the House and/or Senate in the State Capitol.
Finally, a question I never thought I'd be asking six days out. Can John McCain avoid the embarrassment of losing his home state?
Update: I should have mentioned this will of course, be on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, from 8 PM to 11 PM. Unless you all know of another upcoming election night I'm not aware of.
While I suspect there's a strong possibility that the big race everybody's interested in may very well be settled more or less by that time, it will be a good time to be there.
In 2004, and 2006, Arizona results were just beginning to trickle in at 8 PM, and there is a lot of drama locally, with all of the ballot propositions, Shadegg vs. Lord in CD 3, and Ann Kirkpatrick's run for Renzi's old seat in CD 1 and Harry Mitchell's and Gabrielle Giffords defenses of their seats.
Then there's the other big questions of the night. Can Democrats flip the House and/or Senate in the State Capitol.
Finally, a question I never thought I'd be asking six days out. Can John McCain avoid the embarrassment of losing his home state?
Update: I should have mentioned this will of course, be on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, from 8 PM to 11 PM. Unless you all know of another upcoming election night I'm not aware of.
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