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I promised that I would write a diary every day until the AL-07 July 13 runoff for the Democratic nomination. This is a PVI +18 Dem seat that was represented by Artur Davis for the past eight years who proved to be anything but a progressive by voting against Health Care Reform, for Wall Street and against Hate Crime legislation
We have a clear choice in this runoff between former investigative journalist, consumer adovcate and County Commissioner Shelia Smoot and former Wall-Street securities Attorney and bond attorney Terri Sewell.
Sewell has raised more than half of her money from outside the state of Alabama and more money from two big law firms than Smoot has raised in her entire campaign. Smoot is the grassroots candidate who is trying to garner support from small donors on her Act Blue Page
Tonight, at 6:00pm (EST) we are fortunate to be filming DC for Democracy's pre-endorsement candidate meet n' greet with numerous candidates for DC's Democratic Primaries. You can find bios on all the candidates that will be attending at our 2010 DC Primary Elections page.
(This is the full recording of the live broadcast, we'll post short clips for candidates on our bio pages)
When you go to an actual job, there is a boss/manager/supervisor telling you what to do. But when a blogger admonishes you to do something, the natural question is: "Do what?" The beauty of this wonderful series of tubes is that we can all do our own thing. The problem is that unorganized activity can be more of a liability than an asset in politics.
I know you all want to think for yourselves, question authority, do your own thing, be independent, maybe blow up parliament, and fight like hell to build a liberal paradise.
I'm here to tell you the world doesn't work that way.
On June 8, Californians will vote on several referendums, in addition to primary races. One of those referendums, Proposition 14 (aka the Top Two Primaries Act), could hugely change how those primary races are conducted, and it would definitely not be for the better. As if to add insult to injury, but it could take down a public campaign financing measure along with it.
Prop 14 was put on the ballot through the backroom dealings of State Senator (not Lt. Gov.) Abel Moldonado, the very last holdout on the budget this year. He used the budget crisis for his own profit and one of his demands was to put this measure on the ballot. Now, his reckless action is being opposed by every political party in California and numerous electoral reform groups, groups ranging from the NAACP to the Southern California Tax Revolt Coalition.
But big business wants this to pass because of the control it could give them over elections (explanation below the fold). So your help is needed - $5, $10, $100 - whatever you can chip in to prevent California from descending further into a mess of broken government.
At a DNC fundraiser last night, President Obama had an interesting exchange with a Democratic organizer about health care reform, wherein he appeared to suggest that Congress could drop the ball and fail to pass a bill--and that voters should judge them harshly if they do.
"[I]t may be that -- you know, if Congress decides -- if Congress decides we're not going to do it, even after all the facts are laid out, all the options are clear, then the American people can make a judgment as to whether this Congress has done the right thing for them or not," Obama said.
Thanks to the Supreme Council Court, meet your new Corporate Masters!
Say hello to Saudi Arabia!
Saudi Arabia has already signaled that the progressive effort to build a clean energy American economy is its "biggest threat":
Saudi Arabia's economy depends on oil exports so stands to be one of the biggest losers in any pact that curbs oil demand by penalizing carbon emissions. "It's one of the biggest threats that we are facing," said Muhammed al-Sabban, head of the Saudi delegation to U.N. talks on climate change and a senior economic adviser to the Saudi oil ministry. [...] Climate talks posed a bigger threat, Sabban said, and subsidies for the development of renewable energy were distorting market economics in the sector, he said.
Before the circular firing squad slash blame game begins, let's get this straight right the fuck now.
Former DNC Chair Howard Dean told Rachel Maddow on MSNBC moments ago that Democrats aren't necessarily to blame for what seems like a likely loss in today's special senate election in Massachusetts.
"I certainly don't think it's a referendum on President Obama," Dean said.
~snip~
"This is not the time for pointing the blame."
People who blame others are losers. If you want to win elections, you stop blaming and get to work.
So let's get this straight, Coakley lost, she lost for reasons all of her own. I am not really interested in the blame game. I am interested in learning from this experience so that Progressives don't make the same mistakes the next time.
Anyone who is interested in winning elections is more than welcome to join me below the fold.
Too much irony here: A Mason-Dixon poll commissioned ,before the released Obama doesn't sound black comments, shows Reid getting beat pretty easily. Can we host a retirement party for Reid like they had for Strom Thurmond and get him out of the way?
Oh Yeah and in even less surprising news Mark "Big Mac" McGwire admits he was on steroids when he broke home run records. Thanks for clearing that up buddy and giving baseball another black eye. Does admitting use of steroid do anything to improve your image or what people think of America's favorite pastime?
What needs to be done in 2010? What can the left do in 2010 to ensure a better, stronger America for ALL Americans?
Before deciding what needs to be done, first we must remember what we are fighting for.
Paul Wellstone
July 21, 1944 - October 25, 2002
The people of this country, not special interest big money, should be the source of all political power. Government must remain the domain of the general citizenry, not a narrow elite.
~ Senator Paul Wellstone
"Politics isn't about big money or power games; it's about the improvement of people's lives"
~ Senator Paul Wellstone
"I think this is really a good example of the commercial calculus and ties taking precedence over everything else. It's sort of like the almighty dollar is triumphing over a lot of other values that we have as a nation."
Pre- existing conditions? They are still in there, only now, instead of getting denied they get to jack the price up 3X and you'll be FORCED to buy something, and without competition who are you gonna choose? THEY WILL ALL CHARGE THE SAME CLIMBING PRICE!
Yearly caps? They are STILL IN THERE!
Death Panels? For Profit death panels, you betcha.
And loopholes, loopholes, loopholes!
I'm sorry, but Obama is NOT FDR. This is NOT the same political climate as when Social Security was passed or when Medicare was passed. Hell, this isn't even the same century!
So get over the fact that you have been TOTALLY SCREWED at this point and do something about it. This bill, as it stands, is so poisoned it should be killed and began again from the start, no matter how long and painful it might be. This CAN be dealt with in a year or two when the Conservative Wing of the Democratic part loses in droves, because that is coming one way or another.
I am PISSED, and you should be pissed too, cause we're getting SCREWED on this deal. The ONLY winners are the political class and the special interests. Consumers re getting sold down the river.
Okay, I thought now would be a good time for another 2010 election strategy session, since mid term elections are now less than a year away.
Also, I would like to ask that my Congressmen John Hall (D-NY19) be added to our Act Blue page here at The Progressive Electorate so I can help fight to keep him in office.
But, aside from that, I'd like to open the discussion to what other races in the upcoming 2010 elections we should be getting involved in at here at The Progressive Electorate. Personally, I would like to see us get involved in the Iowa Senate race to unseat C Streeter Chuck Grassley, as well as a few other Senate races where I think the biggest probems for the Democratic party and the Progressive Movement chiefly lay. I would also like to go after a few Democratic C Streeters like Stupak and Heath Shuler, but that will have to wait until some primary challengers emerge for them.
Since this is supposed to be a Democracy, let's have a Democratic debate on the matter, unless you guys want to nominate me King MoT, which I will have to turn down but would appreciate anyway.
So, consider the floor now open for debate, and I hope other lurkers and commentators will join in.
I'd like to share with you all this comment that was placed in my diary yesterday by DKos user lascaux, as I think it sums up what we as Progressive activists and the Democrtaic base MUST accomplish in order to effect REAL CHANGE we can believe in.
What I learned
What this reform fight has taught me:
it is not enough to elect a progressive president, we need to elect liberals and progressives in congress as well.
The frustrating inability of this Democratically controlled Congress is PROOF that our job did NOT END when Obama won the Presidential election in 2008. In fact, our work has just begun, and we must face it with the same dedication, intensity and enthusiasm that we did in 2008, or we WILL lose, because we simply don't have the money to compete with the special interests that control our Government.
But we DO have the people, and they can't beat that.
On Meet The Press today, Rachel Maddow made a point that should NOT be overlooked by Democrats in the House and Senate who wish to remian in their elected offices in 2010 and beyond, and that is the fact that if the Stupak-Pitts C Street anti abortion amendment in the House version of Health Care Reform is NOT removed if/when the bill goes to Conference to be merged with the Senate bill, there will be MASSIVE blowback for the Democratic party from it's female base.
They don't just hope HE (President Obama) FAILS, they hope America fails, and they (The Republican party) are helping it happen by obstructing reform and fighting job growing legislation that will help America recover.
They hope you lose your job and go broke so that you are pissed off and miserable, and they hope this lasts until 2010 and 2012 so you can take it out on the incumbents who are in office, and when we "throw the bums out" Republicans will finally get back the political power that they crave so much.
The Republican party is sabotaging America's recovery for political gain.
This is the new meme that we as Democrats should push in order to expose the elected Republicans for what they are, fake patriots who put politics above the best interests of their own nation.
I sense a bit of unusual calmness in the news cycle this morning. Perhaps that is because we have all been through an extraordinary week.
We just wrapped up 2009 elections - except for a few runoffs and the City of Birmingham mayoral Special election. Then we had a day of post-game wrap ups. The "Super Bowl of Freedom" on Capitol Hill came and went. We just came out of a horrific tragedy yesterday in the Ft. Hood shootings . That's not even including all of my local news coverage related to JP Morgan, Jefferson County and the SEC (not the football conference) .
I would usually take a deep breath, probably a long lunch and relax on Friday. I would get my emotions ready for the big LSU Alabama game tomorrow. However, I'm not so sure that we didn't leave one storm this week only to enter another starting today or tomorrow. We will have a health care reform vote sometime in the next few days so I hear. Probably tomorrow. Oh great - football and health care reform vote all in one day.
So here's my abbreviated guide of where to go for the next 24-48 hours:
