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We've come a long way in the last two years when I was writing 90% of the posts and 100% of the comments.
Thanks to all of our fellow travelers which have been with us lurking, writing and participating in our growth through promoting our site.
As we've gotten daily contributors in the past year, I've been able to spend time on other projects. With a lot of hard work and a good bit of luck we have gotten fairly popular in the progressive blogosphere. We've gotten linked on a number of the more well known and established sites.
That being said, I'm also at a crossroads as we enter the thick of the 2010 elections. I have a full time job as an attorney and also work with local campaigns on a regular basis. But I also love what we do here and want this site to continue.
It's certainly not about the money, but it would make it easier if we could self sustain instead of my having to come out of pocket each month. If you have a business and two years in you aren't making some sort of a profit or at least a light at the end of the financial drain tunnel you would likely fold. That being said, I'm not necessarily looking at this as a business although I do need to make a decision. I've recently gotten some unique business propositions that I want to consider.
Some of the options I am considering are
1. Try and sell the domain to someone who will keep it going in the current platform
2. Leave the site as is and take a hiatus
3. Shut down the site
4. Find a way to generate enough revenue to afford to be able to stay active
I feel like I've been trying both 2 and 4 over the past few months with little success. That being said I need to seriously consider options 1 and 3.
Let's not make this a sky is falling diary. Please give me some constructive feedback and ideas.
The floor is now open.
Haddock gained national recognition when she walked across the country to call attention to the issue of campaign finance reform. The trip started in 1999 and ended in 2000.
"At 90 years old, I walked across the country -- 3,200 miles," she told News 9 in a January interview. "I walked every step."
Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas called her a "dedicated but soft-spoken person."
"She was a dedicated person in pursuit of all of her goals, not the least of which included her passion for campaign finance reform," Gatsas said. "My thoughts and prayers are with her family."
Haddock was the Democratic nominee for Senate in 2004, when she lost to incumbent Republican Sen. Judd Gregg. Haddock mustered 34 percent of the vote against Gregg. Her slogan during that race was "Run Granny Run."
"Doris 'Granny D' Haddock always stood for Granite State values," said state Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley. "Her commitment to fair and open democracy should inspire us all to work even harder for reform. She will sorely be missed and always remain in our hearts."
Granny D was a Paul Bunyan like legend in Democratic politics the last ten years or so. She was someone who clearly made a difference and a lasting impression upon so many in New Hampshire and thankfully many other parts of the country. There will never be another Granny D, but she inspired many.
Parker Griffith, as you might recall, is the former Howard Dean supporter and Congressman who switched to the GOP in hopes of boosting his re-election chances.
We've had a great week in the insurgency of Bill Halter in Arkansas. Tons of money has been raised. How sweet it is!!!
But let's make sure we are covering other races where we can elect Better Democrats.
If the DNC and the DCCC is not going to take on a 50 State strategy then it's our responsibility. Just because we don't have Howard Dean doesn't mean that we can't make a difference..
Over at the Progressive Electorate we've listed a number of candidates on our Act Blue page who need our assistance. Take a look at some of these folks where we can make a significant difference. Races where 50 $10 contributions can buy a ton of signs, races where 100 $25 contributions can get some polling, races where 1000 $5 contributions can buy significant media time.
This is a very special event as thousands march from Browns Chapel Church over the Edmund Pettus Bridge. This commemorates "Bloody Sunday" where civil rights marchers on a journey from Selma to Montgomery were beaten and bloodied.
"In 2015, the bridge will be 75 years old and ("Bloody Sunday") will have happened 50 years ago," he said.
In commemorative terms, that means one will celebrate its golden anniversary and the other its diamond anniversary.
"I'm sure Selma will come up with something special to mark those occasions that year," Harris said.
As a fellow Southerner, I am taking a keen interest in the Arkansas race. Let me caveat this by saying, I think that all real Democrats take an interest in this race. As someone from another deep Red Southern State, I can appreciate the fact that Bill Halter said enough is enough of the DINO's and the Corporate Dems.
Blanche Lincoln will not win if she is the Dem nominee. Even obscure Republican candidates are polling better than her right right now.
Look running as a Democrat in Southern States does not mean that you have to always be Republican Light. But you do have to stand for something or the voters will see right through you.
Lincoln instead of capitulating to the left or even back to the center in this race seems to tack hard right in her first ad.
"I don't answer to my party, I answer to Arkansas"
Interchange Arkansas with any state and you have the line of any number of folks running for re-election.
I'm going to be on a radio show/ stream show tonight at 7:00. The Eric Guster show . Eric is a fellow attorney and a friend of mine that has started a nightly talk show. A little after 7 actually. At the radio station now getting ready to go.
Several Birmingham City Council members gathered at City Hall this morning to denounce legislation that would synchronize the mayor and council elections.
The bill from State Rep. Merika Coleman's bill passed the House Tuesday and now goes before a Jefferson County Senate delegation committee.
Currently the mayor and council serve four-year terms, but the cycles are not joint. In House Bill 602 Coleman seeks to synchronize the mayor and council elections beginning in 2013.
Under her bill, current Mayor William Bell's term won't expire until the 2013 election when the council and the mayor's post will be up for election. The current unexpired term of former mayor Larry Langford, whom Bell replaced in a special election, is set to expire in 2011
"The amended bill takes away the right of Birmingham voters to chose its mayor next year as expected," Council President Roderick Royal said. "In addition, the bill was introduced without the input of the council of Birmingham , nor was there a public hearing for the voters that it intends to help. This lack of input quiets the voters voice through its representatives."
Council members will head to Montgomery Thursday to meet with Senate members and Lt Gov. Jim Folsom to fight the bill. Council members have said they were not consulted about the bill, particularly its amendment that increases the mayor's term.
Some said the Legislature failed to respect the city and bypassed its leadership. "The thing to do is to start over," Royal said. "Collectively we are opposed because we weren't consulted."
Council members also object to a bill from State Rep. John Rogers that calls for redrawing the city's district lines from nine to eight districts and for the council president to be elected at large. Rogers has said he would wait to present his bill until meeting with the council.
I think that the council members should be elected the same time as the mayor so that they are not in a position to run for mayor without the possibility of losing their seat. This would save money and also cut down on voter fatigue.
Looks like Secessionist Rick Perry barely avoiding a runoff with Kay Bailey Hutchinson in Texas Gubernatorial Republican Primary. He leads 52-31 Deborah Medina, the Tea Party preferred candidate, is at 17 %.
Bill White cruising to victory on the Democratic Side.
Ralph Hall (TX-04), who is older than Methuselah, seems like he will squeak by a Tea Party challenge at 57%.
I don't see anything else particularly interesting right now.
If you love horse race politics, then you must love today's political news cycle. All kinds of interesting developments.
1. Arkansas Lt. Governor Bill Halter will be taking on Blanche Lincoln in the Dem primary. Very significant battle between the soul of what's right in the Democratic party and the corporate Republican light part of the party.
3. Harold Ford saw the writing on the wall and chooses not to run in New York . Now he's playing solitaire till dawn and watching Captain Kangeroooo. Or just counting his money.
Plenty of more good news. Just a couple of the highlights. We aim to please.
The Winter Olympics have ended. The USA Hockey players put up a nice fight against the Canadian Team although lost in an epic game that went into sudden death overtime. The NFL has already issued a press release saying "Overtime works". Not really, but a thought.
Chile - Death toll passed 700. Electricity out and water is sparse. A terrible disaster.
Fortunately we endorsed the undetermined GA-07 Dem nominee already and started raising money. Linder equated President Obama to Hitler in comments to Politco last year.
On October 7, The Politico published an "Ideas" piece by Rep. John Linder (R-GA) that compared President Obama's administration to "Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy." From Linder's Politico piece:
Progressivism and its progeny all believed in the fairness and wisdom of decisions made by the state - often at the expense of the individual, who, it was believed, made selfish decisions. All demanded that the state have an increased role in raising children. Adolf Hitler scoffed at those who remained opposed to him, saying he already had control of their children.
~snip~
And with the Obama administration, just as in Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy and Wilson's America, the leaders of major corporations are falling in line. Whether it is climate change, executive pay, automobile manufacturing or bank buying, CEOs step right up and wait for the tax benefits to surely follow their pandering. And the CEOs stood mute while bondholders saw their investments given to the unions.
AIG proudly announced that it had a 9 billion dollar loss in the 4th quarter of 2009.
It's apparently an improvement because they lost $62 billion in the 4th quarter of 2008.
I'm not a financial wizard, but I think I know enough that a loss is a loss especially when it's billions. It's not a like an upstart company that is going to show losses a few years before making a profit. Oh and I sure don't know any other companies giving out outrageous bonuses a month before such news of a loss.
To the tune of $100 million dollars
1) I think it's a good example of a good regional ad - The voters in Huntsville (North Alabama) worried about cuts to NASA and Defense in lieu of Parker Griffith switching parties
2) focuses on job creation - which Dems are going to need to do across the country
Anybody follow the health care summit from today? Any thoughts?
I missed the coverage, so I will have to rely on the analysts and what I read here and on other blogs.
Early reports call it a wash that seemed to be a publicity stunt at best. I suspected it would be a dog and pony show. Please correct me if I'm wrong and you see some real momentum coming out of President Obama's Summit.
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