Bloggers 
Mon Aug 17, 2009 at 21:53:15 PM CDT
|
|
This is the last Bill Clinton at Netroots Nation '09 footage I'll be posting -- and it's below the fold in deference to our dial-up readers. I think Clinton is exactly right about the importance of passing health care reform, and about the effects of that reform. Ditto for climate change. I hope he is correct that we are on the brink of a revolution in our public life, an age where we engage in honest debate and seek win-win solutions instead of winning at someone else's expense. Keep hoping and keep working - we'll get there someday.
First up are Clinton's extremely timely remarks about the health care reform bill:
The third problem that the President has was best articulated by Nikolai Machiavelli in the 15th century when he said there is nothing so difficult in all of human affairs as to change the established order of things, because -- I'll switch now to Clinton's 21st Century jargon -- because the people who have got it are certain of what they're going to lose and the people who will gain are uncertain of their advance.
If we spend 16% of GDP on health care and Canada spends 11 and all our other major competitors are between 9.5 and 10, that means we're spotting all our competitors 750 to 800 billion dollars a year. If we insure 84% and they all insure 100, where is the money going? Follow the money. ... That's what the President and the Congress are facing. ... What should you do about it?
If you don't think their plan is good enough it's fine for you to advocate a public option, I personally favor a public option, and I always have. I also favored some way of letting people who are uninsured buy into the federal plan because there are 36 different options and young single people who want a more catastrophic type coverage so they wouldn't pass their cost onto anybody else would have an even less costly option there.
...
The worst thing of all and the most danger to the most people is sticking with the status quo. It is bankrupting America, making families insecure ... The second thing I think you have to do is to figure the 3 or 4 things that 100% of the people who are going to vote for this agree on has to be in the bill and the 3 or 4 things that none of us want in the bill, that we're all being accused of. ...
Then you can say whatever you want about -- here's what's wrong with the Senate plan, here's what's wrong with the House plan. Whatever you believe is fine. Trying to hold the progressives' feet to the fire is fine. Trying to get the best bill you can is fine.
But first we have to win the big argument. The worst thing to do is nothing. Here are the things that everybody wants, here are the things that nobody wants. Then, here are your differences. If you can do that you can reach millions and millions and millions of people ...
The President needs your help and the cause needs your help. This is really important. There's just one other thing I'd like to say that I wish many of you would write. It is not only the morally right thing to do, it is politically imperative for the Democrats to pass a health care bill now. Because one thing we know and that I've lived through is that if you get out there and then you don't prevail, the victors get to rewrite history.
I'm telling you, I don't care how low they drive support for this with misinformation, the minute the President signs the Health Care Reform Bill, approval will go up because Americans are inherently optimistic. Secondly, within a year, within a year, when all those bad things they say are going to happen, don't happen, and the good things do begin to happen, approval will explode. ... We can't let people lose their nerve, so I am pleading with you. It's ok with me if you want to keep everybody honest. If I say something you don't agree with on health care, by all means criticize me but try to keep this thing in the lane of getting something done. We need to pass the bill and move this thing forward.
Then climate change legislation:
I feel the same way about climate change. ... Again I say, the President stuck his neck out here, the Congress has stuck it's neck out and we've got to have a bill. ... There are a lot of practical things that need to be advanced before we can get there. ... This Cash for Clunkers program has worked great. ... We ought to put that on steroids when we can sell electric cars ... The biggest thing we can do to help the President economically and help our country economically is to concentrate on the least sexy part of the climate change debate: efficiency.
The problem is there is no parallel financing for clean energy in America. ... Let's take some taxpayer money and create a small business guarantee fund like the one for the SBA and have 10 times as much retrofitting done. That's the kind of thing you need to think about.
|
|
There's More...
:: (1
Comments, 496 words in story)
|
|
Wed May 06, 2009 at 16:05:05 PM CDT
|
|
According to an email I recieved after my diary yesterday concerning Jeff Sessions and Albert Turner, Jr., what's really going on down in Hale County is a fight between two groups, Campaign 2000 and Beyond (predominatley black) and The Democracy Defense League(predominately white). Some of the players are Judge Marvin Wiggins, who according to my source was suspended from the bench yesterday due to JIC (?). Wiggins has ties to several people regarding alledged voter fraud in Hale County including his sister who used to be the circuit clerk and also used to be Bobby Singletons wife. Confused yet? Comment on The Political Parlor Here we go again. How many times have we heard this in Hale County.
This Campaign 2000 and Beyond is up to their usual tricks. A leader of this
group in Hale County is Senator Bobby Singleton. If you want to see
how many absentee votes he received in 2004 and 2005 just go to
www.thedemocracydefenseleague.com or to the Secretary of States website.
Plenty of Blame for fraud issues Black Leaders to Rally for voter fraud suspects This whole so called "voter fraud" could be associated with A "Post Racial Assault on Voting Rights" A must read, here is an excerpt;
|
|
There's More...
:: (12
Comments, 272 words in story)
|
|
Fri Aug 22, 2008 at 22:00:18 PM CDT
|
|
The biggest political party in four years is about to begin. The first of four Left in Alabama convention bloggers is on the ground in Denver. And my feet are killing me. I've spent the last 8 hours learning the lay of the land, riding Denver's convenient light rail and bus system or letting my tootsies do the walking. Luckily, everything seems to be within a half mile and I'll treat myself to a spa pedicure after the convention. By the way, this is the 100th anniversary of the 1908 Democratic National Convention, also held in Denver. Check out the credentials you needed for access to that event: 
First stop today was Alliance Center at 1536 Wynkoop Street in LoDo (Lower Downtown Denver). This historic area is also home to the Wynkoop Brewery where they will unveil a special beer for the convention called, I think, the Obamanator. Wynkoop is pronounced two accepted ways: win-koop or wine-koop. The brewer pronounces it win-koop because they sell beer, not wine.  Alliance Center is home to two of the sponsors of The Big Tent where LeftinAlabama's team of bloggers will be enjoying a state-of-the-art blogging/new media lounge, "The Big Stage" with some of the most well known faces in the non-profit and political worlds, as well as food, drinks, entertainment, and much more. Ahh, there's a foot massage with my name on it. And we're only .4 miles from the Pepsi Center.
ProgressNowAction.org and Alliance for a Sustainable Colorado share the brick building with dozens of other non-profit groups. They're sponsoring The Big Tent, along with DailyKos. Stacey Proctor of Progress Now introduced me to Deputy Director Bobby Clark who is going to let me in the building Monday morning at 4:45 a.m. MST so that I can broadcast with my morning show back in Alabama at 6:00 a.m. CST. Next stop (not counting the 1 hour exploration of the huge bookstore just two doors down) was the Denver headquarters for Alabama State Democrats. Family and friends of Alabama's delegation will gather at "AlObama", 1516 Wazee Street to keep an eye on the Pepsi Center activities via television. Realtor Lee Ann Nielsen who rented the property to the party just happened to stop by as I was peeking in the windows. She unlocked the doors for a private tour where I discovered boxes of goodies had arrived for the tailgate party that will take place this week. 
The location is just a block from The Big Tent. My next stop was Fox News. They've leased an old brick building just adjacent to the Pepsi Center. The former bar has huge, full color Fox News banners hanging all around. Not to be outdone,  CNN has installed a massive neon sign that proclaims their historic building to be the CNN Grill. Painted on the side of the building is their CNN Politics logo. In between the two competing television giants is a big white tent that was designated for the Washington Post only. 
My lack of green convention phase III credential didn't prevent me from touring the Pepsi Center. I just walked in and took my own tour starting with backstage. All was going fine until I asked for directions to the blogger's lounge. My faith restored in DNC security, I left the building. Tomorrow - the Media Party and reaction to Obama's VP choice. Ed. note: Susan has many more great photos -- see them at Susan's Convention photostream.
|
|
Discuss
:: (16
Comments)
|
|
Sun Aug 03, 2008 at 11:36:20 AM CDT
|
|
Samuel the writer, Samuel the kid named after the writer (crossposted at writechic but this is a slightly improved version) A piece in the July 14, 2008 edition of Time magazine reminded me of a personal debt I owe to Mark Twain and his poison pen. The writer has been a personal companion to my conscience since I was little. Huckleberry Finn was the literary character to blame for my sneaking off to fish and romp along the mighty Mississippi in Algiers, Louisiana. In my heart I knew I did not need Mom’s permission to be Huck. (Though I concede, I took her advice, "If you must fish, bring the dog. You never know who could be at those docks." So, I brought the doberman, Sadie. I was 10 or 11.) Every mischievous thing I did I justified as something Huck would do. I liked Huck better because he was so much freer than Tom or Becky. My gratitude for Twain's work effused into my adult life and the naming of my third child, Samuel. The Time articles reminded me of another reason to be thankful to the great American writer. Anybody who blogs honors Mark Twain’s raison d’etre. Railing against, poking fun at, and calling out the powers that be is a blogger’s bread and butter. That’s what Twain did. Remember the excoriation of James Fenimore Cooper  and his Literary Offenses? How about The Battle Hymn of the Republic (brought down to date)? He also ruthlessly abraded racism in America through the comedy of errors in Pudd’nhead Wilson and the soulful treatment of Jim in Huckleberry Finn. The Newsweek piece featured this photo of Twain and his friend John Lewis explaining Lewis may have been the character Jim was based on. I love Steven Benen’s, analogy of bloggers to American Revolutionary Pamphleteers, but I cannot discount Twain’s influence and example as a standard bearer. Mark Twain was mocked by hoity-toity poet and cultural critic Matthew Arnold who lamented “the addiction to the ‘funny man’ who is the national misfortune there.” Bloggers are criticized as guys named Vinnie, Cheetos-eating, pajama-wearing, and living in their moms’ basements all around America. Flout the status quo, speak truth to power, goose the powers that be, and the insults fly. Time wraps up their bit on Twain: But old Mark, unvarnished, might be too hot for cable, even, today.” -Roy Blount, Jr.
And I’ll wrap up mine, “Thank God! America had and has Mark Twain.” (And just because my boys are competitive, here’s my fourth child Tristan, named as I reveled in “How the Irish Saved Civilization” by Thomas Cahill…)  Updated to reflect Time! Not Newsweek!
|
|
Discuss
:: (6
Comments)
|
|
|
|
Mon Jul 09, 2007 at 13:23:07 PM CDT
|
(We're keeping this one at the top until we get Trent to Chicago. He's three quarters of the way there now! - promoted by mooncat)
 Most of y'all know Trent Thompson from his posts and comments here at Left In Alabama. He is also the founder and proprietor of Sack Sessions, and no doubt Jeff Sessions knows him as a sharp pain in the rear end. Through his blogging, Trent has already contributed a lot to progressive politics in Alabama, and, no doubt about it, he'll contribute even more in the future. But right now, Trent needs some support from the rest of us.
From August 2nd-5th, Democratic bloggers and politicos from across the country will be meeting in Chicago for the 2nd Annual Yearly Kos Convention. This is "the" political gathering of the year. The only thing keeping Trent Thompson from attending is a shortage of funds. I'm asking you, will you please contribute toward our goal of $1000 to send Trent to Chicago and put a roof over his head while he's there? There is no doubt in my mind that we will see a big return on the investment in this talented young blogger. Donate via this link or click ChipIn! at the right. These are secure links for processing your credit card donation.
At YearlyKos Trent will hear the latest on key issues like global warming, rural organizing, the military, faith in American politics and more. Your support will help him build relationships with bloggers from across the country and find out how they are working with other groups, candidates, and mainstream media outlets. He wll bring that knowledge back and put it to use in improving Alabama.
I know we aren't all flush, and I'm not asking you to send the money for the baby's milk or the rent money. But any amount you can chip in will help Trent, and he will return the favor by writing more wonderful things and doing wonderful things for Alabama next year and in the future. Who knows, we may still be able to Sack Sessions in the 2008 cycle. Thank you for your willingness to chip in and fund this investment in progressive politics in Alabama. Don't give 'til it hurts, but please give 'til it feels good. This is an investment in the future. Update, 7/11/07 about 8 pm. The Send Trent to YearlyKos drive has achieved its goal. We are over the top after receiving a Last Mile to Chicago diversity grant (courtesy of Kid Oakland and friends) and a generous donation from State Resentative Randy Hinshaw (D, Meridianville). Rep. Hinshaw is a fellow blogger who often posts about activities in the Legislature at Doc's Political Parlor. My personal thanks to each one of you who donated or passed on the message about Trent. Special thanks to Dan at Between the Links for crossposting about this fundraiser. Y'all are just so special! Thanks from Trent, 7/11/07, shorty after 8pm. I'd like to say thanks to everyone who was kind enough to make a donation, no matter the size. It's certainly an interesting feeling to have people I've never met helping me out like this. I'll try my best to do our state and local netroots proud in Chicago. Thanks again!
|
|
Discuss
:: (5
Comments)
|
|
|
|
Tue Jul 03, 2007 at 16:27:05 PM CDT
|
|
What are you doing this week? You can't spend all your time in front of a computer screen, so get out and do some progressive networking. In other words, join some like minded people and do something fun. What do do? Get a group and go see SiCKO, the latest Michael Moore movie. It opens today in several Alabama theaters. Click here for schedules. Bummed out by the Scooter Libby thing? Christy Hardin Smith has some remedies. Congress is taking a break, so our Senators and Representatives may be at some Independence Day celebrations in Alabama. If you're going to a likely event, take a video camera just in case. ... take a video camera with you and ask polite questions for them to answer. And get their answers on film. And then send the clip to us — put it up on YouTube — send it to Amato at C&L. Whatever. Just get them on the record: Do you support the rule of law or the Republican party? And what are you going to do about it?
The AlaKos meet-up is Saturday, July 7 at 5:50 pm in Birmingham. Progressive and Liberal Alabama bloggers are welcome. If you need details, email me (mooncat at leftinalabama dot com OR BenGoshi at letsbengoshi at yahoo dot com) and we'll fill you in. Candidates are welcome, too. Whatever you do, have fun at it.
|
|
Discuss
:: (2
Comments)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
