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April 29, 2006

Open Thread

Good work today.

One Million Doors

By all accounts, today was a huge success. The most common problem people had was that they didn't have enough lit to hand out -- certainly a great problem to have. There were a million out there, and there were thousands (probably hundreds of thousands) of conversations that happened without the lit changing hands -- meaning that there were probably well over a million houses involved in today's event.

Governor Dean was in Charlotte, NC, and I just got back from meeting with Paul Hegarty, a DNC Political staffer, who was with the him. He was on strict orders to take photos, and he delivered (the whole lot is on Democratic Flickr, and if you have your own, you should add them to the Democratic Party pool.)

Governor Dean with his canvass group...

When the Governor knocked on this person's door, her husband was a little surprised to see Howard Dean standing there wanting to talk with them. She had just gotten off of the phone with someone asking for money for the Party (not sure if it was the DNC), but she refused their request because she never saw any result. No message, no lit, no work. An hour later, the Governor showed up as part of the 50 State Canvass. If only every fundraising ask was followed up like this...

People driving by kept stopping to talk with the Gov...

50 State Canvass: Stories Rolling In

Got a few stories from today. Send yours along with pictures to april29@dnc.org

FL-5: Florida Congressional Candidate Rick Penberthy
We organized one of the door to door canvass efforts today. We had loads of fun and hit over 600 homes in two precincts here in Pasco Coutny, FL. I've attached a picture or two of our efforts. A candidate putting his party in the spotlight and using his volunteer base to strengthen the Democratic Party. Rick is a Fighting Dem and a high school teacher. For more information, visit www.RickForCongress.com.

Vermont
The VT Young Dems had a canvass day. The main purpose was to piggy back on the DNC canvass and get some names to recruit for the VT YD. We took census data, figured out the youngest areas in town, and canvassed them. I don't know the final tally, but it looks like we raked it in, in terms of new volunteer names. We'll be hitting the streets with a fresh cadre of new volunteers soon!

We used the DFA Night School to help us with our canvassing. It prepared us well for the canvass this afternoon.

Phoenix, Arizona
Canvassing in Phoenix in LD-10 wasn't bad today -- it wasn't too hot this morning and the event was reasonably well-organized (they're not always). We were canvassing Dems who voted in 2004 but not 2002, trying to encourage them to vote in the midterms. We also collected signatures on nominating petitions for some of the Dem candidates who still needed some. (Under AZ Clean Elections law, a candidate must obtain a certain number of signatures on a nominating petition before they can get on the ballot -- everybody from the governor on down to precinct captain.) I met some nice people and got quite a few signatures for three candidates (for state treasurer, corporation comminssioner and state representative). I'm also going to start attending the monthly Dem meeting in my legislative district to see what else I can do to help. A good day all around.

Rochester, NY
I knoced on doors for Monroe County Dems in suburban Rochester, NY for a couple hours. We gave each household a Dem doorhanger, Eric Massa flyer, and a volunteer flyer. The response was overwhelming positive (except for one Repubican who abruptly slammed the door). They were happy to see they were not forgotten and had alot to say. People were unhappy with mostly Iraq and cost of gas.

I talked to a former GOP who just chaned to non-affiliation. He left the GOP because they are no longer 'moderate' and will stop voting GOP for the immediate future. His major concern is energy independence - "I hate knowing when I refuel my tank, the money goes to the middle east and the terrorists...we must become self-reliant". I slowly nudged my head up/down and agreed. We talked how ANWR drilling is foolhardy and how Pataki sucks (he will vote for Spitzer for NY-Gov).

Overall, I great reaffirming day. We can make a difference if all of us put a little shoeleather on pavement!

San Diego, California
I hosted one at my home, and there were 9 of us who turned out. There was one local precinct leader, who did a short training for us. Other than that, we were pretty green! Everyone had a great time, though. Lots of positive experiences and interactions with fellow dems in our community.

Woo-hoo! Go Dems!

Colorado
The Young Dems organized our canvass and us old folks from the Statehouse District helped out. We had about 19 people talking to Dems, Independants and R women betweeen 25-55. Many of the YD's had their first canvass experience. It was a nice day and a nice result. We got a couple activist recruits, and pretty good responses. Of course, on a nice day less than half the people were home.

Very well organized by the Young Dems!
We also were using the State Party VAN database so will be able to load our results in for the Statehouse District campaign. We have a good Dem rep in the middle of CO CD7, both heavily targeted cuz the districts are 50/50. This is a great start for the campaign.

Getting Started

We just heard from an organizer in Boston who said that, even a half-hour before the canvass is set to start, there are already 50 people ready and waiting to go. The Boston Globe is interested in their event and may stop by to see how it's going.

Governor Dean was also on CNN 15 minutes ago from Charlotte, NC, where he's canvassing today. His interview was fantastic, and if I can get my hands on it, I'll post it here.

Also, mcjoan from Daily Kos had a great write-up on the canvass today which you should be sure to check out.

And We're Off

There are a few of us here at DNCHQ ready to take phone calls from event organizers and attendees who have problems (so far, only one call). Jason, who works here in the Political Department, called one of the DNC organizers in Allentown, PA and said the noise in the background was encouraging.

If you're headed to a canvass today, we want to hear about your experience (for better or worse). Be sure to email your storys and photos to April29@dnc.org (and put your photos on Democratic Flickr).

April 28, 2006

Humanity

A friend of mine sent this to me and I think it's important. At its core, the immigration debate is about humanity, and its nice to be reminded of that sometimes...

Today I spoke with my father who manages a large construction company in Texas. We spoke about the immigration debate and its consequences.

Though recent media reports have done a good job at reporting on the rallies and planned boycotts, vigils, marches etc... They have failed to address the cruel realities of the consequences surrounding the debate on immigration.

Today, Friday April 28, African American and white workers took half a day off to come to the aid of their Latino colleagues. Ongoing INS raids in Hispanic supermarkets have caused alarm in the Latino community. Many fear getting incarcerated and shipped off to a land which today is foreign to them.

Those African American and white workers who are paid an hourly wage (overtime at this point) decided it was more important for their Latino colleagues to have food on the table than to have a few much needed extra dollars to pay for gasoline.

This is a stark reality I hope the media would pick up on instead of focusing on the wedge politics present in the current debate.

Open Thread

The calm before the storm ... the storm being the tidal wave of Democrats rushing into neighborhoods across the country all day tomorrow, sharing conversation with neighbors about the strong but smart Democratic message. Send your pictures and stories to april29@dnc.org.

In other news, you're going to be seeing a lot less of my fancy little font around the DNC blog. In fact, come next Friday, my presence will be akin to a 0 pt. Arial font. In other words, that's my last day with the organization. I'll be leaving to take a job with a campaign yet to be determined, but surely for a candidate I (and hopefully you) can believe in -- you're all invited. Pam B., I might end up in your neck of the woods, and if I do, I owe you dinner for all the trolls I have failed to zap promptly.

You'll meet the first of the new and improved captain(s) of the DNC Blog, Tracy, this coming Monday.

Governor Dean on Hardball

5pm ET. Use this as an open thread.

Stories From The Ground: West Virginia

(The following entry was submitted by Tyler J. Oyler, Field Organizer for the West Virginia Democratic Party -- and one of your DNC organizers -- Tim)

Last month I was doing a precinct training session in Keyser, West Virginia, and we were discussing how to organize and to do read a voter file, etc... I then mentioned the April 29th Canvass. People started raising their hands to start participating, and we ended up with 12 confirmed canvasses in Mineral County, a county with just under 30,000 residents where Bush carried 69% of the vote in 2004. After that day though, more and more canvasses popped up and though it was not all recorded on the DNC website, we have just around 18 now going in this small county.

This is such a good feeling. You can already feel not only just what is going on in Mineral County or the Eastern Panhandle, but across the state of West Virginia, we are going to 'Make it Blue' in '06 and '08. Organizing our precincts and strengthening our local parties has been our main objective in the Eastern Panhandle, but we face many challenging races ahead. We must re-elect Sen. Robert C. Byrd and Congressman Alan Mollohan. We must unseat Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito. We must send back our Democratic lawmakers to Charleston, and we must be unified as Democrats. Already the volunteers and activist throughout the Eastern Panhandle who have gone through trainings and signed up for the canvasses agree on our new vision for America. We all agree it's time for change.

Everyone who we've spoken with thus far, Democrat, Republican, Independent all agree we need a new direction. County-by-County, Precinct-by-Precinct, Neighbor-by-Neighbor, we are going to change the direction of the Eastern Panhandle and West Virginia. Keep watching us and stay tuned, the best is yet to come. LET'S MAKE IT BLUE!!!!

50 State Canvass: Frisco, Texas

Sent in by Jeanne:

I am a long time feminist and gay activist but new to the political arena. In December we started a chapter of Stonewall Democrats (an LGBT organization) in Collin County, one of the most Republican counties in Texas and we have all hit the ground running. National Stonewall and the Democratic Party of Collin County have really helped with our huge learning curve and our members are getting involved as precinct chairs, as delegates, and in local campaigns.

I got on the 50 State canvass website and didn't see anyone in our county, so I and 2 other members created events in our cities. Mine is the Frisco Neighbor-to Neighbor Canvass and honestly I thought I’d be going door to door myself. Imagine my surprise when I saw 8 people signed up! Rick Koster candidate for State Representative District 70 brought some literature by and I am anxiously awaiting the priority mail from the state.

One of the bumper stickers on my car says "Collin County Democrat" and lately it seems wherever I go someone comments on finally finding another Democrat. There are lots of us out here even in Collin County and I finally feel the momentum shifting. Wouldn’t it be terrific if we could turn Texas blue?

Looking forward to tomorrow (hopefully the Texas weather will cooperate!)

50 State Canvass: Corvallis, Oregon

Submitted by Marion:

The Benton County Democrats are looking forward to stretching their legs after a long rainy winter of our discontent with the Republican culture of corruption! On Saturday, we'll be walking for change, sharing the Democratic Party vision, handing out literature on candidates for State Senate (Mario Mangana), State House (Sara Gelser and Sam Sappington) and County Sheriff (Diane Simpson). We'll be having conversations with other Democrats and with non-aligned voters, reminding them to look for their primary ballots, which should arrive this weekend, and finding out what's on their mind. We know that the non-aligned voters are becoming the most important swing vote, and we think our message will appeal to them.

The most exciting part of cutting the turf this time was the use of GIS tools to help give our canvassers a ground-truthed map of the area they'll be walking. We pulled in Google Earth, and our local Benton County Public Works GIS maps to coordinate with our voter walking lists. It's been a lot of work, but we're looking at it as an investment in making canvassing easier over the long haul.

Tomorrow's the Big Day!

One thousand events. One million conversations. Six months before Election Day. Does it get any more exciting than that? I am on the phone this morning with organizers across the country, hoping to compile on-the-ground stories in the hours preceding the first event. Check back in throughout the day to hear those tales, in your own words.

And if you are one of the thousand organizing an event, please email your story: tagarist@dnc.org

Open Thread

The water's fine.

April 27, 2006

Buying the GOP Congress Highly Profitable for Oil Companies

When people talk about the Republican culture of corruption and the buying and selling of our democracy, a lot of times you think it's just preferential treatment or special access or inflated importance that they buy.

With folks scratching their heads over soaring gas prices and soaring oil profits, it's worth a simple look at the data, which shows that for oil companies, big spending on buying Republican leaders pays off with even bigger giveaways of your taxpayer dollars.

Here's how, courtesy PoliticalMoneyLine.com:

The top ten oil companies reported spending $33,173,092 lobbying the Congress and the Executive branches in 2005.

* ChevronTexaco -- $8,550,000
* ExxonMobil -- $7,140,000
* ConocoPhillips -- $5,098,084
* Marathon -- $4,290,000
* BP -- $2,880,000
* Occidental -- $2,042,177
* Shell -- $1,478,831
* Ashland -- $904,000
* Sunoco -- $540,000
* Anadarko -- $250,000

There's more from the same source:

No Disruption In Flow of Oil Company PAC $

A review of the PACs of the top ten oil companies shows that over $1 million in PAC money continues to flow in the 2005-2006 cycle, through March 31st. These ten oil company PACs gave out a total of $1,092,980 to federal candidates, plus other funds to party committees and leadership PACs. Of the $1,092,980 total, eighty-four per cent ($918,150) went to Republican candidates, and 16% ($174,830) went to Democratic candidates.

The top recipients in 2005-2006 (through 3/31) were Sen. Conrad Burns $39,500; Speaker Dennis Hastert $35,000; Rep. Joe Barton $31,500 (chairman, House Energy and Commerce Committee); Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison $28,250; Rep. Richard Pombo $27,000; Sen. George Allen $26,100; Sen. Craig Thomas $24,000; Rep. Tom DeLay $22,500; Rep. Bill Thomas $20,500; and Rep. James McCrery $20,000. [...]

The top ten oil company PACs giving to Members in 2005-2006 were:

* ExxonMobil giving $265,050 (90% to Republicans)
* ChevronTexaco giving $167,000 (77% to Republicans)
* Occidental $156,590 (89% to Republicans)
* Ashland $102,740 (75% to Republicans)
* Marathon Oil $90,600 (84% to Republicans)
* Sunoco $89,500 (75% to Republicans)
* Anadarko $44,500 (96% to Republicans)
* ConocoPhillips $49,500 (88% to Republicans)
* Shell Oil $29,500 (93% to Republicans)
* BP $64,000 (78% to Republicans)

In addition, these company PACs also gave to party committees and leadership PACs. Marathon's PAC gave $123,500 (103,500 to Republicans). Sunoco's PAC gave $116,000 ($108,500 to Republicans). Ashland's PAC gave $74,000 ($68,000 to Republicans). Anadarko's PAC gave $26,500 (all to Republicans). BP's PAC gave $10,000 ($5,000 to Republicans). Shell's PAC gave $5,000 (all to Republicans). Occidental's PAC gave $5,000 (all to Republicans).

In the last full twenty-four month cycle, 2003-2004, these oil company PACs gave out $2,801,824 to federal candidates, including $2,417,469 (86%) to Republican candidates and $384,355 (14%) to Democratic candidates. In 2003-2004 the top recipients were Rep. Tom Delay $51,675; Sen. Lisa Murkowski $50,000; Sen. Richard Burr $49,500; Rep. Joe Barton $45,000; Sen. Christopher Bond $43,400; Sen. Jim Bunning $38,500; Rep. Barbara Cubin $37,500; Rep. Richard Pombo $ 37,000; Rep. Don Young $37,000; and Sen. James DeMint and Sen. George Voinovich $35,500 each. [...]

In the full 2003-2004 cycle, these ten oil company PACs gave:

* ExxonMobil $728,545 (95% to Republicans)
* Occidental $361,000 (81%)
* ChevronTexaco $350,300 (88%)
* Ashland $306,600 (87%)
* ConocoPhillips $242,000 (88%)
* BP $220,499 (62%)
* Marathon Oil $181,250 (83%)
* Anadarko $178,000 (94%)
* Sunoco $148,630 (80%)
* Shell Oil $85,000 (84%)

The above figures do not include contributions made by officers, employees, or stockholders of the companies.

Now, what did they get for it? A few sweetheart provisions slipped into an energy bill:

THE $8.5 BILLION GIVEAWAY: Big energy companies are flush with so much cash, they don't know what to do with it. That didn't stop Congress from showering the electricity, coal, nuclear, natural gas and oil industries with $8.5 billion in tax breaks and billions more in loan guarantees and other subsidies. Apparently, members of the conference weren't particularly concerned how they spent taxpayer money. The Washington Post reports, "as House-Senate conferees worked late into the night this week on the final paragraphs of the legislation, a proposal was made, and approved, to provide $250,000 for a study of 'irradiated fuel' -- although many of the conference participants acknowledged they had no idea what that was."

DROPPING THE BALL ON RENEWABLE ENERGY: The final legislation dropped a provision that would have required utilities "to generate at least 10 percent of their electricity through renewable fuels by 2020." The proposal, championed by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) was "was a low-cost, market-driven approach to cutting demand for fossil fuels and easing air pollution." On this issue, we are officially less progressive than China. Starting with far less capacity than the United States, the Asian nation has committed "to supply 10 percent of its needs from so-called renewable energy sources, including wind, solar energy, small hydroelectric dams and biomass like plant fibers and animal wastes" by 2020.

So, here's the math:

$2,417,469 to Republicans in 2003-2004
+ $918,150 to Republicans in 2005-2006 (so far)
+ $33,173,092 for lobbying in 2005
-----
= $36,508,711 total investment in the Republican culture of corruption

... which earns you over $8.5 billion in giveaways and other subsidies in the 2005 energy bill

... which constitutes at least a 23,282% profit on oil companies' investment in the Republican culture of corruption.

Lobbying and buying access are just another form of investment for these companies, and when a Republican Congress jams through billions in subsidies (with the oil-addict president's signature, of course) your hard-earned money becomes the crudest form of profit.

If America remains addicted to oil, it will be because the Republican Party is addicted to oil money. Enough is enough, and we need a change.

The Auction House

From the DCCC -- check out their new site.

For too long, the Republican-led Congress has allowed the special interests to get a hold of the agenda and under their influence we've witnessed nothing but giveaways to big corporations and industries that do not need a handout. We have seen legislation like the energy bill that sent $8 billion to big oil while doing nothing for gas prices and the Medicare bill that confuses and overcharges seniors. We have even seen them drag their feet on necessary meaningful reform for honest government. Congress has turned from the "People's House" to the auction house and it is time we took it back for American families.

National Canvass: Still Time To Find an Event

Thursday, Friday, Saturday's the big day. Find the event nearest you and have some conversations.

OH-18: What's Bob Ney Raising Money For?

Is it for the congressional office, or the legal office? From Tray.com

Bob Ney For Congress reported it raised $142,418 and spent $250,207 in the first quarter of 2006. They have cash-on-hand of $474,277. The committee reported paying Vinson & Elkins (TX) $96,500 for legal services.

It's going to be in an interesting few weeks for those in the 18th after the primary next Tuesday.

Open Thread

AP:

Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest oil company, on Thursday said higher oil prices drove first-quarter profit up 7 percent from the prior year. [...] The report comes amid consumer outcry in the U.S. about soaring gasoline prices. The average retail price of gasoline in the U.S. is now $2.91 a gallon, or 68 cents higher than a year ago.

Lee Raymond thanks you.

April 26, 2006

Open Thread

For the night...

Karl's On the Stand

Fitzgerald has him in front of the federal grand jury. Guess he's going to have to miss the welcome lunch for Tony Snow...

Top White House aide Karl Rove prepared to testify Wednesday for a fifth time before the federal grand jury investigating the leak of a CIA officer's identity, a person familiar with the case said.

Rove consulted with his private lawyers before a scheduled afternoon court appearance and was prepared to answer questions about evidence that emerged since his last grand jury appearance last fall, the person said, speaking only on condition of anonymity because of grand jury secrecy rules.

That new evidence includes information that emerged late last year that Rove's attorney had conversations with Time magazine reporter Viveca Novak during a critical time in the case.

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald met with the grand jury Wednesday. Among other things he is investigating why Rove originally failed to disclose to prosecutors that he had talked to Time magazine reporter Matt Cooper about the outed CIA operative, Valerie Plame, back in 2003.

A Lateral Step

As Josh Marshall says, the jokes make themselves given that it's sometimes difficult to tell the difference between the White House's podium and Tony's FOX News set. He may think George Bush is "an embarassment," but he loves their policies...

UPDATE: The second link wasn't right. This is what I was talking about...

An Embarassment

If you've not seen the greatest hits list that Think Progress put together on Tony Snow, you should. We actually seem to think alike...

Tony Snow Clip

It speaks for itself...

You can download it here if the flash video doesn't work. And if that doesn't work...

SNOW: "...Here is the unmentionable secret. Racism is not that big of a deal anymore. No sensible person supports it. Nobody of importance preaches it. It's rapidly and thankfully becoming an ugly memory..."

Open Thread

I am going to be on the road for the entire day today. So ... light posting unless McConaha, J. takes the helm. Have a safe trip, Tim. Thank you!

April 25, 2006

Uhh...

You can't comment on this post because we're having some technical problems. We'll be back up soon, but the site may disappear for a while. I blame Tim, though he really has nothing to do with this.

UPDATE: Back online, though the problem wasn't very obvious. Use this as an open thread.

A Million Conversations This Saturday

Executive Director Tom McMahon just sent an email with an update on the 50-State Canvass, and designer Jess just updated the front page with a live count of the doorhangers. The canvass is on and momentum is building -- this Saturday you can have an impact on the future of our country. Tom's email below ...

Dear Fellow Democrat,

I can't express to you how exciting it is to see a truly national party coming together.

Over 1,000 Neighbor-to-Neighbor Organizing Day events have been scheduled from Montana (30 local canvass events) to Florida (57 local canvass events), and the expected turnout is growing every day.

Last night we fielded calls from several of the state parties asking for still more literature to put in the hands of volunteers on April 29th. We've already printed 750,000 of the door-hangers thanks to your support -- but the ground operations in the states report that they need more.

There's still time for a last-minute print run to get another 250,000 pieces out into the states for distribution this Saturday. Every $50 means another 233 pieces of literature, and another 233 conversations between volunteers and their neighbors this Saturday.

Can you make last-minute donation in the next 24 hours so that the Democratic Party can knock on 1 million doors?

www.democrats.org/finalpush

Some of these 50-State Canvass events are run by the over 150 organizers we've put into the field to build our party. Others are run by campaigns for various levels of office, which will have their own literature to hand out on top of the door-hangers you created. Still others are run by grassroots volunteers who are taking the future of our party into their own hands and getting out in their communities.

But the most exciting of these events are the ones where all three of those elements come together. This project has seen historic cooperation between Democrats at every level of the party and at every level of political experience. For example:

• In Arizona (29 events) the state party and grassroots volunteers will also be carrying official petitions to get Democrats on the ballot for every level of office in the state.

• In Ohio (78 events) the state and county parties have put together coordinating teams to cover the most ground, and everyone from statewide candidates to bloggers to Iraq veteran Paul Hackett has been promoting what will be the final weekend of GOTV contact before the May 2 primary elections.

• In Oregon (also 29 events) Democrats poised to take back the state legislature will be targeting specific legislative districts where turnout will decide the election this fall, led by organizers you put on the ground and supported by a strong grassroots volunteer base.

These are just a few of the unprecedented efforts happening on April 29th -- a national operation you made possible.

You can get the latest about events in your area by plugging in your zip code here:

www.democrats.org/50statecanvass/find

Governor Dean will be knocking on doors with a local county party in North Carolina this Saturday. Statewide elected officials and Democratic challengers everywhere will be out in their communities. Tens of thousands of Democrats will be reaching out to have a conversation about the future of our country with their neighbors.

Where will you be?

Sincerely,
Tom

Tom McMahon
Executive Director
Democratic National Committee

Democratic Flickr

I started a little project last night after Tim questioned my displeasure with posting Flickr-hosted photos directly on Democrats.org over the weekend (he's been on me about it for a while). I stand by it, but I do love me some Flickr, so, just for Tim, I set up a group -- The Democratic Party. The DNC's user account is democratic_flickr.

If you're a Flickr user, post anything and everything related to the Democratic Party in the group pool. Photos of your events, candidates, chicken dinners -- anything. We're a community, so share your photos of it with everyone else. We'll add a link to the group and our own page to the right bar a little later today.

Toxicity

Funny stuff from Ari Berman:

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher was Jack Abramoff's best friend in Congress. The two were so close that Rohrabacher was the only member of Congress to sign a letter asking a federal judge to give Abramoff a reduced sentence. [...]

But when President Bush visited Rohrabacher's Orange County locale yesterday to pitch immigration reform, the OC Congressman wanted nothing to do with W.

"I don't want to be behind him looking glum and not applauding," Rohrabacher told the LA Times. "So as not to be rude to the president---which I think is inexcusable---I think I'll just be staying away."

More From the National Canvass

* Over 1,000 Neighbor-to-Neighbor Organizing Day events have been scheduled from Montana (30 local canvass events) to Florida (57 local canvass events), and the expected turnout is growing every day.

* Some these 50-State Canvass events are run by the over 150 organizers we've put into the field to build our party. Others are run by campaigns for various levels of office, which will have their own literature to hand out on top of the door-hangers you created. Still others are run by grassroots volunteers who are taking the future of our party into their own hands and getting out in their communities.

* In Arizona (29 events) the state party and grassroots volunteers will also be carrying official petitions to get Democrats on the ballot for every level of office in the state.

* In Ohio (78 events) the state and county parties have put together coordinating teams to cover the most ground, and everyone from statewide candidates to bloggers to Iraq veteran Paul Hackett has been promoting what will be the final weekend of GOTV contact before the May 2 primary elections.

* In Oregon (also 29 events) Democrats poised to take back the state legislature will be targeting specific legislative districts where turnout will decide the election this fall, led by organizers you put on the ground and supported by a strong grassroots volunteer base.

Several state parties have been calling and requesting even more literature, and there is still time to help make that a reality. Every $50 means another 233 pieces of literature, and another 233 conversations between volunteers and their neighbors this Saturday.

http://www.democrats.org/50statecanvass/finalpush

OH-Gov: Ken Blackwell's Race to the Bottom

Not even out of the Republican Primary yet, and Ken Blackwell is playing the "gay marriage" card against a fellow GOPer. Blackwell's campaign has got nothing, and he might not even make it out of the primary. The current Secretary of State is a laughing stock across the state and triggered an intra-party "thermonuclear war" during the primary. I used to think it would be tough to beat Blackwell, but now I truly believe his nomination will help us win a few more down-ballot races and do more for GLBT rights than anyone could have imagined.

HT: Buckeye State Blog

Rebuilding New Orleans Libraries

The DNC is sponsoring a book drive to help re-stock the New Orleans Public Library. If you want to help, you can ship your books to this address:

Rica A. Trigs, Public Relations
New Orleans Public Library
219 Loyola Ave.
New Orleans, LA. 70112

Tell the post office that you're sending Katrina books for the New Orleans public library and they can be sent at a cheaper "library rate." Here's a .pdf flyer for the drive.

Energy Prices and Campaign Contributions

It's tough turning on the television and watching the president pretend his priorities include reducing the price at the pump for average Americans. It should be completely obvious to people at this point how the energy racket works in D.C. Keeping it simple, it's the same culture of corruption/pay-to-play mentality that permeates the halls of the Republican controlled congress. You want some figures, here are figures:

ABC News:

Soaring gas prices are squeezing most Americans at the pump, but at least one man isn't complaining. Last year, Exxon made the biggest profit of any company ever, $36 billion, and its retiring chairman appears to be reaping the benefits.

Exxon is giving Lee Raymond one of the most generous retirement packages in history, nearly $400 million, including pension, stock options and other perks, such as a $1 million consulting deal, two years of home security, personal security, a car and driver, and use of a corporate jet for professional purposes.

From open secrets:

The energy sector contributed $50.6 million in individual and PAC donations during the 2004 election cycle, 75 percent to Republicans.

Remember the comprehesive energy plan in 2005? The one signed with much fanfare in the weeks before Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast? Well, in the president's bill-signing speech, he thanked three congressional Republicans for making the bill possible. The bill that was supposed to help ease the pain at the pump. Those three were Congressman Joe Barton, Congressman Steve Pearce, and Senator Pete Domenici. Here are some more numbers:

In Congressman Barton's last campaign, he raised $224,398 dollars from the oil and gas industry.

In Congressman Steve Pearce's last campaign, he raised $140,212 dollars from the oil and gas industry.

In Senator Pete Domenici's last campaign, he raised $179,308 dollars from the oil and gas industry.

In all instances, the industry was one of the top three contributors to their campaigns. And in the case of Joe Barton, it was number one. Tops on the list. We were promised up and down, in any media outlet that would listen last year, that "The Energy Policy Act of 2005 is going to help every American who drives to work, every family that pays a power bill, and every small business owner hoping to expand." Again, those are President Bush's words at the bill-signing. It hasn't helped, and it wasn't intended to. Republican energy policies are crafted to help this man and his company, both of whom have seen huge windfalls over the past year, while the price of gas soars for the rest of us.

Photo from common dreams

Lee Raymond thanks you.

32%

Not really much to say that we don't already know... An overwhelming majority of Americans disapprove of the president and his agenda, 60% to be exact. Only thirty-two percent think the president is doing a good job. Four out of ten Americans feel the president is trustworthy, and he can't even muster a majority who feel he is "competent."

April 24, 2006

Open Thread

DNC staffers getting door hangers mailed out to you earlier today.

National Canvass: Stories From the Ground

Tarrant County, Texas
Our whole county party is signed up down here in tarrant county, texas (fort-worth/arlington), we had a county executive committee meeting last week, and i was pleased to her that our county party is supporting this event.

i'm signed up, and i just got my voter list today. i'm looking forward to walking my precinct this weekend. i sure could use the exercise, and now i'm going to get to meet dems in my neighborhood. should be fun!

Washoe County, Nevada
Here in Washoe County, NV (Reno/Sparks) we've been conducting training sessions going over the script and logistics of the Neighbor-to-Neighbor canvass.

We will be knocking on doors of newly registered Dems and any others in our precinct. We'll be talking up our Congressional candidate Jill Derby (NV-02) and Senate candidate Jack Carter.

The door hanger is blue in color and measures 14" x 5". At the bottom is a detachable personal info card that will be addressed to the local party. The general idea is to let Dem. voters know who we are as a party and to get feedback from voters. Picking up more potential volunteers is desireable, obviously.

We are hosting a pre-event cookout and script "rehearsal." Post-canvass, we plan on debriefing in our individual precincts and assembling the gathered information.
The NV Democratic party is a client of the Voter Activation Network. VAN is a wonderful tool for precinct activists to use. The Washoe Democrats have been conducting ongoing training for any and all interested volunteers.

The Republican Party have been out-organizing us, albeit using church lists, phone trees, magazine subscription lists, etc.

We need to beat them at their own game. High energy prices, Iraq, health care, corruption, Social Security are all issues voters relate to. And people are getting pissed off!

Southern California
Canvass event seems to be coming together here in SoCal. All I did was post it on the national site, very easy software for a Kos user, and tell a few friends. The sign ups have been steady ever since. We are up to +10. All I'm doing is bringing the hangers down the block to the community center. We will meet and fan out through a residential neighborhood.

I know I could call arround and organize bigger, but I like the personal, low energy output model. It leaves me wanting to do more, not feeling burned out. I often say, "I do what I can". What I can do just got easier.

National Canvass: From North Carolina

(The following entry was submitted by Mark Hufford, Western Political Director for the North Carolina Democratic Party -- and one of your DNC organizers. -- Tim)

Seeing all the planning for the National Canvass Day on the 29th makes me giddy. Heartened by a canvass event this past weekend, I wanted to pass along a few words of encouragement about what to expect on Saturday.

Canvassing makes you feel good all over!!!

You may know that here in North Carolina we have our state party’s Jefferson-Jackson dinner on the 29th, so accordingly, we’re encouraging canvassing events on other days. As one of the DNC’s regional field directors in NC, I took the opportunity on Saturday to participate in a canvass held in one of our rural mountain counties. I figured it would be a great chance to give the door hangers a test run, and to get a taste of what people might expect when they knock on doors in this new political climate.

As an enthusiastic proponent of grassroots activism, our state party chair, Jerry Meek, also took the opportunity to roll up his sleeves and jump in. The night before the canvass we met with county party leaders and local candidates to discuss their planning. With considerable canvassing experience in previous elections, they decided this year to begin with a countywide canvass of all houses, not just Democrats and Unaffiliated households. I am so glad they did, and you’ll read why in a minute.

Despite a torrential downpour overnight and thundershowers in the morning, Jerry and I were delighted to greet 66 bright, shining faces at the canvass training session. Capable canvass leaders answered questions, assigned partners and territories and covered all the do’s and don’ts with tremendous efficiency and enthusiasm. At the end of the session, the new DNC doorhangers got a hearty thumbs up. And off we went!

Keep in mind that these rural mountain counties include EVERY kind of voter and a mish-mash mix of socioeconomics. In a given quarter-mile stretch there are trailer parks next to million-dollar ski chalets next to farmers next to college students. The bottom line is ALL of them are concerned about the direction in which our country is headed. And the vast majority are happy to see someone at their door.

I heartily encourage you to include ample time at the end of your canvass for a thorough debriefing session to share stories. Although five hours of canvassing wore everybody out, hearing the stories was tremendously encouraging. Here are some snippets of what we learned:

* Although we wore clothing that blatantly identified us as Democrats, Republicans were willing to talk. A large number of them, instead of saying, "well, I'm a Republican," started the conversation with something like, "Well, I'm technically registered as a Republican," in an apologetic tone. Although they're not necessarily GOTV targets yet, seeds of doubt are definitely sprouting in many Republican minds.

* Gas prices are on everyone's mind. This was overwhelmingly the number one issue of concern. And across all political categories, voters are appropriately aware that a chunk of the blame goes to Republican energy policy and involvement with Big Oil. One voter said "If the price of gas goes much higher, I'm not going to be able to afford to go to work, and that can't be good for the economy."

* People are concerned about war, but also about local issues like high schools and public transportation and affordable housing and health care. They may never voice their concerns to officials, but on their doorstep we are helping to keep the Democratic process alive. We told them we’d be back and we will.

In North Carolina this year it’s all about grassroots and turnout. We have no statewide legislative races, so turnout is expected to be low. Canvass events like these plant the seeds for Democratic victory and we appreciate the DNC for supporting them. Thanks for all you do!

50-State Strategy: Yes, Wyoming Is In Play

In 2004, Republican Congresswoman Barbara Cubin won her Congressional race with an anemic 55% of the vote over Democrat Ted Ladd -- this despite Ladd getting outspent 3 to 1 in the contest. In fact, Cubin was so weak within her own party, that she earned a primary challenge from two fellow Republicans who amassed 41% of the vote between them in.

Fast forward to 2006 and Democrat Gary Trauner's inspired campaign to take on Cubin. The race is getting a substantial amount of "buzz" in political circles -- most recently a Congressional Quarterly piece this weekend that included a run-down of some of the congresswoman's "lighter moments."

Just before her first House race, Cubin survived controversy in the state Senate: She reportedly received a basket of penis-shaped cookies and distributed them to male colleagues she said were in on the joke.

A fervent opponent of restrictions on gun ownership, Cubin said during a House floor debate in 2003 that a proposed amendment would have barred the sale of guns "to anybody who was on drugs or in drug treatment." Cubin then added, "Well, does that mean if you go into a black community, you can't sell guns to any black person?"

But Cubin has more problems than foot-in-mouth syndrome and absenteeism in the House, chiefly, the campaign of Gary Trauner. I actually had an occassion to meet with Wyoming's future Democratic congressman while in New Orleans last weekend. He took a few moments from pressing the flesh to sit down with me and my video camera to send a message into online community. In fact, he was so excited to tell people "on the blogs" about is campaign that he sought me out. Take a look.

Video: Gary Trauner Talks About His Race

Amazingly, Trauner has kept pace with the incumbent Congresswoman in the funding race necessary to compete for a seat in the House. As of the April filing, Cubin has $173,492 CoH vs. Trauner's $157,360.

The regional political director at the DNC for the little slice of heaven that is Wyoming walked up to me at the start of the week in New Orleans and said, "I want to introduce you to the biggest story of 2006. His name is Gary Trauner and he's running for the at-large seat in Wyoming."

I kind of chuckled at first, but then I met the man. No more than 10 seconds after the interview was complete, I met the Executive Director of the Wyoming Democratic Party, a fresh-faced Kyle DeBeer. Kyle handed me a nice little fact sheet on the race and we talked about the innovative ways Trauner is getting it done on-the-ground.

In fact, Gary's "open door tour" is almost like a mini fifty state strategy in his home state. Of Wyoming's 23 counties, Trauner has already visited seventeen at least once during the campaign, and most more than once ... and it's only April!

Plus, you gotta love a candidate who includes "doing the right thing" as one of his issue positions alongside ethics, education, and health care.

Ex-CIA Officer: We Knew There Were No WMD

Explosive news on the WMD front, with a former top CIA official making the case that the agency knew there were no weapons of mass destruction but the facts were ignored by the White House:

A retired CIA official has accused the Bush administration of ignoring intelligence indicating that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and no active nuclear program before the United States-led coalition invaded it, CBS News said Sunday.

Tyler Drumheller, the former highest-ranking CIA officer in Europe, told "60 Minutes" that the administration "chose to ignore" good intelligence, the network said in a posting on its Web site.

Drumheller said that, before the U.S.-led attack on Iraq in 2003, the White House "ignored crucial information" from Iraq's foreign minister, Naji Sabri, that indicated Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction. [...]

"[The source] told us that there were no active weapons of mass destruction programs," Drumheller is quoted as saying. "The [White House] group that was dealing with preparation for the Iraq war came back and said they were no longer interested. And we said 'Well, what about the intel?' And they said 'Well, this isn't about intel anymore. This is about regime change.' "

Drumheller said the administration officials wanted no more information from Sabri because: "The policy was set. The war in Iraq was coming, and they were looking for intelligence to fit into the policy." [...]

"It just sticks in my craw every time I hear them say it's an intelligence failure," Drumheller told CBS' Ed Bradley. "This was a policy failure. I think, over time, people will look back on this and see this is going to be one of the great, I think, policy mistakes of all time."

Let's tack that on to the sordid history of the Bush administration and WMD:

Bush Administration Touted Capture of Mobile "Biological Laboratories," Declaring "We Have Found the Weapons Of Mass Destruction." On May 29, 2003, 50 days after the fall of Baghdad, President Bush proclaimed a fresh victory for his administration in Iraq: Two small trailers captured by U.S. and Kurdish troops had turned out to be long-sought mobile "biological laboratories." He declared, "We have found the weapons of mass destruction." The claim, repeated by top administration officials for months afterward, was hailed at the time as a vindication of the decision to go to war." [Washington Post, 4/12/06]

... Even When They Knew It Was Not True. "But even as Bush spoke, U.S. intelligence officials possessed powerful evidence that it was not true. A secret fact-finding mission to Iraq -- not made public until now -- had already concluded that the trailers had nothing to do with biological weapons. Leaders of the Pentagon-sponsored mission transmitted their unanimous findings to Washington in a field report on May 27, 2003, two days before the president's statement. The three-page field report and a 122-page final report three weeks later were stamped "secret" and shelved. Meanwhile, for nearly a year, administration and intelligence officials continued to publicly assert that the trailers were weapons factories." [Washington Post, 4/12/06]

At President Bush and Vice President Cheney's Request, Scooter Libby Leaks Previously Classified Information From the National Intelligence Estimate. Scooter Libby testified that he was specifically authorized in advance of his July 8 meeting with New York Times reporter Judith Miller to disclose portions of the classified NIE because the Vice President thought that it was "very important" for them to come out. Libby testified that while at first he advised the Vice President that he could not have this conversation with Miller because of the classified nature of the NIE, Vice President Cheney advised him that President Bush authorized Libby to disclose "the relevant portions of the NIE." Libby testified that the circumstances of his conversation with Judith Miller-getting approval from the President through the Vice President to discuss material-were "unique in his recollection." [Government's Response to Defendant's Third Motion to Compel Discovery, 4/5/06]

... Even As The Information Was Being Discredited By Other Officials In the Administration. President Bush's order authorizing Scooter Libby to reveal "previously classified intelligence about Saddam Hussein's efforts to obtain uranium came as the information was already being discredited by several other officials in the administration, interviews and documents from the time show." A senior intelligence official involved in drafting the estimate said the drafters knew there were serious doubts about the accuracy of that claim. [New York Times, 4/9/06]

High Ranking CIA Officer Said Bush and Cheney Were Told That Iraq Had No Weapons Of Mass Destruction. Tyler Drumheller, the former highest-ranking CIA officer in Europe said that, before the U.S.-led attack on Iraq in 2003, President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and other high ranking officials were told that Iraq's foreign minister, Naji Sabri, had told the CIA that Iraq had "no active weapons of mass destruction programs." [CNN 4/23/06]

... But They Said They "Were No Longer Interested." "'The [White House] group that was dealing with preparation for the Iraq war came back and said they were no longer interested. And we said 'Well, what about the intel?' And they said 'Well, this isn't about intel anymore. This is about regime change.' Drumheller said the administration officials wanted no more information from Sabri because: 'The policy was set. The war in Iraq was coming, and they were looking for intelligence to fit into the policy.'" [CNN 4/23/06]

Open Thread

Transitioning from the Spring Meeting to the National Canvass.

April 23, 2006

New Orleans Culture Alive and Well

For all the time I spent in New Orleans last week, nothing was as rewarding as the time I got to spend out on the streets. Whether it was Bourbon Street at 2 AM, or Royal Street in the middle of the day during the French Quarter Festival, nothing compared or even came close. With the exception of cab rides to and from the airport, I never found myself outside of the city itself. Fellow DNC staffer Josh McConaha participated in two of the DNC community service projects while I dutifully reported on the happenings at the spring meeting, and he was grateful for the experience... I remain envious, but proud, of the committee's sense of service during our week in the Big Easy. And while Josh did a terrific job documenting the tremendous amount of work still left to be done, I am happy to report that restoration of a proud culture is not one of the tasks necessary... that culture is alive and well.

Photo: Packed Streets During the French Quarter Festival

Photo: Jazz at the French Quarter Festival

Photo: Art at the French Quarter Festival

Photo: Nightlife on Bourbon Street

Photo: Can't Escape the Music on Bourbon Street -- And who'd want to?

As I sat there watching that last band play with McConaha and a few other friends, a local man looked over at me and said, "it can't but make you smile." Reflexively, I smiled, and he said, "see!" He was right. Being on the streets of New Orleans, listening to the music, seeing the art, and watching the people and all that they've overcome in the last several months can't help but make you smile. But at the same time there is still a lot of work to do, not just in the city, but in the areas surrounding the city, like the lower 9th ward and Plaquemines Parish. But the culture of the city? Not even the strong winds of a hurricane was able to sweep that away, and you can tell the people of a still-proud city are thankful for that. We all should be.

April 22, 2006

Open Thread

I saw these shirts being worn EVERYWHERE this weekend (or variations on the theme). I know everyone was impacted by the events that took place during Katrina and the aftermath, but it was something quite touching for me personally to be down there... even seven months after the fact. Just wanted to share. More coming, probably tomorrow.

Happy Easter to the Eastern Orthodox folks out there.

Spring Meeting & Fifty State Strategy Collide (Part II)

Just got back to my apartment in Washington, D.C. from New Orleans -- it's nice to be home. I'll have some photos and video up from the French Quarter Festival that was going on today. I am so glad I took the time to walk the streets, as tired as I was. That said, I stumbled upon this article from the AP as soon as I opened my laptop.

Howard Dean, long known for bucking the establishment, has spent much of his time as Democratic chairman trying to strengthen the party outside of Washington — and his rank and file loves him for it. "He is truly nationalizing the Democratic Party and he's looking to the future," said Steve Achelpohl, head of the Nebraska state party.

He's doing very well," said Mitchell Ceasar, a former Florida Democratic Party chairman. "We're winning races in red states, places where we, frankly, haven't won anything in 30 or 40 years."

Andrew O'Leary, executive director of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota, said that because of Dean, the DNC now is paying the salaries of four organizers now working in Minnesota.

"He's raising the money necessary to be competitive. He's just spending it in ways the party's never seen before," O'Leary said.

"Howard Dean has put his money where his mouth is," added Jay Parmley, a former Oklahoma Democratic Party chairman who is working in Mississippi as a DNC-paid organizer. "He's delivered on his promises to help state parties reach out to our counties and precincts."

As I was watching Governor Dean speak at this afternoons general session, I got the goosebumps again. They are the same goosebumps I personally would get at times during the 2004 presidential primaries, but today they were for a different reason. As the governor spoke about the Fifty State Strategy, the grassrtoots, and individual success stories around the country, you could start to feel a buzz in the room begin to build. I am so proud to have been a part of the events like the national canvass taking place next weekend and the Democracy Bonds community (and an owner myself!), and I wasn't the only one... As the room erupted in cheers, the goosebumps came. We have every reason to be proud of the DNC this evening. The Party has come a long way in the last few months, and we have even more to build over the next few years. But one thing we know for sure, if you live in Wyoming or Ohio, Florida or Phoenix, Alaska or Alabama ... Democrats are fighting to win from the top of the ticket to the bottom. And that is something we can all get excited about as we approach the 2006 midterms.

Meeting Open Thread

We're streaming the meeting this morning live here.

April 21, 2006

From the Lower 9th Ward

I'm sitting on a bus with 28 other volunteers -- a combination of DNC members, officers and staffers. We just spent two hours in New Orlean's lower 9th ward gutting a house that had been overcome with mold in the seven months since Katrina hit.

The trip itself was telling -- we started at our downtown hotel, working our way through the more touristy parts of the city that, save for many boarded windows and a noticeable lack of people, is in pretty good shape, comparatively. Still before we crossed the levees, things started to noticeably deteriorate. Not knowing where I was, I thought we were in the middle of the worst. Well, we weren't.

Crossing over the levees turned what started as a fairly noisy bus ride into a dead silent one. The devastation -- particularly in the three or four blocks closest to the levees -- is nothing short of astounding. As I write this, it's not that I'm having a hard time describing it, it's that I'm having a hard time describing how you can't comprehend or expect just how bad things are. The destruction is one thing -- the fact that you had no idea just how bad it is is an experience in and of itself.

The crew of about fifty, including Governor Dean, spent two hours tearing everything out of the house, minus the framing joists. Insulation, drywall, ceilings -- everything. It was loaded into wheelbarrows and dumped out front, and ACRON will have it removed later.

Given the massive amounts of mold and toxins left from the storm, everyone had to wear full-body tyveck suits, masks, gloves, and most wore goggles and shower caps or hats. To their credit, nobody complained. Anyone who thought that the volunteer work that the DNC is doing in New Orleans is fluff for a good photo-op, press release or blog post should be quickly corrected after seeing what went on today.

Below are some quick photos that I'm uploading for the sake of getting them online. I have hundreds, and close to thirty minutes of video. Governor Dean did an interview with Alan Colmes while he was there, which I'm told will air tonight. Be sure to watch.

Spring Meeting: Exec. Committee Photos and Video

Photos and video from this morning's Executive Committee Session at the 2006 Spring Meeting in New Orleans. Previous entries on the topic include: Governor Dean's remarks and Penny Lee of the Democratic Governor's Association (Link) -- Michael Davies of the DLCC (Link). Lee gives the rundown of 2006 Governors races, and likewise Davies lays out the legislative landscape. As always, click to enlarge or play.

Photo: Packed House at Exec. Committee Session

Photo: Michael Davies of the DLCC

Video: Gov. Dean on DNC efforts to help vote in Saturday's New Orelans Primary

Video: Penny Lee of DGA Gives 2006 Landscape (Part I)

Video: Penny Lee of DGA Gives 2006 Landscape (Part II)

Keep checking back in throughout the day. Josh just took off with Governor Dean to participate in some more community service, and will certainly have some video and photos up later in the day. You can check out Josh's work in Plaquemines Parish yesterday, here.

Spring Meeting: More from the Exec. Committee -- DLCC

Continued from previous post.

The next speaker was Michael Davies of the DLCC. Their job is to simply, or not so simply, to elect Democratic legislators in 7382 state legislative districts across the country. You might recall that Governor Dean often points to a handful of state legislative victories for Democrats in 2005 and 2006: New Hampshire, Mississippi, Kentucky, Missouri, and Pennsylvania are just a few.

Davies started by thanking the DNC for its historically strong relationship with the DLCC, and 2006 is no different. He continued by documenting "the best untold story" of the 2004 election cycle. A total of ten state legislative chambers switched moved into the Democratic column in 2004, in red and blue states alike. The Colorado House and Senate, Iowa's Senate moved into a tie, both Montana chambers flipped, New Jersey's Senate was a pick-up in 2003, the North Carolina House switched in 2004, Oregon's Senate, Vermont's House, and Washington's Senate are all chambers currently led by a majority of Democrats. Davies continued that Democrats have won 90% of special elections at the state legislative level over the past two years.

The task of winning state legislative races across the country is quite complicated and takes successive cycles and consistent effort.

He went into the 2006 forecast, where Democrats are going to play a lot of defense, shoring up the gains made in 2004. The short-term targets include the Colorado House and Senate, which he regarded as "tough turf." Democrats haven't controlled both chambers since the Kennedy Administration, and holding them is going to a top priority this November. He refered to both chambers in Iowa as a "coin flip." Right now there are 49 Democrats to 51 Republicans in the House. Of those seats, 83 Democrats and 72 Republicans have filed to run thus far. He credited strong candidate recruitment in Ohio for the disparity in between parties. He said they are playing aggressive offense in 11 seats, and at the same time, focused on defending 11 seats. In the Iowa Senate, it's a 25/25 tie, but there are several open-seats where we can make gains.

In Indiana, Republicans hold a 52-58 advantage in the State House. Again, there was very strong candidate recruitment by Democrats this cycle and we have a great opportunity to reclaim the chamber. There are a number of local issues that Democrats are on the right side of, including toll roads, time zones, and privatization of state facilities. In Kentucky and Maine, both chambers are incredibly close, and we are going to have to work hard to maintain our edges. Michigan is building towards a Democratic majority in 2010. Davies concluded by citing Minnesota, where we were down 30 seats going into 2004 in the House, but have since whittled the margin down to two.

Alright, now it's on to uploading pictures and video from the event.

Spring Meeting: Exec. Committee Meeting & Dem. Governors Assoc.

I just got done with the executive committee meeting and wanted to post a few quick notes before turning towards uploading photos and video from the session. Of all the pieces I've attended so far, this one provided the most information for the campaign addict stuffed away inside of me. First Governor Dean took to the podium and talked about some of the ways the DNC has worked together with the state parties in terms of providing bodies on the battleground and cash in the coffers. We've all heard it before, the fifty state strategy -- lots of applause from those from inside the states, they are quite appreciative. I'll have video up shortly from portions of the governor's comments. When he wa done, he turned the mic over the Penny Lee for a Democratic Governors Association briefing.

Penny talked about some real pick-up opportunities for Democrats in the 2006 election cycle. By the time the ballots are cast, the goal is undoubtedly to flip a majority of seats into the Democratic column for the first time in quite some time (as I write this, I see New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin to the right of me interviewed by scores of media -- there is a contested Mayoral primary here tomorrow). Anyway, Lee mentioned New York as a real opportunity for Democrats to pick-up a seat. That's stating the obvious, indeed. She went onto Ohio where criminally convicted Republican Governor Bob Taft is term-limited out of his seat, but leaves a legacy that includes a 13% approval rating, a state caught up in scandal, and a dire mess of fiscal irresponsibility. She mentioned Arkansas, where former Attorney General Mike Beebe is facing off against Republican Asa Hutchinson. This seat is a tremendous opportunity for Democrats in the South, and we lead handily in the polls as of today. California, of course, is a currently a contested primary, but we have a great chance to flip another governorship into our column there. Another expensive state in the top-tier of pick-up opportunities is Florida, where Jeb Bush is also gone in November. Both Florida and California are very very expensive states with large media markets. Massachusetts is another seat Republican Governor Mitt Romney will be vacating as he pursues his quest to become the Republican nominee for president in 2008. There is a three-way Democratic primary in Mass., and with a late primary date (September), the emphasis is on messaging about why a Democratic governor is so important. Maryland and Minnesota rounded out the top-teir races mentioned by Penny Lee in 2008. Lee concluded her remarks by thanking Governor Dean, again, for the amount of investment in terms of time, personnel, and resources he has devoted to the state parties, allowing them to organize on the ground in a cohesive way. She also appreciates the state partnership program for the fact that organizers are going to be staying in those roles for longer than just a six or seven month election cycle. The DGA has a saying, "don't wait 'til '08," as this cycle is about more than just taking a majority of governorships, but also setting the pace for 2008 and 2010, when redistricting becomes an issue once again.

At this point, Governor Dean re-took the podium and mentioned two more Southern states to keep an eye on as well: Alabama and Georgia.

More coming from the DLCC, not to be confused with the DLC. The DLCC is the committee that oversees the 7382 state legislative campaigns across the country.

Community Service in Plaquemines Parish

Yesterday, I took a trip Plaquemines Distribution Center outside of New Orleans. I went with three great DNC members -- one from Alaska, one from Delaware, and another from northern Wisconsin. The Center's a distribution point run by a fantastic woman from the United Way, who has worked to turn what was once an abandoned machine shop into a type of department store. The staff -- who aren't volunteers, but paid locals who have lost their homes and jobs -- organize donated goods and work with the community to be sure everyone has what they need (there are records kept of how often you "shop," and what you get).

When we got there, we were quickly put to work -- one helping keep records of who got what, one helping organize items individuals had donated, and two of us -- including me -- sorting cleaning supplies that had been sent by Islamic Relief. We were told there was a constant need for a specific set of items, in particular linens and paper products.

The center doesn't have a reliable electrical supply. They rely on a generator to power a strings of lightbulbs streched above the warehouse. There's one large fan to cool the place, which seemed to help (though it wasn't nearly as humid Wednesday).

Posted below are some of the photos. There were still DNC memebers staffing the center today, along with staffing other community service projects around the area. Save for a scheduling change, I'm headed with Governor Dean to an ACORN project in about an hour...I'll post photos when I get back.

Open Thread

DNC Member Jenny Greenleaf has an excellent entry up on community service in New Orleans this week.

April 20, 2006

Spring Meeting & Fifty State Strategy Collide

Bringing it back to the 50 State Strategy, I had the occassion to spend a few minutes earlier today with DeMiktric Biggs, one of the organizers hired by the DNC in Mississippi. Like the previous stories from Utah, Ohio and Oklahmoma, the tale told by Biggs was an inspiration as well. Click the image below to find out how Democrats are organizing in Mississippi in 2006.

Video: Meet DeMiktric Biggs -- Mississippi DNC Organizer

We're drawing close to the end of day one, and it's been pretty exciting. I hope you've enjoyed the coverage as much as I have bringing it to you.

Spring Meeting: Resolutions Committee

Happening at the same time as the Rules Committee Meeting, the Resolutions Committee took to business in the ballroom right next door. I was kind of confused going into the meeting, and this is how its purpose was explained to me: Consider the Resolutions Committee as kind of like the Senate Judiciary Committee. A resolution goes before the committee, and if passed it goes forward to the General Session for full approval on Saturday morning. I wasn't able to stay for the entire time because of multiple meetings taking place simultaneously, but here are a few of the resolutions that were put forth:

1.) Calls on the Bush Administration to stop undermining the national security, homeland security, economic security, and health security of American families (passed)

2.) Calls on the Republican Party to stop dividing Americans [in an attempt] to win elections and calls on the Bush Adminstration to renounce its support for H.R. 4437 and to support comprehensive immigration reform (passed)

3.) Supports creating and keeping good jobs in America (passed)

4.) Supports clean, honest, and transparents elections in the United States (passed)

5.) Supports adoption of the Katrina Bill of Rights and H.R. 4197 (passed)

That's when I left. Among others, there were resolutions that dealt with port security, voting rights, a National Election Integrity clearninghouse, rememberence of Coretta Scott King, Senator Bill Proxmire, and Ron Brown. I'll hopefully have a full reports of the pieces that passed through the committee and their final adoption by the end of the weekend.

Spring Meeting: Rules & ByLaws

By far and away, one of the most popular of the meetings taking place today was the rules committee. The reason for that was the first piece of business on the agenda... the 2008 Primary calendar. The following states made presentations to "conduct presidential preference contests in the pre-window period:" Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, D.C., Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, West Virginia. All of them provided attendees with lengthy packets chock full o' information making their cases. Some states, like Alabama, filled portions of receiving tables with goodies promoting their state.

Photo: Alabama Brings Stickers to the Party

Photo: Crowd, Panelists, and Press -- Click to Enlarge

Video: Nevada Makes Their Case -- Click to Play

It's important to note that I include the Nevada video, not because of any preference, but because I was torn between three different meetings taken place at the same time, and it's the only piece I was able to get. I'll have more on the other meetings throughout the day, but wanted to get this up as soon as possible.

Dan Slater of the Colorado Democratic Party has more on his blog.

Spring Meeting: Mid-Day Thoughts

I am sitting in the lobby of the hotel, grabbing a quick bite to eat and thinking about what I've seen so far on the Spring Meeting's first day. There are a number of states here promoting their efforts to host the 2008 Democratic convention. I hope to get a video testimonial from each and get that up on the blog by the end of the trip. The Executive Director Meeting was really exciting ... well, exciting if you like to hear lavish praise bestowed upon the Fifty State Strategy, and the difference it has made in places Democrats don't often compete, like Indiana. There was also a great exchange of ideas between the EDs and a discussion about integrating techological tools to bring together online support and offline activism. Josh made his way to one of the community service events in Plaquemines Parish -- I can't wait to see the pictures/video and hear the stories he'll bring back. As for me, it's off to some of the individual caucus meetings now, so it should be rapid fire throughout the day here on the blog. Keep checking back in.

Spring Meeting: Executive Director Session

First stop on today's agenda after a quick staff meeting, was a meeting of Executive Directors from across the country. As I walked in, DNC staffer Paul Hegarty was briefing the EDs on the 50 State Canvass taking place on April 29th. It was a great way to start the morning, the audience was enthused, and questions were flying across the room about best practices from inside individual states. Nebraska Democratic Party Executive Director, Barry Rubin, held court for a few minutes discussing how his state has taken these online tools into the offline world to promote the cavass. But back to Paul's presentation: here's a quick video clip discussing the large-scale success of the canvass in several states:

Video: The DNC's Paul Hegarty Discusses the Fifty State Cavnass -- Click to Play

Photo: Inside the ED Meeting -- Click to Enlarge

Keep checking back in throughout the day!

First AP Article on Spring Meeting

I can't speak for anyone else, but the first three "locals" I spoke with after arriving in New Orleans all said it was fantastic that the Democratic Party chose this city to host its Spring Meeting in. Not that any of them previously knew what the heck the Spring Meeting was, but there was an acute awareness that so many representatives in their city from one of America's two major political parties could only help spread the message that this city still needs A LOT of help. The national Associated Press is on it:

Wielding hammers, crowbars and shovels, Democrats plan to clean out hurricane-ravaged homes in this slowly recovering city, a project designed to highlight the party's criticism of the Bush administration. [...]

Eight months after Hurricane Katrina and the widespread criticism of the administration's response, Democrats hope their reconstruction work leaves an image with voters that lasts through the congressional midterm elections.

Well, it's not just the fact that there are multiple community service projects to participate in throughout the weekend, it's that stories like this national piece by the Associated Press presumably put the issue of Katrina back into the national public discourse.

-- [segue] --

So, four of us DNC employees got into the cab from the airport to the hotel. We talk with the driver for a few minutes, but language barriers make it difficult to communicate with eachother. So he flipped on the radio, and without prompting, turned to the station we could all understand ... Air America Radio.

Open Thread

Same picture from yesterday evening.

Josh and I are about to head down to our first session, a meeting with state executive directors. Be sure to check back in over the course of the day.

April 19, 2006

Arriving In New Orleans

I think it's impossible to NOT think about Katrina in a sincere and emotional way before the plane even touches ground in New Orleans. McConaha leaned over to me and mentioned the fact that the airport itself was transformed into a morgue in the days and weeks following the Hurricane... or as the first local I met refered to it, "the storm." In the cab ride from the airport to the hotel, you can't help but guess if the lights are out in a home, did that family ever return? You still see duct tape over the top of windows, a downtown sports bar completely boarded up, and windows in one of the high-rises near the Superdome completely blown out, but yet replaced. The Superdome... we passed right by it. I tried to put myself there and all I could do was mutter the words, "can you imagine?" Of course I can't.

Josh and I arrived safely in New Orleans for the start of the DNC Spring Meeting tomorrow morning. Democrats from across the country are milling around the hotel -- I saw Jason Willet, Chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party in the lobby right before Josh and I received our room keys. We just went over a bit of the agenda and are excited to attend the Executive Director meeting, and maybe do a bit of community service tomorrow morning. There are community service events throughout the weekend, and it's obvious that a lot of the work will do some real good to the people of this area.

Keep checking in throughout the weekend. Here's the first photo -- from our hotel window.

Open Thread

A lot of packing, going to church, getting a hair cut, stopping off at the bank, and other errands before I leave for New Orleans and the DNC Spring meeting later today. Not that you wanted to know my schedule, but that's going to be the reason for the light posting.

My goal over the next few days is to really give you folks a "window" into what its like to be at one of these DNC meetings. So, I'm inviting you along as my companions from a far. It's my first one as well, and I was always kind of curious--I hope you are too.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention that Scott McLellan resigned as White House Press Secretary earlier today. That's gotta be quite a thankless job, especially in this adminstration. One wonders if it is possible to find another individual capable of fielding so many questions and answering none of them. The good news for the replacement is that as soon as she/he gets memorizes the phrase, "I've said before that I am not going to answer that question during an ongoing investigation," the battle is half won.

April 18, 2006

Catch Me If You Can...

A lot of talk about the fifty state canvass lately, and rightfullly so -- there is cause for much excitment. But lost in all of this is the engine that makes initiatives like the Fifty State Canvass run ... and that's the Democracy Bonds Community. The DNC allows everyone to create their own personal fundraising page and provides the tools necessary to manage and promote their effort. That being said, catch me...

Top 10 Participants
1. Tim Tagaris $680.04
2. Christina Duthie $515.00
3. Sacha Boegem $235.00
4. John Sackton $75.00
5. Adam Germaine $75.00

There is no reason I should be in first place. In fact, I don't want to be in first place. So my challenge to you is... either help someone surpass me, or do it yourslelf.

Fifty State Canvass: Door Hangers Arriving -- First One Dropped

The first of the Fifty State Canvass door hangers are arriving in locations across the country this week. Here at the DNC, we got our shipment yesterday evening. In total, seven hundred and fifty thousand (750,000) pieces are ready to roll, delivering the Democratic message to the doorsteps Americans from Alaska to Floria, Maine to the Virgin Islands, and California to Michigan. It's an exciting time for the Democratic Party, an undertaking of this magnitute is unprecedented in its size. The coordination between the national party with grassroots activists and state parties is unparalleled in its scope. And the fact that this is all happening a full six months before Election Day is a first for everyone.

We've already had reports that phones at the Florida Democratic Party Headquarters have been ringing off the hook with requests for door hangers. We received an email from the Executive Director of the Wyoming Democratic Party this morning after he received that state's shipment:

We got our door hangers today, and I wanted to say that they look great. They're just a really well done piece for the canvass. Thanks!

At the DNC, we are getting phone calls from those not quite as internet savvy asking how they can sign up to participate and/or host a canvass themselves. It's pretty exciting.

We even dropped the first lit-piece early this morning -- right on the door of the Fifty State Strategy's captain, Governor Dean. But there is still a week and a half before Democrats across the country are out in full-force. Plenty of time to find an event and sign-up if you haven't yet. Plenty of time to email your friends and family about the Fifty State Canvass. Plenty of time to write about it on your websites and blogs. Plenty of time to email your favorite bloggers (both local and nationally) and ask them to promote the event. And plenty of time for you to get involved with your local party infrastructure to promote the canvass and make it a reality in your own backyards. After all, that's what this unprecedented cooperation is really all about.

Visit the Fifty State Canvass homepage, here.

Open Thread

Chat away.

April 17, 2006

Open Thread

Make sure to leave a message in the entry below this one.

DNC Spring Meeting This Weekend

This Thursday marks the beginning of the DNC Spring Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana -- the event extends through Saturday evening. Josh McConaha and I will be down there, digital and video cameras in tow. Since we will be updating the blog and homepage with a rundown from individual events during the meeting, I wanted to share with you part of the agenda and ask what events/caucuses YOU would like to learn more about. Sound off in the comments:

Community Service Projects: A total of four different opportunities to help people in the hurricane ravaged area.

Thursday
- Hispanic Caucus Session
- Rules & Bylaws Session
- Youth Council
- Resolutions Committee
- Asian Pacific Islander American Caucus
- Black Caucus
- Hispanic Caucus
- Native American Coordinating Council
- Regional Caucuses (East, West, Midwest, Southern)

Friday
- Women's Caucus
- Executive Committee Meeting
- GLBT Caucus
- ASDC Meeting
- Seniors Coordinating Council
- DNC Polling Briefing
- Veterans and Military Families Council

Saturday
- Rural Council
- General Session
- Southern Caucus Session

There are also a number of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners hosted by cities hoping to provide the site for the 2008 Democratic Convention which might be interesting to some out there.

Milestones Part II

Over 900 events for the 50 State Canvass taking place on April 29. Which one are you attending?

OH-Gov: What a Difference a Week Makes

"Evidence shows Petro favors donors..." -- Title of Entry on J. Kenneth Blackwell's campaign blog

I can find no rationale behind J. Kenneth Blackwell's campaign for governor of Ohio other than it simply has to be an elaborate hoax. It's like clockwork -- at least once a week there is some newspaper article, web video, or blog entry that is so stunngingly hypocritical, that's the only explanation. You see the title of the Blackwell Blog entry above, that was posted less than one week ago. Now compare it to a story that ran in the Toledo Blade article entitled, "Blackwell defends campaign donations -- Governor hopeful: Firms got no favors"

Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican candidate for governor, has accepted more than $1 million in contributions from employees of firms seeking business with the statewide offices he's held over the past 12 years, a Blade investigation shows.

The Blade's analysis also found that financial institutions contributing to the campaigns of Mr. Blackwell, who became secretary of state in 1999 after nearly five years as state treasurer, have given at least $1.34 million to the Ohio Republican Party. In turn, the party has shipped at least $1.29 million to Mr. Blackwell's campaigns.

In addition, firms that have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in business from the secretary of state's office under Mr. Blackwell's watch have been hired to do work for his political campaigns.

Let's be clear, Jim Petro, Ken Blackwell, Tom Noe, criminally convicted Republican Governor Bob Taft -- they are all peas of the same pod who don't exist at the levels of government they currently reside without the help of eachother and those of their ilk. Does Republican Attorney General Jim Petro play favorites with campaign donors? Of course. Apparently he plays enenemies with those who refuse to contribute to his campaigns as well. Does J. Kenneth Blackwell play favorites with donors? Looks like it. Criminally convicted Republican Governor Bob Taft? Yup. And then there is Tom Noe, the shining example of Ohio's pay-to-play system under Republican leadership in the state.

Open Thread

Start the week of right.

April 15, 2006

Open Thread

For your enjoyment.

50 State Strategy: Alaska

It's not the 48 contiguous states strategy, it's the fifty state strategy. And while we might not talk as much about Alaska (unless Senator Stevens is flying off the handle and threatening to take his ball and go home), Democrats are getting it done in the far far far Northwest. From the Homer News:

With the Republican Party in power at the national and state level, the Democratic Party is the first to admit they have some work to do. Local Democrats last weekend rolled up their sleeves and reorganized at the annual District 35 caucus, held in Homer at the Beluga Lake Lodge. They elected two new co-chairs, Julia Person and Robert F. Ward, and passed resolutions on everything from the Pebble mine to recycling old computers. [...]

"If we have the whole district organized, we can have a clear message based on participation," Ward said. "We can put out a real solid voice on the issues of the day."

April 14, 2006

Milestones

Well over 800 events for the National Canvass created so far. the one nearest you.

This is What It's All About

Yesterday I was working around the blogs promoting the Fifty State Canvass on April 29, and I found this comment on MyDD.

We discussed this at the County Executive Committee meeting tonight and they agreed to support the effort. I have already emailed every Democrat I know and tomorrow I will snail mail those who aren't online. We are planning to canvas an area that is around 50% Democratic performance, but around here that means no Democrat has done door to door in probably 15 or 20 years. I live there and I haven't even had a phone call from a Democrat in 23 years. We arestanding up and giving notice that we will no longer cede these areas without a fight.

Here is the event in Northern Alabama. The activist read about it on MyDD, took it to their Executive Committee meeting, pitched the idea, and now there is a canvass where "no Democrat has done door to door in probably 15 or 20 years." That's what it's all about.

Open Thread

Feel free to let me know what's going on in your local communities so I can follow-up with some entries later today.

April 13, 2006

Governor Dean on CNN

4:10 PM on the Situation Room -- that's Eastern time.

Not Under This Leadership

Call heads, it will probably come up tails -- tails the call, it will end up heads. You have any friends like that? The degenerate gambler in the movie Eight Men Out; "the jinx" in Casino; the one that just can't get it right, ever. Well, that is the way the American people are beginning to think of President Bush. They don't trust him, at all. Unless of course, it's a trust that he will make the WRONG decision on issues regarding national security, namely, Iran.

In a telling reflection of Bush's erosion in public support, 54% said they did not trust him to "make the right decision about whether we should go to war with Iran"

The Republican Party is banging the drums of war before another midterm election, standard operating procedure from a party unflinching in its willingness to play politics with Iraq, Iran, September 11th, and human life in general.

Retired Marine General Gregory Newbold assigned to the joint chiefs before the Iraq invasion writes in 'Time' magazine that the decision to go to war, quote, "...was done with a casualness and swagger that are the special province of those who have never had to execute these missions - or bury the results."

Sixteen days? Consider that the new "sixteen words." And even if Iran were sixteen days away from producing a nuclear weapon, what kind of MASSIVE intelligence failure is that? Thankfully, the adminstration is only peddling fear as a political strategy, again.

A major U.S. intelligence review has projected that Iran is about a decade away from manufacturing the key ingredient for a nuclear weapon, roughly doubling the previous estimate of five years, according to government sources with firsthand knowledge of the new analysis.

But back to the question of Iran. This president isn't one that we need leading our country into war. We've seen this movie before (deception about WMD capability right before a midterm election) and a sequel under current leadership only promises to be worse than the poorly produced original -- kind of like the Chucky movie, and the follow-up, the Bride of Chucky.

We've had enough of this administration's tendency for poorly-planned pre-emptive war -- especially with a Republican controlled Congress that has proven absolutely feckless in it's oversight of everything from manipulated intelligence to poor planning to the failure to properly protect our troops.

It's time for a change, and America can't wait.

Paul Hackett to Participate in National Canvass

The venerable OH-2 Blog has the details:

Paul Hackett, former Congressional candidate and Iraqi War veteran, will join with Warren County [Ohio] Democrats to take part in this historic event to connect with our neighbors throughout the county. Volunteers across the nation will go door-to-door to talk with their neighbors about the Democratic Party’s bold vision for America based on honest leadership and real security.

Paul Hackett will kick off this coordinated event at 8:30am at the Warren County Democratic Party Headquarters 113B E. Mulberry St. in Lebanon.

Here's Hackett's event. Where is yours?

Canvass

I'm having a tough time writing this morning, so now is as good a time as any to remind you to sign-up for the unprecedented National Canvass taking place on April 29. But more than that, please take a few minutes TODAY to email the link to your friends and family, write about it on your blog, put a link on your MySpace page, dig up your old Yahoo Group accounts and let folks know there as well.

Open Thread

Happy Morning.

April 12, 2006

Open Thread

For your chatting enjoyment.

CA-50: Governor Dean on Francine Busby

Governor Dean:

"Despite the fact that Republicans outnumber Democrats 3 to 2, Busby was the leading candidate in an 18 person field, garnering more votes than the total of her three closest competitors. Yesterday, voters in California's 50th District spoke out loud and clear against the Republican culture of corruption and voted in favor of Francine Busby's bold leadership and her positive agenda for change. In the end it was Busby's message of honest leadership and much-needed reform that distinguished her from her opponents and the current Republican 'rubber stamp' Congress.

"As Busby advances to the runoff in June her early success shows that Californians are tired of Republicans who offer more of the same failed policies and culture of cronyism and corruption. Busby's strong performance in a district once considered unwinnable by Democrats proves that when Democrats continue to stand up for what they believe they can and will win anywhere in the country."

The Republican Playbook

"A Republican Party official and Jack Abramoff's lobbying team bluntly discussed using large political donations as a way to pressure lawmakers into securing federal money for a tribal client, according to e-mails gathered by prosecutors." -- Associated Press, April 12, 2006

First of all, exchanging campaign contributions for legislative work inside the Congress is highly illegal -- someone might want to ask Bob Ney his stance on the issue. But the article linked above dives deep into the Abramoff/Republican connection, and how money flowed freely from K-Street to Republican campaigns with favorable legislation magically coming out of grinder on the other side. There is nothing inherently wrong when politicans side with major campaign contributors -- there are natural allies on many issues. For example, most money from the working men and women of America goes to Democrats because this party promotes fair trade, workers rights, and an increased minimum wage. Phramaceutical industries, on the other hand, often side with the Republican Party because of a common belief that government ought not be able to negociate better prices for prescription drugs. Where it gets dicey, if not completely illegal, is well documented in the AP article linked above:

Federal bribery law prohibits public officials from taking actions because of gifts or political donations and bars lobbyists from demanding government action in exchange for donations.

Abramoff's team repeatedly discussed donations as the reason Republican leaders should intervene for the Saginaw Chippewas, the e-mails show.

"The tribes that want this [not just ours] are the only guys who take care of the Rs," Abramoff deputy Todd Boulanger wrote in a June 19, 2002, e-mail to Abramoff and his lobbying team, using "Rs" as shorthand for Republicans.

There is a very serious problem with corruption among "the Rs" in congress and inside the Bush Adminstration. Unfortunately, the Republican solution is not to clean up the congress they control, but to depress turnout on election day by painting Democratic candidates with the same brush they masterfully wield on both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue. They did it to Francine Busby in CA-50, running commercials that basically claimed that she was the same thing as the corrupt Republican crop running to replace a jailed Republican former Congressman. It was shameful, but par for the course.

The "Rs" have little desire to change the course and start doing right by the American people, only to keep their gravy train rolling as long as they can. Crying "outrage!" to eachother alone isn't going to get it done this November. That's why it is so unbelievably important that we mobilize in the grassroots at events like the April 29th National Canvass. As Republicans try to create a malaise among the populous, we must combat that by motivating voters in favor of the party vowing to clean up the mess in Washington, D.C.

Texas Run-Offs: Women Democrats Secure Runoff Wins!

(Almost lost in the shuffle surrouning the excitement in CA-50 and PA-30 was the run-off elections that took place in Texas yesterday evening. Christy Agner of the DNC's Women's Vote Center submitted this entry for your enjoyment. -- Tim)

Two women candidates captured Democratic nominations in Tuesday's April 11 runoff election in Texas. Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a lawyer, mother of three and mediator from Houston, will challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in November, setting up a race where both major parties are fielding women nominees. Learn more about Radnofsky here.

In the Lt. Governor's race, Maria Luisa Alvarado will face incumbent Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R). A veteran of the US Air Force and the Texas National Guard, Alvarado is employed as an analyst with the National Veterans Outreach Program based in Texas. Alvarado previously worked on womens veterans programs until Federal Funding for those programs was cut and now focuses on social and health research. Learn more about Alvarado here.

Radnofsky and Alvarado join General Land Office Commissioner Democratic nominee Valinda Hathcox on the statewide ticket this November. A woman of many firsts in the Texas legal field Hathcox is a longtime Party leader and a charter member of several Democratic womens organizations. Learn more about Hathcox here.

Bush Admin Ignored Report on WMD

"And so I decided to declassify the NIE for a reason. ... I thought it was important for people to get a better sense for why I was saying what I was saying in my speeches." -- President Bush on April 10, 2006

It's either dangerous incomepetence, or deliberate deception. Since the case was made to invade Iraq, we've seen a bit of both from the Bush Adminstration, but it's pretty important that we find out which category this fits in:

On May 29, 2003, 50 days after the fall of Baghdad, President Bush proclaimed a fresh victory for his administration in Iraq: Two small trailers captured by U.S. and Kurdish troops had turned out to be long-sought mobile "biological laboratories." He declared, "We have found the weapons of mass destruction."

The claim, repeated by top administration officials for months afterward, was hailed at the time as a vindication of the decision to go to war. But even as Bush spoke, U.S. intelligence officials possessed powerful evidence that it was not true.

Governor Dean made some remarks this morning on the topic:

"Given that the President has been willing to de-classify information for political purposes, he should de-classify this report so that the American people can know if they were misled. We'll call today for de-classifying the report. I certainly hope the President or his Administration don't de-classify something else to try and discredit this report or this story before we can get to the real facts.

The onus is clearly on the President to clarify the situation surrounding this report. Was this incompetence, meaning that he did not know something that he clearly should have known, or is this instance of dishonesty where information was misused or withheld to support a political agenda."

The president is quick to declassify documents when it comes to protecting his political future and retaliating against those he perceives to be ideological opponents. If anything appropriate to today came from the president's role in the Valerie Plame leak scandal, it's that we know he should unilateraly choose to declassify the relevant documents in this case as well. As noted at the top of this entry, there is about a two day old precedent set by the president for when and why he feels the move is necessary. In this instance, it's imperative that we get a better sense of why he was telling the world we found the weapons of mass destruction.

The American Propsect has more on Governor Dean's remarks.

Open Thread

As you can see, it's almost 4 AM and I'm still awake following the Busby results... But the late hour probably means a later start on the blog tomorrow, so here's your morning open thread. Use it wisely.

PA-30: More Good News

Democrats continue to kick some tail in local elections across the country. More good news out of Pennsylvania:

Democrat Shawn Flaherty, who narrowly won a special election last night for the state House seat in the 30th District, doesn't care if people think his reason for winning is corny. [...]

Complete but unofficial results showed Mr. Flaherty defeated Republican Mike Dolan, 26, of O'Hara by a count of 5,545 to 5,437. It will be the first time in more than 40 years that the district, which includes Fox Chapel, Hampton and parts of Ross, Shaler and O'Hara, will be represented by a Democrat.

Mr. Flaherty will replace Jeff Habay of Shaler, who resigned after he was convicted of criminal charges for using his office staff to do campaign work when they were supposed to be working for the state. He also faces additional charges that he tried to frame a political opponent for mailing Mr. Habay a powdery white substance when police say Mr. Habay mailed it to himself.

I include the last paragraph to note that severe Republican ethical lapses are not just a national phenomenon, but invade local legislatures across the country as well (see Ohio). And wouldn't you have loved to have been in the strategy meeting where the incumbent Republican thought it was a good idea to fake an anthrax attack as a political tool? But the most important part of the story is the segment in bold -- for the first time in 40 years, a Democrat will represent the district in PA's state house. For the umpteenth time this year, a strong Democratic candidate with local support proved that with legwork and a positive message of progress, we can compete anywhere in the country. Congratulations are due to Shawn Flaherty, his campaign staff, and everyone who put the blood, sweat, and tears into the election effort. Job well done!

CA-50: Congrats to Francine Busby!

As you can tell, the hour is late, most of the ballots have been counted, and barring some kind of absolute miracle we are headed to a run-off election this June in California's 50th Congressional District. Francine Busby led all comers tonight with around 44% of the vote (94% reporting), despite the Republican challengers and the NRCC pouring $5 million plus into the race. It looks like Busby will be taking on Brian Bilbray, but the GOP nominee is still a bit too close to call for sure. In a district made famous by criminally convicted Congressman Duke Cunningham, the results tonight are indeed a referendum on the Republican culture of corruption -- not only in the district, but nationally as well. The results also speak volumes about compassionate immigration reform in a district with a heavy Hispanic presence. The closest competitor from "throw 'em all in jail" crowed was outpolled by Busby by a three to one margin.

Congratulations are also due to Democrat Chris Young who outpaced eight of the candidates in the field. Some of you wondered why we didn't talk more about Busby on the blog, and that's why. The DNC is not in the business of getting involved in contested primaries between Democrats -- whether it's an Ohio Senate race or CA-50.

For the complete results, check here. For analysis of what to expect next, Chris Bowers over at MyDD has the run-down.

April 11, 2006

Open Thread

Follow the CA-50 Special Election results, here -- Swing State Project & MyDD will undoubtedly have commentary throughout the evening.

Caption Contest

When Kate and I delivered the letter from Chairman Dean to Ken Mehlman earlier this morning, we were able to take this picture. Yes, that's me. I've sat here for about 15 minutes trying to think of something witty and clever to caption the photo with, but after spending so much time in RNC HQ, all I can think of is to start accusing you of time and time again siding with terorrists, calling you cowards for recognizing the president's failed leadership in Iraq, hating America, telling you I can't post any more threads during the middle of an investigation, or any number of ridiculous statements that come out of the RNC when there is little record of progress to stand on. You got any captions?

Boo Birds Welcome Cheney at Nats Opener

The Vice President was greeted by the boo-birds during the Washington Nationals home opener earlier today. As Cheney emerged to throw out the first pitch he stopped a full foot short of the mound and opted to throw from the grass -- when it became clear he wasn't going to deliver from the rubber, the chorus of boos grew even louder. Even still his offer bounced in front of the plate...

Crooks and Liars has the video, and the appropriate commentary: "I guess there is something to that 19% approval rating."

The Vice President visited both the Nationals and Mets' locker rooms before the game, which reminded me of President Bush's Opening Day escapades in the Chicago Cubs locker room:

In the Cubs' clubhouse, Bush walked in and announced, "This is the year." He went straight to manager Dusty Baker, grabbed his hand, and turned him to the cameras. "Smile," Bush said, shaking Baker's hand with a broad grin. Baker did as instructed, saying, "I'll do what I got to do."

Maybe it's time for them to stick to the tee-ball field on the White House grounds? Seems to me the reception is a lot warmer back there.

The Fabulous Life of Conrad Burns

A sneak peak into the life, and lifestyle, of one of America's most corrupt Republican Senators -- Conrad Burns. A tremendous resource for all things Burns. Like the following quotes:

In March 2006, Conrad Burns' left a Capitol news conference to a woman asking, "How ya doing today, Senator?" Burns replied, "I’m ready to go get knee-walking drunk!" [Roll Call, 3/13/06]

and

In 1991, Burns "startled lobbyists outside the Senate chamber" following passage of a civil rights bill by saying he was going to an auction of "slaves."

A whole career of goodies piled into one resource.

Dear Ken

Does the New Hampshire phone-jamming scandal have tentacles reaching all the way to the White House? Yesterday's AP report seems to indicate that it might. One of the three criminally convicted for his role in the scandal, James Tobin, made about two-dozen calls to the White House in the days before the election. There is certainly reason to wonder if any of those conversations had to do with the "GOP scheme that jammed phone lines to keep state Democrats from being encouraged to vote." The case has already resulted in three federal convictions and millions in legal bills footed by the RNC to defend the architect of the plan and the man mentioned above, James Tobin.

As you might recall, current RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman was the White House Political Director at the time. And since his offices are right down the street, Governor Dean decided to drop him a personal note about 15 minutes ago. The letter along with photos of the delivery by Kate, a fearless DNC staffer, can be found below:

Dear Ken,

Yesterday, the AP ran a story entitled "Phone Jamming Records Point to White House." This story provides new details about the role of the New Hampshire Republican Party in the phone-jamming scandal and raises serious questions as to whether the RNC and the White House were actively involved.

As you know, on Election Day, a telemarketer hired by the New Hampshire GOP jammed telephone lines at five state Democratic and one firefighters union get-out-the-vote phone banks. The AP noted yesterday that the "records show that Bush campaign operative James Tobin, who recently was convicted in the case, made two dozen calls to the White House within a three-day period around Election Day 2002 - as the phone jamming operation was finalized, carried out and then abruptly shut down."

The AP story also stated that virtually all the calls to the White House went to the same number (202-456-6173) which currently rings inside the political affairs office. Although the White House declined today to say which staffer was assigned that phone number in 2002, you may be able to shed some light on the subject, as you were the White House Political Director during that time.

You have often spoken of the importance of making sure that every vote counts. In that spirit, we hope that you will take the necessary steps to clear up the lingering confusion surrounding the RNC and the White House's role in this scandal by answering these questions:

* James Tobin called the White House two dozen times in three days. Whom was he calling? With whom did he speak? Whom did he work with in the office of political affairs?

* Tobin worked directly with Terry Nelson, who was then political director at the RNC. When will Mr. Nelson answer questions about his role in the scandal? Whom else at the RNC did Tobin work with?

* Did the White House authorize this phone jamming scheme and, if so, who specifically did so? Or was the phone jamming authorized by the RNC?

* Was anyone on the White House staff or at the RNC involved in concocting, authorizing, implementing or concealing this scheme?

The overt effort by the New Hampshire Republican Party to suppress the vote on Election Day in 2002 is unconscionable. The people of New Hampshire deserve an apology. And America deserves to know exactly how deeply the White House and the RNC were involved in the planning and execution of this scheme. We hope you will provide the answers we need so we can move forward together.

Sincerely,

Governor Howard Dean, MD
Chairman

Open Thread

And good morning to you.

April 10, 2006

We Are America

I just returned from the immigration rally on The Mall in Washington, D.C. Yes, it's still going on, but I wanted to get you some pictures and video from the ground-level before you saw it elsewhere (which I am probably already late with these darn interets). I have no idea how many people were in attendance -- it's hard to measure the scope of such a rally when you are right in the thick of things. I will say, however, that it was the first time I have ever been to an event this size, and I was struck by the diversity in crowd. That's what hit me right away. Anyway, here are some photos -- click to enlarge. I'll have some video up shortly.

New Jersey: A Candidate In Every District

Juan Melli over at BlueJersey notes that a Democrat has filed to run in every Congressional district in New Jersey. Good news for obvious reasons. Fighting in every district is the only way we'll ever win in every district...

Open Thread

I am heading off to the sane immigration legislation event at the Washington Monument -- should have some pictures and a short write-up later tonight. Video and more photos come tomorrow. In the meantime, please take a look at the Ohio post below and leave a comment.

Inside the 50 Strategy: O - H! I - O!

The Buckeye State receives no shortage of attention each election cycle, and 2006 is no different. While DNC organizers are working in states like Utah and, Kansas, and Oklahoma -- states like Ohio still receive a tremendous amount of attention -- and rightly so.

No state has more statewide elections taking place in 2006 than Ohio. There's a heated campaign between Democrat Ted Strickland and Republicans Ken Blackwell and Jim Petro to replace term-limited and criminally convicted Republican Governor Bob Taft. Congressman Sherrod Brown's campaign is trucking along in his bid to unseat incumbent Senator Mike DeWine. Down the ballot, Democrats have a number of tremendous candidates including Jennifer Brunner (for SoS), Marc Dann and Subodh Chandra (for AG), Barbara Sykes (for Auditor), and Hugh Quill and Richard Cordray (for Treasurer).

The difference between the two state parties in the run-up to November couldn't be more clear either. The Republican side of the aisle resembles the worst scenes of Lord of the Flies. The GOP state party chair is more of a referee between feuding Republicans in the Governor's race than a leader of the party. Congressman Bob Ney and the Chair have thrown very public barbs at eachother. The FBI has found a second home in Republican Attorney General Jim Petro's office. And of course there is Tom Noe and Coingate. For the Democrats, recently elected State Party Chair Chris Redfern has the party pointed in the right direction since taking his seat earlier this year. DNC-paid organizers are on the ground throughout the state. The party's bench is growing with up-and-coming superstars like Statehouse Minority Leader Joyce Beatty. A thriving online community provides a consistent vehicle for two-way communication between the grassroots, candidates, and elected officials across the state. A recent generic ballot poll conducted by Akron's Bliss Institue found that fifty-nine percent of Ohioans would like to see the Democratic Party regain control of the Republican controlled state government. Polls in the race for governor, U.S. Senate, and various polls on Congressional races paint a picture that reflects the the Bliss institute's findings. The DNC organizers are prepared and well-positioned to build a massive grassroots organization that unites the parties leadership with those on-the-ground who do the daily dirty work of democracy.

In addition to maintaining and updating a statewide voter file, organizing and GOTV efforts, and traditional field operations, the DNC-organizers are building solid organizations at the county level in the form of "victory squads." One of the massive undertakings by the organizers is to recruit county coordinators, grassroots outrach coordinators, volunteer coordinators, canvassing coordinators, phone bank coordinators, minority outreach coordinators, early voting coordinators, and media coordinators for each and every one of Ohio's 88 counties. These are volunteer positions, and the organizers are doing a fantastic job filling these roles across the state. In addition to creating the infrastructure to compete in blue counties like Cuyahoga and Athens, purple like Stark, and red like Clermont, the DNC-organizers will work in conjunction with newly hired Ohio coordinated campaign manager Richard Dickerson this year as well. Instead of outsourcing a field plan in 2006, the Democratic Party is doing what it hasn't done in quite some time -- taking our destiny in our own hands and building the organization necessary to win in 2006, but also carries over into 2008, 2010, and beyond! In closing, here's an example of what the "victory squads" hope to accomplish at the county level over the course of the next few months:

County Coordinator Organize meetings of Coordinating team Organize larger meetings of volunteers Make sure that each coordinator has what they need to accomplish goals Ensure that ODP is informed on local events

Grassroots Outreach Coordinator
Serve as liaison between ODP and grassroots activities
Develop a plan to involve local grassroots organizations with ODP
Identify and network with all local progressive grassroots organizations.

Volunteer Coordinator
Ensure that there is a presence at all key events within the county
Organize parade entries, walkers, etc.
Recruit and retain volunteers for the party

Canvassing Coordinator
Coordinate volunteers in conducting canvassing activity
Ensure that local efforts are consistent with the campaign’s targeting
Prepare maps for canvassing activity

Phone Bank Coordinator
Develop plan for phone activity into targeted areas
Identify offices, union halls, etc. with phones that could be utilized
Coordinate volunteers in conducting phone activity

Minority Outreach Coordinator
Develop plan for county minority outreach
Reach out to minority groups
Recruit volunteers from the minority community

Early Voting Coordinator
Coordinate with local Boards of Elections on absentee voting requests
Phone bank to those requesting absentee ballots to ensure they actually vote

Media Coordinator
Coordinate letter to the editor campaigns
Monitor local TV and radio after the event and tape any coverage we receive

Times they are a changin' in Ohio. To get involved at the local level, be sure to contact the Ohio Democratic Party for more information, and to get pointed to the right direction.

Open Thread

Busy busy.

April 9, 2006

Fresh Open Thread

Be sure to check out the Busby entry below.

CA-50: Special Election Two Days Away

Last August 2nd, the eyes of a nation turned towards the Southwestern corner of Ohio for a special election between Jean Schmidt (R) and Iraq veteran Paul Hackett (D). By the time the ballots were counted, Hackett lost by a mere 3% of the vote in a district that typically leaned Republican in congressional contests by a consistent 40 to 50 percent. The result sent a message felt nationally by the pundit class and politicians alike -- it was a referndum on the president's failed leadership in Iraq. Of course, while the pundits and prognosticators scoffed at grassroots support for the otherwise anonymous Hackett, we knew that Democratic candidates are able to compete at any level, in any contest, in any district. And compete we did.

This Tuesday night, residents of California's 50th Congressional District will take to the polls to vote in another special election made necessary by the retirment/conviction of former Congressman Duke Cunningham. Like the Ohio special election, this is a district that overwhelmingly and repeatedly sends a Republican to Congress. And like the Ohio special election, the results will be seen as a referendum on the Republican culture of corruption. DavidNYC of Swing State Project received a message from Democratic candidate Francine Busby's campaign manager over the weekend describing the enthusiasm and support for the campaign on-the-ground:

Overwhelming turnout today. The district is buzzing with Busby supporters.

We've already had over 300 volunteers show up for door knocking and phone banking. That's almost 100 more volunteers than had signed up. We're rushing to print more doorhangers, because at this rate we'll run out on Monday - which means we'll have dropped 52,000 doorhangers by then.

Tuesday's election works like this: If no single candidate gets over 50% of the vote, it goes to a run-off held on California's primary day. Of course, if Busby or any other candidate receives 50 + 1, game over. Right now it appears only Busby is in position to end the election on Tuesday, but it's a tall order that would send shockwaves across the country to be sure. There are a number of ways to get involved from inside the district or anywhere in the United States. Please consider doing so.

April 8, 2006

Open Thread

For the evening and the Sunday talk shows tomorrow morning. On another note, I have started to get a bunch of emails from people asking me to talk a little more about their favorite baseball teams, and a little less about the Cubs in open threads. Understandable. We can start with the St. Louis Cardinals. Unfortunately for their fans, they lost 3 to 2 today at Wrigley Field. Enjoy the evening and what's left of the weekend.

April 7, 2006

Open Thread

The "W" flag flies high above Wrigley tonight. No, not that kind of "W" -- it stands for "win" and they run it up the pole every time the Cubs do just that at home. Enjoy the start of the weekend. I know I will.

April 10

April10.org -- I'll be there in Washington, D.C. taking photos and video from the event. Keep checking back that evening for the reports.

Up or Down Vote

Ahhh, those were the days. Governor Dean released the following statement on Republican stonewalling in the Senate regarding bipartisan immigration legislation.

"Senate Democrats have led the fight to achieve a compromise for comprehensive immigration reform that will strengthen our borders, protect workers, and help bring the millions of undocumented immigrants out of the shadows. Unfortunately, extremists in the Senate are standing in the way of Democrats and common sense Republicans who are working to offer America a sensible and comprehensive immigration reform bill that is both tough and smart. This bill deserves an up or down vote, but Senate Republicans have filibustered the bipartisan compromise twice in two days.

The burden, now, is on the President of the United States to finally pick a side. If the Senate's bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill moves forward, it will stand in stark contrast to the impractical anti-immigrant Republican bill that came out of the House. Having failed to enforce our nation's border laws, the President has chosen to avoid leading on this vital issue, and his silence and lack of conviction could derail this critical measure for our nation's security and economic strength. It's time that the President show real leadership and stop standing by quietly - denying the American people a victory on comprehensive immigration reform."

AZ-Sen: Bush's Yes Man

The Arizona Democratic Party has been at the fore of online organizing by a state party for some time now. Whether it was one of the first active and well attended blogs created in the aftermath of the 2004 election, the creation of the AZ Latino website, or using the web to virally disseminate a message -- they are at it again. Click the image below to view the ADP's latest venture:

According to Survey USA's latest tracking poll, Kyl's approval among Arizonans is a meager 45% -- that's well under the level where an incumbent can feel safe about his or her re-election campaign. Zogby/WSJ (take with a grain of salt) finds his opponent, Democrat Jim Pederson has trimmed Kyl's once large lead to a slim five percent (47.1% - 42.1%). This one's going to be a race, and another potential Democratic pick-up where the pundits once dismissed our chances.

New Lows

New lows for President Bush on job approval, Iraq, and national security in the latest AP/Ipsos Poll. The Democratic Party has a real opportunity this November, but we must work our tails off like the latest poll numbers (all of them) reveal new highs for the president, not the overwhelming dissatisfaction they currently and consistently reflect. That's why the events like the National Canvass are so important. Are you signed up yet? Have you emailed your friends, family and local organizations to discuss the uprecedented undertaking? Have you linked it on your blog? Well, it's time to.

A Stunning Abuse of Power

The Christian Science Monitor sets the table:

The news that President Bush authorized the disclosure of classified information to certain reporters has set off a debate on whether or not Mr. Bush misused his national security powers.

Politicians, pundits, and legal scholars are going to debate endlessly whether the president broke the law by authorizing the discussion of classified information with reporters. And that's exactly what the GOP wants, a protracted discussion couched in legalease that gets deep into the weeds inevitabely confusing the majority of Americans.

Keeping it simple, what is at issue here, is the process for presidential declassification of documents, and how that was completely circumvented in the interests of scoring political points and/or seeking revenge against a "political opponent," namely Joe Wilson.

Legal authority Eugene Fidell explained on NPR the standard operating procedure when the president deems it appropriate to declassify information, here. Normally the declassifying agent, in this case the president, will go back to the organization that originally classified the document (the CIA in this case) and explain his intentions. The CIA will look at the documents and say something to the effect of, "alright, this information is safe for public consumption...it does not jeopordize national security or our assets in the field." Everything we know right now indicates that didn't happen in this instance.

In short, this was a stunning abuse of power (almost by definition) by a president willing to put politics and revenge ahead of the nation's national security.

Inside the 50 State Strategy: Coming Soon

I am finishing up a few pieces on Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin for early next week. Whether "red" like Indiana, "blue" like Wisconsin, or "purple" like Ohio, Democrats have a number of terrific opportunities to capture seats long-held by the Republican Party at all levels of the ballot -- and the organizers put on the ground by the DNC find themselves right in the thick of the battle. Be excited.

More From Oklahoma

Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair Lisa Pryor provides the context for Mayor-elect Kathy Taylor's victory earlier this week in Tulsa.

Pryor said the Democratic National Committee's 50 State Strategy helped deliver Taylor's win in Tulsa. The Democratic National Committee's staff in Oklahoma partnered with the Taylor campaign on GOTV efforts and voter education efforts.

"The DNC effort is building a grassroots infrastructure in every jurisdiction of Oklahoma," Pryor said. "The DNC is fulfilling its mission to help our state party. We are building our party from the ground up by recruiting and training volunteers and growing our grassroots network. By investing in people and programs, we are building a better Oklahoma."

While spy scandals, immigration debate, and poor planning in Iraq dominate the daily headlines, there are some 200 individuals working day in and day out across the country to elect Democrats from the top of the ticket this November, to races most people will never hear about throughout the year. Kathy Taylor's stunning upset was just the latest example of organizers hired by the Democratic National Committee making a serious impact in changing not only the local landscape, but setting the table for elections across the country this November. But that work doesn't even begin, let alone end, with the beefed up staffs at state headquarters ... it's about you. That's why it's so important to get involved in a meaningful way whenever opportunities present themself. To that end, the unprecedented National Canvass is only three weeks away. Have you signed up yet?

Open Thread

Friday.

April 6, 2006

Threads Open

Adult Swim.

Governor Dean on President Bush's Role in CIA Leak Scandal

Associated Press:

Vice President Dick Cheney’s former top aide told prosecutors that President Bush authorized the leak of sensitive intelligence information about Iraq, according to court papers filed by prosecutors in the CIA leak case.

Before his indictment, I. Lewis Libby testified to the grand jury investigating the CIA leak that Cheney told him to pass on information and that it was Bush who authorized the disclosure, the court papers say. According to the documents, the authorization led to the July 8, 2003, conversation between Libby and New York Times reporter Judith Miller.

Governor Dean responded thusly:

"The fact that the president was willing to reveal classified information for political gain and put the interests of his political party ahead of Americas security shows that he can no longer be trusted to keep America safe."

50 State Strategy: Stories from the Ground in Kansas

Plucked from the comments on Kos:

Heck, I'm feeling Dean's effects way on out here in KS. His "Fifty-state strategy" is getting us money to organize and hold some events that otherwise we just wouldn't be able to do. Local as well as national democratic candidates are benefitting from these events. I'm on my local precint committee, and we're getting regular visits from the KDP (Kansas Dem Party), which is getting money from the DNC to get out and get active. I'm loving it.

PA-7: Photo of the Day

Yes, this is a photo of Republican Congressman Curt Weldon alongside of another photo of Curt Weldon pinning a medal on Muammar Qaddafi. But that's just the picture within the picture. The larger photo was taken of Weldon honoring Sun Myung Moon "as humanity's Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord and True Parent." Swing State Project has much more.

Governor Dean on Air America Radio

Interviewed by Paul Hackett. Enjoy! (.mp3 link) -- Link works now.

OHIO: Generic Polling

Most of us are familiar with national polling that shows a majority of the public hoping to see a Democratic controlled Congress come January of 2007. But in a state that many consider to be a microcosm of national issues, Ohio, similar polling was recently conducted about the Ohio Legislative Branch. The numbers found an overwhelming majority of Ohioans would like to see a Democratic Columbus.

The latest statewide public-opinion poll found 59 percent of adults want Democrats to take control of the Republican-led state government.

Only 33.6 percent want Republicans to remain in control, while 7.4 percent were undecided.

The state's "Coingate" scandal - which resulted in five convictions on ethics charges, including that of Gov. Bob Taft - shapes public views, according to the poll.

The problems with the Ohio Republican Party extend well beyond the Coingate fiasco. You have a criminally convicted Republican Governor Bob Taft who is reviled for more than just his illegal behavior -- The state is an absolute mess under GOP control. Manufacturing jobs are leaving the state and break-neck pace; Major urban centers earn national note because of staggering poverty levels or obscene crime rates; and yes, there is the tentacles of scandal that reach almost every corner of Republican leadership in the state. In fact, the only thing it wouldn't be fair to blame GOP leadership for is the Cleveland Indians late season collapse last year ... or can you?

It doesn't help either when you have the GOP state chair suggest one of the most powerful Republican congressmen resign amid corruption charges, and said congressman fires back by letting the leader of the party know that "glass houses break easily." Then there is the mess of a gubernatorial campaign waged between Kenneth Blackwell and Jim Petro... but of course, you have to look past investigations by the FBI into Petro's campaign for Attorney General, or Ken Blackwell's Diebold stock ownership while acting as Secretary of State. And yes, of course, there's Tom Noe.

And when it comes down to election time, the only hope the Republican Party has is to divide Americans on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation.

That's it. The cupboard is bare for an ossified leadership in Columbus, and Ohioans are ready for change.

Republican Priorities

It isn't often you are able to pore over a survey of rank-and-file Republicans to determine what their priorities are. But the folks over at GOPUSA (of Jeff Gannon fame), conducted one such poll and results were quite illuminating:

"GOPUSA then asked grassroots Republicans to provide feedback on what the priorities of the Republican Party should be."

- Holding elected Republican officials accountable to the platform and their campaign promises — 50%

- Crafting a clear, unifying message to combat the Democrats and the media — 31%

- Recruitment of conservative candidates — 8%

- Better communication with grassroots Republicans — 7%

- More minority outreach — 1%

- Stronger fundraising efforts — less than 1 percent

- Other — 4%

Holding your elected officials responsible for the campaign promises they made, regardless of party, is always a noble goal. However, the fact that such a large number of Republicans find the number one priority of the party should be to combat Democrats and the media is pretty humorous. I don't know if it's a secret to our friends in the grassroots on the other side of the aisle, but they control all three branches of government. Maybe if a little less time was spent attempting to divide the country as a campaign strategy for success, more people might see Republican leadership as setting our country on the right track. As it stands, an overwhelming majority sees just the opposite, and that's why so many will exercise their rights and vote to change the course this November.

Interestingly, among the activists of the party with zero African-Americans among its majorities in the house and senate, and which got less than 10% of the African-American vote last election, only 1% feel they need more minority outreach.

PA-Sen: Casey Leads Santorum... Still

More polls on this race than almost any other during the 2006 election cycle, and Bob Casey continues to hold a double digit lead over Rick Santorum in a potential November matchup.

Quinnipiac University. 1,354 Pennsylvania Voters. MoE +/- 2.7% (General) & MoE +/- 4.1% (Primary).

Casey (D): 48% (51)
Santorum (R): 37% (36)

Sandals (D): 32%
Santorum (R): 44%

Pennacchio (D): 32%
Santorum (R): 45%

Democratic Primary:
Casey: 63%
Sandals: 5%
Pennacchio: 4%

The three Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania are scheduled to participate in the first of two debates this Saturday -- the first forum will be broadcast on statewide television.

PA-7: Weldon Cracking Under Pressure

It's gotta be the pressure of a closely cotested congressional campaign. For Curt Weldon, it's been quite some time since someone like U.S. Navy Vice Admiral and Fighting Democrat Joe Sestak has put some pressure on the incumbent congressman from PA. In fact, Weldon's last four opponents combined only raised a mere $65,703 combined. By comparison, the Democratic Vice Admiral has already raised $420,000 in the 60 days since kicking off his campaign. Like I said, it's gotta be the pressure, because there is absolutely zero excuse for this:

After combat operations in Afghanistan and a stint as a national-security aide in the Clinton White House, former Navy admiral Joe Sestak felt prepared for just about anything when he decided to run for Congress in Delaware County.

But Sestak didn't expect to be second-guessed by the Republican incumbent, Curt Weldon, on where his 5-year-old daughter, Alexandra Sestak, should be treated for a malignant brain tumor.

Apparently trying to score political points on a residency issue, Weldon reportedly suggested to a Washington newspaper that Sestak should have sent his daughter to a hospital in Pennsylvania or Delaware, rather than the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, where she has been treated since the tumor was diagnosed last summer. [...]

Alexandra Sestak - initially given just three to nine months to live - underwent three operations and chemotherapy. Her father said that in January doctors reported she had done well and could resume a normal life.

I think if you sat around in your room late night and thought about the most tasteless campaign attack you can make, most of us would struggle to reach such depths of depravity. But for Weldon, it came naturally, if not off rolling off his tongue as a long owned "oppo-research" bullet point just waiting for the right time to use. In any case, it's completely classless.

Open Thread

Consider the thread, open.

April 5, 2006

Open Thread

Maryland won the NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship last night ... Fear the Turtle.

Inside the Fifty State Strategy: South Dakota

More reason to be excited in 2006 about places most people used to think the only Democrats around were hiding in the wilderness from an occupying force like the "Wolverines" in the movie Red Dawn. We talked about Oklahoma this morning, but get some of South Dakota.

South Dakota Republicans still hold an advantage in the coming battle for the state Legislature, but Democrats are fielding more candidates than they have since 1992 — and that includes more candidates in districts in and around the Black Hills. "I'm really exuberant," state Democratic Party chairwoman Judy Olson Duhamel of Rapid City said Tuesday. [...]

Olson Duhamel agreed that HB1215 "was a factor" in her party's success in recruiting candidates this year, but she also credited getting three extra staff positions for the state party, paid for by the Democratic National Committee. "I want to thank Howard Dean," she said.

Good news from Utah, Oklahoma, and now South Dakota, and all in a three day time period! What's next, Indiana? Well, stick around ... there's a story to tell, and we're going to tell it. Yes, there's good news from Indiana on the way too.

Cinco De Mayo Fundraiser

File this one under the category, "you gotta be kidding me, congressman."

Alright, forget the fact that he is holding a Cinco De Mayo fundraiser on May 2nd -- or that the contribution increments are done en espanol... fine. But you gotta assume that Congressman Lewis is mocking every single person of Latin American heritage in the United States with this fundraiser. Why? Because Congressman Lewis IS A CO-SPONSOR of the of the hate-filled immigration bill coming out of the House.

CO-Gov: Settling in For a Close One

Rasmussen has the latest numbers, with Democratic candidate Bill Ritter settling in against Congressman Bob "method actor" Beauprez.

Rasumussen. 500 Likely Voters. March 29, 2006. MoE +/- 4.5%

Bill Ritter (D): 41%
Bob Beauprez (R): 40%

Bill Ritter (D): 41%
Marc Holtzman (R): 36%

It remains to be seen who will win the Republican primary in Colorado, but Ritter stands alone after popular Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper decided not to run and State Rep. Gary Lindstrom dropped out of the race. For Beauprez's part, he recently received a high-profile endorsement from Republican Senator Wayne Allard. Yes, the same Allard who accused Senator Feingold of all-to-often siding with the terrorists after the censure resolution was introduced in the Senate. It's kind of tacky, but Beauprez (the favorite in the race) has taken quite a few knocks recently, including a focus on charitable donations, of which he contributed a scant 1.5% of his household income in 2005. Other allegations generating headlines include that "as a real estate developer, Bob Beauprez helped build a golf course development in Lafayette that was so poorly designed the homes were constantly being pelted with golf balls. Two homeowners filed suit."

More importantly, is the source of the "method actor" knock at the start of this post. Beauprez enjoys taking to the campaign dressed in full flight-suit regalia, however, when pressed on his service, his spokesman claimed that when his draft number came up, he was denied an opportunity to serve because of a medical history. When the Rocky Mountain News dug a bit deeper, they found Beauprez took deferment and deferment as a student, when those expired, a bleeding ulcer he suffered at the age of 16 kept him from service.

Alright, fine, he didn't serve. But check out the campaign's rebuttal to the accusation that Beauprez misled when he took the stump in a flight suit.

"He flew in a jet aircraft out at Buckley," Marshall said. "Take a very, very careful look at that suit - there is no rank, there is no insignia, there's nothing other than a required apparel that the military requires in order to take him up on a jet."

Any civilian who flies in a jet at Buckley has to wear both a flight suit and another suit that helps control blood flow during highly stressful aerial maneuvers, said Lt. Caroline Wellman.

"He has never tried to make the case that he has served in the military, nor would he," Marshall said of Beauprez.

I'd make a joke about it, but the quote speaks for itself. Just read it again and be disgusted.

Slot Machines vs. Voting Machines

Tale of the tape.

"Nothing Worse Than a Woman Know-It-All"

Ever wonder what television talk show hosts and their guests discuss before the they go live on the air? Well, wonder no more. The Huffington Post has obtained a fascinating exchange between Chris Matthews and Tom DeLay where they discuss possible Democratic presidential candidates for 2008. Click to watch.

Candidate McCain ... WAY WAY WAY Out of Touch

From a speech candidate "trying to be all things to all people," John McCain, gave yesterday to a group of union leaders:

McCain responded by saying immigrants were taking jobs nobody else wanted. He offered anybody in the crowd $50 an hour to pick lettuce in Arizona.

Shouts of protest rose from the crowd, with some accepting McCain's job offer. "I'll take it!" one man shouted.

McCain insisted none of them would do such menial labor for a complete season. "You can't do it, my friends." Some in the crowd said they didn't appreciate McCain questioning their work ethic.

Let's move past the fact that McCain was booed repeatedly during the speech. But saying that no one in the audience would want to make $50 an hour? And not only that, but they were incapable of doing what it took to earn that wage. Let's do the math here: $50 an hour (x) 8 hours a day = 400 dollars a day. Let's say because of seasonal issues you are only able to do the job for 120 days out of the year. That's a whopping $48,000 gross salary and the ability to find another job to supplement that income for the other 2/3 of the year. Is Senator McCain not even aware that the median income for a family of four in his home state of Arizona is $58,206 a FULL year? Look, picking lettuce all day might not be the most rewarding job in the world, but directly telling a group of the hardest working men and women in the world that they are incapable of picking lettuce for a full season at $50 an hour is pretty out of touch -- especially as it's these union men and women hit hardest by President Bush's unfair trade policies.

One last note on candidate McCain for the day. Did any of you catch the Daily Show last night? Well, John Stewart called out Senator McCain for accepting an invitation to speak at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, a man McCain once refered to as an "agent of intolerance." McCain may have aquitted himself well with a few witty comebacks, but he never answered the questions posed by the host. Here's a flashback for you: Jerry Falwell's response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks:

PAT ROBERTSON: Jerry, that's my feeling. I think we've just seen the antechamber to terror. We haven't even begun to see what they can do to the major population.

JERRY FALWELL: The ACLU's got to take a lot of blame for this.

PAT ROBERTSON: Well, yes.

JERRY FALWELL: And, I know that I'll hear from them for this. But, throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way - all of them who have tried to secularize America - I point the finger in their face and say "you
helped this happen."

Stewart was right. McCain had an opportunity to marginalize the kind of intolerance that would blame femininsts, the ACLU, gays and lesbians for the attacks of September 11th ... and he didn't, he embraced it.

Oklahoma: Tulsa Has a New Mayor... And It's a Democrat

Bang! Taking the fight to the Republican Party in places Democrats have not won in quite a long time -- Enter yesterdays race for Mayor of Tulsa Oklahoma.

Tulsa will soon have a new mayor. Democrat Kathy Taylor battled incumbent Republican Bill LaFortune for the city's top job and won.

Taylor picked up more than 39,000 votes, or 51-percent. LaFortune won 47-percent of the vote. Beneford Faulk was a distant third, followed by Paul Tay.

This election saw a record number of ballots cast, a testament to the GOTV operation of both campaigns, but specifically the new Democratic Mayor, Kathy Taylor. Taylor will be sworn into office this Monday. Much like races in Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, and Utah in 2005 and 2006 -- this race provides further evidence that Democrats are able to compete, and win, in places most believed were hardened Republican outposts. Expect more of this throughout the year, and especially on election day this November. Onward!

Open Thread

A few things to expect this morning: HUGE Democratic victory yesterday in Oklahoma, and a side-by-side comparison between Las Vegas slot machines and voting machines. Happy Wednesday.

April 4, 2006

Open Thread

You all owe Lizzy (and Barbi) for this one, inspiring me out of bed and posting a new thread.

Governor Dean on CNN

5:25 P.M. EsT

OH-2: Getting Another Shot at Jean Schmidt

Paul Hackett pushed her to the brink in 2005, and after a series of ridiculous moments generating a ton of terrible press since then, it looks like Jean Schmidt might survive a heated Republican primary. Whether it was calling Congressman Murtha a coward on the floor of the House, fabricating endorsemnts, the revelation that she once compared Young Republican activists to "Hitler," or embelishing her educational accomplishments, it's been a tough slog for Schmidt since last August. However, a recent WCPO-TV poll in Cincinnati shows her with a huge lead of arch-rival Bob McEwen in the Republican primary set for May.

WCPO TV. 412 Likely Republican Voters. 3/31/06 to 4/2/06. MoE +/- 4.9%

McEwen: 30%
Schmidt: 55%
Other: 11%
Undecided: 4%

This primary is really a very interesting story, in that it started before the special election even ended last August. Conservative organizations were running radio ads urging Republican voters to stay home on election day in the hopes that they could keep Schmidt under a certain percentage, allowing them to primary her this May. Since then, it's been Bob McEwen and Tom Brinkman tag-teaming the incumbent congresswoman with Brinkman eventually stepping aside to allow McEwen a clean shot at Schmidt. The two, and many Republican activists inside the district who are not big fans of Schmidt, believed that a crowded primary field would allow Schmidt to slip through the cracks much like she did in the large 2005 primary election campaign. They got there wish, but it looks like Jean will prevail. Unless of course, her campaign stalls much like her vehicle did during an opening day parade featuring President Bush.

DeLay Cuts and Runs from Texas

Gov. Dean just sent this out after the news that Rep. Tom DeLay is quitting his re-election race.

Indicted Republican leader Tom DeLay announced late last night that he will withdraw from his race for re-election and leave Congress within months.

This comes after Friday's news that a key former DeLay aide pleaded guilty to conspiracy and agreed to cooperate with the ongoing federal investigation of DeLay's money-for-influence machine.

DeLay says he made his decision because he doesn't want to let Democrats make him the issue in the 2006 elections. But Tom DeLay himself has never been the issue.

DeLay is a symptom of a larger disease -- a sick Republican culture of corruption that touches everyone who took his dirty money, voted for his corrupt leadership, or sat silently while their party has sold our government to the highest bidder. The corruption extends to the House, the Senate, and the Bush Administration -- and this November the accountability must reach just as wide.

Democrats aren't running against Tom DeLay this year. We are running to end the Republican culture of corruption and restore integrity to our government. What we stand for is clear.

On April 29th, when tens of thousands of volunteers hit the streets in the first-ever 50-state canvass, they will be carrying the six simple things that Democrats stand for. At the top of the list is a clear commitment:

1. Honest Leadership & Open Government: We will end the Republican culture of corruption and restore a government as good as the people it serves.

In honor of Tom DeLay's retirement, today I am ordering another 250,000 of the door-hangers that bear this message -- that's an investment to reach another quarter-million voters on our April 29th organizing day.

Your $50 can put 233 pieces of literature in the hands potential volunteers and potential voters. Will you make a donation?

http://www.democrats.org/delayretirement

Already over 370 neighbor-to-neighbor organizing events have been scheduled for Saturday, April 29th. Democrats across the country will be going door to door, talking with folks in their communities about what Democrats stand for and the kind of change our country needs.

Please take a moment to find or create an event near you. Learn more about the 50-state canvass here:

http://www.democrats.org/50statecanvass

This year's election will be about fundamental change in Washington, and it's up to each one of us to fight for every vote in every single state.

Tom DeLay is just the tip of the iceberg. The American people have had enough of the Republican culture of corruption -- but it's going to take your involvement to make change happen.

Thank you for doing what you can.

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

TX-22: Flashback

You knew it was only a matter of hours... The GOP talking points have flooded the airwaves and many in the media are dutifully reporting DeLay's resignation takes his ethics problem off the table as a national election issue in 2006. It seems there is a need to take a trip in the wayback machine this morning -- this is not just about Tom DeLay, this is about a Republican Party who twisted rules to accomodate their leader's penchant for corrupt dealings. Remember this?

House Republicans proposed changing their rules last night to allow members indicted by state grand juries to remain in a leadership post, a move that would benefit Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) in case he is charged by a Texas grand jury that has indicted three of his political associates, according to GOP leaders.

The proposed rule change, which several leaders predicted would win approval at a closed meeting today, comes as House Republicans return to Washington feeling indebted to DeLay for the slightly enhanced majority they won in this month's elections. DeLay led an aggressive redistricting effort in Texas last year that resulted in five Democratic House members retiring or losing reelection. It also triggered a grand jury inquiry into fundraising efforts related to the state legislature's redistricting actions.

House GOP leaders and aides said many rank-and-file Republicans are eager to change the rule to help DeLay, and will do so if given a chance at today's closed meeting.

It's startling to re-read this piece almost a year-and-half after it was originally written. Republican members of the House felt beholden to DeLay after he delivered a handful of seats to the GOP in 2004, the very issue that landed in him in trouble with the law.

GOP Calls for Investigation Into Blackwell Diebold Stock Purchase

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has the scoop:

Columbus -Secretary of State Ken Blackwell made an embarrassing announcement Monday: He accidentally bought stock in Diebold Inc., a voting machine maker that benefited from decisions made by his office.

A spokesperson for Ohio's Republican Attorney General Jim Petro called for an investigation. Predictably, Blackwell's campaign argued that decisions on voting machines are made at the county level. That might be true, but at the PD article goes on to note, it was Blackwell, as the state's chief election officer, responsible for whittling down the number of companies eligible to provide the "service" in each of Ohio's 88 counties. Without Blackwell's blessing, there's no Diebold -- and we all know just how insistent his office was about the machines in 2004.

Open Thread

If anyone has the magic remedy to relieve terrible sinus pressure, the comments would be a great place to break it out.

Parlor Games

Who will be the next member of the Republican culture of corruption to slink away from an upcoming re-election campaign?

- Bob Ney (R-OH)
- Conrad Burns (R-MT)
- Richard Pombo (R-CA)
- Charles Taylor (R-NC)

If I had to cast my lot with one of the above, I'd go with Bob Ney. How about you?

TX-22: More DeLay

It just wouldn't be Tom DeLay if he didn't find a way to twist the rules one more time on his way out the door.

He said he will change his legal residence to his condominium in Alexandria, Va., from his modest two-story home on a golf course here in the 22nd District of Texas. "I become ineligible to run for election if I'm not a resident of the state of Texas," he said, turning election law to his purposes for perhaps on last time. State Republican officials will then be able to name another Republican candidate to face Democrat Nick Lampson, a former House members who lost his seat in a redistricting engineered by DeLay.

Markos makes a good point over at Kos. DeLay's bowing out in the face of slumping poll numbers does not absolve congressional Republicans of the fact that they bent and twisted ethics rules, but in a way that would allow DeLay to keep his leadership position in the House. The message sent is clear, severe ethical problems and indictment are no cause consternation in a Republican controlled congress, only an opportunity to brazenly flaunt their culture of corruption.

TX-22: DeLay Out

Time has the scoop:

Rep. Tom DeLay, whose iron hold on the House Republicans melted as a lobbying corruption scandal engulfed the Capitol, told TIME that he will not seek reelection and will leave Congress within months. Taking defiant swipes at "the left" and the press, he said he feels "liberated" and vowed to pursue an aggressive speaking and organizing campaign aimed at promoting foster care, Republican candidates and a closer connection between religion and government.

"I'm going to announce tomorrow that I'm not running for reelection and that I'm going to leave Congress," DeLay, who turns 59 on Saturday, said during a 90-minute interview on Monday. "I'm very much at peace with it." He notified President Bush in the afternoon. DeLay and his wife, Christine, said they had been prepared to fight, but that he decided last Wednesday, after months of prayer and contemplation, to spare his suburban Houston district the mudfest to come. "This had become a referendum on me," he said. "So it's better for me to step aside and let it be a referendum on ideas, Republican values and what's important for this district."

Yeah, it's all the liberal media's fault that Tom DeLay has more investigators digging through his career than a week's worth of CSI episodes. His "retirement" announcement only serves to illuminate a man of weak character and moral conviction -- probably one of the reasons so many of his shady lobbyist friends saw him as such an easy mark in congress. Of course his re-election campaign is a referendum on him, it'a always a referendum on the incumbent. Fortunately for the good people in the 22nd distrct of Texas, the upcoming election will be a debate on two very different sets of values -- and unfortunately for the GOP, DeLay's "service" will provide a lasting impression of just what the values of many Republicans in Congress are ... a culture of corruption and to serve at the whims of President Bush, acting as little more than a rubber stamp for failed policies and ideas that have this county in dire need to change the course.

April 3, 2006

DeLay's Out

Tom DeLay is dropping his bid for re-election. Nick Lampson is the Democrat running for the seat in TX-22.

Use this as the DeLay thread...

Open Thread

Cubs win. What's on your mind?

Frist Takes Heat From Fellow Republicans

"[A]n ineffectual majority leader whose legislative agenda increasingly is dictated by his White House ambitions." I'm not quite certain how Bill Frist thinks he'll make his way through the crowded Republican presidential primary -- but to steal a prhase, he's about as inspirational as a warm bag of vaseline with crushed valium on the inside. That's to say nothing of the fact that his ethical problems are quite serious, and I can't imagine the reaction of mainstream America when they hear that as a college student he "repeatedly adopted cats from local animal shelters, pretended to give them homes, and then used them to practice his surgical skills."

More importantly, it's disturbing to see the hypothetical candidate for president use his current position as Majority Leader to run a covert (or overt) presidential campaign. The LA Times digs deeper into the problem, and dissapointment from fellow Republicans:

Complaints about the patrician Tennessean by fellow Republicans intensified this past week, sparked by his decision to force a Senate debate on illegal immigration. Some GOP lawmakers say his move spotlighted a public squabble within the party over a hot-button issue in an election year.

"We should have had a much more ambitious process of trying to build consensus and bringing people and different views together before we engaged in debate on the Senate floor," Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, told reporters.

The article goes on to note that it's not just about immigration either:

"People have noticed that the [Senate] agenda is driven, at least in part, by issues that he wants to have on the floor, to have accomplishments on," one senior GOP Senate aide said.

Strong GOP organizations pile on:

"I don't think that he's made much of an impression outside Washington as a strong leader," said David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, a leading advocacy group among Republicans.

The article cites source after source after souce voicing displeasure with First's leadership in the Senate. Perhaps the most disturbing of the quotes was the one offered by a First spokesperson at the end of the article who cited ... wait for it ... the upcoming presidential campaign.

Fifty State Strategy: Spotlight on Utah

Ohio, Ohio, Ohio! Florida, Florida, Florida! Utah? Utah? Utah!

The fifty state strategy is more than the boom and bust operation that sets up shop several months out of every four years in the same swing states courted during presidential elections. It's about electing Democrats from the top of the ticket all the way to the bottom in those very swing states, but also places Democrats have not competed in decades like Alabama, Idaho, and Utah. Yes, Utah.

2005 has been a year of Democratic revival in the land of Orrin Hatch. At the top of the ticket, Pete Ashdown is running against Hatch and has waged a spirited campaign focused on organization, both online and off. But the good news doesn't stop there... In fact, the news gets better as we start to discuss the impact of the Utah Democratic Party in conjunction with the organizers paid for by the Democratic National Committee.

The 2006 election cycle marks the best candidate recruitment for the state party in over fifteen years. There are more Democratic candidates running and more races filled than at any point during that time period. And it's not only life-long Democrats stepping up to the plate and challenging entrenched Republican incumbents, there are a total of six, yes six, registered Republican delegates who decided the Grand Old Party has lost touch with mainstream values in Utah and have switched sides to run as Democrats. In a conversation I had with the Utah Democratic Party's Communications Director, Jeff Bell, he told me that it's been the work of the state's new organizers, along with the party, that has resulted in a smooth candidate recruitment process. Bell said that there is something different about 2006. In the past, it was duty of the party to go out and recruit people to fill as many seats as possible. This year, people are coming to the state party with the realization that it's time for change, and they want to step up and be a part of that change.

But it doesn't stop with candidate recruitment. Bell also shared a story about the statewide caucus that took place late last year. He estimates that Utah County alone, 130 Democrats turned out to participate in the process -- that's compared to a little more than a dozen that showed up the year before. Indeed, because of the great work by the state party, the trend began even before the first organizer stepped foot inside Utah. Bell shared with me some of the 2004 election numbers that showed the best Democratic turnout in decades. There is reason for optimism in places like Utah. Here are some more numbers from inside the state:

- Democrats have filed in all State Senate races
- Democrats are offering challenges to 10 State House races that went unopposed in 2004
- Davis and Washington County have filed candidates in all state legislative races. The last time that happened was 1998.

Your investment in the fifty state strategy, and the committment of the state parties along with the new DNC-hired organizers is getting the job done.

IL-6: Cegelis Endorses Duckworth

Closing the loop, Christine Cegelis has endorsed Tammy Duckworth's campaign against ex-Tom DeLay staffer Peter Roskam in Illinois Sixth Congressional District. From the Sun Times:

Christine Cegelis, who lost a three-way Democratic House primary battle last month, said she endorses the winner, wounded Iraq war vet Tammy Duckworth.

"I certainly endorse Tammy over Peter Roskam. I hope for a Democratic win in November, and I wish her all the luck in the world," Cegelis said.

This is completely in keeping with the character of Christine Cegelis, someone who represents the best the Democratic Party has to offer. She built a massive organization inside her own district with followers inspired to act on a large scale because they believed in her, and her message of progress. Now it's time for another fantastic candidate to pick up the mantle, Tammy Duckworth. Washington Post political blog, The Fix, ranks IL-6 as one of the top pick-up opportunities for either party in 2006.

GOP Out of Touch on Immingration

A study in contrast. First, Time Magazine did some polling at the end of last week on the issue of immingration. They found an overwhelming majority of Americans (79%) prefer a "a guest worker program that would allow illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. for a fixed period of time." The article itself goes on to discuss how that is one of the main provisions in the Senate's primary immingration legislation sposnored by Ted Kennedy and John McCain.

Contrast that with Tom Tancredo, one of the Republican Party's foremost voices on the issue of immigration.

We will never be able to win in the clash of civilizations, if we don't know who we are. If Western civilization succumbs to the siren song of multiculturalism, I believe we're finished.

A portrait of intolerance. And who can forget Tancredo's wide-eyed smile holding a t-shit that bears the words, "America is full."

Take a look at the entire Time Magazine piece linked above, it's not that long. There's some good news in there for those of us who don't subscribe to the theory of closing borders 48 hours after our own last relative arrived on American shores. There's also some bad news... A majority of Americans believe that building a 2,000 mile long wall on the southern border will work to stem the flood of people coming into the country illegally. These kind of uncreative solutions will never solve serious problems. You'll know people like Tom Tancredo, James Sensenbrenner, and the Republican Party as a whole are serious about stopping illegal immingration when you see legislation flying out of a Republican controlled congress that promotes economic development in Mexico, specially Northern Mexico. Until then, talk of walls and deportation of 11-12 million people are not serious solutions, they are attempts to divide Americans and scapegoat an entire population of people for political gain. We've seen this playbook before.

Quote of the Day

From a New York Times profile of Bill Frist...

"The most classic case of the Peter Principle I've ever seen in American politics," Mr. Cook said, in an uncharacteristically brutal assessment. "In a business where eloquence and rhetoric is important, he is a man of no talent whatsoever."

Open Thread

As the crowds fill ballparks across the country today and tomorrow, I wanted to wish all of you a happy opening day. Hopefully this year will be the "next year" Cub fans have waited for since 1908. Who are you cheering for?

April 2, 2006

Open Thread

For the Sunday shows.

FL-Sen: The Cupboard is Bare

Who can keep track anymore? I can't be sure, but I'm guessing that each and every senior staff position on the Harris for Senate campaign in Florida has seen at least one resignation since the start of the campaign. This weekend brought a trifecta:

Katherine Harris' U.S. Senate campaign lost what was left of its core team when a top adviser, campaign manager, and communications director resigned this weekend. ADVERTISEMENT

Harris, a Republican congresswoman challenging incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, said Saturday she would introduce new members of her campaign early in the week.

"We are stronger as a campaign today than we were yesterday," Harris said in a press release.

Better than it was yesterday? Ooooooo-k. Katherine Harris had some of the top advisors working for her campaign, and all of them are gone now. At this point, I just am hoping someone sticks around that was there since day one so they can write the book.

April 1, 2006

Open Thread

Yay for Saturday.