Monday, June 30, 2008

It's the end of the Quarter as we know it!

Midnight tonight is the end of the fundraising quarter. It is critical we meet our fundraising goals if I am to remain in the House of Representatives.

Over the next few weeks, my opponents and their surrogates will conduct their usual negative campaign. Only by standing together, Fighting for Memphis, and being positive can we win.

Please make a contribution before midnight tonight.


With Steve Cohen re-elected to Congress and Barack Obama in the White House, Memphis will have a leadership team devoted to meaningful change.


So please contribute to Cohen for Congress.


Thank you,

Steve Cohen

Janetta sends this out..

From THE ONION NEWS NETWORK - How To Pretend You Give A Shit About The Election



Today Now!: How To Pretend You Give A Shit About The Election

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Tennessee progressive blog roundup

Tennessee progressive blog roundup

The "shoot 'em if you got 'em while Big Brother watches" edition of the random interval Tennessee progressive blog roundup with a look at what the best Tennessee bloggers are talking about.

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Wordless Wednesday

Tiny Cat Pants: Will Campfield ever realize the bitter poetic injustice of his being a servant of the people of Tennessee while at the same time working to deny legal personhood to some of those people?

Carole Borges: Understanding how these girls think might actually spur people to make changes that would help problem teens. Usually it's easier to just condemn them.

The Crone Speaks: The average campaign contribution payoff is around $9000 for those dems that changed their vote to support retroactive immunity. Maplight has the list of who made how much. Plus: Countrywide taken to court by the Illinois AG.

• Cup Of Joe Powell: Interview With Congressional Candidate Rob Russell, plus: Super Giant Exxxtreeeeeme Summer Edition Madhouse Marathon... quite possibly the best movie blog of all time and space

Fox keeps spreading lies and innuendos about Obama: Tell me you don’t believe Barack Obama’s a secret Muslim, or that the "fist bump" thing he and Michelle do contains terrorist overtones. Evidently thousands or millions of people believe such nonsense..., plus: Activists, priests, scholars, artists, musicians, writers, teachers, environmentalists and others from a range of spiritual traditions accomplished much June 21 and 22 as they initiated Peace On and With the Earth, a conference to explore the relationship between peace and the environment.

• TNDP: a new religious left movement?

Enclave: ...Ben puts words into the mouths of Social Gospelers that they never would have uttered because it is politically expedient for the anti-revenue mob to discredit mobilized progressive Christians with half-truths about who they are and what they want to "steal." Plus, judicial activists legislating from the bench, Part I and Part II.

Fletch: Tuesday Afternoon

• KnoxViews: Supreme Court rules against Obama!, plus: Authorities shut down largest known TN puppy mill operation

• Lean Left: Heller Open Thread

Left of the Dial: Should marijuana smoking be allowed in airports before one takes a flight? ...who would you rather sit next to on a flight: a drunk or a stoner? Plus: George Carlin’s Legacy

LeftWingCracker: You know, two years ago, Harold Ford Junior thought he had HIS race won, too; that didn't work out so well, did it? Obama needs to tighten up, and fast. Plus: George Carlin: Baseball v. Football

• Liberadio(!) interviews David Sirota

Newscoma: They are creating holes when it comes to civil liberties. And I’m with much of the progressive blogosphere when we see that Barack Obama said he would filibuster this bill last year and he didn’t. I ain’t happy, campers. Obama simply blew it. Bonus: I Need To Start My Own Hippie Newspaper

• A Pesky Fly Must Read: The Top Five Reasons Why The Republican Party is Good for Democrats

• Progressive Nashville: Who's getting stimulated here?, Bonus: A Bill Gates memo to staff re. Windows usability

• Resonance: 2008 Cherohala Challenge Photo Ride Report, plus $7 gas and public transportation.

• RoaneViews: Handguns flying off the shelves, severe drought, working on exceptional, and off road vehicles v. the environment.

Russ McBee: I suppose it's possible that the crippling of a census program which improves the accuracy of counting minorities is just a coincidence., plus: Feingold on FISA

Sean Braisted: While everyone is focused on Heller, another important ruling was issued, this in regards to campaign finance reform.

• Sharon Cobb: Who's your daddy, Hillary?, and Cohen:Conscience of the Freshman Class, plus Why is Luke Russert on my TV?

Silence Isn't Golden: In summation: Mike Stewart, good. David Sirota, wrong. Matt Pulle, full of shit. (Click the link and read why.) Also read this.

Southern Beale: Hell Freezes, I Thank The NRA - Why? Because they just took away the trusty old standby argument they’ve used against every Democratic candidate since forever... Plus: Supreme Court hands ExxonMobil a Big Payday, and Bobby Jindal? Really?, bonus: Nashville welcomes Cher

Tennessee Guerilla Women: You might have thought that after eight long years of the Bush trainwreck, we could have gotten an actual liberal candidate. As the Hillary corner of the lefty blogosphere has repeatedly warned, Obama is no liberal. Is it time to say, we told you so, yet? Plus: Lusty Senators Larry Craig & David Vitter Sponsor Anti Gay Marriage Amendment: Suffice it to say, the Marriage Protection Amendment does not read: Thou shalt not publicly humiliate your wife by coveting another man in a bathroom stall. Nor does it read: Thou shalt not publicly humiliate your wife by fooling around with prostitutes.

TennViews (Chris Lugo): Big brother is watching you and his name is AT&T. Sometimes he goes by the name of BellSouth and at other times he is known as AOL-Time-Warner. Big brother goes by a lot of names. He is listening to you while you talk and watching you while you type and everything you say could be recorded so he can look at it somewhere down the line.

Vibinc: People seeking an office should be comfortable enough with themselves and their positions to take criticism of these topics constructively. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

WhitesCreek Journal: Barack Obama is attempting to do something radical and dangerous for a Presidential candidate...Speak intelligently about religion...

Women’s Health News: Seriously, what better way to proclaim that a lack of proper sex ed or lack of contraceptive availability has no bearing on these pregnancies than to suggest that the girls were sneakily and deliberately trying to become pregnant?

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Sidney, it was a hell of a party!

Commissioner Sidney Chism, along with Gale Jones Carson and Teamsters leader Nate Jackson, threw their annual Democratic Picnic and Rally today at the Chism spread in Southwest Memphis. All three Democratic Senate candidates were there, both Mayors, Congressman Cohen and his chief opponent and most of the County's Democratic activists.

I have a Flickr set of pics from today, go here if you want to see them!

Friday, June 27, 2008

MORE FGF!!!!

ContraltoDelete wants to join in the Feel Good Friday party; in honor of FGF and D-Rose's triumphant return to Chi-Town, here's Marcy Levy and The Chicago Blues Reunion!

Here's my FGF entry

Well, Sharon decided to be slick and break out a classic Beatles clip from 1967; however, Sharon will remember that there were OTHER great bands from Liverpool, so I proudly present Gerry and the Pacemakers with Ferry Across The Mersey!


Thursday, June 26, 2008

Barnacle Dick, the V-P!

Wanna know why I love having Steve Cohen as my Congressman? Look no further...

Some hope, eh?

I am ashamed to be a Democrat today; only FIFTEEN Senators had the guts to filibuster the FISA bill, which will gut the Fourth Amendment and allow the President, whomever he or she may be, to spy on whomever they choose, whenever they choose.

Obama didn't bother to show up; I guess he likes the idea of spying on people at will.

You know, two years ago, Harold Ford Junior thought he had HIS race won, too; that didn't work out so well, did it? Obama needs to tighten up, and fast.

UPDATE: Go read our beloved Newscoma on this. NOW, you can come back to this later.

With his boneheaded comment that this was about national security, Obama seems like he's trying to prove George Carlin's point about America. Thanks to Janetta for the tip..

Monday, June 23, 2008

It's that time again, fellow Democrats...

Moved to the top to remind you, it's THIS SATURDAY!


Click on it for a bigger image, it's THIS COMING Saturday and it has become, as I have noted previously, the virtual replacement for the St. Peter Picnic in the local political realm. I never miss it; neither should you if you're a political hack, er, junkie like I am.

While we're at it..

Here's Carlin on the Ten, er, Two Commandments.  H/T to Sean Braisted..


George Carlin 1937-2008

One of the greatest of all stand-ups, George Carlin has died at 71.  H/T to EDSBS, here's one of my favorite routines, Baseball versus Football:


Sunday, June 22, 2008

Round 'em up!

The "Summer Solstice" (Copyright (C) Associated Press, All Rights Including Yours Reserved) edition of the weekly unpredictable Tennessee progressive blog roundup with a look at what the best Tennessee bloggers are talking about.

10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: with Democrats like these, who needs Republicans?

55-40 Memphis: We could achieve more progress in the coming months than in all of the 40 years since Martin died.

Tiny Cat Pants: I’m sure "We’re still pissed about things that happened before you were born" will make a stirring campaign slogan for the Republicans this fall.

BlountViews: Swiftboating a local judge candidate

Carole Borges: Prescription drugs are becoming a menace to society and patients don't know who to trust anymore.

The Crone Speaks: We all know, that for years, Jeb is being "groomed" to follow in daddy’s footsteps. [..] Corporations, especially the oil companies, want a Bush in office.

Cup Of Joe Powell: The first rule about Congressional Elections in the 1st District is - You don't talk about Congressional Elections in the 1st District. Plus: Rep. Davis Dodges Debate

Don Williams: ...this is about electric moon spiders and giant rainbows that wade ocean waters in order to show you the whole round realness of wonder that only a vacation can provide by reminding you of who you were before you became what you do...

TNDP: Tennessee Young Dems look to capture 5,000, plus TNDP Chairman Gray Sasser: Lamar Alexander is wrong on energy

Enclave: It would be a shame if the next President was more of an advocate for programs that support Metro Nashville than our own elected representative.

Fletch: Realization

KnoxViews (Rocketsquirrel): Currently, oil and gas companies hold leases on nearly 68 million acres of federal land (both onshore and under OCS waters) that they are not developing.

Lean Left: If the President tells a company it’s legal, it’s legal.

Left of the Dial: "Staycation" is the new buzzword for the summer of 2008.

LeftWingCracker: I can see THAT now: LOOK HOW SAFE I'VE MADE SHELBY COUNTY! That's a winner, bubba, I'd take that and really run with it if I were you. Oy. Next, other than the Baker-Alexander-Thompson tribe, who knows Gibbons outside of Big Shelby? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? I digress.

Liberadio(!): ...tonight’s 500 foot swim, which is scheduled for 5:00pm at Riverfront Park, has already served its purpose - prompting Nashvillians to start chattering about the state of the river and its environs.

Newscoma: wish just once that Tanner voted the way I wanted him to vote. Cohen just may be the only lifeline that Tennessee has for calling foul on this sort of stuff. This isn’t about warrantless wiretapping. It’s about saving corporations money.

The Pesky Fly: The real traitor here is Steny Hoyer. And Nancy Pelosi.

Progressive Nashville: ...a brief overview of some of McCain's 2007 votes on children's issues..., plus: What does it take to get fired in Memphis?

Resonance: I was not at all surprised to see Senator McCain flip-flop with yesterday's announcement that he now opposes the federal moratorium on offshore oil drilling. I expect more politicians to follow this path as public pressure to do something about the energy crisis builds.

RoaneViews: Here's a "Predict the Race" spreadsheet for the Ruppe-Yager Senate race.

Russ McBee: Just like their recent obstruction of the carbon reduction bill, today's actions show that the GOP have no intention of doing anything meaningful about our most pressing environmental and energy issues.

Sean Braisted: ...I still don't get the argument by some against immunity. There seem to be two thoughts.

Sharon Cobb: I can tell you I know first hand Obama has been in and out of Nashville visiting Al Gore during the past year, and Gore advised him, as he did other candidates.

Silence Isn't Golden: Everyone's buzzing about the new Quinnipiac poll numbers that show Obama not only handily winning in the swing states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, but also have him up in Florida.

Southern Beale: Isn’t that special! The four largest Western oil companies are preparing to sign no-bid contracts in Iraq, bringing them back to a position they had 36 years ago. Is that some long-range planning or what!

Tennessee Guerilla Women: What with Michelle's dangerously feminist habit of speaking her mind, or sounding altogether too much like First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, extreme stepford, um, I mean steps are being taken.

TennViews (Chris Lugo): Abstinence only until marriage curricula is censorship, pure and simple. Any school program that withholds scientifically valid information does not present young people with the full range of options they will actually face in life.

Vibinc: Ahh, but constituents aren’t good at Change™ either. They want to balance their household budgets while owning the biggest big screen HDTV with 4 picture in pictures and total immersion surround sound. They want rock solid abs after a mere 20 minute workout and to eat that carton of Twinkies in one sitting. It’s a startling contradiction.

WhitesCreek Journal: A message to Tennessee Democrats, "Get on the Love Train now, cause the good seats are going fast."

•: Women’s Health News
Thoughts on the AMA Homebirth "Ban," Ricki Lake, and Midwifery


BONUS ROUND: The AP v. blogger dustup - a sampling...

Enclave: At the Risk of Violating Rexblog's Fair Use Policy

« The Crone Speaks: Ass.Press’s Desire to Re-write Fair Use

Newscoma: Connecting The Dots

Newscoma: The AP vs. Bloggers

KnoxViews: AP, bloggers, and the fair use controversy

Russ McBee : AP follows RIAA and MPAA into the gutter

The Crone Speaks: Heavy Hand of the AP

DOUBLE BONUS ROUND: The Hobbs (no not that one, the other one) controversy...

TennViews (WhitesCreek): Fred Hobbs Seems intent on destroying Lincoln Davis Gubernatorial chances

KnoxViews: Obama connected

The Pesky Fly: Just Speechless

Silence Isn't Golden: What The Hell Is Going On Here?

LeftWingCracker: Feel Good Friday this is NOT, not today

Sean Braisted: Benefit of the Doubt

Sean Braisted: The Wheels On The Bus Go Round and Round

Silence Isn't Golden: Here's How It's Done

Sean Braisted: Fred Hobbs Apologizes

Sean Braisted: Glass Houses

Sean Braisted: More on the Hobbs/Terrorist-Gate

•:
Sean Braisted: The Commish Says Fire Hobbs

Friday, June 20, 2008

FGF and The Crosstown Classic

H/T to Chicagoist, who reminds us that before Harry Caray sang Take Me Out to the Ball Game at Wrigley Field, he started this at old White Sox Park when he broadcast the Sox during the 1970s.

Enjoy.


Feel Good Friday

I'm going to break out one of my all-time favorites, the late Luther Ingram with his classi IF LOVIN' YOU IS WRONG, I DON'T WANNA BE RIGHT.




Here's the rest of the round-up:

Wintermute

Pesky Fly

Sharon Cobb


(H/T Pesky)


Hit 'em all and you won't be able to stop dancing!


Wednesday, June 18, 2008

KG, Ray and Paul finally get their rings...

Kevin Garnett (left), Ray Allen (center), and Paul Pierce (right) celebrated in the Celtics locker room after their NBA championship victory.
(AP Photo)

It got a little dusty in Crackerville tonight when I saw Kevin Garnett finally win his first NBA Championship as the Boston Celtics dismembered Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and the Los Angeles Lakers, 131-92, winning the series 4 games to 2.

Garnett, Allen, and 10-year vet Pierce (named Finals MVP) took the Lakers apart with their strangling defense, Allen's seven 3-pointers (a Finals record) and determination. Oh, Griz fans, this was the SECOND championship for ex-Griz James Posey, who also won with Miami in 2006.

As for Gasol, his lack of defensive skills came shining through for LA in this series, as Garnett mostly had his way with the Catalonian. Gee, where have we seen THAT before?

All in all, a great night for the Celtics and for the NBA, congratulations to Doc Rivers, Danny Ainge and the entire Celtics organization for a fabulous year. Maybe some day we'll be able to experience that feeling here.

I hope.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Downtowners for Obama @ The Majestic on June 28

Proudly stolen from Paul Ryburn's Journal from today:

What: Downtowners for Obama

Where: The Majestic Grille

When: Saturday, June 28, 2008 @ 5:00 (time subject to change)

Join your downtown neighbors during this historic campaign to help build a united volunteer organization in our neighborhood that will register new voters and build support locally. We’ve had an unprecedented primary season that built a grassroots infrastructure in all 50 states — not just for Barack, but for all of the Democratic candidates. Now it’s time to bring all of that energy together for our common cause of change. All across the country, Democrats, Independents, and even Republicans are tired of the politics of the past and are looking for new solutions to the challenges we’re facing as a nation.

That’s why we’re launching a nationwide day of action on June 28th called “Unite for Change”. All across the US, volunteers will host “house meetings” with the express purpose of reaching out and bringing folks together who supported all of the Democratic candidates (and those who are just tuning into the process now).

From the beginning, this campaign has been about ordinary people reaching out and building the bonds of community — empowering one another by coming together to make change. With the general election approaching, it’s more important than ever to keep this momentum going. No matter what your affiliation, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the candidates and their stance on some of the major issues in this campaign.

For more information or to volunteer please email me at clay.thompson@chrobinson.com or call 901-619-7053 and leave a message.

Please RSVP to this event by following this link: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gp9k



In which lifetime?

It seems that our local Attorney General, Bill Gibbons, has decided that he is going to run for the Republican nomination for Governor of Tennessee in 2010, unless Bill Frist runs, of course.

Ok, first, this is an easy out; barring an unexpected indictment, Frist WILL run, because he wants to revive his political career that he thoroughly destroyed as Senate Republican Leader by doing such bright things as diagnosing Terri Schiavo by watching tapes of this poor brain-damaged woman and determining that she could recover.  Good move, Doc.

His hope, of course, is that he will do such a good job as Governor that he will once again be thought of in Presidential terms.  Right.  And I'm going to be the next James Bond, too, if that happens.

However, is the Doc any less delusional than our AG?  Ok, let's say, and why not, that Frist's wife says no friggin' way you're running, and that opens it up for Gibbons.  First, he might not even carry Shelby County, what with Marsha Blackburn, Ron Ramsey, Zach Wamp and other Gooper wanna-bes in the race.  What's he running on, his record?

I can see THAT now: LOOK HOW SAFE I'VE MADE SHELBY COUNTY!  That's a winner, bubba, I'd take that and really run with it if I were you.  Oy.  Next, other than the Baker-Alexander-Thompson tribe, who knows Gibbons outside of Big Shelby?  Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? I digress.

Frist is the 800-pound gorilla in the race; if he runs, does Blackburn?  If she DOESN'T go for Governor and runs for re-election instead, she prevents the potential 10-candidate pile-up in TN-07 that would lead to some rube from Williamson County taking the seat.  This, of course, would frustrate David Kustoff, Senators Norris and Stanley, and other assorted Shelby Countians utterly convinced that they would not split the vote 146 ways and give the race to the aforementioned rube.

All in all, lots of ways for the GOP to shoot itself in the foot in Tennessee; grab some popcorn and sit back and watch!

In honor of legal gay marriage in California

which becomes effective today, I present Lewis Black on the subject of gay marriage!


Sunday, June 15, 2008

Yeah, it's true

That's me in your CA this morning, along with several other local bloggers like Gates of Memphis, AlphaPatriot, Jim Maynard, Ryan of MyMidtownMemphis and couple of others I had not seen before.

I talked to Lani Lester and Mike Lollar about a week and a half ago about this, and they have done well by me, I think.  Newscoma was sweet enough to mention this in her blog this morning (and R. Neal at TennViews as well), and I thank you all.

UPDATE: This is apparently happening in East Tennessee as well, as Michael Silence interviews the aforementioned Mr. Neal in today's Knoxville News-Sentinel; congratulations!

Friday, June 13, 2008

Feel Good Friday this is NOT, not today

I think I can understand Triskaidekaphobia now.

First, the bizarre news that TDP Committeeman Fred Hobbs suggested that Barack Obama might be a terrorist followed by Lincoln Davis' Chief of Staff Beecher Frasier seeming to agree with Hobbs, and that was strange enough.

Now, Little Russ is dead at 58, collapsing and dying in the place he loved the most, NBC's Washington bureau. While I have my differences with how he has covered this Administration, now is not the time to air those grievances, now is the time to send his family our best thoughts and prayers.

So, sorry gang, since I got to the party too late, this won't be a feel good video. In memory of Tim Russert, I present Jackson Browne's Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate.


Thursday, June 12, 2008

The Senate primary just got a bit more interesting.

UPDATE 6/12: Per Kleinheider, add Senator Lowe Finney to that list. Hmmmmmm, what's going on here?

R. Neal and Kleinheider both are reporting that Mike Padgett picked up some endorsements from around the state, including one big one in Shelby County.

So, Commissioner, is Mike coming to the Picnic? I didn't get to talk to him at Kennedy Day, it would be nice to talk to him. (Relax, Tukies, I'm not abandoning ship, I'm looking to see if he might be feasible down the road for OTHER statewide races, like Governor in 2010).

All in all, just another reason to head to the Chism spread on June 28 and meet the candidates!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Bye Rural Free Delivery, Hello to Exile On South Main Street

My buddy Kerry Hayes has swapped out his old blog for a new one, Exile On South Main Street, which you will find on The Endless Blogroll.  It's named for his WEVL show, which can be heard on 89.9 FM Thursday mornings from 6-8 AM.  

Check out the site, then check out the show on Thursday!

Sunday, June 08, 2008

The Roundup returns!

The "thrill of victory and agony of defeat* as history was made this week" edition of the weekly unpredictable TennViews roundup featuring primary reaction from Tennessee's best bloggers.

10,000 Monkeys and a Camera:: It's done. It's over. It's an historic night.

Cup Of Joe Powell: : Clinging to past prejudices in light of change is a sure sign of extinction.

Don Williams:: It also delivered a message in a bottle to future historians. In a speech she surely knew would be history-making, no matter what she said or how she said it, she said and did all the right things.

TNDP: Last night the votes were counted. All across the country, from Maine to Montana, two superior candidates drew voters into the Democratic fold in record numbers. As a Democratic Party, we are ready to unite. We are ready to work. We are ready to win.

KnoxViews: These are some kick-ass numbers across the board for Democrats.

Lean Left: It is truly a remarkable achievement and an unalloyed good. There is a lot more work to be done, that is true, but we should take a moment to stop and appreciate what has been achieved.

Left of the Dial: 2008 wasn’t supposed to be this difficult. This primary season has made the hanging chads and Supreme Court decision of 2000 and Swift Boat ads of 2004 seem like pleasant memories.

LeftWingCracker:: Joy, sadness, apprehension.

Sean Braisted: Its been a long time coming, and we are glad to have been a part of this historic victory.

Sharon Cobb:: Tears are just streaming down my face. This is one of the most extraordinary moments in my life, and in the lives of millions of Americans.

Silence Isn't Golden:: There will be talk in the coming days about how to best unify the party. But in the meantime, it's time to celebrate!

Tennessee Guerilla Women:: It's been a very rough week for Hillary supporters. I know many of you are grieving, as I am.

Vibinc:: I know I've been hard on you. I know I said some things that, perhaps cross the margins of polite discussion. Still, despite it all, we are Democrats, and I thank you for your unequivocal support for the Democratic nominee.

WhitesCreek Journal:: It's now time to turn away from the divisiveness of this Primary contest. Sexism did not cause Hillary to lose... And, Racism did not and will not keep Obama from winning

(*RIP Jim McKay)

Saturday, June 07, 2008

We welcome a new blog to the Endless Blogroll

It's called SpiritBlog, from a blogger who recently moved to the Bluff City from Greensboro, NC, and, as you can imagine, it's about spirituality in its various forms, so go check it out.

Friday, June 06, 2008

I forgot, it's FEEL GOOD FRIDAY!!!!!!!

Thanks to 'Mute for reminding me. I got something here NONE of y'all are gonna beat unless Winifred Atwill is resurrected to play live.

at the 2006 Memphis Music & Heritage Festival, I noticed that my first act was this nice looking middle class family out of Tupelo called the Homemade Jamz Blues Band. Oh great, a kids act, just what I need. Then, I HEARD them and nearly broke into tears, I could say more, but just watch the video and see what I mean:

Thursday, June 05, 2008

So they met tonight...

According to both sides, and I believe this is great news, as it will lead to unity in the fall and victory over John "Keating Five" McCain.

As the loyal readers of this blog know, after Edwards dropped out, I waited a little bit, and then went with Obama because he was a break from the past. While I have been involved here since 1978, most Democrats around here believed in the Clinton model, which is the only way we had won Presidential elections since Jimmy Carter. That, and the relationships formed when Bill Clinton was first Governor and then President, is what led most local elected Democrats to get on the Hillary train; well, that, and they thought she was a lock to win.

I confess that, twelve months ago, while I was not getting on that train myself, I too thought she was a shoo-in, because I thought she had a lock on women (she did) and African-Americans (which she did until Iowa). Iowa, however, changed everything, most notably in that African-Americans looked at the astonishing victory of Barack Obama and said, Holy Smokes, HE CAN WIN. Despite Senator Clinton's best moment in the campaign, IMO, when she broke down the day before the New Hampshire Primary that she would win, she never really regained her stature after that point. With Senator Obama handling everything that came his way, he held steady over the long haul, and won the nomination.

Did Senator Clinton suffer from misogynistic attacks? Yes, but by the media, not the Obama camp; Chris Matthews still needs his ass kicked for what he said about her. To be blunt, the racist attacks against Senator Obama, which were done on the sly by a Clinton campaign that damn well knew better, were more damaging to him for the fall election. Fortunately, there's time to overcome that.

While the Clintons are doing the right thing and I applaud and salute them for it, I am reminded of what my Godfather has told me. The version I remember is that in victory, there is credit to go around; however, when a campaign loses, it is ultimately the candidate who is responsible for the defeat. Jonathan Alter of Newsweek talks about some of the reasons for Obama's victory and Clinton's loss here; thanks to Wintermute for the tip!

Obama out-organized her and planned this almost like a NASCAR team for the long season. You know there are some tracks (states) more suited to your driving (campaigning) style, and some that aren't. You know that your opponent is going to skip the races you will win, so you are able to amass points (delegates) there, but you also know that if you show up and contest at the tracks (states) you are likely to lose, you can still gain points (delegates) so that by the end of the season, though you may not have won as many races, you're still the driving champion on points. Not only that, he had more sponsors (donors) than his opponent, so he was able to hit them up every time he needed to replace an engine!

It appears to me that the Clinton camp was committed to the Clinton model, which was run more like a prizefighter who was going for a quick knockout. She too had backers, but not nearly as many, so that when she needed more money, she had nowhere to go.

That's why Obama is in the Chase for the Cup and Clinton is in the corner wondering how she lost a 15-round unanimous decision. Make no mistake about it, this was historic, just unsuccessful in its ultimate goal.

The saddest thing of all is that if she had come out before this started and said that the president of the United States lied to her and Congress about the war, and had been forceful enough about it, she could have pre-empted all the DFHs like myself from going to Obama. Her decisions, from the people with whom she surrounded herself, backfired on her, and her own judgment did her in.

Those of us who have seen what the Clinton loss has done to feminists of longstanding like the folks at TGW need to step back and let them grieve, as for them this is like a death. Imagine if you had worked against sexism (and you're damn right it exists, don't pretend otherwise) for thirty or forty years and KNEW a year ago that you would finally see a female elected President in your lifetime, one who believed in YOUR issues, only to see it snatched away from them. You'd be mighty damned upset, too.

Let them yell, let them howl, let them grieve, and LEAVE THEM ALONE FOR NOW. When the time comes, and it will, some time in late October, they will come to realize that the PLANET might not survive a John McCain presidency, and they will vote for Obama. They will be PISSED about it, but they will do it because they are soldiers, and they have too much heart to work against everything they have fought for all those years to put in place.

For the rest of us, the work will continue, as we have a nominee to elect to the Presidency. He is a man who believes in the 50-State Strategy, as evidenced by his retention of Howard Dean as DNC Chair for the fall campaign. He is a man who believes that we CAN change this country for the better, because the alternative is not acceptable.

He is Barack Obama, and YES WE WILL.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Drinking Liberally off until after Memorial Day

UPDATE 6/4: Well, it's after Memorial Day, the NBA Finals begin tomorrow night, and I haven't heard a DAMN thing. Mother of Mercy, is this the END of Drinking Liberally Memphis? Organizers, whaazup here? Someone let me know if this is continuing or not.....


Sent from our pals at Drinking Liberally Memphis:

Hi Liberal Drinkers,

As you have heard/read/witnessed/etc., Drinking Liberally Memphis is on
the search for a new location. This is a result of a few factors,
mainly lack of attendance. So, while we are trying to find a new location
where we can meet weekly, the City Team for Drinking Liberally Memphis
has decided to go on a temporary hiatus. Please feel free to continue
to send suggestions for bars and restaurants that might be willing and
able to accommodate our group and that would also be liberal friendly!
(2nd thing is most important!)

We will be back in touch after the Memorial Day holiday!

Thank you for your continued support of Drinking Liberally and the
Memphis Chapter!

Liberally yours,
Drinking Liberally Memphis

--
Sent by Drinking Liberally (http://drinkingliberally.org)

Joy, Sadness, Apprehension

In response to my earlier post about dropping the TGW and the Obama-Clinton race, regular reader (and new poster) ContraltoDelete offers the following commentary, which I thought was too good NOT to share:

Not so fast on the morning column.

I don't think anybody has a wide-lens, tolerant grasp of what went on here. Not you, not the guerilla women.

I am filled with joy, sadness, and apprehension this morning. Joy for Obama's victory, sadness for Hillary. Apprehension for what may happen next.

Deciding for whom to vote in the Tennessee primary was one of the most difficult decisions I've made. I think a lot of people felt that way, and I don't think that it can be said that Hillary lost because she ran a bad campaign, or that it's all her fault. Her one early blunder was thinking it would be all over after Super Tuesday, and not planning for the aftermath. Barack Obama was blessed to have David Axelrod, who may be the smartest organizer in America, and Axelrod was blessed with what may be a once-in-a-lifetime candidate.

As mentioned before, I'm in Hillary's demographic. It saddened me to see her demonized. There was a lot of unfair criticism of her (the Robin Morgan piece made some good points, even though RM goes off the deep end sometimes).

I don't think you can be a white male in America and totally "get it." Just as I don't think you can be a white person in America and totally get what racism is. The best each of us can do is to try to bridge gaps and exercise empathy.

I really think Hillary's defeat is due to a lot of factors, and I think that Obama still needs to bring her into the fold in some manner. I also think it's as impossible to quantify the "Bill Clinton" factor as a plus/minus as it is to quantify whether black males or white women have lost election campaigns more for status reasons (and what about black women, for heaven's sake?). I don't think 60-plus women have forgotten their reproductive and career losses because they're that age--most of them, like Hillary, are still working or trying to, and most of them are sad that their daughters and granddaughters take these rights for granted. The granddaughters may be the ones who don't recall a world without Roe v. Wade and don't know it can happen again via McCain.

Anyway, I think a lot of people voted for Hillary because they want a return to the economics of the Clinton years, or against her because they don't want Bill roaming the White House, or don't want Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton.

I'm hoping Obama is as good bridging gaps as we think he is, because otherwise we could lose this thing.

Joy, sadness, apprehension.

It wasn't about race, and it wasn't about gender...

Says Wintermute, who has the reason for Obama's victory over at The Daily Docket. I would also be remiss if I failed to note that he has really been tearing up the pea patch, making Feel Good Friday into a Feel Good EVERYDAY over there.

Go check it out.

In the midst of joy and celebration, some sadness

Tonight Barack Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination with his win in Montana and the attainment of delegates there and in South Dakota, which was narrowly won by Senator Clinton. I am delighted at this historic event, and look forward to beating John McCain like a red-headed stepchild in the fall election.

However, there is now one fewer blog on The Endless Blogroll, and I probably should have done it sooner. You will no longer find Tennessee Guerrilla Women there, because Egalia has finally gone too far.

Via Kleinheider, I learned that Egalia is advocating that feminists leave the Democratic Party. I refuse to link to her and drive any traffic there, because, this, in a word, is bullshit. Yup, go vote for John mcCain and watch as he helps to take reproductive rights away from women, along with a lot of other rights. Sure, ladies, go right ahead and help McCain take you back to the barefoot and pregnant days all because Hillary ran a shitty campaign that assumed she would be a lock. Obama out smarted her and made better decisions, and that's why he's the nominee and she isn't.

You think I'M pissed? Go check out Aunt B. and Mack!

First, Aunt B:

Is Obama perfect? No. Should he have spoken out more directly about the blatant misogyny Clinton faces in her campaign. Yes. Are we, as women, going to have to be vigilant no matter who the candidate is, when it comes to our rights? Yes.

But holy Jesus, leaving the Democratic party because you didn’t get your way?

What? Now that you’re pushing retirement and not having any more kids, you can just turn your back on feminism? Is that it? It doesn’t matter to you if Roe v. Wade is overturned because you’re not going to need an abortion so fuck the rest of us? It doesn’t matter if women ever achieve equal pay for equal work because you’re leaving the job market so fuck the rest of us? You’d throw your lot in with the Republicans?

Mack:

Did misogyny play a role in Hillary’s defeat? Sure, particularly in the media. There is every reason to be mad about that. Work to change it. How many candidates of color went down in flames simply because of their race throughout the years? We’ll never really know, but one cannot credibly argue that misogyny was more rampant than racism.

Meanwhile, as Egalia continues to don her blinders, oppressive legislation continues to be proposed by her supposed enemy, The Radical Right. How does widespread disunity among Democrats help to combat it?

Great stuff, go click on the links and read it ALL.