tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-121630682008-06-08T18:47:20.078-05:00Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comBlogger402125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-8733606249281895312008-06-08T18:30:00.004-05:002008-06-08T18:47:20.771-05:00

At the National Conference for Media Reform, Bill Moyers is sparking, as always, incredible dialog on the media's responsibility for our current political situation. Now comes Paul Rosenberg to say that Republicans are not the enemy in November (they're "a pathetic wreck"). It's hegemony, led by the corporate media: In the 1990s, the media led the charge to depose Bill Clinton. As Gene Lyons

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-45030918413593841352008-05-28T07:31:00.001-05:002008-05-28T07:36:21.732-05:00

Steve Clemons at The Washington Note has published a collection of Eisenhower quotes so thoughtful it makes you almost long for the 50s... Very worthwhile reading. Go here for the full set. Here's a sample: If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking. . . is freedom. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower In most communities it is

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-46437775659763882342008-05-24T06:32:00.005-05:002008-05-26T18:03:42.689-05:00

UPDATE: Senator Clinton writes to say, "Thank you for your message. I have received thousands of emails from people all over the country. Your comments are very important to me and I am excited that so many people are joining our conversation about how to change the direction of the country." She suggests that I volunteer, donate, become a Hillraiser, or otherwise get involved in the campaign.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-91589748373094350642008-05-23T21:13:00.003-05:002008-05-23T21:31:02.144-05:00

Ted Kennedy, on the death of his brother, Robert: The future does not belong to those who are content with today, apathetic toward common problems and their fellow man alike, timid and fearful in the face of new ideas and bold projects. Rather it will belong to those who can blend vision, reason and courage in a personal commitment to the ideals and great enterprises of American Society.I'm sure

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-32258669779450531412008-05-11T20:21:00.004-05:002008-05-11T20:31:18.745-05:00

Your indecision has a cost. You are permitting a candidate who cannot possibly win to tear down our presumptive nominee for no purpose.As you sit idle, Clinton supporters are hardening their opposition to Obama, and weakening him in the eyes of the general electorate.You are giving John McCain a clear field to consolidate his support among disparate groups, make conflicting promises, and

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-69076377426671391822008-04-05T18:44:00.008-05:002008-04-06T17:09:17.812-05:00

This just out: Professional historians weigh in again on the Bush Administration and 98.2% say it's a failure (up from 81% four years ago). Sixty-one percent further judge Bush as the worst American president of all time (up sharply from 11.6% four years ago). By contrast, 28% of the American public still think Bush is A-okay. The poll, conducted by History News Network, includes responses

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1164891780920220932006-11-30T07:45:00.000-05:002006-11-30T08:03:00.966-05:00

Digby on the scope of this administration's failures: I blame the media for this. After 9/11 they lost their minds and became unthinking hagiographers and adminstration cheerleaders to an absurd extent. The man's halting, incoherent first press conference after 9/11 scared me more than the attacks and yet the press corps behaved as if they were in the presence of a God whose stuttering,

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1162845167716180432006-11-06T15:29:00.000-05:002006-11-06T15:32:47.746-05:00

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1161792454361454072006-10-25T10:56:00.000-05:002006-10-25T11:07:34.396-05:00

Help get the truth out. Large numbers of people get their information about candidates by checking them out on the internet in the weeks before the election. Here's a collection of Republican candidates in competitive races linked to damning articles written by independent, nonpartisan sources. Just click on a name, any name, to help build the links that will lead search engines to these articles

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1158981818937562662006-09-22T22:17:00.000-05:002006-09-22T22:23:38.980-05:00

Natural Resources Council of Maine released a global warming report this week, and here's Damariscotta at 1m and 6m rise in sea level. I'm just sayin'.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1156694949214768472006-08-27T11:03:00.000-05:002006-08-27T11:09:09.240-05:00

From Tom Toles:

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1153654246691599572006-07-23T06:20:00.000-05:002006-07-23T06:30:46.740-05:00

These are making the rounds and I think they're very reasonable. What are the Top Seven best things that the Bush Administration has done? Is the Iraq War is going well? After three years thus far, when do you think Iraq might be able to "stand up" so that America can "stand down"? For his part in the event, how would you rate the job the President did protecting New Orleans from

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1152014975738060692006-07-04T07:04:00.000-05:002006-07-04T07:13:04.200-05:00

O God of earth and altar, bow down and hear our cry, Our earthly rulers falter, our people drift and die; The walls of gold entomb us, the swords of scorn divide, Take not thy thunder from us, but take away our pride. From all that terror teaches, from lies of tongue and pen, From all the easy speeches that comfort cruel men, From sale and profanation of honor, and the sword, From sleep and

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1150741294344844562006-06-19T13:10:00.000-05:002006-06-19T13:22:28.823-05:00

Indian yoga: Irish yoga: Hey, we all relax any way we can. It's summer in Maine and time for a mental health break (for this blogger, anyway). Check back in September as we head into the election season fully renewed and on the attack. Have a great summer and thanks for stopping by.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1150089097531287502006-06-11T23:51:00.000-05:002006-06-12T00:11:37.560-05:00

We interrupt this conference to bring you my five-hour excursion to the Hoover Dam, complete with tour of turbines, penstocks, intake towers, and diversion tunnels! Yes, I am a dam geek. For reasons too complex to go into here, I have dragged husbands all over this great country to see impounded water. Once when we drove from Maine to New Orleans (already kind of a long trip), I veered us 200

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1150035018662002882006-06-11T08:38:00.000-05:002006-06-11T09:15:10.943-05:00

Nagourney: Mr. Reid added: "One of the reasons I so admire them is they have the ability to spread the truth like no entities I've dealt with in recent years. We could never have won the battle to stop privatization of Social Security without them." [...] As became clear from the rather large and diverse crowd here, the blogosphere has become for the left what talk radio has been for

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1149961304183937412006-06-10T12:31:00.000-05:002006-06-10T12:41:45.413-05:00

Okay, put me to shame, Leolabeth (go read the comments below for her liveblogging). I'm having trouble getting posts up because the information is flying so fast - unlike, say, the Maine Democratic Convention - that I can't stop to post. And activities are going on every minute well into the night. Moreover, I plead slooowww network... So this is just a checkin to let you know this conference is

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1149779374835360442006-06-08T10:07:00.000-05:002006-06-08T10:09:34.876-05:00

Joining the migration to Las Vegas. Will keep you posted!

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1149735613462497272006-06-07T21:17:00.000-05:002006-06-08T10:32:35.663-05:00

Good Mehnert profile in yesterday's Bangor Daily News. Also a poll, should you care to participate. It shows Hay Bright ahead by six points (53/47), which makes sense given her organizing efforts and lead time. However, I think Mehnert made strong gains among most-likely voters this weekend at the convention. Get a load of Senator Snowe's voting patterns in detail. Not only is she a Bush enabler

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1149600482261430852006-06-06T07:49:00.000-05:002006-06-06T08:49:51.073-05:00

We're busy here following up on the convention, writing Mehnert LTEs, digging up dirt on Snowe, and getting ready for Yearly Kos. Meanwhile, check out these don't-miss posts from the last few days: Digby on how anti-Democratic storylines infect the media. Americablog's campaign to support the supporters of traditional morality. Jesus Christ is this action funny and on target. So richly

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1149419775017666772006-06-04T06:03:00.000-05:002006-06-04T07:33:30.416-05:00

Best speakers: Russ Feingold. I knew I'd love him but I didn't know how much. Biggest applause lines: " It's not just getting the power; it's standing on principle when we have the power." "We have ideas, bold ones. We just have to express them boldly." "Don't be weak and full of fear." "I thought the NSA wiretapping issue was right in the strike zone of what the founding fathers meant by 'high

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1149375912994416712006-06-03T18:02:00.000-05:002006-06-03T18:05:12.996-05:00

We took it out of the platform (where it would still be sitting in 2008), did some parliamentary maneuvering, and passed it as a floor resolution. Details later. I have a very sick dog to attend to. Feingold was stupendous. Comments and photos (we hope) later, too. Yay, Maine.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1149355659883551762006-06-03T12:20:00.000-05:002006-06-03T12:27:39.916-05:00

We're still processing the platform but took a break to hear from Jean Hay Bright and Eric Mehnert, vying for the nomination to run against Senator Snowejob, who votes with Bush 82% of the time. Hay Bright has a better organization at the moment (and a three-year head start), but Mehnert won the room. I'll give a full report on him this evening but here's the short version: this man could beat

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1149346732547869632006-06-03T09:35:00.000-05:002006-06-03T10:04:40.533-05:00

Here is where the rubber meets the road and we see Democratic process and dysfunction in all its glory. This being my first political convention, I'm not in a position to compare today's proceedings with other years, other leaders... I can just give today's impression, and it seems like a mess. After the AM opening events, slogged through with a distinct lack of adrenaline and coffee, we got

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1149290871363728482006-06-02T18:19:00.000-05:002006-06-02T21:50:53.373-05:00

6pm Call to order. Marianne Stevens, Vice Chair, state party. Invocation. Rep. Stan Moody of Manchester, president of the Christian Policy Institute. National anthem, pledge of allegiance. The anthem was sung by "Referendum," a political a cappella group. Very good - excuse me, wicked good. Opening remarks. Ben Dudley, Chair, state party. Wades through the list of thank yous. Will

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com