The Clip I Hope We'll See a Lot

So, the Health Care Summit has come and gone. The consensus seems to be, at least among libs, that Obama looked like the most competent, informed person in the room but that it's uncertain where things will go from here. Certainly, the summit showed the dozens of viewers that the GOP will not budge. But, for the rest of world, it's going to come down to coverage.

Most suspect that Obama's schooling of McCain will get a lot of play, but I hope this clip gets some prominent air time as well. It really gets at substance:

Walmart and Local, Organic Produce

This month's Atlantic has an interesting article about Walmart's forays into local, organic produce. The author was skeptical, figuring it was just green washing, but Walmart is actually stocking a lot of local, organic produce now. I guess they wanted a slice of that market and realized that while they may pay a little more for the product they save a bundle on shipping when they buy local. Given their buying power, Walmart could actually provide a major boost to local, sustainable agriculture. And, because many operate in food deserts, they may be helping lower income people eat healthier. Who knew?

Pawlenty Kicks Hornets Nest in Search of Votes

A day after a troubled man killed himself by flying his plane into a building in Austin, Texas that housed the local IRS offices, leaving behind a web-based suicide note in which he railed against government and taxes, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty riled up the CPAC crowd by saying that we need to "take a page out of her [Elin Nordegren's] playbook and take a nine iron and smash the window of big government in this country." I'm generally hesitant to blame political leaders for the violence of some of their extreme followers, but this does seem dangerous to me.

Between Barack and a Hard Place

The Washington Monthly has an interesting post today on the GOP's dilemma regarding Barack's HRC summit. As of now, only one GOPer has said he'll attend. The rest are dragging their heels. As the Washington Monthly describes it, they're in a real bind: if they go, they'll look bad because their proposals are empty; if they don't go, they'll look bad because they will have turned away an olive branch (which they demanded).

I agree with the Washington Monthly that it might be better for us if they don't go. It would be very hard for the media to depict that as anything other than the GOP refusing to participate in the process. Maybe such a blatant snub would tick off Dems enough to get them moving.

Happy Birthday, Stimulus Bill!

Maybe you weren't big enough, but you very well may have kept us out of a much deeper decline. As the NYT tells it today, you maintain or added 1.6 to 1.8 million jobs and will ultimately probably yield about 2.5 million. Thanks for being you.

Possibly the Real Reason Dave Feels Sick at Work Today

I actually came across this article from the Sunday NYT Magazine late, but have been following the general story for a while. Basically, an archconservative bloc on the Texas State Board of Education is leading an effort to re-write the states social studies standards to better align with their agenda. It's all of the Christian nation, rah-rah-Reagan stuff we've come to know and love. Er, fear. Anyhow, it's a big, big deal because Texas, due to its size and the way it buys books (well explained in the article), pretty much determines the content for every textbook in the nation.

The stuff making me feel lightheaded? Well, that's actually the lingering effects of a case of flu or Jeff Davis' Revenge picked up in Atlanta last week. But, the bits about my company kow-towing to the Texas conservatives didn't help.

Bayh not running

Bayh apparently isn't running for re-election. Not too much a surprise. Dave, what do you think?

"Republican Elite:" Idiots or just Liars (or, both!)

Esquire mag this month publishes a poll of 75 "republican elites" (defined as "seventy-five leaders of the GOP — current and former members of Congress, former Cabinet officials, state elected officials, county party chairmen, and GOP bigwigs from across the country"). Among the findings:
-78% think Obama is a Socialist
-29% think Obama "may be the worst president we've ever had."

Read more: http://www.esquire.com/features/republican-party-survey-0310?click=esq_new#ixzz0fZhJVXfL

And this is why I love that Obama is inviting them to the discuss HRC. Pull them in, ask them to explain themselves, then (gawd, this better happen) expose them for the shallow pile of fuck that they are.

My Crush on Gail Collins Intensifies

So I just found out that Gail Collins (Hip, Hip, Hooray!) and David Brooks (Boo, Hiss!) have a weekly online chat where all the world can watch as Collins very cleverly, very methodically, shreds Brooks to pieces. Washington Monthly posted the following from their most recent chat:

David Brooks: Gail, there I was watching the snow drift down on the Brooks estate in suburban Maryland last Saturday, when suddenly, after some spluttering and coughing, I was without power. Now I know how the Republicans feel.

Gail Collins: David, I think the Republican analogy would work only if your next step was to barricade yourself in the power station, turn off service to all the people who did have power and announce that nobody was going to do anything until the company promised to build its next generator on your block and employ all your family, friends and neighbors at handsome salaries to do the assembling. But I'm sorry, you were saying about the snow...

This dialogue will now be a must-read for me every Wednesday.

Virginia Delegates Strike a Blow Against Brave New World, Satan

As reported in this Washington Monthly post, the Virginia House of Delegates just passed a bill forbidding employers and insurance companies from implanting microchips on people without their consent. Mind you, no employer or insurance company has yet attempted to implant any Virginians with microchips (that we know of). The VA House is just forward-thinking that way.

Here's where things get Jesus-freaky: while the chief sponsor of the bill wrote it to defend Virginians' privacy, some delegates passed the bill to protect humanity from the antichrist. As they explained it, some fear that these microchips could be used as the "mark of the beast" described in Revelations. Not so fast, Satan! You have to get up pretty early in the morning to fool Virginians.

Oh, and Georgia's legislature is apparently prepared to follow suit. Sheesh.

Obama's Problems Capturing the Narrative on Justice

The New Yorker features an article by Jane Mayer, one of the nation's most active journalists on the Bush administration's torture policies, on Eric Holder and the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Basically, it deals with the trouble that Obama and Holder have had in bringing terrorists to trial and closing Guantanamo. For me, a couple things stand out:

1. Rahm and the White House politics shop have been very critical of Holder's efforts to bring KSM to trial in civilian court. Not good.

2. These troubles are another example of Obama and the White House losing the narrative to the GOP on a major issue. I find it distressing that such a powerful communicator keeps failing to get his message out. I'm not sure what the solution is, but Obama has to get better at this.

Conservatives and the "War Card"

Yet another golden nugget from our favorite snowbilly. In her Tea Party appearance, Palin cited a Pat Buchanan column when she mused that Obama could be tougher to beat in 2012 if he decided to bomb Iran because that would show people "he's tougher than we think he is today." The liberal blogs are having fun because they think Palin endorsed using "the war card" while Buchanan argued against it. For me, this whole discussion is more sinister. Without stopping to ponder the horrible gravity of starting a war, Palin and crew are discussing war as a political move. I find that blase attitude horrifying.

I *love* this woman

Sarah Palin, what did we do for entertainment before you showed up?

Obama's Chicago Crew

Good article about Obama's inner circle. Kind of wondering if it's time for Rahm to go.

"In addition to hurling frequent profanities at people within the administration, Mr Emanuel has alienated many of Mr Obama’s closest outside supporters. At a meeting of Democratic groups last August, Mr Emanuel described liberals as “f***ing retards” after one suggested they mobilise resources on healthcare reform.

“We are treated as though we are children,” says the head of a large organisation that raised millions of dollars for Mr Obama’s campaign. “Our advice is never sought. We are only told: ‘This is the message, please get it out.’ I am not sure whether the president fully realises that when the chief of staff speaks, people assume he is speaking for the president.”

Thankfully, Cohen's Dropping Out

Phew! Embattled Democratic lieutenant governor nominee and overall scumbag, Scott Lee Cohen has agreed to leave the ticket. The bad news: now our lieutenant governor candidate will be chosen by a 38-member committee. Democracy in action! Please, oh please, do a background check!

This Has to Come Back to Haunt Them, Right? Right?

As the Washington Monthly puts it today, the GOP is presenting the Dems with a "target rich environment" for political attacks. The post lists 6 things that the GOP is doing right now that Dems should be able to turn against the Repugs. To me, the strongest options are:

1. Richard Shelby blocking the nominations of 70 Executive Branch appointees until money for military facilities in Alabama is reinserted into the budget.

2. Repeated GOP flailing lies about Obama's handling of the Undiebomber.

3. The GOP aggressively soliciting donations from Wall Street and resisting financial services reform.

These should all be pretty damning, right? The Dems ought to be able to make hay out of these things to hammer the GOP. This leaves me baffled that no matter how ridiculous the GOP acts, these things never stick. I think it boils down to the GOP's outright lies.

This morning, I saw a commercial urging me to call my senators to lobby them against passing the "big bank bailout bill," i.e. the financial services reform bill. It made me fear that the Repugs are going to capture the narrative in this fight, like they did with health care. And, like with health care, they're doing it with lies. Infuriating!

Preview of Coming Attractions

This is the kind of thing we'll get to watch on TV for the next 7 months:



Promises to be fun.

The Critical Importance of Obama's Nonproliferation Proposals

Yesterday, a post by the Atlantic's Marc Armbinder explained that Obama's budget proposal includes a dramatic increase in funding for nuclear nonproliferation. The president deserves much more credit for this than he's getting. I know this sounds all 1980s, but the destructive power of nuclear weapons is pretty much too horribly powerful to comprehend (modern bombs make Fat Man and Little Boy look like fire crackers). Nothing makes the world safer than securing nukes and hopefully eliminating them entirely. Another reason that our 2008 votes were so important.

This is the Best Illinois Could Do?

We couldn't decide between Quinn and Hynes but had no problem choosing a pawnbroker with a hooker girlfriend and a restraining order. Nice. Work.

Murray Hill Inc. for Congress

A progressive PR firm in Maryland, Murray Hill Inc., is putting the Citizens United v. FEC decision to the test with their announcement of their candidacy for Congress in the state's 8th District. You may remember that the majority decision in that case essential defined corporations as individuals. That led Murray Hill to this conclusion:

“Until now,” Murray Hill Inc. said in a statement, “corporate interests had to rely on campaign contributions and influence peddling to achieve their goals in Washington. But thanks to an enlightened Supreme Court, now we can eliminate the middle-man and run for office ourselves.”

In a related story, Dave now really wants to work for Murray Hill Inc.

Primary Results

You probably all already saw this, but here's a link to the Trib's coverage of yesterday's election results. Results aside, I am encouraged that many more votes were cast in the Dem primaries than in the GOP. In the senatorial and gubernatorial primaries, Dems cast 148,450 and 134,237 more votes, respectively. Of course, primaries aren't exact predictors of what will happen in the general and voter turnout was awfully low, but I'm hoping this means that Illinois remains blue.

UPDATE: So, Salon has a different take on the spread between Dem and GOP votes. In their view, the spread is much thinner than it would normally be in a generally solid Dem state like ours. They think this could mean trouble in November.

In Other News, Republicans Still Crazy

A new poll by Daily Kos:

"Ultimately, these results explain why it is impossible for elected Republicans to work with Democrats to improve our country. Their base are conspiracy mongers who don't believe Obama was born in the United States, that he is the second coming of Lenin, and that he is racist against white people. They already want to impeach him despite the glaringly obvious lack of high crimes or misdemeanors. If any Republican strays and decides to do the right thing and try to work in a bipartisan fashion, they suffer primaries and attacks. Even the Maine twins have quit cooperating out of fear of their homegrown teabaggers."

another tidbit--most Rs think Palin is more qualified to lead than Barry;.

Giannoulias Still the Front Runner

Nate breaks it down. Hoffman's been gaining on Alexi, but it seems like it won't be enough. We'll see. On the upside, despite his ties to Rezko and the Chicago Machine, and his apparently poor financial decisions at Broadway Bank, Giannoulias looks to be a bit more liberal than Hoffman.

Lynn Sweet on Dem Disorder

If you haven't seen it, Lynn Sweet has a pretty interesting look of the state of the Illinois Democratic party going into the primaries tomorrow. It's pretty well summarized by this line: "Illinois Democrats are splintered and frazzled in the wake of the impeachment of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich...." Blago really did major damage.

Happy Birthday, Dave!

This will be Dave tomorrow morning, campaigning his heart out for Todd Stroger.

Best. Political. Attack Ad. Ever.

This has to be seen to be believed:

On the upside, at least in Illinois, coroner isn't an elected office.