I'm impressed

I've been working at the grassroots level in Democratic politics for a long time (when I was in elementary school, my mom used to take me along to work outside the polls or lick stamps for mailings)...that experience has left me frustrated as often as it's felt worthwhile. I just sat through a DNC training that left me excited. They have finally started using a national voter database (6 months ago, versus 10 years ago for the Republicans) and it is constantly being used and updated - and shared!

And this, the Neighborhood Volunteer Program, looks amazing. I'm about to sign up and I encourage you all to do the same. Instead of shipping volunteers all over the country for GOTV activies, the DNC is recommending NOTV (Neighbors Organizing the Vote).

Our Sense of Humor

As soon as the New Yorker cover came out, the conversation started shifting from its content/appropriateness to the Democrats' sense of humor, or their lack of a sense of humor. For the record, I think the cover is funny, but I also understood the concerns of others. Today, on - my favorite - Morning Joe, Joe was in quite a mood about the late night comedians - especially the Daily Show - and how they are not making fun of Obama the way they have gone after Republicans. (He did ease up toward the end of the show and said he was having a bad day, and was running on little sleep.)

Since I am a media junkie, and watch the Daily Show every day, I have to disagree that they don't make fun of Dems, or that they don't give Republicans a chance. I've cringed every time John Bolton or Doug Feith show up, but John Stewart lets them hang themselves with their own arguments...and it's fun for us Dems to watch.

Anyway, back to not making fun of Obama...I agree with Maureen Dowd's take today and started laughing (and cringing) when I read the following:

He’s [Obama] already in danger of seeming too prissy about food — a perception heightened when The Wall Street Journal reported that the planners for Obama’s convention have hired the first-ever Director of Greening, the environmental activist Andrea Robinson. She in turn hired an Official Carbon Adviser to “measure the greenhouse-gas emissions of every placard, every plane trip, every appetizer prepared and every coffee cup tossed.”

The “lean ‘n’ green” catering guidelines, The Journal said, bar fried food and instruct that, “on the theory that nutritious food is more vibrant, each meal should include ‘at least three of the following colors: red, green, yellow, blue/purple, and white.’ (Garnishes don’t count.) At least 70% of the ingredients should be organic or grown locally, to minimize emissions from fuel during transportation.”

Bring it on, Ozone Democrats! Because if Obama gets elected and there is nothing funny about him, it won’t be the economy that’s depressed. It will be the rest of us.

Now, if we can't make fun of giving someone the title of "Official Carbon Advisor" or of officially color-coding the meals, there really is something wrong with our sense of humor!

And just to show that we can make fun of Obama, jib jab just came out with this:

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

Daily Kos to DCCC: "Go to hell."

As many of my friends and family already read in an email from me today, I could not believe the gall of the DCCC in trying to use yesterday's retreat as a fundraising opportunity. I'm now starting to read other blogs and see that I'm not the only one who was disgusted.

You can read all about it on the Daily Kos.

UPDATE: Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) is the chair of the DCCC and he even voted against the legislation...I am so confused...

Amateurs

It makes my head hurt to not be able to support my own party, but after reading this article in the NYT this morning, my head also hurts from confusion...Neither Pelosi nor Reid will vote for the Iraq spending bill? If they don't support it, who exactly is in charge on the Hill?

The decision by the Democratic majority to strip the measure of a timetable for troop withdrawal has raised the prospect that it could be approved mainly by Republicans with scattered Democrat support. The idea that many Democrats would be left on the losing side in a consequential vote has exposed a sharp divide within the party, drawn scorn from antiwar groups, confused the public and frustrated the party rank and file...

...But scores of other Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, say they have no intention of voting for the more than $100 billion sought by the White House for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan because Mr. Bush refused to accede to timelines, readiness standards and other conditions. They have said repeatedly since taking control in January that they will not turn over more money for the war without some movement toward a withdrawal...

...And Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader and Ms. Pelosi’s partner in negotiating with the White House, had also not revealed how he intended to vote.

Should Mr. Reid decline to support the final bill, it would mean the approval of the war money over the personal objections of the top Democrats in both the House and Senate.

What is going on???

What happened??

I'm really at a loss for the Democrats' complete backing down to the Bush administration over war funding, benchmarks, timelines, etc. Don't they have the support of the American people? Didn't the polls show that the public was supporting their efforts over Bush's stay-the-course mentality? I don't get it...

I agree with Mike Lux, over at Huffington Post:

If you're just going to give up because Bush is more stubborn than you, what's the point? The Democratic rank and file should vote overwhelmingly against this deal with the devil, and make clear to their leadership that the Democrats should have the same rule as the Republicans: only bills that have a majority of the majority party caucus supporting them should go to the floor.

I'm making a call to my Congressman's office today.

The Democrats

I have to say I was thankful that Kucinich and Gravel were included in the debate last night (even if they were put in the corner). Gravel is a little nuts and Kucinich, well, I love Dennis...

Without them in the debate last night, it would have been a real bore!



As for the rest...
Richardson: long-winded and sweaty
Edwards: still my fave of the current crop
Biden: should stay in the Senate
Obama: needs more time before stepping onto this stage...did you see how he let Kucinich and Gravel engage him on Iran? wow.
Clinton: I nodded off during at least one of her answers
Who else?...Oh, yeah, Dodd: obviously, he didn't make much of an impression on me last night

And Brian Williams...is Fidel Castro really on anyone's mind these days?! That was the most irrelevant question of the night!

UPDATE: I take back my comment about Dodd. I did love his answer about civil unions! I'm proud he's a Dem...