Open Left

Exactly! - More BETTER Democrats

Call your friends, email your mom, have a bake sale. Lets raise money for these two, then contribute to Obama, generously.

Change
"We must break up the banks and never again let them get so big that they distort our politics and take down the economy.

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by: HousesofProgress @ Fri Jun 20, 2008 at 18:27:01 PM CDT

Ahead of the curve!

I kid you not; I just donated to Regina Thomas yesterday, prompted by this diary.

I'm linking here to Cheryl Crist's campaign site (not just her donation page) in case people would like to read more about her before making up their mind.

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by: osterizer @ Fri Jun 20, 2008 at 18:56:03 PM CDT

Thanks to everyone and anyone

who is finally paying attention to Cheryl's campaign.  I say to you once again - she is gaining traction out here.  

Also, the primary is shaping up to give her a real chance to make it to the general election.  We now have a "top two" primary, and, unless someone drops out, there are two Republicans, plus Cheryl and Brian, in the primary.  One of the Republicans is a Libertarian, and he can probably pull 5% of the vote, which might be enough to bring Cheryl into the general against Baird.  If so, it will be an interesting general, to be sure.

Please understand that this is not really a purple district.  Brian won by 60-40 the last couple of elections.  His predecessor won two terms, I think, and she was a right-wing crazy (but an honest and decent crazy) who came in on the tidal wave of right-wing crazies in the mid-90s.  Before that, we had Jolene Unsoeld, who was an unabashed liberal.

By the way - did I mention that I'm running for president?

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by: paul spencer @ Sat Jun 21, 2008 at 00:35:37 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Baird Barks Again

Thanks Populista.  Brian Baird in WA-03 showed his true colors a year ago when he supported the surge.  WA-03 is purple, not red, and could do a lot better than Baird.  I've heard plenty of people defend Baird because he's good on the environment, but he's bad on the war and bad on the constitution.  That's bad enough, and WA-03 does not have to tolerate it; there is a choice.

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by: albaum @ Fri Jun 20, 2008 at 18:57:32 PM CDT

No problem

I linked to your money page BTW.

John McCain: Beacuse lobbyists should have more power

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by: Populista @ Fri Jun 20, 2008 at 19:23:32 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Thank you!

I'm pretty mad today, and feeling puzzled as I stare down at my Obama T-shirt.  I agree with Digby that this is probably more strategy than capitulation.  However, if this is a smart strategy, then we are in more trouble than I thought.

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by: albaum @ Fri Jun 20, 2008 at 20:09:03 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Eh

I'm not exactly happy with it but I'm not outraged either. Yes it's a big deal. But having the House leadership stand up for the right thing would have had a lot more influence.

Steny Hoyer is the one to blame in this battle. He's what created the deal. You've got to go to the root of evil to get rid of evil. Obama's not perfect but he gives us a fighting chance. But as long as there are still Steny Hoyer's and Jay Rockerfellers we will get undermined again and again.

So today I'm mad but I'm mad at the Hoyers and Baird's of the world.

John McCain: Beacuse lobbyists should have more power

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by: Populista @ Fri Jun 20, 2008 at 20:40:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yeah ..

but are you telling me that Obama couldn't put a stop to Steny right now if he wanted to? .. after all .. Obama is the de-facto party leader right now

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by: Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle @ Fri Jun 20, 2008 at 20:51:12 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Uh, yeah

Do you really think Obama has superpowers beacuse of that?

Are you really saying Bill Clinton couldn't put a stop to Daniel Patrick Moynihan undermining his efforts on healthcare if he wanted to? After all he was the de-faco party leader and the president of the united states to boot.

Steny Hoyer doesn't give a shit about what Barack Obama thinks. Period. If you think Barack Obama has magical control over every single member of the Democratic Party then you are dead wrong.

John McCain: Beacuse lobbyists should have more power

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by: Populista @ Fri Jun 20, 2008 at 21:41:45 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I didn't say he had magical powers ...

I just believe he could be more out in front on this .. especially being a Constitutional Law guy .. it just sucks when a Democratically controlled Congress capitulates to the worst President ever .. when Pelosi and Hoyer are still scared of their own shadow .. hell .. even Clyburn voted for this travesty .. I wonder why

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by: Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle @ Sat Jun 21, 2008 at 01:23:59 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Beacuse

they are not accountable. They think Donna Edwards was just a fluke and so they are not accountable to us. If we beat a few more Bush Dogs they will listen.

John McCain: Beacuse lobbyists should have more power

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by: Populista @ Sat Jun 21, 2008 at 17:32:34 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

If you wanna do more than just rant ...

Come on over to TPM and recommend this user post:

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsme...

Because some of us appreciate the good work Populista is doin' here and wanna help spread the word.

twitter.com/ChinoBlanco | youtube.com/ChinoBlanco

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by: Chino Blanco @ Sat Jun 21, 2008 at 15:08:17 PM CDT

Done. n/t

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by: Oaktown Girl @ Sat Jun 21, 2008 at 16:20:03 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Thanks!

Good to see the word spreading. And I learned something new. Baird voted to intervene on Terri Schiavo. On a lot of votes he sticks with the party but when it comes down to the line he is really awful.

John McCain: Beacuse lobbyists should have more power

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by: Populista @ Sat Jun 21, 2008 at 17:35:42 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

You can find my earlier diary on Cheryl

on this site.  Search "Brian Baird is a Flake".  It gives a couple more good reasons to support Cheryl - or, if you like, reasons to refute Baird.

Besides the Schiavo case, noted in this thread, Brian's 'bipartisanship' fetish has produced some other interesting episodes.  He co-sponsored a salvage logging bill with Greg Walden (OR) that would have steam-rolled Environmental Impact Studies, if they weren't complete in a short time (can't remember whether the limit was 1 month or 3 months).  Personally, I support most salvage logging operations, but not without the EIS completed.

Two weeks before the 2006 election cycle (no joke, mid-October), Brian announced a bipartisan bill with Doc Hastings (OMG - Doc Hastings!) to kill off sea lions at Bonneville Dam.  Again - I can probably go along with taking out a few sea lions at the fish ladder entrance - but we had a good opponent for Doc in Richard Wright.  Then there's good ol' Brian with his arm around Doc, announcing a good ol'-fashioned killing with good ol' pal, Doc, two weeks before the election.

Now there's his bipartisan health-care insurance bill, wherein he wants us all to pay the good ol' private insurance companies to insure everyone.

And here's the piece de resistance - he has inaugurated a good ol' bipartisan caucus called "Friends of Jordan" - no, not Michael - the pseudo-democratic country.  Brian Baird is a flake without doubt.

By the way - did I mention that I'm running for president?

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by: paul spencer @ Sat Jun 21, 2008 at 22:33:16 PM CDT