"Karl Rove Targets the Netroots"

David Goldstein's new commentary on The Huffington Post:

Though it will likely pass by most pundits unnoticed, President Bush will make political history today when his limo rolls into the pricey Seattle suburb of Medina: the ensuing well-heeled fundraiser will mark the first time uber-advisor Karl Rove trains the full force of presidential firepower against a "Netroots Endorsed" challenger.

Local Republicans expect the President to raise a stunning $800,000 today for Rep. Dave Reichert (WA-08) who is struggling to win a second term in the face of a surging campaign from Democratic newcomer Darcy Burner. That the GOP would attempt to gain an overwhelming financial advantage is not surprising, but that they feel the need to bring in the POTUS against an un-recruited, until recently unknown challenger in a district the Democrats have never won should say something about our changing political landscape. Unlike some of the more high profile Netroots Endorsed candidates like John Tester and Ned Lamont, whose local campaigns quickly caught national attention, Burner rose to prominence on the shoulders of local bloggers. But now that national blogs like Daily Kos and MyDD have added her to their short list of endorsed candidates, the GOP has taken notice.

If there was any question as to whether the Democratic establishment "gets" the growing power of the netroots it was put to rest by the flattering attention lavished on bloggers at last weekend's Yearly Kos convention. President Bush's trip to Seattle to campaign against Burner now confirms that Rove "gets it" too.

Last month Rove told an audience at the American Enterprise Institute that conservatives should read and fear "Crashing the Gate"; clearly Rove has and he does. We are witnessing the emergence of a powerful new force in American politics, and we should expect Rove to do everything he can to crush it before it gets off the ground.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, WESTERN WASHINGTON DIVISION

"Obviously the president is generating money for me as well," she said, pointing to her own Internet appeals that feature the visit. She loved seeing Bush and Reichert in the same photo frame, saying that subliminally ties them together and undoes Reichert's effort to create distance.

"This clearly shows what we have been saying all along, that Dave Reichert is a Bush Republican," Burner said. "Reichert is a rubber stamp for the Bush agenda and if people don't like the Bush agenda, they don't want to vote for Dave Reichert.

"That will clearly be one of the big issues of the campaign. People are clearly unhappy with the direction of the country."-Darcy Burner, from the story in the Seattle P-I.

"Hard Sell"

From Garance Franke-Ruta, Senior Editor of The American Prospect Online:

Warner flops with the Kossaks, gets a bounce with the MSM, and learns that courting the Democratic netroots is no simple thing. Post-keynote, Warner met with a handful of carefully selected bloggers in an upstairs Riviera Hotel & Casino skybox. It was a surprisingly D.C.-centric crowd, featuring netroots regulars like former lobbyist and Clark volunteer coordinator Howard Park; Democrats.com owner Bob Fertik, a Yale-educated proponent of impeaching Bush; labor lawyer Nathan Newman, also Yale educated, now a policy director at a legislative advocacy group and a TPMCafe regular; and Adam Bonin, the round-faced Philadelphia attorney who represented DailyKos founder Markos Zuniga Moulitsas and others before the Federal Election Commission earlier this year as bloggers defended themselves against possible regulation.

Even the outside-the-Beltway bloggers who made the cut for the exclusive sit-down were part of the more establishment crowd. Joan McCarter, 42, a.k.a. front-page writer McJoan on DailyKos, used to be a legislative aide to Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, and her father chaired the Idaho Democratic Party during the Frank Church era, while blogger Natasha Celine of Pacific Views cut her teeth interviewing presidential candidates as one of the girls on the bus during Howard Dean’s Sleepless Summer Tour in August 2003.

Warner, a low-talker, and the bloggers discussed everything from labor policy to the Iraq War in soft monotones, but as they did so it became clear that the starry-eyed idealist in the room was the candidate, not the activists, whose deep cynicism about the political system caused them to question Warner’s belief in the willingness of Republican legislators to engage in bipartisan collaborations on such matters as health-care reform. “I’ll just tell you, I think you’re wrong,” Warner told one blogger who said he thought counting on Republican goodwill was a mistake.

A commitment to bipartisan legislating and to a politics that’s neither left nor right might have been a necessity for Warner in Virginia, a southern Red state where he faced a a Republican legislature, but it made some bloggers think he is naïve when it comes to the national scene. “Anyone who believes that if they become President and reach out to Republicans the Republicans will respond nicely is an idiot,” said Duncan Black, a.k.a. Atrios, 34, the laconic economist with floppy bangs who runs Eschaton, one of the top liberal blogs nationwide, over drinks later that day.

“He’s a nice guy with a positive record but he didn’t grasp the gravity of the times,” chimed in Cenk Uygur, the Wharton-educated host of The Young Turks radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio. “Right now is panic time.”

For people drawn into politics by the tough talk of Howard Dean and Al Gore’s impassioned MoveOn.org speeches, Warner seemed like a relic from the Clinton era, not a voice for the future. “Feingold,” said Uygur. “I love Feingold.”

That was a common sentiment at YearlyKos, and it belies Moulitsas’ frequently stated sentiment that the netroots are nonideological and committed, above all else, to winning.

Not everyone was negative on Warner. “I thought he was stiff but I also thought he was very generous,” said Feldman of Warner’s “Bar Mitzvah,” as some bloggers took to calling the glitzy bash. “The catering didn’t hit the bulls-eye but there was a lot of buzz in that room. Even though people were criticizing it, they loved it.”

Others felt Warner was being condemned by a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” attitude. “I heard a couple of people complaining that it was too excessive, but personally I think he’s in a no-win situation with that, because bloggers always say, ‘Pay attention to us!,’ and then when they do they say, ‘Stop pandering!’” said Hunter, 38, a corporate Internet consultant from Mendocino Country, California, who blogs on the Kos front page and prefers to remain pseudonymous. “I feel for him.”

So did many of the less politically plugged in conference attendees. Indeed, multiple interviews revealed a pattern that would seem to bode well for Warner’s prospects outside the blogosphere, in that the less people knew about him in advance, the more genuinely positive their reaction to his speech was. Attendee Helen Brown, a 50-something housewife with four children from Massachusetts, told me she thought Warner was “sincere, intelligent” and “speaks the truth,” while Diane Palmer, a retired boomer and “gymnastics mom” from Tempe, Arizona, said: “I liked what he had to say. I learned stuff about him. The only other impression of him was that horrible New York Times cover of the magazine.”

Still, all the griping was clearly having an impact on Warner’s internet strategist Jerome Armstrong by Sunday morning, who dismissed the snipers as “ideological” and “pretty left wing.”

“It wasn’t going to be a love-in to begin with,” Armstrong sighed as the final brunch session of the conference wound down. “This was a great opportunity for bloggers to meet Warner. But also, the whole blogosphere and broader press was focused on this event. Coming here was a no-brainer.”

"Horse's ass radio to feature burner, sims, phillips, connelly"

From Michael Hood at blatherWatch:

David Goldstein (KIRO Sundays, 7-10p) is racking up great guests for this Sunday's show.They include 8th district candidate, Darcy Burner; County Executive Ron Sims, King County Council President Larry Phillips; and Joel Connelly, veteran Seattle PI political pundit.

Burner is all over the news today because her fledgling candidacy has so put the fear of god into Republican haircut Dave Reichert that he risked being associated with President Bush, who flew in today for a big bucks fundraiser on posh Mercer Island.

This from this morning's NY Times:

Democratic hopes of retaking the House, party strategists say, could hinge on places like Bellevue, a city of 107,000 just across Lake Washington from Seattle. Here, a fast-growing Asian population and an influx of empty-nesters and singles living in new residential complexes have helped to make this the kind of district that, while continuing to send a Republican to Congress, has turned increasingly Democratic.

Eli Sanders at Slog reports that not only is Bush unpopular in the 8th, (he lost there to Kerry in 2004) but Reichert's numbers are wobbly in the district, despite his attempts to distance himself from the failed presidency. Read all about it here.

Bets were lost all over town, today that there wouldn't be a photo released with both Reichert and Bush. The Seattle Times took one of the two at the door of Bush's plane- expect it soon in Burner ads.

Burner will be on Horses's ass radio at 8p.

At 7p, Goldy will talk to Phillips about what's going to happen with vote-by-mail, now that Dean Logan is leaving. Ron Sims will join them and take calls from listeners.

Bloggers Molly Martin from The (liberal) Girl Next Door and Will Kelley-Kamp of Pike Place Politics will join Goldy in the last hour for some fun and jolly scorn, at the expense, no doubt, of conservatives.

"A picture says a thousand words"

This is the money shot of Reichert and Bush. At Westlake today, the weather was kinda questionable, but cleared up and got sunny just as Darcy began her rip roaring talk. Immediately after she finished talking, the skies poured down rain. A good omen.

Andrew from Northwest Progressive Institute has photos of Darcy's rally.

The Seattle Times, P-I, KING5, and KOMO have stories.

IF YOU CAN...

Go to Westlake Center today for a rally for Darcy Burner. It starts at 11:30 AM.

"Bush/Kerry proxy rematch in the 8th"

From David Postman's Seattle Times blog.

On the same day President Bush goes to Medina to raise money for Congressman Dave Reichert, his 2004 opponent in the presidential race, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, will be in San Francisco raising money for Darcy Burner, Reichert's Democratic opponent.

Burner flies to San Francisco tomorrow (Friday) to appear with Kerry at a fundraiser. Already, Kerry has used his national e-mail list to raise more than $27,000 for Burner, according to Burner campaign manager Zach Silk.

"He's just been incredible," Silk said of Kerry.

The S.F. event, Silk said, is at the home of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and is part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red to Blue program, which gives targeted help to Democratic challengers.

Bush can raise more money tomorrow. But in the 8th District, Kerry was a bit more popular than Bush in the 2004 election. Kerry got 51 percent of the vote, while Bush got 48.

"Fear of Failing"

Commentary (snipped here and there by Howie) by Michael Hirsh, Senior Editor, Newsweek-

How can the Democrats win if the party is scared of its own shadow? A good therapist, we know, can sometimes help a person who’s lost his confidence or mental balance. But what do you do when an entire party needs therapy? You’d think the Republicans would be the ones in need of professional help. This is a party burdened with a president so unpopular he barely has a base to stand on—Bush seems to be bypassing the lame-duck stage and heading straight for dead duck—a Vietnam-scale quagmire in Iraq and a post-Katrina rot of incompetence and corruption that is infecting the very foundations of the presidency and the GOP’s control of Congress.

But at least the GOP is engaged in a war over real policy choices. It is an emotional debate, often a hysterical and ill-informed one, but it is a fight among adults who know what they believe in and who have the guts to battle for it. By contrast the Democrats, ostensibly the party poised to exploit this GOP civil war, don't seem to remember what it is like to behave as adults. They resemble nothing so much as ill-adjusted adolescents, afraid of their own shadows, much less the presidency. What are they afraid of? Themselves, essentially: their past, their own left, the populist rhetoric of their leaders (Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Howard Dean, Al Gore), the left-wing loony stigma represented by “Fahrenheit 9/11” filmmaker Michael Moore (every Dem’s favorite bugaboo). Above all they fear seeming and looking soft. They are all afflicted with varying degrees of megalophobia, a fear of assuming power. Even Dr. Melfi of “The Sopranos” wouldn’t take this case.

The “strong” ones are actually the most timid. They are the ones who so fear that a leftie like Nancy Pelosi will become speaker of the House, they actually question whether it would be a good idea for the Dems to take control in 2006. They are the ones who think they can outhawk Bush on Iraq and promotion of democracy around the world, but they are mainly driven by a fear of criticizing the premises of his foreign policy, which is to say, his war on terror. While nitpicking and nattering over Bush’s “errors of execution,” they still embrace his fundamentals. In other words, they all continue to sound like unreconstructed John Kerrys, frightened of seeming soft. When they get together, this fear is virtually all they talk about. It is a fear that reeks from the party’s new draft platform for 2006, causing Leslie Gelb, the former president of the Council on Foreign Relations, to crack to liberal hawk Peter Beinart recently: “If you have to say you’re tough, you’re not.”

The champion of this “new” breed of Dem tough guys, of course, is Hillary Clinton, who every week, it seems, finds some new way of pandering to the right in her long, stealth march to the 2008 nomination. All in an apparent effort to escape her own shadow, her supposed liberal excesses from the early '90s.

No one looks like a wimp when he or she tells the truth. And the public is crying, pleading for someone to tell the truth. The Democratic hawks seem to think that if they confront Bush over the fundamentals of his foreign policy, they will be forced to admit it was wrong to go into Iraq at the moment and in the way we did. And if they have to admit that, then they must back immediate withdrawal from Iraq. Nonsense. Most Americans now know, without being told, that American prestige is on the line in Iraq. And that any withdrawal will be slow and painful. This is now settled U.S. policy, and it will be followed by whoever the next president is, Democrat or Republican.

The country is desperate for adult leadership, for competence and authority—above all, for an honest reckoning with all that’s gone wrong. And the country isn’t getting it. Maybe that helps to explain the Al Gore revival under way. Here, at least, was someone who can remember what adulthood was like—what it was like to hold power. Most of his Democratic colleagues appear to have forgotten.

"Standing Down on the Rove Matter

From Marc Ash:

Truthout of course published an article on May 13 which reported that Karl Rove had in fact already been indicted. Obviously there is a major contradiction between our version of the story and what was reported yesterday. As such, we are going to stand down on the Rove matter at this time. We defer instead to the nation's leading publications.

In that Mr. Luskin has chosen the commercial press as his oracle - and they have accepted - we call upon those publications to make known the contents of the communiqué which Luskin holds at the center of his assertions. Quoting only those snippets that Mr. Luskin chooses to characterize in his statements is not enough. If Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald has chosen to exonerate Mr. Rove, let his words - in their entirety - be made public.

As journalists, nothing is more critical to being able to report guarded facts than the guarantee of confidentiality we provide to our sources. Truthout has never compromised the identy of a confidential source. We will protect our sources on this story, as we have on every other story we have ever published.

Expect a more comprehensive accounting of this matter on Monday, June 19.

"Darcy Burner Posts to Daily Kos - Please Recommend"

Andrew from Northwest Progressive Institute makes this request:

Tomorrow, George W. Bush will arrive in Washington State on the orders of Karl Rove to raise a massive amount of money for Republican Dave Reichert, the incumbent in the 8th Congressional District.

Our own Darcy Burner, who MyDD's Matt Stoller recently announced has been "netroots endorsed", has posted a diary to Daily Kos asking the netroots to make a contribution to her campaign to offset Bush's fundraiser. She would deeply appreciate a recommend.

Let's elevate Bush's appearance here in Washington and show our support for Darcy Burner.

Thanks for your support.

Is it Just Me, or Is KIRO 710 Getting Better?

Sure I deserted KIRO 710 once Air America came to town on AM1090, but their clever marketing ploy (snagging Goldy) has got me tuning in again (at times). Dave Ross is ripping apart the Iraq debate in the House right now, with sound bites.

Darcy Burner Videos

"Darcy on KING 5" (video).

"Darcy at the State Convention," from TVW. There are a bunch there from the Pelzathon, but I haven't found the one with Darcy yet.

" the best panel I’ve ever seen on any topic anywhere"

I'll give Lynn at Evergreen Politics the benefit of the doubt. Here's the link to her post, "The CIA Leak Panel at YearlyKos." Here's her setup:

This panel was the best panel I’ve ever seen on any topic anywhere. Put together by the irrepressible Jane Hamsher of the Firedoglake blog, it included Ambassador Joe Wilson; writer and investigator Murray Waas of the American Prospect; former CIA operative and writer Larry Johnson; former prosecutor Christy Hardin-Smith, aka Reddhedd of Firedoglake; Marcy Wheeler who researches and writes under the handle emptywheel at The Next Hurrah; and Dan Froomkin, online blogger for the Washington Post.

"Betting on the Blogs"

From Eli Sanders in The Stranger on YK:

The first question on everyone's mind was simply: Who are these people? Even Dean seemed confused on this point, expecting, like many, a younger crowd of bloggers than showed up at the Riviera. In his speech he made a joke about retirement security ("Maybe not so important to a lot of your readers, but very important to my generation") and it fell completely flat, given the large proportion of gray-hairs in the audience. In truth, Dean, at 57, is a lot more like the average YearlyKos attendee than he, or most people, would think.

Popular imagination has cast online networking as the province of the under-30 MySpace generation, but the median age of a Daily Kos reader is 45. Lefty online political organizing is in fact a middle-aged game, and the conference reflected this, with those who came to Vegas being about as far from the stereotypical twentysomething WTO protester as one can get while still being in the "Democratic wing of the Democratic party," as Dean famously described his constituency. The median income of a "Kossack," determined in March through a survey by an online advertising group, is $85,000. And while their favored moniker compares them to a Russian warrior tribe, the Cossacks, these are strictly laptop warriors, not a physically intimidating bunch. More than 40 percent of them have postgraduate degrees and their "warrior" bodies spend a lot of time sitting in front of computers, reading a median of five blogs a day.

A conservative infiltrator, who came to YearlyKos expecting to blog about a "freak show," found himself having to report instead that "people here are largely, disappointingly, golf-shirted, short-haired, and white-bread," and that "grooming and hygiene are up to Western business standards." Moulitsas later told me that Dean, for all his talk of having a department at the DNC dedicated to watching the blogs, seemed badly prepped on blogosphere demographics. "He came off as if he didn't understand who he was talking to," said Moulitsas, 34, a former army artilleryman with bulging eyes, a quick mind, and a penchant for not mincing words. Having run Daily Kos for four years, Moulitsas knows better than anyone else that if one throws a blogger Woodstock, one is going to have a lot of attendees old enough to have been at both the original 1969 Woodstock and its modern high-tech facsimile.

If YearlyKos is really going to be the beginning of something big, and if the liberal blogosphere is really the transformative movement within the Democratic Party that its most ardent fans think it is, then the netroots will need to pass a major test: They will need to have more Dean-like successes in the future and ultimately, the movement will need to produce an internet-made candidate who, unlike Dean, can actually win a presidential nomination. Even people like Moulitsas admit that that kind of power is still years out. So far, the blogosphere has demonstrated that it can bring 1,000 people to Las Vegas, create media buzz, and raise significant amounts of money—like the half-million dollars raised last year by online contributors to Iraq war veteran Paul Hackett's run for Congress in Ohio. But aside from Dean's ascent to the helm of the DNC, the netroots still can't point to many candidates that they have successfully put over the top; Hackett, who made an impressive showing in a traditionally conservative district, nevertheless lost by just under 4,000 votes.

"The Definition of Progress"

Congressman Jim on The Huffington Post:

Soon, Republican leaders will tell the American people what to think, without the information on which to make an informed decision.

Here's something they don't want to talk about. The United States is building Fortress Iraq. The Administration would like to divert your attention while it orders the military to pour concrete runways and bunkers across Iraq. Tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers are going to be stationed in Iraq, indefinitely.

These U.S. bases will be called something else for the American people, but they will still be called targets by the insurgents.

The definition of progress in Iraq is not a Republican resolution force fed to the American people, as they would have you believe.

The definition of progress in Iraq is bringing home our soldiers--- all of them--- in significant numbers every month from this moment on, until they are out of harm's way and we are out of a war we should have never been in.

Howard Dean on the Ed Schultz Show Today

Click here for the podcast.

Al Gore on Larry King Last Night

GORE: I don't have plans to be a candidate again. I haven't made the so-called Sherman statement but that's not to leave the door open. It's more sort of an internal shifting of the gears. I really don't expect to be a candidate again.

I think that the best use of my skills and experiences and energy is to try to change the minds of the American people and to the extent that I can people elsewhere in the world. I really think that this crisis has to be seen as the number one challenge that we face.

KING: Let me try one more thing and I'll come back to the crisis.

GORE: OK.

KING: If there were a convention and they were deadlocked...

GORE: That doesn't happen anymore.

KING: ...and they came to you, it could happen.

GORE: No.

KING: And they came to you?

GORE: No, no, no.

KING: But you're not saying there's no circumstances?

GORE: Well, as I said, I haven't made a Sherman statement but I'm not trying to be coy about it. That really doesn't happen anymore and believe me I understand that it doesn't. And you will -- if you were a political reporter and you went to Iowa and New Hampshire, anywhere else in the country, you would look in vain for anyone who had been contacted by me or anyone on my behalf. I'm really not taking any steps. I have no intention, no plans to do that again.

-from the CNN transcript. For a five minute video clip, click on "Watch Al Gore" here, under "Larry King highlights."

"The Do It Yourself Online Presidential Leadership Quiz"

Bouncing back from legal adversity now that's he's a free man, Karl Rove has opened the "Karl Rove Institute for Presidential Guidance" (KRIEG) and you could be it's next student!

Actually, what I just wrote about is 100% FICTION, but damn good fiction, brought to you by Mark W. Bradley who happens to be the father of The (liberal) Girl Next Door.


This promo for The Institute is now #3 in The Huffington Post's "Contagious Festival," but by viewing it, you can help it become #2 or even #1, defeating those insider contestants from California or wherever. So get busy! Viewer Advisory: This one actually IS "over the top!" Tell a friend!

"Could a 15-Year-Old With a Laptop Be the New Campaign Media Guru?"

Maybe.

Daily Kos's convention — the in-person gathering of the nation's most-read online political blog — was practically carpeted with presidential candidates. But perhaps the most notable presentation came from Ava Lowery, a 15-year-old from rural Alabama, whose homemade video was shown at the convention on jumbo television screens.

Ms. Lowery's video, set to the Queen song "We Will Rock You," contrasted the "liars" and "leakers" in the Bush administration with "those of us who choose to stand up for truth and justice." Her handiwork, which can be seen at Youtube.com (Ava Lowery's video), is a bit over the top ("NOT!"-Howie). But it shows that a 15-year-old with video software and Internet access can now create and disseminate a professional-quality political ad.

"Rove's Pass: A Window on the Real World"

Frank Dwyer on The Huffington Post:

Isn't it surprising how many people who believe the last two national elections were stolen; who do not believe in the integrity, honesty, or competence of the President and his cronies; who do not have any faith in either party in the Legislative branch, and who do not believe in the independence or integrity of the Supreme Court, nevertheless found themselves believing without reservation that Patrick Fitzgerald would save us and the Republic we were too feeble or confused or disheartened to try and save ourselves.

But why did we believe so much that the earnest, hard-working, blue-collar, non-partisan, Republican Special Counsel would follow wherever the evidence led and hold even the highest malefactors accountable; that he would show the world all Americans must obey the law, even those who believe their high office, or superior values, or special pipeline to Jesus exempt them. Why did we believe all that? I suspect if you put your faith in Fitzgerald, you did it for the same reasons I did: because you wanted to, because you needed to.

The point here (here and everywhere) is that no institutions in a democracy are safe if the party that holds power is ruthlessly determined to corrupt and subvert those institutions to keep that power, especially when the rest of us are too disorganized or demoralized or lazy or stupid or afraid to stop them.

Our situation is very serious. This country is in very great danger, more danger than it faced in 1861. (Even if it had split apart on Lincoln's watch, one part would still have been, potentially, honorable, good, just, faithful to the idea of the Constitution.)

I still have hope. Right now, I'm believing (because I want and need to believe) that Al Gore will run a strong, principled, passionate race; that he will defeat them more soundly than he did the last time; that he will lead progressive forces to save and preserve the democracy, not to mention the planet.

We need to decide very specifically what we want and who can best lead us in achieving it; and then we need to fight as hard as we can one more time to persuade enough Americans to vote with us--against greed, meanness, and corruption; for the Constitution and the idea of democracy. Can the American people elect a strong candidate who will rally other good-hearted Americans to achieve a plurality, who will expose the lies and cheats of his opponents without ever lying or cheating himself? Can we break the power of the corporate junta, the rich men and their henchmen (who think themselves above the law and the rest of us easily-manipulated fools)? Can we come together and then come home to the best idea of our union, dedicating ourselves once again to being--and doing--good in the world?

We really shouldn't argue too much with each other: we need to unite and move quickly, boldly, the way we would if we were being attacked by an enemy from another planet--because, in a very real sense, we are.

Ed Schultz Interviews Jason Leopold

Ed Schultz is covering the story on his show today, airing until 3pm on AM1090 or online here. Earlier, Jason Leopold told him he is still standing by his story and the information his sources gave him four weeks ago. The podcast of the interview with Leopold is posted here. Fitzgerald's office still refuses to comment.

"Join us for a RALLY THIS FRIDAY!"

"As many of you may have heard our president, George W. Bush, will be coming out to Seattle this Friday to raise money for Dave Reichert. He will be making campaign stops for only the most vulnerable seats. This is great news for the Darcy Burner campaign, because we know they are worried about democratic victory in this district. We need you to join us on Friday June 16th, to rally for Darcy and show your disapproval of the Republican administration and their congressional ally, Dave Reichert.

WHO: You and Other Concerned Citizens
WHAT: Rally
WHERE: Westlake Center, 400 Pine St, Seattle, 98101
WHEN: 11:15 am on Friday June 16th
WHY: To Show Dave Reichert and George Bush that We Are Fed Up and that candidates like Darcy will take back our congress; Please bring signs and enthusiasm!!!

Can We Count On You To Come?

Please RSVP, to Mina or Emily by calling (425) 454-0402."-from Darcy Burner for Congress.

"Thoughts on the DC Culture"

Booman takes a look at Yearly Kos and the Take Back America conference in DC. He sees differences.

There is definitely a much different feel to the conference in DC than the conference in Vegas. The DC crowd is much more ethnically diverse. It has a much bigger focus on single issues (all the groups are here). There are steelworkers and other hardhats here mingling with the NAACP, NOW, and the NCDR. This is a much better representation of the diversity of the left in this country than Yearly Kos. There is a certain sense of solidarity, but there is not anything like the sense of presumed friendship and comraderie I found in Las Vegas.

One of his commenters sees similarities.

Tipper Ready to Support Another White House Run

From ABC News:

She's spent five years recovering from the last run at the White House, but Tipper Gore says she's ready if her husband wants to do it again.

"If he were going to run in the future, of course I would support him," Tipper Gore told ABCNews' Claire Shipman in her first television interview in four years. "I think he'd be a fantastic president. He already got a majority of votes of people in this country once, and so that says something."

Al Gore is back in the political spotlight with his new documentary on global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth," and some are wondering if he'll make another run for president.

"I can't say yes, can't say no," Tipper Gore said. "He is saying he's not interested in running in '08."

Two More on Rove

From RAW STORY: "Video: Dean says Rove's 'real sin' going unpunished:

DEAN: If Karl Rove would have been indicted, it would have been for perjury. That does not excuse his real sin, which was leaking the name of an intelligence operative during a time of war. He doesn't belong in the White House, and if the President valued America more than he valued his connection to Karl Rove, Karl Rove would have been fired a long time ago. So, I think this is probably good news for the White House, but it's not very good news for America.

NBC: But what does it mean for Democrats in the context of the mid-term elections?

DEAN: I don't think it means anything. I think that, you know, Karl Rove is clearly the political mastermind behind the Republicans, but I think he would have continued to exercise that role even if he had been indicted. So, I don't think this means much."

"Statement from Christopher Wolf, attorney for outed CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson:

"We have become aware of the communication between Mr. Fitzgerald and Mr. Luskin concerning Karl. Rove's status in the criminal investigation. We have no first-hand knowledge of the reason for the communication or what further developments in the criminal investigation it may signal. While it appears that Mr. Rove will not be called to answer in criminal court for his participation in the wrongful disclosure of Valerie Wilson's classified employment status at the CIA in retaliation against Joe Wilson for questioning the rationale for war in Iraq, that obviously does not end the matter. The day still may come when Mr. Rove and others are called to account in a court of law for their attacks on the Wilsons."

- RAW STORY.

Peter Daou: "Random Rove Observations"

From Daou's personal web site, The Grit:

1. Candy Crowley positively giddy on CNN - laughing and calling him 'Karl' instead of Rove.

2. Big media outlets include the Jason Leopold fiasco in their coverage: here, here. Expect more of the same. And expect rightwing bloggers to have a field day with the Leopold angle.

3. Christy at FDL notes the prematurity of saying the case is over:
"[T]o spin this as the case being over is laziness on the part of David Johnston — and the media writ large, frankly — who have never dug into this case to realize that the players were larger than the Libby and Rove narrative frame that the corporate media types have conveniently used throughout the investigation. And that the be all and end all of the case was not the ultimate criminal charges, but the exposure of the smarmy underbelly of the Bush Administration and their standard MO of attacking, with a vengeance, anyone who dares to question them — even when those questions are not only appropriate but also expose them in a lie."

4. Beyond irony - Rove on veterans Murtha and Kerry (presumably in contrast to Bush):
"Speaking of Sen. John Kerry and Rep. John Murtha, Rove said, "They may be with you for the first shots. But they're not going . . . to be with you for the tough battles."

From Daou's Salon site, Daou Report:

What About Rove's Security Clearance? Media Matters: "As Media Matters repeatedly noted, the subject of Rove's security clearance has gone largely unreported by the news media. When the White House has faced questions about the clearance, it has repeatedly refused to answer, citing the "ongoing investigation." Now that Rove is apparently no longer the subject of an "ongoing investigation" into the Plame matter, Media Matters hopes reporters will demand answers about his security clearance."


MULTI MEDIUM: Fitz goes soft on us...
The prosecutor in the C.I.A. leak case on Monday advised Karl Rove, the senior White House adviser, that he would not be charged with any wrongdoing, effectively ending the nearly three-year criminal investigation that had at times focused intensely on Mr. Rove. Based on everything I've read about Fitz, the only conceivable (and non-tinfoil) explanation is that he didn't think he could prove wrongdoing. Rove is one slippery sumbitch. I think it's time for Jason Leopold to burn his sources (if indeed he ever had any) and go away forever.

DAVID CORN: The news today is that Karl Rove will not be indicted by Patrick Fitzgerald. I'll be back later with more on this. But first thought: that doesn't mean that Rove and the White House didn't do anything wrong. In fact, the White House falsely stated that (a) Rove (and Scooter Libby) were not involved in the leak and (b) that anyone involved would no longer work in the White House. Rove did tell two reporters (Robert Novak and Matt Cooper) about Joe Wilson's wife's employment at the CIA (undeniably classified information). And he's still working at the White House. What does that say about the man in charge of the White House?

“Good news for the White House, not so good news for America” (UPDATED)

UPDATE: "He doesn't belong in the White House. If the president valued America more than he valued his connection to Karl Rove, Karl Rove would have been fired a long time ago," said Dean, the Democratic Party chairman, speaking Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show.-from the AP story.

UPDATE: Jason Leopold is still saying that the "the grand jury empanelled in the case returned an indictment that was filed under seal in US District Court for the District of Columbia under the curious heading of Sealed vs. Sealed." If that is a fact, then perhaps Mr. Fitzgerald has chosen not to proceed to file charges in this matter.


Howard Dean, commenting on Rove's "get out of jail free" pass granted yesterday. -the quote is from the story by MSNBC, taken from Dean's appearance on the Today show this morning, airing in Seattle after 7AM on KING5.

Al Gore will be on Larry King tomorrow night (UPDATED)

UPDATE: Bev Marcus offers more details: 6:00 pm Pacific Time, replay at midnight PT.

"Former Vice President Al Gore's warning about global warming and what could happen if something isn't done soon."

That's it, except I don't have cable.

"BLOGGING FROM TAKE BACK AMERICA CONFERENCE"

David Swanson reports on a meeting for bloggers with movie star Robert Redford and Jerome Ringo, President of the Apollo Alliance, which is "challenging Americans to achieve energy independence by 2015."

Also: Howard Dean will appear on NBC's "Today Show" Tuesday morning at 7:00 AM.

Tipper Gore on Good Morning America Tomorrow (Tuesday) Morning (UPDATED)

UPDATE: Annie Robbins corrects the original post (below) with this comment:

HE WAS ELECTED, HE JUST WASN'T APPOINTED BY THE SUPREMES!!!

The First Lady of our Unelected President will be on ABC @ 7:35AM EST/CST/PST.

"Take Back America 2006" Conference

Another conference starts today. Here's the agenda and schedule. Ed Schultz opened his show today questioning whether it was just a "feel good" session or a serious attempt to "get the job done," put "boots on the ground" and "get the message across" in the fall elections. He used the Busby campaign as an example of how the job isn't getting done. Rahm Emanuel received his wrath. Schultz also warned that the blogosphere is not going to guarantee Democratic success this fall, either. His argument: the bloggers didn't protect Busby from the smear campaign after her little moment of mispeak.

Still More About YK and the Dems

"At Vegas blog-fest, it's not politics as usual"-- from MSNBC, with video of Kos on "Meet the Press."

Could this past weekend’s Yearly Kos convention -- the conclave of 900 activists sponsored by the Daily Kos web site -- turn out to be the most significant political gathering of 2006?

Here’s why it might be: The next Democratic presidential nominee will have to go with, or go over, or go around the left-populist-progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

Which 2008 candidate will the Kos universe back? Will next year’s Kos convention -- which Vilsack said will be "hopefully in Des Moines" -- amount to the first primary of the 2008 race?

Warner is working hard and spending lot of money to woo the Kos universe. “Let’s keep dating!” Warner joked as he ended his speech Saturday.

But Rathband (Grass-roots activist Jed Rathband of Portland, Maine, who runs an oil-buying cooperative) and others at Yearly Kos favor Al Gore. “My ‘08 candidate so far is Al Gore, absolutely Al,” Rathband said.

Another favorite of Kos-ites: Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold. Ubiquitous throughout the Kos weekend as he cultivated the bloggers was Trevor Miller, an operative for Feingold's political action committee. (Feingold himself was giving speeches to Democrats in Wisconsin and Minnesota.)

Andrew from Northwest Progressive Institute has "YearlyKos Reflections and Extra," with links to other blogs and the full text of Markos' appearance with Russert.

Here's a taste of post YK commentary from java fiend -

Let me say upfront that I'm still buzzing about the YearlyKos conference and will probably talk about it endlessly for the next month, continue to reference it for the next six and obsess for the following five months until the second YearlyKos conference comes around. After that, I will probably start it all over again... it's a vicious cycle, I tell you.

After the luncheon, my friend, her son and I hung out by the pool with none other than Ambassador Wilson and Larry Johnson. My friend is friends with Ambassador Wilson and initially I declined her invitation to go hang out and have a few drinks, but she talked me into it. I felt like a tool the whole time we were out there, like I was totally out of place. My friend and Ambassador Wilson had a lot to catch up on, but her son and I had like nothing to add to the conversation and largely sat there listening. I mean what do I have to say to somebody like Ambassador Wilson??? I did manage a brief conversation with Larry Johnson, but nothing really in-depth. It's lame. There is so much I would have loved to have discussed with them, talked to them about, but no, I sat there like a tool, quieter than Helen Keller. Yeah, I guess maybe I was a little star-struck and combine that with my natural shyness and yeah... It was surreal sitting there with two people that I admire so much.

There are so many thoughts going through my head. This conference was amazing. It truly was unique and it was magical. I'll write more about it later though. I have to be up early to get back to the ol' salt mines. Yeah, I'm not looking forward to that. Ugh.

The last word (for now) goes to Booman, from his post "Back from Yearly Kos" -

I was concerned about the way the convention became a kind of near endorsement of Mark Warner, and I will probably have more to say on that later. But, by way of a quick clarification, I don't think Warner did anything wrong. I think Jerome Armstrong deserves a doubling in salary for the job he did for Warner. And I don't think Markos did anything wrong, either. I'll get into the details of what concerns me another time. Suffice to say, getting called 'low class' by Markos was something that will have to be revisited. But not now.

In Case You Still Want More About YK and the Dems

"A Single-Step Guide For Democrats," from georgia10, tries to cut through all the advice being tossed at the Dems.

Andrew concludes (I think) his live blogging from the road.

Lynn from Evergreen Politics gives us "YearlyKos ... it's a wrap."

It sounds a little dramatic but David Sirota sees "The Civil War at the Center of the Democratic Party."

"Democrats link with blogosphere" is from the Chicago Tribune.

The Stranger's Eli Sanders needs some healing: "Antidote to Las Vegas: The Capitol Hill Farmers’ Market."

"Horse's ass radio"

Here's the scoop from Michael Hood on blatherWatch:

David Goldstein has announced tonight's topics for his 2nd ever radio show to air on 710-KIRO from 7-10p.

7PM: The Stranger’s Eli Sanders is back from Vegas where he witnessed the blogger revolution at Yearly Kos. He’ll fill us in on the details, and maybe give us a first hand account of Tim Eyman’s failure in Olympia this week.

8PM: Chris Van Dyk from Citizens for More Important Things will join us to talk the Sonics, Key Arena, and his group’s Initiative 91 to prohibit public subsidies of professional sports stadiums. Are the Sonics worth $200 million in taxpayer money? How about the Storm? Or do we have other priorities? (You know, things like schools.)

9PM: Was the 2004 Presidential election stolen? The Seattle Weekly’s Geov Parrish joins me to talk about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stunning expose on Rolling Stone, and why the traditional media won’t cover it. What does this mean for WA state and our move to all vote-by-mail?

Tune in or stream live and join the debate tonight from 7 to 10PM. Call me at 877-710-KIRO (5476) or leave a comment here, and I promise I’ll actually try to read the thread.

Sunday Brunch Buffet (UPDATED)

UPDATE: I am told that Markos said on "Meet the Press" today that in a survey by DailyKOS, 68% responded as "supporting Al."

Riverbend puts the latest news from Iraq in perspective.

To hell with Zarqawi (or Zayrkawi as Bush calls him). He was an American creation- he came along with them- they don't need him anymore, apparently. His influence was greatly exaggerated but he was the justification for every single family they killed through military strikes and troops. It was WMD at first, then it was Saddam, then it was Zarqawi. Who will it be now? Who will be the new excuse for killing and detaining Iraqis? Or is it that an excuse is no longer needed- they have freedom to do what they want. The slaughter in Haditha months ago proved that. "They don't need him anymore," our elderly neighbor waved the news away like he was shooing flies, "They have fifty Zarqawis in government."

It's on the front page of the Washington Post, so it must be true: "Democratic campaign fundraising beginning to close long time GOP advantage."

Markos gets the star treatment there from Dan Balz, via the Seattle Times. But if you wanted to catch him this morning (in Seattle, at least) on "Meet the Press," you had to be up at 5AM. Tennis rules.

More details emerge about Al's Tonight Show gig:

Gore also jokes he might consider a nude scene in his next movie if the script had integrity and it advanced the story.

On the serious side, Gore says he has no plans to run for president again. He says he's "been there and done that."

Yearly Kos: Winding Down and Wrapping Up

AdNag finds "A Mixed Bag of First Impressions by Democrats at Blog Rendezvous."

The Next Hurrah has a bunch of posts from YK.

The Observor (UK) has "Top politicians pay homage to king of bloggers."

Andrew from Northwest Progressive Institute features Harry Reid's closing address.

So does Eli Saunders on The Stranger's Blog.

Meanwhile, Russ Feingold tells Wisconsin Democrats, "Don't play it safe."

Peter Daou: "Understanding YearlyKos" (UPDATED)

UPDATE: I was in a hurry when I posted this and didn't have the time to digest it. Here's my nomination for the most salient point:

...the real question for the progressive netroots and the establishment media alike is whether or not the online community will prevail upon the media to stop caving in to rightwing pressure.

If you go to the link, the argument is

The defining issue of our time is the media. Whatever issue you care most about, media coverage of that issue is likely a key stumbling block to real, progressive change.

Daou breaks it down.

Video from YearlyKos

Markos, Dean, Boxer and Tom Tomorrow.

"Markos and Warner are Getting a Little Cozy"

Booman warns us about the trend.

I'm not bashing Mark Warner. I'm not questioning Markos's gratefulness to Warner, or his decision to give Warner the keynote spot. But, I don't think the Kossack community is ready to give up the fight for a more progressive candidate and more progressive politics a full two years before the election. And we are going to see a battle royale between those that think Russ Feingold or John Edwards are the proper candidates to carry the orange banner and those that are won over by coconut shrimp, and free kosmopolitans and t-shirts.

And not a peep about Al.

"Gathering Highlights Power of the Blog"

AdNag concedes the obvious.

Andrew from NW Progressive Institute continues his live blogging, including a rush transcript of Howard Dean's remarks there this morning, including the Q&A session afterwards.Here's a juicy tidbit meant to entice you to read the whole thing.

The people in this room have the responsibility for leading this revolution. But the perspective I want to leave you with is this: there will be things within the tent that we disagree with. We’re not a healthy movement if we don’t have those disagreement. But healthy movements managed to maintain their effectiveness in spite of disagreements; the unhealthy ones succumbed to personal disagreements and backbiting.

Eli Sanders from The Stranger is also updating on The Stranger's Blog. He's got photos, including Howard Dean giving his speech and switzerblog pointing a finger during the drunken gathering of Washington state bloggers and Kossacks. No, not that finger. And I don't know for sure if anyone was drunk. I don't want to get switzer in trouble with his lovely wife.

"June 16 Protest: Bush in Bellevue for $1000 a Head Fundraiser"

"Call to Action! Bush is coming to Bellevue, WA! The puppet of the war machine in person, in Cascadia. He's coming to Bellevue to help raise campaign funds for ol' Rubber Bullet Reichert.

Date: June 16 (Friday), Mid-morning (please get there early)

Location: Bellevue, WA: Bellevue Square - Meydenbauer Park. March to the Medina mansion of Microsoft executive Peter Neupert

This visit needs to be protested because the "Control of House may hinge here"... (Neil Modie-Sea PI-June 1,2006)"-more details from seattle indymedia center.

Seattle P-I Publisher: We Blew It on RFK Jr. Story

"This is a stunning admission.

The associate publisher of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Kenneth Bunting, has written an essay in which he decries the lack of coverage in the MSM, incluing his own newspaper, of Robert Kennedy Jr.'s Rolling Stone story on the Ohio 2004 election. And he frankly states that blogs have done a better job of discussing and debating the story."-from the diary by quaoar on Kos.
Thanks to Annie Robbins for the tip.

"Murtha To Run For Majority Leader If Democrats Take The House"

"WASHINGTON -- Rep. John Murtha, a 16-term Democrat known for his close ties to the military and his outspoken opposition to the war in Iraq, said Friday he will run for House majority leader if Democrats win control in November.

Murtha, 73, wrote in a letter to Democratic colleagues that he would seek the post "if we prevail, as I hope and know we will, and return to the majority this next Congress."

"I would appreciate your consideration and vote and look forward to speaking to you personally about my decision," he wrote.

Murtha, regarded as a close ally of Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, has taken his party's lead in demanding an early withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. He served in Vietnam as a Marine and he has a reputation in Congress as a strong friend of the military."-Washington Post.

This makes me happy.

"What Happens in Vegas..."

Our local contingent (Andrew and Lynn) blog on, while the national press rediscovers the blogosphere: "Not just Bush-haters in bathrobes" and "Liberal Bloggers Gather in Las Vegas" give you the flavor of what happens when traditional journalists try to understand the netroots. Like any stopped clock, they are right at least twice a day. Out of town, the advice to the Dems continues: "A Gift to Democrats:"

Here’s why Democrats would be smart to invest in young people:

1) They actually like us. This is the only age group that voted for Kerry.
2) They will vote if we reach out to them effectively. Young people had the largest increase in voter participation of any age group in 2004.
3) There are a lot of them, 60 to 70 million. This generation is almost as large as the Baby Boomers.
4) This is most diverse generation ever in America. One in three is a racial minority.
5) We keep losing when we write young people off. Democrats have to try something new if we expect a different result.

The numbers alone make it clear that this group could not only make an electoral difference immediately. But, more important, losing them now could mean losing them for the rest of their lives. We decided that getting young people involved, aware, and persuaded would be the best long- and short-term investment we could make. Nearly every Washington insider who came through our office told us we were wasting our money because young people don’t vote and when they do it is for Republicans. Worse, we were accused of being dangerous for drawing money from programs that are proven to ones that are way too risky.

Rather than allowing this sort of thinking to become a self-fulfilling prophecy, we chose to ignore this advice and invest in things we thought had the chance of working as opposed to the certainty of failure. That has turned out to be our smartest political decision yet. Our investment in young people delivered the greatest bang for the buck of any political investment we have ever made.

So now that the numbers are in, why isn’t the DNC making a major investment in young people? Why do College Democrats continue to have a budget so small that it can’t support more than a couple staff people? Does the Democratic Party know of another untapped, massive progressive voting bloc that we could mobilize?

If you look at how Howard Dean is spending his time, I’d have to guess he thinks evangelicals are the key for Democrats. To that I say good luck and let me know how it went for you in December 2006 when we are wondering why voters abandoned the Democrats again in the final months of the campaign. Then, I will once again suggest that is might be easier and more effective to turn out young people who actually agree with us than to change an evangelical’s mind.

-Deborah Rappaport on The Huffington Post.

"Bush is coming to campaign for Reichert, against us"

"We've done it! Because you have made this one of the hottest races in the county, Karl Rove is sending George Bush to campaign for Reichert and against us.

Karl Rove knows that Dave Reichert is in serious trouble and that control of Congress hinges on this seat. That's why he has sent the President here to raise money for him.

Rove, Bush and Reichert think that they can buy this seat.

Please help us stop them.

Please go to my website and donate generously.

Contribute Here

We know that George Bush will raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Dave Reichert in one day. Can you help us match them?

George Bush will raise big dollars from a few people in one day. Let's match Bush by getting many people to give what they can in the coming two weeks. Please go to my website and donate generously.

Contribute Here

They know what we know: we can win. Let's make sure they can't buy this seat. Please help us stop them by going to my website and donating generously."-Darcy Burner.

MULTI-Media

The big news locally is that "Goldy gets the job!" The job is a regular radio gig on KIRO, Sunday nights from 7-10pm. I always knew Goldy would get something like this, but didn't think it would happen this fast. Talk about "Crashing the Gates"--this quite amazing.

Meanwhile, down in Vegas, the local bloggers (Lynn and Andrew) and the national bloggers are gathering for Yearly Kos. You can follow the action there with them. howieinseattle is remaining in Seattle.

Back in the mundane world, "How the Press Discriminates Against Democrats" reminds us (yet again) how bad it really is out there, past the comfy confines of the blogosphere.

"Someone Else for President" (UPDATED)

UPDATE [2006-6-9 14:46:59 by howieinseattle]: I haven't actually heard from anyone who saw Al last night, but I did hear a report on the radio that claimed he was more "charming" than ever and reported Al joked that since he was now a movie star, he was "feuding with Lindsey Lohan."
UPDATE [2006-6-9 5:55:7 by howieinseattle]: Anybody manage to watch Al last night? I fell asleep.

The above is about all Democrats can agree on these days. There is so much talk about why Busby lost, and what "the message should be." Are the political consultants the problem or is rural America the answer (Brian Schweitzer) or is it someone with red state appeal (Mark Warner). It goes on and on. In the meantime there's Al Gore, who will be on Jay Leno tonight. Is he the "new" Al or are we just appreciating the "old" Al more?

"Statement On Behalf Of Lt. Ehren Watada"

NOTE: Formatting problems (below) courtesy of http://www.blogger.com/home

In spite of an oppressive political environment and a media establishment that has shown little courage or integrity, individual citizens continue to express their outrage and opposition to the war in Iraq.

One generation ago the peoples of the world asked themselves:
Where were the "good" Germans? Well, there were some good Germans. The
Lutheran theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was the foremost
exemplar of someone who led a life of principled opposition to the
Nazi-terror state even unto death.

Today the peoples of the world are likewise asking themselves:
Where are the "good" Americans? Well, there are some good Americans.
They are getting prosecuted for protesting against illegal U.S. military
interventions and war crimes around the world. First Lieutenant Ehren
Watada is America's equivalent to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Vaclav Havel,
Andrei Sakharov, Wei Jingsheng, Aung San Suu Kyi, and others. He is the
archetypal American Hero whom we should be bringing into our schools and
teaching our children to emulate, not those wholesale purveyors of
gratuitous violence and bloodshed adulated by the U.S. government,
America's power elite, the mainstream corporate news media, and its
interlocked entertainment industry.

In international legal terms, the Bush Jr. administration itself
should now be viewed as constituting an ongoing criminal conspiracy
under international criminal law in violation of the Nuremberg Charter,
the Nuremberg Judgment, and the Nuremberg Principles, because of its
formulation and undertaking of wars of aggression, crimes against peace,
crimes against humanity, and war crimes that are legally akin to those
perpetrated by the former Nazi regime in Germany. As a consequence,
American citizens and soldiers such as Lieutenant Watada possess the
basic right under international law and the United States domestic law,
including the U.S. Constitution, to engage in acts of civil resistance
in order to prevent, impede, thwart, or terminate ongoing criminal
activities perpetrated by U.S. government officials in their conduct of
foreign affairs policies and military operations purported to relate to
defense and counter-terrorism. If not so restrained, the Bush Jr.
administration could very well precipitate a Third World War.

from the commentary by Francis A. Boyle, Professor of International Law on AfterDowningStreet.org.

Hillary, Mark,Jerome, Al and Howard

While some party animal bloggers head off to Vegas, here are some recent utterances for all of us to ponder:

"Some rank-and-file Democrats fear Clinton bid ---Activists express doubts about whether senator should be party’s nominee"-from Tom Curry on MSNBC.

Public opinion polls, as well as inside-the-Beltway punditry, suggest that Sen. Hillary Clinton is the front-runner for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

A Gallup Poll in February found that 39 percent of self-described Democrats and Democratic “leaners” would be most likely to support Clinton for the 2008 nomination. The next closest Democrat was 2004 nominee Sen. John Kerry with 15 percent.

But recent interviews with dozens of active Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire, the states that hold the first caucus and primary of 2008, reveal that many party members who vote in those early contests don’t want Clinton as their nominee.

Coincidentally(?) "Warner Questions Clinton's Viablity" pops up today.

Mark Warner (D), who is eyeing a possible 2008 presidential bid, “questioned in a television interview last night whether Senator Hillary Clinton has widespread enough appeal to prevail in a national race,” reports the New York Times.

"After saying he had ‘tremendous respect’ for Mrs. Clinton and calling her a ‘formidable candidate’ for national office, Mr. Warner said that Mrs. Clinton was not the presumptive Democratic nominee."

And Jerome Armstrong steps out front and center with a revealing interview on The Huffington Post.

HP: I would think that Howard Dean and Mark Warner are very different people, coming from a different place and running or beginning to run very, very different campaigns, does your support of Warner show a change in thinking on your part? A more pragmatic approach perhaps?

JA: Well, I've always been pragmatic, because Governors are who win Presidential elections, and the early Howard Dean was quite different than Iowa's Howard Dean, in the sense of his demeanor. I still believe though that Howard Dean would have won in 2004 had he gotten the nomination, because the main issue was Iraq, and certainly the move to invade and occupy Iraq was not a pragmatic choice.

The movement around Dean's candidacy within the Democratic Party was a key component to the revitalization of the progressive agenda. It brought into politics a whole new generation (not by age but by activism) of political involvement. And now that vanguard has grown from a notable opposition (for example, to the Iraq policy) within the Democratic Party to the current Republican policies to becoming the position of strong majority. There's no choice but to change the course of what we are doing in Iraq, and that's not an issue of debate among Democrats.

But if we are going to really change the direction of this nation, it's going to be through winning over many of those that have been voting Independent and Republican this decade. I want a proven turn-around artist in this regard, and Mark Warner stands out among the other potential '08 contenders. He's someone that's not only changed the map and won with the backing of those types of voters, but he's turned that mandate into progressive solutions for the problems that Virginia faced.


HP: What if Howard Dean gets tired of taking the Metro to the DNC and decides to run in 2008? What do you do then when the Deaniacs call?

JA: The line will be busy.

Meanwhile, Howard Dean tells Al Gore "Keep Fighting."

Hurricane season has arrived -- and two fresh studies point to a link between global warming and an increase in the number and power of storms like Hurricane Katrina.

What are Republicans doing about it? They're smearing former Vice President Al Gore.

One right-wing pundit compared Gore to Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propagandist. Another right-winger, who's been on the payroll of corporate special interests, likened Gore's pursuit of solutions to global warming to Adolf Hitler's pursuit of genocide.

I'm sending Al a note this week telling him to keep fighting, to keep standing up for the truth no matter how vicious the attacks. I thought he might like to hear from you, too. Sign on to this note of thanks, and add your own note of encouragement here.

"Ohio 2004: The Howard Dean Interview"

UPDATE: Just after I posted this, I remembered this little item, which is hardly surprising: "Ohio Voters Accuse Secy Of State And Gubernatorial Candidate Blackwell Of Trying To Rig November's Election..." They are referring to the election in 2006, btw.

Rolling Stone: How confident are you Ohio in 2004 was fairly decided?

Howard Dean: I’m not confident that the election in Ohio was fairly decided. We did our own Democratic party study in Ohio with a panel of experts. We absolutely know that there was a systematic voter suppression. We couldn’t say one way or another if the election was stolen. We couldn’t rule it out, but we couldn’t prove that it was. We know that there was substantial voter suppression, and the machines were not reliable. That’s clear.

RS: What is the Democratic game plan to avoid these problems in 2006?

HD: What are we going to do about it? It’s frustrating because we don’t control the levers of power. This is going to be a very critical election in 2006. We’re very aware that there’s huge potential for additional mischief in 2006. We have no doubt that some of the folks who were active in vote suppression will be active again. It’s very, very difficult to deal with it. We just have to keep pushing forward doing the best we can. The real question is why the mainstream media won’t write about this.

RS: You’ve been sounding the alarm on touch-screen voting machines, particularly Diebold machines. Why?

HD: Touch-screen voting machines absolutely cannot be relied upon. Our recommendation was optiscan ballots — where you actually have custody of the actual ballots after the ballots have been passed through the computer. That’s the most reliable system to use. And people should not use the electronic voting machines. Even electronic voting machines with paper trails can be manipulated."-from the new Rolling Stone interview. Good to see this in the RS and good to hear Howard speaking out. Check it out.

"Darcy Burner TIME"

Once again Goldy shoots and scores. From the story in TIME:

Darcy Burner knew that prospective Democratic candidates sometimes left in tears after meeting Representative Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, who heads the party’s efforts to recapture the House and was the one-man screening committee for recruits. Burner, an alumna of Harvard and Microsoft, didn’t cry. But she found the wiry former Clinton Administration official as ruthless as any corporate chieftain she had known, as he went down a checklist of questions, including one at the top he had written to himself: Is she worth the investment of my time and the committee’s money?

“Apparently, it didn’t occur to him that I could read upside down,” Burner recalls. Or maybe he didn’t care. Either way, at the end of all his queries about polls and consultants and budgets, she asked him, “How are we doing on No. 1?”

“The jury is still out,” Emanuel said with studied bluntness.

Burner, who wanted to run in a district that stretches from wealthy Seattle suburbs to farmland at the base of Mount Rainier, passed muster. Now the two are bonded on a historic adventure–the Democrats’ increasingly promising quest to evict Republicans from the leadership suites they have occupied for the past dozen years. “This Microsoft mom is going to be part of us taking back the Congress,” Emanuel said hoarsely at a rally in a Mercer Island, Wash., community center last week.

Equal parts coach, babysitter and disciplinarian, Emanuel, 46, has groomed Burner and 21 other varsity challengers–seven more than the number of seats that Democrats need to take control of the House.

New Russ Feingold Interview: Washington Post

Chris Cillizza and Dan Balz sat down for an in-depth interview with Feingold. Here's the transcript.

"Another Washington State Convention Report"

"I was sitting in the front row for much of the State Convention next to our friend Andrew V. the live-blogger; as you will see, our reports are quite different! We all tend to see and hear what reinforces our preconceived opinions...don't rely for info on one eyewitness report...not even mine.
WARNING: picture-heavy content.

After the opening speeches, Senator Maria Cantwell was extolled as our savior by Dwight Pelz, Jim McDermott, and a videotaped Bill Clinton (a lighting artiste could minimize those Hefty Bags under your eyes, Bill). In case anyone might not have noticed the Cantwell stickers affixed to each WA County sign, or still might not know who is the star of the show, Maria was preceded as usual by a marching drum corps and a large contingent of enthused cheerleaders. These included Ivan,(34th LD Chair) who looked very fetching in Maria's blue & green dancing star T-shirt. No pic of that, I regret to say.

Cantwell gave her usual energetic & polished campaign speech--lots about her political upbringing, energy policy, education, and environment--devoting only a line or two to the "Year of Transition" in Iraq. Too bad such a talented politician is so full of shit on several crucial issues, was my regretful feeling.

A number of mutinous delegates held antiwar signs or chanted "no war"--one woman even paraded her sign in front of the podium while Cantwell spoke. This woman apparently takes pride in her habit of getting in people's faces, because she did so repeatedly during the platform debates--more about that later.

Lastly, the catchy 80s tune "We are Family (Aren't We)?" as Cantwell exited.

A Cantwell T-shirted girl told me she thought my protest was classy, not obnoxious: I held an antiwar sign, but chose not to chant, and even applauded parts of Maria's speech that I approved of."-from the post by dinazina on Washblog.

KIMA had this report,"Democrats Set Up Shop In Yakima," (text and video).

"More Democrats want their leaders to stand up against Bush, war"

"MANCHESTER, N.H. - Anti-war and anti-Bush fervor is growing among rank and file Democrats, threatening to pull the party to the left and creating a rift between increasingly belligerent activists and the party's leaders in Washington.

Many outside-the-Beltway Democrats want the party to turn forcefully against the war in Iraq and to investigate, censure or even impeach President Bush should the party win control of Congress this fall.

Yet party leaders such as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York have maintained support for the war while criticizing the way Bush handled it, and have shied away from talk of using power to go to after him.

The fault line is evident as Democrats gather for spring and summer sessions filled with demands for bolder action by the congressional wing of their party, especially if they win control of the House or Senate in November.

In Ohio, the state that decided the last presidential election and is a pivotal battleground for this year's congressional elections, the state party chairman notes that the two top statewide candidates voted against the war and says 2008 candidates who did support it have some explaining to do.

And nationally, one poll shows that more than eight out of 10 Democrats now believe the United States should have stayed out of Iraq. The same poll for CBS News this spring showed that more than three out of five Democrats want U.S. troops out of Iraq as soon as possible, even if the country is not stable.

In one sign of the shifting sentiment, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass, a possible repeat candidate for president, told supporters in an e-mail last week that "most members of Congress, myself included, share some responsibility for getting us into Iraq."

Another potential candidate, former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, says he made a mistake in voting to authorize the war.

And those who did vote against it now brag about it.

"My vote against this misbegotten war is the best vote I have cast in the United States Senate since I was elected in 1962," Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., told his state's Democratic convention on Friday.

"I never bought into it," Feingold said to applause from more than 600 activists at New Hampshire's state Democratic convention Saturday. "I didn't just write an op-ed (article) about it. I voted against it."

That vote, as well as his opposition to the Patriot Act and his call to censure Bush for eavesdropping on phone calls between the United States and suspected terrorists overseas, brought delegates to their feet in at least five standing ovations.

"He's one who stood up. He's a hero to a lot of Democrats," said Debbie Marcaurelle of Wolfeboro. "It's coming in our direction."

"He was the only one who was really thinking," said Lori Hitchcock, a Democrat from Nottingham. "The others were gutless. ... They're just coming around now because it's so obvious the people are against the war. ... We need leaders, not followers."

"His message resonates with people," said Lou D'Allesandro, a veteran state senator from Manchester who added that presidential candidates who voted to authorize the war "are going to have to recognize that in retrospect it was the wrong thing to do. It's no crime to say you made a mistake."

But admitting a crucial mistake, not to mention coming out in direct opposition to the war, could scare politicians who fear that opposing even an unpopular war could be seen as being anti-military.

"Some of our elected officials feel somewhat leery of looking being weak on national security issues because Republicans have been successful in the past painting Democrats as weak on national security," said New Hampshire Democratic Party chairwoman Kathy Sullivan. "That's where the tension comes from."

That tension created political doubletalk, Feingold said, that hurt the party in 2002 and 2004 because it wasn't clear what Democrats believed.

"There were all kinds of ways that people were trying to be against the war without really being against it," he said after his speech.

In Ohio, two members of the House who voted against authorizing the war top the Democratic ticket: Rep. Ted Strickland, the nominee for governor; and Rep. Sherrod Brown, the nominee for Senate.

"Ohio is growing increasingly wary of the war, both weary and wary," said Chris Redfern, the Ohio Democratic Party chairman.

He said Ohio Democrats would vote for a 2008 presidential candidate who voted to authorize the war, but only if he or she backed off their vote.

"Ohioans are prepared to embrace a candidate who voted for the war, like Sen. Kerry or former Sen. Edwards, who is able to come back as Sen. Edwards has and say, I was wrong," Redfern said.

"Of the serious candidates, any member (of Congress) who voted for it is going to have to articulate their positions here in Ohio about how they changed," he said. "That happens. It happened during Vietnam. It's going to happen in Iraq."

CORRECTION: A story about the rising popularity of antiwar views among Democrats should have indicated that the call by Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., to censor President Bush was for Bush allowing eavesdropping without warrants. Feingold favors eavesdropping on suspected terrorists so long as it’s authorized by a court-issued warrant."-from the Knight-Ridder story.

"How to Grow a Democratic Majority"

RECENTLY, an internal disagreement in the Democratic Party made headlines. That probably sounds familiar, since disagreements over party strategy are nothing new in the Democratic Party.

But the recent conflict between Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, chairman of the Democratic campaign committee in the House, and Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is more than just another family squabble — it shows just how difficult changing the course of party history can be.

What is missing from the current debate is a clearer appreciation for how the Democrats got to where they are today, and how the current leaders might learn from the record of the past.

Since the New Deal, Democrats have given party building short shrift. Democratic presidents tended to use the formal party apparatus as an instrument for raising money but looked to other vehicles for building political support. They relied on organized labor to get out the vote; on urban machines and congressmen in the South to control local party operations; and on the strength of incumbents to win their own re-elections.

Republicans did not emerge from the minority by trying to win a bare majority in the House or Senate. They put their organization to work for them and discovered that party building bred more party building.

This seems to be precisely what Howard Dean is trying to do. By developing an organizational structure now, Mr. Dean hopes that the Democrats will have something sturdy to rely on if, and when, they win back the White House.

It's uncertain whether Mr. Dean will succeed. After all, Mr. Emanuel makes a persuasive argument for his approach. Why should the Democrats trade a chance to win the House now for an uncertain future?

The answer? Because a victory now will most likely be short-term. As the Republicans have shown, creating a durable electoral majority requires a firm organizational foundation, something the Democrats don't have. But if Mr. Dean can hold fast to his plan, they just might be on the way to getting one.

-from op-ed by Daniel Galvin the NY Times.

Sunday Night: Goldy Storms the Seattle AM Talk Radio Gates

And he brought along some of his favorite blogger buddies, too. Michael Hood from blatherWatch runs it all down.

"Call Sens. Murray and Cantwell: Stop Estate Tax Repeal"

"Later this week, with very little media attention or public fanfare, Senate Leader Bill Frist is aiming to push through a tax break for the ultra-rich that could cost the federal government up to one TRILLION dollars in the coming decade. That's not a typo: if the Senate permanently repeals the Estate Tax, a few thousand Americans could end up a trillion dollars richer—and our budget will be a trillion dollars poorer.1

Former Exxon CEO Lee Raymond (who just got a $400 million dollar retirement package) will save $164 million.2 President Bush will personally save up to $6 million. Vice President Cheney will save up to $60.7 million.3.

Republicans are three votes away from winning and Sens. Murray and Cantwell's vote could make all the difference. Can you call Sens. Murray and Cantwell and tell them that this is not the time to cut the Estate Tax?

Senator Patty Murray
Phone: 202-224-2621

Senator Maria Cantwell
Phone: 202-224-3441


Then, please report your call by clicking here. -from MoveOn.

The Media and "An Inconvenient Truth"

One of my take away messages from "An Inconventient Truth" is that the media is not giving us the information we need to discover the truth. I know, you knew that already. So this morning, I happen to find a bunch of posts that support, once again, this argument.

"TV Reporters Decry Drop in Iraq Coverage" ---How can we ever gain some understanding of how to end this nightmare without current information?

By the end of April, the amount of time devoted to Iraq on the weeknight newscasts of the three major television networks had dropped nearly 60% from 2003, according to the independent Tyndall Report tracking service.

Even before Monday's attack in a relatively placid section of Baghdad, some network television correspondents had reached the unsettling conclusion that, even as they were risking their lives in the war zone, audiences and producers in America had grown weary of much of the coverage from Iraq.

"Exxon CEO: "We're Going To Be An Active Participant In This [Global Warming] Debate. We're Just Going To Have To Disagree"... ---So they are flat out telling us that will continue to use the media to refute the scientific evidence. Once you misrepresent the truth, it's hard to acknowledge it.

The company still believes oil prices will come down from their lofty $70 a barrel levels, unlike others in the industry who think high oil prices are here to stay. It still views the science behind global warming with skepticism. And you won't see it investing in wind or solar energy any time soon.

"The term scientific consensus is an oxymoron in itself," Tillerson said when one shareholder suggested there was consensus on global warming.

"Can Pacifica Live Up to Its Promise?"--- The 'alternative media' is not immune to careerism and corporate inertia.

What needs to be scrutinized is the collusion of incumbent programmers, many of whom were put in place by the previous utterly corrupt management, with the current management that seems resistant to change -- and stays in place largely because of support from incumbent programmers. Some local board members seem to be joining such cliques; others seem reluctant to assert their power to reform the network.

People need to demand excellence from their independent media; not simply to repeat platitudes, but to provide a serious news, information and cultural infrastructure that exposes the mainstream media as the dinosaurs they are.

One final example: "AP spinning for GOP?"--- The question is rhetorical.

What other conclusion could be drawn from this headline: "Prospective Democratic Chairs All Liberal"? Here we go. Scare tactics with the L-word. Straight from the mouths of the GOP."

"The wiretapping scam"

"Karl Rove or his White House troglodytes shape discussion around themes that distract the public from the issues and place the incompetent and corrupt Bush Administration in a patriotic light. The current subterfuge deals with the Administration’s “security need” to monitor telephone calls – vital intelligence. “If Al-Qaeda phones the U.S., we want to know about it,” said Bush, defending the constitutionally dubious and very massive eavesdropping program.

In fact, little “vital intelligence” derives from phone monitoring. Nor do eavesdropping agencies seem to care about getting good intelligence. On September 10, 2001, for example, NSA experts encountered a seemingly juicy Arabic phone call. But they didn’t translate the message, “tomorrow is zero hour,” until September 12.

“Real intelligence,” Special Agent of the FBI Robert Scherrer told me in 1980, “comes from framing the right question and finding the person with the right answer; not the paid informant who tells you what he thinks you want to hear so he can keep getting paid. Phone intercepts masquerading as “vital raw intelligence,” became a political ruse. Congress now debates whether “war on terrorism” justifies warrant-less intercepts, which presumes that eavesdropping will provide terrorism “experts” with material to protect the nation. As if!

No Member of Congress has asked: “Why doesn’t the intelligence community [a term that debases both words] use its intelligence and ask people who know something?”

Billions of dollars get spent on spy satellite photography and signal intercepts, but little effort goes into sharing with decision makers the views of scholars who actually know about Muslim terrorists. Instead of reading insightful articles and books on the subject, NSA and CIA mavens rely on technology and biased sources to pierce the nether world of terrorism.

Look how Karl Rove framed the issue: tap phones of those who reported on kidnapping, illegal spying and torture to find the leakers, rather than discuss the illegal policies. As Rove faces indictment for his role in obstructing justice in leaking former covert CIA op Valerie Plame’s name, his mastery of mis-framing issues continues to confound Congress – to Bush’s advantage and the detriment of Democrats and Truth. "-Saul Landau on Progreso Weekly.

"Democrats see turning point"-Pelz Kicks Ass

UPDATE: Today's Seattle P-I catches up to the story with "Cantwell critics, backers trade chants at convention," from the AP.

"Democratic Party leaders on Saturday lashed out at President Bush and the Republicans and vowed to seize on what they described as a "golden opportunity" to win back one or both houses of the Congress and expand Democratic dominance in Olympia.

State Democratic Chairman Dwight Pelz told about 1,000 delegates gathered for the party's convention that there is a "fresh breeze blowing" in America.

"History will record that America's flirtation with the Republican right-wing agenda ended in 2006," Pelz said.

Pelz, in his first year as party chairman, got things rolling with a scathing attack on Republicans.

"George Bush and his corrupt Congress have attacked the basic foundations of our middle class — our employer-based health-care system, our pension system, Social Security and Medicare," Pelz said.

But the most boisterous cheers came when Pelz proclaimed that, if Democrats succeed in taking back the U.S. House or Senate, "We will have subpoena power and we will investigate ... Bush, Cheney, Donald [Rumsfeld] and [former House Majority Leader Tom] Delay and we will reveal to the American people what these people knew and when they knew it."

Pelz also took shots at the state GOP, describing the party's new immigration plank as part of a "growing xenophobic movement" in the nation."

-from today's Seattle Times story.

I have to tell Dwight to quit using those big words when reporters are present: "xen·o·pho·bic--fear of foreigners: an intense fear or dislike of foreign people, their customs and culture, or foreign things."

They also cover the anti-Maria action.

Al Gore: "I would not have imagined ...." (UPDATED)

UPDATE: Full text here, courtesy of Atrios.

"Tuesday I listened to the broadcast of Terry Gross's 30-minute interview with Al Gore on "Fresh Air" from NPR. The first part focused on Gore's recently released documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." But late in the interview Gore's talk turned to corporate corruption and the do-nothing Congress, then ended with a magnificent summary of this government's betrayal of the Constitution and the public's acquiescence.

Here's my transcription of that segment—

TERRY GROSS [at 34:40]: Does it ever amaze you how much the world has changed since you ran for the Presidency?
....

Did you imagine that that much change would even be possible?


AL GORE: No. No, I did not. And I'm not alone in that.

You know, the premise of that Saturday Night Live skit was the existence of an alternate universe, and (laughing) there are people who sort of voluntarily say now it feels as if we've entered an alternate universe.

I would not have imagined, for example, that Americans could be routinely torturing helpless captives in the name of the American people and to continue it day after day—it's going on right now—without an ongoing outrage and a demand that it stop.

I would not have imagined that the government could routinely eavesdrop on tens of milliions of Americans without a warrant and not have an ongoing outrage.

I would not have imagined that we the American people would tolerate the locking up by the Executive Branch of American citizens without right to trial—without right to inform their families—to be held in secret without being charged.

These are offenses against the constitution and the rule of law that I would never have imagined could take place, much less be allowed to continue after they came to light.

So yes. The degree of change is truly shocking to me.

Let the impeachment begin."--from Simply Appalling.

Al Gore on This Week with George Stephanopoulos Sunday (UPDATED)

UPDATE II: My bad: This Week airs at 9AM on KOMOTV (4) in the Seattle area.

UPDATE: Al jumps back into the political scene, but not as a candidate for elected office. ABC News reports (with video)--"...Al Gore is Back."

Tomorrow, Al Gore will sit down with George Stephanopoulos on This Week.
It's the Vice President's first Sunday show in over three years. Hope you can tune in to ABC at 10:00AM EST / 9:00AM CST / 8:00AM PST.

"House Passes McDermott Depleted Uranium Study Amendment"

I have never been shy about giving Congressman Jim a hard time for his lack of Congressional accomplishments, but this is a good one.

Al Gore on KIRO-AM This Morning @ 9:25AM (UPDATED)

UPDATE: You can listen to Gore here. Click on "AL GORE ON KIRO," under the Headlines banner. Listen carefully to the comments on media coverage of the global warming issue.

Courtesy of Michael Hood at blatherWatch. It may be a podcast later here.

"Was the 2004 Election Stolen?"

Rolling Stone gives Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. the floor to answer the question. His response (short version) : "Republicans prevented more than 350,000 voters in Ohio from casting ballots or having their votes counted -- enough to have put John Kerry in the White House." Howie opinion: You and I already knew the answer, right?

In the same issue, "Psst! How Bout That Al Gore? Shame He Isn’t Running. Or Is He?" If you're supermotivated go here: "Draft Gore 2008."

“This Microsoft Mom is going to win.”

Neal Modie writes about the 8th CD race today in the Seattle P-I: "Reichert defeat fits into Democrats' national strategy." Lynn Allen from Evergreen Politics covers the action when Rahm Emanuel came to town and held hands with Dwight Pelz (with photos). OK, they didn't hold hands, but they both do love Darcy.

The "New Gore"

Al shows up on National Petroleum Radio's Fresh Air and R J Eskow ponders why Al is this year's comeback kid. Political Wire reports "Study Says Gore Would Win," but that if Hillary is the nominee, the Dems lose. Even MTV jumps on Al.