Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly.
He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
Reading that article, it seems shocking that they would so willingly air their money-raising woes and speak of their pathetic position for the fall with reporters. This isn’t the usual game of lowering expectations here.
On “motivating” their members:
“There are different ways to motivate people,” Ensign said. “We’ve tried fear, we’ve tried positive reward, positive reinforcement, we’ve tried being a little harder on them, we use different things at different times – begging, we begged a lot.”
Oh. Poor thing. And with all the praise of Orrin Hatch’s “work” for the committee, it sounds like he may be minority leader next year. Imagine that. It was also nice to learn that, to Republicans, raising money for the committee (by hook or by crook) is now more valued than seniority for landing the leadership positions.
Another gem:
Q: Would the nomination of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) help your efforts more than Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) would?
A: Actually, I am not too sure he, in the end, isn’t easier to run against. But for our committee in the meantime, in the short run, raising money would be much easier if she is at the top of the ticket.
“There are different ways to motivate people,” Ensign said. “We’ve tried fear, we’ve tried positive reward, positive reinforcement, we’ve tried being a little harder on them, we use different things at different times – begging, we begged a lot.”
I am guessing that they haven’t tried waterboarding yet.
“A Strike” by pro-Hillary writers at Daily Kos is underway?
Oh, My.
Ambinder:
“Who Hillary Clinton is and what she represents has been THE debate among Democratic activists for years. It is now THE national debate. The Democratic Party may well come together and support its nominee. But the debate about Clinton, her (and his) politics, the legacy, the tactics — will endure.”
Writes Alegre, in what is now the featured post on the site, one of the founding sound boards of the Democratic netroots movements:
“We are going on strike and taking our writing elsewhere. When and if our beloved community is once more a focal point for Democratic election discussions, we will gladly return.”
Alegre has set up “The American Federation of Concerned Bloggers (AFCB)” and has enlisted at least three dozen bloggers.
He writes:
…..Daily Kos and Markos himself no longer adhere to this purpose of electing Democrats. Daily Kos has become an Obama community and discussion of other Democrats is not welcome. We Clinton supporters are continually attacked and [.]
I read about that this morning on some other blog and just about snorted coffee out my nose.
A strike?
They ain’t paid. At least by Markos. That’s hilarious. Considering the constant namecalling by some of the pro-Clinton writers, if I weren’t so damn broke, I’d pay them to stay away from their computers.
Yeah, there were some great diaries up over the last 18 or so hours about real strikers, the strikers in Harlan County for example who were shot at, run over, evicted and ostracized, all just for trying to get a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work; and then asking how they can in any way compare walking out of Big Orange a strike.
Personally I think the whole thing is both self-serving and self-defeating. Self-serving, because there is no purpose for that strike other than to say, “Pay attention to ME!!!!!”; and self-defeating because if Clinton really is such a great candidate, if she really is the best person for the job, if she really is someone other Democrats should be rallying around and supporting, what purpose does it serve for the people who support her to say, “OK, you don’t like what we’re saying, we’re going to quit saying it.” All it means is that what little vestige of support Clinton might be getting over at Big Orange, any possibility that they might be able to move others to their point of view, is now gone.
If they go out and phone bank and knock on doors and try to get their candidate fairly elected instead of blogging, that’s fine with me, even though the chances are slim. Frankly their efforts are probably better expended there than in some Democratic echo chamber over here in Cyberspace, if they really want their candidate to be elected. But to just take their ball and go to a different blog . . . That will have no effect of any kind, except maybe to lower the decibel level over on Big Orange. Which I guess is not a bad thing.
on March 15, 2008 at 8:19 pm
I guess if those writers are on strike they won’t be reporting the extra delegates that Obama picked up today from the Iowa.
on March 15, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Here’s how the AP story starts out:
“Democrat Barack Obama expanded his fragile lead in delegates over rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Saturday, picking up at least seven delegates as Iowa activists took the next step in picking delegates to the national convention.”
Fragile lead? She cannot catch him in the pledged delegates!
That’s the other thing that kills me…it’s like how conservatives set up their think-tanks with names like Americans for Women’s Rights and it’s really just an echo chamber to kill any rights of women.
Just how much money do you think the Clinton campaign is gonna give to ACFB?
Or does anyone else think it’s amusing to see our candidates distancing themselves from supporters who look like them?
MCain – White Guy
Hagee – White Guy
Obama – Black Guy
Wright – Black Guy
Clinton – White Lady
Ferraro – White Lady
Maybe we should run a parallel campaign between Ferraro, Wright and Hagee. Something tells me that’ll be a lot more interesting. I’d pay to see those debates.
Independent candidate Ralph Nader wins 5%, taking more support from Democrats
UTICA, New York – Riding high after locking up his party’s presidential nomination, Republican John McCain of Arizona has moved ahead of both of his potential Democratic Party rivals in a national general election test, the latest Zogby telephone survey shows.
Perhaps profiting from the continuing political battle across the aisle, McCain would defeat Hillary Clinton of New York by six points and Barack Obama of Illinois by 5 points, the survey shows. Clinton and Obama are locked in a tight battle to win the Democratic Party nomination, a fight that has grown nasty at times recently and threatens to continue on all summer long until the party’s national convention in Denver this August.
The telephone survey of 1,001 likely voters nationwide was conducted by live operators calling from Zogby’s call center in Upstate New York on March 13-14, 2008. It carries a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percentage points.
“allowed to tear down the dem candidate”.
“allowed”=controlled=marginalized
When the “dem candidate” exhibits the ability to stand and deliver on his or her own, then insurgent, 3% garnering juggernauts like Nader will no longer be able to make or break candidates who prove over and over again that they are constitutionally incapable of defeating the worst that our country has produced in multiples of decades.
In the mean time, I take it that all are free to seek political office in this country…still…despite the howls of those who choose to continue supporting and abetting the watered down, indistinctive efforts of the democrats, a party that suffers from the effects of inbreeding.
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama waited 16 months to attempt the exorcism. But when he finally sat down with the Tribune editorial board Friday, Obama offered a lengthy and, to us, plausible explanation for the presence of now-indicted businessman Tony Rezko in his personal and political lives.
The most remarkable facet of Obama’s 92-minute discussion was that, at the outset, he pledged to answer every question the three dozen Tribune journalists crammed into the room would put to him. And he did.
Along the way he confronted the starkest innuendo that has dogged him and his campaign for the presidency: the suggestion that the purchase of an adjacent lot by Rezko’s wife subtly subsidized the Obamas’ purchase of their home on Chicago’s South Side.
since War & Peace. Here is a guy who is damn sure going to earn his money the hard way.
Compassionate conservative. September 11. The overthrow of Saddam Hussein. The Global War on Terror. Hurricane Katrina. No Child Left Behind.
How to showcase these and other defining moments of President Bush’s tenure now falls to Dan Murphy and his design firm, the PRD Group, retained by Bush advisers as the “interpretive planner” for his library and museum at Southern Methodist University.
This is not the bricks and mortar but rather the public face of the Bush legacy – crafting exhibits that try to balance the tale of a Texas oilman who rose to the nation’s highest office and the mistakes and miscalculations that have left him deeply unpopular with many Americans.
I shoveled shit out of horse stalls for two summers when I was in high school. That was probably heaven compared to what this guy has to do. It would probably be easier to argue for the canonization of Idi Amin than to pull this one off.
Of course I take this election seriously. But it’s beginning to wear on me, and I’ll take my chuckles where I can get them. I just found this “Hillary in da house” video via Excellent News for Hillary. I think it’s funny. But it’s rainy and yucky out, and I’m bored.
I saw your post earlier and left up the video all day. About 3 hours ago, I finally watched it. When I saw the Jackson5 rip-off video I thought it couldn’t get worse. Then that Laverne and Shirley rip-off video appeared. Gag. Truly, nothing could be lamer than that crap. Right?
Well, this video now stands in the Winner Circle of Worst Election ’08 Political Ideas Ever. That means it’s knocks McCain’s funereal website down to 3rd place. And Clinton’s Angry Bumblebee Stunt down to 2nd.
Iowa did their County Conventions today and from them, Obama picked up 7 more pledged delegates from the formerly Edwards delegates, Clinton picked up 1. There are still 6 more pledged delegates holding for Edwards, which will be up for grabs at the State Convention.
Reading that article, it seems shocking that they would so willingly air their money-raising woes and speak of their pathetic position for the fall with reporters. This isn’t the usual game of lowering expectations here.
On “motivating” their members:
Oh. Poor thing. And with all the praise of Orrin Hatch’s “work” for the committee, it sounds like he may be minority leader next year. Imagine that. It was also nice to learn that, to Republicans, raising money for the committee (by hook or by crook) is now more valued than seniority for landing the leadership positions.
Another gem:
Good find.
I am guessing that they haven’t tried waterboarding yet.
“A Strike” by pro-Hillary writers at Daily Kos is underway?
Oh, My.
Ambinder:
“Who Hillary Clinton is and what she represents has been THE debate among Democratic activists for years. It is now THE national debate. The Democratic Party may well come together and support its nominee. But the debate about Clinton, her (and his) politics, the legacy, the tactics — will endure.”
I read about that this morning on some other blog and just about snorted coffee out my nose.
A strike?
They ain’t paid. At least by Markos. That’s hilarious. Considering the constant namecalling by some of the pro-Clinton writers, if I weren’t so damn broke, I’d pay them to stay away from their computers.
Yeah, there were some great diaries up over the last 18 or so hours about real strikers, the strikers in Harlan County for example who were shot at, run over, evicted and ostracized, all just for trying to get a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work; and then asking how they can in any way compare walking out of Big Orange a strike.
Personally I think the whole thing is both self-serving and self-defeating. Self-serving, because there is no purpose for that strike other than to say, “Pay attention to ME!!!!!”; and self-defeating because if Clinton really is such a great candidate, if she really is the best person for the job, if she really is someone other Democrats should be rallying around and supporting, what purpose does it serve for the people who support her to say, “OK, you don’t like what we’re saying, we’re going to quit saying it.” All it means is that what little vestige of support Clinton might be getting over at Big Orange, any possibility that they might be able to move others to their point of view, is now gone.
If they go out and phone bank and knock on doors and try to get their candidate fairly elected instead of blogging, that’s fine with me, even though the chances are slim. Frankly their efforts are probably better expended there than in some Democratic echo chamber over here in Cyberspace, if they really want their candidate to be elected. But to just take their ball and go to a different blog . . . That will have no effect of any kind, except maybe to lower the decibel level over on Big Orange. Which I guess is not a bad thing.
I guess if those writers are on strike they won’t be reporting the extra delegates that Obama picked up today from the Iowa.
Here’s how the AP story starts out:
“Democrat Barack Obama expanded his fragile lead in delegates over rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Saturday, picking up at least seven delegates as Iowa activists took the next step in picking delegates to the national convention.”
Fragile lead? She cannot catch him in the pledged delegates!
So what’s fragile?
That’s the other thing that kills me…it’s like how conservatives set up their think-tanks with names like Americans for Women’s Rights and it’s really just an echo chamber to kill any rights of women.
Just how much money do you think the Clinton campaign is gonna give to ACFB?
Or does anyone else think it’s amusing to see our candidates distancing themselves from supporters who look like them?
MCain – White Guy
Hagee – White Guy
Obama – Black Guy
Wright – Black Guy
Clinton – White Lady
Ferraro – White Lady
Maybe we should run a parallel campaign between Ferraro, Wright and Hagee. Something tells me that’ll be a lot more interesting. I’d pay to see those debates.
so’s nader…2000 redux?
seizing defeat from the jaws of victory.
way too early for this kind of polling. Nader may not get on many states’ ballot.
And, in any case, Zogby methods have taken a hit.
ANY state ballot – if the Democratic party has any say in it.
Ya get the irony? The DEMOCRATIC party.
this is Nader’s 5th run..last time if memory serves, he got under 3% of the vote and only b/c imho he was allowed to tear down the Dem candidate.
with the expected turnout in the GE, I’ll wager Nader won’t register 0.05%
“allowed to tear down the dem candidate”.
“allowed”=controlled=marginalized
When the “dem candidate” exhibits the ability to stand and deliver on his or her own, then insurgent, 3% garnering juggernauts like Nader will no longer be able to make or break candidates who prove over and over again that they are constitutionally incapable of defeating the worst that our country has produced in multiples of decades.
In the mean time, I take it that all are free to seek political office in this country…still…despite the howls of those who choose to continue supporting and abetting the watered down, indistinctive efforts of the democrats, a party that suffers from the effects of inbreeding.
Maybe it’s just me, but I have a hard time imagining Nader getting five votes, much less 5% of the vote.
With respect, Dada,
Is this the beginning of the blame game for if/and or when the democratic nominee fails to beat John McCain in November?
</obscure Star Trek reference>
Some good news from Chicago Tribune:
Obama’s Rezko narrative
moe here
The Obama I know –
Terrific listener goes wherever reason takes him
since War & Peace. Here is a guy who is damn sure going to earn his money the hard way.
I shoveled shit out of horse stalls for two summers when I was in high school. That was probably heaven compared to what this guy has to do. It would probably be easier to argue for the canonization of Idi Amin than to pull this one off.
Of course I take this election seriously. But it’s beginning to wear on me, and I’ll take my chuckles where I can get them. I just found this “Hillary in da house” video via Excellent News for Hillary. I think it’s funny. But it’s rainy and yucky out, and I’m bored.
I saw your post earlier and left up the video all day. About 3 hours ago, I finally watched it. When I saw the Jackson5 rip-off video I thought it couldn’t get worse. Then that Laverne and Shirley rip-off video appeared. Gag. Truly, nothing could be lamer than that crap. Right?
Well, this video now stands in the Winner Circle of Worst Election ’08 Political Ideas Ever. That means it’s knocks McCain’s funereal website down to 3rd place. And Clinton’s Angry Bumblebee Stunt down to 2nd.
Iowa did their County Conventions today and from them, Obama picked up 7 more pledged delegates from the formerly Edwards delegates, Clinton picked up 1. There are still 6 more pledged delegates holding for Edwards, which will be up for grabs at the State Convention.
Link
New tapes from My Lia uncovered:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7298533.stm
40th anniversary 3/15