The Moderate Liberal

No political rant today. What’s the point.

Instead, I blew off time by going out to Craigslist.org to search for a fishing boat.  I like to fish. 

I didn’t find what I was looking for, but I did see a link to “Best of Craigslist.” Check it out, its addicting.  I especially enjoyed the post about the “found cat.” The note to the “Person with wooden leg who lives above me,” was also good.

Yes, there are many surprises and experiences to be had in this world.  Cheap boats, apparently, are not among them.

Peace

My liberal buddy Jason from Up North in Canada called today.  He’s a Clinton backer. He thinks Obama is not long on details.

I tried to explain that after 8 years of being completely uninspired by Bush that Obama’s lofty visioning exercise is exactly what I (and many other Americans) needed to get me back in the political saddle. I think Jason feels that Clinton is a known quantity, and Canadians always seemed to like the Clintons.

My view is that American can do better than to recycle the good ol’ days of the Clinton administration. I’m ready for a break with the past. I am ready for woman President, don’t slap me as a misogynist. Nothing against Hillary, except that she’s married to Bill. No, I can’t separate the two.    Hill would bring in a plethora of old Clinton administrators; one only need to look at her campaign staff and advisors to understand this.  With Clinton, we’ve been there, done that. Time to move on.

America needs a real change, change we can believe in.  America needs a new vision. America needs Obama.  What Canada needs, I could give a shit (just kidding Jason). 

Jason frets that McCain is getting lots of “positive” spin up in Canada from all of his personal appearances. He notes that McCain actually seems likeable.

Superdelegates, why are you letting this drag on? Pick the winner and lets get on with it.  Time is awastin’.

But just look at what Obama has done. He has activated millions of new voters. He has shown that he can raise money by the hundreds of millions, not from giant donars, but from tiny little people. That is grassroots support that Clinton has not been able to build in her 30 years.  Clinton and McCain represent yesteryear politics.  Obama is the future, and the future is now.

Get used to it, Jason!

Read all about it.  Our prayers and well wishes to Senator Kennedy.

No word yet on what, if anything, this could mean to the Democratics ultra-slim Senate majority. Mass’s Democratic governor would presumably appoint a Democrat to fill Kenned’ys unexpired term. 

News from the DSCC:

North Carolina:  We’re Winning

Think we can’t win red states like North Carolina?  Look at the latest poll.

                North Carolina Senate Poll
                Kay Hagan (D)              48%
                Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R)    47%

That’s right.  After last week’s huge primary win, Democratic State Senator Kay Hagan has surged ahead of endangered Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole in the latest survey.

We weren’t kidding last week when we called this the sleeper race of 2008.  North Carolina voters are ready to reject Dole’s brand of George Bush Republicanism.  

Dole is against increasing the minimum wage.  North Carolina voters are for it.  Dole is against expanding health care for kids.  North Carolina voters are for it.  Dole is even against the kind of serious ethics reform that would limit the influence of her special interest friends.

Dole is against getting defeated in November.  Once again, North Carolina voters are all for it.

Texas:  We’re (Almost) Winning

Think we can’t win red states like Texas?  Look at the latest poll. (Noticing a theme?)

                Texas Senate Poll
                Sen. John Cornyn (R)    47%
                Rick Noriega (D)        43%

Four points.  That’s the margin in this and another poll released last week.  In both polls, Republican Senator John Cornyn is below the key 50% threshold that signals a highly vulnerable incumbent.

The bottom line is that we can win in Texas.  Cornyn has the same sordid record of pushing the policies of George Bush and Dick Cheney that plagues every Republican incumbent.  Specifically, he’s been a key ally in the right-wing effort to pack the federal courts with Antonin Scalia wannabes.

Remember, Texas had to put up with Bush as a governor for six years.  They’ve suffered quite enough, don’t you think?  Now, they’re ready to celebrate George Bush’s retirement by putting one of his top lieutenants in the Senate out there with him.

Mississippi: We Already Won

Think we can’t win red states like Mississippi?  Look at the results of Tuesday’s special congressional election.  (We told you there was a theme here!)

                Mississippi Special Election
                Travis Childers (D)   54%
                Greg Davis (R)        46%

Republicans have held this seat for 14 years and George Bush won here with at least 59% of the vote in both 2000 and 2004.  Childers’ victory means that Democrats now hold 3 of the 4 Mississippi congressional seats.

This week’s huge victory also bodes well for Democratic Senate candidate Ronnie Musgrove.  The popular former governor is running to take over Trent Lott’s old seat this fall.

Don’t you think Trent Lott will be hopping mad when Democrats win again in Mississippi on Election Day?  Won’t it be great?

Colorado: How much are you paying for gas?

How much are you paying for a gallon of gas?  $3.75?  $4.00?  Even more?

Then do you really think it makes sense to put an oil industry shill like Bob Schaffer into the United States Senate?  Neither do we.

After all, when he served in Congress, Schaffer voted to authorize billions in extra tax breaks for the oil and gas industry.  After leaving the House, Schaffer immediately went to work as an oil executive, earning more than $1 million for his trouble trying to maximize oil profits.

Remember what happened the last time we put an oil executive in a position of power?  George Bush basically ruined our international reputation and our economy.  Let’s not make that mistake again.  

If we really want to lower gas prices, then we need to elect Democrat Mark Udall in Colorado in November.  It’s as simple as that.

Colorado (again): Blooper of the Week

Things go from bad to worse with Bob Schaffer.  Earlier this week he made a bold claim in a new TV commercial.  “Colorado is my life,” he said.

Problem is, he said it in front of a rugged mountain backdrop showing Mt. McKinley - in Alaska!  Schaffer was forced to pull the ad, but not before he betrayed just how little he really cares about Colorado.

We wanted to show Colorado voters the true scope of Schaffer’s real passion: showering attention on the special interests.  So we rushed to create a brand new web ad detailing all the times he’s put someone else ahead of Colorado voters.   It goes way beyond a simple video-editing gaffe.

Click here to see our new web ad.

Remember, this is the guy who went parasailing on the dime of a Jack Abramoff front group and who likes to brag that he’s done more for Ukraine than for working families in his own district.

That’s OK, though.  Schaffer will have plenty of time to go parasailing in about six months - right after Election Day.

Clinton has been moderating her attacks the past few days, in preparation for an inevitable withdrawal from the race. Her wise words to her supporters that they must support the eventual party nominee are tantamount to an endorsement of Obama.

If Clinton had not become so vitriolic in her attacks against Obama, educated moderate liberals may not have left her standing alone at the house party drinking beer with the bubba’s.

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The political blogosphere is anticipating John Edward’s endorsement of Barak Obama.  Despite Edward’s earlier statement indicating that he was not interested in being a VP candidate, pundits are now making a compelling case for Edward’s as Obama’s VP running mate.  Read about it here. 

Having Edwards as a ‘mate could be a shrewd move by Obama, who has been struggling with the dumb redneck vote. In addition, in early contest canvassing, Edwards was routinely shown to be the most electable candidate in the Democratic field.

We wrote earlier about the Moderate Liberal Dream Ticket being Edwards/Obama.  Either way you slice, it would still be a great ticket.

Presumably, Edward’s endorsement will come with the 18 delegates he earned in IA and NH, inching Obama that must closer to the magic number of delegates necessary to clinch the nomination.

It’s about time, John!  Welcome back.

Here’s the hot new video from BraveNewFilms making the rounds. It exposes McCain’s radical right “spiritual guide” as the lunatic he is.  Watch this film and you’ll see what I mean.  Rev. Rod Parsley, the televangelist megachurch pastor from Ohio, seems to be a good spiritual fit for a war monger like McCain.

http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/38133-mccain-s-spiritual-guide-wants-america-to-destroy-islam?utm_source=rgemail

If you haven’t heard of “Operation Chaos,” then good for you!  That means you don’t listen to Rush Limbaugh.  OC is Limbaugh’s great master plan to defeat the Democrats by encouraging Republicans to “cross over” and vote in the Democratic party for Hillary Clinton. The theory goes that as long as the Democratics are fighting and divided, then Americans will forget that the Republicans have Ol’ John McCain as a candidate.

Syndicated liberal talk radio host Randi Rhodes today posited an interesting idea:  Operation Chaos is a sham that is providing cover for the right wing radio and TV punditry so that they will not need to explain why millions of people are defecting from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.

I have to admit, the idea has merit. 

We started the year as ardent supporters of John Edwards and his populist message of two Americas.  At the time, Edwards seemed to us to be the embodiment of the concern for the middle class.  When Edwards dropped out of the race, his supporters immediately surged to the Obama campaign, instantly tightening the race between Clinton and Obama.  Clearly, Edward’s supporters saw the similarities with Obama and they moved their support and dollars to Obama campaign.

At the time, I lamented but lauded Edwards dropping out of the race. But since then, I have been consistently disappointed by John Edward’s silence in this race.  Of course, I don’t have insight to what is taking place behind the scenes.  Perhaps promises have been made by either or both of the remaining candidates so that it is in Edwards’ “interests” to remain silent.

But as a candidate whose campaign was about not playing those sort of political games, his silence is an excruciating disappointment to his supporters.  When “Obama for America” called looking for money a month ago and dropped Edwards’ name, I was hopeful.  But since then, nothing but disappointment. 

There was no Edwards endorsement for Obama on the Jay Leno show.

There is no Edwards endorsement on the eve of the North Carolina primary.

Meanwhile, Edwards’ crucial 18 delegates remain in limbo, and the Democratic race continues to drag onwards and downwards.

Unless we hear from Edwards soon, I will have to write him off as just another disappointing opportunist politician.   I had such high hopes for Edwards, but each day he allows this campaign mess continue without taking a stand, my respect for him wanes.