Which bookstore will you be visiting at midnight tonight? Would you be surprised to learn that only one presidential candidate has played the Harry Potter card so far?
Either way, here are some updates from around the 50-State Blog Network, brought to you this week from Minnesota Campaign Report‘s Joe Bodell.
| Alabama Left in Alabama |
A decidedly non-establishment challenger emerges in Alabama’s First congressional district. Ben Lodmell may be shaking things up a bit in Alabama Democratic Party circles. |
| Arizona AZNetroots |
A chilling future-imperfect scenario on terrorism. Ugh. |
| California Calitics |
Yet another contact will be testifying against John Doolittle(R-Roseville) in what can only be described as a ticking clock until his indictment. |
| Colorado SquareState |
Colorado’s congressional representatives fight back against President Bush’s threatened veto of SCHIP reauthorization. What’s SCHIP? “State Children’s Health Insurance Program”. Kick the kids while they’re down, right Mr. President? |
Keep reading after the break — there’s plenty more to come!
| Connecticut My Left Nutmeg |
Thank you Ed Koch, who helped give us six more years of Joementum…at least you’re being reasonable enough to admit that your support for continued American presence in Iraq was wrong-headed. |
| Delaware Delaware Liberal |
Delaware Liberal’s Jason Scott formally challenges Cong. Mike Castle (R-DE) to a debate on his Iraq policies. |
| Florida FLA Politics |
Christine Jennings, would-be Congresswoman but for 18,000 Diebolded undervotes in Sarasota County in 2006, is coming back for another run in 2008. Go Jennings! |
| Georgia Tondee’s Tavern |
State Senator John Douglas gets pulled over by a off-duty cop for erratic driving. After being let go with no ticket, Douglas threatens the city he will hold up grant funding opportunities and local legislation next session. Our favorite (R) punching bag. |
| Hawaii Poinography! |
Dueling op-eds from state legislators on veto overrides — an interesting read. |
| Idaho 43rd State Blues |
That repeated whacking noise is 43rd State Blues’ shoe against Sen. Larry Craig’s noggin on oil, energy, Iraq, and…well, everything. |
| Illinois PrairieStateBlue |
Illinois activists are looking at Congressional seats in 2008. In IL-6, Operation : Turn DuPage Blue is gaining increased prominance after Tammy Duckworth opted not to challenge Peter Roskam for a second time. In IL-10, Dan Seals was named a “Future Leader” at YearlyKos, but don’t forget he has a primary challenger. |
| Indiana Blue Indiana |
Republican Governor + Trickle-down Reagan-style economics = bad economic markers for Indiana. Pretty simple, actually. |
| Iowa Bleeding Heartland |
I’ll have to work on getting Amy Klobuchar to guest-post on MNCR, but until then, I’ll be in awe of Bleeding Heartland and Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin’s post on the recent all-night Iraq debate. |
| Louisiana Daily Kingfish |
Republican scion Bobby Jindal has retained a political consultant with a reputation for working on losing campaigns. Sort of. Read about it. |
| Maine Turn Maine Blue |
It’s from earlier in the week, but Sen. Susan Collins and Joe Lieberman wrote an op-ed in the Boston Globe together. Mainers — please, please, please remember that Sen. Collins hanging out and working with Joe Lieberman in no way makes her a bipartisan get-things-done sort of Senator. Quite the contrary. Also at Turn Maine Blue, Tom Allen is guestblogging in his effort to unseat Collins. |
| Maryland Free State Politics |
Free State Politics has encouraging news for progressives in potential replacements for departing DINO P.J. Hogan from his Maryland State Sen. seat |
| Massachusetts BlueMassGroup |
A historical note on liberty, government overreach, and a really enormous ball of cheese. Also, a look at fundraising in the 5th CD race, with some interesting developments therein. |
| Michigan Michigan Liberal |
I am shocked — SHOCKED!!! — to hear word of a Republican official seeking to suppress voter turnout and disenfranchise voters. If you can’t win with fair rules, just change the rules, right?
Congrats to Michigan Liberal’s founder, Matt Ferguson, on the birth of his brand new twins. Good luck Matt; you’ll need it. |
| Minnesota Minnesota Campaign Report |
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) can always be counted on for a good legal complaint against political actors who are being naughty. In this case, it’s the Republican Party of Minnesota getting slapped for playing fast and easy with their retirement fund contributions and other financial shenanigans. |
| Mississippi Cottonmouth Blog |
Cottonmouth Blog picks up on the NRA getting involved in the Lieutenant Governor’s race. “Effective grassroots organization”, huh? |
| Missouri Fired Up! Missouri |
A Republican Governor misusing state government for political ends? Oh get out! I mean….oh, forget it. Incredulity just doesn’t go far enough to cover the things these people think they can get away with. |
| Montana Left in the West |
The continuing shift toward strong protection of civil liberties and a hands-off governmental approach to social issues continues in Montana, courtesy of Matt Singer and Forward Montana. The media are starting to pay attention, too. |
| Nebraska New Nebraska |
Nebraska’s state government still finds itself beholden to the big Telecom companies, who staunchly refuse to build large-scale, affordable high-speed Internet access in the state — and they’re preventing the government from doing it instead. |
| Nevada My Silver State |
Welcome My Silver State aboard 50-State Cruise Lines! They have some coverage of presidential candidates’ exploits across the state:
Q2 Donations to Bill Richardson, staffing expenditures, and heavy web traffic for Barack Obama. |
| New Hampshire Blue Hampshire |
Republican Sen. John Sununu is in big trouble in 2008. Big. Trouble. |
| New Jersey Blue Jersey |
2006 was a bittersweet victory for many Democrats around the country. For as much good as Rahm Emanuel did as head of the DCCC, there were some cases where just a little bit of support could have given him even more victories (instead of tilting at windmills in Tammy Duckworth’s unsuccessful run). Hopefully this means there’s more progress to be made, and a bigger majority to be built, in 2008. |
| New Mexico New Mexico FBIHOP |
Heather Wilson and her odd silence in the face of questions on her stance on Iraq and the US Attorney scandal. Of course, if I were an endangered incumbent who’s neck-deep in such a horrific scandal, I wouldn’t want to discuss it either. |
| New York The Albany Project |
Details on a campaign finance deal reached recently in Albany — and TAR says it’s pretty good. |
| New York Daily Gotham |
Great fundraising numbers coming out of NYC-area State Senate races |
| North Carolina Blue NC |
Is Sen. Liddy Dole about to break from President Bush on Iraq? ,a href=”http://bluenc.com/could-dole-be-ready-to-break-from-bush-on-iraq%3F”>If the people of North Carolina have anything to say about it, she might want to consider doing so. |
| North Dakota North Decoder |
Ouch — the Center for Public Integrity says for its laws regarding financial disclosures for its Governor. |
| Ohio As Ohio Goes |
As Ohio Goes keeps a close eye on the statements of Sen. Voinovich and just how serious he is about criticizing President Bush‘s conduct of the Iraq occupation. |
| Ohio Buckeye State Blog |
Buckeye State Blog provides first-hand coverage of John Edward’s vist to the poorest city in America (Edwards in Cleveland’s Mt. Pleasant). Also, read It’s With Sadness I Announce I’m Leaving BSB. |
| Oklahoma blue oklahoma |
Oklahoma has a new state poet laureate — read all about him. Very interesting stuff! |
| Oregon Loaded Orygun |
With a recent move to SoapBlox, Loaded Orygun is up and running, highlighting a DSCC poll showing House Speaker Jeff Merkley within six points of Sen. Gordon Smith. Smith is one of the “moderates,” along with Minnesota’s own Norm Coleman, who are going to be heavily targeted for removal in 2008. |
| Pennsylvania Keystone Politics |
Keystone Politics finds a bombshell in the midst of U.S. Attorney investigations in Penn.: “Wecht charges prompt inquiry”. |
| Rhode Island Rhode Island’s Future |
Mark Democrat Jack Reed down on the list of U.S. Senators ,a href=”http://rifuture.org/blog/2007/07/19/ri-sen-2008-sen-reed-in-command/”>who are going to be safe as can be in 2008. Here’s to hoping that if no serious Republican opposition appears, Senator Reed will contribute generously to Democratic challengers around the country to help build his caucus’s majority |
| South Dakota Clean Cut Kid |
Who do state officials work for? Themselves, or the people who elected them? Clean Cut Kid takes on Governor Mike Rounds on exactly that topic. |
| Tennessee Knox Views |
It’s apolitical, but ospreys are really, really, really cool birds, and this is a great shot of one with its catch. In more political events, Knox Views goes after Mitt Romney for his approach to sex education and child molesters. |
| Texas Burnt Orange Report |
In large states like Texas, where there are lots of colleges and universities, young voters actually can make a big difference in terms of elections, outreach, and activism. Details on YDA’s activities in Texas here. |
| Texas Texas Kaos |
Do Texas Republicans just not care about public education? Seems that way |
| Utah Wasatch Watcher |
A great photo gallery from a recent visit by Bill Richardson. |
| Vermont Green Mountain Daily |
Brattleboro, VT passes an ordinance banning public nudity from some areas of town. You really can’t make this stuff up: “Don’t people have a Constitutional right not to be offended?” … Ah yes, the ethereal and seldom-mentioned 0th Amendment, which read “The right not to be offended by anything, anytime, anywhere, anyhow, shall not be abridged. By naked people. Ever.” |
| Virginia Raising Kaine |
Raising Kaine highlight a one prominent flip-flop over the Virginia Transportation Plan in “Jeannemarie Then…and Now”. |
| Washington WashBlog |
State Rep Rodney Tom announces a run for U.S. Congress in the 8th district, where Darcy Burner lost a close race to Dave Reichert in 2006. |
| West Virginia West Virginia Blue |
West Virginia Blue notes that even as the West Virginia State GOP is facing an uphill battle (even Republicans don’t trust the WV GOP), incumbent Republican Shelley Moore Capito (WV-02) is enjoying an “Incumbency protection racket: Capito shakes down carpenter’s union” |
| Wisconsin Uppity Wisconsin |
President Bush’s approval rating is 19% in Wisconsin, with 73% disapproval. That is not a good place to be, generally (cue theme to 1980s cartoon “Captain Obvious”). |
CA-42: The Lay Of The LandIt’s great that the netroots candidacy of Ron Shepston for Congress is getting so much attention. His race against the unfathomably corrupt Gary Miller represents a progressive hope and a decided alternative, and people are so excited that, at press time, he’s raised over $5,300 dollars through ActBlue in just a couple days. Superlative. Outstanding. Fantastic. Now let’s really look at what he’s getting into. The campaign has asked me to contribute a guest column to the rollout providing the lay of the land. We’ll start with the bad news and move slowly into the good.
Here is a map of the 42nd District of California:
As you can see, it covers three counties, starting in San Bernardino County at Chino, moving into LA County with Whittier and Diamond Bar, and then Orange County with Brea and La Habra, snaking all the way down to grab Mission Viejo in the southern portion of the county. Seems like a strange shape, doesn’t it? It should. California’s districts were gerrymandered to the extreme for incumbent protection after the 2000 Census. Democrats and Republicans made the deal to lock in a set number of seats. Between the 2000 Election and the 2002 Election, Miller gained 8 points from his challenger because the district was made more Republican. Now, it doesn’t always work: Richard Pombo was forced out of office by Jerry McNerney last year. But he is literally the ONLY incumbent to be deposed since this Congressional map was put into place. More on McNerney later. So this is a very Republican seat. George W. Bush beat Kerry 62%-38% in 2004, and Gore by 58%-38% in 2000 (when it was more Democratic). The district has a Cook Partisan Voting Index score of R +10 (meaning the district votes 10 points more Republican that the nation at large). Only a few California districts are higher. It’d be great to have a metric of Gary Miller’s most recent election, but in 2006 he was one of only 10 Republicans to run unopposed. So we have to go back to 2004 and 2002 to look at results in this newly configured district. They ain’t pretty.
United States House election, 2004: California District 42
United States House election, 2002: California District 42 So since this district has had its current configuration, Gary Miller’s opponent has never received more than 31.8% of the vote. We’ll call that Ron’s baseline of support, since I’m not sure Lewis Myers or Richard Waldron offered up anything but token opposition. The question is where to get the other 19%. Let’s look at the demographics of the district (linked from Gary Miller’s House website! Thanks Gary! You can return to your regularly scheduled ripping off of America now!). About 57.5% of the district is in Orange County, including the largest population center, Mission Viejo (no wonder they snuck it into the district). The registration edge here is 55-27 Republican, and no area has a Democratic advantage (La Habra is the closest, at 45-37, which stands to reason because it’s close to the LA County part of the district). The area of the OC in the district is 20% Latino and about 11% Asian. LA County needs to be Shepston Country. The registration edge here is lower (43R, 36D), and Rowland Heights is actually plurality-Democratic. Of course, it’s only 21% of the district. It’s heavily Asian (40%) and Latino (23%). I don’t know if sprawl goes out this far and if these are Los Angeles bedroom communities for those priced out of the more expensive areas, but it’s certainly possible. Finally, San Bernardino County is the final 21.5% of the district, and it’s also closer (45R, 38D). In Chino there’s a 42%-41% advantage for Democratic registration. The Latino population is strong out here; 37%. The final numbers for the district are about 50% registration total, with a 21-point registration advantage for Republicans (51R, 30D). The district is very diverse, 44% nonwhite (23.8% Latino, 17.5% Asian, 3.4% African-American). So the key would appear to be to raise registration rates in Democratic areas, bring in big numbers in LA and San Bernardino County, and make sure the Latino vote turns out. A tall order. And did I mention that Gary Miller has $800,000 Cash on Hand after raising $137,000 in the most recent quarter? But there’s more of the story to be told, points that argue in Shepston’s favor, and in favor of a strong challenge in a district some would call unwinnable. • CORRUPTION: This was considered the number one issue according to exit polls in 2006. Miller hasn’t been tested on this, since the revelations about his dirty dealings didn’t come out until the 2006 election, when he was unopposed. And if anything, they’ve grown worse since then. So there is a case to be made that voters will reject someone who appears to be doing the business of profit-taking instead of legislating. • IRAQ: Gary Miller has voted in lockstep with the President on an issue that has scant support in the country, even in a district as red as this. I assume that the netroots team running this race will not run away from the issue of Iraq as many consultants have the knee-jerk reaction to do. • THE ALBATROSS: Ron Brownstein makes the case:
This tracks with the idea that “there is no safe district” in the post-Bush era, and that any partisan numbers over the past several years are somewhat irrelevant to the landscape today. • DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS: Getting the Latino vote out in a year where the Republicans have done absolutely everything to present themselves as the biggest brown-haters on the block is crucial. You don’t have to have that long a memory to remember the anti-immigrant Prop. 187 fights out here in California, which set back Republicans to this day. So making sure there’s a high turnout among the substantial Latino base would seem to me to be a key. And I would gather than even more are in the district now, being priced out of LA County. • STOPPING THE GRAVY TRAIN: Gary Miller has been using his money gained in fundraising from his rich buddies to reward Republicans in close races:
It’s not like Miller is going to run out of money any time soon; he’s rich beyond reason and can self-fund. But he wouldn’t be as likely to fund others if challenged. In conclusion, there are many signs out there that Ron Shepston does have the opportunity to be competitive and offer the voters in the 42nd a real alternative. The best comparisons we can use for California are the aforementioned Jerry McNerney in CA-11, and Charlie Brown in CA-04. Both went up against corrupt politicians in red areas. Both excited grassroots and netroots activists to donate to and work on the campaigns. Both engaged in bottom-up campaigning, with the big dollar money not coming in until later. And despite the warped political landscape and the partisan gerrymander, McNerney is a Congressman and Charlie Brown is about to join him. If he’s diligent and bold and unyielding, Ron Shepston can do the same thing. Time for a Progressive Revolt in the SenateUPDATE: SpeakOut California has an action alert setup which will allow you to send a letter to the Governator, and your legislators. Please do so here. Please. Pretty Please. Also, I added this sentence to the second paragaph: “Furthermore, we do not need to repay a billion of debt early just to appease Wall Street if that means slashing public transportation programs.” One more piece real quick here on the budget. As Frank mentioned in a comment to Bob’s first post on the budget, the Assembly has adjourned for 30 days. This leaves the Senate with few choices on the budget with exception, as Frank put, for sweeteners for Senate Reps. But, in my book, it’s time for some Progressive Senators to threaten withholding their votes on this plan. The VooDoo Economics goes too far. At the very least, let’s attempt to get some money back for public transit. So, Progressive Senators Migden, Kuehl, Corbett, Cedillo, I’m looking directly at you. It’s time to move the center of the discussion three steps to the left. Bringing VooDoo Economics Home to CaliforniaIt seems the budget deal in the Assembly has been reached. Some cynics might say that the Assembly reached this deal out of a hope to help pass the term limits measure. At least that’s what some cynics might say. But, here’s what I have to say: Removing tax credits from teachers and redistributing them is some seriously f*d up VooDoo Supply-Side Economics. Go to the 3:50 mark in this video, although you’ll enjoy the whole thing if you are a Ferris Bueller fan. The words of the GOP in the Assembly are eerily reminiscint of days we should be wary of returning to:
Well, you know what, I have a different theory of economics. And it worked for us for over 50 Years, and it made John Maynard Keynes a pretty famous guy. And, oh yeah, it lifted us out of the Great Depression. So, the Republicans have asked for, and received from Democratic Legislators, about a Billion of tax credits for Hollywood studios and multinational corporations with secret data that will show that these will result in higher revenues. Everybody knows this is bull, but apparently nobody in the Assembly is willing to say it. The Budget Battle is far from over, Flip it… From the WaPo on W’s tax cuts:
Listen, do we really need more “evidence” or “data” that supply-side economics works…for the top 1% of the economy. But, ask the rest of Americans how they feel they’ve done over the past 6-25 years of supply-side governance, and you’ll hear many stories of growing inequality. And this deal seems even worse in that it adds a double whammy, you’re not just robbing the middle class generally to give to the rich, you are robbing from teachers specifically. Teachers, who would spend that money to, you know, live, thereby increasing the impact of those funds on the economy. If you want tax cuts to have a real effect on the economy, let’s try starting with the bottom, who will spread that money up to the rich via, um, living a somewhat normal life and you know, eating more food. But, Sen. President Pro Tem Perata seems to be pushing back on this swap of priorities:
So, don’t think this budget is over and done for, well, at least until 9AM, when a vote is scheduled in the Senate. The Dems need only 2 Rep. votes for the 2/3 Requirement, but Sen. Minority Leader Dick Ackerman seems to be digging in his heals, wanting further voodoo economics. Well, folks, enough is enough. Perhaps if we could spend money on removing the 2/3 Requirement removed via the ballot, we wouldn’t be forced to make these kinds of false decisions. Some would say removing the 2/3 requirement would be a much better use of resources than a term limits change. But, you know, that’s just some people.
Budget Passes in the Dead of NightI’ll get more up as soon as possible. What I know right now is that the Assembly, where Mike Villines and the Republicans were causing trouble, passed the legislation 56-23. More in a bit. UPDATE: Here are the Speaker’s Talking Points. I’m still looking up what happened with some important items, such as high speed rail.
UPDATE 2: Could be some bad news on Mass transit, as the Republicans seem to have extracted some compromises from the Speaker on that subject. The LA Times has more. UPDATE 3: The Senate has a vote scheduled at 9AM. Perata seems to not totally be on board in a letter he sent the Speaker:
CA Budget TonightThe budget is just now moving in the Assembly. Cal Channel has gone home for the evening, so you can’t watch it online. But California Majority Report is giving updates. Blogosphere –Opportunity to give my people the representation deserved.In the midst of all the hoopla over bitter Vitter, transplant Jindal and freezer king Jefferson, do not lose hope, my people! Cross posted with dKos, Daily Kingfish I am Gilda Reed and I am running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Louisiana’s 1st District to give my people the representation they deserve. All of us are Katrina survivors. We must have a Democrat who feels the pulse of the people. Republicans have held the seat for 30 years and it is time for a change. Government is supposed to be of the people, by the people and for the people—not a government created by the rich to protect their own interests. Over 90% of our Congress members are millionaires. I have no ill will for rich folks and can properly represent them. However, I do not know too many who have walked a mile in the shoes of my constituents. How can a person empathize when he/she is so far removed from our wants, needs and desires? A few courtesy visits, handshakes and empty rhetoric are not what we need. My people need me, one of their own, to fight for them. Am I up to the task? You bet I am. Besides being a lifelong resident of District 1, I am the dedicated mother of 7 children, including 2 adopted with special needs, the grandmother of 11, and the teacher of thousands of university students. With a polio disability, I raised my large family and earned a Ph.D. in Applied Biological Psychology at the same time. Then I went on to teach more classes at the University of New Orleans at 1 time than any of my colleagues. During Katrina, I did not miss a beat and recorded all lectures for the semester so that my students could hear what they would have heard if there were buildings to house them. To this day, I am still fighting for the rights of my adopted children with disabilities. So I am accustomed to weathering adversity. Washington will be a piece of cake compared to all of this. Why would a happy, squeaky-clean wife of 40 years, mother, grandmother and teacher jump into the shark-infested waters of politics? I am tired of whining. Every semester I teach my students that if they do not like something, they should get off their rear ends and DO something to make a change. I am only practicing what I teach. Our senior citizens need a break, our children need a break, our working middle class needs a break, our small business owners need a break. The Iraq War must end. Quality health care must be available for all Americans. Illegal immigration must halt. Erosion of our rights afforded by the Constitution must stop. Fiscal responsibility must return. World respect must be re-earned. There is a small problem with this tall order. Money. Name recognition and fighting a wealthy, well-oiled machine takes plenty of it. So many of my constituents are burdened and numb, so I must reach out beyond my district and state for support. If you believe in a true democracy, if you want to help a struggling corner of America to return to normalcy, if you want to help dethrone a Republican—please donate to the Gilda Reed Campaign. I plan to win. Given all the news of late and the hypocrisy that screams out, it is time for an honorable person above the fray to become elected. Please be part of the victory that is due my people.
WE NEED REED
Gilda Reed Campaign The Blogosphere Day Story
To be perfectly honest, I’d forgotten about it until it showed up in the National Journal just as Tim Tagaris and I were plotting on when to kick of the online fundraising for Paul Hackett. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, there has already been $16,395 raised online for ActBlue. Yet if every US Senator who has applauded the event were to max out, that number would triple. A couple of other thoughts on the tradition and on teamwork… First, residual effect:
2004 – PA-08 In 2005, Hackett coming so close was major news with even Newt Gingrich scared of the blogosphere while the netroots were winning awards. Yet in 2006, in the same district, Vic Wulsin did even better than Hackett and we’re going to win the seat this year. I think that ActBlue is the most critical piece of infrastructure in recent years. While it helps bloggers to do things like Blogosphere Day and raise a $100K for Dean upon him winning the DNC Chair race, it also provides the infrastructure necessary for US Senators to raise money like they did for Tim Johnson last quarter. So tonight, reflect back on all we’ve done, Act Blue, and appreciate what we can do when we work together. Thanks to 12 California House Democrats…who just signed on to a letter to the President vowing not to appropriate any more money to the Iraq debacle for anything other than a fully funded withdrawal. Kudos to these 12:
Lynn Woolsey Reward good behavior. Letter on the flip. Dear Mr. President: We are writing to inform you that we will only support appropriating additional funds for U.S. military operations in Iraq during Fiscal Year 2008 and beyond for the protection and safe redeployment of all our troops out of Iraq before you leave office. More than 3,600 of our brave soldiers have died in Iraq. More than 26,000 have been seriously wounded. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed or injured in the hostilities and more than 4 million have been displaced from their homes. Furthermore, this conflict has degenerated into a sectarian civil war and U.S. taxpayers have paid more than $500 billion, despite assurances that you and your key advisors gave our nation at the time you ordered the invasion in March, 2003 that this military intervention would cost far less and be paid from Iraqi oil revenues. We agree with a clear and growing majority of the American people who are opposed to continued, open-ended U.S. military operations in Iraq, and believe it is unwise and unacceptable for you to continue to unilaterally impose these staggering costs and the soaring debt on Americans currently and for generations to come. Sincerely, Rep. Lynn Woolsey (CA); Rep. Barbara Lee (CA); Rep. Maxine Waters (CA); Rep. Ellen Tauscher (CA); Rep. Rush Holt (NJ); Rep. Maurice Hinchey (NY); Rep. Diane Watson (CA); Rep. Ed Pastor (AZ); Rep. Barney Frank (MA); Rep. Danny Davis (IL); Rep. John Conyers (MI); Rep. John Hall (NY); Rep. Bob Filner (CA); Rep. Nydia Velazquez (NY); Rep. Bobby Rush (IL); Rep. Charles Rangel (NY); Rep. Ed Towns (NY); Rep. Paul Hodes (NH); Rep. William Lacy Clay (MO); Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR); Rep. Albert Wynn (MD); Rep. Bill Delahunt (MA); Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC); Rep. G. K. Butterfield (NC); Rep. Hilda Solis (CA); Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY); Rep. Jerrold Nadler (NY); Rep. Michael Honda (CA); Rep. Steve Cohen (TN); Rep. Phil Hare (IL); Rep. Grace Flores Napolitano (CA); Rep. Alcee Hastings (FL); Rep. James McGovern (MA); Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH); Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL); Rep. Julia Carson (IN); Rep. Linda Sanchez (CA); Rep. Raul Grijalva (AZ); Rep. John Olver (MA); Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX); Rep. Jim McDermott (WA); Rep. Ed Markey (MA); Rep. Chaka Fattah (PA); Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ); Rep. Rubin Hinojosa (TX); Rep. Pete Stark (CA); Rep. Bobby Scott (VA); Rep. Jim Moran (VA); Rep. Betty McCollum (MN); Rep. Jim Oberstar (MN); Rep. Diana DeGette (CO); Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA); Rep. Artur Davis (AL); Rep. Hank Johnson (GA); Rep. Donald Payne (NJ); Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (MO); Rep. John Lewis (GA); Rep. Yvette Clarke (NY); Rep. Neil Abercrombie (HI); Rep. Gwen Moore (WI); Rep. Keith Ellison (MN); Rep. Tammy Baldwin (WI); Rep. Donna Christensen (USVI); Rep. David Scott (GA); Rep. Luis Gutierrez (IL); Lois Capps (CA); Steve Rothman (NJ); Elijah Cummings (MD); and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX). On Blogging under a nom de pixelFirst, I think it is obvious that we allow anonymous, well, actually pseudonymous, blogging here. There are a number of bloggers at varying levels of anonymity here. For my own part, I began this site as sfbriancl, a derivative of my name (The C standing for Charles, the SF for…uh…SF). And jsw, well, those are Jeremy’s initials. Juls seems pretty easy to link to Julia Rosen, same with dday. Lucas was Lucas from the get-go. And we also gave you most of that information in the About Page. But, I guess there was still enough to attack on the basis of anonymity. Flip it over, please… Most, if not all, of the “A-list” Bloggers (I don’t want to get into that, but just read this Republic of T post for more on that) are in fact open about their identity at this point. Heck, even Digby came out of the closet. And here at Calitics, that is now the case as well, as we have had a big shift in the past week towards using real names. I think that’s cool. You see, it’s not that there isn’t value in using the pseudonym, it just gives people a bit more trust if they see that real name. That being said, there is a very real place for pseudonymous blogging. Heck, even Jon Fleischman understands that there is a place for non-attributed blogging. It could be because a paying job doesn’t want you taking political stances, or it could be shielding grassroots friends. Whatever, if you have a reason, and you can still get your point of view across to an audience, I wish you the best. But one thing that should not be tolerated is the “outing” of a pseudonymous blogger by somebody who was supposed to be on the same team. I won’t get into the details, other than the fact that here in California, a really cool person was outed by somebody that had no business doing so. That incident hurt both sides, and little was gained, other than showing that old school politics aren’t dead. Leaders should know who their friends are, but it’s painfully clear that some demand perfect loyalty and drones to the cause (ie themselves). Folks, it’s not going to happen. You will sooner tame a zebra (look it up…you can’t do it) than you will the blogosphere. You have friends, but sometimes those friends will *gasp* disagree with you. Get over it and move on. So, I guess what I’m saying is that if you can be out front about who you are, you should do so. But if you can’t, well, your “friends” should respect that. And hey, if anybody wants to change their username, shoot me an email. Your Progressive California Blog |
