Hilary's negatives: why we worry

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Monday August 13, 2007 · 5:40 PM PDT

2007/08/13 · 17:40

I have voiced my concerns about a Hilary nomination before, but an LA times story illustrates very clearly one of my points. The strategic worry that Hilary Clinton is very divisive character in American politics, and that should she win our nomination she would energize the republican base. That division would lead once again to another razor thin election which hinges on one or two states, and her coattails wouldn't take our down ticket candidates very far.

That concern it seems is shared by highly placed democrats around the country:

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Trouble on the Home Front for our Troops

Luam

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Sunday August 05, 2007 · 11:52 AM PDT

2007/08/05 · 11:52

Somehow the phrases "Family Values" and "Support our Troops" have become partisan, Republican mantras in today's divisive political climate. Yet, both those phrases ring hollow when we see what the Bush administration is doing to the families of our soldiers.

A few days ago, I stopped by a corner market to buy some ice and saw a rather shocking story in the USA Today:

Army wives whose husbands are deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have committed markedly higher rates of child neglect and abuse than when their spouses are home, according to a study Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The Army-funded study found child neglect was almost four times greater during periods when the husbands were at war. Physical child abuse was nearly twice as high during combat deployments.

Luam

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Sunday July 22, 2007 · 10:58 AM PDT

2007/07/22 · 10:58

On January 20th, 2009 America's new President will face a new era of foreign policy with challenges and options different than those faced by prior administrations. Many of these new challenges have been brewing for decades, but most were created or exacerbated by mistakes made since the turn of the century.

When I first moved to England in October 2000, I would get some good natured ribbing about how we were "Late for the War," or "McDonald's and Disney imperialism." There were frustrations about how we conducted ourselves internationally, but overall people were favorably inclined towards America. Many still felt that they owed America a debt of gratitude for the actions of our Greatest Generation in WWII.

Luam

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Friday February 02, 2007 · 11:38 AM PST

2007/02/02 · 11:38

Years ago I attended a talk by a friend of mine on the Feminist Anarchist Movement (she is part of the Women Studies crowd should have her Ph.D. by now). Near the beginning of her talk she mentioned that even in very liberal or anarchist movements the women were often relegated to getting the boys coffee. Even when they weren't actively excluded, the women found it very hard to participate in the conversation. The discussion styles were male dominated and women had trouble joining in.

We were sitting at a meeting of mostly anarchist and feminists, led by a strong woman. The room was about 50/50 men and women and she had just mentioned that women often found it hard to talk in these kinds of forums. So I sat back and watched, to see how it would play out.

Luam

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Friday November 17, 2006 · 8:13 AM PST

2006/11/17 · 08:13

One of the comments I got from people I canvassed on election day and before was that they were tired of recieving so many phone calls, and that "If [they] got one more phone call they were going to stay home and not vote". I even got a call while I was in the office complaining that we were calling the emergency number of a doctor, and that we were to stop calling them.

The worst of these are often the robocalls put out by both parties. Not only do we get an annoying phone call, but we know there isn't anyone on the other end. We can't ask then to stop calling us or they who they are who paid for the call. I propose that we should ban robocalls, and not just political ones all phone calls. Read More

CT-Sen: My Prediction for Lamont and Why

Luam

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Monday November 06, 2006 · 9:13 PM PST

2006/11/06 · 21:13

We have all been following the ST-Sen race with a certain sense of baited breath. He stepped over certain lines when he started using talking points from Karl Rove, and has made it very clear that he is going to be a very independent vote in the Senate if he wins. To me that is code for continuing his Neo-Con agenda.

You have seen the latest polling, showing Lieberman up, 49-37-8. That looks like a race out of the margin of error and GOTV, but I think it will be a very close one tomorrow and possibly even a victory for Lamont, and I'll tell you why.

Party Loyalty and Ballot Placement. Read More

Fighting for Democracy at home so we don't have to over there

Luam

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Monday October 23, 2006 · 4:58 PM PDT

2006/10/23 · 16:58

"Hello, My name is 'Luam', and I am with Patrick Murphy for Congress. I am just stopping by to remind you to vote on November 7th."

I have knocked on several hundred doors in the last few days and said pretty much that. Depending on how they respond I continue, or thank them and move on. Most often I get a smile and polite thank you as they take our literature and close the door. Even better is when the say that they voting for my guy. The ones who like to talk about politics are fun, but I've got to keep moving along - so many doors to hit, too little time. Read More

The inside scoop on little ways to help a campaign.

Luam

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Friday October 20, 2006 · 9:33 AM PDT

2006/10/20 · 09:33

I know that most of us bloggers are spending every spare moment you have wondering what you can do to help out the Patrick Murphy for Congress campaign. This diary is for those of you who are still wondering.

You probably already know that we really need you to volunteer and contribute if you possibly can, but there are lots of other little things you can give which would help us, and probably any other campaign out a lot. Read More

PA-08: From Netroots to Staffer on One Week

Luam

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Tuesday October 10, 2006 · 5:23 AM PDT

2006/10/10 · 05:23

Just over a week ago I finally submitted my thesis and found myself with plenty of free time while I wait to defend my thesis and look for postdoc positions. What else is a good Kossack to do with free time in October, but head out and find a campaign to get involved with, so last a week ago last Sunday I headed out with Philly for Change to canvass for Brenden Doyle and Patrick Murphy up in Northeast Philadelphia. After a good afternoon of canvassing, I mentioned to the field worker that I was free for October, and he told me that he was going to try to get me to join the team. Read More

Yom Kippur prayer for America

Luam

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Sunday October 01, 2006 · 10:23 PM PDT

2006/10/01 · 22:23

As Jews prepare themselves for their Yom Kippur prayers this year, take a moment to remember our country and our President in your prayers. Yom Kippur is the day of Atonement, and on that day we ask for forgiveness for all the sins that we have committed, individually and as a community. I have always understood that to mean that are guilty of the sins committed in our name, and that we may beg for the forgiveness of our friends, family, and the community as a whole. So I ask you to hold all of the World, but especially my own country, America, in your prayers this day of Fasting.

What follows is excerpts from the Yom Kippur Liturgy and comments on how we have sinned in the past year. I have added the italics. Read More

Proud to be an American - a filk

Luam

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Saturday July 01, 2006 · 2:16 PM PDT

2006/07/01 · 14:16

The Fourth of July is a great time to think about what it means to be an American and why we value our independence and freedom, more importantly what we need to do to protect them. We have all heard the song, "God Bless the U.S.A." (aka Proud to be an American). Personally it doesn't really speak to me, sometimes it even makes me a little sad. So I thought I would change it a little to give it a personal and wistful touch.

So many things are gone we've worked for all our lives,
And we've had to build again just to overcome our strife.
Still I wave the stars and stripes, and am proud of what they say,
`Cause our nation stands for freedom which we won't let fade away. Read More

On Speech and Money

Luam

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Monday June 26, 2006 · 3:05 PM PDT

2006/06/26 · 15:05

In this day and age, our politicians spend far too much of their time looking for campaign contributions and not enough communicating with their constituents. Far too many campaigns (like CA-50) spend an obscene amount of money per vote they receive. This not only give the appearance of corruption (and all to often the reality as well), but it shapes the kinds of candidates that run for office. Too many of our candidates are rich or very well connected.

We need to seek solutions, and ones which improve politicians' ability to communicate to their constituents, and decrease the time they spend begging for money. As I have mentioned before, we should consider requiring television and radio stations to provide advertising to candidates as part of the broadcast license. We should also reduce the connection between money and access, as well as reduce the contribution limits. Read More

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Hilary's negatives: why we worry

Trouble on the Home Front for our Troops

Foreign Policy in a post-Bush America

On Gendered Political Speech

Campaign Reform: Get rid of robocalls

CT-Sen: My Prediction for Lamont and Why

Fighting for Democracy at home so we don't have to over there

The inside scoop on little ways to help a campaign.

PA-08: From Netroots to Staffer on One Week

Yom Kippur prayer for America

Proud to be an American - a filk

On Speech and Money