In yesterday's poll something happened which I haven't seen done in such an obvious and blatantly stupid way in any other poll before. The voting on the next Sec. of the Interior was pretty much done, maybe a vote here and there was still coming but it was pretty much over. Then I noticed how the vote total for Les AuCoin (who had somewhere between 5 and 8 votes before this started) was slowly rising. At first it looked as if someone just wanted him to surpass Olypia Snowe who was in second place with 11 votes at that time. But that person didn't stop there. While the vote count for everyone else remained pretty much stagnant (Robert Kennedy, Jr.'s went from 60 to just 63 in this time frame), Les AuCoin's went from the single digits to a total of 42 votes. So, one person actually took the time to vote for him more than 20 times to get him into a runoff with Robert Kennedy, Jr.

Yesterday's Attorney General poll needed no runoff as John Edwards won more than 50% in the first round. Results below the fold.

With the Obama Veepstakes poll now concluded and Gov. Bill Richardson as your chosen running mate (which was covered by the Santa Fe Reporter) it's time to take this a step further:

Who would you like to see in an Obama cabinet?

Today you can vote on the next Secretary of the Interior:

It's often very difficult to figure out what advantages come from electing Democrats. Consider Montana's destruction of 1,700 bison this winter:

Officials with the Buffalo Field Campaign call this winter’s management actions the worst slaughter of bison since the 1800’s.

Montana is the wintering ground of choice for bison seeking refuge from the deep snows of the Yellowstone highlands in neighboring Wyoming.

But according to the Jackson Hole News, thanks to the slaughter and weather-related deaths:

Yellowstone officials say more than half of the park’s 4,700 bison have died this winter.

Yellowstone bison really ought to be safe in Montana, which has Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer overseeing the state's wildlife management and its agriculture department.  

Former U.S. Sen. John Melcher has endorsed Barack Obama.

Senator Melcher became a superdelgate earlier this month by virtue of serving on a national Democratic Party committee.

Initially he indicated that he would remain neutral.

Once again, Obama's stance against the war has been a pivotal factor.  Melcher says he chose Obama because

the Illinois senator has been against the Iraq war since the start.

Another Montana DNC superdelgate, Ed Tinsley has already endorsed Obama (thanks for the info Oreo!).

Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Senator Max Baucus and Senator Jon Tester have indicated they will wait until the state's June 3 primary to decide.

'06 Netroots favorite Jon Tester has picked sides in Montana's Democratic three-way primary for the U.S. House, sending an email out to his supporters, encouraging them to give to Jim Hunt (who also happens to be the only Montana contender to endorse the Responsible Plan):

You and I know what it's like to be the underdog.  Two years ago, when the pundits and political establishment dismissed our campaign, we didn't blink.  We took them on by building a grassroots network and speaking out about the issues that matter.  And on election night, we surprised a whole bunch of folks.

This year, we can surprise a whole bunch of folks again.  We can send another real Montanan to bring real change to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Dear Jon And Brian,

I am using your first names not just because I've worked for both of you in Montana, but because I look up to both of you with great respect.  This letter is public, personal appeal to urge you, with all my heart, to end your publicly neutral superdelegate stand and endorse Barack Obama for President of the United States.

We are experiencing a moment that requires critical leadership, I look around and see nothing happening, and I would like it to be yours.

I know that only Ed Tinsley out of the Montana superdelegate contingent has endorsed, and he for Obama.  I also hope Max, Dennis, Margie, and Jean will endorse Barack.  I know that your intention is to stay neutral until after the primary.

But things have changed in the race, particularly in the last couple days.  Since I know you (I've met or worked with/for all of you except Ed, actually), since I have supported you with my labor and my heart and soul, and since this community has supported you as well, I beg your indulgence for this appeal.

I suppose most of those colored maps that show political leanings of a given state still color Montana purple.  Our governor and both our senators are Democrats, but the argument can be made that this is true because they are strong, unique personalities (Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Sen. Jon Tester) or simply Old Guard (Sen. Max Baucus), rather than because Democrats rule the state, politically.

But there's fresh evidence of real change. Details follow:

Gun control is an issue that does not have nearly enough support among the current group of Democrats. Although most do support gun control, they certainly haven't done any legislating to show their support. Granted there are bigger problems but this quote from John Tester just pissed me off. Join me below the fold for more.

As you may know, I just completed my new book, entitled The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington. Many of you have been asking me when my new book is officially scheduled for release, so I wanted to let you know we have set a formal launch date of May 27, 2008. We are also releasing the book's cover this week, which you see above. In the extended entry, I go into what the book really is about, and how I hope to make the book tour feed into the growing uprising.

Yesterday, twenty-one Democratic senators' joined their Republican brethren and voted to hand George Bush another blank check for Iraq.  Why?  Because if you ignore the fact that every benchmark laid out by Bush has failed, we're winning.  And with only forty or so soldiers dying in Iraq every month, what better way to support the troops than voting to keep them there indefinitely? Well, not all of the troops, because just since that Magical September, 45 soldiers from these Democratic senators' home states have died.  And when these senators defend their vote, will they remember those men and women?  

Senators Lincoln and Pryor, remember:

Thomas Martin:   It was just devastating. It's the news that hits you in the gut and makes you want to sit down and cry when you hear it.

 James Doster:  Just two weeks ago, 6-year-old Kathryn Doster was excitedly counting the days until her father, Army Sgt. 1st Class James Doster, 37, would get a short reprieve from the war in Iraq to come home for a visit.

 David Watson:  What a fine young man he was...a handsome man, and big beautiful eyes and always had something to say to cheer you up.

Michael Yarbrough:  He was on his third tour of duty and was scheduled to return home in November...

Kevin Bewley:  It hurts. I mean he was an all around good guy.

Matthew Reece:  It seemed things had been going well lately, and with the end of our deployment nearing, a lot of us had felt that we would ride the rest of the deployment out without incident.

Nathan Thacker:  Thacker's sister, Sabrina Black, says her brother was an excellent man -- and that she'd do anything to have him back.

Senator Salazar, remember:

Dane Balcon:  I was so devastated, and I still am. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same.

Senator Bill Nelson, remember:

John Mele:  He was a really great soldier, and the absolute greatest husband and father.

Jason Koutroubas:  He was glad he had the night shift because it was cooler and darker then, and he felt safer.  He said there were a lot of sandstorms too, and he missed trees.

Adam Snyder:  Fran Frazer...heard her son had been hurt...He had been badly burned...When she called to check his condition the next morning, a man came on the line. "We're sorry to inform you ..."When they told me he died, honestly, I was almost relieved he didn't have to suffer. There was a sense of relief that he died apparently quickly."

Donnie Dixon:  Dessie Dixon was overcome with emotion and still mourns her son, who was killed this month serving in Iraq. "At least he is home, and I am thankful for that," she said.

Marius Ferrero:  When I came in and saw these two military guys I said, 'Oh my God, it can't be. It can't be my son,' she said. "It was him."

Christopher Poole Jr.:  They think they're going for a purpose, and things change.  They need to bring our kids home. I feel for anybody at this point who has a child there.

Donald Valentine III:  The Valentine family has sacrificed; everybody feels it.

Daniel McCall:  He was a happy-go-lucky kid. And the thing I remember about him is that he could run forever and run fast.

Joseph Landry III: When he set his mind on something, he would do anything in his power to achieve it. He was not the fastest runner, but he would never quit the race.

Brandon Thorsen:  He enjoyed hunting deer and hogs, flat fishing, and golf with his father. Anything outdoor, that was us.

Senators Akaka and Inouye, remember:

Alexander Gagalac:  "For the past 13 months, I have been living in a place that time forgot- Iraq" read Hewe. "I can't wait to be home with family and friends."

Senator Bayh, remember:

Ryan Woodward:  Woodward was very outgoing and was known for always trying his hardest. He was also a jokester.

Timothy McGovern:  He loved his family and he loved leading soldiers. He was a son, a brother, a leader of soldiers in combat, a patriot and a friend to many.

Johnathan Lahmann:  He was a great kid, good listener, good learner, real sharp, real nice young man.

Nicholas Patterson:  He had been married just shy of nine months. When he was called away to war for the second time, he quickly married his high school sweetheart...

Shayna Schnell:  She passed away just nine days before her 20th birthday.

Kenneth Booker:  Booker’s mother...learned of her son’s death Thursday, the same day she had mailed a Christmas package to him. That package includes a note stating that since he couldn’t be home for Christmas, Christmas was coming to him.

Senator Landrieu, remember:

Jarred Fontenot:  He was our rock - able to take on the problems of a big company and never break.

Senator Mikulski, remember:

Ari Brown-Weeks:  It seemed like no matter what I would talk about, he would always slip in a comment about how much he loved his wife.

Robin Towns Sr.:  Staff Sgt. Robin L. Towns Sr., was serving his ninth day in Iraq when a bomb exploded under his Humvee and ended his life.

Towns, a 52-year-old father of six from Upper Marlboro, was killed Wednesday.

Senator Levin, remember:

Todd Motley:  He was one of those students that stuck out in your mind because Todd showed resilience that I haven't seen in a long time.

Jason Lee:  Lee was the life of any party, said another, but he was also an intelligent man who had the gift to make complicated topics understandable, especially in science.

Casey Mason:  He would always say he was going to run for president, and he'd tell me how he planned to change things.

Senators Baucus and Tester, remember:

Daren Smith:  Pvt. Daren Smith became the sixth soldier or Marine from Helena to die in the Iraq war since it began more than four years ago.

Yance Gray:  Gray and Mora were among seven soldiers...who wrote the op-ed piece that...called the prospects of U.S. success "far-fetched" and said the progress being reported was being "offset by failures elsewhere."

Senator McCaskill, remember:

Austin Pratt:  Austin Pratt came from a big family, loved baseball and didn’t know an enemy.

Joel Murray:  He loved music, riding four-wheelers, and going "muddin" in his pick-up.

Thomas Crowell:  He was hoping to retire in seven months and possibly get a corporate security job.

Bob Casey, remember:

David Wieger:  He will be greatly missed! He would have been so proud to know that you all were there for him.

Adam Chitjian:  A Philadelphia native due to end his second tour of duty in Iraq next month died Thursday.

David Cooper:  Sgt. 1st Class David A. Cooper Jr. loved to play computer and video games and a spirited round of poker.

Senator Tim Johnson, remember:

Zachary Tomczak:  "He was just a phenomenal person," said Tomczak's father, Blaise. "As far as the military, he took that very serious. He didn't talk too much about things, but you could tell he was pretty serious about it."

This was Tomczak's fourth tour of Iraq, his father said.

Senator Rockefeller, remember:

Jason Marchand:  He left behind a wife, a mom, two brothers, and his 6 year old daughter Savannah.

Benjamin Tiffner:  In 1996, Benjamin Tiffner was nominated by Sen. Robert Byrd to the U.S. Military Academy.

Senator Webb, remember:

David Lambert:  When it gets quiet around here...that’s when you start to realize it.

Mason Lewis:  People who didn't know Mason missed out.  He was just such a wonderful man.

Derek Banks:  He kept saying he was scared this time. "I might not come back. I may not come back."

So when these Senators' explain their vote by saying progress is on the march, ask them if they remember the men and women who continue to die everyday for George Bush's war and for their capitulation.    

Cross-posted at www.wiseass.org

This past Saturday evening at MacTarnahan’s Taproom in Northwest Portland, Montana's Senator and grassroots hero Jon Tester joined Oregon's Speaker of the House Jeff Merkley at a fundraiser for Merkley's campaign to replace Gordon Smith as Oregon's junior Senator to the United States Senate.

The event was both well attended and came off organized. Early on before the speeches, Merkley's campaign and Tester's aide secured for myself and blogger Ben DuPree from Witigonen a few minutes face time with Senator Tester. Speaking with the Senator, it is easy to see why Montanans have elected him to first lead the Montana State Senate and then to replace the odious Conrad Burns as their Senator to Congress. The Senator was direct yet totally approachable in his conversation.

Last night I attended a fund raiser for Oregon Senate candidate Jeff Merkley. Merkley is the current Speaker of the House and is running for the Democratic nomination against Steve Novick. Merkley has done wonders for Oregon as Speaker of the House. He helped create a Democratic majority, helped pass countless environmental legislation, not to mention domestic partnership legislation. He's a solid progressive and has a proven track record of getting things done. If it's not already obvious, I'm completely in his camp! Follow me below the fold to hear about my beer drinking with Jon Tester and Jeff Merkley......

Liz Kimmerly, Online Director for Steve Novick, posts the results from a comparison of Steve Novick and Jeff Merkley to Senator Jon Tester from Montana. Steve Novick is a committed progressive taking on Gordon Smith for the U.S. Senate. You can find out more about the fighter with the hard left hook at his (newly upgraded!) website and help support his campaign at ActBlue.

A new poll released by Montana State University-Billings showed some pretty interesting numbers. Here they are distilled:

Governor Brian Schweitzer:
Approve: 63%
Disapprove: 18%
Undecided: 19%

Senator Max Baucus:
Approve: 64%
Disapprove: ~18%
Undecided: ~18%

Senator Jon Tester:
Approve: 57%
Disapprove: 16%
Undecided: 27%

Rep Denny Rehberg:
Approve: 59%
Disapprove: 17%
Undecided: 24%

Now, there are a few interesting take away points here:

Tonight I drove past the grave of Edgar Allen Poe.

Like me, he rests in Baltimore.

Many of Poe’s stories focused on a common fear of the Victorian era, being buried alive.

That notion seemed appropriate as I pondered a press release from Nick Rahall, Chair of the House Resources Committee: Rahall: CNMI Bill ‘Nails the Coffin Shut' on Abramoff Era.

The bill, H.R. 3079, was reported out of the Committee yesterday. It does a lot right to end the decades of abuse on the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI), but it asks us to pay a steep and immoral price.

It seems that in our 110th Congress the cost of legislation to end the system of abuse is to bury the remaining 20,000 victims alive with the specter of the Abramoff scandal.

Is that a harsh judgment?

Nope.

To the jump...

Do we actually have the 41 votes to filibuster Mukasey after all?  TPM is all over it, speaking with senators to see where their votes lie.

Netroots Senator Tester (D-MT) and his comrade Baucus (D-MT) announced their opposition to Mukasey this afternoon, and Salazar (D-CO) joined them soon after in voicing his disapproval of the nominee.

Ben Nelson is on record as voting for him, the question is how Nelson (FL), Pryor and Lincoln (AR), Conrad and Dorgan (ND), Johnson (SD) and Rockefeller (WV) are going to vote.

We can't get our hopes up, but we can certainly start making some phone calls to see if the magical 41 is a possibility...

Montana Netroots is reporting that Helena Montana's 'Out of Iraq' referendum has been passed by a broad of 5,032 to 3,108.  New West Missoula is reporting that a similar referendum in Missoula has passed with a slightly wider majority of 64% to 36%.

Helena voter silutaneously passes their referendum and shot down one that urged perpetual funding.

Referendum 2007-1, which asked city voters whether they’re for or against "urging the Congress of the United States to authorize and fund an immediate and orderly withdrawal of the United States military from Iraq," passed by a preliminary count of 5,032 votes to 3,108.

Referendum 2007-2, asking Helenans to "urge the Congress of the United States of America to fund our military forces totally and without conditions in the global war on terror," lost by 1,857 votes in a preliminary count, 4,917 to 3,060.

These votes should be considered a wake up call to Senator's Jon Tester and Max Baucus...

There has been much discussion in the netroots  recently about the potential power of the Youth Vote in Iowa, or its lack of power. While I clearly have a side in all this. My most important side is the truth.  There is much discussion about the potential of  Youth of Vote. This diary is about an actual example of undisputed Youth Power. Congressman Joe Courtney would not be a Congressman today were it not for the power of Youth Vote  at the University of Connecticut.  I was not a part of the effort to turnout Young Voters on the Uconn Stores Campus but the numbers speak for themselves.