Good morning everyone!  Last night several of us began talking on some of the Edwards threads.  Guess what?  There appears to be a few of you in town!  Some of you live in New Orleans or there about and some of you are visiting.  After some discussion, we've decided to meet!  I believe this might be the first time this has been done in New Orleans.

HERE'S YOUR FORMAL INVITATION - AFTER THE JUMP:

It appears there are a few kossacks in New Orleans right now and John Edwards will be announcing his candidacy from here tomorrow.  On one of the threads, someone asked me if I'd like to meet.  I'm down wid it and suggested that we meet at the Columns on St. Charles.

The only purpose of this diary is to make this announcement.  I should be arriving at the Columns around 8:30 and will carrying a sign that says, "dkos".  Come and join us.  This should be fun.  And....

OK.  I'm a sentimental fool.  I'll admit it.  Terribly romantic too and as many of you know - a shameless promoter of all things New Orleans.  With that said, I think I have a treat in store for you.

You've heard so many terrible things about New Orleans.  How so many of us have suffered and continue to suffer the strain of Katrina.  I have often plugged a friends of mine's brilliant blog on Katrina.  

However, tonight, I have a very, very heartwarming expose of one New Orleanian's daily walk through the French Quarter.  For those of you have visited here, you'll know exactly what it means.  For those of you who haven't, let this be an inspiration.

Thank you for taking the time to visit with us yesterday.  The fact that you did goes a long way with me and I am honored that you keep in touch with us here as I know this was not your first diary.

I was very busy yesterday and, frankly, hadn't really thought about writing except that two things happened.  First there was a fantastic diary!  Please check out thereisnospoon's profound diary.  

The second event, which seems small perhaps, but huge to me was a video of Laura Bush that I ran across that was linked on a New Orleans blog.

Senator Edwards, please to read on.

We've known for sometime that Dubya is not too bright.  However, some of us still give Laura the benefit of the doubt.  You'll see why this is my first paragraph later on.

I live in New Orleans.  I just got back from driving around Lakeview today.  There are still blocks and blocks of empty houses giving Lakeview the eerie feeling of what an American suburb might look like a year after it was hit by an atomic bomb.  

What truly amazed and inspired me are the people who are rebuilding their homes.  I mean, it's not like they are just building the same old same old.  The houses we saw were beautiful.  Bigger.  Better.  Environmentally improved!  What a testament to the grit and determination of New Orleanians.

More after the flip.  You won't want to miss this.

I've been listening to the first 10 minutes of Bill Clinton's address to the Center for American Progress.

This diary is going to be short and I might take slack for it but I wanted to get this out.  I am so inspired.  He's talking about "The Common Good".  He is talking about uniting our country and why we should and why we need to.

I think we would all benefit from listening.

Discuss below if you're watching. UPDATE: Greenchiledem has provided us with [http://www.americanprogress.org/events/special_events/commongood_wjc.html this copy of the transcript]. Thanks!

Quoting from the Variety article today regarding the possible ABC decision to pull TP9/11:

Bill Clinton loyalists are demanding wholesale changes to the upcoming miniseries -- and while ABC is making some snips, the alterations, insiders say, may not please the Dems

I am not a damned Bill Clinton loyalist.  I am a fighter for the truth.  I hate twisted lies and this is one more of them.  The world seems to have become so jaded that it is no longer a matter of the truth winning out.  Everyone thinks there is no truth - it's all a matter of which bias screams the loudest.  Let them know that this is NOT ABOUT PERSONAL BIAS.
Write to Variety and tell them to get their reporting straight.    

Peter Bart ( bio )
Vice President, Editor-in-Chief
peter.bart@variety.com

Mo-ah aftah da flip, dahl!

Once upon a time, I chose to believe that, although things go wrong and sometimes people can be cruel, in the end, it'll all work out.

I want to share with you where I am at least part of the day, when I am not on dailykos or at work.  I spend time on the NOLA.com forums.  The Times-Picayune is the local New Orleans newspaper.  Their on-line newspaper is located here.

I'd like for you to imagine that you are from New Orleans and are black and have just watched the Spike Lee movie. Hell, you don't even have to pretend you're black.  If you're a normally compassionate person, I think you'd be equally appalled by the following:

I've promised ya'll a diary.  But everytime I go to write one, it is difficult for me to focus on one particular aspect of post-Katrina New Orleans.  The other problem is, well, frankly, it takes alot of concentration and energy to write a diary and I'm afraid that my concentration and energy have had to go elsewhere these days.

This very evening I was sitting on the front porch when I realized that I do have something that I can write about something that I think would be important for you to read.  This ain't the one.  It'll come later.

Instead, I want to share something else with you that I ran across just a moment ago.  See, I told you, there's so many things to write about.

After yesterday's terrific diary by jorndorff http://www.dailykos.com/....
I realized from your posts, that there are alot of us in the New Orleans area who would probably benefit from getting some support.

I know that many of you know that I'm in the mental health field.  I'd like to provide support if I could so I'm proposing a FREE weekly support group for kossacks in the area.  Who knows what will happen?  It really doesn't matter but it would be good to get together.  Please email me if you're interested in doing this.  

After this morning's terrific diary by jorndorff http://www.dailykos.com/...
I realized from your posts, that there are alot of us in the New Orleans area who would probably benefit from getting some support.

I know that many of you know that I'm in the mental health field.  I'd like to provide support if I could so I'm proposing a FREE weekly support group for kossacks in the area.  Who knows what will happen?  It really doesn't matter but it would be good to get together.  Please email me if you're interested in doing this.  

By now, many of us have been watching Glynis' petition gain the 10,000 signatures she had hoped for.

If you are not familiar with the "Howard Dean Speaks for Me" petition, here's a link to her diary and the petition:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/13/9123/91765

More below the fold...

Actually, I usually don't post many diaries but have to pitch a heartfelt plug for another diary...this one:

Lakoff XXIII - Regressives
by coturnix

I feel that coturnix's diary is a must read for ALL KOSSACKS.  You need to understand the concepts that have been laid out so well by Coturnix. The complexity of liberalism and the difficulty in understanding conservatism is of the utmost importance to us all.

Please, please, please read and recommend before this diary sinks into oblivion.
 

At the extended entry is a comment I made today in support of Tunesmith's diary.  I was asked by some of my fellow posters to enter this comment into a diary of my own and so I will.  I have taken the liberty of some minor editing. I'd like to preface this diary by saying that I have avoided writing it as I wasn't sure I had the moxie to withstand some of the criticism it is sure to garner...but with a little encouragement from kossacks and husband alike, have bitten the bullet and with a click of my mouse, will have done the deed.

I am absolutely awash and aghast at the news today.  Listening to C-Span, the guests are Kelly Shackelford from "The Liberty Legal Institute" spouting the doctrine of the religious right that the 10 Commandments monuments should be allowed to be displayed in government building and lawns and basically saying that separation of church and state is discriminatory and on the other side is Rev. Barry Lynn from the "Americans for Separation of Church and State".

Lynn argued his side quite eloquently.  C-Span follows up up with an interview with Fawn Johnson discussing Bush's bill that allows job training for people only if they do so through a faith-based initiative.  They receive $3,000 to work with.  If the person completes the training within a certain number of months and gets a job, they get to keep the remainder of the grant money.

Just ran across the following article.  With Howard Dean's and DFA's focus on local elections, passing this bill could be manna from heaven.

http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/story.jsp?id=2005021600030002041556&dt=20050216000300&w RTR&coview

Imagine what it would be like if your local television station really worked to get you familiar with local candidates.  How many times have you gone to the polls with complete awareness of the candidates you are about to vote for?  Time after time, I usually have one or two I feel passionately about, but remain in the dark about others.

Is anyone familiar with McCain's bill?  How do you think this would impact your local elections or local meetups?  I could see DFA really running with this one.  As an already organized group, working on getting progressive candidates elected, I think the Meetups could truly hold influence over their local media.  Most of them are already on a first name basis with local news media anyway!

In Booman23's diary:  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/2/14/22723/6051

Booman asks "where the fuck are you from?"

In continuation of that theme, I think a diary that includes shameless plugs for your BLUE friends all around the nation, who have SMALL businesses, is appropriate.

I know that I would like to travel and know that I could refer to this diary for a referral to a good restaurant, inn, gas station, hardware store or sightseeing tour that is owned and operated by one of my "blue" buddies.  I'd feel much happier sleeping at night knowing that my money is going into the pocket of someone who is more likely to be a supporter of the cause/kos.

I'm not much of a diarist but I searched for this topic and don't think it was covered.

Since I rarely visit fanatical websites, especially right-wing fanatical websites, I decided that today would be the day.

So, I targeted Little Green Footballs.  First, let me tell you, that even with a Google search, it was slightly more difficult to get on the actual website than one might imagine.  However, it was well worth the trip.

When I got there I was greeted with several posts regarding our very own, Markos Zuninga!

Follow this link (sorry my linking is archaic to say the least).

http://www.bloglines.com/blog/1stCorinthians?subid=4564587

Well, kossacks, are we being innundated with Republican/Armstrongesk, payola'd, left-wing propoganda here on kos?  Hell no!  Interesting, that for once, the right is a little behind in their diversionary smear tactics, eh?

What say you.  Do you have a good rebuttal for our LGF blogging buddies?