Senator Durbin's call for solidarity with the Wisconsin 14

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday February 24, 2011 · 8:04 PM PST

2011/02/24 · 20:04

I received an e-mail from Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) on Wednesday Feb. 23. He summarized the situation in Wisconsin and appealed for solidarity with the Wisconsin 14.

Since he brought it up, I thought I would respond with my thoughts on solidarity and some related issues.

His e-mail and my response are below...

Poll

14 votes Show Results

My favorite sport to watch is:

14 votes Vote Now!

My favorite sport to watch is:

American Football

1 vote

Australian Football

1 vote

Association Football / Futbol

3 votes

Rugby Football

0 votes

Basketball

1 vote

Baseball

2 votes

Cricket

1 vote

Tennis

0 votes

Ice Hockey

0 votes

Field Hockey

0 votes

Track & Field

1 vote

Field & Stream

0 votes

Field & Track

0 votes

Track, Trig, Sarah, Bristol, et al

0 votes

Duplicitous Republican Scum vs. Mothra

4 votes

et tu, Human Resources?

Michael James

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday November 06, 2009 · 4:51 PM PST

2009/11/06 · 16:51

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has recently sent an e-mail to its members.

The message explains that SHRM opposes health insurance/care reform as currently constituted and encourages members to contact their Representative to urge them to vote no on H.R. 3962.

To see the contents of the e-mail and some rebuttal, head on down to there's more-ville...

Poll

9 votes Show Results

Which SHRM talking point from their e-mail most annoys you?

9 votes Vote Now!

Which SHRM talking point from their e-mail most annoys you?

Lack of incentives to offer wellness benefits & additional health information

1 vote

Existence of employer mandate

4 votes

Weakening of ERISA

1 vote

Public Plan

3 votes

GOP ignorance of Constitutional roles on display in 2010 "attack Pelosi" election strategy

Michael James

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday October 12, 2009 · 11:02 AM PDT

2009/10/12 · 11:02

Via Huffington Post, I stumbled across this WSJ article, which describes how a major part of Republican 2010 electoral strategy will be linking Democratic candidates to Nancy Pelosi.

There are certainly many aspects of the Republican approach to electoral strategy that merit some discussion, but I want to focus on the recent back and forth with the NRCC concerning policy in Afghanistan; specifically, the complete and utter disregard for the correct part of the government that should be making military policy.

Poll

49 votes Show Results

Why do Republicans hate America and the Constitution of the United States?

49 votes Vote Now!

Why do Republicans hate America and the Constitution of the United States?

Their parents did not show them enough love

29 votes

They were abused as children

20 votes

Everything I know about pressuring Blue Dogs I learned from David Plouffe

Michael James

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday August 19, 2009 · 6:49 AM PDT

2009/08/19 · 06:49

I volunteered for the Obama campaign and went canvassing on several occasions.

The experiences of volunteers like me and the training from the campaign staff, I think, help to explain why so many people are focusing attention on convincing the Blue Cross Dogs to back the public option and stop caving in to unreasonable Republican demands.

Follow me over the fold for the details.

Michael James

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday January 21, 2009 · 9:46 AM PST

2009/01/21 · 09:46

So, as was predicted a while back by Joe Biden,
Not long
After President Obama takes office, we find a
Real crisis that will
Keep alive the question: How will President Obama react in a crisis?

Poll

89 votes Show Results

The attack documented in this diary is

89 votes Vote Now!

The attack documented in this diary is

cat-astrophic

43 votes

likely to contribute to bigotry against Feline-Americans

19 votes

manna from heaven for dog-wing pundits

16 votes

catnip-infused pie

11 votes

44 Acts of Giving for our 44th President's Call to Service

Michael James

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday January 16, 2009 · 6:03 PM PST

2009/01/16 · 18:03

This diary is to help get the word out about a great idea from the Northwest Suburbs for Obama group.

The event is 44 for 44 and is described as follows:

Please join us in honoring our 44th President Barack Obama by participating in '44 for 44' between now and Inauguration Day, focusing if possible on our national day of service, Martin Luther King Day. (January 19th this year.)

You can volunteer 44 hours, donate 44 dollars, do 44 things, talk to 44 people, make 44 phone calls, knock on 44 doors, write to 44 soldiers, help 44 children, donate 44 items to a food pantry, donate 44 books to a library...or any other community service you choose to do.

Once you've decided, please email a description of your 'pledge'. We'll post them so everyone can enjoy knowing what everyone else is doing, and perhaps inspire others. (Unless you state otherwise, we'll use first name and last initial only.)

CHANGE WE CAN ACT ON!

Look below the fold for further details...

Poll

11 votes Show Results

How many acts of service will you contribute before President Obama takes office?

11 votes Vote Now!

How many acts of service will you contribute before President Obama takes office?

44 acts of service

0 votes

Less than 44 acts of service, but more than one

2 votes

One act of service, but creatively using the 44 theme somehow

5 votes

None, I need some acts of service sent my way

0 votes

I gave at the office

1 vote

However many my pootie or woozle demands

2 votes

I will bake 44 pies

1 vote

"Ye Hum Naheen:" 62.8 million Pakistanis getting together

Michael James

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday September 12, 2008 · 9:06 PM PDT

2008/09/12 · 21:06

A group of Pakistani stars have joined together and put together a song in an effort to re-define Islam as against terrorism.

I invite you to read the full article at the independent.co.uk

The song triggered a world-record-breaking petition in which 62.8 million Pakistanis united behind its title-message – Urdu for "This is Not Us".

For some additional highlights, keep on reading below the fold...

Poll

33 votes Show Results

Greatest Song Evar?

33 votes Vote Now!

Greatest Song Evar?

Blowin' in the wind

6 votes

Stairway to Heaven

4 votes

City of Blinging Light

1 vote

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

3 votes

Theme from Gilligan's Island

2 votes

Anarchy in the UK

0 votes

99 Red Balloons

1 vote

Camptown Ladies

0 votes

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

5 votes

Buffalo Soldier

4 votes

Louie, Louie

1 vote

Stacy's Mom

2 votes

Jersey Bounce

0 votes

Itsie Bitsie Spider

1 vote

Other (please post in comments)

3 votes

UPDATED X4: Are you f***ing kidding me? The Klan? A noose?

Michael James

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday June 19, 2008 · 9:03 PM PDT

2008/06/19 · 21:03

I was surfing the intertoobz and found something truly disgusting after clicking an ad I saw on Huffington Post.

In response, I sent the e-mail shown below the jump.

I originally didn't think there was quite enough here for a diary, so I just posted it as a comment in an open thread, but I was encouraged to post it as a diary and, come to think of it, there are more than three paragraphs in the e-mail I sent, so here it is.

I just couldn't not say anything after seeing what I saw.

Michael James

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday April 22, 2008 · 2:39 PM PDT

2008/04/22 · 14:39

Fair warning: In addition to believing that the title may increase readership, I thought it was catchy and it actually does relate to the diary but, to be clear, this diary is not about Hillary Clinton's whereabouts or her views on Iraq.

Okay, so I'm calling Pennsylvania today to help get out the vote for Barack Obama. Two calls of the 50 I've made so far today really stood out. both of them shook me up a bit, hence this diary.

I had gotten most of the way through my first block of phone numbers. A lot of busy signals for some reason -- I'm guessing some kind of phone circuitry or call volume issue since they were all to the same phone exchange.

I left a few messages reminding people about the primary today and had several actual conversations with PA voters.

The first call of note started something like this:

Me: "Hello, is Clinton there?"

PA household: May I ask who is calling?

Me: "I am a volunteer calling on behalf of Barack Obama's presidential campaign."

PA household: "Clinton is in Iraq."

More over the flip, as the bloggers like to say...

Poll

41 votes Show Results

Have you done anything in the last few days to help get out the vote for Barack in Pennsylvania?

41 votes Vote Now!

Have you done anything in the last few days to help get out the vote for Barack in Pennsylvania?

Yes

22 votes

12 votes

I wasn't going to, but I will now

1 vote

Cheesesteaks

4 votes

Hershey's Chocolate

2 votes

Declaration of Political Independence

Michael James

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday April 19, 2008 · 7:56 PM PDT

2008/04/19 · 19:56

-- with Apologies to Thomas Jefferson and the Second Continental Congress.

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for the people to dissolve the political stranglehold of lobbyists and special interests which have confounded them and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of the political establishment, the blogosphere and interested pundits requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to take such action.

Michael James

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday March 19, 2008 · 9:09 PM PDT

2008/03/19 · 21:09

One thing that I love about PBS is how it can bring things to your attention that you otherwise never would have found.

A few years ago, I was flipping through the TV channels and happened upon my local PBS affiliate, which was airing an interview with James Loewen.

The topic of discussion was his new book "Sundown Towns."

After hearing Mr. Loewen talk for a while, I was taken aback at how vile and how recent some of the racism in this country has been.

After the flip, I will comment in more depth on how this experience with PBS and Mr. Loewen relates to the incredible speech recently given in Philadelphia by Senator Barack Obama.
"A More Perfect Union"

Poll

25 votes Show Results

I had heard of the existence of Sundown Towns prior to reading this diary

25 votes Vote Now!

I had heard of the existence of Sundown Towns prior to reading this diary

Yes

19 votes

6 votes

RSS

Senator Durbin's call for solidarity with the Wisconsin 14

et tu, Human Resources?

GOP ignorance of Constitutional roles on display in 2010 "attack Pelosi" election strategy

Everything I know about pressuring Blue Dogs I learned from David Plouffe

Test for Obama: Devastating Railroad Attack (w/Pictures!)

44 Acts of Giving for our 44th President's Call to Service

"Ye Hum Naheen:" 62.8 million Pakistanis getting together

UPDATED X4: Are you f***ing kidding me? The Klan? A noose?

"Clinton" is in Iraq

Declaration of Political Independence

Not just what they want to hear, but what they need to hear