I'm on it now, and will be liveblogging it from now on. Their e-mail says, "We'll have Roger Hickey from the Campaign for America's Future, Duncan Black of Atrios, and representatives from the Center for American Progress. We'll debunk the State of the Union, discuss SocialSecurity and the messaging behind it, and answer questions."
(if its not in "quotes" than it is paraphrased)
Here it goes...
UPDATE 10:16pm "expose rouse" of Bush evoking Moynihan, Clinton, etc. to justify privatizing social security
UPDATE 10:17pm "wrong choices, wrong priorities" that will be a top message. Bush has squandered a defecit by making the "wrong choices." Americans know this. This needs to be our messgae.
UPDATE 10:20pm "ideas on a progressive alternative" ... "progressive economic vision ... bring together all Americans ... nation stronger with growing middle class" Economics be driven by inclusion. "Invest in America's future."
UPDATE 10:22pm "is the president's rhetoric real or is it sorta just empty rhetoric?" Is he willing to confront corrupt regimes in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, etc.
UPDATE 10:24pm Now Roger Hickey for Campaign for America's Future. Parallel media events in following cities for Campaign for America's Future: bismark, little rock, lincoln, couldn't catch all of them. None are in Texas though.
UPDATE 10:31pm If we do this we can cause Bush to step back and suddenly realize the Democrats wil put up a fight.
UPDATE 10:36pm Now they are going into social security. About to go into questions with Duncan Black of Atrios. "Media the enemy on this, united in their belief that SS is doomed." Bush's "non-existent plan" has information "that can't be verified." Some claims will "be outright false." "Media only listens to you if you yell at them."
UPDATE 10:37pm Duncan Black of Eschaton about to start taking questions. Roger Hickey says use "private account" always not "personal account." Says to complain when you see "talking head talking about personal accounts." Go to www.thereisnocrisis.com to ask questions. "Call it privitizing social security because that's really what it is." Tells listeners to go to Rapid Response on There is No Crisis to do online news polls .. go now.
UPDATE 10:39pm Duncan Black taking questions now. "We don't have full plan yet." "sharp reduction in gauranteed benefit of social security...reduction would snowball over years."
UPDATE 10:40pm on Bush's trip to Midwest ... trying to persuade moderate Democrats to get on private accounts bandwagon. Would Bush consider payroll tax rates? Black says: "Bush 100% wouldn't increase rate." My commentary: who the fuck knows? Bush lies.
UPDATE 10:42pm Bob Brigham of ThereIsNoCrisis.com is on now. "Check back in a couple of weeks ... we will have a cool new project." I wonder what it is??? "We will spend 1/10 of what privateers spend." We MUST "leverage our strength." "We have better writers, we have better ideas, we have the truth" in the blogosphere. "we can fight ... talking heads and Cato Institute." "best stuff we are going to do is not going to come from the top down ... its going to come from a [creative blogger]." "We can't win this battle head on on televison." We need ideas like Josh Marshall's Concscience Cause, etc. ... Advises us to Google bomb ThereIsNoCrisis.com by linking it as Social Security.
Its over.
"Good night, let's go get 'em!"
Those were the closing words. They couldn't be more appropriate.