From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE...
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Attorney Steve Thibodeau's diaries frequently show up on the recommended list under his Kossack name, "wmtriallawyer." In 2006, Steve was elected to the Maryland State Democratic Central Committee to represent Legislative District 33 of Anne Arundel County. He serves as treasurer for the Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee, as well as on the Rules Committee for the Maryland Democratic Party. He's also the former executive vice-president of Young Democrats of Maryland, and has prior work experience on Capitol Hill and as an editor for nationally-known progressive radio commentator Jim Hightower. Steve lives in Annapolis with his wife, Jen, and cat, Ella. In our never-ending series, Yes, We're All Staring At YOU!, wmtriallawyer takes the stand in C&J's intimidating Nerf docket...
Cheers & Jeers: How long have you been blogging and what brought you to Daily Kos?
Wmtriallawyer: I found DKos in 2004 during the election season. I enjoyed the reading the thoughts of folks who seemed to be in hiding out there, people I shared progressive values with. Now, at the time, I just thought it was a place where a bunch of cool people had gotten together to do political commentary. It literally took me six months to figure out that I, too, could get an account and get in on the conversation. Shows you my lack of computer knowledge.
What effect is the recession having on the legal profession?
Like everything else, it is having a profound effect, particularly in terms of the big problem: jobs. Lots of large firms are laying off associates, and that permeates throughout the profession. I really feel for the folks in law school now, as they head out to find jobs in the market. There are going to be lean years ahead for entry-level positions.
What's your take on the stimulus/recovery/investment package that President Obama and Congress have enacted?
It was a very "big" bill in more ways that one. And just like any other bill that spends heaploads of money, it is a good but not great package. The most profound effect will be the direct money going to the states and localities. State and local budgets are drowning in red ink because of a lack of revenue. The stimulus will push back against those deficits and help keep services going. And frankly? The Republican Governors who say they will not take the money aren't only committing political suicide, but are also committing criminal negligence in my opinion. When there are less cops on the street or less teachers in the classroom, they will have to think twice about their "principled" stand.
What kind of music makes you feel invincible to the GOP horde?
Just about anything, but there is a special place in my heart for a certain type of music. Goes back to the 2006 election. I was in our county's "War Room" crunching numbers and fielding voter protection calls. The young guys there from the state party insisted on playing "The Final Countdown" by Europe every hour, on the hour, as we waited for the polls to close. Now, at the time, it annoyed me to no end. But since then, cheesy '80s metal hair bands get me ready for the fight on Election Day.
What's your opinion of Attorney General Eric Holder? Is he going to be a good one?
Depends on the definition of "good." But I do believe he will be an immediate improvement over the past eight years for one reason, and one reason only: respect of those who serve under him. Holder is well known and respected at both DOJ and in the DC legal community. That alone will help turn DOJ around and restore the respect it should have as the "nation's law firm."
What's the one book every Kossack must read?
Just one? Can't do it. Let me give two, for historical perspective. First, Jim Hightower's "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos." Had to promote Hightower, given I worked for him way back when, but this was his first major book, and it honestly was describing successful political strategy long before the Netroots, Howard Deans, the Barack Obamas, and the like. The second book: "Billy and the Boingers." I had a discussion about favorite comics awhile back here, and was shocked to learn there were Kossacks that didn't know what "Bloom County" was. My favorite character in all of comic strip-dom is Steve Dallas.
So tell, me, Mr. Big Shot, what should we do with the prisoners in Guantanamo once we close the place down?
There is no easy answer, but I'm going to give a simplistic one anyway. Back 20 years ago this spring, I won a high school state championship oratorical contest speaking on the Constitution. The subject matter of my speech was the importance of due process. So for me, any solution must include the basic premise that the prisoners are entitled to some sort of due process. For those that say that we should not give due process to the enemy because they are not entitled to it, I say that we as a nation should strive to do better. Giving due process to those who hate us only ensures that we will have less enemies in our future.
Finish this sentence: In the kitchen I make a mean...
Chili. I've even won some cook-offs. But honestly? You severely limit me by only saying "kitchen." Take me outside, and we'll really get some good stuff done...on my grill. I'm a firm believer that just about any food is made better by grilling, smoking, or BBQing. And I've proven the point many a time.
Your sig line says, "Palin/Jindal 2012. I can dream..." Why not a "Jindal/Palin" ticket? I hear he's a much better public speaker.
Actually, I've changed my mind. I'm fully aboard the Michael Steele Express now. He's da bomb. Just ask Rush Limbaugh, yo.
No waffling here: dogs or cats?
I grew up a dog person. I'm now a "cats who act like dogs" person. Our cat is really part dog, which makes it far more interesting. She greets you at the door, begs for food, flops so you can rub her belly...unlike any cat I've ever seen.
Have you ever shouted anything pithy at a judge or another lawyer along the lines of, "You're out of order! This whole court is out of order!"
Hardly. In both my professional and political lives, I'm far more stealth in my line of attack than you would expect. One of my best friends says I'm like a Navy SEAL in this vein. I leave my bombastic side, such as it is, for blogging.
I have one question left, but I need to go to the store and buy some Writs crackers. Ha Ha Ha! Please ask and answer the final question yourself...
Oy. How punny. Anyway: what's the one thing you would encourage Kossacks to do to effectuate long-term change?
Get involved with your Democratic Party on a local level. Not just working for candidates, mind you, but working within the party structure itself. I took that leap in 2006 and ran for my local Democratic Central Committee, and don't regret it a bit. Long term change for our country is only going to come if people get involved at the grassroots level to push things forward. That was Obama's central message, and the one we all need to take to heart.
Cheers and Jeers starts in There's Moreville... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Monday, March 16, 2009
Note: Over the weekend I completed my unfinished symphony. Because, I mean, once you have the bassoon section playing out of their asses, really, where else can ya take it?
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By the Numbers:
Days 'til spring: 4
Days `til the Minnesota State Polka Festival in Medina: 11
Percent of Americans who believe President Obama is sincerely trying to bridge the partisan divide by compromising with Republicans: 74%
Percent who believe Republicans opposed the stimulus bill for purely political reasons: 63%
(Source: CBS News/New York Times poll via The Week)
Number of billionaires in 2008: 1,125
Number of billionaires today: 793
(Source: Forbes.com)
Number of Americans who were successfully surrounded by Glenn Beck's followers during Day 1 of his "We Surround Them" campaign last Friday: 0
Number who accidentally surrounded a fellow "Beck Head" and taunted him for six hours before they realized their mistake: 418
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Today's edition of "Pimping Pittsburgh!"
Brought to you by the Netroots Nation Convention August 13-16:
More Off the Charts Ratings
>> Best Arts Destination in the Country among mid-sized cities. (American Style Magazine)
>> Top 10 World’s Cleanest Cities. (Forbes)
>> Pittsburgh’s Duquesne Incline is among the top 10 Romantic spots in the United States (MSN.com)
>> Kennywood Park, voted favorite traditional amusement park. (National Amusement Park Historical Association)
(Source: VisitPittsburgh 2009 Official Visitors Guide via Pittsburgher Ltleredd)
Also: Pittsburgh is not the birthplace of George W. Bush. Hooray!
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Puppy Pic of the Day: World's worst guard dog
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CHEERS to calling off the DEA's dogs. Of all the things on the Drug Enforcement Agency's plate during the Bush years, conducting showy raids of "state-approved marijuana dispensaries" in California was probably among the least important and most morally dubious (um, guys...the pot is used to help ease the suffering of the sick and dying). So kudos to Attorney General Eric Holder for shutting that practice down:
"Holder’s statement marks a dramatic shift in U.S. drug policy and is a major victory for the 72 million Americans who reside in states where the use of medical cannabis is legal," said Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said in a statement. Thirteen states allow the cultivation, sale and use of medical marijuana. Armentano said the shift would add momentum to campaigns in states that are considering their own medical marijuana laws.
But I'm still a little confused. I thought it was the Republicans who were supposed to be the party for whom "states' rights" were sacred and inalienable. So either I'm really stoned or they're really hypocrites. Or, quite possibly, both.
JEERS to the return of the Penguin. I get the same fascination out of watching Dick Cheney interviews as I do watching the Amigo races behind the old folks' home on Saturday nights---you can't believe what you're seeing and it always ends up in a smoldering pile of wreckage. Yesterday's interview with John King on CNN was no exception. There was the good (President Obama isn’t doing too many things at once), the bad (Rush Limbaugh is a great man and American role model), and the ugly (my administration sucked on fiscal discipline, employment and fighting poverty because, hey, "stuff happens.") But perhaps his most terrifying words came towards the end when he admitted that he's now getting behind the wheel and driving himself around town. Run, kitties! Run for your lives!
P.S. John King: You’re a shitty journalist. With all due respect. Bless yer heart.
CHEERS to a pleasant flight. After forking over $35 apiece for their luggage, the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery blasted off on a two-week mission to find God and ask her for a bailout. There was a brief delay when Senator David Vitter broke down a security door and ran after the craft screaming, "Do you know who I am??! Do you know who I am??!" He was led back to the control center after firefighters put out his hair.
JEERS to MSNBC. Which apparently stands for "Memo: Say Nothin' 'Bout Cramer." The network's management put the kibosh on coverage of Friday's big story---Jon Stewart's drubbing of CNBC via his drubbing of Jim Cramer. Even Keith Olbermann blacked it out, which is disappointing (although Rachel Maddow, to her credit, talked it up a bit). So what could've been an opportunity for an honest discussion of the business network's responsibility to the public instead turned into a case of, "Nothing to see here---please move along." The silence is deafening.
CHEERS to Ol' Shortypants. Happy 258th birthday to James Madison---at 5-foot-4 our most diminutive president. He was at the helm when the Star Spangled Banner---which no one can remember the words to---was written. Pay your respects here. Preferably under the red glare of some sort of rocket-like device.
JEERS to "Iraq block." It's the latest affliction to affect the minds of the Bushie neocons. The primary symptom is an inability to remember that their adventure in Iraq was the worst foreign policy blunder in our history. The secondary symptoms: shriveled testicles and an insatiable desire to scrub the George W. Bush Ministry of Revisionist History of Iraq war references. And anal leakage. Sadly, there is no cure.
CHEERS to presidents who actually read their PDBs. On this date in 1996, during his weekly radio address, Bill Clinton criticized the Republican-controlled House for gutting anti-terrorism legislation he'd submitted in response to the Oklahoma City bombing. So all you fine folks in the knuckledragger wing of the Republican party who say Clinton allowed 9/11 to happen, we'll thank yuh kindly to shut yer pie holes.
CHEERS to U.S. Minty freshness. The Washington D.C. quarter is now in circulation. It shows Duke Ellington next to his piano, getting taxed without representation. Puts a lump in your throat, it does.
CHEERS to West Point. The United States Military Academy was founded 207 years ago today. It produced 13 astronauts, 6 Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2 Presidents (Grant and Eisenhower), and Wesley Clark. No snark...just "Huzzah!" And thanks for your service.
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Five years ago in C&J: March 16, 2004
CHEERS to Socialist Party win in Spain. Voters send message across the Atlantic: "We told you that Iraq invasion was a stupid idea!" New Prime Minister Zapatero to bring home Spain's troops by June 30. But good news: Morocco pledges to donate more minesweeping monkeys.
JEERS to Rumsfeld, Rice and Powell. On Sunday morning gabfests, the Three Stooges half-heartedly defend Iraq war despite lack of WMDs and 7 new GI deaths over weekend. When asked if 564 American casualties were worth it, Rummy chirps, "Oh my goodness, yes!" Condi's whopper: Iraq was the most dangerous regime on earth. And Powell...he just looks tired. $87 billion question: will 1st anniversary coverage this week tear Bush a new one?
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And just one more...
CHEERS to Shepard Smith. For mimicking Daily Kos's gleeful mockery of Glenn Beck's "We Surround Them" wankery on Friday. Smith, anchor of Fox News's "Fox Report," has shown in the past---notably during Hurricane Katrina---that he doesn’t suffer fools gladly (which makes us wonder why he's on the network at all), and his words and body language left no doubt that he thought Beck's campaign, like Beck himself, was nothing more than bloated incoherence. Still, if he's not careful, Smith might end up like us poor progressive schlubs who dared to cross Mr. Beck and his minions---namely, not surrounded or affected in any way whatsoever. He may even, like the rest of us, not lose any sleep over it. The horror.
Have a great day. And if Bernie Madoff invites you to his new penthouse suite, we suggest you politely decline. Floor's open...what are you cheering and jeering about today?
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Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial:
"I understand that you want to make Cheers and Jeers entertaining, but it's not a fucking game."
---Jon Stewart
3/12/09
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