Welcome to the return of Soundpolitic. I began blogging here nearly two years ago to the day to cover Democratic politics in NY-21 and SD-46. Back then, I would pompously opine most of the time, and other times engage in what I egotistically called "citizen-advocacy journalism."
Nowadays, after a years' worth of depression "due to" unemployment in my chosen field of paralegal studies and growing and frustration for lack of professionalism in indie rock, I've got the writing bug again. Out of respect for all living beings, I refuse to swat it. I've been feeding it like a fiend.
I had big plans for my return. Summarizing the Talking Heads shows, going topical again, ect., ect., ect....but this proved to nothing more than some intangible idea to make a move back to wind-baggery. It wasn't real.
What follows below the fold certainly is: I just starting writing an e-mail to a very dear friend of my father while he generously offered use of his computer to compose a freelance piece on traditional-string-based contemporary rock. The two of us had gone to dinner last night and spoke a bit about the Big Game coming up today. Naturally, we talked more about commercials than about football.
I decided to shoot her a quick e-mail link to the famous Apple 1984 commercial on YouTube. Then I added a couple of blurbs from the web to give more information. Then I kept writing and, voila! I was blogging again, just for the love of putting words together. I blind-copied it to a bunch of friends, but then decided if I left it at that, I'd have left all of you guys out. So no fair...read on for the first installment of Soundpolitic Sundays.
Just got this from the WH Media Affairs office. Perhaps, you can use this to judge whether or not it's wise to play the SOTU drinking game.
We face big and difficult challenges. And what the American people hope - what they deserve - is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences; to overcome the numbing weight of our politics. For while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds and different stories and different beliefs, the anxieties they face are the same. The aspirations they hold are shared. A job that pays the bill. A chance to get ahead. Most of all, the ability to give their children a better life.
You know what else they share? They share a stubborn resilience in the face of adversity. After one of the most difficult years in our history, they remain busy building cars and teaching kids; starting businesses and going back to school. They are coaching little league and helping their neighbors. As one woman wrote to me, "We are strained but hopeful, struggling but encouraged."
It is because of this spirit - this great decency and great strength - that I have never been more hopeful about America's future than I am tonight. Despite our hardships, our union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We don't allow fear or division to break our spirit. In this new decade, it's time the American people get a government that matches their decency; that embodies their strength. And tonight, I'd like to talk about how together, we can deliver on that promise.
"I think the White House is quite happy with the leadership and the representation of Senator Gillibrand in New York," Mr. Gibbs said when asked about Mr. Ford at a White House press briefing. "We're supporting her re-election."
Mr. Gibbs suggested that the White House was prepared to go even further to stop Mr. Ford, telling reporters to "Stay tuned" when asked about any behind-the-scenes efforts to clear the field for Ms. Gillibrand.
But Mr. Ford remained defiant.
Slap!
This White House has been notoriously reluctant to have its milkshake be slurped. Scott Stringer, Steve Israel, Carolyn Maloney and Carolyn McCarthy can tell that tale. Now, those are some very substantial names.
Names that are substantial enough to make Junior seem inadequate by comparison. But they also illustrate the underlying quality of this proposed candidacy: a startling lack of seriousness, of groundedness.
With the White House - for once - sending a clear message, the circle of possible Ford backers narrows further. And meanwhile, Progressives can see a bright silver lining to this particular cloud.
Investigating known links to the past administration and torture- beyond the pale.
Investigating known wrongdoing within the Justice department regarding firings- partisan politics.
Investigating Monica Goodling and that entire sorry crew- unseemly.
Creating a special prosecutor to ogle Bill Clinton's penis and another one to fish for some possible wrongdoing somewhere in a connection to Obama that doesn't exist- YOUR PATRIOTIC GOD DAMNED DUTY. WOLVERINES!
Notice that he doesn't even include the "maybe we should look into the whole let's invade a country and spend trillions whilst killing thousands of our own and who knows how many others on false pretenses" thing.
I guess I shouldn't be, but I am completely dumbfounded. Good Lord...
Anyone else remember when the race in NY-20 was a referendum on President Obama and the stimulus package? At least it was such a thing until the GOP lost. Then the talking heads told us it was actually about the awful Tedisco campaign.
Now, the same people are telling us that the coming special election in NY-23 is a referendum on...wait for it...President Obama and health care. I'm sure you never saw that coming. Check this out from a truly terrible article in the Post-Standard.
• Political observers say Republicans will try to frame the contest as a referendum on President Obama and his plans for health care reform. The special election for McHugh's seat, if held in September, could coincide with a vote on Obama's health care plan in Congress.
Those Republicans probably won't have to try very hard to frame the race as a referendum on President Obama, something they always try to do, as it seems that the Post Standard is, shockingly, doing it for them. Hell, just read the title of the piece.
Mark Weiner, his real name apparently, then goes on to tell us about the huge GOP Registration advantage and stuff. Dems see positive trends, blah blah, blah; without mentioning the elephant in the room. It's a Republican seat and the GOP just nominated someone much closer to, say, Scott Murphy than to someone like Peter King (R-Wingnut). Because of all their built in advantages and all. Makes sense right?
Maybe it does, but check out the musical chairs happening across the spectrum in NY-23 this week. The natives are restless...
A second candidate has announced his interest in the Conservative Party nomination for New York's 23rd District congressional seat, a previous Republican hopeful has said he has switched parties and will seek the Democratic nomination, and a leading Democrat from Essex has also joined the race.
Who are those Con-Party hopefuls? A couple of real winners.
Army Reserve Sgt. Jon Alvarez, of Hannibal in Oswego County and currently stationed in Baghdad, said in a prepared statement that he will be back in the U.S. in late August or early September and has already informed Conservative Party leaders of his intent to seek the nomination.
"The unprecedented encroachment of the Federal government into the lives of its citizens must be addressed, as well as the irresponsible behavior of elected officials in Washington, D.C. trusted with responsible oversight of the expenditure of our tax dollars," Alvarez said.
Alvarez said he would initiate attempts to abolish the Internal Revenue Service, demand an audit of the Federal Reserve and favors a return to gold- or silver-backed currency.
We all appreciate Sgt Alvarez' service in uniform, but his policy positions reek of Paultard-ism. Abolish the IRS? Check. Return to the gold standard? Double check. Best of luck with that, Sgt Alvarez.
And number two is a real treat, especially for readers of New York blogs, the infamous Jim Kelly, the Spell Check deprived hater of all things Pataki and Mondello and vociferous ranter on forums across the state.
Jim Kelly, of Wilmington, a retired New York City police detective and longtime party activist, has also said he will seek the Conservative Party nomination. The Conservative Party often endorses Republican candidates, but Chairman Mike Long has expressed displeasure at the Republican nomination of Assemblywoman Dierdre Scozzafava of Gouverneur, saying she is too liberal.
This, friends, is going to make some quality television.
NY Times: U.S.-Backed Alliance Appears to Win in Lebanon
An American-backed alliance appeared to retain control of the Lebanese Parliament on Sunday in a hotly contested election that had been billed as a showdown between Tehran and Washington for influence in the Middle East.
Preliminary results reported on Lebanese television showed the alliance, known as the March 14 coalition, had managed to preserve its majority in Parliament. If those results are confirmed, they would represent a significant and unexpected defeat for Hezbollah and its allies, Iran and Syria. Most polls had showed a tight race, but one in which the Hezbollah-led group would win.
So wooing minds in the Muslim world has helped tip an election towards a pro-western coalition in a notoriously divided Lebanon.
When I try to sometimes wrap my head around what about conservative thinking bothers me so much, it comes down to this:
conservatives care more about means than ends.
This case is the perfect example. The end in this particular foreign policy issue is weaken the strength of violent extremest forces in islamic countries. Obama thinks that by opening up dialogue with the region and improving America's image in those countries is the best way to achieve that end.
But conservatives aren't really interested if that end is achieved. They are more interested in having means that look cool on TV and that satisfy a gut emotional craving to just do something, goddamit, like making the Bagdad sky light up with the force of American airpower. Anything short of that just isn't getting the job done, because something in their minds lacks the capacity to make the cognitive leap that soft power can sometimes be much better at achieving the end they profess to care about.
Obama just achieved a significant end, and conservative heads are exploding because they just cannot compute how. I can't wait to see their reaction when the Iranians toss out Ahmadinejad in a week.
Thankfully, Obama has the ability to see the big picture, and a small part of that picture just got a whole lot brighter today.
In the age of Barack Obama, both the Republican Party as well as the South appear marginalized and out of step with the rest of America. Yet it wasn't so long ago that the South represented the foundation of America's conservative hegemony. Starting with Dwight Eisenhower in 1952, the Republican Party prevailed in nine out of the next fourteen presidential elections with a reliable Southern base.
Specifically, the Republican Party exploited white Southern resentment against the cause of civil rights and integration. The "Southern strategy" as it was later called, enabled Republicans to end the Democratic Party's previous domination of the South following the Civil War. A key figure in that realignment was the renowned evangelist Billy Graham.
MSNBC reports that President Obama is set to name Rep. John McHugh (NY-23) as his Secretary of the Army. This would create another special election in the northernmost part of the state.
Let the speculation begin -- who would run, and who is likely to win? I refuse to speculate, because I have no knowledge of that district, but someone on this website must know something.
President Obama has decided to nominate the federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, choosing a daughter of Puerto Rican parents raised in Bronx public housing projects to become the nation's first Hispanic justice, officials said Tuesday.
The decision, to be announced Tuesday morning, will be Mr. Obama's first selection to the Supreme Court and could trigger a struggle with Senate Republicans who have indicated they may oppose the nomination. But Democrats control nearly the 60 votes necessary to choke off a filibuster and even Republicans said they have little hope of blocking confirmation barring unforeseen revelation.
Judge Sotomayor, 54, who has served for more than a decade on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals based in New York City, would become the nation's 111th justice, replacing David H. Souter, who is retiring after 19 years on the bench. Although Justice Souter was appointed by the first President George Bush, he became a mainstay of the liberal faction on the court and so his replacement by Judge Sotomayor likely would not shift the overall balance of power.
But her appointment would add a second woman to the nine-member court and give Hispanics their first seat. Her life story, mirroring in some ways Mr. Obama's own, would add a different complexion to the panel, fulfilling the president's stated desire to add diversity of background to the nation's highest tribunal.
...
Mr. Obama telephoned Judge Sotomayor at 9 p.m. on Monday, officials said, advising her that she was his choice to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. Later Monday night, Mr. Obama called the three other finalists - Judge Diane P. Wood of Chicago, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Solicitor General Elena Kagan - to inform them that he had selected Judge Sotomayor.
Both female Justices on the US Supreme Court will be native New Yorkers, as Sotomayor will join Brooklyn born Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the highest court in the land.
President Obama will soon announce his nominee to replace retiring Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court. It's a critical nomination with long-term ramifications for civil liberties, executive power, management-labor relations, the environment and consumer rights. Hence, it is vital the public know whether the judicial philosophy and ideology of any prospective nominee to the court is compatible with their sensibilities and values. Ideally, all nominees would be forthcoming about their philosophy as the senate either confirms or rejects them with full knowledge of the sort of justice they're likely to be.
I've posted a number of statements today from a number of sources about Congressman-elect Scott Murphy's win in NY-20, but none of them are sourced higher than this one. The President of the United States weighs in:
I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Congressman-elect Scott Murphy for his victory in New York's 20th Congressional District. With this hard fought win, Scott has shown he is willing to fight the tough battles on behalf of the people in his district.
As a candidate, Scott courageously championed the economic plans we need to lift our nation and put it on a better path, and he will continue to do so in Congress. With his proven record of creating high paying jobs and standing up for Upstate New York, Scott will bring to the nation's capitol the change New Yorkers need.
On January 1, 2007, Yale Law School professor Heather Gerken published a widely read article in the LegalTimes entitled, "How Does Your State Rank on The Democracy Index." Gerken argued that just as the Environmental Performance Index ("EPI") shamed countries such as Belgium to upgrade their environmental practices, a "Democracy Index" would embarrass state and localities into reforming their electoral administration through competition.
Since Bush vs. Gore in 2000, the debate about electoral reform has been dominated by anecdotes and overheated abstractions. Liberals like me have long suspected that states such as Ohio and Florida were deliberately disenfranchising minority voters sympathetic to Democratic candidates. Conservatives complained that voter fraud and urban political machines were allowing ineligible voters to cast ballots at the expense of Republican candidates. With her article, Gerken contended that a Democracy Index would replace a debate dominated by shouting with data driven arguments instead:
The President just sent this email to folks in the 20th:
You and your neighbors in New York's 20th Congressional District helped take Scott Murphy from a long-shot candidate in a Republican district to leading in a very tight race.
While the race is too close to call and there are still absentee ballots to be counted, Scott's come-from-behind performance could not have happened without the support of thousands of people just like you.
I want to thank you for all of the hard work and support you gave to Scott and his campaign. In these difficult economic times, sparing an extra minute or dollar is tough. I value your commitment to our democracy. I'm confident that when the dust settles and all the ballots have been counted, Scott will join me in Washington as an ally for change.
The challenges we'll face in the coming months and years are great. To be successful, leaders in Washington will need to work together. We'll need to put aside partisanship and ideology and come to the table with real ideas for rebuilding an economy that works for all Americans.
I look forward to working with Scott and with each of you to bring renewed prosperity to your region and to the nation.
President Obama has just sent a brand new email to folks in the 20th urging them to get out and vote for Scott Murphy and even providing a polling place finder link. The message was sent to those residents of the 20th who are on the Organizing for America and DNC lists.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, is the day to vote in New York's 20th Congressional District special election, and I need you to go vote.
I wrote to you last week to announce my endorsement of Scott Murphy because we need his kind of leadership and experience in Washington. It's going to be a very close race, and your vote could make all the difference.
Our movement for change has come this far because supporters like you stood up and made your voices heard every time it mattered.
With Scott in Congress, we'll work together to bring about solutions to our economic challenges and create new jobs in Upstate New York and across the country.
Having created over 1,000 jobs by starting successful businesses in clean energy and high-tech industries, Scott understands the potential we have to rebuild our economy and create a new foundation for prosperity.
That's the kind of partner I need in Washington. Please look up your polling place and vote tomorrow:
SEIU launched a new TV spot in the NY-20 race today. I guess it shouldn't surprise anyone that they are working the Obama endorsement as well. Not sure of the points on the buy, but I have a feeling that plenty of people in the district will be seeing this ad as well as the DNC's "Obama Supports Murphy" ad over the final weekend of the race.
For the first time since his inauguration, President Barack Obama is flexing his electoral muscle, urging supporters to organize and vote for New York Democratic congressional candidate Scott Murphy.
In an email signed by the president and sent to DNC and Organize for America activists in and around the state's 20th congressional district, Obama touts Murphy as having the "kind of experience and background" needed in Washington.
"Today I'm announcing my support for Scott Murphy, candidate for New York's 20th Congressional District," the email reads. "He's created jobs by building and growing small businesses while bringing people together to address difficult challenges. He supports the economic recovery plan we've put in place, and I know we can count on him as an ally for change.
"To restore our economy and build a foundation for lasting prosperity, I'll need Scott's help. This week, Scott needs yours. Sign up and pitch in to elect Scott Murphy to Congress."
The email, which should reach more than 50,000 people, represents the first time the president has extended his vast political capital in an electoral context. Obama offered limited assistance for Jim Martin's runoff election in Georgia, but that took place during the presidential transition. Prior to the Murphy email, Organize for America has utilized its expansive list of followers to organize in support of the president's stimulus package and budget.
Greider's reporting however exposed that even Stockman, doubted the fiscal prudence of Reaganomics. After the article's publication, Stockman absorbed public humiliation when President Reagan took him "to the woodshed." I trace that article as a seminal moment in my own political awareness.
In an effort to foster broader, more diverse participation and representation in presidential press conferences, the folks at The Nation, The Washington Times and the Personal Democracy Forum have launched a new site, Ask The President, and are calling on the White House to include citizen generated questions at their pressers.
ASK THE PRESIDENT: Submit your question to President Obama
What questions do you think President Obama should be asked at his next press conference?
We are calling on Obama to start a new tradition to open up the White House: invite new and independent voices into the East Room by pledging to take a citizen-generated question at presidential press conferences.
To put this idea into action-and give the busy White House something tangible to work with- a broad coalition of new and traditional media are teaming up, including The Nation, The Washington Times and the Personal Democracy Forum, to begin gathering questions from you, the public. Then we are appealing to the President to call on a journalist to ask one of the most popular citizen questions at future press conferences, as explained in this magazine article, The People's Press Conference.
You can submit your questions, in text or video; view other people's questions; and vote for the ones you think are most important.
