MOMocrats

take it from your resident immoralist: spitzer's sexual transgressions wrong for one specific reason:

He should've done a far better of job of covering his tracks.

I kid!  I do.  That was a joke.  A drab, annoying one, but still, a joke, nonetheless.

Honestly, though, how dumb.  It's the hypocrisy, stupid.  That's the problem, here.  He went after prostitution regularly and often as a prosecutor, only to be busted as a, uh, consumer of such, now that he's a shiny, bright governor - and a Democrat, at that.  He should know better - did he observe *nothing* during the Clinton years?

I'm not shocked.  And I don't even care.  I don't think prostitution should be illegal - I think people who've made commitments to other people, such as their partners in marriage, commitments that include "my sex life belongs to you" or whatever; those people are despicable for breaking that oath.  But that's none o' my damn business.  I don't have to participate in that marriage (and thank jeebus, because - ew! If you read the transcripts, in between the lines, it sounds awfully like he wasn't into condom use when, uh, working with the women he hired to service him; how horrible for his wife).

I only feel, and it should be obvious to most rational types, that his having sexxed a prostitute makes him a hypocrite. 

And, in order to make up for the last few years, that means he's finally given the Democrats a "1" in a race that the Republicans have been winning hands-down so far, if you include Senators Foley's and Craig's, plus Congressman "Duke-stir" Duke Cunningham's, antics.

(Although the I-heart-Republicans media will mess themselves trying to pin all seeming immoral behavior solely on the Dems, thanks to Spitzer's outing.  You know it's true.  While I think we can basically agree that these are examples of equal-opportunity abuses of power.

Bleah.)

I am more piqued by the fact that the records of these phone calls were so -- available?, to begin with, and can't help wondering whether that's a result of our Congress' current wrangling over the illegal wiretapping issue.  It just seems - a little too pat.

And, evidently, I agree with Digby on this.  But then, she's brilliant.  While I'm just an ex-stripper with a heart of fool's gold.

*Updated to add that firedoglake thinks there's something rotten about the whole business, too. 

Cross-posted at Debbie's regular, immoral digs, i obsess.

You're In a Recession! Now, what are you going to do?

I'm going to Disneyland!

No, seriously.  Everyone has had the day to digest the bad employment news that came out thisi morning.  The stock market tanked in response, the dow finally closing below 12,000, and even the most bullish of analysts have had to reign in their blind optimism.

“Godot has arrived,” wrote one of Wall Street’s most relentlessly upbeat forecasters. “I’ve been rooting for the muddling through scenario. However, the credit crisis continues to worsen and has become a full blown credit crunch, which is depressing the real economy.”

What does that mean for us Democrats? 

Well, on the one hand, it's quite good news.  It's historically (and logically) difficult for the incumbent party to win the White House when the country is in a recession.  And we're not just in a recession, we're in the mutha of recessions.  Furthermore, whereas McCain's past heroism and government experience actually trumps that of either of the democratic candidates, McCain has not particularly been interested in the economic management of the country.  Alan Greenspan he is not.

John Edwards in San Jose, CA on Friday 2/1—You are invited!

Calling all y'all in the SF Bay Area!

John Edwards will be in San Jose on Friday. If you are voting for him, undecided and want to hear more, or not voting for him but want to witness a piece of history, come and see what he's all about. The event is free and open to the public, but you must RSVP here.

The NorCal MOMocrats and I will see you there.

One Day Fundraiser for John Edwards: Can you give it up?

Is $7 million in one day an ambitious goal? Yes. But let's be ambitious.

Benazir Bhutto assassinated, John Edwards issues statement

For those that don't know, Benazir Bhutto was assassinated today in Pakistan. I am stunned, shocked, extremely saddened by her death. Her autobiography made a profound impact on me when I read it during college, and probably had something to do with my interest in all things political. It also has everything to do with why Arabic and Middle Eastern women writers are some of my favorite.

I had the privilege of hearing her speak in person in San Francisco about eight years ago, and was delighted when, during the very limited Q & A time, she answered my question (about misconceptions that Westerners have of Arabic women). My heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragedy. May she rest in peace.

John Edwards has issued this statement.

How is Breastfeeding Related to Politics?

Did you hear about the flap in the Blogosphere when Facebook removed photos of women breastfeeding from their site and then banned one woman who continued to post them?  How about the recent nationwide breast-in at Applebee's restaurants? How about when Bill Maher compared breastfeeding in public to masturbating in public?

Breastfeeding in public continues to be a hot button subject in our society.  Everyone seems to agree that "breast is best," the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, even our Department of Health and Human Services.  But breastfeeding rates in the U.S. are abysmal.  Why?  Because no one wants to see mothers actually doing it and our government, employers, and fellow citizens aren't willing to give mothers the time and the respect they need to successfully breastfeed.

Apparently we're supposed to lock ourselves in our homes for 12 months and never emerge.  Never visit the doctor, or the dentist, go the grocery store, the mall, or a playground.  And heaven forbid a breastfeeding mother enters a restaurant and actually attempts to feed her child.  She's likely to be the subject of stares, recrimination, and discrimination.

Breastfeeding is protected by statute in one way or another in the majority of states in this country.  Despite this, discrimination against breastfeeding mothers continues to happen.  In response to this, The League of Maternal Justice formed to support mothers.  The women of The LofMJ created a lovely breastfeeding montage in response to Facebook's banning of breastfeeding photos.  They put it on You Tube, where it became one of the most watched videos.

YouTube banned it, stating that it was "inappropriate."  No further explanation.  Here's the press release from The LofMJ:

For immediate release 11/27/07

Youtube Bans Protest Video
Video Depicted Breastfeeding Moms

A mom-produced internet protest video attacking Facebook's banning of breastfeeding pictures was itself banned by the popular video sharing service Youtube after gaining recognition as the top-five most discussed of its day.  The email from Youtube stated that it was due to the video's inappropriate content/inappropriate nature.  A group of moms called Youtube's action hypocritical and harmful, and pointed to dozens of sexually explicit and harmful videos currently allowed on the service.  The moms also pointed to a number of state laws specifically stating that public breastfeeding was not inappropriate.

You can view the video, the press release, and contact information in full on The LofMJ if you want to see what all the flap is about.

Now you're wondering: How the heck is breastfeeding related to politics?

It's simple.  Attitudes towards breastfeeding mothers and mothers in general are a symptom of something wrong with our society.  We don't value motherhood.  Not really.  If we did, paid maternity leave would be a no brainer.  Mothers would have more guaranteed time with their children after birth.

John Edwards has some wonderful ideas for making the U.S. more family friendly.   He has proposed universal health care coverage, affordable child care for those who need it and expanding FMLA to provide 8 weeks of paid family and medical leave.

The U.S. fails to fund the minimum of six weeks of maternal leave recommended by doctors for both mothers and newborn children. Many parents must rush back to work, leaving their newborn babies in suboptimal or ad hoc care. In many states, day care centers are prohibited from accepting children that young due to the risk of infection. By not guaranteeing any mothers paid leave, America departs with a worldwide consensus of 169 countries to stand with only five countries including Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Swaziland. [ACOG, 2007; NPWF, 2003; IHSP, 2007]

None of these steps will individually change how mothers, and the essential role that they play in our society, are viewed.  But to change attitudes we need new policies, popular or not.  I believe that John Edwards is the candidate who will work hardest for mothers.  Maybe in 10 years women breastfeeding in public will be applauded instead of vilified.

MOMocrats Meet John Edwards in California

As MOMocrat CityMama wrote, she and I had the opportunity to meet John Edwards on Friday night at a private home in Los Gatos, California.  My husband, Stefania and I carpooled down to the event, which was held in a lovely Victorian-style home.  We arrived early, and staked out a spot in the room where we thought he might speak, then mingled with some of the other guests.  We saw a few familiar faces from some of the prior events we have attended, and saw former San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales among the 70 or so people in attendance.

As before, he arrived and immediately started mingling with the crowd, shaking hands, posing for pictures, answering questions.  He came over to our group immediately, shook hands, and let us take a few pictures, before getting sidetracked over to talk with other people. 

Eventually, he made his way over and announced that he was sorry to be so late, and wanted to get right into the discussion.  He started talking about Iowa, and how he, Hillary, and Obama are in a dead heat. He thinks this is fine because they have been on television in Iowa for months, and he has just started.  The fact that he is dead even with them, without TV ads, he thinks is a good sign.  He attributes to the fact that Iowa has 99 counties, and he's been in all 99 counties twice.  He quipped that he and Elizabeth were at a stop sign in Ottumwa, Iowa, and she said, "You know, I think if someone asked me, I could give directions here."

He mentioned that the Hillary plant story is getting a lot of coverage in Iowa, and really rankles Iowa Democrats.  He said that the Des Moines Register ran a cartoon showing Hillary campaign workers pointing teleprompters toward the audience, to make it easier for them to feed questions to the audience.

Edwards gave a brief primer on how the caucuses work, which I found to be particularly instructive.  People have meetings all across the state, and at the beginning, are sorted by who they support.  If a candidate fails to get 15% of the people present, those people must choose another candidate, and that's when the politicking and persuasion begins.  It's critical, therefore, for the polls to look at who the second choices are.  He rates highly with Biden and other lower-tier candidates' caucus-goers.  It sounds like part political rally, part three ring circus, if you ask me.  I'd love to see it, but I think it would probably give me a migraine.

Get on the Bus, NY Metro Area MOMocrats!

Calling all New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut MOMocrats and friends...

Ever wonder what the glamorous life on the campaign trail is like?  Like meeting new people and sharing your excitement about the Edwards campaign?  Want to show off your mad envelope-stuffing, precinct-walking, and tabling skills?  Or just want to help turn the tide on this election and keep the momentum going?

If so, the Road Trip for One America is looking for volunteers to spend a weekend in New Hampshire volunteering for the Edwards campaign.  It might be a little late to see the fall colors, but you and other Edwards supporters can help out the New Hampshire campaign in a variety of ways.  The next trip is scheduled for the weekend of November 16-18, with additional dates to follow.  John & Elizabeth will be in New Hampshire that weekend, so there may be an opportunity for you to meet them. 

If interested, contact Tom at NYVolunteers@johnedwards.com, or call (646) 736-6177 for more information.  Transportation and free housing can be arranged.

If you go, send us an e-mail with your photos and experiences and we'll publish them here on MOMocrats. 

If You Can't Stand the Heat ...

At MSNBC today, it's all pre-debate analysis, all the time, until the 9 p.m. start of the Democratic debate in Philadelphia.  Political junkies across the country are exclaiming, "SCORE!"

But when discussing John Edwards in their coverage, there's a lot being made about Edwards' recent comments that Hillary Clinton has taken more corporate lobbying money than any other candidate, blue or red.

AHA!, they are exclaiming.  Edwards is attacking Hillary, her supporters are saying! No fair, no fair!

Even though Edwards claimed in 2004 that Democrats shouldn't attack other Democrats, those in the Clinton and Obama campaigns contend that Edwards has forsaken that stance with his comments on the money she's getting from lobbyists.

My question is this -- is it only fair game for the candidates to talk about their own positions or are we going to allow them to draw distinctions among one another without continually drying 'foul'?  Admittedly, one man's critique may be another woman's attack.  But shouldn't it be OK for candidates to point out differences among themselves, especially when it comes to the question of who is financing the campaigns?

Yes, Edwards said that Clinton is a "Democratic version of the Republican corruption machine."  We all know the candidates need to talk in sound-bites, because that's what gets covered and picked up by the reporters.

But shouldn't all candidates be able to defend the political contributions they get?  And if they don't want to, then we, as voters, need to be able to connect the dots when it comes to where the money is coming from to elect a candidate and what their stated policies and goals are.

Did John Edwards critique Hillary?  Sure.  Was it an attack?  People can differ about how to categorize it.  But even if it was, I don't think it's unfair to draw attention to the source of the money behind her campaign and ask whether we want corporations to have more say in the development of policies than we do, as citizens.

Ultimately, we all know the gloves are really going to come off -- if not now, soon enough.

But if, as a candidate, you can't stand a little criticism, then maybe being the leader of the free world isn't the job for you.

When she's not glued to the 24/7 political coverage, you can also find Joanne over at her personal blog about life and politics, PunditMom.

LIVE from the San Mateo County Presidential Straw Poll

UPDATE:  JOHN EDWARDS WAS DECLARED THE WINNER OF THE SAN MATEO COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL STRAW POLL!

I'm liveblogging the San Mateo County Presidential Straw Poll today from the San Mateo Expo Center in San Mateo, California.  The Straw Poll is a way for Californians to hear from each of the Democratic Presidential campaigns and cast a ballot in favor of their favorite candidate.  The event goes from 2-4 pm, with an announcement of the results at 4:00. 

The entry fee is $25, with proceeds going to the San Mateo Democratic Party's fund for activities to support the democratic nominee in the general election.  Stay tuned for a play-by-play of the day's events, including appearances by candidate Dennis Kucinich himself, Senator Leland Yee for John Edwards, former State Controller Steve Westly for Barack Obama, and Senator Jackie Speier for Hillary Clinton.  Come join this host of Democratic luminaries for a fun and educational event!  Kids under 18 admitted free, but can't vote.

2:20 PM

The event is just getting underway, and people are filing in to vote.  There is a huge line forming to get to the ballot box.  I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to get to vote, but I'll make it over there eventually.  The Edwards group has a very nice booth with signs, and a number of enthusiastic volunteers. 

Someone is up on stage giving a rousing speech about "taking back the country" and making the most important decision of our lives and voting democrat.  It's very hard to hear him over the crowd noise, unfortunately. He is introducing Congressman Lantos.

Tom Lantos: We are here to begin the glorious process of electing the next president of the US, who will be a Democrat.  I am in the wonderful position of knowing intimately every single one of our candidates.  Let me tell you a little about each one...Some years ago it was my pleasure to run Mike Gravel's Senate office.  Dennis Kucinich is one of my closest friends in the congress of the United States.  In a few minutes he will be here with his lovely wife.  Bill Richardson was a colleague of mine...Bill Richardson is an outstanding public servant.  Chris Dodd is a man of total integrity and commitment.  Barack Obama is a friend (crowd noise drowned out statement).  John Edwards is a leader of extraordinary capabilities.  He brings a passion for those of us who are less fortunate.  I have tremendous admiration for my friend, John Edwards.  Let me expect my friendship and deep respect for Hillary, a woman of excellent capabilities.  Congratulations to former VP, Al Gore, on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize...Let me wish all the candidates and all of you the best of luck.

When this process is over, we shall be united as one in electing the next President of the United States of America, a Democrat.