MOMocrats™

Dear GOP, I Remember. And I Vote Democratic.

I remember.

I remember every single anti-woman crack that came from your party during the debate on health care reform. I remember Republicans shouting down and talking over their female colleagues in Congress. And I remember every single NO vote for SCHIP, breast cancer prevention programs, inclusion of maternity care in health insurance reform, and how you cut funding to domestic violence shelters to balance the budget.

I remember how you said HUNGER IN CHILDREN IS A POSITIVE MOTIVATOR.

I remember every act of violent intimidation against women who dare to speak up for what they believe in to get what they need, whether it's a political protest where they get stomped or shoved, or if they're simply trying to visit Planned Parenthood for any reason. I remember how you changed your mind and kept the donation from the campaign worker who stomped the woman.

I remember every single ugly sign people in your corporate-funded subsidiary the Tea Party waved, the images and words revealing more about your misshapen souls than anything about our president or our fellow Americans.

I remember every loud silence when "moderate" Republicans were too timid to denounce the bullies in their party.

I remember when you APOLOGIZED to the British corporation that had just befouled our Gulf waters with an oil spill that is perhaps the worst ecological disaster in recent memory. I remember how you said you still believe in "Drill, baby, drill."

I remember how you were economic advisor to the presidential candidate who lost because he said, "The fundamentals of the economy are strong."

I remember how you said your housekeeper was "like family" and then the moment she became a political liability you acted as if you barely knew her and now you say that you would deport her.

I remember that you were shameless after you said and did all this.

I remember.

I remember who's been working hard to move us all forward. And I vote.

Cynematic blogs at P i l l o w b o o k.

Think It's OK to Stay Home for the Mid-Term Elections?

Think again.

H/T to Mike Kruger on Facebook.

Around the Web: Expert Analyisis of Citizens United Supreme Court Case

Thursday, in a 5-4 ruling on the case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned decades of legal restrictions on corporations' ability to fund political advertising with the intent of influencing the outcome of an election. In the majority opinion delivered by Reagan appointee Justice Anthony Kennedy, the court stated that certain laws restricting corporate spending during elections violate the First Amendment's protection of free speech.

So what does this mean? Basically, the Supreme Court has determined, one, that for-profit business organizations have the same rights to free speech as individual people — that corporate speech is equivalent to the speech of an American citizen — and two, that restricting corporations' spending on political advertising during elections effectively restricts their right to speak — that not allowing corporations to spend unlimited money on political ads is essentially the same as forbidding an individual from expressing an opinion. According to the court's conservative majority, corporations should be granted the right to purchase as much political advertising as their leaders wish, whenever they wish, to influence any election they please.

This means that Burger King is now allowed to buy television ads attacking a candidate who wants to tighten food safety standards. Exxon Mobil can finance radio campaigns in support of politicians who oppose climate change legislation. Instead of just hiring lobbyists to try to influence politicians who have already been elected, corporations can now spend literally billions of dollars campaigning directly for their favorite candidates — the candidates whose policies are most likely to increase their profits — and attacking any candidates they oppose. 

Dodd, Dorgan retiring -- so let them go (without whimpering)

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) announced that they will both retire. News media is already frothing at the mouth because this offers them the opportunity to rampantly speculate and, also, play what Mean Girl expert Rosalind Wiseman calls The Banker, a role that enables them to gossip and drop divisive and corrosive information seemingly innocently (we're just informing, we're just talking) all while stirring up frenzy and fights.

Consider this bit of fear and hysteria mongering from MSNBC's First Read's Domenico Montanaro, Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Ali Weinberg:

"The biggest story with these retirements? The effect on President Obama. He’s the head of the party, and to see so many Democrats in one day decide they don't want to run while he's the leader can create the perception of political weakness -- at the very time when he's trying to strong-arm Dems to give him health care and other major domestic achievements[.]"

and

"** Reading the tea leaves: Collectively, these retirements are a sign that many Democrats are reading the tea leaves and determining that this year is going to be difficult for their party. It's what happened to Democrats in the year preceding the GOP’s sweep in 1994."

Ooohhhh color me trembling in my boots. 1994. 

Look I remember 1994 well and what happened then. I bet you there's not a major Democrat who doesn't.

Don't fall for it. Don't fall for the fear, the hysteria, or the mud-slinging and impugning of President Obama's strength.

The alternative interpretation, Domenico, Chuck, Mark and Ali, (et al) and (in my humble opinion) the better interpretation, is that, like Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Souter, these Democrats now feel safe in the current political environment to take the action to retire. Like Souter, they trust in the strength of the party and feel confident that they can be replaced by strong, progressive Democrats.

So Dodd and Dorgan are retiring, so what. Let them. In fact, let them go without one whimper and see it for the opportunity it is.

No, not for Republicans to take the seat (although, of course they'll try, as we should expect them to and must respect that they will) but rather as an opportunity to let two middle-aged white men step aside and open up an opportunity for diversity in the Senate.

This gives strong female and other minority contenders in North Dakota and Connecticut the opportunity to step up on the national stage, and if the Democrats have any wits about them, this is what they'll support.

Connecticut offers a good opportunity. Clearly voters there are happy to elect women to top positions. Consider Governor Jodi Rell. She is a Republican, and has announced she will not seek re-election in 2010, so...she may be a potential opponent.

North Dakota's Republican Governer Hoeven has been murmuring about considering running for Senate. However, supporters have already begun a call for former Democratic attorney general Heidi Heitkamp, including starting a Facebook page promoting her for the race. 

In Connecticut, attorney general Richard Blumenthal has announced intent to enter the race for U.S. Senate as the Democrat candidate, meanwhile First Selectman Mary Glassman has announced interest in running as the Democrat for Governor.

It means change, it means transition, but it also means opportunity. Let's hear from some Democrats in these states -- the party now has a huge chance to support a candidate that represents the modern US in this new century and decade. Let's see some women step up -- with full party backing!

Who can YOU recommend?

May 19, Special Elections Day in California & a Few Last Words on Judy Chu for Congress

[Previous entries in the Run, Mama, Run series on Judy Chu for Congress here.]

Today's Special Election will elect a replacement for the House seat once occupied by Hilda Solis representing California Congressional District 32, and determine whether ballot initiatives addressing our state's enormous budget deficit will go forward or be rejected.

So please do vote today--it's a low voter-turnout election. According to @lacrrcc, (Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's twitter handle), as of May 18, 2009, "With 273,418 by mail ballots returned, we are just over 6% overall voter turnout for tomorrow's election and 36% returned of ballots issued."

If you'll indulge me in some meta-commentary about the Chu-Cedillo race--some of the punditry has framed the 63% Latino/22% Asian/15% white/other 32d Congressional district as Latino candidate State Assembly person Gil Cedillo's race to lose. It's both a recognition that Cedillo's been active in local and state politics since 1970, but also predicated on the notion that Latinos vote for Latinos in a sort of simple identity politics paradigm. This also assumes that a near-complete turnout of Latino voters will largely go to the best-known Latino frontrunner, Cedillo, and make a runoff election unnecessary. (Whoever takes the majority on May 19 will be named the winner; if no one takes the majority, top finishers from both parties participate in the runoff in July.)

Obama, Blagojevich, and the RNC

Yesterday, electoral college electors from across the nation made history as they convened to officially name Barack Obama winner of the November 4th election, and declare him the next president of the United States. This morning, President-Elect Obama, who appears determined to hit the ground running on January 20th in the midst of the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression, announced yet another appointment to his cabinet.

Meanwhile, Republican National Committee leadership seem to have forgotten the 2008 presidential election is over. The RNC is running a misleading anti-Obama attack ad that clearly attempts to implicate Obama in the Blagojevich pay-to-play senate appointment scandal.

And top Republican party officials haven't stopped there.

The official GOP.com blog posted a piece yesterday attempting to link Obama to Blagojevich, saying "Over the weekend, and indeed today, political news across the nation has continued to center on the scandal involving Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and contact that President-elect Barack Obama's team may or may not have had with him."

Kid-Friendly Election Night Party in Portland, Oregon

Here's the place to go if you're interested in hanging out with a bunch of fun families tonight.  If you're in the Portland area, there'll be a bunch of us at the BarackSpace (usually known as the BackSpace), doing it UP.  Kristin, who writes for Poliglots, Blue Oregon (and sometimes guest-posts for us, here, at MOMocrats), along with her fellow Poliglot, Shawn, have organized the event conjoined with the Activistas (otherwise known as Urbanmamas).  They were also gracious enough to invite me to join in as a sponsor; and I'm sweetening the pot with some kick-ass door-prizes from Black Wagon and Urban Bliss Design.  Woo!

Here's what you'll need to know about it all:

You are invited to an entirely kid-friendly election night party at the BackSpace Cafe (renamed the BarackSpace Cafe until Nov. 5th) at 115 NW 5th on November 4, starting at 5pm.

The BackSpace Cafe is huge, with lots of room for kids to run around and a full menu of vegetarian/vegan food for sale. It also has a big parking lot across the street.

It’s being hosted by Poligots, as well as Activistas and MOMocrats. We’re so excited!

The party will have:

**** Maps to color as the results come in (with LOTS of blue crayons :))

**** Balloons

**** Pin the tail on the Democratic donkey

**** Other games and kiddo diversions

**** Of course, lots of other great kids to play with.

And, it’s FREE. We just want you to come and celebrate what we hope will be a fantastic night for Oregon and our nation.

Have You Done Everything You Can?

This is a truly inspiring video.  Even though it was made for Virginia, it could be any state in this country.

GET OUT THE VOTE!

This is it, folks.  This is what the MOMocrats have worked for.  This is what we've all waited and worked so hard for. 

I'll be doing voter protection work tomorrow and GOTV work today, so I'll see you all on the flipside.

McCain Oopsapalooza Tour 13: Obama Train Leaving the Station Edition

Scarlet B Replaced By Scarlet L, Doesn't Reflect Well

John McCain's campaign representative in Pennsylvania, communications director Peter Feldman, overtly race-baited late Thursday when he pushed a false and incendiary hoax about a McCain volunteer supposedly being victimized by an Obama supporter. Instead, nothing of the kind happened. The mentally unstable woman in question claimed she was beaten and had a backwards "B" carved onto her face, most likely by herself or an accomplice. No Obama supporter was ever involved.

The McCain spokesperson's claims -- which came in the midst of extraordinary and heated conversations late yesterday between the McCain campaign, local TV stations, and the Obama camp, as the early version of the story rocketed around the political world -- is significant because it reveals a McCain official pushing a version of the story that was far more explosive than the available or confirmed facts permitted at the time.

Like much of the worst of the McCain-Palin campaign, the wounds were self-inflicted. The campaign's attempt to capitalize on the woman's plight was a disgraceful attempt to make a mentally unstable person a martyr for the campaign--yet blame always landed elsewhere.  Definitely some pants on fire here.

OOOPS.

H/T to Debbie for the TPM story.

Political Ads on Your Terms

Blue Star Families for Obama is trying out something that I think is pretty cool.  A new site, SaysMe.tv, will allow you to air political ads in the market of your choice.  Their network doesn't cover all of the states yet, but it does cover many swing states like Ohio, Nevada, and Colorado and some unexpected OhMyGodTheyMightTurnBlue states like North Carolina.

We've uploaded our recent video featuring military wives to SaysMe.  SaysMe, in turn, gets approval from its network of cable providers.  The approval process takes some time and we're currently only approved for Las Vegas, New York, and Los Angeles.  (HINT: Choose Las Vegas!)  But once you've chosen a market, you can choose from various cable networks (Lifetime, HGTV, Food Network, CNN, MSNBC, etc....) and make an ad buy.  The minimum order is only $100.

In future national elections, I think SaysMe.tv, or at least the idea, could change the face of political television advertising. 

If you want to try it out and air our BSF4O ad, the deadline for getting this commercial on air before election day is Tuesday, October 28th.  A BSF4O member has set up a chip in page to pool smaller amounts for an ad buy, but BSF4O is not managing that.  We have to comply with federal election laws!