MOMocrats™

10Questions for 2010: You Ask the Candidates, They Respond

You're probably starting to think about the November 2010 midterm elections now. Have you ever complained about how bad some moderated candidate debates were? Questions that made no sense or had nothing to do with your concerns, or responses that wandered off into set talking points? If you live in one of these 11 states--Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania--you can put questions directly to candidates who'll represent you and the people in your district.

Through a partnership with our friends over at the Personal Democracy Forum, MOMocrats.com readers can now ask questions of candidates in our local races via text or video. Here's how 10Questions.com works:

Anyone can post a question (video or text), anyone can vote those up or down (one vote per question per IP address), anyone can embed a question, a race, a state, or the entire country via a fully functional widget, on any website they want. To post or vote on a question, you just need a Google Account, as the site is powered by a souped-up version of the Google Moderator question platform (and for which we are grateful to our technology partners Google and YouTube.) No personal user information is being retained, though the site will allow anyone to view where questions and votes are coming from geographically, and to track the daily up-down voting on any question.

If you live in one of these 11 states, you can urge others to vote up your questions with a click at 10Questions.com through September 21, and then the questions with the highest number of votes will be put to the candidate. They'll issue a video response on October 14 which will be posted on YouTube.

Then, you can vote on and discuss whether or not you thought the candidate answered the question.

This puts you in charge instead of the pundits. Nice change of pace, right?

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

Meet Bart Stupak's replacement: Connie Saltonstall

I always get excited about strong, smart women who step up for a challenge. Meet Connie Saltonstall, progressive Democrat extraordinaire, who has stepped up and said she's willing to give Stupak a run for his money. Saltonstall appeared for a live chat on Crooks and Liars today to talk about her campaign, what she believes, and why she's running. After spending a few minutes on the chat, I'm convinced she's got what it takes to win in Stupak's district.

In her own words:

“Michigan and the First District are facing enormous challenges and we cannot afford to sacrifice solutions for individual agendas. Stupak is co-chair of the Pro-Life Caucus and is putting their interests above those of his district. No federal funds have been used for abortions since 1977, and that provision will stay in effect without his amendment. In my opinion, Bart Stupak has shown that he is willing to block important legislation to support his own agenda at the expense of those he was elected to represent.”

Well, there's the heart of it, right? Democrats signed onto the Democratic platform, and the Democratic platform clearly stated a commitment to a strong pro-choice stance. In fact, the exact words were "strong and unequivocal". Yet, just over a year later, Bart Stupak was willing to hold health care reform hostage while asking women to trade away their reproductive rights.

Run, Mama, Run: Congressional Candidate Judy Chu Answers Political Bloggers' Questions, Part 1

Recently Dr. Judy Chu made herself available to numerous political bloggers to answer questions about her background and her positions on several local initiatives that are up for a vote during the May 19 special election. I was pleased to be on the conference call, as throughout the 1990s, I'd heard a great deal about her time as mayor of Monterey Park, and how the demographics of the San Gabriel Valley were changing now that many immigrants from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the People's Republic of China were settling there. Now, much of the San Gabriel Valley is Chinese or Vietnamese restaurants, ethnic grocery stores, small ethnic businesses, Latino eateries, and tutoring academies for children.

Dr. Chu, a community college professor and former Garvey school board member, city council member, then mayor, has had a lengthy career based in the San Gabriel Valley. After several years as mayor of Monterey Park, she ran for California State Assembly and served there for three terms. From there, she successfully ran for the State Board of Equalization, the nation's only tax policy-making entity staffed with elected officials. She now serves as Vice Chair of the State Board of Equalization. Just a few days ago, she received the endorsement of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Viillraigosa.

Run, Mama, Run: Dr. Judy Chu Sweeps California Democratic Party Delegates, CA Congressional District 32

Left: former Congresswoman Hilda Solis, then-State Assemblywoman Judy Chu

Part of the pleasure of seeing former Congresswoman Hilda Solis appointed as Labor Secretary in the Obama administration is anticipating which worthy Democrat will then fill her seat in the 32d district.

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann: "Not all cultures are equal."

Yes, our second-favorite Dumb Republican Lady Politician inserts foot into mouth again. Watch:

Who Needs Nader When You've Got Ricki Lieberman

As a past Hillary Clinton Supporter, I've received troubling emails recently from a top fundraiser in NYC named Ricki Lieberman. No relation to the Republican senator from Connecticut.

She is--how do I say this--enthusiastic about her candidate.

The NY Daily News, which I'm not so apt to side with in matters political, recently referred to her as a fanatic in an article that opened: Some of Hillary Clinton's die-hard supporters are plotting to stop Barack Obama  at the Democratic National Convention, or more realistically, at the polls in November.

Relive the Democratic Primaries -- in Eight Minutes!

Grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and watch this video from Slate to warm up for the MOMocrats podcast this afternoon!

Good times, good times.  ;)

Remembering RFK

Last night, I had dinner with one of my oldest friends (let's call her "Nicole"), who told me that she had cast her vote in Tuesday's California primary, only to discover that we had already weighed in on our Presidential candidates back in February.

Nicole has had other things on her mind. One year ago, she suffered a debilitating stroke. The fact that it occurred around the time of her 51st birthday may have saved her, as her friends and family became concerned that she had not returned any of the calls they made to wish her a happy day. After breaking in to her townhouse, the paramedics found her unconscious on the floor.

She needed surgery, which she got... but then she got a little bit more in the form of a drug-resistant staph infection. Within a couple of days, she was in a coma and on life support, and it did not look good.

Fortunately, she recovered, and after months of therapy (both physical and psychological), and lots of in-home help, she is thriving. She no longer needs a walker or cane to get around and has been cleared to get a new driver's license. She is planning to go back to work soon in movie production.

Thank God she has great health insurance, due to her membership in the Teamsters Union. If it had been me instead of her, I would probably not be around to write this post. I would be too busy dealing with the bankruptcy attorneys -- that is, if I were able to recover well enough to do that on a lot less help and therapy. The medical insurance we carry is inadequate to handle the kind of care my friend has received.

Our conversation turned back to the final primaries of the season, which helped Barack Obama clinch his status as the Democrats' presumptive nominee. I told her how thrilling it was to watch him take the stage with Michelle and deliver another speech full of hope and inspiration.

"They looked like JFK and Jackie," I told her. "And he sounded like Bobby."

Am I a bad feminist because I'm not feeling thankful towards Hillary Clinton?

Today, the day after listening to Hillary Clinton's non-concession speech, I'm not feeling particularly thankful. In fact, what I'm feeling is frustration. I'm trying not to let it dampen my spirits, after all, Barack Obama is going to be the next president of the United States.

Last night Clinton spoke of unity. Of bringing the party together, but as Hilary Rosen writes, last night didn't end the way it should have.

She didn't do what she should have done. As hard and as painful as it might have been, she should have conceded, congratulated, endorsed and committed to Barack Obama.

Spockbama: Do Not Mistake Composure For Ease*

Fellow Vulcans and Star Trek nerds, please join me in celebrating the nomination of Senator Barack Spockbama to the Delta quadrants' Democratic Party as the presidential candidate for stardate term 2008-2012.

This NPR story talks about how some see parallels in Obama's biracial heritage and cool demeanor in Spock. Of Star Trek fame. (**whispers** Uh, you know Spock's just a fictional character, right? **ducks tomatoes**)

        At a Turbulent Moment, a Bridge Between Cultures

Star Trek made its debut during a turbulent moment in history — in the midst of the Vietnam War and the feminist movement — and Spock somehow spoke to the times, Jenkins says. It was rare then, he says, to see a TV character embody two very different cultures.

"In that sense Star Trek looks ahead to the society we live in today, where so many people are mixed race, mixed cultural background," Jenkins says. "And I've been thinking about that a lot lately, looking at Barack Obama. There's something in the [Obama] mythology that seems to echo our assumption about Spock — that he's someone able to bridge worlds. And he's indebted to Vulcan philosophy of IDIC, the Vulcan philosophy of infinite diversity and infinite combination. Someone who is of mixed race is seen as being capable of understanding both races."

Spock, the brainy, sardonic, level-headed, ultra-competent peacemaker. He's a new model of masculinity in our post-industrial age. Infinite diversity in infinite combination--you know that encompasses race, gender, class, and sexuality, plus any other permutations of identity we can discover or invent.

And you know, unlike serial sexual harrasser/space-slut James Tiberius Kirk, Spock maintained an almost feline sensuality while keeping his hands to himself. Always a desired trait in a man. (Although we presume Spock was a wildcat in the sack with those guy-periods he had--Pon Farr--but, ya know? That's for Michelle to smirk about and the rest of us to give her a wink, a smile, and a "you GO, honey.")

So, I say we should elect the first Star Trek president, and get ourselves well on our way to the future. For all the doubters and naysayers: c'mon. Do you want to live in the world of Star Trek or do you want to live in McCain's world, which is more brutish and unpleasant, like Planet of the Apes or Soylent Green? Uh-huh. Thought so.

It's already the 21st century. Give McCain that Vulcan nerve pinch in the upcoming presidential debates, and--done! President Obama it is. The U.S. Starship Enterprise departs November 4, 2008.

(Sebelius for Captain Janeway! I totally see it!!)

H/T to the most excellent Cate Park and her Facebook note on the NPR story.

Cynematic blogs at P i l l o w b o o k. This post is dedicated to her dear spouse, who is a huge Star Trek/Spock fan, and is convinced Spock is part Asian. She stole his favorite Vulcan quote (Tuvok, for you new school peeps, which hubs has made his email sig line) for this post's title.