Take THAT Schecter!!!

Matt Stoller has a great post on Mitch McConnell at MyDD, which covers many of the same themes I tried to warn Dems about in two articles for The Washington Monthly in September.

Yet, Stoller adds nicely to what I wrote, with key advice. To brand McConnell, and make the current Republicans "McConnell Republicans." His big-money pay-to-play politics, pro-escalation hysteria, Bush-diddling, pencil-neck persona is the perfect face of the still corrupt and still unbelievably stupid post-Delay GOP.

Go read the piece.

I got NOTHING TODAY. Spent almost 2 hours on the fon with a friend and that sucked all the thoughts out of my brain. None left.

Sense a theme here?

Leave hate mail in the comments.

RIP Gadflyer

On Monday, the blog where I got my start, the Gadflyer, will be closing down shop after almost exactly three years. There is a lot of competition out there, and many of the original founders and contributors (like me) have moved on to mostly doing other things.

I will always appreciate the opportunity they gave me over there, as I was transitioning from being an on-the-ground campaign hand to whatever it is I am now. I'll never forget sending out my first email to someone named Dr. Schaller, and my good friend Tom told me if I referred to him as "Dr" again, he wouldn't let me anywhere near the site. Those are the kind of people who have been involved in the project, very different from many of the self-important a$&#@les who run around this town clutching their thorny crowns and rolodexes.

I published one of my first articles there, as well as one of my first satirical pieces (pre-AMERICAblog), and it was the place where I learned how to blog (if I ever did).

The Gadflyer accomplished its goal of "promoting young progressive voices," as some of the stalwarts like Amy Sullivan (became an editor of The Washington Monthly), Tom Schaller (Whistling Past Dixie, Baltimore Sun and TAPPED), Joshua Holland (Alternet big shot) and Sarah Posner (currently writing a book on The Christian Right to be put out by the same publisher with whom I am publishing) achieved some pretty cool things after/during their association with the site. Check out who contributed here, to get an idea.

Me, I don't think I did so badly either. Although I had trouble sleeping last night because Rush has never heard of me.

In any case, thank you Gadflyer, and via con dios.

The newest winner of The Jim Webb is freshman Representative Carole Shea-Porter of New Hampshire, a solid progressive.

You may recall we give this award to those who in the face of GOP attacks, bravado, or the usual rhetorical bed-wetting, tell 'em where they can stick it.

Our first winner was Elliot Spitzer for saying this:

'I am a fucking steamroller and I'll roll over you or anybody else,' the Democratic governor told Republican Assemblyman James Tedisco in a private conversation last week, the New York Post reported on Wednesday.

So let me quote my pal Howie Klein on our newest recipient, as his entire blog is in the Jim Webb tradition (and absolutely worth making a part of your daily reading):

Future GOP prison inmate Fergus Cullen, now the state Republican Chairman, claims Carol's attempt to end the war is undermining U.S. troops--a silly and discredited Rove talking point that has been rejected by the U.S. military. Cullen called the debate to halt the escalation "shameful." Carol hit back the way all Democrats should when they get attacked by these cowardly little fascist twits:

If Fergus Cullen has the courage of his convictions, he should go enlist, because they're having trouble meeting their quota. He's young, he's single and he's healthy. If he needs to know where the recruiters are, call me.

Carol Shea-Porter, congratulations, you're our newest recipient of The Jim Webb.

Note to other Democrats: This is how it is done.

Hey folks. Just got back to DC and had to write my Ablog piece. I have a few things I would like to write about that I will put up tonight and tomorrow, including the whole Paula Zahn experience.

But let's start with this: Rush Limbaugh attacked me today on his radio show. For attacking him. He left out my best line of course, about him and a pound a day of Oxycontin. But it's Rush we're talking about, so 75% accuracy is a wonderful day:

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Last night on CNN's Paula Zahn Now they were talking about hip-hop, the music, the culture, and the lyrics. Somehow my name came up in this discussion. The guest was somebody named Cliff Schecter, an expert. Never heard of him. He's from AmericaBlog.com, and this is what he said.

SCHECTER: There's misogyny throughout our culture. We just elected a new speaker of the House and Nancy Pelosi is a woman and all we heard all week were on her pantsuits, what this one looked like, what that one looked like. We didn't hear things about policy. You've got people on the right who are going out and screaming every day, people like Rush Limbaugh who scream feminazi, feminazi, feminazi.

Poor Rush, free baser on the fritz today?

New Zealand

The good thing about the internet is that anyone with an opinion and a blog can post. The bad thing is that any idiot with an opinion can also post. The latter is demonstrated perfectly by Dean Barnett over at Townhall.

Barnett claims that despite all the bad press, Mitt Romney actually had a good week. Yes, Barnett believes that it is good for Romney to get all the flip-flop attacks out early, leaving him plenty of time to respond. Money quote

The press and other entities who are hostile to the Romney campaign feel like they’re landing haymakers about his purported flip-flopping. Big deal. When the press is all punched out, Romney will have $100 million and his own formidable political skills available to make his rebuttal.

The problem with going on the same offensive repeatedly in politics, as Romney’s foes are, is that regardless of the offensive’s underlying merits, there are diminishing returns.

Right, cause if there is one thing we learned during the 2004 election, calling someone a flip-flopper early and often doesn't work at all. I mean, is Barnett kidding? Anyone with a modicum of functional brainpower understands that defining your opponent early, especially with a meme as potent as "flip-flopper," is devastating. The media will have it in every article, and every perceived change in Romney's stance, no matter how slight, will bring another round of tough articles. Unless he has twice the money of his opponents, Romney is likely in for a long ride (just ask Kerry the flip-flopper or Gore the exaggerator).

Barnett goes on to bury himself deeper. He rebuts the claim that Romney is a flip-flopper (of course, he provides no evidence of this or disputes that Romney has changed his positions).

THE OFT-REPEATED CHARGE AGAINST MITT ROMNEY IS THAT HE’S A FLIP-FLOPPER and an opportunist. As someone who knows him and who is familiar with his character, it annoys me no end to see Romney’s detractors so relentlessly peddle such an inaccurate caricature.

But then he suggests that Romney can explain away his changes in policy positions with an old phrase JFK (ironically, a man who was actually proud to represent Massachusetts)

The governor will be able to respond to his critics with two easy smackdowns that will be devastating when the time is right. The first is an old John F. Kennedy saw:

“It’s not where you come from, but where you stand.” The second will be a
completely justified swipe at the pettiness and endlessly repetitive nature of these attacks: “I want to talk about our country’s future. I will, even if the press and my opponents are obsessed with my past.”

First, if he thinks throwing out two old quotes will distract people from the fact that Romney has taken more positions than the Karma Sutra, he's insane.

Second, these explanations are an obvious contradiction. If he never flip-flopped, why would he need to explain away his changes in policy positions?

Barnett needs to put aside the Romney Kool Aid (apparently spiked with some of Rush Limbaugh's "special" diet pills) and be honest. The only person who's had a rougher go of it lately is Britney Spears, and she can always grow her hair back. Romney can overcome his poor start ('08 is a long ways away) but only by acting quickly, raising money and changing the momentum.

Why can't this Administration be on the compassionate, moral side of issues like this? If you remember, they snubbed the same type of initiative on land mines.

I guess for those who shoot their friends in the face, the maiming of a child is not much to fret over................

OSLO, Norway - Forty-six nations adopted a declaration Friday calling for a 2008 treaty banning cluster bombs, saying the weapons kill and maim long after conflicts end and inflict "unacceptable harm" on civilians, particularly children.

Some key arms makers — including the U.S., Russia, Israel and China — snubbed the conference of 49 nations.

Over on TPM, Josh Marshall has a clip of Sen. Obama talking about the Iraq situation. I haven't made up my mind who I will vote for, nor will I for quite some time. But this clip makes a real strong case for the junior Senator from Illinois.

One of his supposed weaknesses is a lack of foreign policy experience, but the clips shows him to be prescient, coherent and ultimately, dead on (I was also gonna say he looked clean, but decided against it). If I was the Obama campaign, I'd send this video out to every undecided voter, so they can see what he is like, without a filter of news reporting.

Alert.... Alert.... ALERT!!!

Cliff on CNN w/Paula Zahn at 8P EST.

I will be liveblogging (hopefully with company) at http://gabbly.com/www.cliffschecter.blogspot.com .
You can register for an account, or just enter the room as an anon "gabbler".

GO GET 'EM CLIFF!!!!

Dear Mr Abrams,

WHAT? WHAT? WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?

3 SOLID DAYS OF BULLSHIT? Pandering backtalk, idiotic legal opinion (including your own) and a TOTAL DISREGARD OF ANYTHING ELSE HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OTHER THAN IN A FT LAUDERDALE COURTROOM?

Okay, I've calmed down a bit, but c'mon Dan. Level with me here. I promise not to breathe a word. It was all a set up, right? Scripted from the get go, you took advantage of a bunch of preening attention seekers (you know that Judge can't be real) and threw 'em all in the mix.

Discrete whispers about "decomposition", eager hypotheses about the "fight over the baby", endless shots of courtrooms & doorways waiting for the parade of freaks to hustle thru.

'Cause that's what it was, right Dan? One big fat "carnival", "circus" or whatever pejorative applies at the time. A hustle. Wish I knew where to check for the ratings 'cause I'm guessing you're laughing all the way to the Nielsens.

Do you know what happened these past three days Dan? Soldiers died, the government ignoring them in death as it does when they return. IMPORTANT THINGS HAPPENED DAN.

But you'd never know about it from MSNBC this week.

Regards,

Paddy

(PS- That look on Dans' face is the same one my cats make when they smell something bad. Coincidence?)

Heading to NYC for the Paula Zahn show in an hour. So needless to say my friends, it will a slow day of posting for me (I return tomorrow afternoon).

Paddy, Mike, BC, the floor is yours!

What do John Howard, George Bush and Tony Blair have in common?

Wondering why John Howard continues increasing Australia's military presence in Iraq despite 2/3 of the country wanting either an exit strategy or immediate withdrawal? This when he has a tough election coming up?

Sound familiar?

Much has been made of Blair sharing Bush's religious zeal. I wondered whether there might be a common thread in Howard, and in his own words:

My belief in the centrality of the family, my very strong belief in private business enterprise, my very strong belief in the I think the stabilising influence of the Judaeo-Christian ethic in this country. Those beliefs haven’t changed at all. And you can find at every point of my time as Prime Minister a re-affirmation of those things

Sound familiar?

So I was reading that New Yorker piece I linked to (as did Paddy) over the past week about Joel Surnow, right-wing producer of the TV show 24 and creator of the hysterically unfunny Fox attempt at The Daily Show.

Towards the end of the piece, I came upon this obviously genius statement from right-wing pundette/Coulter wannabe Laura Ingraham:

“They love Jack Bauer,” she noted on Fox News. “In my mind, that’s as close to a national referendum that it’s O.K. to use tough tactics against high-level Al Qaeda operatives as we’re going to get.”

Now that is one smart lady. What people enjoy in entertainment obviously is what they want in government policy. So let's see, Will & Grace was a hit, as was The West Wing, and I think the Debbie Does Dallas movies did pretty well.

Laura Ingraham. Another example of why keeping birth control legal is essential.

Quite a week in the "war on terror", and it's only Wednesday.........

• Britain and Denmark (and, what the hell, Lithuania) are pulling back
• Italy's PM resigns after coaltion wouldn't back expansion of US air base
• Italians took to the streets in protest of that base expansion (I guess when Italians speak, their representatives listen..........)
• "bombings in the Baghdad area have claimed more than 100 lives since Sunday " and worries rise over development of chlorine gas bombs

Meanwhile, on another planet (with an apparent oxygen deficit)..........the scene is rosy: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that despite the announced withdrawals, "the coalition remains intact," and in Japan, Vice President Dick Cheney said the U.S. wants to finish its mission in Iraq, then "come home with honor."

Did you hear the joke about Faux News hosting the Democratic Debates?

No, REALLY.

Nevada Democratic Party issued the following statement last night:

"FOX News' viewership in Western states and across the country does not always get to hear directly from Democrats in an unedited and uninterrupted fashion. The August debate in Reno will allow the Democratic Presidential candidates to speak to the Fox audience who may be hearing from them for the first time for ninety minutes unfiltered and directly."

OH MY!! My sides, stop it you crazy Nevadans!!!
Don't you remember what happened LAST time?!?

[C]onsider the September 9, 2003 Democratic debate in Baltimore, Maryland, hosted by Fox News in partnership with the Congressional Black Caucus. Fox News graphics, as well as a banner over the stage, titled the event as the "Democrat Candidate Presidential Debate," a misconstruction of "Democrat" used as an an epithet. Fox News then summarized the debate with a story titled, "Democratic Candidates Offer Grim View of America," continuing with such jabs as, "The depiction of the president as the root of all evil began at the top of Tuesday night's debate...." Controversial questions included the accusation that Howard Dean had a racist gun policy by Fox News analyst Juan Williams. There were also multiple interruptions by protesters throughout the debate, leading to four arrests.

And who says Democrats have no sense of humor!!
Read more details at MyDD

Put your two cents in- email the Nevada Dems HERE.

Tell them there is NO EXCUSE for watching Faux Noise, no matter who is on. And by that time, they may have taken over Helens' chair, so there is a second reason to stay away!!

The Weekly Worst In McCain Pandering

We--the humble folks trying to give you an accurate view of The Real McCain--summarize, because you're just too darn busy to keep up with every McCain flip-flop, sell out or new principle:

* John McCain's cool with missing a vote on his war, but he'll make sure to lecture South Carolina students on how taking really cold showers will allow them to forego sex outside of marriage. Unless you're McCain, it's the 1970s and you're cheating on your then-wife with your current one.

* John McCain thinks Roe v. Wade must absolutely positively be overturned. Except he said something very different in 1999. And the rules don't apply to his daughter. She has the right to control her body, unlike, say, everyone who's name is not McCain.

* McCain is a keynote speaker at The Discovery Institute on Friday, as it seems he has personally discovered how to change his position on evolution multiple times. The Discovery Institute thinks evolution is hoax, up there with gravity and electric stoves. They also think we should replace constitutional with Biblical government. Very different than, say, the Taliban. Very different.

* Iraq war debacle - Rumsfeld's fault. Even though not too long ago McCain was saying some very nice things about The Donald. I am just shocked McCain would change his mind!

* A tip from our loyal reader basheert: "Thune (who has endorsed McCain) told Capitol Briefing he extracted a promise from the Arizonan on judicial nominations. Thune said McCain told him he would appoint 'guys like Roberts and Alito'. That's a reference to Chief Justice John Roberts and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, both of whom were nominated by President Bush and were popular selections among Christian conservatives." The pandering continues.

* "What I have found out in my life, is that every time I have done something for political reasons and not the right reasons, I have paid a very heavy price for it — a big price.” Like your soul perhaps? But I digress, McCain said this, ironically enough, as he met with religious broadcasters in Orlando, you know, the kinds of folks he called "agents of intolerance" only a few years ago.

We hope you've enjoyed this week's edition. If we can make any promise to you, knowing John McCain's willingness to do anything to become president, it's that we'll be back next week!

And the meme on Mitt-flop continues.

The question is - can he raise enough money or generate enough buzz with his new ad to get beyond it, or is he about to fade into oblivion?

TEST

Heh, I'm thinking we're live blogging Cliff on Paula Zahn tomorrow.
Better wear a nice tie there Cliffie...

Check this out guys- http://gabbly.com/www.cliffschecter.blogspot.com.

I'll be in the room all day on and off.

This is just getting comical with Mitt Romney.

I am sure you saw BC's great post on his newly discovered gun rights position earlier. And you've probably seen his debate in 1994 with Teddy Kennedy, where he said he would be "better" on gay rights than Teddy and had been pro-choice, since like, the Reformation.

Well, now another video surfaces undermining his claim to be anti-abortion. And it ain't pretty, if you're the thoroughly plastic/shameless Romney (it is must see tv).

Damn those blasted recording devices Mitt!

Al Qaeda. Bad.

Teachers unions. "Much more Dangerous" than Al Qaeda.

Right wingers. Obviously insane.

I'm pissed... again.

There were rumblings about this last week, when Faux Freaks in the AM took a poll as to whether or not they should get a seat in the front for the gaggle and kick Helen out. I figured they were full of s**t.

Guess not.

Politico

Helen Thomas Moving Back After 46 Years Down Front

By: Mike Allen
February 20, 2007 04:47 PM EST

Every theater-style seat in the White House briefing room, now closed for renovation, had a brass plaque inscribed with the name of a news organization. Only one, in the middle of the front row, had a name: “HELEN THOMAS,” it said.
(snip)

The press corps is scheduled to move from temporary facilities back into the spiffed-up, rewired briefing room in May or June. Thomas, who has been questioning presidents and press secretaries for 46 years, plans to be there. But her front-row seat won’t be. Plans call for her to be moved to the second row to make room for a cable news channel – a sign of Washington’s changing pecking order, and of the new ways that Americans get their news.

THE NEW WAYS AMERICANS GET THEIR NEWS MIKE?

You mean giving credence to LIARS AND FABRICATORS, not tough minded JOURNALISTS who believe in the TRUTH? I'm having vapors, I'm so F**KING PISSED.

THIS IS THE WAY A JOURNALIST SPEAKS.

I pointed out that there is a school of thought that questions are worth asking even if the president won’t answer them. “At least the public’ll know you’re doing your job,” she said. “Questions should be out there, because the American people have seen us become so compliant and complicit. You were there for the run-up to the war. Where were the questions? Who asked why, what, what do you mean? We drop bombs and we accuse the enemy of meddling? We attack a country that did nothing on us? We dropped bombs on innocent people and started this war. You were there. Nobody said why.” When she paused and I filled the silence with “fascinating,” she continued: “It isn’t fascinating. It’s rid– it’s, it’s sad.”

Good thing Helen has more grace than I, 'cause I'd be firebombing Faux headquarters as we speak.

Just go read Taibbi. Because this piece says it all.

Ok, need convincing?

But that was before this week. I awoke this morning in New York City to find Britney Spears plastered all over the cover of two gigantic daily newspapers, simply because she cut her hair off over the weekend. To me, this crosses a line. My definition of a news story involves something happening. If nothing happens, then you can't have "news," because nothing has changed since the day before. Britney Spears was an idiot last Thursday, an idiot on Friday, and an idiot on both Saturday and Sunday. She was, shockingly, also an idiot on Monday. It will be news when she stops being an idiot, and we'll know when that happens, because she'll have shot herself for the good of the planet. Britney Spears cutting her hair off is the least-worthy front page news story in the history of humanity.

Now are you convinced? (This was the point I was making, btw, in sarcastically linking to that bit about the jackass willing to pay $1 mil for her hair--I think the name was Jenna something...).

On the eve of the UN deadline for Iran to halt uranium enrichment, US strike plans and the triggers for a strike against Iran are set and another aircraft carrier has joined "a strike group of ships" in the Sea of Oman.

Even so, Robert Gates, the Defense Secretary, says, “We are not looking for excuse to go to war with Iran, we are not planning a war with Iran.”

I'm remembering a time in 2003 when Colin Powell pushed for talks with the Iranians and was rebuffed, as was that recommendation from the Baker Hamilton report.

George dumped Rummy and rearranged the remaining deck chairs, but what has changed?

It appears that Mitt Romney will be the first Presidential candidate to go up on the air. There is no truth to the rumor that Mitt will end his commercials with the line"I'm Mitt Romney and I paid for this ad, unless you disagree with it, in which case I did not pay for it and disavow it entirely."

You see, Mitt-flop once again showed how shallow he was this weekend. In an interview with George Stephetal., Mitt was asked about his support for the assault weapons ban and his quote "I don't line up with the NRA." Romney, of course, said his disagreements with the NRA are minimal and that he is a lifetime member of the NRA. Here's what followed

Stephanopoulos: When did you join the NRA?
Mitt Romney: Within the last year
and I signed up for a lifelong membership. I think they're doing good things and
I believe in supporting the right to bear arms.

Yes, Mitt-flop believed so much in the NRA that he became a lifelong member (last year). His ridiculous reversals have become embarrassing, and I'm not the only one who thinks so.

How much are McCain, Giuliani and Romney pandering to the right? Well, they're not even bothering to talk with moderates in Iowa, like a former Lt. Gov. It's pathetic.

I've gotta laugh at Charles Krauthammer even attempting to define the public policy trends in climate change. Anyone who's been following his rhetoric for the past ten years on the topic knows how wrong he's been.

But, it hasn't stopped him from continuing. On last Friday's edition of "Inside Washington", he proclaimed that European governments are having trouble meeting the Kyoto emission standards.

Yesterday, the EU voted to decrease carbon emissions by 20% from 1990 levels, Germany saying it could decrease them by 40%.

Charles????

And the debate rages on: Is Bush just an unbelievably crappy president, or the crappiest of all crappy presidents?

AlterNet reports, you decide.

Maybe Falwell's right.

Because if this isn't a sign of the apocalypse...

I mean a freakin million!?!

Kill me now.

My Conversation With McCain Recall Organizer Leonard Clark

I have spoken twice with anti-Iraq War veteran and in my humble opinion, hero, Leonard Clark. First we rapped on the phone, and then through email. I wrote up a piece last night about how we need more Leonard Clarks on our side.

Nothing could be more essential to progressive success.

But without further ado, let me share his email with you, so you know what he has planned, and how you can contact him and help (I warned him that giving out his cell number and general whereabouts of his domicile were not the best idea, but he refuses to cower in the face or the Right--so with some personal reservations, I am honoring his request).

From Leonard:

You can let the people know that I live right across the street from Glendale Community College in Glendale Arizona. It is an easy reference point to find, so if you could have people call me first to make sure I can meet them until I get more reps. in different areas that would be great. Here's where they need to meet me: Glendale Community College Front Entrance (South Side of college) We could meet at the Student Union or any designated place. The address is 6000 W. Olive, Glendale Arizona, 85302.

Also, please let people know that we want to have a rally probably the following Saturday after this one at the State Capitol [Ed Note: This Saturday, so contact him immediately]. We want to get as many people there as possible to attract the attention of people who would like to sign our petitions and as the state legislature will be in session this will let them know we are serious.

Thanks
Leonard Clark
602-423-6300
Long Live The Republic!

From Jesus' General

The General makes a good point. He likes John McCain, because he's looking for a certain "flexibility" in his candidates.

NOTE: I wrote this piece for Firedoglake earlier this evening. Gottalaff was kind enough to join us in the comments, and it was a rockin good time, as the kids would say.

Below is the piece (please head over to FDL if you want to check out the comments thread, which was quite interesting):

Just when whiplash had begun to set in from the perpetual shaking of my head to-and-fro at the sight of each subsequent sign progressives have learned nothing from the Bush Years--a ray of light perhaps?

Before I get to that, I must admit to being quite perplexed at the continual lack of a killer instinct on our side, an unwillingness to go for the jugular that Republican-turned-fierce-Bush critic and astute poltical analyst Kevin Phillips has described as a debilitating Democratic weakness.

I have often wondered what it will take to wake people on our side up? Keith Olbermann's ratings have seen a meteoric rise in the wake of his special comments. Bill Clinton's verbal backhand to Chris Wallace's overwrought cranium on the FoxNews Channel became the stuff of legend. Colbert at the White House Correspondents Dinner is still being watched non-stop on YouTube.

Yet, Democrats continue to fall flat on their collective face when encountering the GOP's Machiavellian maneuvering with this Iraq "escalation," or as Rep. Don Young likes to call it, "my second favorite plan for male enhancement" (Note: I can't find the source, but know I heard it somewhere). Furthermore, the Nevada division of the Party of Jefferson, apparently having learned nothing from the constant drumbeat of smears against its presidential candidates past and present, has awarded Fox the right to host a Democratic presidential debate in that key Western state. These are only two of many examples I could cite.

It's enough to make you want to just say bollocks to the whole thing, and go out on the town for a guaranteed good time with Dusty Foggo. But let's get back to that ray of hope.

This week, we saw blogger and author Glenn Greenwald absolutely destroy misquoting, intellectual mud-bath Frank Gaffney on the radio, and something even more profound is going on in the grassroots.

An Iraq War veteran, Leonard Clark, is starting a petition drive in Arizona to recall Senator John McCain. Clark, who in a conversation with me said he was "compelled to do this" for his "comrades left behind," and used as "political props" by McCain, is a genuine man who in a different time would likely find himself in a very different place. But these are dangerous times, and he's willing to put it all on the line for the small chance he is able to deliver a Buster Douglas-to-Mike Tyson kind of blow to stop McCain's cynical manipulation of this war (while the recall would be non-binding, as McCain is a federal public servant, he signed a statement saying he would step down if a measure such as this passed).

Democrats, pay heed! We need more Gleen Greenwalds and Leonard Clarks in in our political system (Hint to progressive funders: Some more infrastructure to fund these kinds of people would, um, be nice). Furthermore, understand that if you speak with conviction and clarity, you do not need to lock yourself in the cultural box Democrats have largely lived in rhetorically since the Reagan years, afraid of exercising their larynx on "controversial" issues.

Conservatism has been dealt a deadly blow over the past few years. Progressivism has its opportunity. Don't sit idly and passively by while allowing the Leninist Right to win elections and debates by default, because we don't offer leadership and forcefully engage in politics.

Carpe diem Democrats! Or as Leonard Clark said in the end of an email to me: Long Live The Republic!

Crazy Ass Media Week

I didn't do anything differently this week. But suddenly, they like me, they really like me!

Seriously, here is how I will procrastinate from book-writing this week (if my publisher is reading this, this is just, um, a BIG joke...really...I swear!).

Monday - Cup o' Joe Radio show at 10:15 AM EST and BlogTalkRadio with my friend Sean-Paul Kelley of The Agonist at 7:30 PM EST.

Tuesday - Peter B. Collins show, 7PM EST.

Wednesday - Woo hoo freedom!

Thursday - Usual Young Turks segment, 8AM EST. Then I fly to New York to do The Paula Zahn show on CNN, from 8-9PM (I will be on a panel that will disappear and reappear numerous times throughout the show to discuss a variety of topics).

That is it so far. Lot's of people are going to legitimately get sick of me this week.

Romney should expect a lot more of this from right-wing nuts in his own party as he continues to travel the country.

Poor Mitt...You lay down with the dogs, you wake up with the flees.

In this morning's New York Times, Hillary Clinton basically tells anti-war Democrats and the Netroots to vote for somebody else (Hat Tip - Americablog.com). Clinton says

"“If the most important thing to any of you is choosing someone who did not cast that vote or has said his vote was a mistake, then there are others to choose from,” Mrs. Clinton told an audience in Dover, N.H., in a veiled reference to two rivals for the nomination, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina."

In response, Markos on DailyKos says she can no longer gain his vote.

It's an interesting gambit by Clinton, a Sister Souljah move, if you will. In addition to standing firm, Hillary is shoving aside the left wing and the Netroots. It's a calculated risk, believing that she can win the primary by having the insiders, outspending her rivals and most likely, appealing to women voters. It's basically the John Kerry strategy (Don't laugh, he did beat the Netroot's candidate of choice, Howard Dean).

As dangerous as the move is for Clinton, it is fraught with peril for the Netroots. It's a true test of the political maturity of the on-line community. Lashing out, calling her a traitor, et. al. only plays into her hands. There has to be more.

If the Netroots gets behind a candidate (or two) raises money for them and helps them get votes, they will prove to be 800 pound Donkey in the Democratic primary. If, on the other hand, they respond with vitriol and prove ineffective in getting votes for a candidate (like Dean in '04) you can expect more of the same in future primaries. The gauntlet has been thrown, now the Netroots has to pick it up.