July 9, 2008
Bought my first "purple" book
Amazon.com: The Post-American World: Fareed Zakaria: Books
It seems there is a new trend in political book purchases this election year. Valdis Krebs looked at books that would qualify as "red" and books that qualify as "blue." In the past purchasers of red books would only buy red books. Blue book buyers would stick to blue books. However Krebs looked at the current purchase similarities and discovered there are "cross over" books that both parties are buying this year. He made a great chart so you can see which books are which. Customers who bought Climate Confusion and "Surrender is not an Option" also bought "The Post American World" (like me). Whoa. Very interesting in a year where I've heard Republicans tell me they're voting for Obama, and I've heard rumors of Democrats voting for McCain. Kind of a geeky post, huh?
Posted by jana at 12:09 PM | Comments (0)
March 24, 2008
My pre-emptive apology
Sorry if the rap parody was offensive to anyone! I was aiming for entertainment only. Some of my dearest friends and family are conservatives and I don't want to upset those people.
Posted by jana at 1:48 PM | Comments (2)
March 23, 2008
I'll send your kid on the very next surge
In honor of the US death toll in Iraq reaching 4,000 troops. (Plus I'm a Cyprus Hill fan.)
[via Jeff Uppy]
Also on my left leaning mind is to cheer the latest Obama speech. MDM has a great excerpt on his blog. Sorry Hillary, this trumps the Girl Power I've been half-ass backing.
Posted by jana at 8:45 PM
March 14, 2008
Freedom
Woo! I was excused from jury duty before I even got to make it into the court room. So many people showed up that they excused much of us cattle before we even got in the court room.
I did get to spend my time in line next to the most interesting character in the room. Joe was wearing a utili-kilt (with only freedom underneath he told me), a coon-tail derby hat, and a uni-bomber beard. I shouldn't forget to mention he was a toothless writer. I guess you don't need teeth if your main form of communication is through writing. I considered myself lucky getting to pass my time in the public holding pen next to such a character.
Posted by jana at 10:01 AM
March 13, 2008
Jury duty planning
I have jury duty tomorrow and I'd love to not do my civic duty at this point in my overly busy life.
How to not get selected?
According to MDM appear overly educated. Unfortunately I am only averagely educated so that ain't gonna work.
Another thought, wear any political garb I may own. Paint a hammer and sickle shirt (naw)? What about Andy's "Bush don't jibe" shirt?
I thought they didn't want overly opinionated people but that wouldn't make sense because Andrej got selected.
I need some tactics and quick.
Posted by jana at 10:25 PM | Comments (3)
February 9, 2008
BREAKING NEWS: Karsten ditches democratic caucus to hang with Republican family
Could this be Karsten's first act of political rebellion?
Me: Karsten, do you want to play with Spencer or go with Daddy to help set up the caucus?
K: Play with Spencer!
Brenda, Spencer's mom is going to the Republican caucus while Spencer's dad, former Army officer and West Point alum (and obvious Repub) watches the kids. During this important moment in democratic history Karsten opts to hang with the Republicans. Sigh.
As for Britta? She's excited about the democrat caucus so she can play with her best friend Abbie. Abbie's dad is the high school civics teacher.
Posted by jana at 12:15 PM
February 8, 2008
Kiddies at the Caucus
Andy is helping our friend Jeff run the democratic caucus in our neighborhood tomorrow.
Tonight at dinner we tried explaining the caucus to the kids since they will be attending too. It was tough to explain something we don't really understand but that didn't matter to the kids.
Karsten: will there be a microphone there? Can I lead the pledge of allegiance?
One of Karsten's highlight of the year was when he got to lead the neighborhood in the pledge on the 4th of July. He still talks about it.
Andy: Ummm, sure.
Karsten: Will George Bush be there?
Andy: No.
I can see Karsten building his political platform now, as long as it means more time on the mic.
Posted by jana at 7:07 PM
March 5, 2007
Flat taxes
My dad and I finally found an economic policy we agree on: flat taxes. I know, as a bleeding heart I should be concerned that the poor would be taxed unfairly but I think the benefit of not having to hire a CPA would far out weigh the potential problems.
I almost bought Turbo Tax today. My cheap self hates to pay an accountant for checking little boxes and filling in the right numbers. I should be able to do this, me thinks. I called my mother-in-law for the reality check and she made me see that if I don't pay the $600 my CPA charges I will probably spend several days attempting to fill out the forms myself, and quite possibly, incorrectly. Just getting the stuff ready for the accountant is a burden enough for me.
Here's to flat taxes -- and a break to the middle class, for once.
Posted by jana at 2:21 PM | Comments (1)
January 29, 2007
Is it my imagination?
Is it possible that G.W. Bush is even less articulate than when he first started office? The last two speeches I heard from him he seemed to be having trouble spitting out his sentences and not sounding as if he's reading straight from a piece of paper. I wonder if it'll just get worse as his presidency continues to tank.
(typed with a left leaning slant obvioulsy. Feel free to rebute, my conservative friends.)
Posted by jana at 10:09 PM | Comments (1)
December 6, 2006
A passing moment of not despising our president
Got a nice letter in the mail today from my CPA alerting me of all the tax breaks we as a nation may be eligible for this year. Even a good democrat can appreciate saving some dough.
Posted by jana at 8:56 PM
June 4, 2006
Secret crush
Ok, I realize if I post this on my blog it will no longer be a secret. Probably not a good idea to post this anyway because if my dad is able to read blogs it may mean the end of free babysitting. But here goes...after a weekend of Al Gore, I am in love and I have to tell the world. If you need a new someone special to make your heart go pitter patter I suggest listening to this NPR interview with Al. Guaranteed you'll sigh wistfully and wish he was the one leading this country.
Also, if anyone else feels like fighting the GOP, they've opened an office near my neighborhood with a plan to take down Dave as well as any other democrat. See http://www.upthegrove.com if you want to attend his campaign kickoff party next week with us and help fight the good fight.
Posted by jana at 9:40 PM
May 26, 2006
State Representative Dave goes all MySpace...
…and it is fascinating. I've been friends with Dave since his mom gave the calligraphy demonstation to my second grade class.
Occasionally over tequila shots I'll get some inside scoop on the life of a legislator but now I finally can read all the details of what Dave's job is all about. Dave, can we switch jobs for awhile? I can teach you to use Dreamweaver. I promise not to make any campaign promises you won't be able to keep.
Check it out (if you have a MySpace account): http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=69535314. Dave's in Poland today and tells about his Pope sighting.
Posted by jana at 7:02 PM
February 26, 2006
longing for A'dam
Up Ceintuurbaan, just past Sarphatipark, lies the new Andere Winkel, a colorful Saturday-only shop housed in a squat and holding a variety of wares...no price tag in sight. Alles gratis.
Andy told me he wanted to buy me a Valentine's Day present while he was in Amsterdam. What do you want? He asked me. The Amsterdam Weekly, I told him. I'm finally getting around to reading it and now I'm missing the city that is such a breeding ground for experiment. Two weeks ago a political party opened up a store next to our rented flat where everything is free -- recycled goods or donated services, like organic vegetables and "bike pimping."
The political party has reduced dock fees for slave-free cocoa and made it legal for all street performers to play anywhere in town without a license.
Here's what else they're lobbying for : no cars, more trees, less police interference and free public transport.
I'll have to check back online March 7 and see if the party has won the election.
Posted by jana at 12:41 PM
September 19, 2005
Vote tomorrow
The race for Port Commissioner is the most exciting for me since I won't be able to cast a vote for or against Greg Nickels. The best article I read was in the local paper where potential commissioners were asked if they would consider halting 3rd runway construction. Now that Southwest Airlines is threatening to leave a few candidates actually said they'd consider it. Incumbents said the third runway will actually be used for take offs as well as landings but I'd say most are skeptical.
Posted by jana at 10:20 PM
December 22, 2004
A 7 vote lead by Gregoire
At this moment the supreme court is deciding if the missing ballots should be counted. Stay tuned. Maybe the missing ballots would put Rossi in the lead. Now that would make an interesting twist to this debacle.
Here is an editorial from the Seattle Times. Keep in mind the Seattle Times endorsed Dino Rossi.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.
Count the votes in King County
Editorial
One of the most fundamental beliefs of American citizens is that after they cast their ballots, election workers will do everything possible to count the votes.
That did not happen for several hundred voters in King County. Signatures on file were not properly loaded into a computer and election workers did not check signatures in the paper files. This clerical error belongs to election workers and can only be rectified by counting all valid votes. The state Supreme Court has all the appropriate material before it to rule this week that every vote cast in the election, including more than 700 ballots in King County, should be counted if signatures on absentee ballots match signatures on file.
The other alternative is too scary and runs the risk of suppressing votes and vote-counting to achieve a particular result.
County election officials, the Secretary of State's Office and the state Democratic Party believe it is fair to count the votes even though they were not tallied in the original count or the machine recount.
In a recent ruling largely against Democrats, the state Supreme Court said ballots are to be retabulated only if they have been previously counted or tallied, subject to a specific provision of Washington law. That provision says county canvassing boards ought to fix errors if the board finds an apparent discrepancy or inconsistency in the returns.
This safety valve exists to correct exactly the kind of mistakes discovered in King County.
In the rhetorical heat surrounding the governor's race, King County election officials have been made to look like the ogres. But plenty of votes have been added to the tally in other counties.
This page endorsed Republican Dino Rossi for governor. Adding the King County votes to the mix may push his opponent, Democrat Christine Gregoire, over the top.
But the only reasonable conclusion is to count as many votes as possible. Any other approach smacks of manipulating the election and disenfranchising voters who did what they were supposed to do and cast their ballots in good faith.
Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company
Posted by jana at 8:17 AM | TrackBack
December 18, 2004
Ready for more confusion?
My vote won't be counted. From the democrat party:
Unfortunately, a lower court ruled this afternoon to NOT count my ballot. It is being appealed to the State Supreme Court for a final decision.
12.16.04 Governor’s Race Update
· Mistake Discovered. King County discovered that it had accidentally neglected to count hundreds of ballots. Because of a mistake, these legitimate ballots were never counted. Now King County is trying to do the right thing, correct their mistake, and count these ballots. Afraid of the consequences, the GOP and Dino Rossi are saying it’s fraud. They are doing everything they can to keep these ballots from being counted.
· Valid Votes, Ordinary Voters. These are valid votes cast by ordinary voters who did everything right. There is no legitimate reason to ignore their votes.
· Mistakes should be fixed. If the government messed up your tax returns, they should fix them. If the DMV makes a mistake, we would expect them to take of it. So why shouldn’t we fix the mistake that kept ballots from being counted?
· What Are They So Afraid Of? The GOP sounds downright hysterical. With some of the largest counties still not in yet, they know it’s entirely possible that if every legal vote is counted, their candidate will lose.
· Dino Rossi Is The Accidental Governor-Elect. At the last count, Rossi only lead by 42 votes. But a mistake by King County kept hundreds of valid votes from being counted in that count. Thus, it’s entirely likely that Rossi owed his lead at the end of the last machine count to a mistake.
· GOP Wants To Change the Rules. Now that it looks like Rossi should be behind, the GOP wants to change the rules. They’re going to court and arguing that every vote shouldn’t be counted. In essence, they want the court to stop the count while Rossi is ahead.
· Flip-Flop: Just last week, Rossi and the GOP shrilly attacked Democrats for going to court. They said they “trusted the voters, not the lawyers.” Now they’re doing the exact same thing.
· Hypocrisy. Hundreds of ballots have been added in that favored Dino Rossi, and the GOP didn’t make a peep (and the Democrats didn’t scream fraud while these hundreds of ballots were helping Dino Rossi).
- Example: Snohomish. Snohomish added in 223 ballots that were never counted, and Rossi picked up votes because of it.
- Example: Chelan. Chelan found a ballot that should have been counted before but wasn’t. It was a Rossi vote, and it was added in – and the GOP had no problem with it.
- Example: Grant. Grant added in 52 previously uncounted ballots, and Rossi netted 18 votes. Again, not a whisper of protest from the Rossi camp.
- Example: Whatcom. Whatcom found 7 new ballots, and Rossi gained because of it.
· Republicans Even Demanding New Election. Republican Ralph Munroe has been calling for a new election. Why? Two reasons:
- Munroe Has a Financial Interest. Munroe is Chairman of “Vote Here,” an electronic voting company. If a hand count demonstrates that the earlier machine counts were inaccurate, it’s in his personal interest for the hand count to be thrown out.
- Munroe is a Rossi Backer. Throughout the recount Monroe has been talking straight from the GOP script. Now that Rossi fears he’ll lose the election because all the votes will be counted, his team wants a do-over.
· Take a Deep Breath. Rossi and the GOP need to calm down, and listen to the public, newspapers, Republicans and Democrats who have called for the hand count to continue without interference. Chris Gregoire says she will accept the results of the hand count; Rossi needs to make the same promise.
Posted by jana at 12:12 PM | TrackBack
December 16, 2004
The Democrats are calling again
My vote counted! I called 296-VOTE and they assured me my vote had been counted and that my name was accidentally on the list of votes not counted in the governor race. I had to call another democrat back to tell her the news.
Later in the evening a new democrat called me. He was all set to come over to my house tonight to gather my paperwork until I told him my vote has been counted and that I had already filled out the paperwork yesterday.
I'm not sure what is happening with this race but it doesn't seem like anyone really knows what is going on. I try and watch or read the news but every story seems to be conflicting. Whatever happens it has been an exciting ride. May the blue state win.
Posted by jana at 9:32 PM | TrackBack
December 15, 2004
Democracy Update
A representative of the Democratic Party appeared at my work today. She had been working in Iowa on John Kerry's election but was summoned by Washington state democrats for the governor race crisis we are in.
She had me fill out some paperwork and then left.
Later I spoke with yet another person from the Democratic Party stating that I should call 206-296-VOTE to see if my vote has already been counted. (Yet more confusion to add to this crazy race. My vote may have been counted?) The office is closed so I will have to call tomorrow and then call another democrat to let her know the status of my vote.
This is the first time I can truly say I feel my vote counts. Dare I miss an election again.
Posted by jana at 3:44 PM | TrackBack
How may I help, Govenor Gregoire?
I've been alerted that someone from the Gregoire for Govenor campaign will be contacting me. The word is out. I'm a democrat.
Go! Fight! Win!
I am happy if I can be of service to make my state a little more blue.
Posted by jana at 8:24 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 24, 2004
The face of Fallujah
Reading Kevin Site's blog makes you feel like you are a Marine combing Falluja street by street looking for insurgents. I feel like I've finally found a face to the Iraq war. Oh, that's right, the war is over.
Posted by jana at 9:42 AM | TrackBack
November 4, 2004
Single friends: there is still hope
Here's your chance to be a Bush Bride
[via Withholding Pancakes]
Posted by jana at 8:41 PM | TrackBack
What the world needs now is simplicity
Emily sent me an article from Slate magazine that I buy a whole heck more than the "Bush won because of moral values" argument. Afterall, who has been caught snorting coke and driving drunk? Not Kerry. Who has been acting most un-christian-like with attacking Iraq? And in my opinion the Christian thing to do is to extend equal rights to all humans no matter what their sexual preference.
We need a simple president. All of America's most loved presidents were not brilliant intellectals but simple men that the general public could identify with. Think jelly beans and cheese burgers.
Here is the article...
From Slate Magazine
Simple but Effective
Why you keep losing to this idiot.
By William Saletan
12:01 a.m. PT: Sigh. I really didn't want to have to write this.
George W. Bush is going to win re-election. Yeah, the lawyers will haggle about Ohio. But this time, Democrats don't have the popular vote on their side. Bush does.
If you're a Bush supporter, this is no surprise. You love him, so why shouldn't everybody else?
But if you're dissatisfied with Bush—or if, like me, you think he's been the worst president in memory—you have a lot of explaining to do. Why don't a majority of voters agree with us? How has Bush pulled it off?
I think this is the answer: Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity.
Bush is a very simple man. You may think that makes him a bad president, as I do, but lots of people don't—and there are more of them than there are of us. If you don't believe me, take a look at those numbers on your TV screen.
Think about the simplicity of everything Bush says and does. He gives the same speech every time. His sentences are short and clear. "Government must do a few things and do them well," he says. True to his word, he has spent his political capital on a few big ideas: tax cuts, terrorism, Iraq. Even his electoral strategy tonight was powerfully simple: Win Florida, win Ohio, and nothing else matters. All those lesser states—Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Hampshire—don't matter if Bush reels in the big ones.
This is what so many people like about Bush's approach to terrorism. They forgive his marginal and not-so-marginal screw-ups, because they can see that fundamentally, he "gets it." They forgive his mismanagement of Iraq, because they see that his heart and will are in the right place. And while they may be unhappy about their economic circumstances, they don't hold that against him. What you and I see as unreflectiveness, they see as transparency. They trust him.
Now look at your candidate, John Kerry. What quality has he most lacked? Not courage—he proved that in Vietnam. Not will—he proved that in Iowa. Not brains—he proved that in the debates. What Kerry lacked was simplicity. Bush had one message; Kerry had dozens. Bush had one issue; Kerry had scores. Bush ended his sentences when you expected him to say more; Kerry went on and on, adding one prepositional phrase after another, until nobody could remember what he was talking about. Now Bush has two big states that mean everything, and Kerry has a bunch of little ones that add up to nothing.
If you're a Democrat, here's my advice. Do what the Republicans did in 1998. Get simple. Find a compelling salesman and get him ready to run for president in 2008. Put aside your quibbles about preparation, stature, expertise, nuance, and all that other hyper-sophisticated garbage that caused you to nominate Kerry. You already have legions of people with preparation, stature, expertise, and nuance ready to staff the executive branch of the federal government. You don't need one of them to be president. You just need somebody to win the White House and appoint them to his administration. And that will require all the simplicity, salesmanship, and easygoing humanity they don't have.
The good news is, that person is already available. His name is John Edwards. If you have any doubt about his electability, just read the exit polls from the 2004 Democratic primaries. If you don't think he's ready to be president—if you don't think he has the right credentials, the right gravitas, the right subtlety of thought—ask yourself whether these are the same things you find wanting in George W. Bush. Because evidently a majority of the voting population of the United States doesn't share your concern. They seem to be attracted to a candidate with a simple message, a clear focus, and a human touch. You might want to consider their views, since they're the ones who will decide whether you're sitting here again four years from now, wondering what went wrong.
In 1998 and 1999, Republicans cleared the field for George W. Bush. Members of Congress and other major officeholders threw their weight behind him to make sure he got the nomination. They united because their previous presidential nominee, a clumsy veteran senator, had gone down to defeat. They were facing eight years out of power, and they were hungry.
Do what they did. Give Edwards a job that will position him to run for president again in a couple of years. Clear the field of Hillary Clinton and any other well-meaning liberal who can't connect with people outside those islands of blue on your electoral map. Because you're going to get a simple president again next time, whether you like it or not. The only question is whether that president will be from your party or the other one.
Posted by jana at 8:41 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 22, 2004
Voter's Cheat Sheet Update
Who knew I could be so easily swayed? Within minutes Joe set me straight on a few issues.
I-872: New Primary Election System
I'm voting no. Joe made a good point that changing the system would make it more difficult for third parties to get on the ballot. The primary thing isn't that big of a deal.
I-884: Sales tax increase for education.
I'm wavering... but read Joe's blog.
Note too all friends: I am not as old and set in my ways as you may think. Feel free to challenge me on more issues if you see fit.
Posted by jana at 2:53 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
October 21, 2004
Candidate Cheat Sheet
For all of my conservative friends:
I-872: New Primary Election System
yes (but good arguments on both sides)
Background:
If you voted in the primary election in September, you may remember that you had to choose a Democrat, Republican or Libertarian ballot? It probably pissed you off…since you probably like jumping around between parties. I-872 would scrap this system and allow you to vote for people of any party in the September primary…and the top-two vote-getters (regardless of party) would advance to the general election in November. Advantage: you get to choose among any party in the primary. Disadvantage: in some cases, two members of the same party will be on the ballot in November. Another impact is that it will reduce the influence of special interest groups.
I-884: Sales tax increase for education.
Vote yes. good arguments on both sides.
This raises the sales tax by a penny and dedicates the money to education. Will raise $1 billion per year. 50% for K-12 education 40% for higher education and 10% for early childhood learning programs. All desperately need funding, and the Legislature doesn’t (and wont) have the balls to step up to the plate. We all benefit from a quality education system.
Downside: the sales tax is already high in Washington…and this would bring it up to 10% in some parts of King County. Sales tax disproportionately hits low-income people. This is a serious decision about whether we want to pay more in taxes for our education system.
I-892: Expanded non-tribal gambling.
My vote: no.
Allows existing non-tribal gambling establishments (like Wizards….but also places that have pull-tabs like bars and bowling alleys) to have a limited number of psudo-slot machines (like they have at the Muckleshoot). The money raised by taxing the expanded gambling will be used to lower your property tax. (about $30 per $100,000 of value in your house, so it’s a pretty small reduction).
If you like expanded gambling, vote yes. If you don’t, vote no.
One concern to consider: I-892 takes away the ability of cities like Burien to make their own decisions about the types of gambling to allow. Right now, Burien could choose to allow card-rooms, but not full-on casino’s like Wizards. If I-892 passes, Burien will either have to allow the slots OR no gambling at all. All or nothing. So, local control is reduced. Not a huge deal, but something to think about.
R-55: Public Charter Schools.
My vote: no
This is a public vote on a bill that was passed by the legislature. This charter school proposal is different than the ones in the past.
- limited to 5 per year
- part of the public school system (i.e. open to all students--a lottery system will be used if more students are interested)
- cannot be religious
- teachers can join unions
- does not take money out of the public school system, because they ARE public schools. (note that the opposition always says that they will take money away from “existing” public schools.) If your kid moves from Gregory Heights Elementary to Seahurst Elementary, the state dollars follow the student. Same thing here. If you decided to move your kid from Gregory Heights to a new public charter school, the state dollars will follow. The levy dollars will NOT follow.)
I figure that these few schools might provide some opportunities for kids who aren’t succeeding in the current school environment. It is just another option for parents.
Quite frankly, I think this issue is much ado about nothing. It’s not going to solve our education challenges, nor is it going to do any serious harm. The neutral explanatory statement in the voters pamphlet walks through the details, and is worth reading carefully if you have mixed-feelings.
I-297: Hanford cleanup
Vote yes. Good little environmental issue—broadly supported.
President: John Kerry (of course)
US Senate: Patty Murray. She may not impress some of you, but her views on issues (the environment, civil rights, reproductive choice, children’s issues, etc.) are much more mainstream than her opponent. She also is getting some seniority and can bring home some serious pork$$ for WA.
Governor: Christine Gregoire. Love her or hate her, I promise you she will be better than Dino Rossi. He is ultra-conservative (for example, he believes in teaching creationism in the schools) and he lacks depth. He is a slick salesman, well-spoken, charming, but not much underneath.
Lt. Governor: The Libertarian candidate, Jocelyn Langlois, has pledged to abolish the office of Lt. Governor. Not a bad idea.
Secretary of State: Laura Ruderman. She’s young (30s). She’s a woman.
State Treasurer: Mike Murphy. He’s the current State Treasurer. a stuffy old blah guy, but I think he’s the only remotely-qualified candidate. Even you Republicans might want to vote for him.
State Auditor: Brian Sonntag. (ditto)
Insurance Commissioner: Mike Kreidler (ditto)
Commissioner of Public Lands: Mike Cooper. CRITICAL RACE. He’s definitely the environmental choice!
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Teresa (Tery) Bergeson. She's extremely bright, committed, and with a realistic and solid perspective of where we are going in this state in terms of our public schools.
Supreme Court Position 1: Mary Kay Becker – CRITICAL RACE (her opponent is dangerous for the court and our state)
Supreme Court Position 6: Terry Sebring. His opponent is a sitting judge who has sometimes has some appealing libertarian views, but who unfortunately has extreme religious-right values.
King County Superior Court Position 23: Andrea Darvas – CRITICAL RACE. She was rated “outstanding” by the non-partisan Municipal League. She’s great!!
Superior Court Position 42: Both are qualified—can’t go wrong. My vote is for Catherine Moore.
King County Charter Amendment 1A & 1B: They sound appealing, but I’d vote NO. If you want accountable and accessible government, you shouldn’t have elected officials representing so many constituents. 1B is the best choice over 1A.
King County Advisory Measures: these are weird because they are non-binding. Basically, the King County Council is just asking you your opinion. Do you want to fund certain transportation projects (you can read the list)? If so, how should we pay for it? I’d take the time to read the measures and give it some thought. I voted yes on the first, and then chose “excise tax on the value of motor vehicles," although “local gas tax” is a good option too.
Posted by jana at 9:46 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
January 19, 2004
Michael Moore endorses Clark
I never thought I would be swayed by celebrity endorsement. Who cares who Alec Baldwin is voting for? But then a friend emailed me a well written letter from Michael Moore saying why he endorses Clark for the Democratic presidential nominee and well, I swayed.
I'm posting the letter as an extended entry for anyone who hasn't read it and would like to do so.
The letter:
I’ll Be Voting For Wesley Clark / Good-Bye Mr. Bush — by Michael Moore
January 14, 2004
Many of you have written to me in the past months asking, "Who are you going to vote for this year?"
I have decided to cast my vote in the primary for Wesley Clark. That's right, a peacenik is voting for a general. What a country!
I believe that Wesley Clark will end this war. He will make the rich pay their fair share of taxes. He will stand up for the rights of women, African Americans, and the working people of this country.
And he will cream George W. Bush.
I have met Clark and spoken to him on a number of occasions, feeling him out on the issues but, more importantly, getting a sense of him as a human being. And I have to tell you I have found him to be the real deal, someone whom I'm convinced all of you would like, both as a person and as the individual leading this country. He is an honest, decent, honorable man who would be a breath of fresh air in the White House. He is clearly not a professional politician. He is clearly not from Park Avenue. And he is clearly the absolute best hope we have of defeating George W. Bush.
This is not to say the other candidates won't be able to beat Bush, and I will work enthusiastically for any of the non-Lieberman 8 who might get the nomination. But I must tell you, after completing my recent 43-city tour of this country, I came to the conclusion that Clark has the best chance of beating Bush. He is going to inspire the independents and the undecided to come our way. The hard core (like us) already have their minds made up. It's the fence sitters who will decide this election.
The decision in November is going to come down to 15 states and just a few percentage points. So, I had to ask myself -- and I want you to honestly ask yourselves -- who has the BEST chance of winning Florida, West Virginia, Arizona, Nevada, Missouri, Ohio? Because THAT is the only thing that is going to matter in the end. You know the answer -- and it ain't you or me or our good internet doctor.
This is not about voting for who is more anti-war or who was anti-war first or who the media has already anointed. It is about backing a candidate that shares our values AND can communicate them to Middle America. I am convinced that the surest slam dunk to remove Bush is with a four-star-general-top-of-his-class-at-West-Point-Rhodes-Scholar-Medal-of-Freedom-winning-gun-owner-from-the-South -- who also, by chance, happens to be pro-choice, pro environment, and anti-war. You don't get handed a gift like this very often. I hope the liberal/left is wise enough to accept it. It's hard, when you're so used to losing, to think that this time you can actually win. It is Clark who stands the best chance -- maybe the only chance -- to win those Southern and Midwestern states that we MUST win in order to accomplish Bush Removal. And if what I have just said is true, then we have no choice but to get behind the one who can make this happen.
There are times to vote to make a statement, there are times to vote for the underdog and there are times to vote to save the country from catastrophe. This time we can and must do all three. I still believe that each one of us must vote his or her heart and conscience. If we fail to do that, we will continue to be stuck with spineless politicians who stand for nothing and no one (except those who write them the biggest checks).
My vote for Clark is one of conscience. I feel so strongly about this that I'm going to devote the next few weeks of my life to do everything I can to help Wesley Clark win. I would love it if you would join me on this mission.
Here are just a few of the reasons why I feel this way about Wes Clark:
1. Clark has committed to ensuring that every family of four who makes under $50,000 a year pays NO federal income tax. None. Zip. This is the most incredible helping hand offered by a major party presidential candidate to the working class and the working poor in my lifetime. He will make up the difference by socking it to the rich with a 5% tax increase on anything they make over a million bucks. He will make sure corporations pay ALL of the taxes they should be paying. Clark has fired a broadside at greed. When the New York Times last week wrote that Wes Clark has been “positioning himself slightly to Dean’s left," this is what they meant, and it sure sounded good to me.
2. He is 100% opposed to the draft. If you are 18-25 years old and reading this right now, I have news for you -- if Bush wins, he's going to bring back the draft. He will be forced to. Because, thanks to his crazy war, recruitment is going to be at an all-time low. And many of the troops stuck over there are NOT going to re-enlist. The only way Bush is going to be able to staff the military is to draft you and your friends. Parents, make no mistake about it -- Bush's second term will see your sons taken from you and sent to fight wars for the oily rich. Only an ex-general who knows first-hand that a draft is a sure-fire way to wreck an army will be able to avert the inevitable.
3. He is anti-war. Have you heard his latest attacks on Bush over the Iraq War? They are stunning and brilliant. I want to see him on that stage in a debate with Bush -- the General vs. the Deserter! General Clark told me that it's people like him who are truly anti-war because it's people like him who have to die if there is a war. "War must be the absolute last resort," he told me. "Once you've seen young people die, you never want to see that again, and you want to avoid it whenever and wherever possible." I believe him. And my ex-Army relatives believe him, too. It's their votes we need.
4. He walks the walk. On issues like racism, he just doesn't mouth liberal platitudes -- he does something about it. On his own volition, he joined in and filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of the University of Michigan's case in favor of affirmative action. He spoke about his own insistence on affirmative action in the Army and how giving a hand to those who have traditionally been shut out has made our society a better place. He didn't have to get involved in that struggle. He's a middle-aged white guy -- affirmative action personally does him no good. But that is not the way he thinks. He grew up in Little Rock, one of the birthplaces of the civil rights movement, and he knows that African Americans still occupy the lowest rungs of the ladder in a country where everyone is supposed to have "a chance." That is why he has been endorsed by one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Charlie Rangel
5. On the issue of gun control, this hunter and gun owner will close the gun show loophole (which would have helped prevent the massacre at Columbine) and he will sign into law a bill to create a federal ballistics fingerprinting database for every gun in America (the DC sniper, who bought his rifle in his own name, would have been identified after the FIRST day of his killing spree). He is not afraid, as many Democrats are, of the NRA. His message to them: "You like to fire assault weapons? I have a place for you. It's not in the homes and streets of America. It's called the Army, and you can join any time!"
6. He will gut and overhaul the Patriot Act and restore our constitutional rights to privacy and free speech. He will demand stronger environmental laws. He will insist that trade agreements do not cost Americans their jobs and do not exploit the workers or environment of third world countries. He will expand the Family Leave Act. He will guarantee universal pre-school throughout America. He opposes all discrimination against gays and lesbians (and he opposes the constitutional amendment outlawing gay marriage). All of this is why Time magazine this week referred to Clark as "Dean 2.0" -- an improvement over the original (1.0, Dean himself), a better version of a good thing: stronger, faster, and easier for the mainstream to understand and use.
7. He will cut the Pentagon budget, use the money thus saved for education and health care, and he will STILL make us safer than we are now. Only the former commander of NATO could get away with such a statement. Dean says he will not cut a dime out of the Pentagon. Clark knows where the waste and the boondoggles are and he knows that nutty ideas like Star Wars must be put to pasture. His health plan will cover at least 30 million people who now have no coverage at all, including 13 million children. He's a general who will tell those swing voters, "We can take this Pentagon waste and put it to good use to fix that school in your neighborhood." My friends, those words, coming from the mouth of General Clark, are going to turn this country around.
Now, before those of you who are Dean or Kucinich supporters start cloggin' my box with emails tearing Clark down with some of the stuff I've seen floating around the web ("Mike! He voted for Reagan! He bombed Kosovo!"), let me respond by pointing out that Dennis Kucinich refused to vote against the war resolution in Congress on March 21 (two days after the war started) which stated "unequivocal support" for Bush and the war (only 11 Democrats voted against this--Dennis abstained
Why expend energy on the past when we have such grave danger facing us in the present and in the near future? I don't feel bad nor do I care that Clark -- or anyone -- voted for Reagan over 20 years ago. Let's face it, the vast majority of Americans voted for Reagan -- and I want every single one of them to be WELCOMED into our tent this year. The message to these voters -- and many of them are from the working class -- should not be, "You voted for Reagan? Well, to hell with you!" Every time you attack Clark for that, that is the message you are sending to all the people who at one time liked Reagan. If they have now changed their minds (just as Kucinich has done by going from anti-choice to pro-choice, and Dean has done by wanting to cut Medicare to now not wanting to cut it) – and if Clark has become a liberal Democrat, is that not something to cheer?
In fact, having made that political journey and metamorphosis, is he not the best candidate to bring millions of other former Reagan supporters to our side -- blue collar people who have now learned the hard way just how bad Reagan and the Republicans were (and are) for them?
We need to take that big DO NOT ENTER sign off our tent and reach out to the vast majority who have been snookered by these right-wingers. And we have a better chance of winning in November with one of their own leading them to the promised land.
There is much more to discuss and, in the days and weeks ahead, I will continue to send you my thoughts. In the coming months, I will also be initiating a number of efforts on my website to make sure we get out the vote for the Democratic nominee in November.
In addition to voting for Wesley Clark, I will also be spending part of my Bush tax cut to help him out. You can join me, if you like, by going to his website to learn more about him
I strongly urge you to vote for Wes Clark. Let's join together to ensure that we are putting forth our BEST chance to defeat Bush on the November ballot. It is, at this point, for the sake of the world, a moral imperative.
Yours,
Michael Moore
www.michaelmoore.com
mmflint@aol.com
Posted by jana at 3:26 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack