Political musings

Haven't been motivated to do any political blogging lately. After the huge dramas of the 2008 year elections, a number of bloggers just stopped blogging, Or have scaled way back in output. I know I have been unable to summon the energy for it. After years of outrage and constant shock and horror emanating from the Bush regime's actions, it feels good to not tune in to every damn talk show on MSNBC. Haven't watched the Daily Show or Colbert in months.

Even my Google Reader has been neglected. Piles of posts to catch up on all my favorite blogs. Summer approaches. I want to think about the garden and the new puppy, not torture and Republican posturing. But the morning radio manages to keep me updated on the latest political goings on.

Obama's got a lot of work ahead of him. Too bad he's really not the socialist the right wing parrots proclaim he is. They use that word -- socialist -- to mask their fear of equal health care for all. In their world, it is mandatory that every fetus must proceed to birth, but after that, it's every person for him or herself. Oh too bad you got cancer and could no longer work so no more affordable health care for you. I ask myself why I live in a country where people are forced to go into massive debt and lose their homes because of medical bills.

I might as well ask why I live in a country where government officials think it is OK to waterboard someone 183 times. The release of the torture memos brings images to mind of Condi Rice sitting at her desk with a pile of documents detailing the parameters for "legal" torture. She was all into it, as were Rummy, Cheney and the rest of Bush's handler's. Not pleasant to think about as we go through the annual Holocaust remembrances.

Obama's American Rhapsody

What with all the fist-thumping alpha male posturing going on in the campaigns today, I feel a need for comedy. I saw this video on MSNBC earlier this week. It still only has a few thousand hits on YouTube, so I'm helping to make it go viral. This video was created by a comedy troupe in Washington, D.C. called the Alliterates. Their web page hasn't been updated since the creation of this video. Hope they are still together and that they consider adapting this video for the general election:

Review: And His Lovely Wife by Connie Schultz

And His Lovely Wife by Connie Schultz is a book to gallop through and enjoy every moment, knowing that you are sure to pass the book along to your mom or your best friend -- all the while encouraging everybody you know to pick it up and read it.

I say "gallop" because the pace of the book follows the 2006 race for senate in our state of Ohio. And what an amazing race it was! I thought Sherrod Brown had no chance -- a progressive up against incumbent Mike DeWine in the Bush-voting state of Ohio? Nevertheless, I chose this race to not only follow but also join in the fun of parades, events, calling (ever so briefly) and canvassing. I didn't have a whole lot of time to give, but was happy to join in the cause -- against the dark forces of greed and corruption infesting government at most every level.

Connie Schultz gives us tales from inside the campaign trail through clear eyes that take pride in her husband's successes but refuse to relinquish their own point of view. She finds herself in a role she never expected to play -- that of "the lovely wife" at the side of the "honorable congressman" campaigning to become "distinguished senator from the state of Ohio."

She puts to rest the overblown issues concerning Paul Hackett and the Democratic primary. It was her hesitation regarding Sherrod's run for senate that caused a delay in his declaring. To this day, there are devoted internet Hackett fans who pile on Sherrod for jumping into the race. I say thank dog he did, because frankly Hackett needs some seasoning and resume building before I vote him into a high office.

This is a highly personal memoir that takes us into the mind of a writer, and an avowed feminist, who must grapple with what she can or cannot write about in her column once her husband has declared his candidacy. Suddenly, there is a huge shift in perception and relationship with her editors and co-workers. She must come to terms with stepping away from her professional career in order to further Sherrod Brown's.

Connie Schultz had just gone through some of the most amazing years of her life in which she won the Pulitzer Prize and then fell in love with and married Sherrod Brown. Both had been divorced and living as single parents for many years. Both had established themselves in careers that were fueled by their passions for justice and social compassion. This would appear to be a major merge for both players! One in which two very strong minds and voices for working people join forces for love and for the common good of all! If this were pitched as a movie, would anyone think it possible?

Along the campaign trail, Connie hears stories from Ohio citizens about the poverty in their lives, the lack of good paying jobs and decent health care and reflects upon her decision to take a leave of absence from the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

I realized I was starting to feel more certain about my decision to take a leave from writing my column to work in the campaign, in part because I was still doing what I did best: listening to other people's stories, and then sharing them with the world at large. Instead of writing about them, I was giving speeches, but the goal was the same. I wanted to reach that place in people that makes them shake their head and say, "This has got to change."

Among the day to day decisions, we learn about hair cuts and wardrobe demands as well as how to select a highly intelligent and first rate campaign staff. This is a lesson in how to do it right -- and just what that means to the individual players at the heart of the it. Connie says that from the beginning

Sherrod would run as an unapologetic progressive. No tiptoeing to the middle of the road, no caving to consultants who wanted to remake him into what Sherrod called "Republican Lite." His message, not polls, would drive his campaign, Sherrod was going to take to the voters his fight for the working men and women of Ohio.

As the campaign heats up, we feel the pace quicken, the days lengthen to impossibly long hours spent driving in cars, speaking to group after group, and the constant dialing for dollars. Sherrod Brown averaged 201 fundraising calls per week from March 1st through November 5th, during which time his campaign gook in over $7 million dollars. Connie doesn't share just who Sherrod was calling, but you can get an overview here. You can see that it was individual contributions that fueled the campaign. (Note of personal transparency: I donated a small amount of money for this race.) The PAC money was more or less evenly distributed among single-issue, business and labor groups. Even so, what a waste of time and money. And all for those 60 second television spots.

Speaking of those spots, Connie gives us the inside scoop as to just how important it was for the Brown campaign to be pro-active and on top of things. Every time the DeWine attack ads came out, the Brown campaign was ready to return the volley. The more the DeWine campaign fell behind, the more desperate their attacks until eventually the pathetic "bananajuana" accusations were all the gasping Republican effort could muster.

Working on the campaign in Akron, I had no doubt this city would be voting for Sherrod. The question was always -- what about the folks in rural and more conservative counties? By sticking to his progressive viewpoint and championing the the over-taxed and under-served working and middle-class citizens, Sherrod Brown's campaign not only resonated with the voters both urban and rural, it got people excited enough to think our vote might make a difference after all.

After 16 years of Republican dominance and give-aways to wealthy individuals and corporations, the hive that is called Ohio is facing imminent collapse. A stagnant economy, polluted air and toxic landfills littering the once rolling farmlands. Ohio cities struggle to remain relevant to civilization. Schools are mandated to do the impossible with impossibly limited funding. And all around us, the effects of global warming etch themselves onto the landscapes guaranteeing a future less happy and healthy for the generations to follow.

Good luck fixing all that Sherrod! I'm not being cynical, really. It is simply obvious that we need more people like you, those who take the role of "public servant" seriously in order to make real change happen. I only hope that every progressive considering running for office reads Connie's book way ahead of time. It is a primer in staying focused, listening to the voters and responding with clear statements and practical solutions. It is a call to everybody who is working for change to not let the momentum falter as we face 2008. To make progress we need more progressives in office!

Connie Schultz is now back at the Plain Dealer, her stories appear twice a week and are now reaching a much wider audience via Creators Syndicate. She is smart, funny and never at a loss for words! This is Connie's second book, the first (highly recommended) was called Life Happens: And Other Unavoidable Truths. Sherrod Brown has also written two books:

• Congress from the Inside: Observations from the Majority and the Minority
  
• Myths of Free Trade: Why American Trade Policy Has Failed

...neither of which I've read. So I did a quick search at ABEbooks.com and found both of them for a reasonable price. More books to add to my summer reading pile!

EBay CEO supports Mitt Romney

In today's ABJ, I found this little item buried deep inside:

EBay chief executive to speak for Romney

CLEVELAND: Meg Whitman, chief executive officer of eBay, will visit The Union Club, 1211 Euclid Ave., on Monday to support a fundraiser for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Whitman will be available for a roundtable discussion at 6 p.m. and deliver remarks at a general reception at 6:30.

The cost is $500 for the roundtable and general reception, or $250 for the general reception.

Eww. I use Ebay quite a bit. Now every time I go there, I'm going to be thinking about Mitt Romney. Drat!

Waiting for Gonzalot

Bush accuses the Democrats of political theatre:

"I stand by Al Gonzales, and I would hope that people would be more sober in how they address these important issues," Bush said. "And they ought to get the job done of passing legislation, as opposed to figuring out how to be actors on the political theater stage."

Bush, of course, is not an actor on the political theatre stage. The Decider would be director, but unfortunately, he seems to have a problem with asking his ensemble players to make an exit. Must be the script. None of the endings authored by Dick Cheney have worked out. The theatre is over two thirds empty and the show won't end.

Akron votes No on tax increase

By a two to one margin. Our mayor says he has never seen the voters so angry.

Uh yeah. I'm so angry, I started voting again after decades of denying politicians the right to represent my best interests. And those were happy times, I tell you! My stress levels and blood pressure were much lower in those days of non-participation in the political process.
"Voting only encourages them," I used to tell my politically-inclined pals.

Look what it did to George Bush. He took his stolen election as a mandate to fill every corridor and cubicle of government with stooges and lackeys ready to give the military-industrial-corporate complex everything its stockholders want.

I'll be honest and admit that one of the reasons I stopped voting was that anyone I ever cared about as a politician not only lost, they were crushed. I signed up to vote again in 2004 and voted for Kucinich in the primary. Was not thrilled with Kerry, but thought maybe he could pull it off and stop the right-wing war-mongers from killing more people. What do you do when you vote your conscience but the bad guys keep winning?

I decided to try again in 2006. Much to my amazement, Sherrod Brown, the candidate I chose to actively support, won his race for Senator from Ohio. I called his office today and asked the gentleman who answered the phone to tell Sherrod to keep working to end the war in Iraq. I know he can't do it single-handedly, but I wanted him to know that taking that stand continues to be the most important thing he can do right now. Don't give into peer pressure from Democrats who don't want to continue the pressure. So the president has the veto power -- make him keep using it so that he is constantly on display as a stubborn fool who will not admit he cannot "win" in Iraq.

So yes, Mayor. I am an angry voter. The money the federal government takes from me is being used in ways that are completely against everything I stand for. All those billions wasted on war could correct a lot of sewer overflow problems in this city and beyond.

Mike Gravel for President

Gotta make me a new bumper sticker! Finally a straight out left wing idealist candidate! Mike Gravel rocked the debate tonight. I checked out his entry in Wikipedia and was pleased to see some of the great actions he took during the Vietnam War, including putting the Pentagon Papers into the public record and ending the draft. I am especially interested in the work he's done on the concept of direct democracy.

I reached the main page of his web site but cannot click on to either his "contribute" button or his "get involved" button as they are receiving too many connection attempts! Looks like I'm not the only one who found his stance worthy of support. Good going in the debate, Mike! When I can snag a banner from your site, I'll post it here. Until then, here's Youtube:

The Decider will keep Gonzales

Funny how that works. The Decider has the final word, kind of like a king back when the king's word ruled over all. Gonzales gave a stellar performance before the judiciary committee --not recalling answers to questions over 70 times.

The American form of government doesn't seem so incredibly wonderful these days. I'd much rather have a parliamentary system in which the ruling brand of government can be brought down by a "lack of confidence" and replaced by a different flavor.

Instead, we must wait until 2008 until the Shrub and his minions can be sent packing. Meanwhile, the globe keeps heating up and the US forces must blast Iraq to bits whether they know it is the right thing to do or not. That's a lot of carbon released into the air over Baghdad and surrounding provinces. Not to mention all the lives and limbs lost, communities shattered beyond repair, and billions ending up in Halliburton's off shore accounts.

I wish I had some brilliant solution other than my usual response -- send for the men with the straight jacket. But instead, we will watch the political maneuvering as parties play the avoiding the blame game. I'd like to see the Democrats stand up for what is right instead of caving. Let the president keep vetoing and vetoing. At least he is then on the record and will bear the blame as long as there are humans around who pay attention to history.

Hillary, Nancy and all the rest

I received an emailed letter from Hillary, thanking me for my support. I didn't send any money and I haven't done any campaigning, but I did once write about her here. I submitted that post to Hillary's site as they were asking for blog entries. It didn't get posted, probably because it wasn't a ringing endorsement. However it did get me on her email list and I've received a lot of interesting email from the likes of Geraldine Ferraro, Madeline Albright, Jim Carville, Tom Vilsack and of course Bill Clinton.

I am ambivalent about Ms Clinton, as I am about all the candidates. This week's announcements of campaign fund-raising totals for the first quarter sickened me. All those millions to gallop around the country, burning up fossil fuel and wasting paper and taking up commercial time on television! It is no surprise, I must admit, that electioneering in this country is as wasteful and excessive as its citizens.

Another politician burning up jet fuel this week is Nancy Pelosi -- but I'm not upset by her actions. In fact, I rather wish she were running instead of Hillary. Pelosi cuts to the chase and is action oriented. I suppose I may eventually be deeply disappointed by her, as one is by all politicians eventually, but for now I'm liking that she is going to Syria to do something the Bush regime will never do: talk, listen, try to find openings for peaceful solutions.

Hillary wants us to sign a petition to Mr Bush asking him not to veto the current bill that would tie a pull out to spending:

Dear Village, Thank you for your tremendous support over the past weeks. Saturday's deadline marked the end of the first phase of the campaign, and you made sure it was an unqualified success. Two months ago, I said I was in it to win it, and the conversations we've been having online and around the country have convinced me more than ever that I've made the right decision. This country needs change, and it's going to take experienced leadership to make that change happen. Together, we can accomplish great things. We can end the war in Iraq. We can achieve universal health care coverage. We can commit to energy independence. We can restore America's rightful place on the world stage. Working together, we'll get our country back on track. It's going to be a long journey with a lot of hard work, but I can't think of anything more important. So let's get back to work. I need your help right now on an important issue. Last week we passed historic legislation in the Senate that calls for a phased redeployment for our troops in Iraq while ensuring they have the support they need. It's an important first step in ending the war in Iraq. But President Bush has threatened to veto the bill. The American people have had enough of the president's failed strategy in Iraq. Join me today. Tell President Bush to listen to the will of the people and withdraw his veto threat. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/iraq Again, thank you so much for the tremendous support you have shown during this campaign. You've exceeded everyone's expectations, and I know I couldn't do this without you. Sincerely,

Do you think it will do any good?

Bush puts on his best Nixonian tones

From NYT:

“We will not go along with a partisan fishing expedition aimed at honorable public servants,” Mr. Bush said, vowing to fight any attempt by Congress to subpoena his top political adviser, Karl Rove; the former White House counsel Harriet E. Miers and others."

I tried to find a video clip of this statement. The delivery was so school yard, so taunting and more -- it was kingly. That royal "we" and the protective master's arm around his loyal public servants. How dare the commoners question those servants under oath?

Bush is charging down that old Nixonian road to Executive Privilege. He's got to keep Gonzalez as AG who will uphold the position. And hoping for a slam dunk in the Supreme Court. Dig out your Tricky Dick masks, boys and girls.

Happy Anniversary -- Not! Four years in Iraq and still counting

Four long bloody pointless years in Iraq, with "leaders" as dumb and hard-headed as rocks. The NO IRAQ WAR window sticker in my vehicle, hand-made and placed there in the lead-up to the Petroleum War, is fading and sad. Rather like my hopes that our elected officials will do anything other than wring their hands and say "we can't" and point to the other side and blame each other.

Moveon.org sent me an email asking me to tell the Democrats in Congress what to do because they don't know.

I think the Dems do know what to do but they can't because they don't have a veto proof majority. The fate of Iraq really lies in the hands of the Republican minority in the senate. The question becomes how long they back up their Decider. Having been programmed in talking points for seven long years, is there any chance the Pubs might decide for themselves and their constituents.

Clearly the anti-war pressure has to be turned on the senators who resist. Anybody know if any of the groups are focusing on this as a project? Here's a Wikipedia list of a whole bunch of anti-Iraq war groups. The photo above is from a group called Voices for Creative Nonviolence. I like their name but know nothing about them. You can visit them here.

Meanwhile, what the Democrats are doing is keeping the pressure on in various ways. I'd like to see a little less harping at each other about differences in tactics and more shoving it in the faces of the Pubs. After all, there are new hearings to be opened every week, so it seems. Thanks to the Pubs who are lifting up their own slimy stones and showing us the dirt in new and different ways each day.

The Growing Gonzales Scandal

I had to stop everything tonight to take in the growing scandal with Attorney General Gonzales and the fired federal prosecutors. Keith Olberman had some excellent commentary tonight and there's some good blog reading over at TPMmuckraker.

Have we finally uncovered incontrovertible evidence of corrupt behavior that can be traced deep into the command center of the White House? I want to be glued to the tube night after night as the sordid tale unfolds. I want to grow fascinated by underlings who reveal matters of great import.

The Watergate Scandal held me like none has since. All the pale imitation "Gates" that were attached to lesser acts of purported wrong-doing never equalled that amazing journey toward the fall of the house of Nixon, brought to us by the dedicated digging of Woodward and Bernstein.

There are many trails to follow in the current story. I'm fascinated at the involvement of Harriet Meirs. Is this why she was proposed for Supreme Court? And then there was the change slipped into the Patriot Act, permanently taking away congressional approval of federal attorney appointments.

I hope that tomorrow this scandal has grown big strong legs that look to carry the whole lot of them toward permanent ouster. Can the FoxRovian spinners and dodgers get out of this one?

Sleeping Through the Libby Verdict

Well not through the actual verdict as I was at work when it came down, but I did nod off in the middle of the MSNBC post mortem tonight. I heard a lot of words but I don't know that I've heard or read the definitive version of what really happened other than Libby is the fall guy and sure to get pardoned before Bush leaves office.

Questions I'd like answered:

Why didn't Armitage get charged with anything?

What would it take to nail Cheney and Rove as the perpetrators in the Plame outing?

And why do I have a sinking feeling that this entire sordid affair will have no effect on the way things operate in the current White House?

Women lag behind in state politics

In an AP story by Julie Carr Smyth, the dwindling numbers of women in state legislatures across the nation are examined and various reasons given for the decline:

Fewer than a quarter of state lawmakers across America are female, and the share has changed little in about a decade. Despite a slight gain in the overall percentage this year - to 23.5 percent, or 1,734 of 7,382 seats - the numbers are slipping in many legislatures.

Women lost ground in 20 of 50 Statehouses following the November election. This year, 17.4 percent of the Ohio Legislature is female, down from 18.4 percent in 2006. That's 23 of 132 lawmakers, down from 24 the year before.

According to the article, in 1971 the percentage of women in state offices was a paltry 4.5%. I guess we should be jumping up and down for joy that we've almost managed to get close to 25% in 30 some years.

Reasons for the current decline are that given:

1. Women are consensus builders and are not attracted to the current political style of swift boating.

2. Lingering stereotypes, especially in the south, of women as the ones who stay at home dissuade women from seeking office.

3. The burden of raising a family while participating in politics is something that men can hand off to their wives very easily -- not so for women. Hence men can get a great head start in their political careers while women often don't begin running for office until after their children are out of the home.

Not examined in the article was the difficulty in raising money to run for office. Could Hillary raise as much as she has if she hadn't been married to Bill? Emily's List has been pivotal in providing support for women candidates since the 80s.

Like Hillary Clinton, Emily's List is often vilified in the press. Uppity women still are not accepted, let alone liked in this society. It would seem that the great unspoken reason for the continuing marginalization of women in politics is still a deeply rooted sexism that doesn't trust ideas like consensus, negotiation and collaboration.

Certainly government could use a huge dose of consensus-building instead of the macho posturing and the drawing of lines in the sand and daring the opponent to cross them.

Smyth closes her article by referencing the rise of Nancy Pelosi, who is modeling effective leadership skills that hopefully will inspire the younger generations of women to get out there and campaign for office.

I'd like to see more Dead-Enders get involved and running for office. A Dead-Ender is what I call myself -- a woman or man who chooses not to reproduce and pass along our genetic material. We need a lot more Dead-Enders on this planet to have any kind of effect on stabilizing global population. Dead-Enders have more time to give to social and political movements -- though how many atheist Dead-Enders could make a run for office is another issue entirely.

Cap out, begging

The Mayor made his case for a tax increase to the city council. He has turned mayoring Akron into a career. City Council are all Democrats. Only one voted against putting the tax increase on the ballot. Akronites live in a Democratic stronghold, or perhaps stranglehold. Certainly we are feeling the squeeze. The new tax is for more cops and to attract business, with some money for infrastructure fixing and Community Learning Center funds as well. I wonder how much programming 1 million per year will bring our citizens at the CLCs?

I'm hearing that the Akron Civic Theatre (pictured here at Canal level) is bankrupt again. Who's bright idea was it have the same guy book both the Civic and EJ Thomas? All the best stuff went to EJ and the Civic got dance recitals, wedding receptions with the occasional Wurlitzer organ concert. There hasn't been anything at the Civic that I've wanted to see since I don't know when.

Meanwhile, I've heard nothing on the Highland Movie Theatre situation since attending that community meeting. Are we watching the death throes of art and culture here in Akron?

If you feel like wallowing in more Ohio gloom, read Pho's account of how the new Bush budget will make matters even worse. When you look at the list of cuts, you'll immediately notice that women and children are the big losers. Kids lose out in every way -- less money for education, Headstart, children's health care and having a warm house during the winter season.

Sure hope my union negotiates enough of a raise to cover the tax increases.

Atheists poll at the bottom -- we are the scum of the earth

A new Gallup poll indicates the present levels of prejudice in our society toward various groups of people. The polls ask simply, would you vote for a woman, black person and so on. Here are the results:

Black 94%
Jewish 92%
A woman 88%
Hispanic 87%
Mormon 72%
Married for third time 67%
72 years of age 57%
A homosexual 55%
An atheist 45%

I'd like to thank 55% of American society for your complete and utter disdain.

Granted the entire premise is so very silly. Why should anyone not be considered simply because they reside in any of the above categories?

It's also chilling that 12% of the populace are pro-patriarchy.

On the other hand, the 94% who would vote for a Black show us that social progress is moving us forward with decreasing numbers of troglodytes screaming in protest. Even homosexuals now have majority support as possible presidential candidates. It all looks good unless you are looking through the eyes of the atheist. We still must bear the scorn, the condemnations to hell, the cold steady chill from those who don't care to associate with the devil's spawn.

I wouldn't really care about what people think, except -- in this case, it means that I am excluded from participating in the political process as a candidate. How much money do you think an openly atheistic candidate would raise? And most likely, candidates that I do support aren't going to be overjoyed if I show up at an event wearing a button that says "Atheist for So and So." I really thought about making one last summer that said "Atheist for Sherrod Brown." But I wanted him to win, so I didn't.

Jon Stewart and Dick Cheney

I found this via Huffpost. First time I've tried using Comedy Central's video embed code. This clip shows the master political satirist at work on the always creepy vice president.

No Iraq War

Bush gives us the one finger salute one more time. (For a look at the time he did it as governor of Texas, go here.)

At about 8:55 I turned the TV to mute and went upstairs for a long hot soak in the tub. I let go of the stresses and strains of the day and relaxed while a U$ president got on the air to tell us what everybody else knew he was going to say.

Just say No to "non-binding resolutions!" Stand up to the Big Bully!

Earlier tonight I was watching the House of Representatives on C-Span. It is an odd site to see the empty seats and just a few scattered reps there to get their on-camera moments to be inserted in the record. Wouldn't you love to see the rest of them? Why can't we? We pay them. They should be on-camera from the moment they clock in til the end of their congressional and senate days. It should be more like Big Brother -- that's it! Congressional Reality TV!

Nix on bathroom cams, however. Ewww. But a camera trained on the outside restroom door might get us some interesting footage. Who goes in there for an off-cam caucus and how long do they stay hidden! It would certainly highlight the gender gaps in both houses.

You see I'd rather think about anything tonight than what is going down in Washington, but I'm afraid I can't. The president is either mad or in complete and utter denial. What does the Constitution have to say about this situation?

Meanwhile as our duly elected representatives debate whether they have the nerve to stand up to this unintelligent and deluded person who is determined to see more deaths rather than face up to his mess.

What the hell are we doing anyway, blasting a country and people into bits? The planet is burning up and Bush wants to make it burn faster. Somebody -- please -- put on the brakes. Bring it to a halt.

No Iraq War.

Celebrating the new senator from Ohio

Hundreds of Sherrod Brown campaign volunteers boarded buses to DC in the early hours of January 3rd. Lots of long hours spent at events and parades, on phone banks and hoofing a canvass from house to house -- all with this impossible goal -- to elect an avowedly progressive Democrat as Senator of Ohio. The buses left from Lorain, Bedford, Mansfield and Columbus. I met lots of folks from Mansfield, which is where Sherrod grew up. Emily Brown, Sherrod's mom, rode on one of the volunteer buses from Mansfield! She wanted to ride down with the people --nothing fancy for her!

The folks I met on the bus and at the Sherrod Brown events were proud of their work and excited by all the possibilities that change can bring. There were young kids, older kids, college students, family groups, gay and straight couples as well as some odd birds like yours truly -- earnestly talking about all the important issues of the day. We talked Iraq and we talked economy. We talked about health care and how many Americans are worked to stress-related death.

Thursday evening found us all gathered outside the ballroom, waiting for the doors to open. Sherrod and Connie arrived and shortly thereafter, Ted Kennedy rode down the escalater and strode into the crowd! Everybody swarmed around him, digital cameras flashing from every angle. Here's the best of my shots. Unfortunately, the batteries were low and I had left replacements up on the 9th floor -- drat! Anyway, Ted couldn't stay as he had to go to his son's party but he was there to give his support to Sherrod, who is on Ted's senate committee. Health, Education, Labor and Pensions -- HELP -- and boy do they need it. That's a great committee catch for Sherrod and so are his other ones.

The doors opened and there was Sherrod to welcome us all into the ballroom for a celebratory dinner -- and it was huge. Rows and rows of round tables seating ten per. I was at table 60 about two thirds back from the podium.

Speeches were made and cheers were given up for Sherrod's campaign staff, his family, and for us -- the volunteers. Ongoing slideshows featured pictures from campaign events. I saw the first one I attended, before joining the campaign. It was in front of the Science Center in Cleveland when Sherrod talked about making Ohio a leader in renewable energy resouces. I heard other people call out upon seeing their photo on the large screens -- it was a moving tribute to everybody's efforts.

The creative team that came up with Sherrod's television commercials were also honored and very deservedly too. We were treated to a chronological showing of his major ads, which made for a very nice historical summary of the campaign's progress.

The term "progressive" has come to supplant "liberal" and I think I am gaining an understanding of why that is. Sherrod's campaign focused on what will benefit all of society, not just the wealthy few. The ads appealed to the sensibilities of all Americans and not just to fringe groups. People have grown tired of endless war and foreign conflicts. The new progressives in the house and the senate have huge challenges ahead, but for this brief moment in time, they have the backing of the voters. Change is being sought, change toward real progress. The Republicans have made piles of messes to be cleaned up.

The dinner was tasty, the companionship was merry and earnest at the same time. Aterwards, several bus tours left for a drive around the monuments. I got to the sign up sheets too late. There was a Ford Theatre tour availble for Thursday morning, but I really wanted to go to the Folger Library. Meanwhile the ball room was humming as huge vortexes of progressives gathered around Connie and Sherrod. They certainly are a dynmic duo! Sherrod promised that he and Connie would stay and thank every last person in the room before retiring, and indeed -- they did!

Thursday morning I made my dash to the Folger gift shop and picked up some very useful items for my students. Got back to the hotel in time to fill up my luncheon plate before C-Span hit the big screens with the beginning of the new Senate term and the swearing in ceremonies. Sherrod was in the first group and we gave him a rousing cheer from our ballroom. I'm sure he heard it in his heart. We finished our lunch as the sentators continued their swearings in, four by four, many with holy books prominantly displayed for the television cameras. Thank dog Sherrod's hands were empty. Maybe that's a Lutheran trait, not wanting to publicly parade one's personal philosophy. If only all relgions were so humble and private.

I'm glad I went on this trip. I still can't quite believe that a candidate I could support actually won a major election! I ran into Yellow Dog Sammy on the trip. He rode the other Bedford bus, but we found each other by accident during the lunch stop! I told him that for most of my life I didn't vote on principle, but that I felt I had to begin voting as an act of self defense. It was great meeting him -- he had outstanding coverage and analysis of the fall Ohio elections at his old blog Ohio 2006. We are waiting for the new one to commence.

I met two war resisters and will write more about them tomorrow, along with some thoughts on religious displays as part of public rituals. On the bus ride home, I read my new books and thought about some exciting new lesson plans. I happened to look up at one point somewhere in Pennsylvania and noticed familiar tall and majestic shapes on the horizon. Wind mills! Just like the one in front of the Science Center where I made up my mind to volunteer for Sherrod's campaign. A sign of progress! Let us have more. Please.

Sunny Day in Kenmore

Another sunny December day in Kenmore, in the winter that has yet to arrive. Day after day of temperatures in the 40s and 50s. Snow is a distant memory -- we had a slight frosting one day last month. December has been a relief for our heating bills, but January is long and we hope it brings us a proper winter freeze before spring is due to arrive.

It was a good day to avoid television, radio and internet media. I didn't want to read continuing updates on the impending execution of Sadaam Hussein. No matter how you dress 'em up, state executions are just plain gruesome.

Nor am I interested in seeing all the tributes pouring in for Gerald Ford. How low has the status of US president sunk, I ponder, that Ford is suddenly elevated to noble heights for merely being in line to succeed Nixon. I just don't understand why he is now to be praised for pardoning Tricky Dick. My best memories of Gerald Ford are those Saturday Night live sketches with Chevy Chase tripping over whatever was at hand.

Above gulls fly over Summit Lake on a sunny December day.

Below is a close-up of some moss. Nice weather for moss -- it is flourishing all over my garden now.