June 15, 2007
A bus ticket for change in D.C. - David Bonior, Edwards for President
Dear Christopher,
What can you get for $15 these days? A couple of pizzas. A DVD. A bus ticket from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia. Today, for $15, you can help this campaign change America. Monday night's big event at MCCXXII is filling up and we want to be sure all of you have an opportunity to meet and greet John Edwards while he's in the D.C. area. To get your ticket, click the link below:
www.johnedwards.com/smallchangeforbigchange/20070619-rsvp
Here are the details:
What: "Small Change for Big Change" grassroots fundraiser with John Edwards and you
Where: MCCXXII, 1223 Connecticut Ave NW, off Dupont Circle (south end), Washington D.C.
When: Tuesday, June 19th, 5:45 PM
Tickets are $15 and there will be a cash bar at the event. You shouldn't need to fork over $2,300 to meet a presidential candidate. You shouldn't need a paycheck with nine zeroes in it to rub elbows with a fellow American. And Tuesday, John Edwards has made sure you don't. All you need to join us is your energy, support, enthusiasm, and enough pocket change for a bus ticket. This campaign is about all of us working together to achieve transformational change for our country. We're talking about the big things like universal health care, eliminating poverty here and around the world, putting an end to global warming, and ending this war in Iraq. These are big ideas - and if we work together they will become a reality. Join us in this effort! This is your chance to meet John and talk about what's next. He's looking forward to hearing your ideas on how to put this country back on track. For the same amount of money you spend on a bus ticket, a couple of pizzas or a CD, you can help bring about this change. See you Tuesday night.
www.johnedwards.com/smallchangeforbigchange/20070619-rsvp
Thank you, David Bonior
Campaign Manager
John Edwards for President
What can you get for $15 these days? A couple of pizzas. A DVD. A bus ticket from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia. Today, for $15, you can help this campaign change America. Monday night's big event at MCCXXII is filling up and we want to be sure all of you have an opportunity to meet and greet John Edwards while he's in the D.C. area. To get your ticket, click the link below:
www.johnedwards.com/smallchangeforbigchange/20070619-rsvp
Here are the details:
What: "Small Change for Big Change" grassroots fundraiser with John Edwards and you
Where: MCCXXII, 1223 Connecticut Ave NW, off Dupont Circle (south end), Washington D.C.
When: Tuesday, June 19th, 5:45 PM
Tickets are $15 and there will be a cash bar at the event. You shouldn't need to fork over $2,300 to meet a presidential candidate. You shouldn't need a paycheck with nine zeroes in it to rub elbows with a fellow American. And Tuesday, John Edwards has made sure you don't. All you need to join us is your energy, support, enthusiasm, and enough pocket change for a bus ticket. This campaign is about all of us working together to achieve transformational change for our country. We're talking about the big things like universal health care, eliminating poverty here and around the world, putting an end to global warming, and ending this war in Iraq. These are big ideas - and if we work together they will become a reality. Join us in this effort! This is your chance to meet John and talk about what's next. He's looking forward to hearing your ideas on how to put this country back on track. For the same amount of money you spend on a bus ticket, a couple of pizzas or a CD, you can help bring about this change. See you Tuesday night.
www.johnedwards.com/smallchangeforbigchange/20070619-rsvp
Thank you, David Bonior
Campaign Manager
John Edwards for President
Eight percent - David Wilhelm, Biden for President
During this presidential cycle, like previous presidential cycles, we are being inundated with polls and breathless analyses of these polls. These polls greatly influence what passes for conventional wisdom inside the Beltway...the sort of wisdom that led pundits of previous years to anoint future presidents with names such as Muskie, Hart, Dean and... well, you get the picture. There is nothing more fleeting than conventional political wisdom.
Early polling in the race for President -- especially early polling at the national level -- is virtually meaningless. And early state polls provide all the evidence we need to underscore this point:
A recent Zogby Poll found that as many as 91% of voters in New Hampshire said they could change their stated preference for President by the time the primary rolled around.
The most recent Des Moines Register survey of likely Iowa caucus attenders, published around a month ago, found that nearly 80% of those willing to state a preference said they might change their minds.
That's why the write-up of the Gallup Poll of 6/12/07 concluded, "It is much too soon to be talking about who will win the 2008 presidential election."
And that's why we should pay very close attention to this week's column by John DiStaso of the Manchester Union Leader, one of the most politically influential political columnists in America, where he gets at the larger truth behind recent polling of New Hampshire voters. That larger truth is this: the vast majority of Democratic voters are a long way off from deciding who they will support in this presidential election.
DiStaso interviews pollster Andrew Smith and writes:
"Despite the low number of undecided likely voters on who they support, poll director Andrew Smith stressed that nearly half the likely voters surveyed were not yet prepared to commit to voting for any candidate.Smith said participants were asked if they have "definitely decided who you will vote for in the New Hampshire primary, are you leaning toward someone, or do you have no idea who you will vote for?" He said that 48 percent said they have no idea who they will vote for, 43 percent said they are leaning toward someone and only 8 percent said they have made a final decision."-- John DiStaso, Manchester Union Leader, 6/12/07
I repeat: only 8 percent said they have made a final decision!! Presidential campaigns are not sprints; they more closely resemble marathons. There are ebbs and flows; runners that break away from the pack early frequently run out of steam at the end.
Caucus attenders and primary voters need time -- and will take time -- to get to know who the candidates are, what they stand for, and whether they are ready to lead our country during these perilous days. These voters will become increasingly engaged and serious-minded as election day nears. And as time goes by and as voters are able to compare and contrast the capabilities of the various candidates, Joe Biden will rise in their estimation and slowly, gradually, he will rise in the polls.
When it comes to substance, Joe Biden is breaking through. I firmly believe that Joe Biden has a very clear pathway in this race: he is the Democratic Party's acknowledged leader on national security during a cycle when America's place in the world is the issue at the forefront of people's minds; he is the only Democrat with a clear plan for how America can withdraw from Iraq with honor at a time when Iraq dwarfs all other concerns of Democratic primary voters.
We have had a very good month. The consensus of the presidential campaign watchers is that Senator Biden gained the greatest ground from the debates. We are picking up meaningful endorsements in all of the early states. We have strong organizations on the ground in Iowa and South Carolina, and we are building equally strong organizations in New Hampshire and Nevada.
Everywhere we go, one of the most frequent questions we get is, "What can I do to help?" There are two things every single person reading this email can do right now to help Joe Biden continue to break through.
Tell someone you know today to visit JoeBiden.com and read his plan for ending the war in Iraq without leaving total chaos behind.
Make a contribution to Biden for President right now. Every dollar raised goes towards keeping Joe Biden on the road, talking to crowds, and getting the word out about our campaign.
Thank you for your help,
David Wilhelm Former Chairman Democratic National Committee
Visit JoeBiden.com Make a contribution
Early polling in the race for President -- especially early polling at the national level -- is virtually meaningless. And early state polls provide all the evidence we need to underscore this point:
A recent Zogby Poll found that as many as 91% of voters in New Hampshire said they could change their stated preference for President by the time the primary rolled around.
The most recent Des Moines Register survey of likely Iowa caucus attenders, published around a month ago, found that nearly 80% of those willing to state a preference said they might change their minds.
That's why the write-up of the Gallup Poll of 6/12/07 concluded, "It is much too soon to be talking about who will win the 2008 presidential election."
And that's why we should pay very close attention to this week's column by John DiStaso of the Manchester Union Leader, one of the most politically influential political columnists in America, where he gets at the larger truth behind recent polling of New Hampshire voters. That larger truth is this: the vast majority of Democratic voters are a long way off from deciding who they will support in this presidential election.
DiStaso interviews pollster Andrew Smith and writes:
"Despite the low number of undecided likely voters on who they support, poll director Andrew Smith stressed that nearly half the likely voters surveyed were not yet prepared to commit to voting for any candidate.Smith said participants were asked if they have "definitely decided who you will vote for in the New Hampshire primary, are you leaning toward someone, or do you have no idea who you will vote for?" He said that 48 percent said they have no idea who they will vote for, 43 percent said they are leaning toward someone and only 8 percent said they have made a final decision."-- John DiStaso, Manchester Union Leader, 6/12/07
I repeat: only 8 percent said they have made a final decision!! Presidential campaigns are not sprints; they more closely resemble marathons. There are ebbs and flows; runners that break away from the pack early frequently run out of steam at the end.
Caucus attenders and primary voters need time -- and will take time -- to get to know who the candidates are, what they stand for, and whether they are ready to lead our country during these perilous days. These voters will become increasingly engaged and serious-minded as election day nears. And as time goes by and as voters are able to compare and contrast the capabilities of the various candidates, Joe Biden will rise in their estimation and slowly, gradually, he will rise in the polls.
When it comes to substance, Joe Biden is breaking through. I firmly believe that Joe Biden has a very clear pathway in this race: he is the Democratic Party's acknowledged leader on national security during a cycle when America's place in the world is the issue at the forefront of people's minds; he is the only Democrat with a clear plan for how America can withdraw from Iraq with honor at a time when Iraq dwarfs all other concerns of Democratic primary voters.
We have had a very good month. The consensus of the presidential campaign watchers is that Senator Biden gained the greatest ground from the debates. We are picking up meaningful endorsements in all of the early states. We have strong organizations on the ground in Iowa and South Carolina, and we are building equally strong organizations in New Hampshire and Nevada.
Everywhere we go, one of the most frequent questions we get is, "What can I do to help?" There are two things every single person reading this email can do right now to help Joe Biden continue to break through.
Tell someone you know today to visit JoeBiden.com and read his plan for ending the war in Iraq without leaving total chaos behind.
Make a contribution to Biden for President right now. Every dollar raised goes towards keeping Joe Biden on the road, talking to crowds, and getting the word out about our campaign.
Thank you for your help,
David Wilhelm Former Chairman Democratic National Committee
Visit JoeBiden.com Make a contribution
Women will make the difference - Betsey Myers, Women for Obama
Dear Christopher,
Hello, I’m Betsy Myers, the Chief Operating Officer of Obama for America and Co-Chair of Women for Obama.
Women voters are going to make the difference in this election. Over the past ten years, women have made up more than half of all voters, and in the last Democratic primary they constituted an incredible 59% of the vote.
We need to start organizing as soon as possible. Every effort makes a difference and we can all help in our own way.
For me, that meant picking up my family and moving to campaign headquarters in Chicago because I wanted to be a part of Barack Obama’s effort to unite this country and ensure that women are an equal part of this movement.
You can lead this charge in your community by hosting a Women for Obama House Party. Join Michelle Obama and our campaign manager, David Plouffe, for a conference call about the issues that are important to women and the role women will play in our movement for change.
Click here to host a Women for Obama House Party:
http://my.barackobama.com/WFOhouseparties
Women for Obama House PartySunday, June 24thConference Call: 6:00 pm EDT(call number and passcode will be distributed to event hosts)
Families all over this country are struggling with inadequate health care, education, housing, and childcare. And more often than not, it’s women who hold things together when what we have doesn’t match up to what we need.
Barack Obama understands the challenges that face women and families. He has an extraordinary ability to speak to those hungry for a new kind of politics, and a singular focus on a brighter future for us and for our children.
All over the country, women recognize his authenticity and his commitment to family as they volunteer their time and their effort to his campaign for change.
Invite the women you know to join you for a Women for Obama House Party:
http://my.barackobama.com/WFOhouseparties
Thank you being a part of our campaign,
Betsy Myers
Hello, I’m Betsy Myers, the Chief Operating Officer of Obama for America and Co-Chair of Women for Obama.
Women voters are going to make the difference in this election. Over the past ten years, women have made up more than half of all voters, and in the last Democratic primary they constituted an incredible 59% of the vote.
We need to start organizing as soon as possible. Every effort makes a difference and we can all help in our own way.
For me, that meant picking up my family and moving to campaign headquarters in Chicago because I wanted to be a part of Barack Obama’s effort to unite this country and ensure that women are an equal part of this movement.
You can lead this charge in your community by hosting a Women for Obama House Party. Join Michelle Obama and our campaign manager, David Plouffe, for a conference call about the issues that are important to women and the role women will play in our movement for change.
Click here to host a Women for Obama House Party:
http://my.barackobama.com/WFOhouseparties
Women for Obama House PartySunday, June 24thConference Call: 6:00 pm EDT(call number and passcode will be distributed to event hosts)
Families all over this country are struggling with inadequate health care, education, housing, and childcare. And more often than not, it’s women who hold things together when what we have doesn’t match up to what we need.
Barack Obama understands the challenges that face women and families. He has an extraordinary ability to speak to those hungry for a new kind of politics, and a singular focus on a brighter future for us and for our children.
All over the country, women recognize his authenticity and his commitment to family as they volunteer their time and their effort to his campaign for change.
Invite the women you know to join you for a Women for Obama House Party:
http://my.barackobama.com/WFOhouseparties
Thank you being a part of our campaign,
Betsy Myers
I need your help to power up our grassroots machine! - Al Franken
Dear Friend,
I knew when I launched my campaign for the U.S. Senate that I wanted it to be a grassroots campaign, one that belonged to every Minnesotan who wants to see real progressive leadership return to Washington. When I say "grassroots campaign," I mean the kind of campaign where we rely heavily on the hard work, creativity, and passion of volunteers - people just like you who are willing to work hard to help us win.
Now, I started pretty early - over 600 days before the election. Still, thousands of Minnesotans have already signed up to provide the people power we'll need to win this race - far more than we can fit in our little temporary office here in Minneapolis.
The good news is that we've found a new headquarters on University Ave. in St. Paul. We'll be able to more effectively use our people power to connect with neighbors and friends across the state, and turn our campaign into a powerful grassroots machine.
CLICK HERE TO HELP US OPEN OUR NEW HEADQUARTERS!
But there's a catch. You see, even in our wildest dreams, we hadn't planned on getting such a huge response so quickly. And so, trying to save money to use against Norm Coleman next fall, we hadn't planned to move into a larger space until the end of the year. Shelli, our accountant, and usually the most cheerful person in the office, crunched the numbers and told me that if we moved into the new headquarters now, we'd be adding around $50,000 to this year's expenditures. That's not the sort of thing that makes Shelli very happy.
But as I've traveled the state, I've found that Minnesotans are ready to get to work - RIGHT NOW. And so, despite Shelli's concerns, we're making the move - our new headquarters will be open for business next week, and if you've signed up to volunteer, we're going to be ready to put you to work. (If you haven't, of course, we'd love to have you.)
Part of what makes ours a real grassroots campaign is the way we're funding it. In the first fundraising quarter, over 10,000 people contributed to the campaign - over 90% of them giving $100 or less. I know that we have a committed base of supporters I can count on when we need some more fuel for our people-powered machine. And right now, we could use about $50,000 worth of fuel.
CLICK HERE TO HELP ME KEEP SHELLI HAPPY!
This campaign belongs to all of us who want to see our country get back on the right track. It belongs to all of us who want universal health care, a real investment in renewable energy, and an end to George W. Bush's war in Iraq - and are willing to work hard together to get there. It's going to take a lot of phone banks, a lot of stuffed envelopes, and a lot of good old-fashioned person-to-person contact to win this race. And, right now, it's going to take some money.
In recognition of your support, we're going to have a wall in our new headquarters devoted to listing the names of people who chipped in to help us open the doors. We're going to call it the "Wall Of People Who Gave Money To Help Us Open This Office." (The consultants wanted to go with "Al's Pals" or the "Wall of Heroes," but I like my idea better.)
If you can help, even with just a few dollars, we'll add your name to the "Wall Of People Who Gave Money To Help Us Open This Office." It's a powerful statement about our people-powered campaign. And every day, when our staff, interns, volunteers, and I walk by that wall, we'll be reminded that this campaign belongs to so many people who have helped to build our organization.
CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR NAME TO OUR WALL!
We need to raise $50,000 to pay for the early move to the new headquarters. And we're going to need your continuing support to take back this seat in the U.S. Senate. If you're in the Twin Cities, we'd love to see you at our new headquarters (it's accessible, there's lots of free parking, and there's coffee nearby!) sometime soon - watch your email for details. If you're elsewhere in Minnesota, stay tuned - we'll be opening up shop in your area soon. And no matter where you are, thank you for continuing to support our campaign for change.
Yours truly,
Al Franken
I knew when I launched my campaign for the U.S. Senate that I wanted it to be a grassroots campaign, one that belonged to every Minnesotan who wants to see real progressive leadership return to Washington. When I say "grassroots campaign," I mean the kind of campaign where we rely heavily on the hard work, creativity, and passion of volunteers - people just like you who are willing to work hard to help us win.
Now, I started pretty early - over 600 days before the election. Still, thousands of Minnesotans have already signed up to provide the people power we'll need to win this race - far more than we can fit in our little temporary office here in Minneapolis.
The good news is that we've found a new headquarters on University Ave. in St. Paul. We'll be able to more effectively use our people power to connect with neighbors and friends across the state, and turn our campaign into a powerful grassroots machine.
CLICK HERE TO HELP US OPEN OUR NEW HEADQUARTERS!
But there's a catch. You see, even in our wildest dreams, we hadn't planned on getting such a huge response so quickly. And so, trying to save money to use against Norm Coleman next fall, we hadn't planned to move into a larger space until the end of the year. Shelli, our accountant, and usually the most cheerful person in the office, crunched the numbers and told me that if we moved into the new headquarters now, we'd be adding around $50,000 to this year's expenditures. That's not the sort of thing that makes Shelli very happy.
But as I've traveled the state, I've found that Minnesotans are ready to get to work - RIGHT NOW. And so, despite Shelli's concerns, we're making the move - our new headquarters will be open for business next week, and if you've signed up to volunteer, we're going to be ready to put you to work. (If you haven't, of course, we'd love to have you.)
Part of what makes ours a real grassroots campaign is the way we're funding it. In the first fundraising quarter, over 10,000 people contributed to the campaign - over 90% of them giving $100 or less. I know that we have a committed base of supporters I can count on when we need some more fuel for our people-powered machine. And right now, we could use about $50,000 worth of fuel.
CLICK HERE TO HELP ME KEEP SHELLI HAPPY!
This campaign belongs to all of us who want to see our country get back on the right track. It belongs to all of us who want universal health care, a real investment in renewable energy, and an end to George W. Bush's war in Iraq - and are willing to work hard together to get there. It's going to take a lot of phone banks, a lot of stuffed envelopes, and a lot of good old-fashioned person-to-person contact to win this race. And, right now, it's going to take some money.
In recognition of your support, we're going to have a wall in our new headquarters devoted to listing the names of people who chipped in to help us open the doors. We're going to call it the "Wall Of People Who Gave Money To Help Us Open This Office." (The consultants wanted to go with "Al's Pals" or the "Wall of Heroes," but I like my idea better.)
If you can help, even with just a few dollars, we'll add your name to the "Wall Of People Who Gave Money To Help Us Open This Office." It's a powerful statement about our people-powered campaign. And every day, when our staff, interns, volunteers, and I walk by that wall, we'll be reminded that this campaign belongs to so many people who have helped to build our organization.
CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR NAME TO OUR WALL!
We need to raise $50,000 to pay for the early move to the new headquarters. And we're going to need your continuing support to take back this seat in the U.S. Senate. If you're in the Twin Cities, we'd love to see you at our new headquarters (it's accessible, there's lots of free parking, and there's coffee nearby!) sometime soon - watch your email for details. If you're elsewhere in Minnesota, stay tuned - we'll be opening up shop in your area soon. And no matter where you are, thank you for continuing to support our campaign for change.
Yours truly,
Al Franken
What we need to win - John Edwards
Dear Christopher,
With just over two weeks before the end of the quarter, it's time for us to talk as a team about what we need to win.The media is obsessed with the money race, and you're going to hear a lot about that. But we don't need to raise the most—we need to raise enough; enough to get our message of transformational change to voters in Iowa, New Hampshire, and other key states nationwide. If we can raise enough money to do that—we'll have what we need to win.We've done the math, and we need to raise $2.3 million online before June 30th to pay for all the town halls, phone lines, clip boards, TV ads and late-night pizza for the volunteers that we'll need to get out our message. That's a big goal, but it's real. And together, I know we can achieve it.
Please get us started by contributing what you can today
.www.johnedwards.com/action/contribute/form
What we see over and over again is that when voters learn about the big, specific plans from our campaign, they get excited—they get to work.Some are working for universal health care, so we never again have to worry about our families getting the care they deserve. Some are working to stop global warming, so that our legacy for our children is not global catastrophe. Others are working to end the war in Iraq, so we can bring our loved ones home and once again offer moral leadership to the world. And still others are working to end the injustice of poverty in America. Because in our America, opportunity should be more than a dream.If we can reach all the voters who share our values, who are also ready to work hard for the America we believe in, we will win.But we need to raise enough to make that happen, and that's $2.3 million before June 30th.Help us get there by giving whatever you can afford today:
www.johnedwards.com/action/contribute/form
Thank you,- John Edwards
June 14, 2007
With just over two weeks before the end of the quarter, it's time for us to talk as a team about what we need to win.The media is obsessed with the money race, and you're going to hear a lot about that. But we don't need to raise the most—we need to raise enough; enough to get our message of transformational change to voters in Iowa, New Hampshire, and other key states nationwide. If we can raise enough money to do that—we'll have what we need to win.We've done the math, and we need to raise $2.3 million online before June 30th to pay for all the town halls, phone lines, clip boards, TV ads and late-night pizza for the volunteers that we'll need to get out our message. That's a big goal, but it's real. And together, I know we can achieve it.
Please get us started by contributing what you can today
.www.johnedwards.com/action/contribute/form
What we see over and over again is that when voters learn about the big, specific plans from our campaign, they get excited—they get to work.Some are working for universal health care, so we never again have to worry about our families getting the care they deserve. Some are working to stop global warming, so that our legacy for our children is not global catastrophe. Others are working to end the war in Iraq, so we can bring our loved ones home and once again offer moral leadership to the world. And still others are working to end the injustice of poverty in America. Because in our America, opportunity should be more than a dream.If we can reach all the voters who share our values, who are also ready to work hard for the America we believe in, we will win.But we need to raise enough to make that happen, and that's $2.3 million before June 30th.Help us get there by giving whatever you can afford today:
www.johnedwards.com/action/contribute/form
Thank you,- John Edwards
June 14, 2007
June 11, 2007
Help RESTORE Habeas Corpus and the Constitution Now - The Pen
Habeas corpus, which permits the accused a fair hearing in front of a neutral judge, is the most fundamental check on executive power in our Constitution. The United States Supreme Court asserted that habeas "is the fundamental instrument for safeguarding individual freedom against lawless state action."
HABEAS CORPUS ACTION PAGE: http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/113
Today, Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act (S. 185), a correction of the miscarriage of law making from last year which had shamed us all, the Military Commissions Act which purported to strip detainees at Guantanamo of all human rights.Our activist friends at Democrats.com have an action page to continue to support S. 185, in the which could now come up for a full vote in the Senate at any time. We encourage all our participants to speak out through the page above.
EXCITING NEWS ABOUT THE NATIONAL CHENEY IMPEACHMENT POLL
We just finished setting up a national cell phone voting system where someone has to do is text "IMPEACH" to 30644 to vote Yes in the National Cheney Impeachment Poll and it is LIVE now. You have ALREADY voted in the poll yourself (don't vote twice), but please text message all your friends and let them know they can cast their vote to impeach Cheney just as easy as kicking someone off American Political Idol.
Not only that but Lynn Woolsey just became the 6th house member to sign on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 333, for articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney. And all the other 429 are waiting for is for us to inspire our friends and neighbors to actually speak out. So let's DO it.
Even as we speak, yet more crimes of the greatest offender of them all, Dick Cheney, were exposed this week. As reported by the Washington Post on Thursday, Cheney was the primary bully in pushing for the illegal wiretaps, even going so far as to block the promotion of a senior Justice Department attorney who had the integrity to raise concerns about them.
Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed to be ours, and forward this message to everyone else you know.
If you would like to get alerts like these, you can do so at http://www.usalone.com/in.htm
Or if you want to cease receiving our messages, just use the function at http://www.usalone.com/out.htm
Powered by The People's Email NetworkCopyright 2007, Patent pending, All rights reservedVote in the National Cheney Impeachment Poll
http://www.usalone.com/blogvoices.php?Cheney%20Impeachment%3F
Add this text to your own email and blog signatures!
HABEAS CORPUS ACTION PAGE: http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/113
Today, Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act (S. 185), a correction of the miscarriage of law making from last year which had shamed us all, the Military Commissions Act which purported to strip detainees at Guantanamo of all human rights.Our activist friends at Democrats.com have an action page to continue to support S. 185, in the which could now come up for a full vote in the Senate at any time. We encourage all our participants to speak out through the page above.
EXCITING NEWS ABOUT THE NATIONAL CHENEY IMPEACHMENT POLL
We just finished setting up a national cell phone voting system where someone has to do is text "IMPEACH" to 30644 to vote Yes in the National Cheney Impeachment Poll and it is LIVE now. You have ALREADY voted in the poll yourself (don't vote twice), but please text message all your friends and let them know they can cast their vote to impeach Cheney just as easy as kicking someone off American Political Idol.
Not only that but Lynn Woolsey just became the 6th house member to sign on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 333, for articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney. And all the other 429 are waiting for is for us to inspire our friends and neighbors to actually speak out. So let's DO it.
Even as we speak, yet more crimes of the greatest offender of them all, Dick Cheney, were exposed this week. As reported by the Washington Post on Thursday, Cheney was the primary bully in pushing for the illegal wiretaps, even going so far as to block the promotion of a senior Justice Department attorney who had the integrity to raise concerns about them.
Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed to be ours, and forward this message to everyone else you know.
If you would like to get alerts like these, you can do so at http://www.usalone.com/in.htm
Or if you want to cease receiving our messages, just use the function at http://www.usalone.com/out.htm
Powered by The People's Email NetworkCopyright 2007, Patent pending, All rights reservedVote in the National Cheney Impeachment Poll
http://www.usalone.com/blogvoices.php?Cheney%20Impeachment%3F
Add this text to your own email and blog signatures!
Dear Chris,
Sometimes, when we're discussing the war or working on veterans' issues, it can be easy to forget about the real-life stories of the individual troops.
This past Memorial Day, I had the privilege of participating in an online audio slide show for CNN.com, called "Coming Home: Families and War." The slide show features several veterans. It lets them tell their stories in their own words, and shows how war has changed their lives forever. I told my story of service to further the work we do here at IAVA and to allow the public to continue to hear the voices of its brave sons and daughters.
Click here to watch now.
I know that you, as an IAVA Supporter, are familiar with the issues facing veterans. But this video can serve as a good introduction for others, and so I hope you'll consider passing it on to your friends.
Thank you for your continued support of IAVA.
Sincerely,
Chris McGurk
Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran
IAVA Representative
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Sometimes, when we're discussing the war or working on veterans' issues, it can be easy to forget about the real-life stories of the individual troops.
This past Memorial Day, I had the privilege of participating in an online audio slide show for CNN.com, called "Coming Home: Families and War." The slide show features several veterans. It lets them tell their stories in their own words, and shows how war has changed their lives forever. I told my story of service to further the work we do here at IAVA and to allow the public to continue to hear the voices of its brave sons and daughters.
Click here to watch now.
I know that you, as an IAVA Supporter, are familiar with the issues facing veterans. But this video can serve as a good introduction for others, and so I hope you'll consider passing it on to your friends.
Thank you for your continued support of IAVA.
Sincerely,
Chris McGurk
Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran
IAVA Representative
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
No more blood for oil - Dennis Kucinich
No More Blood For Oil
Next time you fork over your hard-earned money to fill your tank, paying double what you were a few years ago for your commute, consider the TRUE cost of America's dependence on foreign oil. Our country's thirst for oil has sparked a war that has cut people's lives unnecessarily short, devastated families, and left a trail of destruction that continues to spiral out of control.
No More Blood for Oil - Click here to watch the ad
Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate that has voted “No” for the invasion of Iraq, and the only candidate to vote against funding for this occupation. Dennis has been at the forefront of this debate and continues to be a proven leader in curtailing our addiction to foreign oil through fostering alternative fuel programs. We need your help to spread this message to American Voters.
Your contribution of $100 now or a commitment of $10 each month will enable us to continue to make ads such as this one. Help us educate American voters about the true costs of our oil economy. Help us build a country that relies on renewable clean sources of energy. Help us build a country that believes in the Prosperity of Peace.
We must demand there be NO MORE BLOOD FOR OIL.
Together we can be the difference; Together we will build a better America!
Click Here to support Peace!
Best regards, Mike Klein
Campaign ManagerKucinich for President 2008
http://kucinich.us
P.S. Don’t forget to forward this message to a friend. Our campaign counts on supporters like you to help spread our message.
Next time you fork over your hard-earned money to fill your tank, paying double what you were a few years ago for your commute, consider the TRUE cost of America's dependence on foreign oil. Our country's thirst for oil has sparked a war that has cut people's lives unnecessarily short, devastated families, and left a trail of destruction that continues to spiral out of control.
No More Blood for Oil - Click here to watch the ad
Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate that has voted “No” for the invasion of Iraq, and the only candidate to vote against funding for this occupation. Dennis has been at the forefront of this debate and continues to be a proven leader in curtailing our addiction to foreign oil through fostering alternative fuel programs. We need your help to spread this message to American Voters.
Your contribution of $100 now or a commitment of $10 each month will enable us to continue to make ads such as this one. Help us educate American voters about the true costs of our oil economy. Help us build a country that relies on renewable clean sources of energy. Help us build a country that believes in the Prosperity of Peace.
We must demand there be NO MORE BLOOD FOR OIL.
Together we can be the difference; Together we will build a better America!
Click Here to support Peace!
Best regards, Mike Klein
Campaign ManagerKucinich for President 2008
http://kucinich.us
P.S. Don’t forget to forward this message to a friend. Our campaign counts on supporters like you to help spread our message.
Dinner with Barack
Dear Christopher,
When we launched this campaign, we decided not to take the easy money offered by Washington lobbyists and special interest political action committees.
Instead, we put our faith in you, and we couldn't have made a better choice.
I'll be meeting four of you for dinner sometime soon, but what's happening across this country is bigger than me, or my candidacy.
Together we're re-shaping the political process based on the idea that a movement of people who care about the common future of all Americans can be more powerful than any special interest.
Below is the dinner invitation David sent out yesterday. I hope you'll take a minute to make a donation, and perhaps we'll be seeing each other soon.
http://my.barackobama.com/dinnerforfive
Thank you,
Barack
----- Original Message -----From: David Plouffe, BarackObama.comDate: June 6, 2007 2:46 PMTo: Supporters
Subject: Dinner with Barack?
Dear Friend,
Most political fundraisers are hosted by lobbyists and filled with representatives of special interests.
But our campaign is different.
Our funding comes from a movement of Americans giving whatever they can afford, even $5, and Barack wants to sit down with supporters like you.
If you've ever thought about making a donation to join our campaign, now is the time. In the next week, four supporters will be selected for a new kind of fundraising dinner. We're reserving two of those seats for new donors like you.
If you make a donation in any amount between now and 11:59 pm EDT on Wednesday, June 13, you could join Barack and three other supporters for an intimate dinner for five.
https://donate.barackobama.com/dinnerforfive
Our movement is changing the way campaigns are funded. We’re not taking any contributions from Washington lobbyists or political action committees.
More than 100,000 individual donors have demonstrated that this choice is about more than an election. It’s about each of us having a personal stake in the future of American politics.
The dinner for five is an opportunity for you to sit down with Barack and your fellow supporters and talk about what matters to you.
Get the kind of treatment other politicians reserve for special interests. Make a donation in the next week, and you could share your story and your ideas with Barack in person:
https://donate.barackobama.com/dinnerforfive
With every single donation, we’re building a movement to change American politics. And this is just the beginning.
Thanks for your support,David
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America
When we launched this campaign, we decided not to take the easy money offered by Washington lobbyists and special interest political action committees.
Instead, we put our faith in you, and we couldn't have made a better choice.
I'll be meeting four of you for dinner sometime soon, but what's happening across this country is bigger than me, or my candidacy.
Together we're re-shaping the political process based on the idea that a movement of people who care about the common future of all Americans can be more powerful than any special interest.
Below is the dinner invitation David sent out yesterday. I hope you'll take a minute to make a donation, and perhaps we'll be seeing each other soon.
http://my.barackobama.com/dinnerforfive
Thank you,
Barack
----- Original Message -----From: David Plouffe, BarackObama.comDate: June 6, 2007 2:46 PMTo: Supporters
Subject: Dinner with Barack?
Dear Friend,
Most political fundraisers are hosted by lobbyists and filled with representatives of special interests.
But our campaign is different.
Our funding comes from a movement of Americans giving whatever they can afford, even $5, and Barack wants to sit down with supporters like you.
If you've ever thought about making a donation to join our campaign, now is the time. In the next week, four supporters will be selected for a new kind of fundraising dinner. We're reserving two of those seats for new donors like you.
If you make a donation in any amount between now and 11:59 pm EDT on Wednesday, June 13, you could join Barack and three other supporters for an intimate dinner for five.
https://donate.barackobama.com/dinnerforfive
Our movement is changing the way campaigns are funded. We’re not taking any contributions from Washington lobbyists or political action committees.
More than 100,000 individual donors have demonstrated that this choice is about more than an election. It’s about each of us having a personal stake in the future of American politics.
The dinner for five is an opportunity for you to sit down with Barack and your fellow supporters and talk about what matters to you.
Get the kind of treatment other politicians reserve for special interests. Make a donation in the next week, and you could share your story and your ideas with Barack in person:
https://donate.barackobama.com/dinnerforfive
With every single donation, we’re building a movement to change American politics. And this is just the beginning.
Thanks for your support,David
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America
Sneak peek of what's next - John Edwards One Corps
Dear John Edwards One Corps Member,
First, we just wanted to thank you again for making our national "Support the Troops, End the War" effort in May so successful. Thousands of people took part in nearly 600 events all across the country on Memorial Day Weekend and helped spread the important message that the best way to support the troops is to end this war in Iraq and bring them home to a hero's welcome. Our message is being heard and our voice is making a difference. Now, we have to keep growing this campaign to change America.
Because you're a John Edwards One Corps leader, we want to give you a sneak peek of what's next: This month, we're organizing an ambitious national round of house parties on Thursday, June 28. It's a big opportunity to reach out to thousands of new supporters, spread our message of transformational change, and raise the resources that we need to stay competitive. Early next week, we'll be launching this initiative to all of our supporters with details, materials, and a new event creation tool. But we wanted John Edwards One Corps members to be the first to know. Think of this as your "Save the Date" email, and stay tuned next week for the launch email with everything you need to begin. Thanks for taking action,
-George SternNational One Corps Director
John Edwards for President
First, we just wanted to thank you again for making our national "Support the Troops, End the War" effort in May so successful. Thousands of people took part in nearly 600 events all across the country on Memorial Day Weekend and helped spread the important message that the best way to support the troops is to end this war in Iraq and bring them home to a hero's welcome. Our message is being heard and our voice is making a difference. Now, we have to keep growing this campaign to change America.
Because you're a John Edwards One Corps leader, we want to give you a sneak peek of what's next: This month, we're organizing an ambitious national round of house parties on Thursday, June 28. It's a big opportunity to reach out to thousands of new supporters, spread our message of transformational change, and raise the resources that we need to stay competitive. Early next week, we'll be launching this initiative to all of our supporters with details, materials, and a new event creation tool. But we wanted John Edwards One Corps members to be the first to know. Think of this as your "Save the Date" email, and stay tuned next week for the launch email with everything you need to begin. Thanks for taking action,
-George SternNational One Corps Director
John Edwards for President
America doesn't commit torture - Chris Dodd
Dear Christopher,
America doesn't start wars - we end them.We don't turn away from the world - we lead it.And we don't commit torture - we condemn it. All of this was true until the current administration, and we shouldn't wait until we elect a new President before we stand up to the mistakes made by this one.There is no doubt that we live in dangerous times and that America has real enemies, but the actions of this Administration have made us more vulnerable as nation, not less. That is why I intend to do everything within my power to bring a bill I introduced earlier this year, the "Restoring the Constitution Act," to a vote in the United States Senate. But today I need your help. Watch my video discussing the bill and upload your own explaining why you believe America is most secure when we draw strength from our highest ideals, not our worst fears. http://www.restore-habeas.orgDuring last weekend's debate, I was asked what a top priority for the Dodd Administration would be during my first 100 days in office. My answer was clear, "I would try to restore the Constitutional rights in this country" and I wouldn't need one hundred days to do it. Indeed, we must restore habeas corpus, but to regain our moral standing in the world requires more than that alone.That is why the "Restoring the Constitution Act" would also prevent the use of evidence in court gained through the unreliable and immoral practices of torture and coercion, limit the authority of the President to interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions and make that authority subject to congressional and judicial oversight, and narrow the definition of unlawful enemy combatant to individuals who directly participate in a zone of active combat against the United States, and individuals who participated in attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. Watch the video explaining the "Restoring the Constitution Act," upload your own, and sign on as a citizen co-sponsor.http://www.restore-habeas.orgIn removing habeas corpus protections, the Military Commissions Act affirmed vengeance as a tool in fighting terrorism – discarding sixty years of precedent and respect for the rule of law.The subjugation of habeas and the use of torture make us weaker as a nation, not stronger. It's time we stand up and say once and for all that the choice between vengeance and security is a false choice – that American leadership ought to draw strength from not our worst fears but our highest ideals. Please take a moment to learn about the "Restoring the Constitution Act" and get involved in its passage.http://www.restore-habeas.orgJustice Jackson said of the Nuremberg Trials, "To pass these defendants a poisoned chalice is to put it to our own lips as well." If we fail to rise to this moment, I fear we will be drinking from that chalice for many years to come. In the end, by restoring our fundamental principles we serve not only the interest of justice, but also the long term interests of the United States. Chris Dodd
Paid for by Chris Dodd for President, Inc.PO Box 51882Washington, DC 20091Info@ChrisDodd.com
Why wait? - Dave Contarino, Richardson for President
Dear Christopher,
Right now, Bill Richardson is the only major candidate pushing for immediate action to end this war and get all of our troops out.
Despite the fact that Congress recently passed a war spending bill that didn't include a timeline for withdrawal, I know that together we can convince them to end this war. I KNOW that you, the people, and the voters are with us. We are sick and tired of waiting for Bush to do the right thing and end this war. We need Congress to come through for us -- before they leave for the summer. If we push Congress hard enough, they'll have to pay attention.
You've joined the call on Congress to de-authorize now and end this war before their summer break. Would you ask a friend to sign the petition as well?
Why wait? If we wait for fall to do something more people will die and the situation in Iraq will only worsen. We have had a remarkable show of support for the petition we launched earlier this week calling on Congress to de-authorize the war before the summer break. But we need your help to build this into a grassroots movement Congress can't ignore.
Congress has approximately one month before they leave for the summer -- that is enough time to exercise their Constitutional authority and revoke the 2002 war authorization, stripping Bush of the legal authority to perpetuate this war. If Congress de-authorizes now, Bush would be compelled to bring troops home and we could have most of them out of Iraq this year. And de-authorization is veto-proof.
The time has passed for allowing this President to send more American soldiers to fight for his ill-conceived and incompetently-executed adventure.
Ask your friends: Call on Congress to end this war now -- they have the authority and the power to de-authorize before the summer break. It is time to stop deferring to a stubborn President who persists in a failed policy.
It is critical that we end this war as soon as possible so a new diplomatic process can begin. De-authorizing the war would send a strong signal to the warring factions that America will not be a permanent military presence in Iraq. Right now, our troops are doing a great job but they are working in the midst of a civil war they cannot stop. Removing ALL the troops as soon as possible is essential for starting the process of reconciliation.
Bill is out there every day talking about this and spreading the word -- but we need you now to put the pressure on Congress that will get real action.
Governor Richardson might be the only major candidate who wants to end this war right now, but with your help we can force Congress to act.
Thank you for your support on this important call to action,
Dave ContarinoCampaign ManagerRichardson for President
>
Paid for by Richardson for President, Inc.
Contributions are not tax deductible for Federal income tax purposes.
All content © 2007 Richardson for President, Inc.
Right now, Bill Richardson is the only major candidate pushing for immediate action to end this war and get all of our troops out.
Despite the fact that Congress recently passed a war spending bill that didn't include a timeline for withdrawal, I know that together we can convince them to end this war. I KNOW that you, the people, and the voters are with us. We are sick and tired of waiting for Bush to do the right thing and end this war. We need Congress to come through for us -- before they leave for the summer. If we push Congress hard enough, they'll have to pay attention.
You've joined the call on Congress to de-authorize now and end this war before their summer break. Would you ask a friend to sign the petition as well?
Why wait? If we wait for fall to do something more people will die and the situation in Iraq will only worsen. We have had a remarkable show of support for the petition we launched earlier this week calling on Congress to de-authorize the war before the summer break. But we need your help to build this into a grassroots movement Congress can't ignore.
Congress has approximately one month before they leave for the summer -- that is enough time to exercise their Constitutional authority and revoke the 2002 war authorization, stripping Bush of the legal authority to perpetuate this war. If Congress de-authorizes now, Bush would be compelled to bring troops home and we could have most of them out of Iraq this year. And de-authorization is veto-proof.
The time has passed for allowing this President to send more American soldiers to fight for his ill-conceived and incompetently-executed adventure.
Ask your friends: Call on Congress to end this war now -- they have the authority and the power to de-authorize before the summer break. It is time to stop deferring to a stubborn President who persists in a failed policy.
It is critical that we end this war as soon as possible so a new diplomatic process can begin. De-authorizing the war would send a strong signal to the warring factions that America will not be a permanent military presence in Iraq. Right now, our troops are doing a great job but they are working in the midst of a civil war they cannot stop. Removing ALL the troops as soon as possible is essential for starting the process of reconciliation.
Bill is out there every day talking about this and spreading the word -- but we need you now to put the pressure on Congress that will get real action.
Governor Richardson might be the only major candidate who wants to end this war right now, but with your help we can force Congress to act.
Thank you for your support on this important call to action,
Dave ContarinoCampaign ManagerRichardson for President
>
Paid for by Richardson for President, Inc.
Contributions are not tax deductible for Federal income tax purposes.
All content © 2007 Richardson for President, Inc.
June 08, 2007
When politics is personal - DCCC
Dear Christopher,
There are times when politics is personal. For me, the debate about stem cells is one of those times. My daughter lives every day with juvenile diabetes. As I watch her courageously face the challenges of managing this disease, I can give her all of the love, support, and medicine she needs to get through each day. But as a Member of Congress, I can give her and millions like her so much more - hope for a cure through stem cell research. I'm writing to you on behalf of my daughter and the countless others like her. I have authored legislation to repeal President Bush's unconscionable ban on federal funding for stem cell research. Rather than listen to the overwhelming will of the American people and the scientific community who support federal funding for stem cell research, the President has chosen to block it. My daughter and millions of Americans like her pay a price every day for President Bush's obstructionist tactics and his promise to use his veto pen. But you can take action before he does.
Tell President Bush not to crush the hopes of millions of Americans by vetoing this lifesaving legislation. Americans have made their voices heard loud and clear on the issue of stem cell research. More than 60 percent of Americans favor federal funding for stem cell research. This is no longer a debate that is about Democrats versus Republicans or liberals versus conservatives. It is an issue that unites Americans toward the common goal of bringing a cure and hope to millions of people and their families. There is a simple truth when it comes to fighting for stem cell research. The millions of personal stories from those who are most affected by it can change our opponents minds. That's why the DCCC has launched a dedicated Stem Cell Resource Center where your stories can be told and your voices can be heard. On behalf of the DCCC, I am asking for your help to grow their Stem Cell Resource Center by telling your own personal story about how you or someone you know can be helped by stem cell research. There are three ways you can tell your story:1. Send an e-mail to stories@dccc.org.2. Send any photos that will better tell your story (since a picture is worth a thousand words)to stories@dccc.org.3. Create your own video and upload it to their special collection on Youtube.
Thanks to your willingness to speak up, we are closer than we've ever been to unlocking the secrets that will cure diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and cancer. But with time running out for more and more people each day, we need to keep the pressure on President Bush to remove his unconscionable roadblock and withdraw his veto threat. Tell President Bush not to crush the hopes of millions of Americans by vetoing this lifesaving legislation. As long as the President continues his obstructionist tactics, we are going to continue the fight. We will not tire and we won't stop fighting until this bill becomes law. Funding for stem cell research is too important to let politics stand in the way of hope. On behalf of my daughter, I thank you for standing with me in this critical fight. Sincerely, Diana DeGetteColorado's 1st Congressional District P.S. –With time running out for more and more people every day, we need to move quickly. Tell President Bush not to veto stem cell research.
FORWARD OUR MESSAGE TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
PROTECT OUR DEMOCRATIC CHAMPIONS
There are times when politics is personal. For me, the debate about stem cells is one of those times. My daughter lives every day with juvenile diabetes. As I watch her courageously face the challenges of managing this disease, I can give her all of the love, support, and medicine she needs to get through each day. But as a Member of Congress, I can give her and millions like her so much more - hope for a cure through stem cell research. I'm writing to you on behalf of my daughter and the countless others like her. I have authored legislation to repeal President Bush's unconscionable ban on federal funding for stem cell research. Rather than listen to the overwhelming will of the American people and the scientific community who support federal funding for stem cell research, the President has chosen to block it. My daughter and millions of Americans like her pay a price every day for President Bush's obstructionist tactics and his promise to use his veto pen. But you can take action before he does.
Tell President Bush not to crush the hopes of millions of Americans by vetoing this lifesaving legislation. Americans have made their voices heard loud and clear on the issue of stem cell research. More than 60 percent of Americans favor federal funding for stem cell research. This is no longer a debate that is about Democrats versus Republicans or liberals versus conservatives. It is an issue that unites Americans toward the common goal of bringing a cure and hope to millions of people and their families. There is a simple truth when it comes to fighting for stem cell research. The millions of personal stories from those who are most affected by it can change our opponents minds. That's why the DCCC has launched a dedicated Stem Cell Resource Center where your stories can be told and your voices can be heard. On behalf of the DCCC, I am asking for your help to grow their Stem Cell Resource Center by telling your own personal story about how you or someone you know can be helped by stem cell research. There are three ways you can tell your story:1. Send an e-mail to stories@dccc.org.2. Send any photos that will better tell your story (since a picture is worth a thousand words)to stories@dccc.org.3. Create your own video and upload it to their special collection on Youtube.
Thanks to your willingness to speak up, we are closer than we've ever been to unlocking the secrets that will cure diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and cancer. But with time running out for more and more people each day, we need to keep the pressure on President Bush to remove his unconscionable roadblock and withdraw his veto threat. Tell President Bush not to crush the hopes of millions of Americans by vetoing this lifesaving legislation. As long as the President continues his obstructionist tactics, we are going to continue the fight. We will not tire and we won't stop fighting until this bill becomes law. Funding for stem cell research is too important to let politics stand in the way of hope. On behalf of my daughter, I thank you for standing with me in this critical fight. Sincerely, Diana DeGetteColorado's 1st Congressional District P.S. –With time running out for more and more people every day, we need to move quickly. Tell President Bush not to veto stem cell research.
FORWARD OUR MESSAGE TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
PROTECT OUR DEMOCRATIC CHAMPIONS
The New Hampshire Debate - Mike Gravel
Washington D.C. - June 6, 2007
Media & The Gravel Campaign
After watching Sunday night's Presidential debate, Ray Buckley, the New Hampshire Democratic Party chair, plans to warn NBC about its September debate. "You're going to hear for sure that I'm going to discuss with them who's the moderator so it's certainly a much more fair and equal playing field than what we saw tonight," the Chairman said, referring to the shocking disparity in time afforded to the three candidates who have raised the most money, compared to the other candidates running for the Democratic nomination for President. "The mainstream media has gone underground in its attempt to edit the Gravel campaign" said Presidential candidate and former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel, as evidenced by the June 3 debate in New Hampshire sponsored by CNN, the Hearst Corporation's WMUR-TV, and the New Hampshire Union Leader. During the two-hour, commercial-free debate, Senator Gravel was asked 10 somewhat irrelevant questions and then allowed only seconds to answer before being cut off by the moderator. In total, the Senator was afforded only five minutes and 37 seconds of time during the entire debate. The candidates with the most donations from corporate special interests were asked the serious questions, were allowed to speak at length, and were allowed time to respond to criticism. Adam D. Krauss, the Democrat staff writer for Foster's Online, a Dover, New Hampshire-based news site, echoed the contention that Gravel and others were being excluded by quoting Dean Spiliotes, director of research at Saint Anselm College's New Hampshire Institute of Politics, who said, "It was interesting how those three candidates were presented. I can't imagine that that was random, with Hillary and Edwards and Obama, and then Kucinich and Gravel out on the end." The placement of the candidates on the debate stage exacerbated the inequities of the time allowed to some candidates to respond to questions. For example, Senator Obama was given one full minute to answer each of 16 questions, while Senator Gravel was allowed only 30 seconds each to answer 10 questions. CNN's Wolf Blitzer and his producer appear to have selectively enforced time guidelines. "Prominent talk show host Arnie Arnesen labeled CNN the debate's 'loser' because it 'made a decision for the rest of us that they (Clinton, Obama and Edwards) were going to remain the top-tier' candidates," Krauss added. Despite the best efforts of CNN, WMUR-TV and the Union Leader to exclude Senator Gravel, his brief comments quickly became one of the most-watched videos on YouTube.com, which receives millions of hits each day. It also became one of the top-rated videos in news and politics. Senator Gravel, a resident of Virginia, is a former two-term U.S. Senator from Alaska with a distinguished record that includes successfully ending the military draft with a five-month filibuster. He also released The Pentagon Papers, risking both prosecution and jail; played the leading role in making the Alaska pipeline a reality; and ended nuclear weapons testing in the seabed off Alaska. He is the driving force and author of the National Initiative for Democracy, a proposal to allow Americans to participate in making laws at the federal level on issues that affect their lives though a federal ballot initiative process-already proven in many states as an effective and necessary check on unresponsive representative government.
Please Support Senator GravelWe refuse to give an inch to this kind of treatment. In fact, we would like to challenge you to help us overcome this by helping in two ways.1. Send this e-mail to as many friends and relatives as you can with a note why you think Senator Gravel's voice and ideas are so critical in this campaign. 2. Please make a donation to the campaign so we can continue to increase our use of the Internet and other sources to offset efforts to keep 'The People' from hearing his clarion call to 'Let The People Decide".
MAKE A CONTRIBUTION
Website: http://www.gravel08.us/
Alex Colvin
email: alex@gravel2008.us
Forward email
Media & The Gravel Campaign
After watching Sunday night's Presidential debate, Ray Buckley, the New Hampshire Democratic Party chair, plans to warn NBC about its September debate. "You're going to hear for sure that I'm going to discuss with them who's the moderator so it's certainly a much more fair and equal playing field than what we saw tonight," the Chairman said, referring to the shocking disparity in time afforded to the three candidates who have raised the most money, compared to the other candidates running for the Democratic nomination for President. "The mainstream media has gone underground in its attempt to edit the Gravel campaign" said Presidential candidate and former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel, as evidenced by the June 3 debate in New Hampshire sponsored by CNN, the Hearst Corporation's WMUR-TV, and the New Hampshire Union Leader. During the two-hour, commercial-free debate, Senator Gravel was asked 10 somewhat irrelevant questions and then allowed only seconds to answer before being cut off by the moderator. In total, the Senator was afforded only five minutes and 37 seconds of time during the entire debate. The candidates with the most donations from corporate special interests were asked the serious questions, were allowed to speak at length, and were allowed time to respond to criticism. Adam D. Krauss, the Democrat staff writer for Foster's Online, a Dover, New Hampshire-based news site, echoed the contention that Gravel and others were being excluded by quoting Dean Spiliotes, director of research at Saint Anselm College's New Hampshire Institute of Politics, who said, "It was interesting how those three candidates were presented. I can't imagine that that was random, with Hillary and Edwards and Obama, and then Kucinich and Gravel out on the end." The placement of the candidates on the debate stage exacerbated the inequities of the time allowed to some candidates to respond to questions. For example, Senator Obama was given one full minute to answer each of 16 questions, while Senator Gravel was allowed only 30 seconds each to answer 10 questions. CNN's Wolf Blitzer and his producer appear to have selectively enforced time guidelines. "Prominent talk show host Arnie Arnesen labeled CNN the debate's 'loser' because it 'made a decision for the rest of us that they (Clinton, Obama and Edwards) were going to remain the top-tier' candidates," Krauss added. Despite the best efforts of CNN, WMUR-TV and the Union Leader to exclude Senator Gravel, his brief comments quickly became one of the most-watched videos on YouTube.com, which receives millions of hits each day. It also became one of the top-rated videos in news and politics. Senator Gravel, a resident of Virginia, is a former two-term U.S. Senator from Alaska with a distinguished record that includes successfully ending the military draft with a five-month filibuster. He also released The Pentagon Papers, risking both prosecution and jail; played the leading role in making the Alaska pipeline a reality; and ended nuclear weapons testing in the seabed off Alaska. He is the driving force and author of the National Initiative for Democracy, a proposal to allow Americans to participate in making laws at the federal level on issues that affect their lives though a federal ballot initiative process-already proven in many states as an effective and necessary check on unresponsive representative government.
Please Support Senator GravelWe refuse to give an inch to this kind of treatment. In fact, we would like to challenge you to help us overcome this by helping in two ways.1. Send this e-mail to as many friends and relatives as you can with a note why you think Senator Gravel's voice and ideas are so critical in this campaign. 2. Please make a donation to the campaign so we can continue to increase our use of the Internet and other sources to offset efforts to keep 'The People' from hearing his clarion call to 'Let The People Decide".
MAKE A CONTRIBUTION
Website: http://www.gravel08.us/
Alex Colvin
email: alex@gravel2008.us
Forward email
Flexibility Marks How and When to Take Abortion Drug - MedPage Daily
GENEVA, Switzerland, June 7 -- The choice of a vaginal or sublingual route for misoprostol, if used alone for early abortion, and the timing of doses leaves women several safe and effective options.
Action Points
Explain to interested patients, that the medical abortion regimen of mifepristone (Mifeprex), known as RU-486, followed by misoprostol, is the commonly used medical abortion regimen, but in countries where it is not available, misoprostol was used safely and effectively.
So said Helena von Hertzen, M.D., of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research of the World Health Organization here, and colleagues, adding that sublingual administration is most effective when the medication is taken at three-hour intervals. However, side effects are more unpleasant.
If 12-hour intervals for the three doses are preferred, the vaginal route should be used, they reported in the June 9 issue of The Lancet.
Action Points
Explain to interested patients, that the medical abortion regimen of mifepristone (Mifeprex), known as RU-486, followed by misoprostol, is the commonly used medical abortion regimen, but in countries where it is not available, misoprostol was used safely and effectively.
So said Helena von Hertzen, M.D., of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research of the World Health Organization here, and colleagues, adding that sublingual administration is most effective when the medication is taken at three-hour intervals. However, side effects are more unpleasant.
If 12-hour intervals for the three doses are preferred, the vaginal route should be used, they reported in the June 9 issue of The Lancet.
Ingrid recommends - PETA
Dear Christopher,
I would like to share a terrific article from the June issue of Gourmet magazine with you. The article details the lives and deaths of chickens who are used for food and is a powerful indictment of the practices that take place in American slaughterhouses, which cause tremendous suffering for chickens in their last moments of life. It also examines the viable alternative method of slaughter that PETA has been recommending—and that is already in use in several countries, including Norway and parts of the U.S. I urge you to take a few moments to read the entire article. Please also share it with your friends, family members, coworkers, and neighbors. This is truly the kind of story that can move hearts and minds.Just a few years ago, the thought that a prominent food magazine like Gourmet would publish such a piece would have been preposterous. Our work has made a big difference, and despite the fact that progress isn't being made as quickly as we would like it to be, it is being made. None of this would be possible without your support. Thank you.For all animals,Ingrid E. NewkirkPresident
A View to a Killby Daniel ZwerdlingThe executives who run America's chicken industry might not want you to read this article. Spokesmen at the five biggest companies refused to show me the farms where their suppliers raise the chickens you eat, so that I could see firsthand how they treat them. They refused to show me the slaughterhouses, so I could see how the companies dispatch them. Executives even refused to talk to me about how they raise and kill chickens.Maybe it's because they realize that the entire food industry is being kicked and shoved toward transforming the way it treats animals-and chicken executives are making a last ditch effort to resist.Consider: In the first year of the millennium, McDonald's ordered the huge beef slaughterhouses that supply its Big Macs to revamp their methods, after investigative reports revealed that many cattle become frantic during their final minutes, and that workers were even hacking up some animals that were still alive. Today, the chain's cattle have to be calm as they march to their deaths; if they moo too much, the slaughterhouses could lose McDonald's business.Last November, while the rest of the nation was voting to change the face of Congress, citizens in Arizona were casting their ballots to help pigs. By an overwhelming margin, they passed the Humane Treatment of Farm Animals Act—which prohibits local growers from using the standard industry practice of raising sows in confinement pens so tiny that the animals can't even turn around.In January, executives at America's top hog producer, Smithfield Foods, stunned competitors by vowing to phase out all their confinement pens across the country. Their sows can now amble around. And in March, Burger King promised to buy as many pigs as possible from farms that don't confine them and as many eggs as possible produced by cage-free hens.These are astonishing developments-especially when you consider that only ten years ago, industry leaders shrugged off the animal welfare movement as the province of kooks. Click here to read more.
This message was sent to mediastupor@yahoo.com. Visit your subscription management page to modify your e-mail communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop e-mail from PETA's Online Community, click to unsubscribe yourself from our lists (or reply via e-mail with "remove" in the subject line). This e-mail was sent by: PETA 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510United States
I would like to share a terrific article from the June issue of Gourmet magazine with you. The article details the lives and deaths of chickens who are used for food and is a powerful indictment of the practices that take place in American slaughterhouses, which cause tremendous suffering for chickens in their last moments of life. It also examines the viable alternative method of slaughter that PETA has been recommending—and that is already in use in several countries, including Norway and parts of the U.S. I urge you to take a few moments to read the entire article. Please also share it with your friends, family members, coworkers, and neighbors. This is truly the kind of story that can move hearts and minds.Just a few years ago, the thought that a prominent food magazine like Gourmet would publish such a piece would have been preposterous. Our work has made a big difference, and despite the fact that progress isn't being made as quickly as we would like it to be, it is being made. None of this would be possible without your support. Thank you.For all animals,Ingrid E. NewkirkPresident
A View to a Killby Daniel ZwerdlingThe executives who run America's chicken industry might not want you to read this article. Spokesmen at the five biggest companies refused to show me the farms where their suppliers raise the chickens you eat, so that I could see firsthand how they treat them. They refused to show me the slaughterhouses, so I could see how the companies dispatch them. Executives even refused to talk to me about how they raise and kill chickens.Maybe it's because they realize that the entire food industry is being kicked and shoved toward transforming the way it treats animals-and chicken executives are making a last ditch effort to resist.Consider: In the first year of the millennium, McDonald's ordered the huge beef slaughterhouses that supply its Big Macs to revamp their methods, after investigative reports revealed that many cattle become frantic during their final minutes, and that workers were even hacking up some animals that were still alive. Today, the chain's cattle have to be calm as they march to their deaths; if they moo too much, the slaughterhouses could lose McDonald's business.Last November, while the rest of the nation was voting to change the face of Congress, citizens in Arizona were casting their ballots to help pigs. By an overwhelming margin, they passed the Humane Treatment of Farm Animals Act—which prohibits local growers from using the standard industry practice of raising sows in confinement pens so tiny that the animals can't even turn around.In January, executives at America's top hog producer, Smithfield Foods, stunned competitors by vowing to phase out all their confinement pens across the country. Their sows can now amble around. And in March, Burger King promised to buy as many pigs as possible from farms that don't confine them and as many eggs as possible produced by cage-free hens.These are astonishing developments-especially when you consider that only ten years ago, industry leaders shrugged off the animal welfare movement as the province of kooks. Click here to read more.
This message was sent to mediastupor@yahoo.com. Visit your subscription management page to modify your e-mail communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop e-mail from PETA's Online Community, click to unsubscribe yourself from our lists (or reply via e-mail with "remove" in the subject line). This e-mail was sent by: PETA 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510United States
नो मोरे ब्लड फ़ॉर oil
No More Blood For Oil
Next time you fork over your hard-earned money to fill your tank, paying double what you were a few years ago for your commute, consider the TRUE cost of America's dependence on foreign oil. Our country's thirst for oil has sparked a war that has cut people's lives unnecessarily short, devastated families, and left a trail of destruction that continues to spiral out of control.
No More Blood for Oil - Click here to watch the ad
Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate that has voted “No” for the invasion of Iraq, and the only candidate to vote against funding for this occupation. Dennis has been at the forefront of this debate and continues to be a proven leader in curtailing our addiction to foreign oil through fostering alternative fuel programs. We need your help to spread this message to American Voters.
Your contribution of $100 now or a commitment of $10 each month will enable us to continue to make ads such as this one. Help us educate American voters about the true costs of our oil economy. Help us build a country that relies on renewable clean sources of energy. Help us build a country that believes in the Prosperity of Peace.
We must demand there be NO MORE BLOOD FOR OIL.
Together we can be the difference; Together we will build a better America!
Click Here to support Peace!
Best regards, Mike KleinCampaign ManagerKucinich for President 2008http://kucinich.us
P.S. Don’t forget to forward this message to a friend. Our campaign counts on supporters like you to help spread our Message.
Paid for by Kucinich for President 2008
Forward email
Next time you fork over your hard-earned money to fill your tank, paying double what you were a few years ago for your commute, consider the TRUE cost of America's dependence on foreign oil. Our country's thirst for oil has sparked a war that has cut people's lives unnecessarily short, devastated families, and left a trail of destruction that continues to spiral out of control.
No More Blood for Oil - Click here to watch the ad
Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate that has voted “No” for the invasion of Iraq, and the only candidate to vote against funding for this occupation. Dennis has been at the forefront of this debate and continues to be a proven leader in curtailing our addiction to foreign oil through fostering alternative fuel programs. We need your help to spread this message to American Voters.
Your contribution of $100 now or a commitment of $10 each month will enable us to continue to make ads such as this one. Help us educate American voters about the true costs of our oil economy. Help us build a country that relies on renewable clean sources of energy. Help us build a country that believes in the Prosperity of Peace.
We must demand there be NO MORE BLOOD FOR OIL.
Together we can be the difference; Together we will build a better America!
Click Here to support Peace!
Best regards, Mike KleinCampaign ManagerKucinich for President 2008http://kucinich.us
P.S. Don’t forget to forward this message to a friend. Our campaign counts on supporters like you to help spread our Message.
Paid for by Kucinich for President 2008
Forward email
January 12, 2007
Cleveland rocks. Richmond sucks.
Well, it turns out that Cleveland sucks too. So I've changed the title of this blog to "Is Richmond burning?" The new location is at http://stuntedgrowth.vox.com.
August 25, 2006
My idea of gun control
Little Bill Daggett: Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!
Bill Munny: He should have armed himself if he was goin' to decorate his saloon with my friend.
- Unforgiven
Photo by Flickr friend Cindy Nguyen of Flickr friend Amy Nguyen
Bill Munny: He should have armed himself if he was goin' to decorate his saloon with my friend.
- Unforgiven
Photo by Flickr friend Cindy Nguyen of Flickr friend Amy Nguyen
August 23, 2006
I got a name
Cleveland rocks, Richmond sucks has moved to my personal domain. (Hey, I am the master of my own domain, and don't you forget it. This isn't Shoe City. This is my city.)
August 22, 2006
Smokin'
A blonde Barbie (looked like Charlize Theron, she did) waitress from the Tobacco Company restaurant once picked me up in the James Branch Cabell Library at Virginia Commonwealth University. She wanted me to go down there and spend a lot of money on me getting to know her before I or she decided it was worth getting involved with eachother. Which is pretty much what dating is all about. Spending money on women in restaurants before deciding they're worth the time and trouble of further involvement.
I declined the offer because I'm not interested in going to restaurants that are named after an industry that will kill a billion people in this century (Richmond Times-Dispatch).
What's next: Auschwitz Pizza Ovens (coming soon to a neighborhood near you)?
I declined the offer because I'm not interested in going to restaurants that are named after an industry that will kill a billion people in this century (Richmond Times-Dispatch).
What's next: Auschwitz Pizza Ovens (coming soon to a neighborhood near you)?
Going to school
You can learn from anyone, even if it's what not to do. As a speaker at a George Wallace rally told me in 1968, even a stopped clock is right two times a day. I went to school on the University of Virginia for five years and I learned two things:
1) A sociology professor told me, "The system always looks functional from the top." I already knew that. I have a B.A. in sociology. But it never hurts to go back to the basics.
2) How to make a livable city from William Whyte at the School of Architecture.
I went to school on Virginia Commonwealth University for 10 years and I learned two things:
1) VCU sucks.
2) Eugene Trani, president of VCU, can kiss my ass.
1) A sociology professor told me, "The system always looks functional from the top." I already knew that. I have a B.A. in sociology. But it never hurts to go back to the basics.
2) How to make a livable city from William Whyte at the School of Architecture.
I went to school on Virginia Commonwealth University for 10 years and I learned two things:
1) VCU sucks.
2) Eugene Trani, president of VCU, can kiss my ass.
How I feel about African-Americans
What DeGaulle said about France.
For the record, I would like to say that I feel the same way about Ms. Janeane Garofalo. DeGaulle also said, "The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs."
Come to think of it, DeGaulle's sentiments probably reflect the way Moses felt about the Jews. DeGaulle also said, "Diplomats are useful only in fair weather. As soon as it rains they drown in every drop."
For the record, I would like to say that I feel the same way about Ms. Janeane Garofalo. DeGaulle also said, "The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs."
Come to think of it, DeGaulle's sentiments probably reflect the way Moses felt about the Jews. DeGaulle also said, "Diplomats are useful only in fair weather. As soon as it rains they drown in every drop."
I'm blowing up
I've opened up a third front - The Richmond Times-Dispatch. I hope I don't fall off a cliff. I'm going to out-Hitler Hitler. I'm going to be more popular than Jesus. Ooops...
Are the Jews an endangered species?
There are only 14 millions Jews on the entire planet, according to Glenn Beck. Hmmm, should we make them an endangered species?
HAWHAWHAW. That was a joke, and a double-edged one at that. Please, no angry letters from handmaidens of Israel like the AJC, AIPAC, and the B'nai Brith. Also, no mouthing off from the Simon Wiesenthal Center. I don't want your mouth anywhere near me. I know where it's been - firmly affixed to crypto-Nazi Arnold Schwarzenegger's ass.
Whatsamatta u Jews? You people just don't have a sense of humor. You lose it at Auschwitz?
I can make these kinds of jokes because I'm Jewish. I'm sure if you go back far enough, you can find Jews in my woodpile, er, ancestry.
HAWHAWHAW. That was a joke, and a double-edged one at that. Please, no angry letters from handmaidens of Israel like the AJC, AIPAC, and the B'nai Brith. Also, no mouthing off from the Simon Wiesenthal Center. I don't want your mouth anywhere near me. I know where it's been - firmly affixed to crypto-Nazi Arnold Schwarzenegger's ass.
Whatsamatta u Jews? You people just don't have a sense of humor. You lose it at Auschwitz?
I can make these kinds of jokes because I'm Jewish. I'm sure if you go back far enough, you can find Jews in my woodpile, er, ancestry.
August 18, 2006
Rush hour
At five o'clock it's much too crowded (too crowded)Much too crowded (too crowded)Much too crowded (too crowded)Too crowded for meCouldn't get through to you babyOh, it's too crowded - The Soul Survivors
Trying to get through the sidewalk in front of the Capitol City Coffeehouse was nearly impossible because of the dense foot traffic. My dogma was nearly run over by my karma. All those people and tables obstructed the sidewalk (a capital offense at Virginia Commonwealth University.) I was tempted to make a citizen's arrest but declined.
Trying to get through the sidewalk in front of the Capitol City Coffeehouse was nearly impossible because of the dense foot traffic. My dogma was nearly run over by my karma. All those people and tables obstructed the sidewalk (a capital offense at Virginia Commonwealth University.) I was tempted to make a citizen's arrest but declined.
Sgt. Pepper and the Bad Lieutenant decline the invitation
You're invited to a retirement party for the Virginia Commonwealth University chief of police and Officer M. Franklin. The chief's distinguished record is even more impressive because he recently confessed to me, "I can't read." VCU President Eugene Trani said he was so impressed by the willingness of the chief and Officer Franklin to take a bullet for VCU that Trani was freeing them in his will.
When reached for comment, Officer Taylor said, "Fall mountain, just don't fall on me."
The powerful Tarheel in administration with the snazzy sports car was unavailable for comment. She was too busy cleaning out her desk and getting escorted off campus by Mean Mr. Mustache, the scrawny-ass bicycycle cop, who then escorted himself off campus, pointing his finger at everyone he met.
RSVP TBA CYA
When reached for comment, Officer Taylor said, "Fall mountain, just don't fall on me."
The powerful Tarheel in administration with the snazzy sports car was unavailable for comment. She was too busy cleaning out her desk and getting escorted off campus by Mean Mr. Mustache, the scrawny-ass bicycycle cop, who then escorted himself off campus, pointing his finger at everyone he met.
RSVP TBA CYA
Why? Why? Why?
In response to my post about racism at the Watermelon Festival, someone asked, "Why don't you move?" This a non sequitor and non-starter, to which I reply, "Why don't you move because you're the sort of person that tolerates this crap?" You should be ashamed and instead you suggest that I move. However, to show that I am the magnamimous person that I am, I have set up the Movin' Chris On Up Fund. Send all contributions to P.O. Box 11242, Richmond, VA 22320. I reserve the right if it never amounts to a hill of beans to spend the money on $1.00 expresso shots (50 cents for refills) at Can Can in Carytown instead.
A related question, by a man who stopped me and asked for a light: "Why you got to make things so hot?"
If you're referring to the August climate, I have nothing to do with that. If I could afford it, I would live in Rockport, Maine in August. If you're referring to the disturbed equalibrium in the structure which is Richmond, and which makes people feel uncomfortable, it's what I do.
A related question, by a man who stopped me and asked for a light: "Why you got to make things so hot?"
If you're referring to the August climate, I have nothing to do with that. If I could afford it, I would live in Rockport, Maine in August. If you're referring to the disturbed equalibrium in the structure which is Richmond, and which makes people feel uncomfortable, it's what I do.
I hate Canada
I don't know why people keep suggesting I go to Canada. Somehow it lacks the ring of Dwight D. Eisenhower saying, "I will go to Korea." I wouldn't even go to Canada when I was on the verge of being drafted during the Vietnam War, which tells you something. Nothing good has ever come out of Canada except for universal health care, cheap pharmaceuticals, and legalized marijuana and prostitution. On the other hand, they've exported Martin Short and Dan Aykroyd, responsible for "The Three Amigos," so it's a net loss. They're also responsible for the sex-mad, mad dogs and Canadians, crazy Samantha Burns. One of my first acts as president will be to sign an executive order deporting them, along with Steve Martin, for that crime against humanity.
Does Canada have any reason for continuing to exist, particularly after French Canadian independence and the overthrow of British royalty? If you don't knock off this visit Canada stuff - I'm going to visit Canada all right - to finish what Benedict Arnold started.
Does Canada have any reason for continuing to exist, particularly after French Canadian independence and the overthrow of British royalty? If you don't knock off this visit Canada stuff - I'm going to visit Canada all right - to finish what Benedict Arnold started.
Expresso love - Dire Straits
She gets the sun in the daytime
Perfume in the dusk
And she comes out in the night time
With the honeysuckle musk
Because she smells just like a rose
And she tastes just like a peach
She got me walking where the wildlife goes
I'd do anything to reach her
And she was made in heaven
Heaven's in the world
Is this just expresso love
You know I'm crazy for the girl
She calls me just to talk
She's my lover, she's a friend of mine
She says, hey, mister you wanna take a walk
In the wild West End sometime
And I get trouble with my breathing
She says, boys don't know anything
But I know what I want
I want everything
Well I feel so good cos I feel so good
And I feel so good cos it feels so right
I was made to go with my girl
Like a saxophone was made to go with the night
And she can raise one eyebrow
Put her hand on my hip
And I close one eye now
Sweat on her lip
And I surrender to the fever
I surrender to the will of the night
She love me so tender, I got to believe her
Love? Expresso love's alright
I don't want no sugar in it
Thank you very much
All wired up on it all fired up on it
Expresso touch
Hey maestro, expresso
It's just another one, just like the other one
Hey maestro, expresso
Is this another one just like the other one?
Perfume in the dusk
And she comes out in the night time
With the honeysuckle musk
Because she smells just like a rose
And she tastes just like a peach
She got me walking where the wildlife goes
I'd do anything to reach her
And she was made in heaven
Heaven's in the world
Is this just expresso love
You know I'm crazy for the girl
She calls me just to talk
She's my lover, she's a friend of mine
She says, hey, mister you wanna take a walk
In the wild West End sometime
And I get trouble with my breathing
She says, boys don't know anything
But I know what I want
I want everything
Well I feel so good cos I feel so good
And I feel so good cos it feels so right
I was made to go with my girl
Like a saxophone was made to go with the night
And she can raise one eyebrow
Put her hand on my hip
And I close one eye now
Sweat on her lip
And I surrender to the fever
I surrender to the will of the night
She love me so tender, I got to believe her
Love? Expresso love's alright
I don't want no sugar in it
Thank you very much
All wired up on it all fired up on it
Expresso touch
Hey maestro, expresso
It's just another one, just like the other one
Hey maestro, expresso
Is this another one just like the other one?
The Dirty Boulevard - Lou Reed
Pedro lives out of the Wilshire Hotel
He looks out a window without glass
The walls are made of cardboard, newspapers on his feet
His father beats him 'cause he's too tired to beg
He's got 9 brothers and sisters, they're brought up on their
knees
It's hard to run when a coat hanger beats you on the things
Pedro dreams of being older and killing the old man
but that's a slim chance he's going to the boulevard
He's going to end up, on the dirty boulevard
He's going out, to the dirty boulevard
He's going down, to the dirty boulevard
This room cost 2,000 dollars a month, you can believe it man
it's true
Somewhere a landlord's laughing till he wets his pants
No one here dreams of being a doctor or a lawyer or anything
they dream of dealing on the dirty boulevard
Give me your hungry, your tired, your poor, I'll piss on 'em
That's what the Statue of Bigotry says
Your poor huddled masses, let's club 'em to death
and get it over with and just dump 'em on the boulevard
Going to end up, on the dirty boulevard
Going out, to the dirty boulevard
He's going down, on the dirty boulevard
Going out
Outside it's a bright night, there's an opera at Lincoln
Center
Movie stars arrive by limousine
The klieg lights shoot up over the skyline of Manhattan
But the lights are out on the mean streets
A small kid stands by the Lincoln Tunnel
He's selling plastic roses for a buck
The traffic's backed up to 39th street
The tv whores are calling the cops out for a suck
And back at the Wilshire, Pedro sits there dreaming
He's found a book on magic in a garbage can
He looks at the pictures and stares at the cracked ceiling
"At the count of 3" he says, "I hope I can disappear"
And fly fly away, from this dirty boulevard
I want to fly, from dirty boulevard
I want to fly, from dirty boulevard
I want to fly, fly, fly, fly, from dirty boulevard
I want to fly away
I want to fly
Fly, fly away
I want to fly
Fly, fly away
Fly, fly, fly
Fly, fly away
Fly away
He looks out a window without glass
The walls are made of cardboard, newspapers on his feet
His father beats him 'cause he's too tired to beg
He's got 9 brothers and sisters, they're brought up on their
knees
It's hard to run when a coat hanger beats you on the things
Pedro dreams of being older and killing the old man
but that's a slim chance he's going to the boulevard
He's going to end up, on the dirty boulevard
He's going out, to the dirty boulevard
He's going down, to the dirty boulevard
This room cost 2,000 dollars a month, you can believe it man
it's true
Somewhere a landlord's laughing till he wets his pants
No one here dreams of being a doctor or a lawyer or anything
they dream of dealing on the dirty boulevard
Give me your hungry, your tired, your poor, I'll piss on 'em
That's what the Statue of Bigotry says
Your poor huddled masses, let's club 'em to death
and get it over with and just dump 'em on the boulevard
Going to end up, on the dirty boulevard
Going out, to the dirty boulevard
He's going down, on the dirty boulevard
Going out
Outside it's a bright night, there's an opera at Lincoln
Center
Movie stars arrive by limousine
The klieg lights shoot up over the skyline of Manhattan
But the lights are out on the mean streets
A small kid stands by the Lincoln Tunnel
He's selling plastic roses for a buck
The traffic's backed up to 39th street
The tv whores are calling the cops out for a suck
And back at the Wilshire, Pedro sits there dreaming
He's found a book on magic in a garbage can
He looks at the pictures and stares at the cracked ceiling
"At the count of 3" he says, "I hope I can disappear"
And fly fly away, from this dirty boulevard
I want to fly, from dirty boulevard
I want to fly, from dirty boulevard
I want to fly, fly, fly, fly, from dirty boulevard
I want to fly away
I want to fly
Fly, fly away
I want to fly
Fly, fly away
Fly, fly, fly
Fly, fly away
Fly away
August 15, 2006
My favorite line from "Raw Deal"
Arnold Schwarzenegger tells sniveling prosecutor Joe Regalbuto, "Resign or be prosecuted."
It's just another day in paradise
It's 5:45 a.m. and a African-American police officer has been waiting for me to walk by in front of Richmond Police Department headquarters. He says, "What's up?" I don't respond, which disrespects him. Every black man and woman in America is automatically entitled to my respect, until they do something to earn my disrespect, like don the uniform of the RPD (Report-Takers Police Department).
One of the guys who runs the Freedom House soup kitchen at the Salvation Army asks me if I still work at Tiffany's. (Hey, I really do have wax in my left ear, compacted from putting in a hearing protection plug at a Rachel Leyco Band show.) I used to know his name, but I forgot. If I were casting "The Mike Tyson Story," he'd be a trainer or cut man. If I were having a wedding reception, I'd hire him to be a bouncer and to tell the guests it's time to get to stepping. How do you know you're finished... I'm a little groggy at 6 a.m. but I realize it's another "Joan of Arcadia" moment courtesy of Janeane Garofalo. I don't have breakfast at Tiffany's, nor do I buy any rings there. And I guess that Janeane thinks she's Audrey Hepburn and I'm George Peppard or OMG, OMG I'm Buddy Ebsen - eewww!- and I should watch the movie for important clues. The only problem is that I'm still decoding the secret messages in a stack of "Badly Drawn Boy" CDs. Audrey Hepburn was 5', 7" and Janeane is 5', 1" though their weight is almost the same (Janeane weighs 99 pounds, Audrey, 110). Anyhoo, my favorite Hepburn film is "Two for the Road." And I get all my jewelry at Don Dransfeld in Shockhoe Slip, jeweler to the has-been stars, or at least one of them...
We off the block this year
Went from a little to a lot this year
Everybody mad at the rocks that I wear
I know where I'm goin' and I know where I'm from
You hear LOX in your ear
Yea, we're at the airport out decline from the block
Where everybody air-forced-out
With a new white Tee, you fresh
Nothin' phony with us, make the money, get the mansion, bring the homies with us
Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got
I'm still, I'm still Jenny from the block
Used to have a little, now I have a lot
No matter where I go, I know where I came from (from the Bronx!)
- Jennifer Lopez
But don't let it be a black and a white one
Cuz they slam ya down to the street top
Black police showin out for the white cop
- Fuck Tha' Police, NWA
One of the guys who runs the Freedom House soup kitchen at the Salvation Army asks me if I still work at Tiffany's. (Hey, I really do have wax in my left ear, compacted from putting in a hearing protection plug at a Rachel Leyco Band show.) I used to know his name, but I forgot. If I were casting "The Mike Tyson Story," he'd be a trainer or cut man. If I were having a wedding reception, I'd hire him to be a bouncer and to tell the guests it's time to get to stepping. How do you know you're finished... I'm a little groggy at 6 a.m. but I realize it's another "Joan of Arcadia" moment courtesy of Janeane Garofalo. I don't have breakfast at Tiffany's, nor do I buy any rings there. And I guess that Janeane thinks she's Audrey Hepburn and I'm George Peppard or OMG, OMG I'm Buddy Ebsen - eewww!- and I should watch the movie for important clues. The only problem is that I'm still decoding the secret messages in a stack of "Badly Drawn Boy" CDs. Audrey Hepburn was 5', 7" and Janeane is 5', 1" though their weight is almost the same (Janeane weighs 99 pounds, Audrey, 110). Anyhoo, my favorite Hepburn film is "Two for the Road." And I get all my jewelry at Don Dransfeld in Shockhoe Slip, jeweler to the has-been stars, or at least one of them...
We off the block this year
Went from a little to a lot this year
Everybody mad at the rocks that I wear
I know where I'm goin' and I know where I'm from
You hear LOX in your ear
Yea, we're at the airport out decline from the block
Where everybody air-forced-out
With a new white Tee, you fresh
Nothin' phony with us, make the money, get the mansion, bring the homies with us
Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got
I'm still, I'm still Jenny from the block
Used to have a little, now I have a lot
No matter where I go, I know where I came from (from the Bronx!)
- Jennifer Lopez
The Surreal Life, or nothing new under the sun, my ass
Sunday, I found myself in front of the First Baptist Church on the Boulevard talking with an employee of the company that invented LSD about international water sports.
Fixin' to fly blues
I'm glad that I very rarely fly (my arms get tired - OK, I stole that joke). That means I can skip over all those stories about airlines and terrorism - saves a lot of time. I feel sorry for the rest of you, though. By the time this is all over, you're going to be flying in the nude (OK, I stole that joke) - which is a pretty frightening thought because some people need to keep their clothes on.
August 14, 2006
You ain't done nothing
Woke up Sunday morning at 12:35 to the sound of loud music, laughter, and the clinking of glasses. The people in the house behind me are having a party. I tell then to knock it off or I'm calling the police. I trudge down to the station to save minutes on my cell phone. Why get the runaround on the phone and spend money when I can get the runaround in person and save? The person behind the desk tells me the party patrol will check it out. The party ends after many amplified expressions of the n-word and various other obscenities at 2:30 a.m. - voluntarily.
I trudge down to the police station later Sunday morning where an Asian policewoman tells me what I already know - that they can't do anything once the party is over - and what I don't know - that the party patrol doesn't work in my area, only in the Fan District. But it's nice to know that the Richmond Police Department is not just misinformed and ineffectual - it's diverse and misinformed and ineffectual.
Hey, guys, to paraphrase Robert Townsend, if you want to sit on your ass and talk about sports and vacations, there are plenty of good jobs at the VCU James Branch Cabell Library reference desk.
I trudge down to the police station later Sunday morning where an Asian policewoman tells me what I already know - that they can't do anything once the party is over - and what I don't know - that the party patrol doesn't work in my area, only in the Fan District. But it's nice to know that the Richmond Police Department is not just misinformed and ineffectual - it's diverse and misinformed and ineffectual.
Hey, guys, to paraphrase Robert Townsend, if you want to sit on your ass and talk about sports and vacations, there are plenty of good jobs at the VCU James Branch Cabell Library reference desk.
The Watermelon Man
I went to the Watermelon Festival in Carytown Sunday. Heard: a volunteer at the Libertarian Party booth say the n-word. Maybe that's why they meet in the 7500 block of Broad Street instead of downtown. The Libertarians want to take over New Hampshire so that they can be with their own kind. I hope they secede - oops -succeed. Live frei or die, say I. One thing is certain: they'll have a white Christmas. Seen: a Confederate flag on the back of someone's shirt in the milling crowd. And of course, booths for those two sons of bitches, er, the Confederacy, George Felix Allen and Jim "Manchurian Man" Webb, both culpable in perpetuating a dangerous myth, that dying for slavery is a noble cause. Not seen: black musicians with a few exceptions. I did find a theme for any future candidacies: "It's not easy being sleazy" by the Dirty Truth - or maybe I should let Bill Clinton have it. And then there was the Stepin Fetchit (or was it Bojangles? - it's so hard to keep my racist icons straight) knockoff dancing in front of the crowd listening to the band. Creeped me out, it did.
We don't know what the secret formula for Kentucky Fried Chicken is. Maybe the secret ingredient of the Carytown Watermelon Festival is racism. I don't know. I'm just a fruit trader.
You never turned around to see the frowns
on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all come down and did tricks for you. - Bob Dylan
We don't know what the secret formula for Kentucky Fried Chicken is. Maybe the secret ingredient of the Carytown Watermelon Festival is racism. I don't know. I'm just a fruit trader.
August 10, 2006
I toasted your ass. You're my bitch now. - Gerard Mulligan, the David Letterman Show
I've opened up a second front. Hey, it worked for Hitler in Russia, huh? Walking back and forth this morning outside the Virginia Commonwealth University police station on West Grace Street with a sign that reads, "Kiss my ass, Eugene Trani." A woman cadet or intern with short red hair opens the door and suggests I take my sign elsewhere, preferably to Eugene Trani's office on West Franklin. I say First Amendment yada, yada, yada. She gives me the address. An officer says he's offended by the language on the sign. I say you can hear the same language on late night talk shows. I say I'm offended by guys who don't wear shirts, but there's no law against it. He says some people are offended by novelty t-shirts such as the one I'm wearing that says,"Whoever said, 'Money can't buy happiness' forgot about prostitution." I say some people are offended by overweight guys. He asks if I think he's overweight. I suggest he ask his doctor. I say that some people are offended by lesbians. At which point, the cadet or intern calls me "Jack" and closes the door. Yet another candidate for a refresher course in customer relations. My name is not Jack - Tripper or Ripper. My name is Chris Martin - yes, Gwyneth Paltrow made a horrible mistake which she regrets every day. The whole encounter has a surrealistic feel - like the the Knights of the Round Table at the French castle in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," with me as a stand-in in for the knights and the VCU police being the French:
I upgrade my sign at Pla-Za Art (reasonable prices for FoamCore) and move on to Eugene Trani's office. It's called hydraulics, Eugene. You pressure me and I transfer the pressure back to you.
Thanks to Janeane Garofalo for being my nasty girl
French Soldier: You don't frighten us, English pig dogs. Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you, so-called "Arthur King," you and all your silly English K-nig-hts.
I upgrade my sign at Pla-Za Art (reasonable prices for FoamCore) and move on to Eugene Trani's office. It's called hydraulics, Eugene. You pressure me and I transfer the pressure back to you.
Thanks to Janeane Garofalo for being my nasty girl
August 09, 2006
Submitted for your approval
I just rented a movie on Netflix which looks great on my new plasma TV and Truetech DVD player from Target. It's called Get Shorty.
August 08, 2006
Ooh, my years are burning
David Brooks' column in The New York Times August 3, 2006 was a thinly-veiled dig at me for being lazy. At least he didn't call me shiftless, good-for-nothing, and no-count. Nationally-known hacks like David Brooks can't believe there's someone out in the sticks who can write better, funnier, and more perceptively than they. I know it. I own it. They do too. And unlike them, and like George Orwell, I don't just talk the talk. I walk the walk.
David, like many other immature adults, is feeling guilty or acting out in the hopes of getting spanked. Like children, they want attention, whether it's positive or negative, for things they have done or left undone. If it's any comfort, David, your spanking is coming. You don't have a lifetime sinecure like William Safire. Once I get my hands on the Times, I'm going to fire you. (And start competing newspapers in Richmond, Virginia and Washington, D.C. and put The Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Washington Post out of business, but that's another story.)
Many readers no doubt observed that if today's prostate-age moocher wanted to loaf around the house all day reading books and tossing off their vacuous opnions into the ether, they should have had the foresight to become newspaper columnists. [Been there, done that. I wrote essays predicting what would happen in Fallujah and Iraq months and years before Thomas Friedman got his head out of the sand and/or his butt. Gail Collins, the editor of The New York Times editorial page knows it because I sent her the essays. And he knows it too because he has acknowledged it in his column. Actually, early in my newspaper career, a Duke Power executive who knew the editor of the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal kept urging me to apply there. Only one problem: I didn't want to work for The Wall Street Journal. I still don't. I wrote a magazine column for the late-lamented indie Eye magazine in the nineties. I wrote a column on Apple and Macintosh for Macopinion.com. I also worked for The New York Times and it didn't take me long to figure out that I was smarter and more talented than Hedrick Smith, R.W. Apple, Sy Hersh, Joe Lelyveld, Eugene Roberts, Bill Kovach, Clifton Daniel, Scotty Reston, and a host of other Timesies. But I never advanced because of Ivy-league prejudice and political patronage - I lost my job to a Bella Abzug employee - which why I have hated feminists, feminism, and loud women in funny hats ever since.]
Others will note sardonically that the only really vibrant counter-culture in the United States today is laziness. [I get more done doing nothing than you'll ever by working, David. Study the Tao Teh Ching and BTO for more on this. I love to work at nothing all day.] But I try not to judge these gentlemen too harshly. What I see is a migration of values. Once upon a time, middle-clas men would have judged their dignity by their ability to work hard, provide for the familiies, and live as sel-reliant members of society. But these fellows, to judge by their quotations, define their dignity, not by their achievement, but by their autonomy, by their distance from anything dishonorably menial or compulsory ["Dishonorably menial or compulsory." That sounds like a newspaper column. Especially ones endorsing the US effort in Iraq. As for achievement, just because you can't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Like George Bailey, I am a wonderment.]
In other words, the values that used to prevail among the manorial estates have migrated to parts of the mass society while the grinding work ethic of the immigrant prevails in the stratosphere. [I certainly don't believe in heavy lifting. As Robert Fritz says, let the tool do the work.]
David, like many other immature adults, is feeling guilty or acting out in the hopes of getting spanked. Like children, they want attention, whether it's positive or negative, for things they have done or left undone. If it's any comfort, David, your spanking is coming. You don't have a lifetime sinecure like William Safire. Once I get my hands on the Times, I'm going to fire you. (And start competing newspapers in Richmond, Virginia and Washington, D.C. and put The Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Washington Post out of business, but that's another story.)
August 04, 2006
Lights out at Night Out
I went to a Byrd Park neighborhood block party Monday. A woman was at a table gathering signatures opposing the Virginia constitutional amendment against gay marriage. I told her I was sitting this one out because the gays in the state didn't support my campaign against state sodomy laws. I told her I didn't appreciate Jon Klein of Diversity Thrift, one of the leaders of the Richmond, Virginia gay community, hitting on me when he knew I was straight. No means no. That's rude, and will get your ass kicked in some places - killed in others. I also didn't appreciate the obstructionist attitude of the gay lobbyist to the General Ass-embly. The woman gathering signatures said her lesbian friends didn't hit on her. I had to bite my tongue to stop from suggesting she get a decent haircut, develop a fashion sense, lose weight, go to the gym, and use makeup. Then get back to me with a progress report on her lesbian friends.
All this whining by gays about how biology is destiny, yet gays can't resist trying to convert people. And then they wonder why they lose amendment votes. To paraphrase Academy Award winner and recent Hollywood Walk of Famer Jamie Foxx in "The Truth about Cats and Dogs," the problem is they're not letting their brain do their thinking.
All this whining by gays about how biology is destiny, yet gays can't resist trying to convert people. And then they wonder why they lose amendment votes. To paraphrase Academy Award winner and recent Hollywood Walk of Famer Jamie Foxx in "The Truth about Cats and Dogs," the problem is they're not letting their brain do their thinking.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
About Me
- Chris Martin
- "...the quintessential everyman, he's a little bit of everything that we're all striving for... mostly the search for the truth in our lives. From poignant notions of love to our own inescapable lascivious tendencies, from mundane to the outlandish, on that journey we face tough questions, but even tougher decisions. He'll take you on his journey and back, he won't promise you enlightenment (who can?), but you can at least be assured of a good time. Thanks..." - boyzco