Politics
Entries related to things political.
Clinton, Edwards and the Enabling Act of 2008
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Thu, 01/24/2008 - 21:44(Initially posted on DailyKos)
I don’t like attack diaries, but today is too important a day and the emails I got today were too important to leave without highlighting them. I am on the Clinton and the Edwards mailing lists. Here is what I got from the two campaigns:
Chelsea Clinton wrote to say:
I love talking to people who are thinking about supporting my mom -- about why I believe in her and why I support her as a young American, a woman, and her daughter!
I also love talking to people who already support my mom's campaign. Every day, when people tell me they're voting for my mom, putting their faith in her, using their voice to encourage others to support her and working hard for her, I grow more proud.
I've been campaigning with her across the country -- and I'm definitely planning on being at the next debate. Would you like to join me? The campaign is picking an online supporter to watch the January 31 debate in Los Angeles with me and to meet my mom. I know she'll be thrilled to meet you -- she is so grateful for how much every supporter has done for her campaign.
John Edwards wrote to say:
When it comes to protecting the rule of law, words are not enough. We need action.
It's wrong for your government to spy on you. That's why I'm asking you to join me today in calling on Senate Democrats to filibuster revisions to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that would give "retroactive immunity" to the giant telecom companies for their role in aiding George W. Bush's illegal eavesdropping on American citizens.
The Senate is debating this issue right now -- which is why we must act right now. You can call your Senators here:
I’ll give you three guesses about who I’m supporting. The first two don’t count, and if you are a major telecom corporation, the third doesn’t either.
One person responded talking about a pie recipe fundraising letter that the Edwards campaign sent out some time ago. Another person noted that an important aspect is the timing of the emails, and sending a fluffy email on a day like today is ‘tone deaf’.
I responded,
I think you captured some of my thinking quite nicely there. I actually think there is an important place for emails like the one that Chelsea sent on behalf of her mom, as well as the apple pie recipe that the Edwards campaign sent out.
My daughter Fiona was out on the campaign trail when she two years old handing out palm cards saying 'Vote for Mommy!' She had fun, she got people to listen to my wife's message.
This is about things like caring for our family. Yet, personally, I take the issue setting corporations above the law if they are serving a unitary executive branch very very seriously and so the fluffiness of Chelsea's email really grated at me today. On a different day, I might have found it cute.
Personally, I tend to think that a better name for retroactive immunity might be the Enabling Act of 2008. Perhaps we can manage to hold it off until March 23 and pass it as the 75th anniversary edition of a previous enabling act.
Mark Pera fundraiser in Second Life
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Mon, 01/21/2008 - 17:50This evening there will be the first political fundraiser that I know of taking place in Second Life. Details can be found in Blue Revolution’s diary on DailyKos. While the fundraiser will take place in Second Life, they are not going to have a tip jar, convert the Linden dollars and try to deal with all those issues. Instead, people are being encouraged to donate via the Second Life Democrats for Mark Pera page on ActBlue.
I would love to see these sort of events flourish as a means of drawing donors together for a fun virtual get together for those times when people can’t meet face to face. Other progressive Second Life events can be found in a different Second Life diary that has gone up today.
Martin Luther King, Jr Day 2008
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Mon, 01/21/2008 - 17:30This morning, Kim, Fiona and I went up to a Martin Luther King, Jr. day breakfast in Hartford sponsored by The Collins Foundation. The breakfast was a celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life as well as an opportunity for people to continue on Dr. King’s legacy. Money raised from the breakfast went to provide scholarships for worthy young men and women from Hartford and Bridgeport.
Many political notables attended the event to hear Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz and Congressman John Larson address the gathering. As the speeches went on, Fiona found a quiet corner to play in, during which time, she managed to lose another tooth.
Colin McEnroe was there as well. I’m not sure if it stimulated the curmudgeon in him, but today he posted this Not Nice MLK Day Thought. He asks, “Is there a worse place in America at nurturing black political talent than Connecticut?” I’ll carefully duck that question and simply note that the scholarships offered by the Collins Foundation as well as the efforts to get students from UConn Law School to mentor some of the recipients gives me hope that perhaps things are changing in Connecticut.
I look forward to see what next year’s Martin Luther Kind Jr, Day breakfast is like to get a better gauge on the progress.
Iraq's future was the focus of Paulo Casaca's talk in Second Life
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 01/19/2008 - 20:33(Initially published in SLNN.COM)
Steering clear of direct criticisms of current United States President George W. Bush, the first member of the European Parliment to speak in Second Life, spoke about the need for reconciliation within the borders of Iraq.
Media and Democracy
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Fri, 01/18/2008 - 23:27So, the candidates are "whining about the media", according to CNN's Jack Cafferty and he asks, "Is it the news media’s job to keep all the candidates happy?"
Sounds a little defensive to me, sort of like Cain responding to the Lord about the location of Able after Cain had murdered him, "Am I my brother's keeper?"
So, I left my comment there. We'll see if it makes it out of moderation.
To the extent that the media is a corporate entity, its responsibility is to maximize shareholder value by reporting what is titillating and entertaining. To the extent that it is the fourth estate and crucial to a successful government, it has a responsibility to educate and inform.
It seems as if too much of media is focus on the titillating and entertaining, on the horse race aspect of politics, the mudslinging and playing gotcha.
So, perhaps the question shouldn’t be, “Is it the news media’s job to keep all the candidates happy?” Perhaps the question for everyone who calls themselves a journalist should be, which do you love more, your paymaster or your country.
Unfortunately, I see too little love of country.
