Paul Hackett interview, Part 3

This is the third part of the interview Ohio 2nd did with Paul Hackett, in Paul's Ford truck, outside campaign headquarters, right after he dropped out of the Senate race. I should tell you that I didn't set out to transcribe what turned out to be a half hour interview, and, in fact, the first part I transcribed yesterday, I did some lengthy excerpts but by no means did I take down all of it. But the more I listened, the more I kept thinking this was good stuff, and I wanted people to have the opportunity to read what Paul had to say about these issues. I will tell you up front that while I was initially a supporter, I was troubled by some things he had said, for example, about immigration. So I was hoping to learn more. I was hoping for more of a dialog. A primary, even. Anyway I, along with my husband who got to hear all of this as I transcribed it, was very impressed with the many thoughtful, eloquent responses Paul gave, especially considering the fact that he had been up all night. This is the most impressed we've been with one of his interviews.
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Ohio 2nd: Watching you in the special, and watching you in the Senate, the thing that kind of struck me was that, in your heart you were a team player--that you didn't really like buckling against leadership. You started out by reaching out to the county chairs and made a real effort to play ball with everybody. So it kind of struck me as odd for you to be a rebel against leadership in this race.

Hackett: Well, I didn't start off as a rebel--

Ohio 2nd: Right.

Hackett: --in this race, I'd like to highlight. I was, as you know, encouraged by Senator Schumer and Senator Reid to get into this race. And, you may or may not know this, their wives called my wife, and told my wife that she's got to sacrifice and that I've got to sacrifice again for my country. And those are powerful words and pleas to a guy like me. And so, I did feel betrayed. Again, you can call me a crybaby--I'm just tellin' you how I feel--when they removed their support from me and shifted it to Sherrod Brown. Yeah, you bet. I felt betrayed. You know what? I'm a human being. I'm a human being. I bleed like everybody else, I've got emotions like everybody else, and yeah I felt betrayed by that. And struggled with how do we move forward effectively and successfully.

Ohio 2nd: What's your advice to all the people coming back from Iraq right now, working with the DCCC?

Hackett: Continue to work with them, and continue to get whatever support you can get from them, but at the same time most realistically realize ultimately you're on your own. I think that's a relatively fair unemotional appraisal of the reality. I don't think it's hypercritical, but at the same time I don't think it's naive. Work with them, get what you can from them, but realize that on any given day you're ultimately on your own.

Ohio 2nd: Well, how much faith do you put in their word. I mean, this is not the first time I've heard stories of Washington leadership on stuff that they've promised.

Hackett: Yeah...right. How much faith do I put in your word? I think it depends on who we're talking about. I wouldn't give Chuck Schumer--I'll bite my tongue on the next name so as not to hamper his electability--at least in our state, I wouldn't give Chuck Schumer's word the value of more than half a cent.

Ohio 2nd: Okay, back to the 2nd. You've got Jean Schmidt, Bob McEwen, maybe Tom Brinkman--what do you think of the chances of McEwen coming back from the dead?

Hackett: Ahhh, I still would put my money on Jean Schmidt. She will be the Republican incumbant, she does not have the scandal to deal with that Bob McEwen will have to deal with, and she has got Clermont County and maybe begrudgingly Hamilton County Cincinniati business base behind her. And I think since that's where the bulk of the votes are between Clermont and Hamilton County, she will probably survive her primary again. And I don't think Tom Brinkman's got a realistic chance. He will have no connection in the rural counties and has very limited connection in the greater Hamilton County area.

Ohio 2nd: So, are you going to run again? For anything?

Hackett: Um...boy, not today! Again, you know, the interesting aspect about media is, when it's in print, anybody can superimpose their take on the printed word, because they don't hear the facial expression or hear the tone of voice. Some people get spun up about that. I certainly don't have any plans. I don't see a need for me at this point. I don't know how to say it without sounding somewhat disrespectful, and I don't intend it that way, but I'm looking forward to going back to my private life. I really am. And at the same time, if I can lend a voice, particularly in a private capacity, to any of the issues I've spoken about and believe in, I'd be happy to. And if that's gay rights, fine. If that's choice, fine, and if that's second amendment rights, fine. And if that's do away with illegal immigrants, fine.

I mean, I believe in those issues, I continue to believe in them, and if anybody cares or wants my opinion, to share my opinion on those issues. But I've got no plans to run for political office. I'm not a career politician, I've never aspired to be a career politician. I aspired to step into what I saw as a void and answer a call, a very real call, to serve. And that was where my passion was--to serve. It's the same passion that took me into the Marine Corps, it's the same passion that got me into the congressional, it's the same passion that called me to answer the call of Reid and Schumer in the Senate race.

Ohio 2nd: You talked about illegal immigration. Can you elaborate on that, because that's probably the thing that touched off the most heated debate within the liberal wing of things.

Hackett: Man, they've got to get over it. There's 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States and there's nothing good about them. As a group. I mean, it's not a reflection of who they are as human beings. There's nothing good about illegal immigration. It's bad. It's bad for the country. And the country has to work at eliminating illegal immigration. And if we don't, it will continue to act as thumb on the scale of wages . Management's thumb on the scale of wages. It is a bad thing for America. There's nothing good about illegal immigration. It's a different conversation than legal immigration. Legal immigration is 180 degrees opposite from illegal immigration. Legal immigration is the future and lifeblood of America.

So, be honest about it, be mature about it, and accept the fact that there's nothing good about illegal immigration. And it's not a cause that either political party, in my opinion, should be advancing. And it's NOT a liberal cause. Let's work it out. Il-legal immigration. We are the Democratic party--we are for breaking the law? Give me a fucking break! It's bad. It's bad. It's got nothing to do with who you may view illegal immigrants as being. Yeah, they're human beings just like me, well, you know what, we've got starving human beings here in the United States that deserve our attention and support. And we can't be the police of the world and we can't be the hospital of the world, and we can't be the university of the world for free to those who come here illegally. If you want to participate in the American dream from outside our borders, come here legally. That's all I ask.

Ohio 2nd: So what do you do about it?

Hackett: Well, first and foremost you have to rewrite the immigration laws that were drafted in '86, and you have to strengthen the punishment against corporate America that traffics in illegal immigrants, and makes *money* off of illegal immigrants, and whose bottom line profits the rest of us taxpayers ultimately subsidize. And that's got to start first and foremost with increasing the damages and punishments for businesses and corporations that knowingly or have reason to know that they are hiring illegal immigrants. Because that is what continues in part to draw illegal immigrants to our borders.

Ohio 2nd: Okay, look. Ohio is so screwed up--the numbers are so bad for Ohio, and yet the Republicans control everything, and the poll numbers put the Democrats as doing no better than Republicans. What are we missing? What is the Democratic party missing that we're not selling ourselves?

Hackett: Well, I would even go further to say that the poll numbers don't even have the Democrats today keeping pace with the Republicans. And that's the challenge to the Democratic party and the Democratic candidates to have a message, and to meet the challenge of *inspiring* people to participate in that message and adopt that message, and see the light of that message. And then when you get done with that, as a Democrat, go find the Independents and moderate Republicans that it will take to get elected statewide. And if you are incapable as a candidate or as a party in attracting the interest and then developing that interest and exciting that interest, we're going to fail again.

I'm not saying *we are going to fail again*, I'm saying if you fail to do those things, we will surely fail again!

Ohio 2nd: Are you seeing the Democrats doing that? I'm missing it.

Hackett: As a statewide party, no. On the campaign trail, I've seen out there examples of those who seem to me at least to be making that connection, and whether or not they will get the support of the Democratic party statewide behind them in order to get the victory, that's a totally different conversation.

Ohio 2nd: Like who?

Hackett: Sibodh Chandra. And I like Sibodh and I like Mark Dann. I like 'em both and I'm not endorsing. I'm just saying Sibodh is a classic example of a guy who's an outsider, even though he's been elected and has been involved in politics, he's generally viewed as an outsider. Doesn't have a profile that superficially generates the support that my profile superficially generates. And, that's wrong. Because he's smart--again, I'm not endorsing him over Mark Dann--but just by way of example. He's smart, he's articulate, and he's experienced and eminently qualified to be Attorney General. That, again, is not to suggest that Mark Dann is not, but he does not generate the internal party support because he's Indian and therefore the assumption is that he cannot connect in the rural counties, and he's simply not a party insider. So he's not getting the support that he would otherwise receive.

Ohio 2nd: Now, you turn off the microphones and you talk to Democratic insiders, and you ask them about Chandra and Blackwell and stuff like that, and the assumption is that, when you get right down to it, most Ohio voters are racists, and they'll vote based on skin color. And that's the real tactic of how we're going to win and why Chandra would never win. Is Ohio really that racist?

Hackett: You know, I don't think so. I don't really agree with that presumption.

Ohio 2nd: I mean, I've heard it a lot. Am I know only person that's heard it?

Hackett: I don't know. I don't know how then you explain the success of a Ken Blackwell based on that very, forgive me, superficial premise. I mean, he's been involved in local and statewide politics for decades, successfully. So, I don't know. Maybe there's code language involved that I'm not giving credit to. I would hope that Ohio is not that racist.

Ohio 2nd: So you think that when push comes to shove and somebody's as qualified as Chandra and as charismatic as Chandra, if he went before Ohio for statewide office, you think he could do it?

Hackett: I think with a supportive party he could, yeah.

Ohio 2nd: I absolutely do. I mean, it would take a lot of energy, but I think it could happen.

Hackett: He's got it. He's got the energy.

Ohio 2nd: But it's not going to happen.

Hackett: My gut tells me that as well.

Ohio 2nd: He's not getting the support at all.

Hackett: That's my sense as well. I suspect that in the last couple of weeks he's been getting pressure similar to mine, albeit probably not on the same national scale that I've been getting it.

Ohio 2nd: Well, then what can you attribute that to besides racism?

Hackett: I think to go back to the Blackwell example, he's an outsider running against an insider. And again, I'm not trying to cryptically bang on Mark Dann. We've just fallen on this obvious example of an insider versus an outsider.

Ohio 2nd: There's a lot of concern that when the Democratic ticket comes before statewide office, there's going to be a lot of people accusing them of promoting basically White males. Is that going to stick?

Hackett: I don't think so. I mean, I see the superficial conclusion based on who's out there running around. It's certainly one of many conclusions that you can draw. Maybe I'm just being insensitive to it but, I don't think so. I mean, I don't hear that.

Ohio 2nd: I hear a lot of bitterness over the way Mike Coleman was treated, a lot of problems with the ODP party chair, how Stephanie Tubbs Jones was treated, all the heckling at the chair meeting...

Hackett: I did not see that, but now that you mention it, I've heard those same stories too. And I don't know, maybe you've got a point there. I don't know, I've not sat around and analyzed that aspect of it. I've been a little bit occupied these days.

Ohio 2nd: I'm just not hearing the fences being mended, and I think they're very important fences to maintain.

Hackett: I don't disagree.

Ohio 2nd: Any encouraging words for all the incredibly pissed off people on the net?

Hackett: Um, well--they make a difference. And they should continue to participate. And together we *can* make a difference and make a change. We can do it. And, you know, I think the reality is we all play different roles and then sometimes, at least speaking for myself, we don't realize, or I didn't realize, what exactly my role would be. And I'm content with my role if my role was to get people excited and get people in, and to, metaphorically speaking, punch a hole through which others may run. And, if that is what I was able to accomplish, that's it. That's good. That's not bad.

Ohio 2nd: Cool.

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Skullduggery Indeed

I still think this whole deal with Hackett comes down to dollars and sense - Hackett lacked the former so he employed the latter, with a major shove from Schumer et al. It takes money to run a competitive Senate race and Hackett had only raised about $250k. I believe that if Hackett thought he could win the primary and general elections with the amount of funding that he had coming in - skulduggery or not - he'd have told Schumer and Reid to pound sand, probably in those exact terms. Hackett very well may have been able to pull off the primary and general elections, but being that far in the hole on fundraising this late in the game is a problem that I don't think he could have overcome.

Apparently, Hackett didn't either.

Now we can certainly question the wisdom of the DSCC and DCCC anointing whomever they want to run for these seats, but the better approach would be for us to be so mobilized that we can fund and support whomever we want to run for these seats regardless of what the DSCC or DCCC want. I promise you that if Hackett would have had $3 million on hand that he would have told the DSCC where to go and how to get there, but with only $250k raised he was working from a position of weakness. The truth of the matter is that I don't blame the DC crowd for trying to thin the primary field - that's what they do - I blame us, beginning with myself, for not sufficiently backing Hackett so that he could tell them to pound sand. We cannot find ourselves in a position where our interests are dependant upon the good behavior of others - we have to put ourselves in such a position that if anyone threatens our interests we can put foot to hindquarters.

Politics is a nasty business, and we have to prepare ourselves for whatever nastiness the DSCC, DCCC, or RNC brings our way.

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Dean blames party "skullduggery" for Hackett leaving race.

Dean blames party's "skullduggery" for withdrawal of popular Ohio Senate candidate

"MIAMI Democratic party chair Howard Dean says he's not happy that Iraqi war veteran Paul Hackett is dropping out of the race for U-S Senate in Ohio.

Dean told a student audience in Miami that "some skulduggery in Washington" improperly led to Hackett's decision to end his bid. And he said Democrats will have a tough time winning if similar things happen to others.

Hackett was vying with Ohio congressman Sherrod Brown for the Democratic nomination. He said that Hackett was a "great candidate," and that a primary in Ohio wouldn't have hurt the party. Hackett says he's ending his eleven-month political career."

National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, center, signs autographs as he meets with supporters after speaking Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2006, at Florida International University in Miami. Dean called on the United States to reach out to Latin America with programs that encourage trade and reduce poverty. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

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Ohio 2nd: Paul Hackett interview, Part 2

Ohio 2nd blog now has the complete audio of the interview with Paul Hackett, as well as the audio from Hackett's interview on the Ed Schultz radio show. Here is part 2 of the transcript of the interview with Ohio 2nd, which took place this morning in Hackett's Ford truck, outside his campaign headquarters.

Ohio 2nd: Compare running for House and running for Senate.

Hackett: Well, you know the House is far less complicated logistics, far less time requirements, far less demands in all regards, monetarily, time wise, so forth.

Ohio 2nd: Did you enjoy it a lot more?

Hackett: Yeah, absolutely. No doubt.

Ohio 2nd: Talk about the primary, the Democrats. You've got Thor Jacobs, Gabby--

Hackett: Gabby, Vic and Jim Parker, of those, obviously the ones I know best are Vic, Thor and Jim Parker. I've heard of Gabby from Milford, I think she's a high school teacher. And I've heard there's other folks getting in. Here's my thought, I think that's important that they're in, and I think the process is well served by their participation, and I think that despite the chorus of people inviting me to get back in that race, or encouraging me to get in that race, I think my participation would be bad. I think it would be bad for the process, because that would deter future people from participating. Because they would see that I'm dampening down their spirit to fight, and I think their spirit to fight is more important than me coming back in.

You know, the regeneration, cultivation, and invitation of people to come into the process I think is preemintently important to the process, and to our eventual success. It's part of the cultivating of a bush league. And I have no idea if one of them will eventually defeat Jean Schmidt, but, then again, I didn't beat Jean Schmidt, and certainly nobody had any idea that I would have or we as a team would have the success however you may define that, in the special election. So, my message would be, let's get behind whomever you support, and then, whoever wins the primary, let's get behind them and give the same or greater level of effort that was given in the special election. And let's try to learn from our special election shortcomings and be successful this time.

Ohio 2nd: What did they put on the table for you to run in the 2nd?

Hackett: Absolutely nothing...absolutely nothing. What did they put on the table?

Ohio 2nd: The DCCC?

Hackett: Zero. I mean that most sincerely. The request was, "Get out of the Senate, to clear the Senate, and come back to the 2nd. And my response was, essentially, whatever I do, I cannot come back to the 2nd Congressional District, for the reasons I just articulated and also, more importantly to me the fact that I told specifically Jim Parker first, Thor Jacobs second, and Vic Wilson third, that I was not coming back into that race. And I'm not trying to create a cliche, or do anything other than the fact of being who I am, and that is, I will not go back on my word to them. And even to those who suggest, "Well, what if they get out, will you get in?" I say that's disingenuous and still bad for the process. Because if they were to get out, they would be getting out under duress and pressure--the same duress and pressure that got me out of the Senate race.

Let them have their primary. That is the process. (Laughing) How can I do to them what Sherrod Brown did to me? How can I do that, and then come out and lip the words "Stand by the process" or "I'm a man of my word"?

Look, people can call me a coward, people can say I'm really not a fighter all that they want to say. But in the final analysis, they cannot say I did not keep my word.

Ohio 2nd: They haven't actually said that to your face, right? This is in bulletin boards--

Hackett: (Laughing) I was up in the middle of the night last night! I couldn't sleep and I read Kos, and I saw the whole spectrum of comments, none of which, including those that flatter me, truly appreciate what is involved in this process. And, you can say what you want, it is...it's a pressure cooker. And if somebody wants to come back and say "You should have stayed in this" or "You're a crybaby", because I saw all those comments, fine. Fine, maybe you're right. Maybe I underestimated it. Maybe I'm a human being. Maybe I've got a family. Maybe I am buckling to the pressure to return to my family and the good life that I've built. And, if that is your summation, I accept that. All I ask is, let me go back to my family, and live my life, and live my private life, and, if I can help in any way, I'm there, and would be willing to help. But understand my sincere commitment to the process and keeping my word. But I am not so committed to that that I feel I have to sacrifice who I am, and sacrifice my family in the process as well. What do you think about that?

Ohio 2nd: Agreed.

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Ohio 2nd: Paul Hackett interview

Ohio 2nd blog has the audio of the first part of a "day after" interview with Paul Hackett. Some exerpts below.

Ohio 2nd: So walk me through--what happened? Last week we were at the opening of your Columbus office. It was a pretty good event.

Paul Hackett: The balance between the friction from within the party to keep me out of this and the impact on me and my family, I just succumbed to. I wish I could give you more politically tough stuff, but you know, it's a lot of force. And you know, walk a mile in my boots yesterday and the preceding weekend, it was awesome.

And I have to look at that, and I have to look at what that spells out for the remaining part of what would have been the primary, and the impact that would have on my staff and my family and on me. And on the Democratic party. I just said I'm not going to give every last ounce of measure of myself when it's no longer invited.

Ohio 2nd: What was the straw? Was it Harry Reid, getting the call from Harry Reid? Was it Tim Ryan, or--

Paul Hackett: It was an accumulation of these phone calls over the last week, and phone calls to donors and host donors across the country. And that in the context of the impact on my family and my personal life. And I just said, one, are we going to be able to be successful, and I came up with a question mark. And two, I asked, what is the cost to continue on, and I know that's a heavy cost. And that heavy cost in the face of the resistance from within the party, I said...no, I'm not going to do it any more.

And you know, look, I'm going to come out worse a month from now, the party's going to come out worse a month from now. The staff isn't going to be any better off a month from now or two months from now, and I said okay, I'll sit this one down.
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I think that right now, we need to get through this, and let everybody's emotions and passions die down, and look at what we ulitmately need to accomplish. And, at least in my case, what we need to accomplish is defeating Mike DeWine. And statewide we need to accomplish getting a Democratic governor, and as many other Democrats statewide. And you're sitting right in front of me, but I'm not just lipping that for the sake of lipping it. I may not be saying it with the same level of enthusiasm that I sometimes voice my opinions, but I'm *literally* tired. I've *literally* been up all night.

Ohio 2nd: What do you say to all the people who just say "Screw the party" and "This is just typical Democrats, why should we support them when they don't support us?"

Paul Hackett: Ahhh, well, that's like what I *normally* say. That is an emotional decision, it's an emotional response, and we've got to get beyond that. I mean, look, forgive the football metaphor. There are countless offensive linemen who play football whose names the average observer doesn't know. But they play an integral role in the success or failure of a football team. So I would like to think in a worst case scenario that I and my team and those of us who shared this passion were at least an effective lineman. And we broke a hole through which others will pass through and be successful in 2006, which is ultimately what this is about, which is winning, for the Democratic cause and issues that we hold important. And whether I'm the guy who gets through, or Sherrod Brown gets through, provided that somebody gets through who shares our interests and values, that's what's ultimately important.

And look, I would be feeding you a line of bullshit if I told you that I don't feel pissed off right now at Sherrod and Chuck Schumer, but I've got more in common with them, at least in what I think is right and wrong in this world than I do with Mike DeWine, and his cronies. So, you know, I'm tired, and I'm a little bit pissed, but I'll be over both of those in a day or so. And, I did say it before and I'm saying it even today when I'm tired and a little bit pissed, that if there's something I can do that fits in my schedule, and I don't mean that as some sort of cryptic slam, I'll be happy to do it. But I'll also be honest and tell you, I'm looking forward to going back to my life. And I'm looking forward to coming home.

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Strickland/Fisher Turn Around Ohio

Just a quick post for now, but something more hopeful to focus on for Ohio than the recent threads. Demetrius and I just came back from this event in Columbus. Both Ted Strickland and his running mate Lee Fisher spoke about their vision for moving Ohio forward. The event was held at St. Stephen's Community Center in Linden, a working class neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. They both addressed the need for a comprehensive, unified approach to turning things around in Ohio, connecting the dots between education, employment opportunities, and making young people more likely to choose to stay here to raise their families.

From the materials we received at today's event:

We know that healthy, happy children are able to learn; that good learners in effective schools become educated adults ready to contribute as workers; that able workers stay where there are worthy opportunities. We know that when good jobs are performed well, for fair pay, we start a cycle of success that builds its own momentum, creating opportunities for new investment, a growing tax base, stable families...everything Ohio has been losing for almost two decades.

Ted Strickland has been both a minister and a psychologist as well as a legislator, and I think that helps him see the big picture and how it's all connected in a way that other politicians might not. (He did this interview at Street Prophets, where I occasionally front page.) At this point, even though there are technically still two candidates in the Republican primary, it is very likely that Strickland's opponent in the general election will be Ken "Diebold" Blackwell. He is quick with the sound bite, easy answers, but the truth is, we know that quick fixes won't work. And appealing to people's prejudices, as he did in promoting Issue 1, may be a good way to motivate his base to get out to the polls, but it doesn't make the lives of ordinary Ohioans any better. It just gives them a scapegoat to distract them for a little while.

I look forward to hearing more from Strickland and Fisher, and to the efforts of the grassroots to help them win this November.

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Oh no, not again

Update: There is a post from Paul Hackett at Blog for America.

Another update, from the DNC blog, Howard Dean's words about Paul Hackett's withdrawal from the race:

As you know, Iraq veteran Paul Hackett left the race for U.S. Senate in Ohio today. In his campaigns, Paul had the courage to stand up and speak out for what he believes in. That is how Democrats will win elections and take this country back for the people who built it. Our country and our party are better off when people like Paul step up and run for office, up and down the ballot, in every election. I also want you to know that it is the policy of the Democratic National Committee not to intervene in contested primaries. We need more people running for office at every level, gaining experience and bringing new voices into our party. I want to thank Paul Hackett for inspiring so many people to be part of the political process, including many of the "Fighting Dems" running for office across the country.

Keep up the fight, Howard

From Chapter 18 of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

Curiously enough, the only thing that went through the mind of the bowl of petunias as it fell was Oh no, not again. Many people have speculated that if we knew exactly why the bowl of petunias had thought that we would know a lot more about the nature of the universe than we do now.

If you're not familiar with the book, you probably need to read the rest of the chapter to get the context. But it's amazing how there seems to be an appropriate Douglas Adams quote to fit *any* occasion. At least, that's what Demetrius and I think. (Happy Valentine's Day, Sweetie!)

But last night's news of Paul Hackett yielding to party pressure to drop out of the race felt all to familiar to many of us.

listener wrote:

Shame on the Democrats!
This is just like what happened to Howard in Iowa!
Who do they think they are!?!!

And SusanD wrote:

How dare Reid and Schumer tell any candidate they can't run? As long as you follow all the steps and file all the papers, isn't it up to the voters?

It IS Kerry all over again, and this time I'm not playing that.

It is *utterly* recognizable and all too familiar to those of us who supported Howard Dean. And just when I would like to be celebrating what Howard Dean has accomplished in his first year as Chair, and maybe doing a fun post for Valentine's Day, party insiders go and make me feel like *this* again. Once again, I feel like we're being told, "That's cute all the stuff you're doing. You've got such spunk. But you don't count--we make the calls. Now, fall in line, and start writing checks."

Equally predictable is the scolding some fellow bloggers immediately offer when we balk at that "fall in line" part.

There is nothing official on the Hackett blog yet, but if you scroll to "Recent Entries", there are some similar sentiments to what was expressed above in the community blogs.

At least the post Low Turnout Reported at BuckeyeSenate gave me a chuckle.

But, just as fair warning, any fellow Democrats who start *today*, while this injury is still raw, A) extolling Brown's virtues, B) saying it's a good thing that we can "unite" now, or, worst of all, C) chastising us and asking incredulously "Don't you know what's at stake here?", can bite me. And I suspect I'm far from being the only person who feels that way.

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Hackett dropping out

I wasn't sure what to think when I first saw a Kos diary saying that Hackett was leaving the Senate race in this Kos diary: Hackett Quitting Politics, Rips Dems. Wondered if it was just more rumors flying, but it linked to a New York Times article, Popular Ohio Democrat Drops Out of Race, and Perhaps Politics.

Ohio 2nd has this to say, in part:

Since I received word of the story from Paul's campaign manager I'm assuming that it's legit. The final nail in the coffin must have been the getting the call from Harry Reid.

I hope they know what they are doing, because I don't.

Here are some quotes from the New York Times article:

Mr. Hackett said Senators Charles E. Schumer of New York and Harry Reid of Nevada, the same party leaders who he said persuaded him last August to enter the Senate race, had pushed him to step aside so that Representative Sherrod Brown, a longtime member of Congress, could take on Senator Mike DeWine, the Republican incumbent.
...
"This is an extremely disappointing decision that I feel has been forced on me," said Mr. Hackett, whose announcement comes two days before the state's filing deadline for candidates. He said he was outraged to learn that party leaders were calling his donors and asking them to stop giving and said he would not enter the Second District Congressional race.

"For me, this is a second betrayal," Mr. Hackett said. "First, my government misused and mismanaged the military in Iraq, and now my own party is afraid to support candidates like me."
...
Mr. Hackett said he was unwilling to run for the Congressional seat because he had given his word to three Democratic candidates that he would not enter that race.

"The party keeps saying for me not to worry about those promises because in politics they are broken all the time," said Mr. Hackett, who plans to return to his practice as a lawyer in the Cincinnati area. "I don't work that way. My word is my bond."

And finally, from Buckeye Senate Blog:

Write Your Message To Paul Here
He worked damn hard these last few months. Leave your comments, I'm sure he reads them.

Maybe I'll write something later. Right now I need to see what it is my bad wolf is growling about, and decide if I need to talk her out of it or not.

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Cheney's Got a Gun

Cheney's Got a Gun by Errorsmith
(click for midi accompaniment)

by
Demetrius

Dum, dum, dum, Cheney what have you done?
Dum, dum, dum it's the sound of your gun.
Dum, dum, dum, Cheney what have you done?
Dum, dum, dum it's the sound

Cheney's got a gun
Cheney's got a gun
His safety's been undone
Somebody call 9-1-1
What did Big Daddy do?
Looks like this hunting party's thru
White House is getting testy
Their excuses are a little lame
It's not that this is funny -
Now that Cheney's got a gun - He
Ain't takin' crap for outin' Plame!

Cheney's got a gun
Cheney's got a gun
Media frenzy's just begun
Every headline's a shooting pun
Tell me FOX it's untrue.
What did Big Daddy do?
He tried to shoot a little birdie
But, got his buddy in the face
They say this happens when you're hunting
But let me tell you something
Elmer Fudd has got to be disgraced

Run away, run away from Dick Cheney yeah, yeah yeah yeah
Run away, run away from the Chen' yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Run away, run away, run, run away

Cheney's got a gun
Cheney's got a gun
The Veep gonna bag him one
But, Osama's still on the run
What did Big Daddy do?
Looking down his Big Barrel at you
He said to take it easy. The paramedics on his way.
It wasn't such a fun day. We didn't find that out 'til Sunday
'Cause to cover up's the White House way

Run away, run away from Dick Cheney yeah, yeah
yeah yeah yeah
Run away, run away from the Chen' yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Run away, run away, run, run away

Cheney's got a gun
Cheney's got a gun
This song is almost done
Now everybody is on the run
Because Cheney's got a gun
Cheney's got a gun
Now everybody is on the run
Cheney's got a gun

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We've got Howard Dean's back!

You have probably heard the expression, "The first casualty of war is truth" or some variation of it. Apparently it is not entirely clear who said this first, but the concept is certainly one that rings true for many of us. And even though George Lakoff warned us against using the expression "war on terror", those words seem to have gone unheeded. George Bush has cast himself as a "war president" (with many in the "mainstream media" acting as his willing accomplices) and the war is an ambigious one without a clear target or end. So with the so called "war on terror", the American people also seem to be on the losing end of the "war on truth".

And "telling the truth" is what gets Howard Dean in trouble, at least in the perception of the people who get their news from the usual channels. That and being "too angry", but recently I saw this headline: GOP's 'anger' strategy has Dems defensive. WTF? When they do it, it's a *strategy*? But when Howard Dean was righteously angry about being misled into an illegal war, he was "craaaaaazy Howard Dean".

Ugh. I'm sick of this. I really am--I'm sick of fighting. And sick of having to fight on so many different fronts, while at the same time trying to keep up with work, family, paying bills, etc. But we can't stop fighting, because that means the bad guys win, and they keep making things worse for the rest of us.

The other day, I wrote a post entitled, Supporting Howard Dean: Why it's personal, and crossposted it several places, including Daily Kos and Booman Tribune. I've linked to those posts specifically because they are the ones that generated a number of positive responses--about Howard Dean giving people hope for the future and for the Democratic party.

Howard Dean could have taken things easy after dropping out of the race for the presidency. Instead, he has chosen to take on what can be a thankless job, often keeping him in a position where he is attacked by both Republicans and those Democrats who think they can score points for "distancing" themselves from him. Yet he continues to speak the truth. It's the same truth that many of us speak in our own living rooms, but we aren't in a position to get our message out to as many people. So, when people attack Howard Dean for telling the truth, they are also attacking us and our values.

I figure if he is going to put himself out on the front lines for us, the least we can do is make sure he's got backup.

So, how do we do this? And how do we streamline our efforts as much as possible? My first thought was that we needed to have some sort of resource center that is easily accessible, which is why I set up this blog. I also have added links to Media Matters and the Rapid Response Network.

What next? Well, the thing that keeps coming to mind for me is Snopes.com--the site where people can check out various urban legends and find out if there is any truth to them. It would really be useful to have something comparable where we can check in and get the real scoop when people start spouting lies or half-truths about Howard Dean. And, if a number of people participate, the workload shouldn't have to be daunting for any one person.

Thoughts? One thing I know for sure that I need are people to be contributors. At least for starters, all I think we are going to be doing is keeping an eye on the new right wing talking points and media spin that we see being bandied about, and posting the information that fellow supporters would need to respond to that. No writing skills are required, unless you would like to post a letter to the editor that *you* have written to rebut some current alleged "gaffe" of Howard's. But if all you do is link and excerpt an article to say, "Here's what Howard Dean really said--in context!" or "Here's an article that shows what he said to be absolutely right", that's still a big help.

If you're willing to be a contributor, please email me at howardempowered at gmail.com and I'll send you a Blogger invite.

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The Dean/DNC Anniversary celebration continues

Howard says "Thank you." (Video)

FYI, there's a newer post, about DickCheney, below this one. I just couldn't bear to have that guy's mug at the top of the blog, so I bumped this post back up.

In response to Corinne's post Howard Dean: Promises Kept, New Hampshire Representative Marcia Moody wrote the following.


Photo courtesy of deanocratforever's flickr album.

Yes, Thank YOU Howard Dean. In addition to your list of Howard's accomplishments in his first year as Chairman of the DNC, he also established a Lawyer's Council to investigate voting fraud. He created a Department of Veteran's Affairs all within the DNC. He is truly the most forward thinking man of this century.

I know of no other politician past or present who can equal his record of fulfilling every single campaign promise he ever made, whether as Legislator, Lt. Governor, Governor or as Chairman of the DNC.

As a freshman Legislator, I constantly draw upon him for inspiration and guidance on how I vote. I think to myself, "what would Howard do in this situation?" and then the path becomes clear to me. There are times when the pressure to compromise is almost unbearable. But then I think of the principles for which Howard Dean stands and how he never compromises what he knows to be right, and I know what I must do.
___________________
And, of course, thank you, Marcia, for being such an inspiration to the rest of us.

For more anniversary festivities, see Tim Tagaris' Kos diary, Democratic Party: Happy One Year Anniversary Howard Dean.

One year ago today, we officially elected Howard Dean as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee -- and I say we, because it was us. Who would have thought that 365 days later, Chairman Dean would walk into a packed house of state party chairs, executive directors, organizers and other officials to a standing ovation in appreciation of the "State Partnership Program" -- better known as the fifty state strategy.

For the next several days, we will have all kinds of video from state chairs, a personal video message from Chairman Dean to bloggers/online activists, and other assorted goodies in celebration of the past year.

Keep checking in at the DNC Blog.

Speaking of the DNC blog, you can watch Howard Dean's thank you message to bloggers and online activists here.

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Vice President Burr--er, Cheney

From Howard Dean's interview on Face the Nation yesterday:

The President promised two years ago that he would fire the leaker. He hasn't kept his promise. Karl Rove is not only still working in the White House but he has security clearance. Now it turns out that the Vice President of the United States may have been responsible for those leaks for political reasons. That is the kind of thing that is not been done to my knowledge since Aaron Burr was Vice President.

And another similarity between Cheney and Burr has emerged. From the story in The Australian, Cheney to friend: Sorry I shot you:

The shooting is believed to be the first time a vice-president has shot anyone in more than 200 years.

In 1804, vice-president Aaron Burr challenged Alexander Hamilton to a duel and killed him. He was never arrested and even served out his term.

See More Questions Raised About Delay in Reporting Cheney Misfire in Editor and Publisher for details about how the story took 18 hours to become public. I also highly recommend Not a laughing matter at firedoglake.

Update: Just for snicks and giggles, I did an image search for evil Dick Cheney and found this.



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You Did It! The Bat Is Broken!

Congratulations! The Bat is broken and, as of this posting, it is already $100 past its goal, with an average contribution of over $33 per person. How much higher can we go? After all, we know Howard can put it to good use.

Consider this an open thread.

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Afternoon update

For anyone who didn't get to see Howard Dean on Face the Nation, the DNC blog now has the transcript.

jc has a new blog up featuring Mardi Gras designs.

In case you missed these links earlier, I crossposted "Supporting Howard Dean: Why it's personal" at Daily Kos and Booman Tribune. Check out those diaries to see some familiar blog faces.

Oh, and just one more thing...

LOOK AT THE BAT! LOOK AT THE BAT! WE CAN DO THIS THING--IT'S GETTING CLOSE!

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Shake It Off

There are precious few people on the planet who actually like snakes. Snakes are universally reviled and with good reason - they're treacherous and they're often deadly. Snakes are hated in such a way that in our common vernacular one of the worse things that you can call someone is a snake. A snake is someone who has no character, someone who has no scruples, someone who has no problem with smiling in your face and patting you on the back for the sole purpose of finding out where to thrust the knife. Have you ever had to deal with a snake?

The Apostle Paul had been snake-bitten throughout his ministry in Asia Minor. Five times he received 39 lashes. Three times he was beaten with rods, once he was stoned, three times he was shipwrecked, he spent a night and a day in the open sea, and he was constantly on the move. He had been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from his own countrymen and in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and, above all, in danger from false brothers. Paul was well acquainted with snakes.

So Paul must have chuckled the last time that he was shipwrecked - on Malta - when a snake bit him as he was helping to gather firewood. Everyone thought that he was a dead man walking, but what did Paul do? Paul shook it off. Paul didn't sit around and cry about his fate. Paul didn't kvetch about his perpetual misfortune. Paul shook that snake off before the venom could get into his system. That is exactly how we have to face adversity:

Folks hating on you? Shake it off!

Spouse acting a fool? Shake it off!

Kids acting like Chucky? Shake it off!

Boss treating you like Toby? Shake it off!

Politicians lying to your face? Shake it off!

Player haters trying to take your place? Shake it off!

We cannot sit around and complain about what has happened to us - we have to shake that stuff off and move forward with what God has for us to do. If you look at the text, Paul didn't just shake the snake off of him - he shook it into the fire. You see, not only do we have to get past the problem, we have to solve the problem. Paul eliminated the source of his problem - he didn't just sit around and whine about it, he did something about it. There's an old saying that God helps those who help themselves, and there's some truth to that. We have to get past our helplessness and take care of our own responsibilities. We have to shake off adversity and squash whatever problems hinder us so that we can achieve all of our objectives. That is what Paul did on his way to Nero's chopping block, and that is what we have to do in our every-day living.

May the LORD bless you and keep you;
May the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
And may the LORD,
Who implores you to Shake It Off,
May He turn His face toward you and give you peace.

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Howard Dean: Promises Kept

You've given me enormous responsibility, but it's a responsibility that we share. We can change the party, but only by working together and competing in all 50 states and territories. We can change the party, but only by working together and becoming a national party again. We can change this party, but only by working together at the local level, because if we want to win nationally we have to start by winning locally.

Howard Dean, February 12, 2005

Howard Dean campaigned for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee with the same energy, enthusiasm, creativity, and self-confidence that he brought to his campaign for the 2004 presidential nomination. And in retrospect, I believe no other candidate could have done what Howard has been able to achieve in just one year.

In one year, Howard has instilled a renewed spirit and energy to the party that hasn't existed for a very long time. His efforts have positioned the party to be competitive in the 2006 mid-term elections. He is keeping every promise he made during his campaign to head the DNC. He's brought insight and innovation to rejuvenate the grassroots, made a commitment to party community, and focusing on the future.

I would be remiss if I did not recap some of Howard's main accomplishments from the previous year:

• Raising more than $51 million in 2005 - a record for a non-election year.
• Traveling to 34 states and territories, while raising $1 million for the states.
• Launching Democracy Bonds to help fund his 50-state strategy - there are now more than 30,000 monthly donors.
• Hiring party organizers in 43 states to reinforce the party infrastructure.
• Investing $7 million to elect Jon Corzine and Tim Kaine governors of New Jersey and Virginia, respectively.
• Speaking forthrightly about the party and its values.

I didn't know how difficult it would be to put into words what Howard as DNC chair means to me, yet I do know this: I have a voice now because I can say that there is someone in the Democratic Party who speaks for me. I've always called myself a Democrat but never felt any reason to contribute money. Now I do. I've been in Washington, D.C., for 20 years with a ringside seat at this circus called politics. Only now can I say there is someone who I support without hesistation.

Rather than focusing only on short-term goals Howard is leading the party to a better future by refusing to just manage what exists, having a vision for something that does not yet exist, and inspiring people to make it happen.

If you've been inspired by Howard or better yet, moved to act, please show your support for Howard's stewardship of the Democratic Party by donating to the DNC through our bat. Any amount is appreciated: it can be a nice, round number like $20 or a symbolic one, like $20.06 or $20.12. Or make a long-term commitment by purchasing a Democracy Bond. Either way, you can help Howard continue the important work he has set out to do.

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Supporting Howard Dean: Why it's personal

I've been having a hard time trying to think of what I wanted to write on the first anniversary of Howard Dean becoming chair of the DNC. Corinne has a great post ready to go live at midnight, talking about what Howard Dean has accomplished this past year. But I feel like there's something *I* need to write, and I just realized what it is. It's the same thing I was struggling with when I was trying to write up something about the Democracy Bond event in Columbus last month.

In addition to the challenge of finding the distraction-free time to write something up, there was another hurdle to overcome. Throughout the events I attended on that day, I had these periodic flashes of, "Oh my gosh, I am soooo out of my element here. These other bloggers know infinitely more about what's going on in Ohio politics than I do, so they have good questions to ask all these Ohio politicians." And truthfully, I had the feeling that some of those politicians didn't think I needed to be taken as seriously as the other bloggers there. In other words, a significant part of the reason why it was hard to do my writeup is that there were feelings of inadequacy involved. Eventually, I just handled it by leaving that part out.

But the more I think about it, the more I realize that's an important part, and it speaks to what's special about Howard Dean compared to a lot of other politicians. So, here goes--following up on some of those thoughts I had last month, and answering them.

Of course I don't know everything about Ohio politics. Where the hell would I find the time to do that with everything else I have going on in my life? It's a freaking *miracle* that someone like me knows as much as I do about politics, let alone that I feel so strongly that I *must* stay involved and keep working to make a difference. In spite of how hard it can be to find the time and energy to keep at it. That, my friends, is Howard Dean's fault. I first got involved in politics, in spite of my overall aversion to it, because Bush was *so* bad, that extreme measures were called for. But Howard Dean is a big part of the reason I didn't just fall back into my normal level of political involvement--pretty much just going to the polls on election days--after the 2004 election was over.

But, you know what was amazing about the Dean campaign? The fact that someone like me--someone who doesn't do any of the traditional political "stuff" like canvassing, making phone calls, etc., was able to somehow create my own niche and feel that I had a valuable contribution to make.

Small digression here... You may or may not know that Demetrius had created the "Flat Howard" graphic. For a long time, we had a printout of that on one of the walls in our house. So, at least a 2D version of Howard Dean lived with us for quite some time before we had our chance to meet the real Howard Dean. (In November of 2003, we got quite a kick out of watching a CBS video of the real Howard Dean reacting to Flat Howard in the hallways of campaign headquarters.)



Different people notice different things about Flat Howard. Some people noticed right away that he is wearing the infamous J. C. Penney suit. What we noticed was that he looked like he was in the middle of saying, "No, thank you!" And that, to us, is classic Howard Dean.

In a post entitled Thank you, Howard Dean, written in June of 2005, I put into words some of the things about Howard Dean that have earned my loyalty and support. Those things still ring true, so rather than repeating them here, I can refer you to that piece. Today there are just two things I'd like to focus on. The first is that "attitude of gratitude" I just mentioned. It's pretty important. When you're working hard just to "put food on your family", and add to that any other challenges your particular family is facing, well, yes, it is a big deal to fit political involvement into all that. Especially now that it's turned out to be a marathon rather than a sprint.

The other thing I really appreciate is that, again and again, Howard Dean has demonstrated that he "gets it"--in the sense of being able to look at root causes and think long term rather than succumbing to the "quick fix" mentality. While I, like many Dean supporters, appreciated his willingness to be blunt and "tell it like it is", his ability to be thoughtful issues was just as important. I recall that, during the presidential campaign, he discussed the importance of investing in education in order to reduce crime down the road. He said something like "Every kindergarten teacher can tell you which kids are going to be a problem..." and went on to say that was why we need to fully fund special education. Too many people just go for the "zero tolerance" approach, and focus on punishing the "bad kids" to "teach them a lesson" or some such. That approach pretty much amounts to writing some kids off at an early age...throwing them away. *And* still not fixing the problem.

Anyway, cutting to the chase. Howard Dean has a tough job--I know I sure couldn't do it. But he's earned my support many times over. If I had my druthers, I would be supporting Dean for President in 2008, but he ruled out that possibility when he decided to pursue the job of DNC chair. (I *think* I've forgiven him for making that decision...most days.) But I respect the decision he made, and understand the thinking behind it. And, given the sacrifices the job involves (including *continuing* to take crap from people in both major parties as well as the media), I feel like it's the least I can do to support his efforts in any way I can.

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Remember when Howard said capturing Saddam did not make us safer?

I am always telling myself to quit cleaning out old files, it makes me too upset over how we got to be in this mess in this country today. Well, today, nearing the one year anniversary of Howard Dean as chairman of the DNC....I openly admit to be wee bit sentimental.

I just found this article by Jimmy Breslin about the day Howard said we were no safer now that Saddam was caught. It is a truly great column, and we need to be reminded of it now and then. He points out the hypocrisy so well.

The New American System of Justice

He describes a scene in New York City around New Years after Saddam was captured.

In all my time in my city I have never seen this many guns. Not just little guns that you fit in a holster. But great big cannons that were being held by men peering out from under helmets and dressed otherwise for battle. This was on New Year's Eve, after our 140,000 troops captured Saddam Hussein and made America safe for freedom and liberty and democracy.

Then he reminds us of the one person who dared to admit we were no safer, and he reminds us how they ripped him apart for it. See, this is why I really do have to stop going through my old stuff.

On the other side of politics, Howard Dean, Democratic candidate for president, didn't think Saddam Hussein's capture made us any safer in America. The other politicians screamed that was un-American. It was John Kerry who said, How could Dean dare say that we were not safer now? Kerry is so sure we're safe that he mortgaged his house the other day to have the money to say Dean is a traitor. This is only before the first primary and Kerry goes for the roof over his head. He seems ready to go naked on these primaries.

Howard Dean then said that he was old-fashioned and he didn't think you could judge or punish Osama bin Laden until you had a trial and found him guilty.

Breslin goes on to excoriate the others who condemned him so soundly, and he calls Lieberman a "nasty little man." His ending is powerful.

Yet Joseph Lieberman, who is a peripheral candidate now and thus a nasty little man, said that because he relies on the Constitution, Dean is a weakling who would melt in the face of George Bush.

John Kerry and Dick Gephardt were wildly opposed.

Yet all Dean has to do in this big Des Moines debate today is ask each candidate, "Are you in favor of sentencing bin Laden before you have a trial?"

Let them answer in front of a country that is better than they are.

And this picture is of Howard Dean in Vermont this week, still fighting. Happy one-year anniversary to him.


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Stop me before I muse again!

I wasn't going to take the time to put up a new diary before going out to do some weekend errands, but how can I pass this up? In a diary by Overseas at Daily Kos:

Canadian Press
Published: Friday, February 10, 2006 WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. government concluded its Cyber Storm wargame Friday, its biggest-ever exercise to test how it would respond to attacks over the Internet from anti-globalization activists, underground hackers and bloggers.

BLOGGERS?! We're the object of a WARGAME?

Participants confirmed parts of the worldwide simulation challenged government officials and industry executives to respond to deliberate misinformation campaigns and activist calls by Internet bloggers, online diarists whose "Web logs" include political rantings and musings about current events.

Well, I've been accused of a lot of things, but guilty of "musings" is a new one for me. Wonder if it carries a jail sentence? Anyone else been "musing" lately and want to fess up right now? Does a muser eventually evolve into a ranter?

That cracked me up. Reminded me a bit of when Maura in VA was being interviewed on Nightline and one of the questions was whether she had revealed to Virginia Delegate John Cosgrove that she was a blogger when she wrote to him. And a number of us were writing "My name is ---, and I'm a blogger", like we were at an AA meeting or something. "Muser" is just that much more absurd.

I just read the above post to Demetrius, and he remarked, "I wonder what it's like to have a free press."

I sure hope we get to find out some day. In the meantime, when people like Howard Dean speak the truth, it's important to do what we can to "have their back". That's why we've got a bat. That's why I want to make sure we are ready with our *positive* stories in honor of Dean's first anniversary as chair of the DNC, because we know that there are bound to be some stories in the "mainstream" press about what a disaster Howard Dean has been as chair. The cupboard is bare and we can't get our poor dog a bone! Well, in any event, I know we'll be seeing some total bull-- er, crap, rolled out as "news". We'll need to be ready with rapid response.

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The bat is back!

From Joe Rospars' outstanding Kos diary, Dean's DNC: The Bat is in Your Hands...

The bat is a powerful symbol for me and a lot of people -- a symbol of empowerment, a symbol of hope. In the nearly two years since the campaign ended, it has become a symbol of what might have been.

But over the course of the last year, as part of Governor Dean's team reorienting and rebuilding the Democratic Party, it has become a symbol of what is, and what will be. Ordinary Americans are empowered in politics today as never before, and the Democratic National Committee under Governor Dean's leadership is not only breaking fundraising records but breaking new ground by putting grassroots organizers on the ground across the country and developing a new kind of relationship with people.

Here's the link to create your own bat. And here's the link to our brand new Howard-Empowered People bat. Who will be the first to give it a swing? For a little added inspiration, I'm including this picture that Corinne posted in Joe's diary.




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Larkin passed his finals...

...and his graduation is scheduled for next Saturday!

Mom just called with the news, and since I told you all about this last week in Saturday Night Dog Blogging, I wanted to pass along the good news.

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Open Thread

Photo courtesy of the Infinite Cat Project.

Quick reminder that Blogger is going to be down again at 9 p.m. Pacific Time. So you might want to bookmark the alternative comment link so that you'll have the keys to get back into posting when that happens.

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Hackett's grassroots reception/grand opening in Columbus

Before moving on to the transcript, take a look at this post about personal fundraising pages at the DNC blog. Obviously, the one on the right fits well with what we're talking about here. Would anyone here, *other than me* like to volunteer to set one of those up? (There's also a Kos diary by Tim about this new fundraising tool.)



On to Paul Hackett's appearance in Columbus...

I wasn't sure I'd be able to attend, but at the last minute I decided to head over to the grassroots reception and grand opening of the Paul Hackett campaign headquarters in Columbus. A number of people have done write-ups, and you can find links to those, as well as to the audio of Hackett's speech, at the Hackett for U.S. Sentate blog. Below, I have written up the transcript of Paul's speech.

Any Democrats in the house? (Cheers and applause)
All right, here we go! Here's the good news: in 2006, we can win, and we can win big in the state of Ohio. Now why is that important? Because the state of Ohio is going to help us elect the next Democratic president of the United States in 2008. (More cheers and applause, and the voice of a child, I'm guessing about 3 years old, saying something I couldn't make out. Hackett asks, "Turn it off or turn it on?")

That's why in 2006 we've got to be smart, and we've got to fight in all 88 counties in the state of Ohio. Because we as Democrats *can* win statewide in the state of Ohio. Despite the fact that in 15 years we haven't demonstrated that abililty.

So, how do we do that? Well, first of all, we've got to spread a message. (Small child again makes some noise, and Hackett, to approving laughter, says "Come here, guy", picks him up, asks "Ready?" and gives him a little "airplane" ride. Then, to the audience, "I haven't seen my kids in a couple of days.")

In the state of Ohio, we can, and we've got to win big in 2006. How we are going to do that is we're going to, first of all, spread a message of success. We as Democrats have got to be proud of what it is that we stand for. We are the party of fiscal responsibility, of limited government, of a strong national defense, and fair trade.

Now, some people every now and then when I say that, particularly Democratic activists, say, "Well, you sound like a Republican!" I don't think so...

Fiscal responsibility. We are the party that balances budgets! (Applause)
Limited government. Call me crazy--we don't send people to Washington D.C. to tell us how to live our private lives, educate our children, worship our God, or dictate to my wife or any of the women in this room, what decisions you make in the privacy of your doctor's office. (Applause and cheers)

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the message of the Democratic party, and that is the message that we have got to fight for across all 88 counties in the state of Ohio. And that's how we're going to win in 2006.

Now, that said, you all are going to play a big role in that. We've got a primary coming up in three months--May 2. I need your help in the primary. I'm asking you to join me.

If you're happy with where we are in America today, then you probably are not interested in helping me. But if you share the same concerns that I do, that America is not on the right track, that we're selling the next generation down the river, that we're exporting our economy, and that we're not standing up and fighting for what is great about this country, and about our party. If you share that concern, I ask you to take part, join the team, help us take this fight to Washington D.C. So that we can return a Democratic party for the state of Ohio, to the White House. A Democratic party that doesn't simply *aspire* to deliver greatness, but a Democratic party that has the *commitment*, and the sense of service, and the will to fight for what is great about our party. Things like peace, prosperity, and the freedoms that define America.

I want to be the guy who's going to create and fight for the new Democratic party, and take it Washington D.C. Please help me, please join, and let's get this job done in 2006 in Ohio, so that we can deliver the White House in 2008. (Loud cheers and applause).

Crossposted at Daily Kos, My Left Wing, Booman Tribune, and the way cool ePluribus Media, who front paged it. (Blows kisses)

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Transcript: Howard Dean on "GMA"

Kicking Ass, the Democratic Party blog, has a transcript of Howard's appearance this morning on "Good Morning America."

CHARLIE GIBSON: Joining us now from Burlington, Vermont is Howard Dean, the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Good to have you with us.

DNC CHAIRMAN HOWARD DEAN: Thank you for having me on.

GIBSON: Senator Clinton's central point, it seems to me here, is that the Republicans are doing a far better job of convincing the country they can keep them safe and the Democrats aren't doing a very good job of countering that strategy. Do you agree?

DEAN: Your poll shows otherwise. Your poll shows that they have a small edge and that's a smaller edge than they had before. The truth is the Republicans haven't defended us any better than they had dealt with Katrina or senior drug benefits or balancing the budget. On this President's watch, Iran is becoming a nuclear power. The President has nothing, done little about it. North Korea-- after five years-- North Korea still has nuclear weapons. The President sent our troops in battle without adequate armor. He wouldn't listen to the generals who told him if he were going into Iraq that he needed more help. This is not a President who's been particularly strong on...

GIBSON: But --

DEAN: What about our borders? President has been in office for five years. What about the security of our borders? I think the President is weak on defense. They have a great propaganda machine but the fact is they haven't delivered on American security.

GIBSON: You're shot-gunning me on a lot of issues. But, on the issue of national security, 64% of the country says we're a stronger country than before 9/11. Given the mood of this country and the concerns are country and the personal fears, isn't that game, set and match for the Republicans?

DEAN: Absolutely not because the truth is we're not safer than we were when George Bush came into office.

GIBSON: but the country thinks we are.

DEAN: That's an interesting poll but I've seen many others with folks who don't agree with that. Polls are polls. The fact is this President has not defended us because he hasn't listened to the military. He has not treated our military properly. Our soldiers are losing their lives over there. For us to have to wait three years to get them adequate body armor, that is something the Democratic Party will not do. If we send our troops into battle after we take power, I can tell you two things. First, we will tell the truth to the country and our soldiers about why they have to go. And secondly, they'll be adequately equipped.

GIBSON: But she's saying essentially we've lost two elections because we were not able to convince this country that we could keep it safe. That is her central point. And I think there may be in people's minds a real question: What is the Democratic position on national security?

DEAN: The Democratic position on national security is that we will hunt down Osama bin Laden, enough is enough. Two, we will under no circumstances allow Iran to become a nuclear power. Three, we will make the deal that has to be made with the North Koreans and get that done and put pressure and pay attention to that. And four, that we will always adequately equip our troops if we need to send them into battle to defend the United States.

GIBSON: There has been a lot of discussion in Washington in recent days about the warrantless wiretaps that have gone on. The President says this is necessary to fight terrorism. Do you think this is a winner for the Democrats?

DEAN: Many in his own party disagree. Wiretapping is certainly necessary and the Democrats certainly approve of as much spying on Al Qaeda as we possibly can. What we don't approve of is breaking the law in order to spy on Americans. The present law is very adequate and the White House itself said so four years ago. All we ask is that we not turn into a country like Iran where the President of Iran can do anything they want at any time. The reason the constitution of this country has lasted as long as it has and this country lasted as long as it has as a real democracy is because there is a check on presidential power. Now, there's not a big check on this one. We just ask the President to go get a warrant after the fact if he thinks there is an emergency. But there is no reason this President shouldn't obey the law. And, we expect him to obey the law while defending the country.

GIBSON: Governor Dean, appreciate you being with us.

DEAN: Thanks for having me.

As always, Howard, thank you.

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Howard Dean on Good Morning America

Thanks, floridagal, for the heads-up.

Via the DNC blog's most recent Open Thread

1.) Tune into ABC Good Morning America tomorrow morning. Governor Dean will be interviewed by Charlie Gibson at 7:00 AM.
2.) We have an exciting announcement coming tomorrow afternoon regarding the availability of a new web tool for you to use.

Also, Howard Dean is going to be on Switchboard on Vermont Public Radio February 9 at 7 p.m. E.S.T. You can listen online here.

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Bush: EDUCATOR in Chief?!

How on earth did I miss this?

"My job's as much educator in chief as it is commander in chief." -President George W. Bush speaking at the Grand Ole Opry House, Feb.1, 2006.

I found this article via Columbus Progressive Alliance News, originally posted as President's Frightening Lesson Plan, in the Niagara Falls Reporter Opinion.
Read some of this article below, and click here for the whole article. Somebody please post some good visual interpretations of the "Educator in Chief". I need a good laugh to give myself a teeny break from the rage-athon.

Speaking to the crowd at the Grand Ole Opry, Bush sounded like Minnie Pearl -- minus the humor -- talking about her Uncle Nabob and her dim-witted brother. With condescending paternalism and that Alfred E. Neuman "What me worry?" look on his face, Bush added worrier in chief to his growing list of titles.

"I clearly see the threats to America," Bush assured folks. "My job is worrying about those threats. That's not your job. We've got a lot of people in government worrying about those threats so you can go on with your life."

We should "get on with our lives"? Hmmm--where have I heard *that* expression before? Oh, *that's* right. Bush telling reporters he needed to "get on with his life" rather than meet with Cindy Sheehan this past summer. I'm sorry, but when a guy whose priorities are that out of whack tells me not to worry about something, I tend to worry *extra*.

By the way, I posted this as a diary earlier today over at My Left Wing--check the comments for some funny graphics.

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On "appropriate" funeral behavior

Guess I'm not done talking about this. When I hear that so many people (see here and here for examples, are giving the "wag of the finger" to the people who discussed political issues at the funeral of a known *activist*, whose *activist* husband was murdered nearly 40 years ago, I am *almost* at a loss for words. Luckily, plenty of other people are not.

Check out this roundup by Chuck Currie:

Bush 2007 Budget Rejects Christians Values Of Hope And Justice

From Paul Wellstone to Coretta King by Marty Kaplan

Republicans love playing the civility card. I wonder where these Emily Posts were when the Pentagon lied about the circumstances of Pat Tillman's death at his funeral. I don't recall them denouncing Pat Robertson -- while the World Trade Center towers were still smoldering -- attributing 9/11 deaths to God's revenge on liberalism. Republicans get all huffy, and invoke Marquess of Queensbury rules, when it suits them, but somehow that's never when they're spreading malicious lies and assassinating their living opponents' characters.

At Caesar's funeral, as Shakespeare tells it, Marc Antony nicely ripped Brutus a new one. Jimmy Carter was no less rhetorically elegant at Coretta King's service. Why should an elegy be an occasion to turn your back on all you believe, and all that the deceased life's stood for? If they should outlive me, I don't expect that Bill O'Reilly or Ann Coulter would come to my funeral. But if they or their kind did, I'd hope that at least one of the speakers would have the cojones to call them what they really are. Nicely, of course.

Oh, and this is priceless...Tucker Carlson, in his interview with Rev. Joseph Lowery, said: it seemed very uncomfortable to say something like that in a funeral with the president right there. It seemed like bad manners.

You know what's "bad manners", Tucker? The fact that Bush sent this budget that increases defense spending while cutting aid for those that Bush's favorite philosopher called "the least of these", *after* Mrs. King died, but *before* showing up at her funeral. Actually, "bad manners" isn't even close to being a strong enough word for the unmitigated gall Bush displayed here. Coretta Scott King spent decades fighting for the "least of these", and you thought maybe no one should mention the harm Bush is doing to those very people, because it might make some (guilty) people squirm in their seats?

And, "uncomfortable"? I bet the Katrina evacuees who are being thrown out of their temporary housing feel more than a little bit uncomfortable. So do people without adequate health care, and without enough food to eat. Oh yeah, and people who are hurt and killed in Bush's Iraq war because this administration couldn't manage to send them effective body armor.

Fortunately, Rev. Lowery was not at a loss for words, and he was even able to use his polite words when responding to Tucker (I can't imagine managing to do so myself).

CARLSON: It's not hard to hear that [your remarks] and not draw the obvious conclusion that that's an attack on President Bush, which of course is your right to do, and I think completely fair. But again, it seemed very uncomfortable to say something like that in a funeral with the president right there. It seemed like bad manners.

LOWERY: Well, I don't think so. I certainly didn't intend for it to be bad manners. I did intend for it to - to call attention to the fact that Mrs. King spoke truth to power. And here was an opportunity to demonstrate how she spoke truth to power about this war and about all wars.

And I think that, in the context of the faith, out of which the movement grows, we have always opposed war. We've always fought poverty. And we base our - our argument on - on the faith, on the fact that Jesus taught us. He identified with the poor. "I was hungry; you didn't feed me. I was naked; you didn't clothe me. I was in prison; you didn't see about me." He talked about war. He talked about he who lives by the sword.

So I'm comfortable with the fact that I was reflecting on Mrs. King's tenacity against war, her determination to witness against war and to speak truth to power.

Well there you go. Perfect response--would someone kindly make sure this is sent to all Democrats who are in a position to be interviewed about this? Because that, right there, is the correct response. And any so-called Democrat giving a namby-pamby Republican pundit-appeasing response should get a *serious* metaphorical butt-kicking.

And, one more thing, Atrios has just said:

When I die, please let it be known that my family and friends are entitled to conduct my funeral in any manner they see fit, including but not limited to talking about the things which were important to me in life.

I would say, why not go one better? Write your *own* statement, that you would like read at your funeral or memorial service. Include it with your will. Have it notorized, or whatever else you'd need to do to prove that these are *exactly* the words you want spoken. That way, no one else can be accused of doing the "politicizing".

Most of us, of course, are unlikely to have a state funeral with Bush in attendance. Maybe we should just write ours anyway--speaking truth to power in our own voices.

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Save Americorps

I think this is important enought to frontpage, but don't have the time to write a post of my own. The following is a post from listener in the overnight thread. To help avoid confusion, since there are three different "voices" in the post, I've used different colors to distinguish the part written by listener, the letter from her clergy friend in NH, and the letter from Beth.

And yes, I did sign the petition.

Well, here's one for Coretta's sake...

My son served in Americorps for two years, tutoring underprivileged kids in the inner city of St. Louis.

Today I got a message from a clergy friend in NH, explaining that Bush is cutting funding to Americorps programs, and inviting me to sign a petition to help save one of them.

Please consider signing!!
The address is below.

Here's the letter from my friend:

Friends and Family

This (see below) is from a young woman in our church.

Need I say more---except that every young person I know who participates in this program (and there are quite a few) has come back a changed person, has grown and what's more, has contributed to the common good. I fear for the common good in these daze of dizzying self-righteous indulgence and political insanity.

Please support Beth and all those who have given and give so much for others through Ameri Corps -- National Civilian Community Corps(NCCC) and otherwise.

Peace

_____

Dear Friends and Family,

I am writing this email to ask for EVERYONES support. AmeriCorps*NCCC (the program I will have devoted 2 years of my life to) is in Jeopardy.

President Bush has cut ALL NCCC funding from the 2007 Budget.
Anyone who knows my experiences and the experiences of other NCCC alum know how important this program is.

The amount of work that we are able to get done is unbelievable, and anyone who was an NCCC sponsor is aware of that. In the proposed budget, it states that AmeriCorps*NCCC has proven to be "ineffective" in their work.

This statement was also made by people who have never visited campuses or projects to see what is actually being done.

I have found a website that is forming a petition to keep NCCC, at the least I would love everyone to sign that.

**************************************
The website is
http://www.petitiononline.com/mr5qv367/petition.html
**************************************

On the other hand, SO much more can be done. Please please please write to your Senator and Congressmen, let them know the importance of the program and the lives that it saves every year that NCCC is in service.

If you would like more information on what NCCC does and the projects and amount of work that has been completed, please let me know and I can get that information for you. Also, if you do write to people, be sure to mention AMERICORPS*NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps).

On a final note, I'm really calling on all of you to speak on behalf of me. I am unable to lobby for the program at this time because i am a current member. If I were Alum, I would be out in full force, as I'm sure you all know. So please if I can help you in any way, let me know!! Please don't let them end this program that is so important!!!

Hope all is well with everyone!

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For war billions more, but no more for the poor

I just got home a little while ago, and had my first opporunity to see the video of Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery speaking at Coretta Scott King's funeral. You can see the video at Crooks and Liars. He said, in part (via Atrios):

"We know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there [standing ovation]... but Coretta kew and we know that there are weapons of misdirection right down here. Millions without health insurance. Poverty abounds. For war billions more but no more for the poor."

Apparently there are already complaints that Lowery was "politicizing" the event. Bull puckey. I watched the whole speech/eulogy and on balance, not that much of it was political. Granted, a lot more rhyming than I personally can appreciate, but it's a style.

What a family reunion
Rosa and Martin reminiscing, they'd just begun to talk
when Martin seemed not to listen. He started to walk.
The wind had whispered in his ear
"I believe somebody is almost here!"
"Excuse me, Rosa," Martin said as he did depart.
His soul was on fire, he just couldn't wait
His spirit leaped with joy as he moved toward the Pearly Gate.
Glory, glory, halleluia, after 40 years, almost 40 years...
Together at last, together at last,
thank God almighty, together at last!

That was followed by a standing ovation. What struck me when watching the speech is how completely it struck a chord with the audience. Rev. Lowery's words were *exactly* right for the majority of the people in attendance. Not that much of the speech was political, but the part that was was entirely appropriate. From an article at MSNBC:

She pushed and goaded politicians for more than a decade to have her husband's birthday observed as a national holiday, achieving success in 1986. In 1969 she founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta and used it to confront hunger, unemployment, voting rights and racism.

"The center enables us to go out and struggle against the evils in our society," she often said.

Two points here. First, Coretta Scott King clearly was an activist in her own right, and Rev. Lowery, as a long time friend of hers, was right to address issues he knew to be close to her heart. How do you think she would have felt about this?

President Bush on Monday sent Congress a proposed $2.77 trillion budget for fiscal 2007 that favors tax cuts and national security and squeezes domestic programs.

The proposal would eliminate 141 government programs, cut spending not related to defense and homeland security, and scale back the rate of growth for Medicare and other so-called entitlement programs. Even with those savings, federal spending would exceed anticipated tax revenue by $354 billion next year, down from this year's record $423 billion deficit.

Do you think she approved of her friend, Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery chiding the powers that be for a budget giving "for war, billions more, but no more for the poor"?

Rhetorical question. Damn right, she approved.

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I want Bill and Ted held for questioning

In case you missed it, yes, Alberto Gonzalez really did say this:

Alberto: President Washington, President Lincoln, President Wilson, President Roosevelt have all authorized electronic surveillance on a far broader scale.

You can see the video at Crooks and Liars.

George Washington, the "father of our country" did that? That bastard! I know somebody who isn't getting anything for Presidents' Day this year.

Assuming, of course, that Alberto Gonzalez allegations are true. I'm pretty concerned about how Washington came into possession of equipment that could be used for electronic surveillance. I'm afraid these guys are going to have to be held for questioning.


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Howard Dean updates

I just received this notice about an upcoming Howard Dean appearance in Washington State from Howie in Seattle. If you know of any other upcoming appearances, please email the details to howardempowered at gmail.com.

Howard Dean in Washington State, President's Day, February 20th!
WHAT: Washington State Democrats Annual Crab Feed!
WHERE: ST. MARTIN'S COLLEGE, LACEY, WA.
WHEN: 5PM, FEBRUARY 20TH, 2006

Also, Howard Dean has made the following remarks about the recent anti-gay hate crime in Massachusetts. From February 2:

"The horrible hate crime against members of the LGBT community witnessed in Massachusetts last night is a sad reminder that shameful efforts to scapegoat any group of Americans for electoral gain is a dangerous strategy that carries real human cost. It needlessly plays on people's fears and contributes to a political climate dominated by fear and division. The American people understand that scapegoating groups of Americans for electoral gain is not just dangerous, it is un-American and has no place in our society. Hopefully, born of this tragedy will be a renewed commitment to bringing all Americans together and embracing our diversity. It is time for Republicans and Democrats to come together to find real solutions to the challenges that confront all Americans."

And finally, don't forget to check in here and join in the brainstorming about how to celebrate Howard Dean's first anniversary as chair of the DNC.

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Howard's 1-year anniversary--let's do this thing up right!

This morning and, yikes, into this afternoon, I have been busily cross-posting a diary about Howard Dean's one year anniversary as chair of the DNC. As some of us have already noted, we know that there is likely to be a spike in the negative stories (they're *always* out there, but this is a time of special celebration) in honor of one year with Howard Dean as chair of the DNC.

Please help spread the word about this--it needs to be a wide effort both online and offline. If I have time, I'll come up with something to printout and give to the "shoe leather" Dean supporters. But please post about this at other blogs you frequent, or your own blogs. Here are the places I've posted about this, if you are a member of any of these blogs and would like to give the story a boost by recommending.

Daily Kos
My Left Wing
Booman Tribune
MyDD
Democratic Underground

And a big thank you to ePluribus Media for frontpaging my diary.

Please direct people to the link right under the seasonal picture of young Howard Dean, so that we can all brainstorm ideas.

If you'd like to submit a post for the front page here at Howard-Empowered People, in honor of this anniversary, you can email it to howardempowered at gmail.com

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