(we cannot forget the American worker... - promoted by poligirl)
Well, the longest election season of my lifetime has now ended. The smashing victory for Obama, and Democrats in most of the country should show us one thing. It is time we fight for the American worker once more. All over America, workers came out in force to demand a fair deal once more. Union workers, and those that aspire to organize let their voices be heard, and were a pivotal voting bloc in our victory. Now, it is time that the American worker recieved some good news for a change.
(cuz it's always midnight somewhere... :D - promoted by poligirl)
Welcome to the Midnight Oil. This diary is open for discussion from a few minutes after midnight through a few minute before (maybe two days later, maybe three). The intro remains the same, but the body is always changing.
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Populist movements don't build themselves, they grow from a process of people learning how to support a series of populist campaigns in a populist way, rather than as passive consumers of corporate political marketing campaigns.
It doesn't matter what the "horse race" outcome of the campaign is, if we fight the campaign. Fighting it, we learn how to fight. Learning how to fight political battles, we become citizens again. Becoming citizens again, we reclaim the Republic that lies dormant beneath the bread and circuses of modern American society.
(it's always midnight somewhere... :D - promoted by poligirl)
Welcome to the Midnight Oil. This diary is open for discussion from a few minutes after midnight through a few minute before (maybe two days later, maybe three). The intro remains the same, but the body is always changing.
....................................
Populist movements don't build themselves, they grow from a process of people learning how to support a series of populist campaigns in a populist way, rather than as passive consumers of corporate political marketing campaigns.
It doesn't matter what the "horse race" outcome of the campaign is, if we fight the campaign. Fighting it, we learn how to fight. Learning how to fight political battles, we become citizens again. Becoming citizens again, we reclaim the Republic that lies dormant beneath the bread and circuses of modern American society.
According to McClatchy Newspapers, the story, based on Pew Research Center findings, is that Democratic Party Conventioneers are more liberal than they have been in recent conventions.
Published on Saturday, August 23, 2008 by McClatchy Newspapers
As Democrats Gather, Liberal Positions Gaining in Popularity
by Steven Thomma, Published on Saturday, August 23, 2008 http://www.commondreams.org/ar...
If you can trust McClatchy Newspapers (and sometimes, frankly, I don't (but I do trust Pew research) the Democratic leaders and Democratic rank and file, are ready for economic change and are more favorable about government playing a role. If this story is true, I think we have John Edwards (and our campaign on his behalf) to thank for that, because he brought economic populism to the fore in the Presidential campaign. But he won't be at the convention to be recognized for the role he played,, to be recognized for the key role he played in that apparently greater commitment now among Democrats to ensuring that poverty solutions be found and that some of the solutions be found in renewed government intervention. Nor will he be there to augment and amplify the story.
The real problem for the campaign is that who will really stump for those positions on the campaign trail now, much less at the convention, now that the Democrats are apparently willing to have (or accept) John Edwards articulate and compelling voice on the subject silenced. There's no question that JRE's issue of "two Americas" got traction among Democrats and among Americans as a whole.
McClatchy went on to report:
At the same time, the number of Democrats who support a government safety net for the poor - such as guaranteeing food and shelter for the needy and spending to help them even if it means more debt - jumped by 14 percentage points from 1994 to 2007, according to the Pew Research Center.
Support for that safety net also rose by 15 points among independents and 9 points among Republicans.
Published on Saturday, August 23, 2008 by McClatchy Newspapers
As Democrats Gather, Liberal Positions Gaining in Popularity
by Steven Thomma, Published on Saturday, August 23, 2008 http://www.commondreams.org/ar...
First of all, you need someone who knows the subject inside and out, is passionate and determined and is willing to educate the public and connect the dots for them. JRE did it par excellence.
We still need JRE's persuasive voice for overcoming economic disparity in America. Clearly, Americans have responded to the education he provided them on the subject of poverty. In the mean time, let us articulate the cause throughout this Fall campaign ourselves. Drummers play on.
For my part, I will be missing John Edwards' presence and performance at the Democratic Convention
Karita Hummer
Edwards Democrat, a Democrat with backbone that insists that the party advance its core value of the common good.
We need to stay on the bus to One America and remember who got us started on the trip.
(it's always midnight somewhere... :D - promoted by poligirl)
Welcome to the Midnight Oil. This diary is open for discussion from a few minutes after midnight through a few minute before (maybe two days later, maybe three). The intro remains the same, but the body is always changing.
....................................
Populist movements don't build themselves, they grow from a process of people learning how to support a series of populist campaigns in a populist way, rather than as passive consumers of corporate political marketing campaigns.
It doesn't matter what the "horse race" outcome of the campaign is, if we fight the campaign. Fighting it, we learn how to fight. Learning how to fight political battles, we become citizens again. Becoming citizens again, we reclaim the Republic that lies dormant beneath the bread and circuses of modern American society.
Welcome to the Midnight Oil. This diary is open for discussion from a few minutes after midnight through a few minute before (maybe two days later, maybe three). The intro remains the same, but the body is always changing.
....................................
Populist movements don't build themselves, they grow from a process of people learning how to support a series of populist campaigns in a populist way, rather than as passive consumers of corporate political marketing campaigns.
It doesn't matter what the "horse race" outcome of the campaign is, if we fight the campaign. Fighting it, we learn how to fight. Learning how to fight political battles, we become citizens again. Becoming citizens again, we reclaim the Republic that lies dormant beneath the bread and circuses of modern American society.
It is an election year, and Exxon Ed Whitfield has been trying to clean up the stains on his terrible record of representing the First Congressional District of Kentucky. First, we had him bragging in our "impartial" newsrag, the Paducah Sun about voting for the G.I. Bill for the Twenty First Century, when acutally he had voted against Veteran's Benefits three times previous.
Kentucky Republicans live in a fantasy world that puts anything dreamed up by J.R. Tolkien to shame. Where else in this country do you find people who believe that the suppression of Free Speech by theft and vandalism is a "Christian Value? Where else do you find people who are invested in, and profiting from our pain at the pump seeking to lecture all of us on the high price of gas, while voting against a windfall tax on Big Oil? Indeed, where else will you find a Congressman who refuses to return the blood money of a convicted terrorist seek to lecture the rest of us on the "War on Terror"?
For someone that talks so tough on Terror, Ed Whitfield sure doesn't care much about it when money is involved. We have already seen how Ed Whitfield won't let suspected terrorist ties, and criminal activity get in the way of his investments, and now we get another look inside the twisted, hypocritical world of this Kentucky Republican.
It is no secret that Kentucky has had a stong Republican contingent representing our state in Washington the last decade or so. While men like Mitch McConnell and Ed Whitfield have become millionaires representing the voters of our state, Kentucky has consistently been at the top of poverty figures nationwide. With the additions of Ben Chandler and John Yarmuth to our Congressional delegation, and the chance of more victories this year, we have hope for the future. Follow after the fold to see the sorry record the Republicans have compiled.
Here in Kentucky, we are saddled with two of the worst of the lot in Republican "leadership". While Mitch McConnell needs no introduction, a lot of national Democrats don't know about my Congressman, Exxon Ed Whitfield, who is best known for protecting the profits of Big Oil. It seems these two got together this week to plot the demise of Democrat Heather Ryan.
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We need to stay on the bus to One America and remember who got us started on the trip.
