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Wednesday, May 31, 2006
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Lawrence Lessig: "In a rare spin into politics, ebay's Meg Whitman has written to eBay community members asking them to write members of Congress to get them to support Network Neutrality legislation...This is a critical time. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren is my favorite leader on this issue. After just barely squeezing a victory in the House Judiciary Committee last week, the press is on now for the vote on the floor. The Congress Daily (which can't be linked to) estimates about a $1 million per week is being spent on ads by telecom and cable companies to fight neutrality legislation."
"2008 pres"
6:36:47 PM 
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Andrew Sullivan: "So what exactly is wrong with the process as it has played out? In a diverse country, states get to decide their own marriage policies, as has always been the case in the U.S. The FMA or MPA is essentially saying: this process is irrelevant. Why? Why should there be a federal imposition of a single rule on a question which provokes genuine disagreement? On an issue where public opinion is in flux, and where the next generation seems to have a very different view than seniors, it is prudent and conservative to let states take the lead. Besides, no one believes the FMA stands a chance of passing. So why take valuable time to debate something federally that has already been debated and dealt with by the states? We know the answer: it's a naked political attempt to appeal to some voters by whipping up fear and prejudice against others. It's despicable - and a sign of how degenerate American conservatism now is."
"2008 pres"
6:27:49 PM
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Wash Park Prophet: "Denver based group Unity08 is trying to launch a temporary third party for the 2008 Presidential election. My reaction is simple. I hope it will shrivel up and die. Fortunately, given the way the system works, I am likely to get my wish. It has no candidates lined up and not much of an agenda."
"2008 pres"
6:06:13 PM
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Jon Swift: "I hope my loyal readers will forgive me if I get a little personal and reveal something very distressing that has happened to me lately. In the past few weeks, I have been feeling a profound sense of fatigue, an inexplicable emptiness. These feelings have been accompanied by crazy, almost hallucinatory thoughts, moments when I wondered if President Bush wasn't the greatest President who ever lived, if the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the War in Iraq could have been handled better and if immigration was being adequately dealt with like the emergency it has suddenly become. At first I thought it might have something to do with fluoride in the water, but switching to pure spring water failed to dissipate my ennui (if you'll excuse my French). Finally, I went to see a doctor and after a series of tests he was able to diagnose my malady. 'I am very sorry to have to tell you this,' he said looking down, avoiding my eyes. 'You have Conservative Fatigue Syndrome.'"
Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the link.
"2008 pres"
7:10:45 AM
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Gary Hart and Joyce Appleby (via the Huffington Post): "Like some wasting diseases, this constitutional crisis began years ago - with the Cold War in fact. The communist threat at the end of World War II, part of it real and part of it self-generated, wrought substantial changes in our balance-of-power, checks and balances constitutional system. Authority shifted to the executive branch. Much of this shift came from an outright grant of power by successive Congresses unwilling to assume responsibility for conducting a novel kind of warfare that was not concentrated on the open battlefield but in the back alleys of the world."
"2008 pres"
7:08:12 AM
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TalkLeft: "Al Gore told the Guardian the Bush administration is a band of right-wing extremists. He also repeated his now familiar refrain that he is a 'recovering politician.' Yet when the Guardian pressed him on a 2008 run, he gave non-definitive denials. My prediction remains that he won't run."
"2008 pres"
7:04:32 AM
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Denver Post: "For years, selling off some of the U.S. government's vast land holdings has been a goal of many Western conservatives. But now it's become the third rail of the region's politics: touch it and you'll get burned. Consider the reaction to the Bush administration's proposal this year to sell off hundreds of thousands of acres of national forests and other public lands: Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., declared the plan 'dead on arrival.' It was quickly rejected by the public and disowned by Republicans in Congress. Now, the selloff proposal - while it remains alive - has been pushed into the shadows. Even President Bush's new interior secretary has spoken out against a key aspect of the plan."
"2008 pres"
6:43:31 AM
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It looks like there will be a 3rd party challenge to the Democratic and Republican parties in 2008, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "Fed up with the current state of national politics, a bipartisan, independent political organization named Unity08 launched nationwide Tuesday, vowing to offer voters an alternative ticket in the next presidential race. The group said it intends to offer a split ticket, with one Democrat and one Republican or an independent. Unity08 named Denver as its headquarters, citing the number of moderate voters in Colorado and the fact that many political observers consider it a 'purple,' or swing, state. The formation of what is essentially a third party comes in response to the increasing polarization between Democrats and Republicans and their focus on special interests and issues that often cater more to the extreme elements of their parties, said founders of Unity08...
"Unity08 differs from previous third-party presidential bids in that it does not have a presidential and vice presidential candidate attached to it. Rather, citizens will pick the ticket - made up of a candidate from each major party or an independent - through an online convention in spring of 2008. No one would be asked to leave their current political party. While winning the White House is the primary goal, getting Republicans and Democrats to listen to mainstream voters is also high on the list, organizers said...
"Organizers of Unity08 have already started fundraising and are waiting to hear from the Federal Election Commission as to whether they must designate themselves as a party or a political committee. Regardless, Jonas said, all of the group's donations and expenditures will be made public. Additionally, there is a $5,000 cap on donations, and corporate and political action committee contributions are banned...
"[David S. Maney] and Jonas are Republicans with businesses in Denver. Other political veterans behind the movement include: Doug Bailey, a former GOP consultant and co-founder of The Hotline, a Washington, D.C.-based political news website; Nicco Mele, Internet strategist and webmaster for Howard Dean's presidential bid in 2004; Gerald Rafshoon, former communications director for President Carter; Angus King, former independent governor of Maine; Roger Craver, a Democratic fundraiser and consultant and co-founder of The Hotline. Jonas said he does not expect officials at the two major political parties to take Unity08 seriously - right away."
More coverage from The Moderate Voice. Mr. Gandleman writes, "People continue to speculate on the need for some kind of strong third party to offer an alternative to the two prime political parties, which are increasingly seen by many as bloated, political beached whales."
"2008 pres"
6:39:44 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/15/09; 11:36:01 AM.
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