On Thu, 2004-11-04 at 18:53 -0600, Holly wrote:

> You knew I was going to have to say something sooner or later after
> “Black Tuesday.” I was in such mourning yesterday that I didn’t want
> to talk to anyone…today, I am on a roll. My first next step, let’s
> get active agenda item is the press. I am sure as my thoughts collect
> and the mourning fog lifts, I will share (Spam?) other ideas including
> my suggestion to stop doing business with any establishment that had
> Bush/Cheney signs in their windows or yards. And tell them why you are
> no longer doing business with them.

I cannot disagree more with this tactic. While it may provide a temporary lift to you to carry out this kind of protest, there are a couple of problems. One, who amongst us has kept tally of such offending businesses? Two, do we really want to live in a society wherein expressing one’s political views imperils one’s business? I would find this to be a deeply chilling environment, especially living, as we do, in a majority stupid country. I certainly would not want to face discrimination because I placed Kerry/Edwards signs on my front lawn. Reminds me of an entry from David Letterman’s Top Ten list tonight, “Revoke tax cut for 55 million American’s who voted for Kerry.”

If you really feel so passionately about this, then think of a more constructive, not destructive approach. For example, I have long lamented the fact that to conduct business in this city and state, one must belong to business organizations which take, and fund, political positions at odds with my own. Holly your, and my, company is a member of the Milwaukee Area Chamber of Commerce. That business group, along with the national parent organization and the statewide Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, pours huge amounts of money into the Republican campaigns, as well as school board races in Milwaukee (and elsewhere) and other causes which we find reprehensible. How can you threaten to boycott local businesses for advertising the owner’s political beliefs when your own business is a member of groups like these? I think that the more beneficial course of action is to spearhead the formation of progressive business groups, ones that would provide the same networking opportunities to the many business people out there who must hold their noses every year as they renew membership in a right-wing organization which is fundamentally at odds with their own political persuasion.

> The first thing I think we can all do for ourselves as “elitist,
> LIBERAL DEMOCRATS,” (that’s what the enemy Republicans calls us and,
> heck, if that’s what I am then I wear that label proudly. I’d rather
> be that than a religiously brained-washed, rednecked, zealot…anyway
> I digress), is to digest, and encourage others to digest, and support
> alternative press. Stop watching Rupert Murdock’s right-wing agenda
> propaganda filled media machine and dive into the following…
>
> www.tompaine.com
> www.motherjones.com
> www.tnr.com (The New Republic)
> www.thenation.com

In a similar vein, I received this message tonight from a Howard Dean/Democracy for America/etc. group. I think that your views are remarkably close:

> Subject:
> We Lost – This is what We Must Do
> NOW
> Date:
> Fri, 5 Nov 2004 01:54:17 -0500
> (00:54 CST)
>
> Ok so Bush is back in power. I think most people that this email gets to will
> agree that the mass media played a definative role in this outcome.
>
> After the War in Iraq “ended”, surveys found that 60% of the US population had
> misconceptions concerning the war. And this is not just an initial war time
> shock situation since 49% of Americans continue to believe Iraq had actual WMD
> or a major WMD program(programs on International Policy Attitudes).
>
> If we want to have a progressive society we need a news media network that
> informs our citizens, and provides a free flow of information. In many ways we
> already have it with the alternative media. The problem is that the general
> public does not know about the alternative media. In my opinion we should
> start right this second to support and build the alternative media and do our
> best to push it into mainstream consciousness.
>
> I have recently started an organization who’s entire objective is to build a
> portal to the alternative media and promote it to the general public. We are
> just getting started now, our website was just launched today at
> www.coanews.org – We are only now building momentum but we are building
> partnerships with other alt media organizations to help us accomplish this huge
> and important task.
>
> So anyone who gets this email, we would love to know what you think of this
> project – email steve_at_coanews.org with questions and comments.
>
> If you believe in this project please sign up for small monthly donations if you
> can – http://coanews.org/donate.html
>
> If you want to support this project in other ways you may join our grassroots
> support team at:
> https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aoa
>
> If we work together we can build a better media system, and a better society.
>
>
> Please pass this on to anyone who you think would be interested in this project.

I applaud the new found voice of Americans all over. We all had the wind knocked out of us, and it has taken a day or two for us to regain our voices, our sense of humor (black tho it may be) and try to find a compass to guide us forward into the next course of this relentless campaign.

Thanks Andy and Lerissa, hee hee:
    http://idisk.mac.com/glwebb-public/new_map.jpg

My friend Geri sent me a message from a group of progressives in Shorewood and Whitefish Bay, here in Wisconsin, who are organizing on the neighborhood level. She asked me to pass this along to my rant list, so here it is…

Cheers,
-nic

If anyone wants to join Grassroots Shorewood, e-mail Keith saying Geri sent ya’…

Geri

Monday, September 27, 2004
Message From Milwaukee

Keith Schmitz is the state coordinator for Rapid Response Wisconsin.

I somewhat reluctantly went off to the July Democracyfest out in Pittsfield, MA at the urging of my wife. I expected to see the good friends I made during the Dean campaign and have a little fun.

What I didn’t expect was to get charged up thanks to training in campaign organizing hosted by the folks from Latinos for Democracy. It was truly exciting to learn how a group of friends and neighbors could effectively pull together a grassroots political organization.

Getting back home to Shorewood, I quickly called some friends together. Our core group opened up our address books and called an organizing meeting at a local coffee shop.

We set up Grassroots Shorewood for us as neighbors to band together not just for this campaign, but also (as Governor Dean has urged) because we have to have the means in place to continue fighting for progressive values after the November election.

The other idea was to set up the logistics to get people out on the street to canvass without having to go downtown to get material and assignments. This is community values in action and would save everyone, including the professional campaign staffs, valuable time.

Five minutes before the event – no one in the place. Ten minutes later, close to 90 people streamed in and Grassroots Shorewood was off and running. A second meeting this Monday has brought the number of volunteers for the Consolidated Democratic campaign to 120. As like the
Dean campaign, we saw many people turn out who had never or seldom worked on a campaign before.

Up farther north Whitefish Bay has long been regarded as a GOP bastion. Deborah Hufford, an attendee at the Shorewood event, last night called a rally to be held in “The Bay.”

The results were to say the least stunning. It was 500 people who couldn’t believe they were seeing 500 people – at a Democratic event. Congressional candidate Bryan Kennedy was called away from fund raising activities to get up to Whitefish Bay immediately to address the crowd.
Representatives from the other campaigns were there as well, though there was no formal party participation in pulling this together.

We also launched a similar group in Port Washington and will be starting another in Fox Point.

The Grassroots Shorewood model of a community of citizens taking the initiative to pull themselves together and organize has spread throughout the Milwaukee North Shore. Thanks to my wife’s insistence the Kerry campaign and others will have a pool of nearly 400 volunteers to
bring home victory and maybe even topple long time Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner. We have the power!

Keith

A friend sent me a wonder piece, “We’re Not in Lake Wobegon Anymore”, excerpted in In These Times a few weeks ago from Garrison Keillor’s new book, Homegrown Democrat. You can find it here:
http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/979/

An excerpt of the excerpt:

The party of Lincoln and Liberty was transmogrified into the party of hairy-backed swamp developers and corporate shills, faith-based economists, fundamentalist bullies with Bibles, Christians of convenience, freelance racists, misanthropic frat boys, shrieking midgets of AM radio, tax cheats, nihilists in golf pants, brownshirts in pinstripes, sweatshop tycoons, hacks, fakirs, aggressive dorks, Lamborghini libertarians, people who believe Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk was filmed in Roswell, New Mexico, little honkers out to diminish the rest of us, Newt’s evil spawn and their Etch-A-Sketch president, a dull and rigid man suspicious of the free flow of information and of secular institutions, whose philosophy is a jumble of badly sutured body parts trying to walk. Republicans: The No.1 reason the rest of the world thinks we’re deaf, dumb and dangerous.

Now that’s some ranting!

So just to prove that our lives consist of more than just political rants, here is a link to a photo gallery of the progress underway on the replacement of our kitchen addition:
http://www.ouroldhouse.com/gallery/kitchenadd

The masons and concrete guys are here as I type, building a new foundation.

This from Mad Magazine: If Bush were running against Jesus, what would his ads look like?

A friend and business associate sent me a link to this web site:
http://www.kiddofspeed.com/chapter1.html

This is a photographic and textual record of a motorcycle ride through the so called Chernobyl “dead zone” in Ukraine. I have found this to be a deeply moving portrayal of the tenuous purchase humanity has upon this earth. I recommend a visit to this site for everyone.

There are 27 “chapters” in all, each with just a few pictures, and descriptions of the area, conditions, radiation levels, etc.

From:
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 17:59:08 EDT

One of the reason that the democrats may lose…although I am not a big fan of either party, but I am much less a fan of bush and co. hate/power driven greedocracy..is that they refuse to play hardball. A psychiatrist I met the other day put it perfectly…”address all of it head-on…a simple and honest statement that would begin thusly …”so my military record is being questioned by a draft-dodger?”…. would do much to put this election and the underlying philosophies in perspective. By letting the other side dictate not only the fight but the rules as well and then only apply them to you, is the mark of a fool who is apparently content with a future full of wound-licking, abject mea culpas, pointless indignation, and impotent anger…but not too angry, why that wouldn’t be civilized.

I don’t know about you but my parents discouraged self-immolation.

The only difference that I see between bush, etc., and say, the original (in our closed little worlds) ayatollah khomeni, seems to be the choice of headgear.

A drive through western Wisconsin, across state and county highways, is an object lesson in political activism on a piecemeal basis. The Democrats had best take action, lest they fall into the “Dustbin of history” (as Karl Marx once put it).

The roadsides are littered with signs for hotly contested races — from County Commissioner and District Attorney (small yard sign size) to State Assembly and State Senate to Congress, U.S. Senate and, of course, President (4′ x 6′ or larger).

While we in the city may be used to seeing the typical yard sign, maybe 12 x 18 inches or a bit larger, in the countryside most are large.

A trip this Labor Day weekend showed me just how active people are this year, and a couple of things jumped out at me:

1. It is very common to see several signs grouped together at a prominent location — say a major intersection of county and state roads;
2. Those clusters are always for Republican party candidates.

The candidates I saw the most advertising for were almost all Republicans:

* St. Sen. Dale Schultz (R – 17th) from Reedsburg for U.S. Congress, challenging incumbent Ron Kind of La Crosse (D – 3rd). (Schultz’s slogans include “Send another Rough Rider to Washington!” “I wear denim as often as I wear pinstripes!” and “My favorite color is blaze orange!” I wonder if we may have found the elusive seventh member of the Village People!?!)
* Dan Kapanke, (R-La Crosse) to replace the retiring Mark Meyer (D-La Crosse) in St. Senate District 32
* Lee A. Nerison, (R-Westby) and Judy L. Schmirler, (R-Westby) running for Rep. DuWayne Johnsrud’s (R-Eastman) Assembly seat in District 96
* Brad Pfaff, (D-Onalaska) challenging Kapanke for Meyer’s seat.

A common arrangement was to see Schultz, Kapanke and either Nerison or Schmirler, along with either Russ Darrow or Tim Michels, and George Bush, all together at a crossroads or atop a hill. Kapanke was everywhere, even without the others, and Schultz seemed omnipresent as well — often appearing solo in a farm field.

What else was remarkable? The absence of any, any, official signs for:

1. Sen. Russ Feingold (D) incumbent
2. Sen. John Kerry (D) Presidential challenger
3. Rep. Ron Kind (D – 3rd)
4. Gail A. Frie, (D-Viroqua), Betty Havlik (D-Wonewoc) or Miguel Morga (D-Gays Mills) running to replace Rep. DuWayne Johnsrud in the 96th Assembly District.

Also worthy of remark, a surprising number of home made, hand lettered signs for:

1. Sen. Russ Feingold
2. Sen. John Kerry
3. Frie, Havlik, Morga and Pfaff

In Trempeleau, a large, hand lettered sign (at least 3′ x 5′) read “Support Russ Feingold — He fights for working people”

In West Salem, on a street where a Bush sign might almost go unnoticed, a hand lettered sign read, simply, “John Kerry 2004.”

At my wife’s aunt’s birthday party in West Salem a neighbor, Tom, approaches me in the kitchen and says, “Nic, you’re political, aren’t you?”

I’m not quite sure how to respond. My wife’s relatives up in West Salem are lifelong Republicans and I just assume that the neighbors are as well. I know Tom to be wealthy, and, at 50 something, already retired. He is also a Harley rider, so it might fairly be assumed that he has a Libertarian streak as well.

I demure, saying “Yeah, somewhat…” and leave that hang in the air to see where he’s heading.

[Yes, by the way, I am “political” as Tom put it. I have been since I was nine years old and worked on the McGovern campaign. Most recently, aside from my monetary contributions, I went to the Iowa caucuses as part of Howard Dean’s “Perfect Storm” and hosted other Dean supporters for our own Wisconsin primaries. I do not know how much of this Tom knows, but I am guessing that he is asking because I have long hair. Some people are that transparent, but Tom really isn’t.]

Tom goes on, “I’m not. I haven’t really ever been, but it’s important this time. We have to act.” I still cannot tell where he stands, and whether I want to have this conversation. “I can’t stomach Bush, and I’m worried,” he says.

Whew, what a relief!

“No, I can’t either.” I say.

“I guess I could be pegged as a Republican” Tom goes on, “but I’m just not that political.”

“I have been all my life,” I say.

“Republican?” Tom asks, before I can finish my sentence.

“No, political.” I respond.

We continue to talk for about fifteen minutes, all the while dodging other people reaching for lemonaid, napkins and deviled eggs. Tom talks freely to me, almost as though he is seeking validation of his beliefs.

“I did very well with Bush,” he says, “I saved at least $25,000 maybe $30,000 with his tax cuts. But, I don’t need that. It isn’t all about money, there are larger issues.”

“`Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society,’” I misquote Oliver Wendell Holmes. “We took our ‘rebate’ and sent it off to charity: Hunger Task Force, OxFam, Red Cross … and the Democratic Party!” I report.

“I did what they thought I would do,” Tom replies, “I invested it, but that just helps me more. I’m sure it created some work, some jobs, but not enough to balance out what the cuts have cost us. I just can’t believe that this program is working, is helping this society.”

I feel as though I have been dropped into one of Errol Morris’s MoveOn.org PAC commercials; you know, where people who voted for Bush in 2000 repent and pledge to vote for Kerry this time. I am not making this up. Tom, the 50 something Harley riding early retiree living in West Salem surrounded by Bush supporters is not just ready to tell me all of this, he is doing so in the neighbor’s kitchen while friends and neighbors swarm around us, and hear and listen to all that we are saying. More than a few stop to pay closer attention as the two of us settle into a proper conversation.

I speak of my concern that the recent (since 1980) focus by the GOP on culture issues was causing more and more people to vote single issue (abortion) or simple issue (“God, guns and gays!”) and against their own best interest in other ways (economic, national security, agricultural and trade issues, etc.). I reiterate the basic precepts of Thomas Frank’s book What’s the matter with Kansas. Tom listens and seemed to agree on these points.

I am feeling a little heady with this, while still scanning out of the corner of my eye to see what the assembled were thinking.

Tom, though, seems focused on one thing. “I have only voted for President twice in my life,” he tells me, “once for Reagan and once for Clinton.” (I’m tempted to ask for which terms, but don’t. What he says next makes me glad I held off). “This is an important election, this time it matters, and I cannot support Bush, I have to support Edwards.”

This is the fifth time he says Edwards instead of Kerry, and I finally correct him. I am beginning to wonder whom he is really supporting, but realize that I don’t care. Neither does he — he knows what he means, and what he means is that the country is headed in a dangerous direction and we need change.

“This is important, and I have to do what I can.” he says. “I am part of that quiet group — we don’t make noise and people may not know we’re here, but we are and we care and we cannot let this go on.”

So this is the message. The Republicans are advertising heavily in western Wisconsin, they are on every county and state highway. This may seem trivial to you and me, here in the city, but out there the impact is huge: People drive past these signs every day, on their way to work, school, the fields, wherever. The Democrats are nowhere. Nowhere. No one drives past their signs. Not unless, that is, they drive past one of the hand lettered signs that some dedicated person has put up in their front yard or farm field.

Where is the Democratic Party?

* It is not raising money for these people: With the possible exception of Brad Pfaff, no progressive running in a state or local race out west has any significant support.
* It is not distributing campaign material: there are no signs, bumper stickers, anything. Pay attention — people are making their own signs, not for the artistic expression , but because they have NO CHOICE!

I think half the reason Tom talked to me as he did was to make sure he isn’t supporting charlatans, he has that little to go on.

What it comes down to is that the state Democratic party seems to be giving up on the hinterlands, and it cannot afford to do so. Al Gore won Wisconsin by less than six thousand votes in 2000, but he won La Crosse County. If John Kerry cannot win La Crosse County this year, then he will not win Wisconsin, and he will probably not win the Presidency. If he is to have a ghost of chance of winning, he will need the help of down-ticket races. John Kerry needs Brad Pfaff. John Kerry needs Ron Kind. He needs Russ Feingold and he needs John Edwards.

That last point is important. In order to win Wisconsin — to win enough of Wisconsin to matter, not just Milwaukee and Madison — John Kerry needs to send John Edwards to every little nook and cranny of the state to ferret out those votes who will lean towards Bush unless someone can come along and remind them that Bush doesn’t really represent them. No one can do that as well as John Edwards.

If you are thinking about lending your support to progressive causes this year — to support the Democratic party or John Kerry or Russ Feingold, to help the winner of the Democratic primary for the 4th Congressional district (Gwen Moore, Matt Flynn or Tim Carpenter), or Jennifer Morales, (D-Milwaukee) in her seemingly quixotic race against Alberta Darling — also think about sending some money or other support out west aways.

Think about calling or writing your favorite progressive organizations and reminding them that they shouldn’t give up on the out-state, down-ticket races.

Every vote — whether it was a losing assembly candidate or a winning US Senate race that brought it out — will count the same when it comes to winning or losing the Presidency this November.

I just received this wonderful article from that same fine journalistic institution who gave us the most accurate headline of the last 4 years:
Bush: “Our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is finally over.”
http://chak.org/pages/onion/bush_nightmare.html

—

attached mail follows:

—–Original Message—–
From: James B.
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 12:05 PM
To: Luigi ; Chris ; Jason; Sarah
Subject: This should be the campaign! ya got to love the onion

WICHITA, KS-Delivering the central speech of his 10-day “Solution For America” bus campaign our Monday, Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry outlined his one-point plan for a better America: the removal of George W. Bush from the White House.

Above: Kerry describes his plan to rebuild the nation.
“If I am elected in November, no inner-city child will have to live in an America where George Bush is president,” Kerry said, addressing a packed Maize High School auditorium. “No senior citizen will lie awake at night, worrying about whether George Bush is still the chief executive of this country. And no American-regardless of gender, regardless of class, regardless of race-will be represented by George Bush in the world community.”

The Solution For America tour, which began in Boston, will end in Eugene, OR on Aug. 20. During the next week and a half, Kerry and vice-presidential hopeful John Edwards are expected to bring their message of a Bush-free country to several hundred thousand Americans.

In the speech, Kerry offered a solution for the nation’s ailing education system.

“Schools do not have the resources they need to succeed,” Kerry said. “One million students are dropping out of high school every year. John Kerry and John Edwards have a plan to ensure that all Americans can make the most of their God-given talents: Get George Bush out of the White House.”

Kerry also spoke on the subject of national security.

“This country has embraced a new and dangerously ineffective disregard for the world,” Kerry said. “In order to win the global war against terror, we must promote democracy, freedom, and opportunity around the world. My national-defense policy will be guided by one imperative: Don’t be George Bush. As will my plans to create a strong economy, protect civil rights, develop a better healthcare system, and improve homeland security.”

Joining Kerry at the podium, Edwards raised one issue not discussed by his running mate: the environment.

“Let’s not forget one important point,” Edwards said. “We need to set a new standard of environmental excellence for America by renewing our nation’s promise of clean air, clean water, and a bountiful landscape for all. In the 21st century, we can have progress without pollution-as long as we have a Dick Cheney-free White House.”

The new message is resonating with registered Democrats.

“John Kerry really spoke to my dream, my hope, and my aspiration for this nation,” University of Kansas sophomore Jason Brandt said. “He sees the world as I do.”

“With all the mess that’s going on in the country-the deficits, the government’s power-grab, the wars-it’s time for a president who admits that there’s a problem and has a plan to fix it,” Brandt added. “A president who is not George W. Bush is exactly what we need-and Kerry fits the bill 100 percent.”

Kerry’s message resonated less strongly with one Lawrence, KS swing voter.

“Politicians make a lot of campaign promises,” Lance Radda said. “Sure, this not-being-Bush policy sounds good now. But how can we be sure that Kerry will deliver on that promise once in office?”

Kerry addressed Radda’s question.

“I promise you, here and now, that I will enact my one-point plan on the day I enter the Oval Office,” Kerry said. “For the last three and a half years, we’ve had George W. Bush, and today I have this to say: We can do better!”

In his final words, Kerry changed the subject to attack Bush’s record.

“During his term in office, George Bush has relentlessly continued to be president-despite the clear benefits to America his absence would bring to the lives of citizens everywhere,” Kerry said. “My one-point plan for America highlights the sort of change that this country desperately needs. And my plan is something that George Bush will never, ever be able to accomplish.”

Bush-Cheney campaign manager Ken Mehlman described Kerry’s plan as a vicious, partisan attack.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous that John Kerry is offering one solution to all of America’s problems,” Mehlman said. “Who’s going to listen to logic like that? Anyone can see that Kerry is a Massachusetts liberal who will raise your taxes and open our borders to terrorist attacks. Vote Bush.”