Category: dems

monday musings – mid-week edition.

author randomduck | timestamp 04/02/2009 | categories Comments Off

Stuff that’s been in my head:

  • Long before Markos at DailyKos said it, I argued that Obama’s secret way of funding the bailout package is to name high-profile tax evaders to his cabinet and other high-level governmental positions: as they are named, they are vetted, smoked out and must pay. Soon enough, the bailout will be fully funded, and the federal deficit will be reduced.
  • Speaking of Obama and cabinet picks: Howard Dean should be the natural pick for Secretary of Health & Human Services, as well as the Health Care Czar position. Dean eats, sleeps and breathes health care policy – specifically universal coverage for children under 18. If Rahm Emmanuel is still bitter with Dean over the 50-state strategy (face it, Rahm, Dean won that battle, and the only reason you are CoS for POTUS is because of Dean’s reworking of the DNC food chain), that’s too silly a reason to pass over the former governor of Vermont.
  • The suggestions that Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) be HHS Secretary are laughable and scary: this is the man, after all, who allows so-called “health supplement” companies to continue producing formulae of questionable health value without the oversight of the FDA. Of course, the gullible and naïve voters of Utah have returned this idiot to the Senate too many times to count, so perhaps this might be the only way to get some new blood in Utah’s congressional team, but still…. bad idea. And I can count the times Hatch has been bi-partisan/non-partisan on one hand (with fingers left over).
  • When will the Dems – other than Barney Frank – act like they actually won the election in November? I’m waiting, but it’s time to put up or shut up – and I’m pointing my fingers are you, Sen. Reid and Rep. Pelosi.

In non-political stuff (okay, might be slightly political):

  • As Sarah noted, Ticketmaster is an evil monopoly. Sure, I managed to get tickets to Springsteen’s show here in DC, but only after being denied good seats due to a site error, then finally getting tickets 20 minutes after they went on sale. All the while, my fruitless attempts at getting seats resulted in Ticketmaster suggesting I buy tickets for the same show (at a greatly inflated price) via TicketsNow, their legal “reselling” (read: scalping) sister company – these tickets almost certainly coming from under-the-table skimming of prime seats from one arm of the company to the other. That, to put it bluntly, is fucked up. And now Ticketmaster is looking to buy out one of their few remaining competitors, LiveNation. If this isn’t a true monopoly that acts against the best interests of consumers, I don’t know what is. Let’s hope the Obama DOJ investigates these criminals for what they are – a ticket mafia – and that the trust is broken and people put in jail.
  • While I love a cupcake as much as the next person, the trend of boutique cupcakes has got to end: when run-of-the-mill cupcakes in the supermarket now command more than $2 per specimen, that’s just wrong. And let’s face it: many of the boutique cupcakes aren’t that good: most home bakers could bake equally tasty, if not better, cakes.
  • I’m very much ready to get back to real winter. DC has been lacking in this area. Sure, we had a true, hard freeze this year (fewer mosquitoes this summer is a lovely thought), but a scarcity of snow. New England and the west have been inundated, so I’m headed to Colorado tomorrow to get a snow fix.
  • It’s time to start ramping up my bike training regimen for the 2009 season: lots of big rides loom ahead, and the warm months aren’t too far away. But I’m really glad I spent some time off the bike, as I was getting a bit burnt out.

categories cycling, dems, music, politics, random

what a night!

author randomduck | timestamp 05/11/2008 | categories 2 Comments

Much more to be said once I get some sleep.

Canvassing in Virginia was good – and Obama won both the state and the county where I volunteered!

And Obama won the presidency by running an active race in all 50 states, showing that the only way to win is to show up. Howard Dean and Bill Bradley deserve a lot of credit for refocusing the Democratic party on rebuilding local party organizations and getting out the vote all over the place, even in traditionally inhospitable locales.

And the street party in downtown DC was simply incredible: we ended up driving home in the middle of an exuberant, giddy convoy, with horns honking, high fives, cheers and smiles all around. It’s as if a great weight had been lifted off the shoulders of DC, and folks were celebrating the liberation.

A good day, and a good night.

categories dems, politics

categories

get out and vote!

author randomduck | timestamp 04/11/2008 | categories Comments Off

Vote today!

It matters no matter where you live in the United States!

VOTE!

I did it this morning, and so should you!

VOTE!

I’m now heading into Virginia to help turn out the vote for Obama and Biden.

VOTE!

To find your polling place, click here.

To see my list of endorsements in DC, VA, MD, CT, MA, CA and UT, click here.

categories dems, politics

the stars align

author randomduck | timestamp 23/10/2008 | categories 1 Comment

In this case, the stars are Ron Howard, Henry Winkler and Andy Griffith….

…

…

… supporting Barack Obama!

Now Ron and Henry are no surprise, but Andy is a stunner. I would’ve pegged him as a McCain guy – I’m so happy to be wrong.

Enjoy the short walk down memory lane with Opie, Sheriff Taylor, Richie and The Fonz:

categories dems, politics, random

miscellaneous ramblings

author randomduck | timestamp 23/10/2008 | categories 1 Comment

Here’s a summary of what’s been going on in my life of late:

Over the long weekend (a.k.a. Columbus Day weekend – or “Insanely Politically Incorrect Federal Holiday Weekend”) sprite and I went to New England for three things: a wedding, visiting family, and a bike ride. We got to see her best friend, Karen, marry her sweetheart, Michael, in a lovely outdoor ceremony in Massachusetts. I got to hang out with Sam and Alexis, which was an all-too-brief treat. And I got to sample both the T and Amtrak, connecting the two in Boston – go, railroads!

That same weekend, I rode the Great River Ride in western Massachusetts. I’ve done this ride twice before, though both previous times the ride was my big ride of the year. Given that the Shasta Summit Super Century filled that role this year, I was past peak form at this ride – and it showed. It didn’t help that I was out late at the wedding the previous night and was a bit short of sleep and proper nutrition as a result, but I wasn’t as fast as I was in 2007. And I didn’t really care, as it was a beautiful day for riding and simply enjoying being outside in the beautiful foliage.

Rudi and LeviThis past weekend, I got the chance to catch up with an old friend: Levi Leipheimer. Most of you may know him as one of the greatest professional cyclists in the United States, who won the bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics, who placed second in this year’s Vuelta a España and third in last year’s Tour de France. I know him as a former teammate at Rowmark Ski Academy, back when we were both alpine ski racers out west. It was fun to see him and catch up on life – small world.

I also got the chance to try out the new Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 bike drivetrain, which features electronic shifting. It’s very slick, and had this Campagnolo user convinced that this could be a big deal. Campy is working on something similar, but it looks like Shimano will beat ‘em to market.

sprite and I continue to prepare for our upcoming trip to France. This involves a lot of house cleaning (we don’t fancy returning to a messy apartment, though I’m sure the cats will try their damnedest to ensure that some things will be out of place), some half-baked attempts at brushing up on my French (thank you, podcasts and French radio), and narrowing down wish lists of things to see and do.

All the while, I’m hoping that Obama can keep the momentum and win this election. It’s not going to be easy, given that the RNC and McCain campaign are throwing everything on the table to try and discredit Sen. Obama. It’s pathetic, but it’s also effective when aimed at people who don’t take the time to learn the truth about claims laid out in smear campaigns. 12 more days – keep up the good, aggressive, positive fight, Barack and Joe!

categories cycling, dems, outdoors, politics, random, travel

seven years later, i’ve moved on

author randomduck | timestamp 11/09/2008 | categories 3 Comments

I read a newspaper story today that said

“The world hasn’t stopped turning since the towers came down and the Pentagon smoldered and the earth was torn in a Pennsylvania field.”

Yet for the Republican party (and certain Dems and “independent Democrats”), it’s as if the world did stop, then and there.

Or if it did, they continue to rewind in times of political insecurity.

As Keith Olbermann said in a “Special Comment” segment on last night’s Countdown, to the GOP “9/11 has become… 9/11, with a trademark logo.”

I’m reminded of this as I remember September 11, 2001. I remember the horror and confusion created by the attacks, the anger the generated, and the hope that things would not get worse. On that day, I was teaching a class in Metarie, Louisiana, and it was tough to concentrate on my curriculum when my mind, as well as the minds of all my students, was focused on lower Manhattan, Arlington and Pennsylvania.

As time went by, I saw some of the best of America come forth: community efforts to help the victims’ families, a re-visitation of how people viewed being “American,” and a non-partisan unity of spirit and resolve.

But this feeling didn’t last long. Partisan bickering and misguided revenge put the United States into a war with a country that had nothing to do with the Al-Quaida attacks. Racism revealed its ugly face as civil liberties were undermined and the Constitution weakened in the name of so-called “security.” Fear was used as political capital, to the detriment of the foundations of this country.

And still, seven years later, many people – politicians, the media, victims of the attacks and those who still harbor feelings of anger and revenge – re-open the wounds of the attacks. These people keep looking backward, trying to find closure to a wound that they refuse to let heal.

I prefer to look forward – and I think that I’m not alone in that sentiment. During this hectic election time, I wince whenever any of the candidates lean on “remembering 9/11″ as a justification for misguided military spending, detrimental expansion of domestic oil drilling, subsidizing bankrupt entities, propping up outmoded business models, and instilling fear in the voters.

But the politicians serve it up, aided by the waitstaff that is the media, and many members of the public lap it up like manna.

Except for the fact that this manna is no less off-putting than Soylent Green: not the food of the gods, but an empty form of sustenance brought forth via the most foul and despicable means imaginable.

The people of the United States can be better than this. They’re being sold out by misguided trust: in the media, in the pundits.

As far as 9/11 is concerned, I’ve moved on. While I will never forget the tragedy – I reflected on the events of that day during a slow, quiet ride to work this morning – I prefer to look forward, to move toward something better and not dwell on the mistakes and horrors of the past.

If only more people in this country felt the same, perhaps we would be asking the right things of our politicians rather than the non sequitur. At least I can hope that’s the case.

categories dems, government, insecurity, politics, theocons

my endorsements for the primary?

author randomduck | timestamp 08/09/2008 | categories 4 Comments

Find them here at my namesake site.

Once you’ve read ‘em come back here, click on the “more” link, and see how I think it’ll shake out.
Read more »

categories dems, politics, washington, dc

chains

author randomduck | timestamp 30/06/2008 | categories Comments Off

To me, chains are WIPs (a nod to Sarah): constant works in progress.

Chains have many connotations to me, as well.

There’s the bicycling connection: the chain is part of the drivetrain of a bicycle. It needs attention to work properly: proper lubrication, cleaning, inspection for excess wear. Chains are never ever perfect after they’re first installed on a brand-new drivetrain (including new cogs, new chainrings, etc.), but they can be kept in perfect working order for thousands of miles with a little TLC.

Bicycle chains are WIPs.

And then there are chains that are more cyclical: the chains that bind a person to an endeavor, organization, and the like. My political involvement in the District has also been a bit of a chain: binding me to the city and its politics, to political groups that can both inspire and frustrate, often at the same time.

But when the frustrating moments outweigh the uplifting ones, it’s time to break the chain.

I ran for a seat on the DC Democratic State Committee for mostly altruistic reasons. I wanted to change the old-guard ways of the previous administration (raise lots of money, spend even more, achieving nothing in the transaction other than ego stroking). I thought that our group of motivated newcomers could do it. We had drive and determination. We also wanted to show how much could be done (winning citywide election) with so little (a budget that was 1/20 that of our incumbent rivals).

We won in 2004. And once in office, I discovered how completely naïve we were in thinking that change would come. No matter how we tried, the old guard continued to do the same old shtick, time and again. Albert Einstein is credited with the following saying:

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

And that sums up what being on the DC Democratic State Committee has been for the past four years.

So while many from my 2004 slate are gathering signatures to get on this September’s ballot, I’m not joining them.

I’m tending to the WIP that is me: cutting loose those things that cause undue stress and frustration.

I’m breaking the chain.

That’s not to say I won’t be politically involved. Politics and political causes are still near and dear to me, are part of my being and personality. But I’d rather be involved in things where I feel that my time is well spent, my opinions respected, and my frustration rewarded by progress from hard work, rather than the same ‘ol, same ‘ol.

Those are my chains. What are yours?

categories cycling, dems, politics, random, washington, dc

three random observations

author randomduck | timestamp 03/05/2008 | categories 1 Comment

Three things that are on my mind this Saturday night:

  1. Today’s DC Democratic Convention went off without a hitch. It was a decent exercise in voter outreach and party building, but it didn’t offer much to grow the party. Most of the workshops and such were preaching to the already “indoctrinated” DC Dems, and weren’t there to appeal to the online community, the younger Dems, or those in the “leaning” column. But it’s good that the convention happened at all – kudos to the organizers for pulling it off (and on schedule, to boot).
  2. Bicycling magazine has named Washington, DC, the top up-and-coming bicycling community in the United States. That’s cool – and puts a lot of long-needed pressure on DC government to get pro-cycling legislation passed and enacted.
  3. Once is this decade’s equal to The Commitments: a lovely, small, musical film that packs a sweet punch. sprite and I watched it tonight, and it was lovely. And the songs are wonderful, too.

Onward to Sunday – and to riding the bike! Yay!

categories dems, music, random, washington, dc

categories

decisions, decisions

author randomduck | timestamp 03/04/2008 | categories Comments Off

I’m serving out the end of my term on the DC Democratic State Committee, and one of the big votes is tonight: deciding on the unaffiliated add-on (i.e. sorta-super) delegates and the PLEO (elected official) delegates to this summer’s Democratic National Committee Convention. It’s one of the few votes we make that makes any shred of difference in the political machinations of DC, so I’m taking it as seriously as possible.

Due to this election, my phone has been ringing off the hook with folks asking for my vote. My email inbox has been flooded with messages including CVs of work done for DC and Democratic causes. And a few cards and letters have come via USPS delivery.

It’s insane.

But I’ve decided my picks, taking into account that the voting order for the evening is skewed to favor the old, entrenched DC Democratic order (hello, cronyism!).

For the unaffiliated add-on (UAO) positions, which are voted on first, I am supporting Mike Panetta and Miriam Sapiro. Both are strong candidates, and both have been steadfast supporters of Barack Obama’s campaign. While this is an “unaffiliated” delegate position, I think it’s important that the total DC delegation reflects the outcome of the DC primary, where Obama carried an overwhelming majority of the vote. And amongst the DCDSC membership, there are plenty of unwavering supporters of Hillary Clinton – including many who are running for UAO positions. So I’d rather these “unaffiliated” delegates be Obama supporters.

Furthermore, being part of DC’s delegation to the convention is lobbying for DC issues to be addressed on the DNC platform. This involves going to state delegation meetings, pleading the case, and winning over other voting delegates. With Mike Panetta, DC has one of the most passionate and creative supporters of DC statehood and voting rights. He is smart, personable, and driven to succeed in his cause. His DC Olympic Committee movement is one of the most fresh and unique ways to raise awareness of DC’s “last colony” status, and his work as “shadow” Representative for DC is unparalleled.

Miriam is a new person to me, but comes highly recommended by folks I respect in DC political circles. She’s also one of DC for Obama’s recommended candidates for UAO, and in speaking with her, I found a warm person who isn’t all “show and glitz.” DC isn’t going to win folks over on charm, alone – a level voice is needed, and I see that in Miriam.

For PLEO, I’m supporting Mike Panetta only. Does this look funny? It should, but it reflects the absurdity of the voting order in tonight’s elections – as well as an alteration of the delegation selection rules compared to past election cycles. It used to be that all of DC’s “shadow” congressional delegation – the two Senators and one Representative – were automatically part of DC’s delegation to the Convention. That changed this year due to a reinterpretation of the rules by the DNC. Due to this reworking of the rules, DC’s congressional Delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, gets to go, but not the “shadow” Rep – in this case, Mike Panetta.

And yes, there are two PLEO positions up for election. One, however, is an “automatic bid” (validated by a silly vote by the DSC) to the Chair of the DC Council – in this case, Vince Gray. So whether or not I support him is of no import to tonight’s vote.

categories dems, politics, washington, dc

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