Turn Tahoe Blue

Diary Contest - Who's Your Favourite Presidential Candidate

2007-08-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

We do hear a lot from the campaigns and their staff why their candidate is the best and why we should support them.

But what about you?

Who do you like? Who is your favourite Democratic presidential candidate? During the month of August we're looking to hear from you. Tell us why you like Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama, or Bill Richardson.

All you have to do is register at My Silver State (if you have not already done so), log in and click "new diary" on the menu in the right sidebar. Writing a diary is relatively easy. All you have to do is type what you have to say, click preview and, if it looks okay, publish it. So even if you haven't done this before you shouldn't need to worry about that.

The rules are simple: you can remain anonymous or not, that is totally up to you, but we do limit this diary contest to Nevada residents. So please state in which city or county you live.

The best diaries will be promoted to the frontpage. Even though My Silver State only got started about three weeks ago, we already have a little less than 1,000 visitors per week with about 2,000 page loads. So at least several hundred visitors, if not more, will get to read what you have to say. You can write your diary in any way that you like. It's totally up to you. We just ask you to refrain from attacking other candidates. We want to hear what is good about your candidate, not what is bad about the others.

Get to work! Promote your candidate!

Introducing My Silver State - A Community Blog for Nevada

2007-07-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

Nevada's blogosphere is diverse and bigger than one might assume. However, thus far there has not been a community blog for Democrats and progressives. This is about to change.

Today, My Silver State has been launched. My Silver State is a community blog for progressive Nevadans. Think Daily Kos, only in small and silver/blue.

Anyone who wishes to help elect Democrats in Nevada and anyone who would like to advance progressive causes in Nevada is welcome to register, comment and write diaries.

In the end it's up to you to make both My Silver State and Nevada your Silver State.

Suddenly Doolittle Wants Troop Withdrawal in Iraq

2007-07-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

Oh my, oh my, how times have changed. Suddenly, John Doolittle has changed his view on Iraq. How can that be? Does he want to change subjects? Nowadays, most Republicans don't care to talk much about Iraq. But for Doolittle, Iraq ain't the worst thing in his world, the FBI investigation is his real problem. So, yeah he might actually be a Republican who might want to talk about Iraq. Changing his tune, so that it is more alligned with that of the electorate might be part of that as well.

So, let's compare Doolittle today and Doolittle a little while ago (something which the Sacramento Bee in its article failed to do).

Here's what he's saying now:

But Thursday, Doolittle characterized the war as a "quagmire" and said America should soon step back to a training and advisory role for Iraqi forces.
"We've got to get off the front lines as soon as possible," Doolittle told a gathering at the Rocklin City Hall chambers. "And in my mind, that means something like the end of the year. We just can't continue to tolerate these kinds of losses."
Doolittle added in an interview: "I don't want to keep having our people dying on the front lines. I am increasingly convinced that we never are going to succeed in actually ending people dying (in Iraq). I think it's going to be a constant conflict ... and if that is going to happen ... it needs to be the Iraqis dying and not the Americans."

Here's what he said in October 2006, less than an a year ago:

Doolittle said he would vote for war in Iraq again "if the same facts were before me" because it has meant protection for the United States.

Doolittle rolled religious beliefs into Iraq, noting that the Bible tells him Armageddon will take place the Middle East.

"I don't know how long it's going to go," Doolittle said. "It's a kill or be killed world unfortunately. I don't know how to solve the problem but it's better to be on the offensive than sitting here and letting people be killed."

Hmm, seems like Armageddon has passed us by. Fascinating, how Doolittle's world turns, ain't it?

Thankfully, there's an alternative to Doolittle.

Visit Charlie Brown's website to learn more, and you can contribute to Charlie here.

ABBA Explaining Iraq

2007-06-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

Gotta love Abba:

Don't forget that Doolittle, Ensign, and Heller own this Waterloo as well. They have continously voted for the Iraq war.

New York Times Gets it Right on Tahoe Fire Victims

2007-06-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

Unlike some local blogs, the New York Times actually gets it right on who the victims of the Angora Fire in South Lake Tahoe are. It's a sad state of affairs when a paper from the East Coast has to remind some people living at the foothills of the Sierras that many Tahoe residents have to work for a living and are doing so in hotels and casinos, in schools and police stations, in restaurants and shops. The arrogance of some non-Tahoe residents is just mind-boggling.

Donate to Charlie Brown & 15% Will Go to Tahoe Fire Victims

2007-06-28T04:53:00.000-07:00

Last night I received a fundraising email from the Charlie Brown for Congress campaign stating that 15% of online donations will go to the Sacramento - Sierra Red Cross to help the victims of the Angora fire in South Lake Tahoe (which is in California's 4th congressional district).

Now, for those of you who don't know it, Charlie Brown has done something similar before. At the end of the previous fundraising quarter in March he pledged to give 10% of contributions to local veteran aide groups. The donations were distributed to the Sacramento Stand Down, Nevada County Stand Down, and Sierra College Veterans Club in mid April.

This is in stark contrast to the actions of Congressman John Doolittle who's practise it was to give 15% of all contributions to his wife. Charlie in contrast is giving money to the community in his district.

Here's the fundraising email:

As you know, the upcoming June 30th FEC deadline is a very important benchmark for our campaign. But it pales in comparison to what's happening right now in Lake Tahoe, where thousands of our neighbors are facing a devastating wildfire.

That's why between now and the FEC deadline of midnight on June 30th, we will be donating 15% of all contributions made through our online ActBlue page to the Sacramento- Sierra Red Cross--to help area residents who have been affected by this horrible tragedy.

CLICK HERE to Contribute Now! (15% of your donation will help Tahoe Area Fire Victims).

CLICK HERE for a list of groups who are helping those displaced by the fire, and information about how you can help.

Together, we've shown that leadership is about much more than just affecting policy in Washington. It is also about mobilizing our collective strength to address real life problems here at home. In other words, leading by example.

A few months ago, our "no veteran left behind" campaign did much more than provide needed funds to area organizations helping veterans and families in need. It set an example that others have followed- both inside an outside of politics. Veterans and families in need across America, not just in our own community, have been the beneficiaries.

The events of this week demand that we lead by example once again.

Please be aware that it says that 15% of all contributions through Charlie's ActBlue page will go to the Tahoe fire victims. So, I'm not sure if this also applies to other ActBlue pages raising funds for Charlie. I'll ask the campaign and update once I've heard back from them.

Tahoe Fire - How You Can Help

2007-06-27T12:11:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, the Angora fire in South Lake Tahoe hasn't been extinguished, yet. Further evacuations were necessary. To get the latest on the fire, photos and video go to Tahoe Daily Tribune, OurTahoe.org, Reno Gazette-Journal or Sacramento Bee.

If you want to help, I'm sure you'll a way from the list from the Reno Gazette-Journal:

Housing Assistance

* Free Housing For Seniors - Sierra Place, 1111 West College Pkwy., Carson City (775) 841-4111
* Red Cross - South lake Tahoe Rec. Ctr., 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, (530) 542-6056
* United Way of Northern Nevada - (775) 322-8668

Food, Clothes and Toys

* Food Bank of Northern Nevada - (775) 331-3663
* Reno Rodeo Foundation - 6121 Lakeside Dr. (RE/MAX Bldg.), Reno - (775) 851-3505
* Squaw Valley - (530) 583-6985
* Spoiled Rotten Pets - 748 S. Meadows Pkwy., Suite A-3, Reno (775) 829-7886
* Red Cross - South Lake Tahoe Rec. Ctr., 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, (530) 542-6056
* Bio Green - 3785 Baker Lane, Suite 202, Reno (775) 329-7272
* Custom Aire Mechanical - 2205 Glendale Ave., Suite 143, Sparks (775) 331-3337
* South Lake Tahoe Jail - 1051 Al Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe (530) 573-3030
* United Way of Northern Nevada - (775) 322-8668
* Together for Tahoe Wed June 27th, 6am-6pm, Atlantis Casino Resort Spa west parking lot, South Virginia & Peckham Lane. Cash, nonperishable food, seasonable clothing, blankets, pet food.
* Casino Fandango in Carson City is taking donations 775-885-7000
* Ice Box Kitchens is a drop off location for victims of the fire. They are looking for bottled water, personal hygiene items, and blankets. 775-829-1964
* Carson Valley Christian Center Drop off any supplies for the fire
1095 Stephanie way just south of Carson. Call: Laura Cotter 775-781-0633
* US Bearings & Drives in Sparks have set up donation boxes for the vitims of the Angora fire. They are asking for blankets and non-perishable food.
775-284-4737
* Oak Harbor Freight Lines Offering pick-up of donations for businesses only and will drive to South Lake Tahoe
8960 Terabyte Drive, Reno, NV Call: 775-851-9100
* Sierra Place Retirement is offering free accommodations to senior citizens affected by the Angora Fire.
775-841-5820

Pet Assistance

* Dr. Bree Montana (530) 414-0832 or (530) 546-7522
* Susan Paul (775) 720-3773
* Jeanine Chaney, DVM & Dave Haebler, DVM - (775) 884-4362
* Horse Pastures for victims in Carson Valley - (775)721-1574
* All Creatures Animal Hospital - Taking all animals, including horses, cats, dogs, snakes. Extra stalls available.
6474 Bonde Lane, Reno, NV Call: 775-851-3151
* Spoiled Rotten Pet Boutique in South Meadows is taking donations for fire victims. They are asking for things like blankets, pillows, warm clothes, bottled water, diapers, baby formula, baby food, etc. They are also taking monetary donations Call: 775-829-7886
* Four Paws 530-542-2377 - Taking small pets for people with Pet Network
* Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care 530-577-2273 - Will take injured-wild animals
* Jenny Austin is donating her services by transporting large animals..like horses.
775-291-8677

Misc.

* Debra Manley, the facilitator for "Stuff Ministries" in Gardnerville, has enough on hand to help three families that lost their homes stock their kitchens and bathrooms with supplies.
775-782-1700 x253, dmanley@maxtonvalve.com
* South Lake Tahoe residents affected by the Angora Fire are welcome to bring any towable assets to Sierra-at-Tahoe Resorts for storage.
530-659-7453 x400
* Rockwood Tree Service - 775-832-0777, Beth Moxley
Her company will donate chippers and cutters to clean up the areas of devastation.

Fire Blazing in South Lake Tahoe

2007-06-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

When I heard the news this morning that western part of South Lake Tahoe near Fallen Leaf Lake was on fire it just broke my heart. While I lived in Stateline during my exchange year, I often visited and drove through that area. Eleven years ago my host family and I faced another fire, on the valley side of Kingsbury causing us to evacuate in case the fire should jump over the ridge. It was a very frightening scene I'll never forget. Thankfully, back then we were spared.

I've looked for more information on the internet about the Angora fire and so far the Reno Gazette-Journal has the best coverage by far. If you live nearby and want to help you can find out more here. Once information on ways to donate is available, I'll publish it here.

UPDATE:

The Sacramento Bee also has a special report with much more information. From the RGJ comes this on how you can help:

Together for Tahoe donation drive is scheduled for 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Atlantis Casino Resort's west parking lot, at the corner of South Virginia Street and Peckham Lane. Cash, nonperishable food, seasonal clothing, blankets, pet food and more will be collected. The organization is working through the Red Cross; bank account and tax-donation information will be announced later. Corporate and individual volunteers are needed. Call 224-7300 for more information.
A clothing drive for fire victims is sponsored by the West Shore Association in cooperation with Tahoe City PUD and the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce for fire victims. It is scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Rideout School and 4-7 p.m. Sunday at Commons Beach. Bring clothing, blankets, towels, anything that someone might need who has just lost everything. Volunteers are needed at Rideout School on Saturday and Sunday and at Commons Beach to accept the items.
The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe is providing foster homes to pets of families displaced by the Angora Fire. If you can provide foster care for a dog, cat or other type of animal, or can make a donation of food, supplies or money, call 530-587-5948 or e-mail info@hstt.org.

UPDATE 2:

From the comments: more info, photos and links at OurTahoe.org

"Maybe We Need a Waitress in Congress"

2007-06-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

The race between Republican Congressman Jon Porter and Democrat Tessa Hafen in NV-03 (the suburbs of Las Vegas) has been one of the closest in the country with 48.46% for Porter and 46.57% for Hafen and Porter winning by less than 4,000 votes. Therefore, it's not surprising that Democrats, both in DC and in Nevada, are looking for another serious challenger to Porter after Hafen, a former aide to Sen. Reid, declined to run again. Last week, another potential contender, 2006 gubernatorial nominee and State Sen. Min. Leader Dina Titus, took herself out of the running leaving the field with one announced candidate and two others seriously considering.

Thus far only Andrew Martin has announced his intention to run. He's an accountant making his first run for elected office and would be Nevada's first openly gay member of Congress. He's fairly unknown, though, and I'm not sure if he'd be able to raise the funds necessary for a successful run. Another potential candidate is Larry Lehrner, a nephrologist, a former Republican who does not even live in the district but is nontheless taken very seriously because he's married to Shelley Berkley, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley that is. A married couple representing two districts of one state in Congress, I don't think we've had that before and I'm not sure we'd want that.

So, maybe it's time for a waitress in Congress.

There has been speculation that Maggie Carlton, a state senator since 1999 is interested in running and this past weekend she confirmed this:

"My husband and I have been talking about it for a while," she said. "We might try it. I don't think it's too far fetched."

Carlton, a waitress at the Treasure Island resort, said she wants to talk it over with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and her supporters at home before she makes a decision.
"He's my congressman, and I don't like some of the things he's done," she said of Porter. "Maybe we need a waitress in Congress, not an insurance guy."

Yup, you read that right, a waitress. Nevada's legislature is only in session for four months every other year, meaning legislators have to keep their job after being elected and work to make a living. Wonder how Maggie Carlton does it? So did NPR a year ago. You can listen to their profile of Maggie Carlton here.

Maggie Carlton represents the working people of Las Vegas and Nevada in the State Senate. One co-worker says:

We got somebody speaking for us on a higher level. [...] She'll bring up the questions that other senators probably wouldn't bring up because they don't know about nine-to-five working people. [...] If Maggie wouldn't be doing it who would do it?

So, you could argue she's too valuable in the State Senate and should stay put. However, term limits were introduced in Nevada which means she cannot stand for re-election in 2010. Having her speak for the nine-to-five people in Congress might not be such a bad idea.

How could she win? We know the district is competitive, Porter is vulnerable. She'd have one distinctive advantage: the Culinary Union Local 226 - the most powerful union in Nevada, so powerful that the Culinary's endorsement might swing the presidential contest in the Nevada Caucus next year. Maggie Carlton is not only a member of the Culinary Union and a Culinary Local No. 226 Shop Steward, she says she was actually encouraged to run for the State Senate by the Culinary:

They wanted someone who clocked in for a living and who understood: running to PTA meetings, trying to do the girl scout thing, getting kids to school on time, all those types of things.

Maggie Carlton has been doing her day-job for 30 years now, maybe it's time she put down that 40 pound tray not just for 120 days every other year but permanently and take her experience to Washington.

Charlie Brown Added to Blue Majority Fundraising Page

2007-06-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

I just read on MyDD that Charlie Brown has been added to the Blue Majority fundraising page. This is a significant development. In the last election cycle Charlie Brown wasn't on this page which raised thousands of dollars for Democratic candidates. This should not only raise additional funds for Charlie but also raise national awareness for his campaign as the blogs who make up Blue Majority - Daily Kos, MyDD, and the Swing State Project - will surely increase their coverage of Charlie Brown's campaign against John Doolittle. This is another sign of confidence in Charlie's campaign and a very good sign for his chances against Doolittle.

The Suboptimal Life of Jim Gibbons

2007-05-30T04:05:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Steinhauer wrote an article for today's New York Times on Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons' first months in office. The headline "A Rocky Start for Nevada's New Governor" is by far the most friendly part of the article. It goes steeply down-hill from there.

Just take a look at the first few paragraphs:

Life these days for Gov. Jim Gibbons of Nevada might kindly be described as suboptimal.

In the last few months, Mr. Gibbons, a Republican, announced a plan to turn coal into jet fuel to raise money (problematic, as Nevada has no coal to speak of) and proposed paying for a $3.8 billion shortfall in highway construction money by selling water rights under state highways (it turns out the state did not actually own the rights).

He told a local editorial board he could not pronounce the name of his energy adviser because she was “Indian” — she is Turkish — and vetoed a bill that would stop budget-busting tax breaks for builders of “green” buildings before issuing an executive order to end them anyway (with the exception of four companies).

The article then goes on through all the mishaps and scandals. All this is old news to most Nevadans. However, imagine the reaction at the breakfast table of the average NYT reader this morning who has never heard of Mr. Gibbons before. That person probably isn't thinking too highly about Nevada voters right about now.

Apart from the usual scandals et al, the reactions were most entertaining. First to Brent Boynton, Gibbons spokesman, who "who answered questions via e-mail" (I've never read this line in an article before, so I'm assuming that this is highly unusual for a politicians spokesperson. Seems like they really wanted to control the Q&A and make sure they didn't screw up with the answers too badly):

“Many governors have seen similarly low numbers during their first terms and then seen the ratings rise later,” Mr. Boynton said. “Governor Gibbons is confident that the numbers were a temporary dip, and we have already seen signs that they are reversing direction.”

"A temporary dip" - ah, the lunacy of it all. And now to the game of low expectations:

“I think that probably there were some people who didn’t expect him to demonstrate a lot of intelligence,” said Michael Green, a professor of history at the Community College of Southern Nevada. “And that he might not have much familiarity about state government. But the degree of controversy that has surrounded him, I think, has been a surprise to everybody.”

As to the Governor's handling of the legislature:

“How do I give you a politically correct answer?” said Assemblyman John Oceguera, the Democratic majority leader. “He has a leadership style that is different than I am familiar with.”

However, I saved the best for last:

“Every time they think they have things under control, another shoe drops,” said Chuck Muth, a Nevada political consultant and conservative activist. “But at this point I would say that as long as Governor Gibbons stays true to his pledge not to raise taxes, as far as I am concerned he is a good Republican and he did well.”

It's great to see someone sticking to his principles, even if it is the principle of one. It seems the Governor could kill someone and certain "political consultants and conservative activists" wouldn't be bothered as long as he didn't raise taxes.

The lunacy of it all...

Read the entire article here. I really wanted to quote almost every paragraph. Ms. Steinhauer really did do an outstanding job. Nevada's governor will probably ponder this morning how much Nevada Democrats payed her for her service.

Turn Tahoe Blue - 1st Anniversary!!!

2007-05-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe it but I actually started Turn Tahoe Blue with this post one year ago. And what a year it's been. Some numbers:

439 posts
$190 raised through the Turn Tahoe Blue ActBlue page
10 interviews
5 Democrats elected in California
4 Democrats elected in Nevada
2 spin-off blogs (Nevada Caucus 2008 & Helluva Heller)
numerous new friends

And of course a lot of experience!

Last but not least I want to thank everyone who's helped me along the way, everyone who's linked to me and all the readers!

I could write so much more but I'd really like to hear from you: what are your memories of the last 365 days? Comment away!

Angie Paccione to Run for Congress Again!

2007-05-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

Angie Paccione will seek a rematch with extreme right-wing, anti-gay Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave in Colorado's 4th congressional district in 2008. Angie came within 3 points in a three-way race and brought Musgrave down to 46%, the lowest result for any current GOP member of Congress.

Since I established the Helluva Heller and Nevada Caucus 2008 blogs, the only significant local race for Turn Tahoe Blue so far is Charlie Brown's run for Congress in CA-04. Therefore, TTB will also concentrate on noteworthy non-local candidate - like Angie Paccione.

Angie was the only candidate outside Nevada and California that I've written about in 2006. Now, she has launched her new website for her 2008 run.

I will write more about Angie in the future. For now, I'd just like to urge you to watch the following exerpt from last year's debate with Marilyn Musgrave. Angie's response here is more powerful than anything I could write:

If you like what you see please consider contributing to Angie Paccione and join the Nevadans for Angie Paccione, Californians for Angie Paccione or LGBT Democrats for Angie Paccione groups at PartyBuilder, the social networking site of the Democratic Party which Angie Paccione also uses for her campaign.

Nevada's Congressional Delegation a Disgrace - Primary Challenge for Berkley?

2007-05-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Congress caved in to Bush's demands and passed a war funding bill without any timetables for withdrawal from Iraq. As a little Swiss newspaper puts it: "Capitulation of the Democrats."

In the end the House passed the bill 280-142 with 86 Democrats voting for the bill and 140 against. The Senate passed Bush's war funding by an even wider margin with 80-14. Here the majority of Democrats supported the bill, with 11 Democrats voting against (including Sen. Sanders) and 36 caving to Bush (not counting Lieberman).

Now, here comes the best: every member of Nevada's congressional delegation voted for the bill and essentially against a timetable of getting out of Iraq. You'd expect this from Sen. Ensign, Rep. Porter, and Rep. Heller as they're all Republicans. But to have two Democrats, Sen. Reid and Rep. Berkley, representing Nevada who voted against ending the war is not only a disappointment but a disgrace.

Especially, when you consider that the majority of Americans want a timetable according to the latest CBS/New York Post poll (pdf!):

Do you think the United States should or should not set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq sometime in 2008?

Should 63%
Should not 34%

And this is not just Democrats and Independents (61-34) talking here. Already, 42% of Republicans want a timetable. I'm dumbfounded to think that Reid and Berkley don't get this.

There's been talk in the blogosphere of targeting some of these Democrats, like Berkley, in primaries next time around.

That Berkley's increasingly in trouble becomes apparent in this take from MSNBC:

Will anti-war activists force Democratic incumbents to spend money to defend themselves in primaries next year — or could the party actually get stronger candidates as a result of contested primaries?

[...]

Five-term veteran Shelley Berkley, who represents Las Vegas and environs, said Thursday afternoon, “My district is pretty evenly divided. I haven’t done polling, but according to other polls it’s apparent that more than 50 percent now oppose the Iraq war in my district or in Nevada.”
So her vote for the additional finding will go against the wishes of the majority of her constituents, but she explained, “I’m on record as saying I’m not going to leave the troops stranded. As angry and dismayed as I am with the Bush administration having created a debacle, I’m not going to take it out on the troops.”
She predicted, “By September, there will be enough Republicans who will have expressed their concern to the president; it will be a bipartisan effort to moderate his position.”
She also forecast that “as we get closer to election time, more and more Republicans will see that Mr. Bush is not on the ballot, they are.”
And what about the potential threat of a Democratic primary challenger against her? “I don’t foresee that happening. I’ve been very candid about my position.”
She recalled, “I was in anti-Vietnam war protests in college.” She said the U.S. exit from Iraq, when it happens, “will be much more complex than the helicopter on the roof of the embassy” – a reference to the Saigon evacuation in 1975. “This is very complex. It is so much more complex than just ‘get out tomorrow.’”

“As we get closer to election time, more and more Republicans will see that Mr. Bush is not on the ballot, they are.” Oh, this is just hillarious! Maybe Rep. Berkley should realize she'll be on the ballot as well. I have my doubts if a primary challenge will work against the Democratic Party machinery but a serious challenger would undoubtedly have support from the netroots.

Shelley Berkley should seriously reconsider her voting pattern regarding the war (among other things).

Pictures of the "Democrats Work" Event in Reno

2007-05-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

The Democrats Work event in Reno seemed on Saturday seems to have been a success. At least when you judge from above picture. I counted at least 13 people in that picture. There are a couple more photos here.

If any of you has taken part in this event, please leave a comment and tell us about it.

Harry Reid's "the New Sheriff in Town"

2007-05-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

The Bush administration has proven time and again its contempt for Congress, most openly by misusing recess appointments (like in the case of U.N. Ambassador John Bolton). Senator Reid apparently wants to end this practise, which is wise considering that Bush might replace Gonzales by using another recess appointment in August. Here's the scoop:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has a little trick up his sleeve that could spell an end to President Bush's devilish recess appointments of controversial figures like former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton. We hear that over the long August vacation, when those types of summer hires are made, Reid will call the Senate into session just long enough to force the prez to send his nominees who need confirmation to the chamber. The talk is he will hold a quickie "pro forma" session every 10 days, tapping a local senator to run the hall. Senate workers and Republicans are miffed, but Reid is proving that he's the new sheriff in town.

There is an interesting discussion in the comments thread over at Daily Kos whether this will actually work but you have to give Reid credit for trying by bringing some much needed Nevada values to Washington.

Gibbons the Scandal Machine

2007-05-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

Under the headline "Gov. Gibbons, a Friend To Defense Contractors and a Gentleman" TPM Muckraker has a pretty good round-up of Gibbons' scandals, though amazingly when you read the comments you'll be reminded of even more scandals.

Yup, Gibbons sure is a "scandal machine" as Talking Point Memo's Paul Kiel notes.

Rural Nevada Democratic Mixer in Winnemucca This Saturday

2007-05-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

Democrats are organizing in the rurals. Very active in this regard is the Rural Nevada Democratic Caucus. This Saturday, May 19th, you can attend a meeting in Winnemucca:

No! You're not the only Democrat in your town! Come meet with other rural Democrats from Humboldt, Lander and Pershing Counties and learn about the upcoming Winning the West Nevada Democratic Presidential Caucus scheduled for next January.

Date and Time: Saturday, May 19, 2007 – 11A.M. to 2P.M.

Where? Las Margaritas in Winnemucca.

Keynote Speaker: Jill Derby, Nevada State Democratic Party Chair

Caucus Presentation by Carissa Snedeker, Rural Coordinator for the NSDP and Jayson Sime, NSDP Caucus Director.

Come and schmooze with Democrats from Humboldt County, Lander County and Pershing County (and beyond!)

Click on this link to RSVP online:
http://www.democrats.org/page/event/detail/4vf4y

Contact Dee Holzel for more information or to R.S.V.P. personally.
775-304-3123
Click to email Dee Holzel

Why Won't Dean Heller Participate in the Food Stamp Challenge?

2007-05-17T05:10:00.000-07:00

In February 2007, 118,613 Nevadans relied on Food Stamps to get dinner for themselves and their family on the table. Each person in Nevada received an average of $87.86 per month in 2006. That would be an average of about $2,90 a day. Have you ever tried to feed yourself or your kids on a mere $3 a day?

Well, we can be sure our Congressman has never had to deal with the Food Stamp Program. However, he doesn't seem interested in those who do. At least, Dean Heller didn't take up the challenge of his colleagues Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), co-chairs of the House Hunger Caucus, to live on $21 for an entire week. You can read their letter to their colleagues here (pdf).

Only two of their 433 colleagues took up the challenge. They are Democratic Representatives Tim Ryan of Ohio and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. All of them realize it's a real challenge to live on so little per day. Here's Rep. Schakowsky's meal plan for today:

Thursday

(5/19)

Puffed Wheat: $0.25

Milk: $0.20

Banana: $0.19

Ramen: $0.17

Pasta a Roni Tomato: $1.00

½ Diced Tomato: $0.46

Lettuce: $0.45

Milk: $0.25

$2.97

As you can clearly see, it's almost impossible to live healthy on $3 per day but the Food Stamp Nutrition Education in Nevada is still trying to show how. When you take a look at Schakowsky's plan (downloadable at her website) you'll see that it really lacks in variety.

Congressman Ryan is blogging about his experience on his website. Below is his receipt for his groceries for the entire week. Notice how he only managed to stay below $21 by buying items on sale only:

Click on the receipt to enlarge

There is also a Congressional Food Stamp Challenge blog where Congressman McGovern and his wife Lisa chronicle their experience and where you can also read press acounts on the challenge.

The aim of this challenge is to raise awareness and increase appropriation for the Food Stamp Program in this year's Farm Bill. We will keep an eye out on what's happening and how Dean Heller will eventually vote on this.

Click here to read more about the eligibility and payments of the Food Stamp Program in Nevada.

Cross posted from Helluva Heller.

Charlie Brown Thanks You

2007-05-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Charlie Brown won the DFA Grassroots All-Star contest - with your help. Watch his thank you video:

Democrats Work in Reno on May 19th

2007-05-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

Democrats Work have started their Nevada chapter and they will have their first event in Reno this coming weekend:

Dear Nevada Democrats:

We are writing (1) to invite you to join your fellow Democrats on Saturday, May 19th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. for a park beautification project with Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful and (2) to introduce an organization called Democrats Work.

In addition to helping our dad, Jack Carter, on his campaign for the U.S. Senate last year, we've been building Democrats Work with the goal of making community service an integral part of political action. Democrats Work connects grassroots Democrats with visible, tangible service projects in their communities - cleaning up parks, painting schools, building houses, sponsoring soccer tournaments, helping at church bake sales, etc. Through this service-based approach, we aim to promote Democratic values at the local level, showing our neighbors that Democrats work hard to improve our communities every day, not just at election time.

We have launched groundbreaking pilot projects in Arkansas, California, Colorado, and Georgia. We hope you will join this national movement to create a new brand of political action in Nevada.

Here are the details for the park beautification and flower planting event in Reno next weekend, which Democrats Work is sponsoring along with State Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie and the Young Democrats of Nevada. (Fear not, we are working with local partners to organize service events in other parts of the state, which we will announce soon!) All of the necessary equipment will be provided, so just wear clothes that can get dirty!

WHEN: Saturday, May 19th 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: Bicentennial Park, 10 Ralston Street (on the corner of First and Ralston Streets) in Downtown Reno
RSVP: Please click here to see all the event details and to sign up. (You can also RSVP by sending an email to rsvp@democratswork.org.) The first 15 people to RSVP will get a free Democrats Work t-shirt!

Together, we can keep the Democratic infrastructure in Nevada strong and growing between elections. We hope you'll join us!

Sincerely,

Sarah R Carter and Jason Carter

P.S., please forward this email to your friends and family. If we all pitch in, we can build a new "politics of service" throughout Nevada.

P.P.S., click here to learn more about Democrats Work and to sign up to continue receiving notices about service events in Nevada.

Democrats Work is a great organization. I've written about them at Turn Tahoe Blue before. You probably already/still know Sarah Carter. She did all the blogging for the Carter for Senate campaign last year. Her brother Jason is a co-founder of Democrats Work and has been in South Africa for two years with the Peace Corps. He wrote a wonderful book about his experience called "Power Lines." I've recently written a book review on it which you can read here.

Last Saturday, Jason spoke to the Gwinnett County Georgia Democrats. A blogger over at MyDD filmed it and put the video on YouTube. Watch it:

Go to the Democrats Work event in Reno this weekend if you can and make sure to register with the Democrats Work in Nevada group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Online Nevada Encyclopedia Launched

2007-05-14T05:13:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, the Online Nevada Encyclopedia has been launched. It's quite an interesting site which is easy to navigate and you'll certainly learn things about Nevada you've never heard of before.

In my case it was the first time I saw pictures of George Whittell and read about his background. During my year in Nevada I went to George Whittell High School in Zephyr Cove. While there I never read or heard much about the man. Now that I have, I'm not all that surprised that the students the students at GWHS are not told much about George Whittell himself. He might not be the best example to young students. And the only reason this school seems to be named after him is because he donated the land for it.

You can read more about the creation of the Onlince Nevada Encyclopedia at Reno News and Review.

Nevada Bloggers Unite to Take on Heller

2007-05-12T05:35:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I created a new blog called "Helluva Heller" with the aim of covering Rep. Dean Heller (NV-02) and making sure he'll be defeated in 2008. Since then Helluva Heller has already gained a little attention, both in the Las Vegas Sun and in a radio talk show chat

In the meantime, Helluva Heller has evolved into a group effort by Nevada bloggers. There are now a total of eight contributors. The contributors are (in alphabetical order):
between conservative Bill Manders and Dean Heller himself.

cls resides in Lyon County. She regularly writes on her blog Blue Lyon.

Desert Beacon is in her 60s, retired, and lives in Humboldt County. She writes two other blogs: Desert Beacon and Blue Sage Views.

featheriver is a 73 year-old retired lawyer from Pahrump, Nye County. His main blog is Nye-Gateway to Nevada's Rurals.

Jed B. is 17 years old, a progressive activist and High School Student in Elko County.

Jesse Riehm is a 17 year old High School Student and lives in Fallon, Churchill County.

Nevada Blogger: JWH is 32 years old and works in sales. He lives in Fernley, Lyon County and mainly writes at The blog formerly known as "No Gibbons"...

Sven is a 28 year-old student at the University of Mannheim, Germany. He currently works on his Master in modern history. He was an exchange student at Battle Mountain High School, Lander County and George Whittell High School, Douglas County in the 1990s. His other blogs are Turn Tahoe Blue and Nevada Caucus 2008.

UpNorth is in his 20s, a student at UNR and resides in Reno. He also blogs at Nevada Up North.

Now, we have gone one step further by creating a group on the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site. Join the "Helluva Heller - Defeating Dean Heller in 2008" group now!

And make sure to check out Helluva Heller!

Did Gibbons Accept Bribes in Form of Casino Chips?

2007-05-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

America's worst governor has now been discovered by NBC News "Senior investigative correspondent" Lisa Myers. Why this late? Probably because the corruption of Republican politicians only get interesting for the media nowadays when you have something saucy, like, say, photos of a drunk politician dressing up as a pseudo pirate and allegations by an FBI witness of bribes in the form of casino chips.

Here's an exerpt of what Lisa Myers reported on the "Today Show" this morning:

The new governor of Nevada, Jim Gibbons, is being investigated by the FBI because of alleged gifts and payments from Warren Trepp, a defense contractor whose Nevada firm received tens of millions of dollars in federal contracts.

That's the main allegation in a nutshell. Now for the juicy part. According to software designer Dennis Montgomery, Trepp's former business partner and a Republican, Gibbons accepted "close to $100,000" in casino chips and cash on a cruise ship.

Montgomery and Gibbons. Photo: NBC News

Honestly, where to start? A Nevada politicians accepting bribes in form of casino chips? This wouldn't even make for a Hollywood B-movie.

Of course, this is the same Jim Gibbons who claimed that there was a conspiracy between the Wall Street Journal and Democrats to bring him down and who's scandals make up about half of his Wikipedia profile.

Anyhow, there is already talk about a recall of Gibbons. And we only have to wait about 7 more weeks because a recall can only be started six months after the governor takes office. In the meantime, you can sign an online petition here.

Hopefully, the Gibbons scandals will get enough attention for Lisa Myers and other DC journalists to learn how to correctly pronounce Nevada...

More on all things Gibbons over at the fabulous Vote Gibbons Out!

Video and photos over at MSNBC.

The Future of Nevada Democrats is Female

2007-05-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

Women are clearly on the rise in Nevada politics. Especially so on the Democratic side. Consider the following: in the 2006 elections Democrats nominated women in all three congressional districts, four out of six candidates for statewide office were women, including Governor.

While Jill Derby (NV-02) and Tessa Hafen (NV-03) didn't win their respective races, they did come pretty close and it's quite possible that Dean Heller and Jon Porter will have to run against female candidates again in 2008.

Women have captured high offices in Nevada in the past, though they were mostly Republican: former Congresswoman Barbara Vucanovich (NV-02, 1983-97), former Treasurer Patty Cafferata (1983-87), former Lt. Governors Sue Wagner (1991-95) and Lorraine Hunt (1999-2007), Secretary of State Cheryl Lau (1991-95). The only Democratic women previously elected to statewide office were Superintendent of Public Instruction Mildred Bray (1937-51) and Frankie Sue Del Papa who was Secretary of State (1987-91) and Attorney General (1991-2003). There has not been a female US Senator yet, the only Democratic nominee was Mary Gojack in 1990.

Recently female Democrats were much more successful in being nominated and elected than their Republican counterparts. Currently, three out of four Democratic (six total) constitutional officers in Nevada are women: Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, State Treasurer Kate Marshall, and State Controller Kim Wallin. Las Vegas is represented in Congress by Shelley Berkley. The Nevada State Democratic Party has recently elected a woman, Jill Derby, as its chair. Among the five-person leadership are three more women: 2nd Vice Chair Teresa Benitez-Thompson, Secretary A'shanti Gholar, and Treasurer Jan Churchill.

In the State Assembly, Barbara Buckley was recently elected Speaker, the first woman in that position in Nevada's history. Majority Whip Sheila Leslie and Assistant Majority Whip Debbie Smith are among the five person Majority Leadership in the Assembly, while the Democratic leadership team in the State Senate is entirely comprised of women: Minority Floor Leader Dina Titus, Minority Whip Valerie Wiener, and Assistant Minority Floor Leader Bernice Mathews. As far as I could find out, no other legislatative body in the country has an entirely female leadership, at least on the Democratic side.

10 out 27 Democratic Assembly members are women (37%) and 5 out of 10 Democratic State Senators are women, making up 50%.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that in a recent poll at Helluva Heller, asking who should run against Heller on the Democratic side, out of the seven mentioned possibilities five were women: Kate Marshall, Debbie Smith, Jill Derby, Sheila Leslie, and Teresa Benitez Thompson and the female candidates were in the lead at last count.

When you consider all this, it is only a matter of time when Nevada will send another woman to the House, the first woman to the US Senate and elect its first Governor.

You can read more about the history of women in Nevada politics here.

Here are the women mentioned:

State Constitutional Officers:

Catherine Cortez Masto, Kate Marshall, and Kim Wallin

Elected Officers of the Nevada State Democratic Party:

Jill Derby, A'shanti Gholar, and Teresa Benitez Thompson

Member of Congress:

Shelley Berkley

Members of the State Assembly Leadership:

Barbara Buckley, Sheila Leslie, and Debbie Smith

Members of the State Senate Leadership:

Dina Titus, Valerie Wiener, and Bernice Mathews

Who Should Run in NV-02? Take the Poll

2007-05-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

Up North put up a poll at Helluva Heller with possible Democratic candidates to run against Rep. Dean Heller in 2008.

You can choose between NV State Treasurer Kate Marshall, Assembly members Sheila Leslie, Debbie Smith, and David Bobzien, 2006 candidate and newly elected NV Dem party chair Jill Derby, NV Dem 2nd Vice Chair and former Miss Nevada Teresa Benitez Thompson, and Washoe County Dem Chair and environmental litigation lawyer Chris Wicker.

Vote here!

Charlie Brown New DFA Grassroots All-Star!

2007-04-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

You did it! Everyone of you who voted for Charlie Brown in the DFA Grassroots All-Star contest helped the campaign out in a major way. Not only did Charlie get a $2,000 contribution from Democracy for America, after he won the contest a fundraising letter will be sent out by Jim Dean to all DFA members asking them to contribute to Charlie. Here's the letter:

Thousands of votes came in from around the country. DFA members pushed hard getting out the vote for all three Grassroots All-Star finalists -- generating incredible support for each campaign. In the end, there can be only one winner.
Lt. Colonel Charlie Brown is your 2007 DFA Grassroots All-Star!
Now it's up to us to back the endorsement up with real action. Please contribute to his campaign right now:
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/2007allstar
After Charlie Brown came within 3% of winning the district last November, Karl Rove put eight-term Republican incumbent Rep. John Doolittle on his "Priority Defense" list. You can bet that Rove will pull out all the stops to keep this seat for Republicans in 2008.
However, not all is going well for Republican Doolittle. Since the last election, the FBI raided his personal residence and has stepped up the investigation into his dealings with convicted GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Within a week of the raid, Doolittle stepped down from his position on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
Ousting Doolittle from this rural California district will not be easy. Charlie Brown will need everything we've got and then some to beat back the GOP machine. Please contribute right now to jump start the campaign:
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/2007allstar
Last year after you made Jerry McNerney your DFA Grassroots All-Star, you helped lead him to victory against so-called unbeatable Republican incumbent Richard Pombo. Now, if we work together, we will do it again! Victory in 2008 depends on you.
Thank you for everything you do,
Jim Dean
Chair

Vote Again for Charlie at the DFA Grassroots All-Star Contest

2007-04-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

Your vote in the first round went a long way as Charlie was among the top three vote getters which automatically means a $2,000 contribution by DFA. Now, in the second round you can help Charlie win the big price: a DFA fundraising letter on Charlie's behalf, potentially worth tens of thousands dollars.

Help Charlie win. Vote for him now!

California Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald has Died

2007-04-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

California Congresswoman and Chair of the House Administration Committee Juanita Millender-McDonald has died from cancer at the age of 68. A few of her admirable actions while in Congress:

Republicans controlled the House during all but the last few months of Millender-McDonald's tenure, constraining her opportunities to enact legislation. But she occasionally demonstrated a flair for dramatic political gestures.

In 1996, she brought then-CIA director John Deutsch to Watts to address allegations that the agency was using profits from crack-cocaine sales to fund the Contras in Nicaragua. The incident led Glamour magazine to describe Millender-McDonald in a 1997 article as "one of 11 women who will change the world."

In 1999, she staged a "sit-in" at the office of former Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) to force the confirmation of former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.) as ambassador to New Zealand and Fiji.

In recent years, she has made security at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach a priority.

Read more on her life and political career in this obituary in the LA Times.

May she rest in peace.

Doolittle Compares Himself to Duke Lacrosse Players

2007-04-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

After giving up his seat on the House Appropriations Committee yesterday, Congressman John Doolittle today had the audacity to compare himself to the Duke lacrosse players during a press conference:

I have been an effective representative for the region and shall continue to be one despite this situation. Finally I will just say that if there is anything we should have learned from the Duke lacrosse case, it is that the destruction of the reputations of innocent people can occur when the government, the press and the public jump to unfounded conclusions. I ask everyone to withhold judgment until the all facts are known and the truth can prevail.

It's really time that this disgrace of a Congressman leaves not only the Appropriations Committee but Congress itself. However, Doolittle stated he will not resign and will run for re-election:

First I would like you to know I have no intention of resigning from Congress and I have every intention of running for reelection again. Over past last two days the support I have received from colleagues in the House and elected officials from my district has been overwhelming.

Well, you can actually do something about forcing Doolittle out of Congress. You can support Charlie Brown in his attempt to succeed Doolittle. In the last election Brown gathered 46% of the vote compared to Doolittle's 49% in a heavily Republican district.

Help Charlie Brown by contributing to his campaign and by voting for him at the DFA Grassroots All-Star contest.

Read the entire transcript of the press conference here. You'll notice that Doolittle declines to answer most questions. And here's the audio.

German Music Friday: "Texas Lightning - No No Never"

2007-04-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

"It's not a joke - it's country" is the motto of the German band "Texas Lightning." Yup, it ain't no joke that a German band thought about doing country. Surprisingly, they're both good and successful.

Last year Texas Lightning represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens, Greece. Somehow, not all of Europe grasped the concept of the band and came in 15 out of 24.

In Germany "No No Never" was a hit and was number one for several weeks.

Among the members of Texas Lightning are drummer Olli Dittrich, a German comedian who was a cast member of the German version of Saturday Night Live and vocalist Jane Comerford who is a vocal coach and was born in Australia.

In June of 2006 the members of Texas Lightning were made "honorary Texans" by proclamation in the Texas State Senate. I kid you not.

So, are you ready for German country?

More Texas Lightning videos at YouTube.

Texas Lightning's official website.

Texas Lightning on Wikipedia.

Doolittle Gives up Appropriations Committee Seat

2007-04-19T13:46:00.000-07:00

John Doolittle must know he's in real trouble now:

Rep. John Doolittle, facing escalating legal uncertainties because of his connection to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, announced Thursday that he is stepping down from his position on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
Doolittle is the only California member of the panel's Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee which allocates money for flood control projects. His departure comes just as the Congress is ramping up work on improvements to Folsom Dam necessary to bring 200-year
flood protection to Sacramento and other levee improvements along the Sacramento River.
Doolittle requested a temporary leave of absence in a letter to House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-OH.
"I understand how the most recent circumstances may lead some to question my tenure on the Appropriations Committee," Doolittle said. "Therefore I feel it may be in the best interest of the House that I take a temporary leave with seniority from this committee until this matter can be resolved."

Clearly, Doolittle is no longer capable of serving the interests of his constituents. It's time Doolittle resigns.

Charlie Brown would represent California's 4th congressional district honorably. You can help Charlie succeed in a very easy way. Click here to vote for Charlie in the DFA Grassroots All-Star contest.

Doolittle's Home Raided by the FBI

2007-04-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

Congressman John Doolittle's home in Virginia was raided last Friday. Breaking from the Sacramento Bee:

The Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the Virginia home of Rep. John Doolittle and his wife Julie on Friday, executing a search warrant for materials related to Julie Doolittle's company, Sierra Dominion Financial Services.
The raid apparently is in connection with the ongoing federal investigation of the political corruption scandal stirred by Jack Abramoff, a one-time Republican star who had a close relationship with the Roseville Republican.
Republican Party sources told The Bee the raid occurred on Friday as a former Doolittle staff member and lobbying colleague of Abramoff, Kevin A. Ring, abruptly resigned his job with a Washington law firm, raising the prospect that the FBI was focusing on Doolittle.

The article also has a run down of all the Doolittle scandals in case you're not up to date.

Other recent headlines at the Sacramento Bee:

Former Doolittle aide abrupty quits

Doolittle campaign still in debt

Doolittle's going down. At this point it's uncertain whether he'll actually make it to election day next year or whether he'll have to resign before that. Either way, Charlie Brown is gonna need all the resources he can get, so consider donating to Charlie's campaign and vote for him at the DFA's Grassroots All-Star contest.

Make Charlie Brown the DFA's Grassroots All-Star

2007-04-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

Democracy for America is having a contest on who their first endorsee will be. Here's what it's all about:

This month, Democracy for America is hosting an online vote to determine which Congressional candidate will receive the first endorsement of the 2008 cycle. All of the candidates in the competition ran in 2006 and lost in close races. They're now determined to win a rematch, so we need to support these candidates early to build towards an even larger Democratic majority in 2008.

You can help Charlie big time by voting for him. Getting the first endorsement of the cycle by DFA would be a major coup for the Brown campaign!

Vote now!

Ad Campaign Against Dean Heller Started Today

2007-04-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

Americans United for Change started their ad campaign against Dean Heller and 5 other Republican members of Congress today.

I've been planning on starting a blog on Dean Heller. Because of this ad, I decided to start the blog a little early:

"Helluva Heller" will focus on everything Dean Heller, with the aim of ousting Heller in the next election. Read more about the new blog and watch the ad at:

Helluva Heller

Charlie Brown Gives 10% of Contributions to Veterans Groups

2007-04-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

You can give 15% of the contributions you received to your wife (and not tell your contributors) or you can give 10% of the contributions you received to Veterans Groups and let people know in your fundraising letters. Charlie Brown chose to do the latter:

Lt. Col. Charlie Brown Will Distribute Funds to Local Veterans Support Groups at Press Conference in Roseville on Today

Brown asks Politicians, Businesses, and Individuals to “lead by example on troop support”

Roseville: Retired USAF Lt. Col. Charlie Brown will be presenting financial contributions to a number of local veterans support organizations at an event scheduled for this morning (11 a.m.) at the Roseville Veterans Memorial Hall.

The event comes just days after Brown’s son deployed for his fourth rotation to Iraq , and in the wake of growing concerns about the wide spectrum of post-combat aftercare needs confronting veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan .

“We’ve all heard the troubling trends concerning PTSD, homelessness, suicide, divorce, and the myriad of other challenges that have faced past and current generations of veterans,” Brown said. “Many people may not be aware of the vital role that local groups play in delivering services to those in need, and how much they count on the support of private donors and volunteers.”

“This event is about highlighting their work, their needs, and what others can do to help,” Brown added. It’s about the shared obligation of people of all stripes—politicians, businesses, and individuals--to come together, put their money where their mouth is on troop support, and address a common challenge that will be with all of us for decades to come---no veteran left behind.”

Brown, who is exploring the possibility of a second run for Congress in 2008, issued a challenge to supporters back on March 13th to help raise $25,000 online by the end of the month, with 10% of all proceeds going to support local community based organizations that serve veterans and their families. Monday’s event will distribute the funds generated by that campaign to the Sacramento Stand Down, Nevada County Stand Down, and Sierra College Veterans Club.

Joined by other local veterans, Brown and representatives from each organization will deliver brief remarks at the event.

Lt. Col. Brown spent 26 years in the Air Force, and was a candidate for Congress in California ’s 4th District in 2006. His wife Jan is also a veteran, and his son is currently deployed to his fourth rotation in Iraq with the Air Force.

WHO: Lt. Col. Charlie Brown, Area Veterans, Representatives from Sacramento Stand Down, Nevada County Stand Down, and the Sierra College Veterans Club (including 2 recently returning veterans of the Iraq War).

WHAT: Check Presentation to local Veterans Support Groups with Press Interview Opportunities

WHERE: Roseville Memorial Veterans Hall, Front Steps, 110 Park Drive , Roseville

WHEN: Monday, April 16, 2007, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Americans United for Change to Air Ads Against Dean Heller

2007-04-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

Patrick O'Connor at the Politico reports that Americans United for Change are to start a new ad campaign next Tuesday against 6 vulnerable House Republicans.

Among them: our very own Dean Heller!

The ads are a response to Heller's Iraq war votes. O'Connor writes about Heller and the other targeted Republicans: "Each could face a difficult reelection challenge if the war persists." Yeah, no kidding. More:

The ads come at a critical time in the showdown between Bush and congressional Democrats over the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. The first ads will air Tuesday, a day before Democratic leaders are scheduled to meet Bush at the White House.

[...]

Next week’s ad campaign is expected to be sizable, if not overwhelming, according to the same source. The group is expected to spend “several hundred” thousand dollars on the ads, running approximately 500 gross ratings point in each market.

Sounds like this will be the opening call to see to it that Heller won't be re-elected in 2008. What can television viewers in Northern Nevada expect? Well, here's the script for the ad against New Mexico's Heather Wilson:

[T]he ad begins with the president's now-infamous “Mission Accomplished” speech from the deck of an aircraft carrier when he declared, “Major combat operations in Iraq have ended.”
His speech is followed by a montage of chaos on the ground in Iraq, including footage of Humvee hitting a roadside bomb.

Wilson is then shown appearing with Bush as the announcer says, “Heather Wilson is still voting with the president on Iraq” followed by a reference to her vote against the supplemental spending bill to fund the war.

“Tell Heather Wilson, after four years, it’s time to end the war,” the ad concludes.

The ad against Heller will likely be similar. A couple of weeks ago Americans United for Change started their first campaign against 3 incumbent Senators. Watch the one against New Hampshire Sen. Sununu:

Now it's upon Nevada Democrats and new Chair Jill Derby (Heller's '06 opponent) to find a suitable and credible challenger for Heller, assuming that Jill Derby herself will not run again.

German Music Friday: "Ayo - Down On My Knees"

2007-04-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

So, what'd you expect when you read that headline? I guess, I don't even wanna know.

Anyhow, I have a new favourite song right now and thought I'd share it with you. And make a little regular series out of it while I'm at it.

Ayo has released her first single in Germany this February. She has started her career in France, where she has been very successful and has done a big concert tour last fall. Ayo's Nigerian father came to Germany in the 1970s to study, her mother is a German gypsy.

"Down On My Knees" is the current single in Germany from the album "Joyful" which was produced by Jay Newland who won a Grammy in 2003 for his work on Norah Jones' album "Come Away With Me."

More Ayo videos at YouTube.

Ayo's official website.

Ayo's MySpace.

Charlie Brown's Son Re-Deployed to Iraq for the 4th Time

2007-04-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

CA-04 congressional candidate Charlie Brown's son was re-deployed to Iraq today for the 4th time. Charlie wrote a very moving and powerful post about this over at Daily Kos. It is up on the rec-list as I write. His post has also been front-paged at Calitics.

Here it is in its entirety:

Most Americans woke up this morning ready to read the morning paper, listen to the news, and check their computer to see what the day would bring.

Jan and I woke up knowing that today our son deployed for his fourth rotation in Iraq. We woke up knowing that for the next several months, the last thing we do at night and the first thing we do in the morning will be checking the internet for news out of a war zone...for word from our son.

We are in the minority: parents, spouses, and friends with a loved one in Iraq. Knowing from experience about the true cost of war, we questioned the justification and execution of this policy before it was popular. We learned first hand about the lack of proper equipment before others read about it in the newspaper. We checked prices for top quality body armor to send our son while the GOP led Congress fiddled. And long before the Walter Reed scandal broke, we followed the aftercare problems facing our troops, their families, and surviving dependents as our son talked about the injured and dead his unit flies out of Iraq.

The truth doesn’t only set you free, it strengthens your resolve to fight for what’s right.

Like many other veterans and military parents, my wife (who served as an Air Force Nurse) and I have borne the burden of far more truth than is typically presented to the general public. We learned about contractor fraud from an auditor I used to fly helicopters with who monitors contracts in Iraq---about the slower than reported progress on Iraqi civil infrastructure projects from a Marine civil engineer who was stationed in Iraq---about our long since discredited intelligence on the war from people on the ground who I worked with during my own 26 year military career. And, as a longtime subscriber to ‘professional’ military publications, I learned years ago that the military has not been quiet about the problems it is facing--you just had to know where to look, and you had to be willing to listen to the experts on the ground.

Now that this information is more public, most Americans disapprove of U.S. policy in Iraq, and are justifiably outraged over the care given to our troops when they come home.

Welcome to our world.

We thank those of you reading this for caring, for working to spread the truth, and for helping to elect a new Congress in 2006 that is fighting for change. That’s what "supporting the troops" is all about, but it is only a beginning.

Representatives like my 2006 opponent John Doolittle are still voting to send people like my son into combat without proper equipment, training, or a plan for success. They are still refusing to make personal sacrifices to support our armed forces, or hold the administration and Iraqi politicians accountable for results instead of rhetoric.

I suppose that’s easy to do as long as it’s someone else’s child fighting and dying, but it is not the American way, and it is certainly not patriotism.

We need good people in the military, and we owe those who serve the benefit of competent civilian leadership, and seamless aftercare when they become veterans. Families like ours know this truth all to well. We know that resolving these issues at a human level is not about having all the answers---it’s about having the right priorities and the courage to ask the right questions.

We are proud of our son and the troops who protect our beloved country. They truly are our best and brightest.

And that’s why Jan and I are as determined as ever to ensure we have a government that cares as much as we do about the safety and success of our men and women in uniform.

Be safe son. And come home soon.

Charlie Brown, Lt. Col. USAF Ret.

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Olberman: Gibbons "Worst Person in the World"

2007-04-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

When a governor, even an obscure one, goes all nutty over a conspiracy theory, people take notice. So was the case with MSNBC's Keith Olberman last night:

But our winner... Governor Jim Gibbons of Nevada.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that the FBI is investigating him for having allegedly accepted unreported gifts or payments from a military contractor, while the Governor was a U.S. Congressman.

But he has an explanation. "I have heard," he says, "that the Democrats have paid to have these Wall Street Journal articles written."
Governor, don't you think, if the Democrats could get good coverage out of the Wall Street Journal by paying for it, they might spend the money on a little higher-value target than the Governor of Nevada?

The Wall Street Journal, for cryin' out loud!
Governor Jim Gibbons of Nevada... Today's Worst Person In The World!

You can view the video here.

Gibbons himself now seems to be channeling George W. Bush, in that he endlessly repeats himself and I just don't understand what he's saying at all:

"Is there a double standard?" Gibbons said. "I don't think there should be a double standard. ... Let me say that I'm one who has been subjected to a lot of false rumors that have been published by people -- statements created and fabricated against me. ... So I don't think there should be a double standard."

[...]

"I'm not paranoid," he said. "I'm not thinking people are out to get me. I just repeated that what I had heard was what was asked of me. ... The question was had I heard, and I said yes, I had heard."

Gibbons was asked multiple times whether he believed the rumor.

"Do I believe it? I don't know if I believe it or not. It's a rumor," he said. "I have no way of knowing. ... It's just a rumor. There are rumors all the time, and I'm one who's always subject to rumors being published. So I understand the fact about rumors. They're just rumors."

Meanwhile, basically everyone thinks Gibbons has gone to a new low, to put it mildly. There are quite a few fun comments in there. My favourite is this one:

Community College of Southern Nevada historian Michael Green said anyone with common sense would have laughed off that conspiracy scenario, but Gibbons appeared to have taken it seriously, revealing an "amazing view of the world."

Green also called Gibbons' comments "mind-boggling," "ridiculous" and "memorably bizarre."

"What Gibbons is doing is sounding like a guy broadcasting from his bedroom on public access on the far end of the AM (radio) dial in Buttflap, Alabama," Green said. "It doesn't come across as coming from a governor. It doesn't sound like someone in a state that's trying to be taken seriously."

Gibbons was also the top story on KVBC Las Vegas. They report on the recall efforts. You can view the video here. Notice how prominently Nevada Scandalmonger's blog "Vote Gibbons Out" is shown in the report. This prompted him to write a post that his blog is not the official recall site and to link to every single Gibbons scandal. So, if you want an overview that's really the best place to go.

And Gibbons has an approval rating below Bush's at 29%.

And the Las Vegas Sun is also making fun of him.

And the Nation also joins in ridiculing Gibbons:

Rumors? Has anyone heard rumors about the Wall Street Journal being on the take from the Democratic Party? If that's the case, Democrats -- aside from Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman -- ought to ask for their money back. No newspaper has more consistently editorialized in favor of the Bush administration's failed policies, and the initiatives of Republicans at the state level, than the Journal.

It's gonna be one heckuva summer.

Gibbons, Nixon - Is There a Difference?

2007-04-10T03:53:00.000-07:00

Is Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons now channeling Richard Milhous Nixon?

Is Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons in the same league with those who believe Elvis was abducted by Aliens?

Is Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons America's nutty Governor?

The answer to all of the above is probably yes. Here's why:

Is there really a conspiracy between Democrats and the Wall Street Journal? are Democrats in fact paying the WSJ to get Gibbons?

Jim Gibbons seems to believe so. Asked by the Reno Gazette-Journal's Ray Hagar whether he heard conspiracy rumors Gibbons replies:

“I have heard that the Democrats have paid to have these Wall Street Journal articles written,” Gibbons said. The Journal has reported that Gibbons is under investigation by the FBI for allegedly accepting unreported gifts or payments from a Reno company that was awarded secret military contracts when Gibbons was in the U.S. House.

[...]

“When I met this guy, (Wilke), he was brought to Elko by the Dina Titus campaign and that is where I met him. So I don’t know what his agenda is, but there is nothing there with any of these allegations.”

[...]

Gibbons said the ties between the Democrats and the Wall Street Journal are about politics.

“What this is about, I believe, is that this is about the 2008 election,” Gibbons said. “And it has very little to do with me. It is just that they want to deal with what their interests are in 2008.”

Yup, Gibbons seems to believe the "rumors." And one has to wonder where these rumors are coming from. Here's Gibbons' spokeswoman's take:

“We believe that there is a significant effort on behalf of the Democratic Party to aggressively attack my boss’ legislative agenda and provide further distraction, not allowing us to move forward leading the state,” Melissa Subbotin said. “As far as the Wall Street Journal story goes, we don’t know. We don’t know who is providing it but we do hear rumors just like you do.

But getting back to reality for a second. Here's the response of Senate Minority Leader and frm gubernatorial candidate Dina Titus:

“I think the stress is getting to the governor. Now he’s looking for a conspiracy,” Titus said.

“I have never met this (reporter),” Titus said. “I’ve never talked to him. He has never asked me for a comment. I have no connection to him whatsoever.”

More voices from the reality-based community:

“I find it hard to imagine that anyone paid the Wall Street Journal to fabricate stories about the governor,” Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas said. “The Wall Street Journal is generally considered a conservative newspaper, perhaps run by Republicans and not Democrats.”

[...]

“The very idea that a newspaper of that caliber is going to accept money to make up stories about a governor is far-fetched, to say the least,” Buckley said.

“We don’t have that much juice,” added Assemblyman Morse Arberry, D-Las Vegas and the chair of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.

Of course, this whole rumor deal doesn't explain why the Governor is under investigation by the FBI. Are Dems now paying the FBI as well? You only really grasp the craziness of the whole deal when you listen to the first part of the conversation between Ray Hagar and Jim Gibbons. Yup, there is a tape. This really is like Nixon reloaded. Listen to it here.

There have been so many stories involving Gibbons in the past year that it's really hard to keep track. The WSJ is trying to and in Nevada local blog Vote Gibbons Out is really doing the best job. He posted a timeline on Jim Gibbons and his wife Dawn and their involvement with the Defense Department contractor and their holiday trips with the owners of said company.

All this leaves only one question: when will Gibbons be recalled. Nevada law only allows for a recall after the Governor has been in office for six months, so proceedings could start in July and Nevada bloggers and activists are gearing up for it.

Here's a petition for you to sign.

PS: Conveniantly, this story has already been picked up by the AP. Hope it'll spread far and wide.

Book Review: Jason Carter "Power Lines: Two Years on South Africa's Borders"

2007-04-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

Themba

In Gogo's mind, she translated the word "hope" to the zulu word themba. "Themba" means not only "hope" but also "believe." For Gogo, "hope" is not a possibility but a certainty.
Too often, perhaps, we lose hope because we fail to look for it where we least expect it - among poor black people in a South African homeland or an American inner city, or poor white farmers in clapboard shaks in south Georgia. But there it is.

Hope and believe, or "themba," that's what it is ultimately all about. Jason Carter, the son of last year's Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Jack Carter and brother of blogger Sarah Carter, comes to this conclusion at the end of his book, at the end of two years in South Africa.

Jason arrived in Lochiel, a little settlement on South Africa's border to Swaziland, on April 8, 1998 - nine years ago yesterday. Lochiel is really just that, a settlement, people were forced to move there when the South African government in the 1970s decided to establish "homelands" for South Africa's different tribes. The Swazi people in townships outside Johannesburg, Pretoria and other places were rounded up and brought to KaNgwane. However, none of the homeland gained real independence or autonomy. People had to commute outside of their homelands if they wanted to find work and survive. Each night they had to go back to their homelands to sleep without any rights, much less any comfort:

[T]he trucks dropped people off in the middle of nowhere, and the government was not going to provide much assistance. There are famous pictures of the "houses" that the government provided in the "relocation camps." They look like rows and rows of outhouses, or cube-shaped pens, with sides of corrugated iron and a dirt floor.

In Lochiel, Jason was the only white person among the 200 families living there. At first, the locals were apprehensive but soon got used to his presence. He worked in the local schools helping to implement the government's new education program.

In post-Apartheid South Africa, Jason was in a unique position. As a white American he had few difficulties blending in the industrialized, rich and white South Africa. Though, oftentimes he felt more than uncomfortable, not only because of the abundant luxury so few miles away from the poor townships and settlements like Lochiel where he spend most of his time, but also, or maybe even more so, because of the blatant racism by many.

One would think that a white American would have a tougher time in a black South African community than a black American. Surprisingly, this was not really the case. South Africa, because of Apartheid, is a very complicated country. Jason soon discovered a tool that put black South Africans more at ease with the presence of a white man - their language. He soon picked up enough quite a bit of Siswati and Zulu to easily communicate with people in Lochiel and elsewhere.

While there were many uncomfortable situations for Jason, he had less trouble than some of his fellow Peace Corps volunteers from the US. African-American men had to endure the racism and frequent bad treatment by white South Africans just like black South Africans did. African-American women had to cope with the extreme macho attidudes against women in South Africa's black society on top of that.

Yet, these few paragraphs don't begin to grasp the complexity of the situation in South Africa as Jason also discovered a willingness among both black and white South Africans to cross the racial divide, to overcome fear and prejudice. However, looking at race relations in America more than 140 years after the end of slavery and more than 40 years after the civil rights legislation one has to wonder how long it will take South Africans to overcome Apartheid.

30 years prior to Jason joining the Peace Corps in South Africa, his great-grandmother Lillian Carter, at the age of 70, went with the Peace Corps to India. Her experience there is wonderfully described by former President Jimmy Carter, Lillian's son and Jason's grandfather, in the introduction to Power Lines. However, compared to Lillian Carter's life outside of Bombay, Jason's was quite different. The so-called first and third world were just a few miles apart. The first world actually drives by Lochiel on a daily basis, as it is situated on Highway 17, connecting Johannesburg and Swaziland's capital Mbabane, where luxury hotels and casinos lure many white South Africans.

Jason Carter easily manages to capture the readers attention by not just describing his two years in South Africa, but rather by drafting a story and taking the reader along for the ride. By doing so, he takes the reader beyond the usual image of black Africa portrayed in the media - poverty, despair, war and AIDS. He takes us inside the daily lives of the family he stays with, goes along on a trip for a family wedding, treats us to scenes in the family kitchen and takes us to a funeral, and another one, and yet more funerals. For that is the reality of South Africa. The country has to battle with HIV/AIDS and in no other place does the utter despair of this situation become more visible than in the current of funerals:

Saturday, umbgcibelo, is the day of burial. Death became a part of my life to a greater extent than I had ever experienced. In my two years in Lochiel, I went to more than 30 funerals.

However, just as many as died from AIDS-related illnesses, "died from sicknesses and a lack of health care, in addition to car accidents." And all that in a country where first rate health care is available. But only for those who can afford it.

And yet, there is hope and believe - themba. In this short book review I was only able to capture a fraction of what Jason wrote in Power Lines. I'll therefore leave the closing remarks to Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his praise for the book:

In Power Lines, Jason Carter writes insightfully of strength, commitment, and idealism, his own as well as that of the many South Africans whose stories he tells.

-------------
Power Lines: Two Years on South Africa's Borders
By Jason Carter
National Geographic Society
Washington D.C., 2002

Power Lines is availabe at Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and Powell's.

Jason Carter has not only written this book about his time in South Africa. He has come back from South Africa with a set of ideals, a willingness to get involved and themba. He has recently co-founded "Democrats Work" with Thomas Bates. The motto of Democrats Work is "putting our values into action." Check out their website and find out how you can put your values into action.

Joe Lieberman Still a Democrat - According to Harry Reid

2007-04-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

Joe Lieberman is still a Democrat. That is, if you believe the website of Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid:

Now, according to Joe Lieberman himself that is not the case. Here's what he has to say on his official Senate website:

In 2006, Senator Lieberman was elected to a fourth term as an Independent, because of the strength of his record and his accomplishments for the state. He won the general election by more than 100,000 votes. He remains committed to caucusing with Senate Democrats, but will be identified as an Independent Democrat (ID-CT).

You heard the man. He's an Independent using the term "Independent Democrat" for official purposes. Now, why doesn't Harry Reid get it? Why still identify the man who defected from the Democratic Party and ignored the will of Democratic Connecticut primary voters as a member of this party? Just an oversight? I don't think so. Just look at this screenshot:

Notice something? Bernie Sanders is missing. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is apparently not part of the Democratic majority, while Joe Lieberman is. As Barbara Boxer recently noticed: "Elections have consequences" Joe Lieberman defected the Democratic Party. That should have consequences. When you list Joe Lieberman as a "member" than identify him correctly and include Bernie Sanders. Otherwise just drop him from the list. Joe's not a Democrat anymore.

My Q&A with Nevada State Democratic Party Leadership Candidates

2007-03-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, the Nevada State Democratic Party will elect its new officers. I've contacted all the candidates and 8 out of 13 answered my questions regarding their candidacies. Here's the list:

Chair
Jill Derby (Douglas) - Q&A
Larry Gering (Clark)
Derotha Ann Reynolds (Washoe) - Q&A

1st Vice Chair
Sam Lieberman (Clark)
Randy Soltero (Clark)

2nd Vice Chair
Johnathan Abbinett (Clark) - Q&A
Teresa Benitez-Thompson (Washoe)
Marcia de Braga (Churchill) - Q&A
Kristian Forland (Elko) - Q&A

Secretary
A'shanti Fayshel Gholar (Clark) - Q&A
Bud Orange (Douglas) - Q&A

Treasurer
Jan Churchill (Clark)
Gay Kennedy (Clark) - Q&A

Matt Stoller Interviews Charlie Brown

2007-03-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

Matt Stoller of MyDD has recently interviewed Charlie Brown. Watch it:

Now, I've read the story about how Doolittle treats the troops, in this case Charlie's son, but it's pretty interesting to hear it from Charlie himself.

Help Charlie Brown beat Doolittle:

Contribute to Charlie.

Visit Charlie Brown's campaign website.

Help Charlie Brown Beat Doolittle

2007-03-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Charlie Brown is making it up to you. Do you want to see Doolittle defeated? Then you have to act. Here's an example what it's all about:

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Last week, the House passed an Emergency Supplemental Bill that would improve veterans healthcare services and military readiness, repair Walter Reed Army Medical Center, direct more resources to fighting a resurgent Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, and establish a timetable for ending U.S. involvement in Iraq’s civil war.

In addition to voting against the measure, John Doolittle also voted to strike language from the bill that would restrict the deployment of U.S. troops who are wounded, not properly equipped, or un- trained---a violation of basic military guidelines that exposes thousands of brave servicemen and women to preventable death. Click Here to read our release.

I'm sure by now you have heard of the magic March 31st fundraising deadline. How could you not have as you're probably getting just as swamped by presidential campaign emails as I do.

Hovever, this is a special race. It's a difficult race and it requires everyone's attention, no matter where you live between Sacramento and the Sierra, or even beyond that. The fact is that Doolittle is one of the most corrupt members of Congress. Charlie Brown got him below 50% in November. And he can beat him in 2008.

Now he needs your help. Anything will do. $100, $50, $10, even $5. See how your money would help Charlie:

$50 buys enough gas to travel between events in Roseville and Quincy.
$100 pays for more than 100 Brown for Congress Campaign Buttons.
$250 pays for 500 Brown for Congress Bumper Stickers.
$500 pays for a mailing to nearly 1,000 people.
$750 pays rent for one month at our soon to be re- opened campaign offices.
$2300 pays a full-time field organizer to help register new voters in the 4th CD for one month.

This will be one of the most crucial congressional races in 2008. Make sure, Charlie has the resources he needs. You can contribute now through the Turn Tahoe Blue ActBlue page.

Ensign Lowering Expectations for 2008

2007-03-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

The ensignificant Senator from Nevada readily admits to the Washington Times that he expects a net loss in the 2008 Senate contest. Of course, he doesn't quite say it like that:

"The odds are that we are going to have more risks than they will, and it turns out that we do have more risks," he said.
He singled out five Republican seats that are in danger in Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon and New Hampshire, compared with two vulnerable Democratic incumbents in South Dakota and Louisiana and long-shot possibilities in Iowa and Montana.

Keep in mind that Democrats consider Iowa and Montana relatively save. Ensign also claims to have cleaned house and to have reorganized the NRSC. Wonder if that happened before or after some staffer at the NRSC floated the idea of an Ensign presidential run...

Charlie Brown: Doolittle Anti-Troops Vote "Completely Indefensible"

2007-03-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know I've been focusing a bit much on Nevada recently. So, here's an update what's going on on the California side of Lake Tahoe:

Charlie Brown is ready to run again against Doolittle and is busy raising donations (you can contribute through the ActBlue form on the right or go directly to the Turn Tahoe Blue ActBlue page). On why he's running again:

Despite a recent PR offensive designed to convince us otherwise, it is disappointing to note that on each of these key issues Rep. Doolittle has stood for the status quo instead of solutions.

Many have asked if I'm planning to run again. In 2006, I learned how much money and manpower it takes to put together a winning campaign, and how having those resources in place as early as possible is crucial for anyone seeking to take on an entrenched and well-funded incumbent like Doolittle.

That’s why I’ve recently re-formed my campaign committee--to see if enough support exists to warrant another candidacy, and why I am asking you to consider making a contribution to Charlie Brown for Congress today.

So, it's basically up to you. You want Charlie to run and win against Doolittle? Then contribute now!

Today, Charlie's campaign released another press release, this time on the most corrupt Congressional Failure, otherwise known as John Doolittle and his vote against the troops:

Last week, the House Appropriations Committee passed the FY’07 Emergency Supplemental Spending Bill (H.R. 1591), which would fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, improved veterans healthcare services and military readiness, repairs to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and restore a crucial stream of funding to rural schools across the Western United States.
Rep. John Doolittle voted against the measure, which ties future U.S. aid to Iraq to a series of benchmarks laid out in a January 10^th speech by President Bush. He also voted to strike language that would restrict the deployment of U.S. troops who are wounded, not properly equipped, or un-trained---offered as an amendment by the Committee’s ranking minority member, and Doolittle’s fellow DOJ corruption probe target Rep. Jerry Lewis.

The vote comes amidst mounting sectarian violence in Iraq , a resurgent Al Qaeda organization in Afghanistan , recent government reports describing the U.S. military at its lowest state of readiness since Vietnam , a VA system that is being overwhelmed by the influx of 1.6 million new veterans, and revelations of substandard conditions at military health facilities serving wounded combat troops.

“Time and again, John Doolittle votes to send young people into combat while denying them the tools they need to succeed in their mission and the quality aftercare they’ve been promised, commented Lt. Col. Charlie Brown. ”Leaving those who defend America exposed to preventable death, and our military unprepared to deal with future security threats is beyond irresponsible---it’s completely indefensible.”

It's a shame Doolittle won another two years in Congress. However, Charlie managed to get him below 50% and it's obvious that Doolittle is a top target in 2008. You can help beat him!

My Q&A With Kristian Forland

2007-03-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

You can view all Q&A by clicking on the links on the top of the sidebar. Kristian Forland on his run for 2nd Vice Chair of the Nevada State Democratic Party:

You are running for 2^nd Vice Chair of the Nevada State Democratic Party. What makes you want to serve in the State Party leadership?

In the past, and with no fault of the former 2^nd Vice Chairpersons, this position has been very much under used. The 2^nd Vice Chair is a rather unique position, and one could really make whatever they wanted of it. I strongly wish to serve in the State Party leadership, specifically in the capacity of 2^nd Vice Chairman, because I would have the ability to create something of benefit within this position. Our State Party has for various reasons left many individuals feeling disenfranchised. Many in the rural areas of Nevada feel particularly passionate about their discontent. I believe that it is imperative for all of Nevada, North and South, rural and urban, to work together as one cohesive party in order to turn Nevada Blue and take back the White House in 2008. As 2^nd Vice Chair I would personally take on the task of including and reunifying all Democrats throughout Nevada. Jill Derby and I are very much in agreement on this issue. Further, I believe my current standing within the rural community, including my specific understanding of their issues, coupled with my media and marketing background, will allow me to accomplishing these goals. I feel it is time for fresh faces, new ideas, new passion, and clear agendas.

You’ve lived in London, New York and Los Angeles and have now made your home with your family in Elko. What has been your experience in Nevada’s heartland?

My time in London, working with the BBC, afforded me a wonderful opportunity to see most of Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East. I was able to learn and experience first hand how many different political agencies function around the World and, as such, I learned how to think very much outside of the traditional American political box. Of course living in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas made me very comfortable with big city politics and the media; as well as making me comfortable with communicating with complete strangers on a daily basis. Big city politics is a world all its own, and learning to navigating such waters has awarded me with incredible knowledge. However, small town and rural politics are entirely different animals. Living in Elko County has been such a beneficial experience, on both a personal and professional level. Rural politics really forces you to hone your messages. Moreover, owning and operating several businesses in a rural area adds a sort of delicacy to this exercise. Nevada’s heartland has educated me on mining, ranching, water and grazing rights, and an entire host of other issues that I never considered while living in a major metropolitan area. I come now to the State Party ready to utilize all of the skills and know-how that I acquired from abroad, throughout the large metropolitan areas of America, and the rurals of Nevada. On a personal note: with regard to rural Nevada, the land is pristine, the mountains cool and inviting, and the outdoor recreational possibilities overwhelming… my family and I love it.

As a former TV producer what experience can you bring to the State Party leadership in terms of working with the media?

Obviously my media experience will benefit the Executive Board greatly, and coming to the table with actual producing experience should be a great asset to the State Party. I see most things from a producer’s point of view, which often entails being able to step back and grasp the largest picture, and know how it will relate to several different threads of a story or events. Next, the producer implements through delegation the different angles of attack in order to accomplish the task at hand. The same theory works well in political campaigns. It’s a unique way of thought and visualisation that isn’t really common. In addition to bringing media savvy and know how to the table, I bring a working knowledge of media disciplines, attitudes and mentalities. Such knowledge would only benefit the State Party leadership.

Recently more emphasis has been put by Democrats on the rurals of Nevada. Jill Derby and Jack Carter had “rural strategies” and the DNC under Howard Dean’s leadership has started the 50-State Strategy. What impact did this have and what more needs to be done in the future for Democrats to win more votes in places like Elko County?

The ever enlightened Erin Neff of the Las Vegas Review Journal recently wrote an article regarding this very topic. The fact is that in order to turn Nevada blue, we must overcome the obstacles in the rural areas of the State. I am certain a Democrat will win Clark and Washoe Counties, but it is also imperative to win a certain percentage of the rurals in order to win Nevada. It is, therefore, essential that the Nevada State Party, in an unprecedented way, build up the rurals like never before. We must assist in rising funds, organizing, reaching across all political aisles, and begin massive voter registration efforts for the rural areas of Nevada. Disenfranchised republicans can be found throughout rural Nevada, however to win their vote is no small effort, and to assume that Nevada can turn blue without such efforts is naive. Jill Derby almost won because of her huge efforts within the rural areas of Nevada, including Elko County. I have spoken to many of the Chairs of rural Nevada and I have heard the same issues from all of them. They need help. They are located in very red rural areas and unless they can have the tools and finances they need and also learn how to work outside of the box, the local perception pigeon holds most of their efforts. A rural campaign, orchestrated by the State Party, needs to begin immediately. As one that has great passion for this subject, and has begun our own such efforts within Elko County, I would champion such a cause as 2^nd Vice Chairman.

The Elko County Democratic Party on its website is very insistent that Democratic presidential candidates visit the rural counties. Do you plan to support a candidate for the Nevada Caucus, will your support depend on the candidates coming to Elko or will you remain neutral if elected 2^nd Vice Chair?

As a member of the Executive Board the 2^nd Vice Chairman must assist all candidates equally, and must remain neutral. However, all of our candidates must also be equally educated on the importance of winning rural Nevada. They will visit Las Vegas and Reno; however, their campaign must include extensive work within the rural areas. Obviously this would include visiting the rurals, but also developing grass roots organizations that are proactive throughout the rural areas. This is the only true recipe for success in Nevada. It will be our responsibility, as Caucus voters, to watch our candidates and their campaigns. One must remember that in the same manner as they each campaign for the Caucus they will also campaign for the General Election. A candidate that shows their willingness to campaign throughout all of Nevada now would seem to be a stronger candidate for the General Election, and thus also for the Caucus. However, and once again, as a member of the Executive Board, I would have to remain neutral with regard to support and rather utilize my position as a way to educate our candidates and their staff as to the serious importance of winning all of Nevada.

"Reno As Hip Travel Wonderland?"

2007-03-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

So asks the Advocate about the city that has been - according to the Advocate's Neal Broverman - "the Randy Quaid to Las Vegas's Dennis—less sexy and sophisticated but silly and fun nonetheless".

However, things are changing:

Lately, Reno has been growing up and showing off a profundity Vegas lacks, attracting queer residents and tourists who like their $3 surf and turf with a side of Warhol.
The town once known for quickie divorces and cheap slots is now hosting “Andy Warhol's Dream America,” a thorough retrospective of the pop artist's legacy being held at the striking four-story Nevada Museum of Art (160 W. Liberty St., (775) 329-3333, www.nevadaart.org). The NMA's wide-open spaces, designed by Will Bruder, invite lengthy observations of Warhol's soup cans and Marilyn worship. The multiroom exhibit lasts until May 27, with films, parties, and lunches complementing the art. But even if you find your way to Reno after Andy leaves town, a visit to NMA—the only accredited art museum in the state—is essential.

After all that culture, it's time for a drink. The NMA, only four blocks south of the city's downtown casino district, is in a delightful arts hood a world away from neon and showgirls. Cute bars, restaurants, and shops are cropping up, and the delicious Chocolate Bar (475 S. Arlington Ave., (775) 337-1122) is the neighborhood's piece de résistance. Like something out of nearby San Francisco, the tasteful café/bar serves up cocktails spiked with exotic touches like German cocoa and lavender essence. Staff and patrons are dressed sharply, and the bar is bathed in soft lighting and muted neutrals. Adding a nice touch are small televisions running old cartoons and classic films on a silent loop.

Hey, Myrna, watch out. I think I just might be coming around for some German cocoa and lavender essence cocktails. Mix 'em up!

My Q&A With Gay Kennedy

2007-03-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

Gay Kennedy on why she is running for Nevada State Democratic Party Treasurer. Links to other Q&A on the sidebar:

Question: You are running for Nevada State Democratic Party Treasurer. What makes you want to serve in the State Party leadership?

Answer: I used to be a Republican. About 30 years ago I went to work for a non-profit agency serving older Americans. It was my first experience with what I thought was “the other side”. Reagan was president, and I realized that the Democratic Party was really the party of the American people. Since that time, I have been a staunch supporter of the Party. If you want things to get better, you have to be willing to work for it. I believe my experience, knowledge and dedication will be an asset to the Nevada State Democratic Party and Treasurer would be the best fit for my qualifications.

Question: What has been your experience as a member of the Democratic Party so far? Were you involved in any campaigns or in your local Democratic party?

Answer: I became active in Nevada with the last presidential election. I attended the Caucus in Las Vegas, was a delegate to the State Convention and have served on the State Central Committee since that time. I have assisted in local campaigns, including door to door with the candidates. I was an active member of Team Titus for the recent gubernatorial election. I am also a member of the Red Rock Democratic Club. Prior to moving to Las Vegas, I was active in several campaigns and proposition battles in California. I actively supported the Mondale-Ferraro ticket.

Question: Are you a member of any other organization? If so, how can your experience there translate into working in the State Party leadership?

Answer: I have been a member and state delegate for the National Women’s Political Caucus, NOW, the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University women. I served as Region IX Representative for the National Displaced Homemakers’ Network, and later became Treasurer. I served as Treasurer for the American National Red Cross, Las Vegas Chapter. I served as local Treasurer and President of the Society for Design Administration (professional organization) and was twice elected national Treasurer. I believe my background indicates I know how to be a treasurer.

Question: What do you think needs to be done to improve the situation of the State Party? Or do you think things are currently headed in the right direction?

Answer: We need to be much more united. Not just north and south, but in our willingness to work together to achieve the common goal of electing democrats to office. There seem to be a lot of decisions made that are not known to even the State Central Committee. We must be open and keep the Party members advised. I believe that keeping people advised is the key to acquiring their support. It creates trust, and we must have the trust of the people to succeed.

Question: With the Nevada Caucus coming up will you support a presidential candidate or remain neutral?

Answer: Although I currently have an open mind, I believe we have many good candidates from which to draw. If we want to succeed as a party, we must unite and work for the candidate who is selected at the National Convention. We are the Democratic Party. That says to me that we stand together.

My Q&A with Derotha Ann Reynolds

2007-03-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

Below you can read why Derotha Ann Reynolds is running for Nevada State Democratic Party Chair. You can find all other Q&A on the top of the sidebar:

You are running for Chair of the Nevada State Democratic Party. Why do you want to lead the party?

The Nevada Party is in the spotlight, and the caucus will bring a lot of publicity to the winner. It is an important time for us to be thinking about the choices that everyone will be making, and how those choices will affect our future, and the future of our children and grandchildren. Nevada can educate and produce a winner for the Democratic Party.

It is a mistake to think that the way that we have been thinking in recent decades will carry us through the coming crises unscathed, no matter which party wins the Presidency. We must return to the principles of American economics that are outlined in the Constitution, involving the government control of credit, and the regulation of the economy concerning tariffs and internal improvements. The way in which infrastructure is financed is especially important with the current trend toward dangerous “public private partnerships.” Infrastructure must be financed through government created credit at low (1 to 2%) interest over long terms (25 to 50 years). Infrastructure cannot in itself be a source of private profit, because paying the 8% or higher to private pockets will bankrupt the municipalities, and the “balance the budget” crowd will squeeze out vital social services.

We need to develop nuclear power, and re-cycle the waste, both current stockpiles and future cycles. The current scenarios for solar power are fine if you are talking about a population with $50,000 to put panels on their house, but many folks that live in our state don’t have $50,000, and they don’t have a house, and some of them don’t have an apartment. Some of them don’t have a roof over their head, or food to eat. This is energy saving for an affluent middle class, which is disappearing. (And you can’t make a solar panel using solar power, because solar power isn’t strong enough for mass panel production.) We should be using solar power to grow food, with imported water from Canada and Alaska.) The American people need jobs, not ugly, bird-killing, inefficient windmills. The subject of ethanol is especially noxious. Ethanol uses more oil to produce than if we just used oil in the first place, but more importantly it uses agricultural land to produce fuel, when that land is desperately needed to produce food. It will serve to remove the agricultural subsidies after the first windfall profits, and then the profits will disappear when the ethanol has to support itself, and then the cartels will own most of the land. Not to mention the crippling effect that ethanol is already having on the Mexican farm population, which will only drive up immigration, and bankrupt even more Mexican farmers who can’t compete with the NAFTA-driven corn importation. If you wonder why Bush is in South America supporting ethanol production, it is because his handlers want to own and manage the land there. And here.

We need to develop nuclear power, and import water on a large enough scale so that Las Vegas will have enough, and the farmers and ranchers in the north will have enough, and so that Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake and Walker Lake can retain their levels. It is useless to “conserve” water, or to claim that restricting use of water is conserving anything. We are using our fossil water now, and it will be gone soon if we don’t import more. By refusing to act to build major infrastructure for water delivery, we are insuring that our mountain springs and natural lakes will be dry. The only thing we are conserving is a water shortage.

What has been your experience as a member of the Democratic Party so far? Were you involved in any campaigns or in your local Democratic party?

I was born a Democrat under the tutelage of my mother, who was born in 1910, and lived through the Great Depression. She was an ardent admirer of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and often spoke of him when she would tell me how lucky I was to be living in the US. Many of his legacies, like Social Security, and, as an offshoot of that, Medicare, are now under direct attack, and our efforts have to redouble to revive our economy to support and, in the case of Medicare, expand these programs. The problem isn’t that we can’t afford the programs. The problem is that the income of the average American is decreasing, and that we have no industrial production left. And no tax base left, to support our population properly. The problem is that we have abandoned our small farmers, who play a huge role in our national security. We have lost control of our food production, and our path down the road to a “service economy” is the road to poverty. Life in a de-industrialized country won’t be pretty, as we will discover when pensions, social security, and week-ends become distant memories.

I was born in Nevada, raised on a dairy/alfalfa farm in Stillwater, Nevada. We were all Democrats in the 50’s, and we can be again. I became involved in Nevada politics actively in 1997, shortly after I had moved to Las Vegas. I worked on Joe Neal’s campaign to raise the taxes on the casinos. I helped him win his last senate campaign, and worked on both of his gubernatorial races. I was a member of the Paradise Democratic Club in Las Vegas, and worked on local campaigns there before I became involved with the LaRouche Organization, and started to study Roosevelt’s methods more closely. I worked actively to support John Kerry after his nomination in 2004.

I am currently treasurer of the Truckee Meadows Democratic Alliance. I have recently opened a tax preparation office (I am an enrolled agent), and I also have a full-time job as a customer service representative for a national mobile phone company.

The Democratic Party as we experience it, ideologically, is essentially FDR’s party. Andrew Jackson was a racist butcher, but he represents the “other “ Democratic Party, the one that supports investment income over earned income, the one that supported slavery during the Civil War. FDR took over the Democratic party in the 30’s, and transformed it into a morally sound representation of American Economics as defined by Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and, in his better moments, by Thomas Jefferson, (a Democratic-Republican). We have to return to the principles of FDR, embrace the plight of the “Forgotten Man,” re-align with farmers and labor unions, and uplift the nation. We have to have a strategy that will uplift the developing nations, as Roosevelt intended with his Bretton Woods agreement for international trade, and his concept of the United Nations, not as a governing body, but as a forum for sovereign states. We have to study these concepts of government control of credit, and fixed exchange rates; we have to educate the people of Nevada and the candidates through their various local campaign representatives.

Are you a member of any other organization? If so, how can your experience there translate into working in the State Party leadership?

I am a close follower of the LaRouche Organization. Study of Roosevelt’s actual laws, methods, speeches, and philosophies are of great importance in translating these methodologies into actions that will be relevant to solving the huge problems involving hedge funds, derivatives markets, capital budgeting, and unsecured debt. If we do not approach these problems with a sound knowledge of how economics is supposed to function in a moral society, then we will have no chance of solving the problems, and they will engulf us.

What do you think needs to be done to improve the situation of the State Party? Or do you think things are currently headed in the right direction?

We lost the top of the ticket. We have to address the reasons why we lost, and address the needs of the entire population, not just Democratic activists. We need to bring back the elements of physical economy, actual production, into our state economy and our national economy. We currently exist as a parasitic economy. When the rest of the nation collapses because of the exportation of production, we will not be far behind. We are facing an impending collapse, being in denial about it won’t make it go away. Hedge funds aren’t the answer, they are the problem. We can’t just sit and watch the Japanese interest rates rise, and the housing market collapse. We have to act, and we have to know what we are doing. We don’t have a lot of time to do it.

With the Nevada Caucus coming up will you support a presidential candidate or remain neutral?

I will support the principles of FDR, and I will support the people who demand that we return to those ideals. Otherwise, Nevada, the US, and the world, will devolve into racism, poverty, and nuclear war.

My Q&A With Bud Orange

2007-03-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the 5th installment of the Turn Tahoe Blue Q&A series with candidates for the Nevada State Democratic Party leadership election on March 31st. Bud Orange on his run for State Party Secretary:

Why are you running for Nevada State Democratic Party Secretary?
I feel I am qualified, based on my past experience. During my 40 + years in the corporate world, I served as secretary to national and local negotiating committees as well as to joint grievance committees at all levels. I was also secretary to the Board of Directors of my former employer.

You are currently the 2nd Vice Chair of the State Party. What was your experience in that position? What was good and what needs to improve?

Overall, my experience was positive, however, I believe that all members of the NSDP Board need to be more involved in decision making. Under new leadership, this will happen and the Party will be strengthened, which is my goal.

You are co-chairman of the Douglas County Democrats. Like other areas of Nevada, Douglas County has recently experienced tremendous growth. How has that changed the political situation on the ground? Has it invigorated the local Democratic Party?

As of this writing, I am Co-Chair of the Douglas County Democratic Central Committee, and have served as Treasurer for the past year as well. Due to the growth in our County, we have increased the number of Dems, but we are still out-numbered 2+ to one by the Republicans. We are working hard to get more Dems involved.

Gov. Bill Richardson and Gen. Wesley Clark have been to Douglas County in January. What was that like and what do you think do the presidential candidates need to do to succeed in Nevada’s rurals?

We were privileged to have Gov. Richardson and Gen. Clark at our “Turn Nevada Blue” Dinner. We had a sell-out crowd at the Carson Valley Inn and everyone was pleased to meet and hear the two men. In my opinion, all the candidates need to come to Northern Nevada and the rural counties to address the problems that face us: energy, water, education, health care, etc. We are educated, we are informed and we want to be heard.

Are you considering supporting a presidential candidate for the Nevada Caucus or will you remain neutral?

The short answer is that I will remain neutral until after the caucuses. To expand on that, I have not met ALL the candidates or potential candidates, and will not make any decision until I, as a member of the Nevada Caucus Commission, or as an official of a county or state central committee have an opportunity to make an informed decision.

My Q&A With Marcia de Braga

2007-03-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

Here is the 4th Q&A with a candidate for the Nevada State Democratic Party leadership election on March 31st. More are to follow. You can find all Q&A on the top of the sidebar. Read why Marcia de Braga is running below:

You are running for 2nd Vice Chair of the Nevada State Democratic Party. Why do you want to be a member of the State Party leadership?

I am running for the office of 2^nd Vice Chair for two reasons: first, to effect change and second, to represent rural Nevada.

At present the State Democratic Party and the State Office are regarded as one unit. The general membership has little or no standing or control. Whoever runs the State Office calls the shots. While I realize that those Democrats who have been elected to the highest offices must have input, there still needs to be some autonomy that allows the members to function under the rules they have set for themselves; to plan and carry out various activities; and to work in the best interests of all Democratic candidates.

If we want to achieve state-wide party unity, we must resist unilateral decisions that are detrimental to the best interests of our party or our members. We have to greatly enhance communication; follow our own rules and get rid of the rules we can’t follow; treat all our members with respect; and fairly consider their ideas and issues. We must not be dictated to. We will disagree, discuss and debate, but in the end we try to achieve positions that give us the best chance of succeeding in increasing our membership and getting Democrats elected.

Because of population distribution, our state has been divided into Clark County, Washoe County and “the rest of the state.” State and National candidates are now beginning to recognize the importance and impact “the rest of the state” can have on political races. But, the State Party still does not include rural representation to the extent it should or look seriously at the campaign practices that work best in the rurals.

You are head of the Rural Nevada Democratic Caucus. Several candidates, including Jack Carter and Jill Derby, put emphasis on a “rural strategy” during their campaigns last year. How do you think they did?

Both Derby and Carter did an excellent job. They both have rural roots and worked to understand the issues that were important in each individual area of the state they were campaigning in. They were very willing to listen to advice on how best to campaign in the rurals.

It is never easy for a Democrat to win office in rural Nevada. For the most part, they fear any idea they suspect as being liberal, without really understanding what the goal or mission of the Democratic Party is. Although global issues are important to rural folks, often they are more interested in finding out if candidates have good information on and plans to deal with issues that strike closer to home.

Both of these candidates seemed to “fit in” well wherever they went and—even though they didn’t win—they swayed many more voters than many previous candidates have.

You represented Churchill and White Pine Counties and parts of Eureka and Lander Counties in the State Assembly. What needs to be done to get more candidates elected in the rurals?

If you mean what needs to be done to get more Democrats elected in the rurals, it won’t be easy. In most places the party disparity is 2 to1 or greater.

First, the Democrats need to join and help fund the RNDC’s effort to establish a functioning central committee in every county of the state.

Democrats throughout the state must get involved in activities in their county, working for the common good and publicizing their activities.

They must put forth the effort to pave the way for candidates travelling in and near their area by setting up meetings, getting sign locations; providing contacts; distributing literature, walking door to door, and again getting as much publicity as possible for their efforts.

They must speak out on issues and get their opinions publicized—not only on global issues and those on which our views differ from Republicans, but on issues that affect our communities directly and prove that we are not the enemy but, rather, that we are working for them.

We must also set up educations forums that give out information on and encouragement to potential Democratic candidates.

What do you think of Howard Dean’s 50-State strategy in this respect?

I’m sceptical. His previous plan was to take Democratic campaigns to the grass roots level. This doesn’t raise millions; this doesn’t enlist big name lobbyists; and it doesn’t gain corporate or industry wide support. And, it didn’t happen.

In the rural areas of our country, there are Democrats who will work for candidates, but they need those candidates to come to their county or at least close to it. They will give great effort for a little inclusiveness.

The National Party needs to truly go to the grass roots with its plans and information; asking for the support; and, occasionally at least staging events and basing projects in those smaller communities.

Unfortunately, in politics as in most of life, one size doesn’t fit all. A strategy that works in big cities will be lost in those parts of the country where the cattle prices just dropped; there isn’t enough water to irrigate crops; the country hospital is facing closure; or the local mine has to shut down And, the reverse is true as well.

If they Democrats say their going to enlist the rank and file Democrats, that’s what they truly must do.

Will you support a presidential candidate ahead of the Nevada Caucus or do you intend to remain neutral?

If I’m elected to state office, I will abide by the rules which currently state that officers of the party cannot support any individual Democratic candidate in a primary race.

The RNDC will work to help make campaigning easier for all Democratic candidates.

A Secretary of State Doing His Job

2007-03-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

It's Miller time in Carson City. Nevada's new Secretary of State, Ross Miller, is actually doing his job by asking for detailed information as to Gov. Gibbons' legal defense fund. What is the reaction of Gibbons' lawyers? They're "perplexed". Well, ain't that a surprise.

The whole deal surrounding this defense fund and its contributions is rather complicated and, of course, Molly Ball doesn't do it justice. Neither do I claim to do so, actually. What I can do, however, is to point you to the most awesome Scandalmonger over at Vote Gibbons Out who has always the most up to date information surrounding everything Gibbons. You can also read Miller's letters to the Governor and his lawyers' reply over at Vegas Pundit.

UPDATE:

Myrna has a pretty good round-up of the latest developments as well.

My Q&A With Johnathan Abbinett

2007-03-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

When I asked the candidates for the Nevada State Democratic Party Officers election to answer a couple of questions for this blog I did expect a lot of things but never a novel. Johnathan Abbinett, who is running for 2nd Vice Chair, answered my questions quite diligently. The views in this and all other Q&A are solely the candidate's views and not necessarily mine. Here are Johnathan Abbinett's answers:

Q: Why are you running for Nevada State Democratic Party 2nd Vice Chair?

A: I am not a politician, nor am I a diplomat - I am a soldier, and just one of many in the NSDP. I am not a hero in any sense of the word, but, I am fed up with "politics as usual" and "the usual politicians" - and it is time to take action!

I'm running as a progressive, reform, people's candidate in an attempt to fight corruption and advance the spirit of civility, inclusiveness, openness ("Sunshine" and "Open Meeting Laws") and in the hope that we can truly unite the NSDP by bringing an end to the ridiculous regional bickering and battle between the South, North and Rural communities - and ending our terrible record of losing elections we should have and could have won and prevailing on advancing our issues!

From my first opportunity to speak to the NSDP State Central Committee, I did what few Clark County representatives had done in the past (and many more need to do in the future) - I dared to publicly and candidly call the regional divide what it is - simply stupid! I don't suffer fools patiently, I actively listen to all sides in a disagreement and believe in developing an informed opinion, but, when I conclude that views are based in ignorance, selfishness and greed - that is simply stupid!

Further, while there are specific issues and legitimate grievances that are unique to each region, it serves no positive purpose to continue to fail to address the issues because a few Clark County leaders abuse their position and authority by refusing to place the issues of the North and the Rurals on the NSDP State Central Committees Agenda, openly discuss and debate them in a civil manner and have the appropriate committees work on solutions and resolutions.

For too long past, and current Clark County leaders have been incompetent bullies - and that is simply wrong! Clark County represents some 72% of the Registered Democrats and will always have the numerical advantage - but, that advantage should not be abused! Frankly, I am ashamed of how some members from Clark County have mistreated our Northern and Rural members of the NSDP and I intend to be an advocate for ALL Nevadans! Just as we should all be in full support of Howard Dean's 50 State Strategy, we should begin by having a comprehensive 17 County Strategy in Nevada - we still do not, and that is an unacceptably blatant failure of current leaders that must be immediately corrected!

Our Rural Coordinator is an extremely intelligent and talented young person and we have a seasoned Rural Caucus Chair! Why hasn't the NSDP provided the spirited support and resources they need to make optimal progress? Because a few short-sighted, careless, Clark County leaders do not take their duties and responsibilities state-wide seriously - and that is an unacceptable posture and public political shame! We can, and should, have teams of trained NSDP activists working in every county and every little town across Nevada, in concert with our strategies!

I also feel very strongly that the neighborhood Democratic Clubs and the various Caucus groups should be genuinely supported by the NSDP and encouraged to grow - especially the Rural Caucus, our Veteran's, Hispanics, Blacks and Native Americans caucus' and our Young Democrats offer much energy and enthusiasm - yet we continue to fail by doing little more than offering lip service, or a reluctant nod, to these demographics. With a warm welcome, a compassionate ear, a gentle hand and a little seed money (actively demonstrating that we are willing to put our money where our mouth is) and an encouraging voice everyone of these Democratic Clubs and Caucus' could flourish as a source of volunteers who would give their time and talent generously for the betterment of the NSDP. I believe each of these Caucus' should have a voting delegate on the NSDP State Central Committee as they have a unique voice on many issues that affect us all!

Q: You have made your opposition to Tom Collins and other Nevada and Clark County officials widely known. Why do you oppose them and what would you do differently?

A: This will be lengthy, but every Nevada Democrat has a right to know the facts and the truth! So, please do take the time to read my answers closely - this is not personal, but it is somewhat complicated and, sadly, even criminal!

Our Clark County Elections, though legally conducted, made a sad mockery of our democracy and many of us were deeply disappointed that there was only one organized ticket with little token opposition. It's sad that the Democratic Party in Nevada, and especially in the largest populated county, could not have a spirited contest between, at least, two sets of candidates vying for leadership. Frankly, I had seen High School and Collegiate Elections that were more impressive. There was not even an effort to organize a debate, or even allow the membership to ask questions of the candidates prior to voting. In short, the election was a farce! We have serious problems in Clark County without any doubt!

So, not having any real choice, most of us placed our hope in hope, and elected Liz Foley and we gave her every benefit of the doubt in the belief that it would be a good cycle, after all she was the grand-daughter of a well known Clark County attorney and judge (he's honored with his name on the Foley Federal Building, what better qualifications could one expect) - many of us now feel remorseful and deep regret as Liz Foley has been more than a sore disappointment, she has attempted to establish a monarchy and a dictorial dynasty that must be brought to a quick end. As much as our past CC Chair, Charlie Waterman, is loved and revered as a mentor and great Nevada political sage, many believe his 25 year reign was way too long - no one should hold power for more than two or three cycles.

From the beginning at Liz Foley's first meeting and luncheon with Clark County activists things went terribly wrong! We all attended excited to present our current statistics, findings and a plan, that dozens of us had been working on, called G.R.O.W. (Grass Roots Organizing to Win). This was a well thought out field plan to reform and re-organize our out-reach in every Clark County precinct and incorporated and complimented Howard Dean's principals in the 50 State Strategy.

Sadly, we didn't even get the common courtesy, or time of day and an opportunity to present our plan to our newly elected Clark County Chair Liz Foley and her 1st Vice Chair (Justin Gilbert). Liz Foley began the meeting by standing up and announcing that she and Justin were "in charge" and it was "their way or the highway!" All of us were stunned, shocked and horrified and our hope for a spirit of sharing ideas and the burden of work was smashed in one statement by a royally rude monarch! Then, Liz and Justin dictated that their D.N.A. plan (Democratic Neighborhood Alliance) would be implemented! We listened closely to their plan and noticed that some components of the D.N.A. plan were similar, but Justin had yet to fully develop a comprehensively detailed plan like the G.R.O.W. plan that had hundreds of hours dedicated to it by Dwayne and Carol Chestnut, Wayne and Valerie Smith and dozens of volunteers. So, an attempt was made to compromise on the D.N.A. label and offer our suggestions - only to be rudely cut-off and dismissed without even being heard. Liz Foley simply rejected all of our ideas out of hand and informed us that "we are going with Justin's plan, and when Justin tells you to do something he has all the authority of the Chair behind him!" This dictorial posture on the part of Liz Foley and Justin Gilbert, of course, angered everyone else and passions rose. But, when we attempted to simply present our plan, debate became angry argumentation - and Liz and Justin stood up, and left (with their noses in the air and their tails tucked between their legs and walked out of this important first meeting) - the activists, many of whom spend 10 or 20 hours a week volunteering, refused to be intimidated and a line was immediately drawn to defend our democracy in the Southern Nevada Desert Sand!

Our volunteers, though many are economically poor, in the lower-middle class, and middle class (and can not afford to travel to state-wide meetings) - they give their most precious gift of their time and they all should be treated with common courtesies and due dignity and the utmost respect - especially, those who have become activists and are willing to give much of their time in their golden years! It is totally unacceptable the mistreat that has been wrought on our volunteers!

We have volunteers that have also donated or lent thousands of dollars of their own money, many on short, tight budgets, only to be mistreated disrespectfully, harassed for more money and not reimbursed as promised - that is criminal!

Then, we had the horrific experience of Liz Foley's inappropriate misbehavior in blatantly public and biased support of Tom Collins candidacy at our last NSDP State Officer's Elections last April - many members were angered that Marcia de Braga and the other candidates were not being given an equal opportunity and mistreated so rudely with a total disregard for the spirit of fair play and due respect for our out-going State Chairwoman Adriana Martinez and the staff that were working so hard to ensure the event was a success. It was an ugly, unprofessional and unworthy personal power play to grab and maintain selfish prestige at the price of the integrity of all NSDP members. Then, we had the violation of basic civil rights and liberties when the microphones were turned off and people were rudely ordered to "shut up and get back in your seats" - I, and many others, personally witnessed this criminal behavior and it has yet to be addressed! Frankly, I could not have been more shocked, especially after a life-time of defending these basic principals of democracy around the world, to see such a travesty occurring in America, in Nevada and inside the Democratic Party!

And we had the unfortunate and disheartening experience of Tom Collins publicly demonstrating his ignorance to the GLBT Caucus regarding fundamental human rights (homophobia and bigotry). Then Collins publicly stating, when asked about the doctrine of separation of church and state in politics, that "he follows the teachings of his church" (religious zealotry). Then Collins saying "The ERA movement and women have almost destroyed the Democratic Party" (sexism).

Note: Immediately afterward I attempted to have a discussion with Collins, one-on-one in the hallway, only to be bullied and confronted directly with his dictorial attempt at intimidation. Collins wanted to play "Cowboys and Indians" and I made it clear that not all the "cowboys" were on his side - and I was with the "Indians" and would remain so until the day I die! I then pleaded with Collins to not start this fight, but, to no avail! So, I intend to fight to the finish - for all the people!

As you all know Tom Collins barely won with only 8 votes and "the rebels" were successful in ensuring he was denied a mandate. It was clear from this initial effort to take back our party - that together, we the people do still hold the power!

Immediately after the election, Liz Foley "purged into political purgatory" everyone that had openly and publicly opposed Tom Collins and supported Marcia de Braga and the North and the Rurals grievances - another blatant attempt to do what ever it took to silence the voices of each and every dissenter. But, we would not be silenced. Privately, I and others, voiced our discontent over the abuse of power and the purge. We could not even get a single, verified list of who was still on the CC Central Committee, but from reviewing the two we had eventually received, it was clear almost all the names of our best activist were missing, and had been replaced by nearly every Foley and Gilbert from the phone book, as well as a great number of total strangers names no one had ever heard of had been added?

When enough voices began complaining, and the political pressure of the people was brought to bear, slowly Liz Foley began to reluctantly start "re-instating" the rebels with the flimsy excuse that it was just an "administrative error" - and out and out lie! She absolutely refused to return others to their CC Central Committee status - including me, though I had worked tirelessly for the Party and Veterans. In fact, Liz Foley lied to my face saying, "Oh, you don't actually have to have your name on the list - because you're a caucus chair" and I made the error of giving her the benefit of the doubt - and there was a lot of doubt to set aside!

The next criminal event occurred when we had our first meeting in Sparks, NV under Tom Collins, he attempted in the Executive Board meeting, to do away with the caucus' by executive fiat without any real public discussion or debate! Of course, I immediately raised an objection and the matter was tabled. However, when the General Membership meeting took place (shortly after the E-Board meeting) Tom Collins refused to call on me when I raised my hand under the rules. This occurred several times until, finally, our parliamentarian, Joetta Brown said, "Mr. Chairman, Johnathan Abbinett has had his hand up several times and you have not recognized him?" To which, Collins publicly said, "I can not recognize him - he is no longer a member of this body!" I and many members were stunned, as well as many veterans members! I didn't care that I was publicly embarrassed, but I was very angry (as the Vets representative) that our presence was being humiliated publicly. At that point I stood up and objected only to be shouted down, over-ruled and silenced - my freedom of speech under the rule of law had been denied and I was being illegally disenfranchised before the State Central Committees very eyes! At this point, I was at the mercy of another member, any member that knew the law and the rules, to stand up and defend my rights and all our rights. Finally, another member stood up and made a point of information inquiry into how many vacancies still existed on the Clark County Central Committee List and why my name had not been "administratively re-entered" as a full fledged member? That is when Liz Foley was forced to publicly reply, and she out-and-out lied to the entire State Central Committee by saying "She had just finished filling the list, the list was now full, and that she had started a waiting list for others" - this is simply not true, as Clark County should have over 300 names on our list. But, at the time, with us in the middle of a campaign cycle, and needing to do some legal research, and for the good of the order, I decided to fight this battle another day - after the 2006 elections!

That day has come and, hell or high water, justice will be done not just for me but, more importantly for ALL Nevada Democrats today and tomorrow - this shall not pass and it shall not stand without a fight!

Thus, I now am publicly saying that Liz Foley is a phony, and is now being called "Her Majesty Foley the Phoney" by a growing number of disgruntled CC Dems. When it comes to understanding even the fundamentals of leadership, and the personal character traights, in a volunteer organization she has demonstrated she knows almost nothing, and Justin Gilbert was elected as 1st Vice Chair, not as THE Chair, (and though he is a talented young man), he's, just too young and inexperienced to garner the respect of such a large and diverse demographic. Thus we, (that is to say the activist) who are committed to doing more than just showing up and warming a chair, and actively advocate for the common Nevada Democrats are now, sadly, at war with the established, corrupt and criminal elite holding a strangle hold on power in Clark County and the NSDP.

These pathetic people do not understand the fundamentals of power - in that you must share it, and give it away to create power and achieve synergy and progressive change - instead they try to selfishly horde it and hide in lies. Ladies and Gentlemen, dear readers, I do know this is the worst of news, but it is true - there is a cancer on the NSDP, especially in Clark County and we must do what we must to save our democracy and preserve the NSDP!

Consequently, though it is harsh and provocative language, I have been publicly exposing these facts, that Tom Collins is, in fact, a homophobe, bigot, sexist, bully, dictator and liar, and that Liz Foley is a corrupt monarch and a liar - and that neither of them should hold any leadership position in the NSDP, nor, any publicly representative position of appointment - should they refuse to resign with whatever dignity they have left, we the people must either demand their resignations (which I first called for publicly and would have preferred) or we must vote them out of office forever. Of course, they have every right to be General Members in the NSDP but it's time for them to pass into a troubled chapter in our history. I take no joy in helping to lead this fight publicly. I hope it will not be necessary to bring legal action, and do wish it could have been resolved justly in private.

It was Tom Collins and Liz Foley who gave us no other choice, unfortunately, but to go public! "Trust Me", "Shut Up" and "Go Away" are their stupid, stubborn ultimatums that have caused us to rise up and speak out, now, publicly!

What would I do differently is simple and straight forward, I would re-affirm, strongly and publicly, that no one in our society is above the law! That our law begins with our social mores and rules of civil etiquette as canonized in Robert's Rules of Order, first and foremost, and then, our County and NSDP Resolutions, By-Laws and Constitution and Charter, under Nevada State Law and the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights (all of which must be aligned in accord with the and not contradictory of our higher laws)! A truly all American, and very independent Nevadan democracy, that honors the rights of all minorities, while respecting the will of the democratic majority, is advanced citizenship in action, and it requires a fundamental understanding of all rights, liberties and freedoms and advanced skills, on the part of every member, to protect and defend and exercise these powers responsibly - and it is quite obvious to many that we need to develop and implement a program to provide a comprehensive out-reach, orientation and educational program to ensure our prosperity and succeed in electing progressive candidates and winning on advancing our issues! In doing so we will combat our real enemies which are: Ignorance, Intolerance, Fear and Phobias, Bigotry, Greed and Hate and people like Tom Collins and Liz Foley may learn the lessons of life and be better humane beings in the process!

I would make it crystal clear, that though we are social beings, the NSDP is not just about holding social events. It is politics and all politics are personal in that it begins in our hearts, minds and homes, then, extends to our neighbors and neighborhoods, locally, at the Ward, Precinct, County, State Assembly and Senate Districts through our Congressional Districts and through-out every region and our State! Politics is NOT just a past-time game like bean bag, ping-pong, shuffle board, or musical chairs, nor is it tennis or golf for only the rich and idle elite! Politics is much like the art of war that is waged in our deepest intimate desires, and collectively for not just ourselves, but, all our children and grand-children and great grand-children and generations to come after us - and each generation must defend democracy, for truly, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere!

I would begin by reaching out to our Young Democrats at UNLV and UNR to get "The Rebels" and "The Wolfpack" working independently but collectively together. Then, getting our retirees and eldest members better organized and integrated as these are some of our wisest, best educated and most experienced and successful citizens who have a great deal of time to volunteer - and they should be respected in their golden years as they struggle with the same health-care issues we will all face! Then, I would turn to the professional working class and our wide variety of unions, listening to their needs and grievances, and encouraging them in consolidating their efforts and uniting the party! In doing so, I would keep my focus on the less fortunate amongst us our mentally and physically disabled and the poor we are supposed to help as servant/leaders!

Q: You are especially involved in veterans' affairs issues. What experience could you bring to the party leadership?

A: Leaders are NOT born - they are made, and no where will you find better leadership training, education and challenges than in our Armed Forces, and I am both proud and humble that I was able to serve on Active Duty in the U. S. Army, in the Army Reserves, the Army National Guard, the Active Army / Guard Reserve Program - (covering every component of the Army) and, often, working directly with the U. S. Marine Corps, our Navy and Air Force and eventually as a Special Operations Command professional soldier. Soldiering is still a Spartan-like profession that requires one to develop a high degree of personal discipline and tenacity. A 22 year honorable military career is far more challenging than a cowboy taking attempting a 2 minute ride on a bucking bronco (with all due respect to professional cowboys). Soldiering requires one to be able to focus on task specific objectives - even when all hell may be breaking loose around you and your allies. So, with a sarcastic sense of humor I can say, honestly, I'm uniquely qualified to deal with current mess in the NSDP.

What I would bring to the Democratic Party is a commitment to basic values: Integrity, Honesty, Duty, Honor, Country, State and Party - something, I think every key committee member and leader should share in common - and some don't! In the military we have a solid commitment to the creed, code and corps - and it's simple: We do NOT lie, cheat or steal, nor do we tolerate those that do! A serious spirit that is sorely lacking in today's politics of rats, thieves and liars!

Another fundamentally key model of leadership utilized in the military is the two person assignment, with one person acting as the primary and the other as the secondary, working in tandem to ensure task are completed and duties are carried out regardless of illness, emergencies, family or business concerns. We call these two person teams "battle buddies" and it is far more than just doubling the number of names on a list on a piece of paper - it's all about TEAMWORK and the NSDP obviously needs some supplemental education in this basic area of leadership! Our staff is constantly over-worked and often over-whelmed (and to proud and professional to complain) and the NSDP leadership should do all they can to see to it that volunteers come forth to assist our staff, and build an intern program to reward the most dependable and talented volunteers. We must create paradigm shifts in our thinking and break out of the mud of mediocrity!

Regarding Veteran's issues, for nearly four years, I've attempted to assist in developing our message within the Democratic Party regarding the Military Industrial Corporate Complex, War and Peace, Our Troops and the needs of our Vets - but, with limited success. The Democratic Party is strong on defense - and Americans can trust us to defend our democracy! Rightfully so, we believe in the Great American Just War Tradition, that requires us to go to war only as an absolute last resort - and only after we have exhausted every reasonable avenue of political and diplomatic effort to avoid war, and we've conducted an objective National Intelligence Estimate, and factually determined that a "clear and present danger" exists! This is the path to peace our Founders laid out and we have not honored! The vast majority of Democrats do "Support Our Troops" but, we have failed to make that clear to the public and the national shame we all know in our hearts regarding the bureaucracy, lack of access, denial of access, and limited health-care our veterans reluctantly receive is quickly becoming a national nightmare of our own negligence - criminal negligence!

As a State Party there are limits on what positive changes we can make for our federal troops and their families - but, at the very least we could, and should, articulate a contemporary and succinct sense of our support. There are many good ideas that could assist our State Assembly and Senate to assist our Nevada National Guard units, Soldiers and Air Guard personnel and their families and the civilians that work at our many military installations through-out Nevada.

Frankly, I would be initially please if we could consistently honor the American and Nevada Flags, with the Armed Forces Flags (to include the nationally adopted POW/MIA Flag) on our public stages, and properly show respect in our long standing traditional ceremonies of Pledging Allegiance and performing the National Anthem! This could be done as a ceremonial section before each meeting actually begins conducting business. In this way any member that wishes to not participate can exercise their individual freedom without offense, but the more traditional members, and especially our veterans could be duly honored - yet, it seems too much to expect on a regular basis! On Veteran's Issues the NSDP has a number of articulate veterans that have developed some three dozen issues - all we need is to have our leaders take the time to read it and suggest changes and endorse our positions.

Ultimately, I would hope, that every member of the NSDP, including our pacifist, would realize no one hates war more than our veterans - and no one knows it's horrors better! I have not met a single stereotypically stupid "war monger" in our party in nearly four years. When we say the word "veterans" we need our members to hear the word "veterans" and not let their mind jump to the conclusion that we "war" is the subject - that occurs too frequently and we watch as eyes just glaze over and listening stops. When we say the words "Veteran's Administration" too many immediately begin to focus on "money" and "costs" and "taxes" and forget the words "to care for those that have borne the battle..." and that the civilian population has a moral, ethical and legal contract to uphold with due dignity and true honor! But, I'm hopeful that one day soon, we will realize that the Democratic Veterans are OUR Troops - it is the sacrifice of all these veterans that have provide all our freedoms!

Q: In the past you have switched from the Democratic to the Republican Party. Why did you recently switch back to the Democratic Party?

A: I have switched parties only a few times, But, let's get the facts straight! I have been a Democrat the vast majority of my life and always very independent like most Nevadan's. Philosophically, I started out as a Kennedy Democrat and remained a loyal member of the Democratic Party through the Carter era, in fact, I voted for President Carter against Reagan. When Reagan ran for re-election I switched parties because I had married into a very conservative family, had left the Active Duty Army and had started a business and a majority of my business contacts were Republicans. However, I changed little about my political, economic and social philosophies. I am a naturalist and very conservative about our planet and environment, on most issues I am a staunch moderate, and I am liberal on social issues. In fact, I did vote for Reagan's re-election (and did not support Mondale) because Reagan was committed to re-building our military which was in desperate need for funding. To my critics that condemn the "trickle down economic" philosophy of Reagan, I would say, I fully agree - Reagan's "compassionate capitalism" and economic philosophy was a terrible failure and I would join them in condemning it! I next cross voted against George H. W. Bush and against his re-election voting for Bill Clinton and Bill Clinton's re-election (yes, there were Clintonian Republicans that were fed up with the RNC and "rebel voted" - I was just one of them). I next made the regretful error of voting for Bush over Gore (and this had more to do with who Bush was tapping in his cabinet, as I had served under and had a great deal of respect for Gen. Colin Powell) - and I have been totally honest about this mistake in judgment and continue to sincerely apologize for it, but I believe we should all be so honest and take responsibility for our actions! In 2003 I publicly supported Gen. Wes Clark's run as a "Republican For Clark" but, I switched back to the Democratic Party (at the urging of NSDP leaders) and helped organize "Vets For Kerry" and most know the rest of that story and my service within the NSDP.

What most do not know is why I left the Democratic Party and registered as a Non-Partisan/Independent and that has everything to do with the abuses of power and core corruption I was seeing manifested inside the NSDP, when it got so bad that I witnessed people being "purged into political purgatory" by the likes and dislikes and on the personal whims of Liz Foley and people publicly humiliated and bullied by Tom Collins I could not accept the mutated monarchy and the oh so destructive dictatorship any longer. Also, I had begun my column, "A Veteran's Voice" and felt it was best as an opinion columnist to change my party affiliation. After being unfoundedly chastised as "an outsider" a couple of my Democratic friends convinced me that I should return to the party and work from the inside. I, now, consider myself a "James Webb Democrat" and I am one of "The Honorable Nevada Fighting Democrats!"

Q: Will you remain a member of the Democratic Party this time around?

A: I feel like I have come home and I intend to stay no matter what comes, what may! But, I should say, ultimately we must learn to reasonably compromise in complex political decisions (without sacrificing or violating our basic principles of democracy and fundamental freedoms). Though I respect the "Yellow Dogs" one can be too partisan in my humble opinion - I'm a "True Blue Dog" and I think we need to begin to recognize that simplicity is often for simpletons, as we have Black, Brown, and Red Dogs in this political pound we call the NDSP! Being a Non-Partisan and being a man without a party, felt much like being a man without country - I can not imagine ever leaving the Democratic Party again. One of my greatest fears is that we have already passed important tipping points in history - and are at a critical point in the partisan political landscape of America. I'm convinced for democracy to fully flourish we need, at least, three viable political parties and with the Republican Party leadership and RNC now publicly recognized as being corrupt to the core, I believe the Republicans will never again hold significant power in my life-time, and it is a just punishment for the unbelievable amount of damage that the radical, right-wing, neo-con, nut cases have inflicted on all Americans and the international community. Thus, American has only one viable political party left, we Democrats, and as Mark Twain said "I don't belong to any organized political party - I'm a Democrat!" Being disorganized to a rational degree is understandable, many projects and programs will always be "works in progress" but, we must take the necessary corrective actions so we do not become dysfunctional - and we must be ever vigilant to guard against corruption within our membership and especially our leadership!

Q: With the Nevada Caucus the number one issue in the coming year for Nevada Democrats, do you intend to support a candidate prior to the caucus or will you remain neutral if elected to the Party leadership?

A: I will remain total neutral and equally support all Democratic Presidential Candidates through the entire caucus period until the DNC has chosen a nominee - to do anything less would be inappropriate for any member of the NSDP State Central Committee, Executive Board or State Officers, as representatives we must keep our personal preferences private and publicly encourage all NSDP General Members to decide for themselves. We have a beautifully diverse group of Presidential hopefuls and each should be shown the same level of respect and support from the NSDP. I loathe the good old boy and good old girl system of anointment as it is nothing short of an undermining effort in our democracy. All of my life I have opposed dictators like Tom Collins and monarchs like Liz Foley - they started this fight and I and others, with the support of the NSDP Executive Board, State Central Committee and General Membership are going to win this fight, get our house in order, cleaned and our dirty laundry done, after all we do have guests coming - and it is just the right thing to do!

I do not agree that the Presidential Caucus should be assumed to be the #1 issue for Nevada Democrats - while we have Nevada National Guard troops, and others, in harms way in an illegal, immoral, unethical and unjust war in Iraq where they are suffering unnecessarily and dying prematurely! I believe the Presidential Caucus is very important, but nothing is more important that doing whatever we can to "Get Out of Iraq" "Support Our Troops" and "Fully Funding the VA!"

In closing...

...let me thank everyone for reading my lengthy responses, and may I say, the vast majority of us voted for "change" in November 2006 - and we should honor the will of the people by making the necessary "change" in our own party - lest, we too, be hypocrites! So, in that spirit, I've decided that my theme song for my campaign is "Change the Fools" (a play on the great song "Chain of Fools"). So, start humming and singing along folks, "Change, Change, Chaaaannggee....let's change the FOOLS, oh yeah baby, sing it...Change, Change, Change...change, change, change....they be but TOOLS, yeah baby, don't you love those blues,...I'm just saying...we got to Change the Fools, and clean up the Tools...."

I want to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize if anyone, other than Tom Collins and Liz Foley, have been offended by my words or deeds - no offense was intended, but, I could not remain silent, for our silence is betrayal of ourselves!

Once this fight is over, and corrective actions have been taken, and others have sincerely apologized for their transgression, I will be one of the first to say, while not forgotten - all should be forgiven! This fight will make the NSDP stronger!

My publicly available bio is available on-line at: http://www.vegascommunityonline.com/JohnathanAbbinett.htm and, if anyone has any serious questions, concerns or comments they may direct them to me personally at jlabbinett@cox.net or they may call 702.220.9303 my home/office. Thanks to all, and please vote for who ever you truly believe, in your heart and mind, is the best qualified candidate to be your next NSDP servant/leaders! See you on March 31st in Reno, NV!

PLEASE NOTE: At this writing I am still uncertain if I will be welcomed back into the NSDP with full rights and privileges, even as a legitimate candidate for NSDP 2nd Vice Chair - again, I'm waiting to get straight answers to simple questions and getting little more than the same-o, same-o, run-a-round, delays and denials. Hopefully, a few members will speak up for my inalienable rights and help me formally fight for the freedoms we've sacrificed so much for - there's always hope!

A SPECIAL NOTE: To our Northern and Rural neighbors, I say "You are NOT alone - UNITE!" To my Hispanic cousins, I say "Viva La Revolution!" To my African American cousins, I say "Fight for THE Dream!" To our Young Dems, I say may "The Wolfpack" join with "The Rebels" as your troubled time has come to protect and defend your future and Democracy is in dire need of being defended, Lady Liberty languishes and Freedom is a fire! To my GLBT friends, I say, you all know this fight so well, and it begins with all of you making a commitment to "Act Up!" To my Veteran allies, I say, "Broken Arrow!" Finally, to my Native American brothers and sisters I say (in the tongue of my ancestors) "Hoka Hey, Hoka Hey!"

De Oppresso Liber,

Johnathan L. Abbinett

My Q&A With A'shanti Fayshel Gholar

2007-03-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

In the run-up to the Nevada State Democratic Party officers election on March 31st, I plan to talk to as many candidates as possible. You can read my Q&A with Jill Derby, candidate for State Party Chair, here. Also, here is a list of all candidates. Below, you'll find A'shanti Fayshel Gholar's answers. She is running for re-election as State Party Secretary:

You are running for re-election as Nevada State Democratic Party Secretary. What has been your experience in this position and why do you want to be re-elected?
My experience as Party Secretary has been very positive. Until I was elected, Party Secretaries only took meeting minutes. I have expanded the role by serving as a liaison between the State Party and the Executive Board, improving communication between the Nevada State Democratic Party and State Central Committee Members, keeping County Chairs informed about the attendance of their committee members through quarterly updates, and assisting the Party Chair and the Standing Committees with administrative tasks. I am seeking reelection because I have truly enjoyed having the opportunity to serve my Party in this capacity and would like to continue to work to improve communication, especially as we approach the excitement of the upcoming Early Caucus.

You have been President of Young Democrats of Nevada. What does the new party leadership have to do in order to get more young people involved in the Democratic Party?

When it comes to politics, young people like to feel their views are respected. I believe that the new leadership will find a great deal of success if they continue to engage young Democrats. If re-elected I will continue to partner with the party leadership to bring young activists into the NSDP.

What do you think of the 50-State Strategy? Do you think it has been successful in Nevada so far? What else needs to be done?

I am very supportive of Governor’s Dean 50-State Strategy. The gains that we made across the country in 2006 are a testament to that fact that the plan is effective, and Jill Derby’s race for Congress in CD2 is a perfect example of an instance where the 50-State Strategy has given Democrats an edge in Nevada. We must continue to work hard keep the 50 State Strategy alive and strong by spreading the message to activists and leaders. This is how the West will be won.

Do you support a candidate for President, do you plan to support someone before the Nevada Caucus or will you remain neutral?

I am not supporting a candidate and will remain neutral throughout the Caucus. Even so, I am pleased to say it’s going to be a rough choice for Democrats in Nevada and around the country because we have so many dynamic personalities vying for the nomination. I am confident that one of them will be elected to the White House in 2008.

Besides working within the State Party, what are your plans for the future? Do you plan to run for elected office yourself in the near future?

Right now, in addition to serving the NSDP, I work for Congresswoman Shelley Berkley and was appointed by Governor Dean to Chair the DNC Youth Council. I plan to continue to work in politics in some capacity, but I have no plans to run for elected office in the near future.

Nominations for NV Democratic Leadership

2007-03-12T03:11:00.000-07:00

Below are the nominations for Nevada State Democratic Party officers. Elections will take place on March 31st. I intend to do Q&As with as many candidates as possible. You can read Jill Derby's Q&A here. Five other candidates have already agreed to answer questions on Turn Tahoe Blue and I hope more are to follow. The next Q&A will be published later today. Unfortunately, I could not find the contact information for all candidates. If you're running for the party leadership, haven't heard from me yet and would like to do a Q&A with Turn Tahoe Blue, please let me know. Click on my profile on the top of the sidebar for my e-mail address.

Chair
Jill Derby (Douglas)
Larry Gering (Clark)
Derotha Ann Reynolds (Washoe)

1st Vice Chair
Sam Lieberman (Clark)
Randy Soltero (Clark)

2nd Vice Chair
Johnathan Abbinett (Clark)
Teresa Benitez-Thompson (Washoe)
Marcia de Braga (Churchill)
Kristian Forland (Elko)
[Bud Orange (Douglas)]

Secretary
A'shanti Fayshel Gholar (Clark)
Bud Orange (Douglas)

Treasurer
Jan Churchill (Clark)
Gay Kennedy (Clark)

UPDATE:

The NV Dems website listed Bud Orange as a candidate for 2nd Vice Chair. However, he is only a candidate for Secretary.

Nevada Papers Stick With Coulter

2007-03-10T09:16:00.000-08:00

Both the Elko Daily Free Press (see yesterday's post) and the Las Vegas Review Journal have now come out saying they'll keep dumbpundit Ann Coulter on as a regular columnist. The LVRJ:

Several newspapers have dropped conservative syndicated columnist Ann Coulter from their pages after she used a homosexual slur last week, but two Nevada newspapers won't be joining the list.

The Review-Journal inbox has been flooded with more than 2,000 e-mails calling for the column's demise, but editorial page editor John Kerr said he would continue treating Coulter's columns as he always has -- by reading and running them on a case-by-case basis.

"We try to provide a variety of opinions and will continue to do so," Kerr said.

Coulter also got the nod from top brass at The Elko Daily Free Press, who made their decision after readers overwhelmingly voiced their support of the right-wing writer.

"Many callers said they thought Ann Coulter had a right to express herself, and they did not want us to be swayed by those seeking her removal," said Jeff Mullins, managing editor of the Elko Daily Free Press.

"Several said they would consider it censorship and added that they would no longer subscribe to the paper if we caved in to the special-interest group's request."

The Human Rights Campaign started an effort to pressure Universal Press Syndicate and newspapers that publish Coulter's words to drop her after she used a slur in reference to Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards.

"I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot,' so I -- so kind of an impasse, can't really talk about Edwards," Coulter told GOP activists attending the annual Conservative Political Action Conference last Friday.

At least seven newspapers have dropped her column since.

The Review-Journal will run Coulter's column on Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

It speaks volumes of the Las Vegas Review Journal that it is keeping on a columnist who's columns they publish "on a case-by-case basis". Journalism at its best!

Elko Daily Free Press Not Caving in to Gays and Lesbians

2007-03-09T16:19:00.000-08:00

The hypocrisy and outright idiocy of people! This from the Elko Daily Free Press:

Free Press readers back Ann Coulter

Friday, March 9, 2007 9:27 AM PST

ELKO — Readers have sent a clear message to the Elko Daily Free Press: Keep printing Ann Coulter’s opinion column.

In response to being flooded by thousands of e-mails from a gay and lesbian advocacy group, the newspaper asked local readers to call or write with their opinions on whether the controversial columnist should stay in the paper.

“As of this morning we had received nearly 60 phone calls or faxes, and about nine out of 10 wanted us to keep running Ann Coulter,” said managing editor Jeff Mullins.

Comments have also been posted to the Elko Daily Free Press’ Web site, www.elkodaily.com. The majority of these comments are in support of free speech.

Meanwhile, Editor & Publisher magazine reported Thursday that the Times of Shreveport, La., became at least the fourth newspaper this week to drop Coulter.
In a note posted on the newspaper’s Web site, Times Executive Editor Alan English wrote: “Today we move past the rhetoric and unproductive dialogue offered by Ann Coulter. The Times is dropping her column effective immediately. It is her recent ‘joke’ about John Edwards being considered a ‘faggot’ that is the back-breaking straw for a decision we’ve openly discussed for some time.”

Most of the Free Press readers who called the editor had different opinions.

“Many callers said they thought Ann Coulter had a right to express herself, and they did not want us to be swayed by those seeking her removal,” Mullins said. “Several said they would consider it censorship, and added that they would no longer subscribe to the paper if we ‘caved in’ to the special-interest group’s request.”

Coulter’s weekly column appears on page A4 of today’s Free Press.

The "gay and lesbian advocacy group" Mullins is talking about? That would be Media Matters. Which is NOT a "gay and lesbian advocacy group". Just read the "About Us" of Media Matters.
And of course the letters did not come from just one group but from 3,000 different people.

Naturally, this doesn't count for the Elko Daily Free Press. They rather listen to a total of 60(!) readers who want to keep Coulter on. 60! So clearly 60 people who think hate speech is free speech and slurring a possible future President of the United States and millions of Americans are more important to the Elko Daily Free Press, than its good name.

So, since they're obviously not interested in what you have to say when you send them gay emails, how about calling them. Phone and Fax of the Elko Daily Free Press:

Phone: 775-738-3118

Newsroom Fax: 775-778-3131

UPDATE:

Apparently, the Elko Daily Free Press is not talking about Media Matters but about the Human Rights Campaign. Sorry, my bad. However, this does not change the tone of their post. Bigotry is alive and well at the Elko Daily Free Press!

Who is Nevada's Best Political Journalist?

2007-03-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

As Nevada is relatively small, there really are not that many political journalists in the state. Among this very small group of people, who do you think is the best?

The poll only allows seven answers, therefore I had to preselect. However, a couple of people are not included: Anjeanette Damon who is currently on hiatus and doing her Master at Harvard and also Hugh Jackson of Nevada Today since he doesn't write for a print daily and more importantly since his running the Las Vegas Gleaner probably makes him a favourite among blog readers and the poll results would just be totally off.

So here we go:

Take the poll

Free Poll by Blog Flux

7 Papers Have Dropped Coulter - 2 NV Papers Have Not

2007-03-09T11:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I wrote about the fact that both the Las Vegas Review Journal and the Elko Daily Free Press publish dumbpundit Ann Coulter's column.

Also yesterday, the count of papers who have dropped dumbpundit's column was at four. Today it is at seven and it's likely more are to follow.

When will the Las Vegas Review Journal and the Elko Daily Free Press follow suit? You can do something about it by e-mailing the editors:

Las Vegas Review Journal: John Kerr (Ed.) - jkerr@reviewjournal.com

Elko Daily Free Press: Jeffry Mullins (Ed.) - editor@elkodaily.com

Should you have the impression that writing to the editors won't help, than read what the editor of The Sanford Herald, Billy Ligget, has to say:

Even before March 2, editing Coulter "had become a task" because of her periodic inflammatory language, according to Liggett. "We kept having to pick and choose what we could or couldn't run," he said.

Liggett added that the Herald since last Friday has received some e-mails from Sanford-area residents criticizing Coulter. "We care about what our readers think," said Liggett.

The Herald also received more than 1,000 e-mails criticizing Coulter during the past two days from people who saw the paper listed as a client of the columnist on the liberal MediaMatters.org site. Liggett said about 800 of those e-mails were very similar, but about 200 others were written in a more personalized way.

You can view the full list of papers at Media Matters.

Why Won't the Las Vegas Review Journal and the Elko Daily Free Press Drop Coulter?

2007-03-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

Honestly, I didn't even know the Las Vegas Review Journal and the Elko Daily Free Press carry dumbpundit Ann Coulter's column. Then again, I get all my news online.

Just a couple of days ago, dumbpundit was at it again, slurring around at CPAC using the F word in reference to John Edwards. Since then conservative bloggers have denounced her, several companies have stopped advertising on her website, and up to date a total of four newspapers have dropped her column - Lancaster New Era (PA), The Oakland Press (MI), The Mountain Press of Sevierville (TN), and The Times of Shreveport (LA).

The question then:

Why won't the Las Vegas Review Journal and the Elko Daily Free Press Drop Coulter?

Well, you can ask them. Media Matters has put together a list of newspapers nationwide carrying dumbpundit's column, among them the LVRJ and the EDFP, complete with contact information.

Do you want the editors of the Las Vegas Review Journal and Elko Daily Free Press to drop Ann Coulter's column? Write an e-mail to:

Las Vegas Review Journal: John Kerr (Ed.) - jkerr@reviewjournal.com

Elko Daily Free Press: Jeffry Mullins (Ed.) - editor@elkodaily.com

Why I Love Nevada

2007-03-08T09:26:00.000-08:00

On my recent trip to Nevada I was reminded why I love the place so much. Above picture really tells it all, I took it in January when temperatures hovered around 0 degrees on Eastlake Blvd on the southern tip of Washoe Lake. I love the mountains, the snow, Lake Tahoe, the clear blue skies, the vast terrain. Never in my life have I seen the stars as clearly as during my year in Nevada. I just can't help it. I love this place. And I'm longing to come back!

"Open Congress" Launched

2007-03-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

After Congresspedia, the Sunlight Foundation has launched another great tool: Open Congress

Open Congress is an awesome tool for anyone interested in what goes on in Congress. Here you can actually learn more about bills, members of Congress, committees, etc.

You can find out that Dean Heller actually voted 'Aye' on a resolution to support "the goals of International Women's Day", that Dianne Feinstein is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, that the top contributor to both Harry Reid and John Ensign is MGM Mirage, that Barbara Boxer recently sponsored a "bill to provide all low-income students with the same opportunity to receive a Pell Grant by suspending the tuition sensitivity provision in the Pell Grant program", and that John Doolittle most often votes with Rep. Jean "Mean" Schmidt of Ohio.

This is an awesome tool, try it.

Updated Links

2007-03-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

I've just gone through all the links on the sidebar and threw all the ones out that either didn't work anymore or haven't been updated in a long time.

New links include:

Nevada Assembly Democrats
Dullard Mush
Rural Nevada Democratic Caucus Blog
The Next President Visits Nevada
Hotline On Call
Political Wire
The Gavel

There are two other sites that I would have liked to permanently link to but just couldn't:

Dina Titus Blog
Las Vegas Sun Politics

Both sites are supposed to be blogs (one can only guess so in the case of LVS Politics since it's hosted on TypePad). However, both are just not blogs. The Dina Titus Blog had a total of only 4 posts in February which are not even in chronological order and there still is no feed for her site. As for LVS Politics. Well, go look for yourself. You will be hard pressed to find anything other than articles published in the Las Vegas Sun. That ain't a blog. That's recycling! And just really sad as the journalists of the LVS would actually have something valuable to say, I suppose.

How Shelley Berkley Got Her Appropriations Committee Seat

2007-03-07T05:36:00.000-08:00

God may work in mysterious ways. Congress not so much. As Josephine Hearn of The Politico puts it in her article: "How to Advance in Congress: Networking. Luck. And Money Doesn't Hurt."

The article chronicles nine Representatives and how they got (or lost) prescious committee assignment. One of the the lucky was Nevada Congresswoman Shelley Berkley:

Friends in the Highest Places: Shelley Berkley

The Nevada Democrat was another member hankering for a Ways and Means seat. And like Pascrell, she'd been waiting a long time. "I expressed interest a year before I was elected in 1997," she said.

Berkley voiced her preference to Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.), then the House minority leader, who assured her she would get it. But when Gephardt retired and was succeeded by Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Berkley was back at square one when she made clear she would not honor Gephardt's promises.

Repeatedly, Berkley reiterated her interest, but she watched as openings went to other members, including three others who came to Congress the same year she did.

This time, though, she had a friend in the highest of places. Fellow Nevadan Harry Reid, the new Senate majority leader, made a pivotal call to Pelosi on Berkley's behalf

Berkley got the seat. Soon after, she held a breakfast for Reid at her Capitol Hill home, at one point choking up when she noted that it took her "eight years and a phone call" to get on the panel.

"I felt like it was time," Berkley said.

As among the lucky few were a significant number of freshmen, who in some instances even got sub-committee chairmanships, one is left to ponder Jill Derby's fate would she have been elected. Unfortunately, the people in the second district chose a man who will wield little influence in the minority over a woman who could have been a high stakes power broker for her constituents in DC.

You can read the entire article at The Politico.

Barcelona Agrees With Rocky Anderson on Impeaching Bush

2007-03-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

"Impeach Bush" is starting to become an international rallying cry. I was walking the streets of Barcelona, Spain, last December when I came upon this graffiti. At first I was surprised by this but then not so much. Considering how ridiculous the Clinton impeachment seemed to most Europeans, some are quite taken aback that the same measure is not used against George W. Bush.

There is hardly a more vocal critic in the Western United States than Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson. He made national headlines with a rally against President Bush's visit to Salt Lake City last fall. This week he testified before the Washington State Senate in support of a resolution to impeach President Bush.

Here's an excerpt from his speech at an impeachment rally in Olympia, Washington:

The lies and the callous immorality of President Bush, and the outrages on human dignity he has perpetrated or countenanced, are a disgrace to our great nation. The President has weakened our country and sullied our reputation around the world. The time is long past due for the American people to stand up and speak out against this disastrous presidency and the Congress that refuses to hold it accountable. We are here today to say, "No more!"

No more Iraq war.

No more God-is-on-our-side religious nonsense to justify this immoral, illegal war.

No more torture of human beings.

No more denial of the right of habeas corpus.

No more kidnapping of people and sending them off to secret prisons in nations where they will be tortured.

No more glorification of torture by the entertainment industry.

No more centrally-owned, hysteria-driven, corporate news media complicit in selling the Bush administration’s lies to the American people.

No more unconstitutional warrantless wiretapping of American citizens.

No more manipulation of national intelligence for political purposes.

No more manipulation of our news media with false propaganda.

No more authoritarian assertions of power by the president.

No more silence by the American people.

This is a new day. We can unify in our insistence upon the truth, upon peace-making, upon more humane treatment of our brothers and sisters around the world.

We will continue to call for the impeachment of President Bush, a most appropriate response to his blatant abuses of power. We will continue to resist the lies, the deception, the outrages. We will insist that peace be pursued, and that, as a nation, we help those in need. Let us join together to break the cycle of hatred, of intolerance, of violence. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

We urge Congress, be silent no more.

We urge all Americans, regardless of party, be silent no more.

Let impeachment be the first step toward national reconciliation – and toward penance for the outrages committed in our nation’s name.

My Q&A With Jill Derby

2007-02-27T14:39:00.000-08:00

Jill Derby, who has announced her intention to run for State Party Chair yesterday, has agreed to do some Q&A with Turn Tahoe Blue on what she would do if elected, on the Nevada Caucus, Howard Dean's 50-State-Strategy, and the much criticized Fox News debate:

TTB: You announced your decision to run for State Party Chair on Monday. What makes you want to run the Nevada Democratic Party?

Jill Derby: I am aligned with those party leaders who suggest that the future of the Democratic Party is in the West. We can win in the West, but we must position ourselves in alignment with our uniquely western values. Our new State party slogan is “A New Direction for Nevada”. In my congressional campaign, I laid out a new vision for what a Nevada Democrat and Democrats from the West stand for. That’s the kind of vision and leadership I bring that I believe will advance our opportunities for turning Nevada blue and winning in the West. The opportunity to grow and build our party to that end is an exciting leadership challenge that I am looking forward to taking on.

TTB: Your congressional campaign was one of the most successful and professional campaigns of any Democrat for Nevada’s 2^nd Congressional seat and you gave the Republican Party and its candidate a run for their money. What experiences from the campaign trail would help you run the state party?

Jill Derby: I was able to connect with many people in all 17 of Nevada’s counties during my campaign for Congress. That experience provides me with a network of positive relationships with which to build the unity, focus, and cohesion which will be important to the Party in the year ahead. Democrats often talk about being the party of inclusion and I intend to make that happen by involving everyone – rural and urban, north and south. I also learned that many Nevadans are independent and not locked into strict party vote. I learned that reaching out and framing our message in ways that resonate beyond our traditional Democratic audience can bring support across party lines, and is particularly attractive to independent voters, of which there are many in Nevada.

TTB: What would you like to change within the Nevada Democratic Party to increase the chances for Democratic candidates? In this respect, do you think Gov. Dean’s 50-State-Strategy is a good idea?

Jill Derby: Nevada’s early caucus status offers us an opportunity to grow the party and bolster its state-wide infrastructure. We must get disengaged Democrats re-engaged and active. We must communicate our values in ways that connect with Independents and independent-minded Republicans. There are lots of the latter. I met them all over Nevada in my campaign, and many of them voted for me because of the new vision and leadership I offered. I do support Governor Dean’s 50 state strategy which takes the long view of re-building the Democratic Party nationwide. The right wing of the Republican Party didn’t accomplish its impressive gains overnight. It took years of planning, investment, and strategy. We need to be smart and strategic, and build from the ground up to regain the our majority in the nation,

TTB: Your former campaign manager, David Cohen, has signed up as deputy state director with Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Do you intend to endorse a candidate for the Nevada Caucus or will you remain neutral?

Jill Derby: I will remain neutral.

TTB: The decision of the Nevada Democratic Party and the Western Majority Project to let Fox News host a presidential debate in August in Reno has caused an uproar among Democratic activists and bloggers. Do you think it was a wise decision to let Fox News host the debate even though Democratic officials and candidates are often ridiculed and vilified by its presenters?

Jill Derby: We cannot win in the West if we only talk to those who already agree with us. We must reach out to independent voters and independent-minded Republicans. There are a growing number of disenchanted Republicans willing to look elsewhere for candidates to support – my candidacy was clear proof of that. Let’s reach out to them through their media channels. I think the decision was well thought out, and while I understand the concerns of those who oppose the decision, I believe it was the right one. It is important to note that the terms of the agreement require that the logistics of the debate including format, moderator(s), and backdrop will only be determined by mutual consent of both parties. That gives us some safeguards.

Jill Derby to Run for State Party Chair

2007-02-26T09:51:00.000-08:00

Jill Derby today announced her intention to run for state party chair, a position to be vacated by Tom Collins. The official press release:

Jill Derby, former Regent and 2006 Democratic nominee for Congress in Nevada’s Second Congressional District said today that she plans to run for Chair of the Nevada State Democratic Party when elections are held in March.

“In my congressional campaign, I laid out a new vision for what a Nevada Democrat and Democrats from the West stand for. That’s the kind of vision and leadership I plan to bring to the Party,” Derby said.

As was evidenced by the past week of candidate events and national media attention, Nevada will play a central role in the selection of the Democratic candidate in 2008. Nevada’s caucus will be the second in the nation, falling between key events in Iowa and New Hampshire.

“I believe I can make a valuable contribution to the Party’s growth during this critical time by leading the effort to make our caucus a success and by highlighting the issues important to Nevada and the West,” Derby said.

Derby’s experience as a Regent and congressional candidate makes her uniquely qualified to represent the entire state during this historic time.

“I can help bring Nevada and the State Democratic Party together in new ways,” Derby said. “As a Regent, I worked to advance each and every campus in our system of higher education around the state. As a candidate, I campaigned in every single county. I know the rural, suburban, and urban issues we’re facing, and intend to be a Chair that represents all our communities.”

Wow! This is awesome news. When I heard that Tom Collins announced his intention not to run again, I didn't expect any good candidates to come forward. This is an awesome candidate. With Jill Derby as state party chair we might actually be able to turn both Tahoe and Nevada blue.

Update:

I just wanted to make clear that Tom Collins decision to resign came just before the Fox debate issue exploded all over the blogosphere and before his post on Daily Kos last Friday (more here). The Las Vegas Gleaner reported on this last Thursday (Feb.22). Here's the press release, courtesy of the Gleaner:

Nevada Democratic Chairman Tom Collins has decided not to run for reelection to his post as state chairman when the Democratic Central Committee elects new state officers at a meeting March 31 in Reno.

Collins, who was elected to a one-year term as party chairman last April, will remain the chairman of the Nevada Caucus Commission, helping to raise money, coordinate and promote the Nevada Presidential Caucus, to be held Jan. 19, 2008.

During his term, Collins oversaw the coordinated campaign that helped to elect four Democrats to statewide office, plus an additional Democrat in both the state Senate and Assembly. Democrats also picked up another seat on the Clark County Commission.

Collins was one of the first advocates to lobby Democrats nationally to put an early presidential caucus in Nevada. Collins has argued the West is the new frontier for Democrats, and by focusing on Western states, Democrats can win the White House.

“The Nevada Caucus is a huge undertaking, and stepping down as state chairman will give me more time to focus on my duties as one of the chairs of the Nevada Caucus Commission,” Collins said. “I believe that Democrats must win in the West in order to win the White House, and I want to spend as much of my time as possible promoting the caucus and ensuring it is a success. I look forward to working with a new state chair who can bring the resources to the table to continue to build the Nevada Democratic Party and turn Nevada ‘blue.’”

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For more news and action surrounding the Nevada Caucus go to Nevada Caucus 2008.

John Ensign Rather Golfs Than Debate The War

2007-02-21T10:07:00.000-08:00

Every cynical blogger in Nevada guessed that John Ensign was probably out golfing when he missed the vote on the Iraq war debate last Saturday. Call us cynical no more:

A spokesman for Ensign confirmed Tuesday that he played golf with his son in Nevada rather than attend the weekend session called by Senate Democrats. Ensign criticized the vote as nothing more than "political posturing" that he had no interest in joining.

Want a comment from a political science professor?

"The irony here is in the past he's been criticized for playing too much golf and having a good tan," Herzik said. "But if you're going to criticize - 'You're out on the golf course instead of the floor of the Senate for this historic vote' - he'll say, 'What historic vote? It was a sham.'

"His position is valid. Whether or not it's popular, that's another question," Herzik said.

What Lisa Mascaro forgot to mention in her article, although it's pretty apparent, is that Herzik is a Republican. One who obviously doesn't have much respect for the political instutions of this land, for the people of Nevada or for the troops.

To top it all off, here's Harry Reid's response:

In Carson City on Tuesday, Reid himself said: "Maybe you haven't heard about our pact?" It was a reference to an agreement he and Ensign have to not criticize each other publicly.

Good Lord!

Nevada Caucus Blog

2007-02-20T07:16:00.000-08:00

Late last year I started a new blog that solely focuses on the Nevada Caucus next year and all the news surrounding it. I've finally gotten into a steady flow of posting on that blog and new posts should appear on a daily basis, depending on how much is going on.

On Nevada Caucus 2008 you will find links to all the candidates, an easy way to contribute to your favourite candidates through ActBlue, updates from the campaigns, reports on the Nevada Caucus and appearances of candidates in Nevada. To keep up to date you can easily subscribe to the site feed and either include in your My Yahoo, newsgator or whatever is reader of choice or you can subscribe to an email feed that will be send to you on a daily basis.

For more go to Nevada Caucus 2008.

Reid Has No Regrets About Iraq Vote, Has Flawed Reasoning

2007-02-18T10:48:00.000-08:00

Harry Reid isn't running for President. That might be one reason why he doesn't see the point in regretting his vote for the Iraq war resolution as Hillary Clinton is the only presidential contender who doesn't regret her vote and instead blames it all on Bush.

Essentially, they're both taking the easy way out. Whenever Hillary talks about her vote she sounds as insincere as can be. You think it would be impossible that anyone could do a worse job? Guess again:

As he prepares to lead Senate Democrats in the debate on President Bush's Iraq policy, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada says he has no second thoughts about his vote in 2002 authorizing the president to go to war.
"The evidence at the time was persuasive -- especially if you go back and look and see what Secretary of State Colin Powell did at the United Nations," Reid said Tuesday.
"We've learned since then that the evidence was manipulated," he said. "So the answer is no. I'm not going to apologize."

Either Sen. Reid's memory is really, really bad or he's just being smug and insincere as his reasoning is totally off. The Review Journal points this out, unfortunately only several paragraphs later:

Reid insists his 2002 vote was based on "inaccurate information" propounded by the Bush administration.

On Feb. 5, 2003 -- four months after the Senate vote -- Powell delivered a speech at the United Nations accusing Iraq of harboring chemical weapons.

Powell has since called that speech a "blot" on his record.

Basically, former Secretary of State Powell is more distressed about enabling the President to go to war than Sen. Reid. This is - to put it mildly - unfortunate.

Unfortunate is also Sen. Reid's disdain for the people of Nevada:

"My caucus accepted it, and the people in the state of Nevada have not raised that as an issue," Reid said.

I find it hard to believe that not a soul in Nevada has "raised that as an issue" with the Senator. There just must have been at least one lone peace activist in Nevada who must have gotten in Reid's face about his vote.

Therefore, the Senator is pretty lucky that he's not even thinking about running for President. Cause he would not survive. The netroots are already pretty harsh on Hillary who has basically stated that if people don't like her stance vote for someone else. Kos has replied to Hillary in no uncertain terms. It remains to be seen if he will do the same with Sen. Reid or if there is some sort of double standard.

As for Sen. Reid. It's a pity that he will probably not be forced to defend his vote like Hillary has been forced to do recently. He's pretty sure of himself and his position in the Nevada Democratic Party. Unfortunately, both for the Democratic Party and for the people of Nevada, I think he has no need to worry. There is no primary challenger in sight. That of course might change, as he's not up for re-election until 2010.

PS: Coincidentally, Harry Reid's son, Rory Reid, was hired by Hillary Clinton as her Nevada campaign manager.

Read another opinion on Reid's Iraq vote at the Las Vegas Gleaner.

Gibbons Sets New Records, Is Under FBI Investigation

2007-02-15T12:14:00.000-08:00

After only having been in office for six weeks, Gov. Jim Gibbons is under investigation by the FBI for possible corruption:

Federal authorities confirmed Thursday that Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons is under investigation for failing to properly report gifts or payments from a software company that was awarded secret military contracts when he was in Congress.
The newly elected Republican governor’s office issued a statement saying that while he was a close friend of the company owner, Warren Trepp, there was “no special power” that Gibbons could provide in awarding defense contracts to the company.
Trepp, a former chief trader for convicted junk-bond dealer Michael Milken, also has denied any wrongdoing. He didn’t immediately return calls Thursday to his office at his eTreppid Technologies LLC in Reno.

Gibbons and his wife spent some time on a cruise and did not pay for that and neither for their ride on a private jet. However, the following part is the one that might actually undo him:

“Please don’t forget to bring the money you promised Jim and Dawn,” Trepp’s wife, Jale Trepp, said in a March 22, 2005, e-mail days before Trepp and his wife embarked on the Caribbean cruise with Jim Gibbons and his wife, Dawn, a former Nevada state assemblywoman.
According to the Journal, Trepp responded minutes later saying: “Don’t you ever send this kind of message to me! Erase this message from your computer right now!”

As this already drawing national press attention one has to wonder how long it will take for Gibbons to have to resign. Maybe it's "Hello Gov. Krolicki" before you know it.

Say Good Bye to Gov. Krolicki

2007-02-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

Looks like much of the Nevada blogosphere (including this little blog) was much too eager to get Jim Gibbons out of the Governor's Mansion. Turns out he wasn't quite as flunky as we all presumed and actually did resign from Congress before taking his oath as governor. Damn.

Say Hello to Gov. Krolicki

2007-02-14T07:26:00.000-08:00

The biggest flunk ever to be elected governor of the Silver State may actually not be governor at all. According to what's been reported around the buzzing Nevada blogosphere this state may not even have a governor right now.

Before I go on, read the full run down on Vote Gibbons Out.

So, technically, Gibbons would have to be removed. Lt. Gov. Krolicki (R) would then take over as Governor and a new election would possibly have to be called.

Here things would become really interesting. Would Gibbons run again? Would it be too embarrassing? Would his wife run? Would Krolicki want to keep the new job? Who would the Democrats nominate? "Dina-Might"? Speaker Buckley? Anyone else?

Will any of this ever happen? Probably not. The establishment will see to that and I doubt that Harry would like to see his Caucus disturbed in any way.

There's a New Blogger in Town

2007-02-14T06:51:00.000-08:00

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, last year's Democratic nominee for Governor, has joined us crazy, everyday Nevada bloggers and we welcome her!

She send out an email yesterday, announcing her new website:

As we enter the second week of the new legislative session, I’m happy to report that www.dinatitus.com is back online and ready to serve as a hub for you to stay in touch!

It’s an important moment for our state – when we will decide whether to take the steps necessary to really move forward in such important areas as education, transportation, renewable energy and health care. At the same time, the 2008 Democratic presidential caucus is already bringing national attention to Nevada and its issues. There has never been a better time to make your voice heard.

I look forward to posting regular updates on the issues before us this session, calls to action on legislation and community efforts, news articles of interest and perhaps even some inside gossip from the halls of the capitol. We’ve also created a special area for links to the latest happenings related to the presidential caucus.

Those of you who know me well may be pleasantly surprised that I’ve also officially entered the 21st century (finally!) with a blog. I’ll do my best to write often – and I look forward to reading your responses. I’ll also see about getting some of my Senate colleagues to do some guest blogging!

Please share your thoughts often and help grow this site into a true online community. I hope you will use it as both a resource and a sounding board for the issues on your mind.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

The website is surprisingly well done and an improvement to the old Titus for Governor website. It's so professional that you have to wonder whether she is actually gonna run for Congress against Porter in 2008.

Visit Dina's website here and don't forget to read her blog!

43 Plays for 43 Presidents

2007-02-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

I wanted to see at least one play during our stay in the States. And that's exactly what we managed to do. Did we ever choose the right play.

43 Plays for 43 Presidents was an awesome experience. It was performed by the Rough and Toumble crew at LaVal's Subterranean Theatre in Berkeley. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to write about it right after we saw it. We only got back to Germany after their run ended.

I just wanted to write a short post on this to thank the writers (Andrew Bayiates, Sean Benjamin, Genevra Gallo, Chloë Johnston and Karen Weinberg) of this play and the magnificent actors of Rough and Tumble: Stewart Evan Smith, Louise Chegwidden, Arwen Anderson, Josh Pollock, and Norman Gee (as pictured from left to right). As all Presidents up to date were white men, it was interesting to see how it could have been, or better even, how it could be in the future with the first woman and first African-American having a real shot at the nomination of the Democratic Party.

They did receive pretty good reviews:

Contra Costa Times
San Francisco Chronicle
The Daily Californian

Just this little bit from the Chronicle:

Perhaps most refreshingly, "Presidents" lampoons Bill Clinton (Gee catching the vocal inflections) not for his personal peccadilloes but for his betrayals of progressive politics.

That was actually a little disheartening to watch but it seemed kinda true - a lot of talking but little progressive, liberal action.

Thanks, Rough and Tumble! We enjoyed it!

Join Nevada for Obama!

2007-02-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I started the Nevada for Obama group at My.BarackObama.com. Join the group today and help Obama on his journey to the White House.

At first, I only started a Tahoe for Obama group (which you are also invited to join) and later founded the Nevada group when one state group after the other popped up, except for the Silver State.

Join Nevada for Obama here!

Tahoe for Obama Group Up and Running!

2007-02-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama has announced his run for the White House today. I couldn't be more enthused. During the 2004 Democratic Convention I stayed up late into the night (was watching from Germany) to watch his speech and was I ever blown away.

Today I joined My.BarackObama.com and founded two groups. The first one is called Germans for Obama (I am German, after all) and the second one Tahoe for Obama. I invite you to join Tahoe for Obama. To join, click here.

A couple of you may have been to my blog Nevada Caucus 2008. I try to remain as objective on that blog as humanly possible and will try to report on all candidates in an open-minded manner and will not give preferential treatment on that blog to Barack Obama. I will however criticize and praise the candidates when they deserve it, no matter my personal preference.

My San Francisco Pics

2007-02-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

Ever since I first set foot in San Francisco eleven years ago, I've been in love with the city. Unfortunately, I never had enough time to venture through all the districts. This time around we had three days in San Francisco and spent them mostly walking the streets. We stayed on the quiet end Lombard near the Presidio and only had to walk a couple of feet from our motel to see the Golden Gate Bridge - when there was no fog, that is. We walked and ate on Chestnut St., looked at all the still closed shops in Cow Hollow (because of jetlag we were early risers) and took the bus down to the Castro. The Castro is clearly a sight to behold, with rainbow flags and all. Very interesting is the old Castro Theatre which was build in the silent movie age, in 1923. That night Alex and I met Sarah Carter and her husband Brendan for dinner in North Beach. We talked about politics (American and German), our studies and much more. Time just flew by and before we knew it, the waiters were ready to close for the night.

The following day we met a friend of Alex after exploring the exploratorium and she took us on a tour through the city, first showing us her favourite part: the Haight District. We later went downtown and ventured through North Beach, the Italian part of town, which was interesting for Alex as his mom is from Italy. We also walked through Chinatown and the area around Union Square. That night we went to see a play in Berkeley (more on the Berkeley part in a seperate post).

On our last day we drove over to the Cliff House on the north end of Ocean Beach. The breakfast was awesome (I love my eggs benedict) and the view a sight to behold. We left San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge, stopped at the vista point at the northern end of the bridge and took a last look at the city that we now both love and long to get back to.

A creative fortune teller on Union Street in Cow Hollow

Rainbow flags everywhere - the Castro District

Palace of Fine Arts on a sunny morning

Signs you only see in the States, at Golden Gate Park near the Haight

Words of wisdom on a sidewalk on Columbus Ave

Columbus Ave in North Beach

View of the Pacific from the Cliff House

Ocean Beach near the Cliff House

NRSC Working on Democratic Landslide in 2008

2007-02-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

What one "deluded Republican staffer" can cause by thinking his boss might make a good President... First of all, I have to thank him/her for getting me five blogger minutes of fame and 1,000 visitors in one day.

Looking at my stats throughout the past 24 hours was quite revealing. First of all: it's true. All of Washington reads Wonkette. I'm surprised anything at all gets done in DC. You could probably fire half the staffers in DC and not a soul would notice.

Among the thousand visits to this post were at least nine (see below, times are MET) by the National Republican Senatorial Committee which started this whole thing. Seems like they have nothing better to do. If they keep up working like this (and with the ensignificant Senator running the show this seems likely) they will practically ensure a Democratic landslide in the 2008 Senate elections.

(Un)Surprisingly, this wasn't John Ensign's first time on Wonkette. He was featured prominently last year under the headline "Senator John Ensign: This White Man Can Jump". No wonder, Wonkette would like to see him run...

Vote for Jack Carter! Now!

2007-02-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

Wanna give some mojo to Jack Carter? You can vote for him in this online "Democratic Nomination Competition". It has no significance whatsoever but is really fun. You can rate candidates from 1 to 5 with 5 being the top vote. You can only vote today!

Vote for Jack here!

Wonkette Endorses John Ensign For President - It's The Hair!

2007-02-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

Breaking News: Ensign receives first endorsement for presidential bid!

Wonkette just practically endorsed Nevada's favourite golfer for President. Why? It's the hair:

Someone at the NRSC has a brilliant plan for the Republicans: the dude who nearly lost to Jimmy Carter’s son should run for President. We like it! Ensign has such nice hair…

I jokingly thought about the possibility of former Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn (R) replacing Cheney as Vice-President. Why? He's out of a job and W just likes western governors (think Kempthorne of Idaho (Interior Secretary), and Leavitt of Utah (HHS Secretary).

But never in my wildest dreams, or nightmares for that matter, would I have imagined to hear "John Ensign for President". Great thanks for that go out to the "Single Most Deluded Republican Staffer".

PS: Here's a look at the hair...

Blogger Forced Me to Switch

2007-02-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

I finally couldn't get around to switching to BloggerBeta anymore. When I logged into my account they practically forced me to switch. I'm not sure if I'm gonna like the new blogger. What I certainly despise is being forced into something.