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About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
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Recent Posts
- Day 14: Louisiana Senator Approvingly Compares Trump to Stalin
- Day 13: Elon Musk Flexes His Muscles
- Day 12: While Elon Musk Takes Over, We Podcast With Driftglass and Blue Gal
- Day 11: Harm of Fascist Regime’s Foreign Aid Freeze Comes Into View
- Day 10: The Fascist Regime Blames a Plane Crash on Nonwhite People
new thread
Our Democratic Central Committee has election subcommittee sessions scheduled for Saturday. The PR committee chair said to me last night that this year’s theme will be “Take no prisoners.”
I’m running for county-wide office for the first time. Wish me luck!
All is quiet on the home front, them yonder hills look rather ominous hows ever.
So I walk up to the guy and I says “Hay guy, you’sa yous owes me twenty dollars.” And he looks me strait in the eye and says, ” ”
we’re trying to figure out how to get Rep Pomeroy (D), (well more like 1/2 D and 1/2 R) to the woodshed to redden his little bottom, too many votes with the Rs, and then badmouthing Howard Dean besides, sometimes one wonders if political activity is worth the effort.
My New Year’s Resolution was to get off my butt and get involved somehow in the campaign for Claire McCaskill so we can get rid of Jim Talent(less). But its Haaaaaaaard Woooooooork. I still haven’t gotten my momentum going since the 2004 election loss. Somebody give me a kick in the ass. please.
Get moving! Think of your campaign work as the first start to a single payer health care system! It is desperately needed in this county and there are more than a few doctors who feel the same way. All I can say is that if there isn’t one established FAST, there are going to be a lot of people who are really sick and could die due to the bs health care system we have now. You want that on your conscience?
Best I could do–taking it easy as am recovering from pneumonia! Or is it necessary for me to haul ass to Missouri (when I recover) and give you a size 10?
Thanks, I needed that. Today I looked up a Democratic friend and she told me she just went to a meeting for Claire! So she’s going to get me some info about her campaign organization. I’m going to write a check this week for the fundraising part — but I want to be more than an ATM.
We started going to local central committee meetings about a year ago. Now, I’m on the public relations subcommittee and my wife is on the fund raising subcommittee. I go to the IN 9th congressional district meetings about every 3 months to keep up in that area and help any way I can. Sometimes, I can pick up training hints to bring back to the local workers or talking points we can use in the community.
I started a multi-layered listserv for information distribution that gets the messages out to the precinct committee people quickly & easily. There were only about a dozen addresses when I started, but it grew over time as we were able to add addresses.
I know its sometimes difficult to break into these old, established organizations, but we desperately need new, progressive ideas, ie: BT’ers. There are many things to be done on many different levels and once you’ve shown what you’re capable of, you’ll probably be bombarded with more stuff than you can possibly accomplish and still make a living. We don’t say no very often, but the mortgage payment has to be paid too.
Don’t be shy – just pick a place and jump on in (just like the frog pond).
going since the 2004 election loss.” – maryb2004
Be sure to let me know if you discover an antidote for that, as I don’t recall another year of my life that has had so little momentum to it, unless you count blogging and forwarding of news articles.
It’s hard to measure one’s accomplishments in that regard. But who knows, maybe all of us totaled up will eventually have success at restoring our democracy to its former health.
Here in MI, everything is falling apart. The job market sucks, the economy in this state is going to hell and all that anyone (in goverment) can do is cover their ass by blaming someone else. The media is even worse. For cryin out loud, the state is going to hell and you know what got the most coverage on the news last nite? The Auto Show and the fact that the Big 3 are pushing newly designed versions of muscle cars!!! No mention of the price of gas and how that would effect things, a couple of sentences on the hybrid vehicles!! Shit, lucky thing they said that!!!
And you know what? People are so pissed off about everything and don’t believe a damn thing anyone says anymore! Something’s got to give and soon!
I have several friends in MI, and it breaks my heart each time I receive another update informing me of the most recent layoffs, anxieties and lost hope.
I’m so sorry that things have devolved to such a level. I had really high hopes for your governor.
Also had high hopes for Graholm. In fact, I voted for her. NEVER AGAIN!!! But, the fact of the matter is that she has destroyed MI by constantly giving in to the Republicans.
I’m in Northern Michigan. Voted for Granholm. Hate her now.
But I have to wait for the Primary. I hate DeVoss. The Amway guy. I have a mental block on his name spelling.
Things have definitely been bad here for several years. But at least Levin and Stabenow vote the right way most of the time.
UP?
Yes! Good call. I hate it when people in Traverse City say they are from Northern Michigan. There’s a hell of a lot of State above them.
If you’re wondering where, it’s the same place where the Governor’s summer home is located.
Remember when I bummed around the UP–fell in love w/it! One day, I am going back–hopefully this summer–I HATE it downstate!!!
Hope you get a chance. If you make it my way let me know and I’ll buy you a drink (with or without alcohol depending on your preference).
It is incredibly beautiful up here–and sometime June and September are the best months–fewer people and great weather.
Although for real entertainment, the State Repugs have their convention here every year. I always say that every Repug should have to work here during that time. Dealing with rude obnoxious cheap-assed self-centered egotistical drunks for several days would be a great way to get to know their leaders. Of course that isn’t really a vacation for you because you already know that!
Will definitely take you up on that. Calling it a nite now!
Howdy ya’ll. I thought I’d drop in to see if there would be any interest in a mid and south meetup. The east coasters and the west coasters are all talking about having meetups, so I thought I’d test the waters for a south and mid-America meetup.
In the South Open Discussion thread I proposed Memphis in May, as there are lots of additional festivities going on in MEM during May. It could be a good opportunity to bring the family for a weekend and also enjoy meeting some fellow Tribbers. MEM is also a major hub with good flights in and out and it’s located at the crossroads of I-40 and I-55.
Also, I s’pose Louisville (after the Derby, as accomodations would be hard to arrange in early May at this point) or Cincinnati or St. Louis, though I’m less familiar with the opportunities for entertainment in those places. Any interest?
Thanks for the invite. I’m Mid and sometimes South (being from a border state). I love going to Memphis. I’ll go over to the South thread and catch up on the discussion.
Hi maryb2004! Thanks for your interest.
I’m gonna keep kicking this around for a few more days in these threads then post a diary with a poll about the events/dates that people would like.
So far, the consensus in Memphis, rather than something farther north… it’s still somewhat undecided, so if we suddenly get more interest from the midwest over here for a different city, it could move from MEM.
Hey blueneck, my scheduling may not allow it but it really sounds great. I kept up with the Music Row Democrats in Nashville and I’ve always loved Memphis. I’ve got some great friends that are Tennesseeans – there’s also a lot of Michiganders down there. I had the pleasure of performing at Memphis in May, I play guitar with Etta James.
You play guitar with THE Etta James? Can you come over to the current Froggybottom cafe thread and tell us about it?
Sure maryb….I’m on my way.
Ford just announced more lay offs. 25% of their north American work force.
Arrrgh! I’ve lived in Michigan my whole life; my dad and his dad made their living with auto, or auto-related jobs. I was laid off 5 months ago, and the jobs I’ve been offered pay WAY less than what I was making. I only made $15 an hour, at age 40…and now I can only find work for $7-$8 an hour?!!!
Lucky for me, I have no kids, and am single.
I really don’t want to move out of Michigan; all my friends and family live here, and I like it here…
Looks like soon, I will have to move to another state.
Indiana has been leaking manufacturing jobs for quite some time too. Right now, it’s Delphi. Two former large employers near me in Bloomington were Thompson Electronics (formerly RCA) and Otis Elevator. Both are history now. It seems as if there is another layoff or plant closing every week in our state.
I hope you are able to find something decent soon.
There’s no more Otis elevator? Are they completely out of business or did they move jobs overseas?
I think there are still 200 white collar jobs at the old plant site. The manufacturing and tech support jobs slipped away, first to Asia, more recently to Mexico.
From the Bloomington Herald-Times:
That’s sad. I used to joke, when I was younger, that someday I wanted to meet Mr. Otis, since he made every elevator in the country (or so it seemed.)
Or, in the alternative, Mr. Halsey and Mr. Taylor — whose names you see every time you take a drink at a drinking fountain.
Guess there IS no Mr. Otis.
“Miss Otis regrets, she’s unable to lunch today…”
I’m saddened by your post alice e, it is indeed a tough economic climate for us here now. I wish you the best and hope something breaks for you soon.
Almost everyone I know is either getting laid off or has a family member/friend who is laid off…like I said upthrread, somethings got to give…WM and mcjobs don’t cut it……………..
My sister in law was let go at Chrysler, after 20 plus years – thank God she’ll be OK but many of my friends are having a bear of a time, including a lot of engineers. A neighbor of mine who laid off was finding work in Mexico – training people who are replacing him.
It is really sad when a person has to leave the state in order to get a job.
On another note, when I get a chance, I will be checking into Canadian citizenship–years ago my family owned property in Canada. If I can get it, I am out of here!
And that is even sadder, having to even consider leaving the country for health care!
I really have no response Street Kid, it’s heartbreaking and I’m saddened and upset that this is a very real alternative for you and other Americans in our country.
Yeah, but it is a big if. Who nows, maybe I should start bitching about it to all of the repubs in this area…maybe they’ll help me pack! LOL
Please check out the Meetup in Memphis diary!
Please take the poll in that diary if you are interested in attending. I hope we can find a good time for everyone who would like to join us.
Just piling on to echo Blueneck’s invitation.
I know there are several of you frogs in Kansas City. Y’all need to come down to Memphis for the barbeque contest and tell them how it’s done. And if I can get you to bring me a couple of bottles of Gates barbeque sauce I’d be mighty obliged… 😉
Seeing others talk about a regional meet up here makes me envious. Memphis is too far for me to go, though it would be fun. Just curious if there are other upper Midwesterners around here we could organize into a ‘central’ type crowd. Just askin….
Crikey! I keep forgetting that the State of Ohio is considered Midwestern, but damn, aren’t they on Eastern time? I posted something about the Hackett race under the east section.
good grief Dakota!! Of course we are midwest. Yes, we are in eastern time zone…some of my MA friends would refer to travelling to Ohio as “going out west”. It’s all in your perspective…
any other Ohioans out there? What about East Side Cleveland?
Howdy ya’ll! Everybody’s invited to Memphis! Please see the new diary for details.