Author: albert

I trekked over to the Broad Street Ministry (Broad/Spruce) for Rep. Joe Sestak‘s (D-PA07) town hall meeting on healthcare, right in Rep. Bob Brady‘s (D-PA01) district. Why? Well, Sestak’s running for Sen. Arlen Specter‘s (D-PA) senate seat and this issue is at the forefront of politics today. With room for 500 in the main chapel and another 150 or so in spillover seating in an auditorium downstairs plus stifling humidity in the old church, the scene was set for sparks to fly, but Sestak’s cool demeanor, earnest answers and decorated military service seemed to keep the room calm.

Before the event started, hundreds of people were lined up down Broad St, east on Pine and up Juniper St awaiting entry. Many had signs, almost all had stickers, supporting some sort of healthcare reform. There were those against including the persistent LaRouche crowd armed with Obama-with-Hitler-stache printouts.

But even with the long wait and light drizzle, spirits were fairly high on the heels of the nasty town halls being held around the country with Specter’s Philadelphia and Lebanon town halls especially fresh in people’s minds. A predominantly supportive crowd with a surprisingly small smattering of opposition definitely helped.

Sestak made his way along the line of several hundred people as it came close to showtime. He shook hands and caught up with supporters who had made the trek from Delaware County (his district) and hecklers had the chance to hound him with each pump of a fist.

Apologizing for the lack of seating, Sestak hurried around the corner and through the back entrance to greet the overflow crowd face to face as you can see in the top most photo of this post.

After a few brief words by Rev. Bill Golderer of the church, Sestak took the mic and stayed up through the end. The event was to run from 6.30p to 7.30p, but Sestak was still going strong, with a loosened tie and rolled up sleeves, at 8.30p when I left. The room was still 2/3 full with 4 lines of questioners ready at the mic.

The evening had its share of rambling statements with no question to be seen in any direction of 3 minutes at the mic, like the first questioner at the mic pictured above, but there were definitely people with thoughtful questions for the Congressman.

A fellow seaman asked the retired Rear Admiral if he would be willing to give up his cushy coverage he’s eligible for as a vet and member of Congress and take on the plan which he’s advocating the rest of America take on. The Inky has the back and forth:

“I’ll see how it is, and I’ll make my choice,” said Sestak.

The questioner was unsatisfied with that answer, so Sestak elaborated.

The decision, he said, will depend on whether he can still have access to the pediatric oncologist who treated his daughter Alex, who was 4 1/2 when she was diagnosed with a frequently fatal strain of cancer.

“As long as that doctor takes care of my daughter,” said Sestak, “I don’t have a problem being in” the public plan.

The questioner didn’t seem to be fully happy with the response, but took that as a potential “Yes” understanding Sestak’s familial situation.

The most heated exchange came when Chris, a man Sestak knew from his rounds in a biker VFW post, took to the center aisle and started screaming at Sestak. He paced the aisle and started walking, while still yelling, towards the rear entrance when Sestak called off the police marshalls and church aides. Sestak assured the security detail and the members of the audience that Chris was a stand up guy who had served in the Navy at the same time and area as Sestak. Sestak calmed Chris down and gave him the next question. The back and forth reported by the Daily News:

When [Chris] Hill got a floor microphone, he told Sestak that he’d read the House version of the health-care bill and didn’t see how it would keep his employer from dumping the private insurance he has now to save money.

“How can you tell me the private option will stay in place,” Hill shouted, “when my employer with 29,000 employees can just turn around tomorrow and say ‘We’re writing that off the bottom line; you guys are all going to the public option?’ “

Sestak said that the bill “mandates that the employer has to keep the health-care plan he has with you.”

An aide later explained that the bill actually requires large employers either to provide health coverage or pay a tax, which congressional analysts have concluded will result in most employers’ maintaining their plans.

Hill seemed to be happy with the response as he did not take to the floor again.

This was the first time I had seen Sestak up close. His reputation as a Blue Dog Democrat preceded him and affected my opinion of him. But his announcement to run against Specter, against the pleading of Democratic leaders in Congress and Gov. Rendell, made me start to like him a bunch. I’m quite against clearing the field as it happened in 2006 during the Pennacchio-Casey contest (I put in hundreds of hours on the Pennacchio campaign so it’s a particularly sore subject). He’s got a calm air about him and he explains wonkish details slowly for all to follow.

His staff of 19, of which it seemed about half a dozen were present, seemed incredibly organized and well-versed on the issues at hand. He boasted how his staff keeps his office open 7 days a week with military efficiency. Sestak pointed out that members of the military are often portrayed as mindless, opinionless drones, but his staff, lead by a retired military man, and Chris Hill demonstrate how people from the military do care and have wildly varying opinions on the issues.

The Nation is holding a live streaming debate tomorrow morning at 11a between Sestak and Specter – details – as part of the Netroots Nation convention (held this year in Pittsburgh!). Should be interesting.

More and bigger photos in this flickr set.

PS as an added bonus, I got to see and chat, if only for a few seconds, with my friend Jeff Fusco, the best photojournalist this city has.

Election Day 2008 was a dreary day here in Philly. The rain never quite came down, but it never went away. A constant dribble all day. It’s supposed to rain for the next five days. It’ll be a cleansing rain. Barack Obama is the new #1 and I’m proud to say I voted for him and not simply against the other guy.

Sneaker Villa on 10xx Market St was selling a few final Obama t-shirts outside today.

The Philly Chinatown office was buzzing all day. 20+ people were making final rounds of phone calls to make sure people voted.

People were sent all over town. I was deployed to North Philly, just north of Temple east and west of Broad St. We went and knocked on a few dozen final doors to get out those last votes. I heard others get sent far outside of Ward 5.

At center is Anna Perng, the Chinatown office chief. She ran a tight ship and she ran it well. It was incredibly organized every single time I was in that office which is more than I can say for other offices from what I heard anecdotally.

Here are a couple of people coming back after the polls closed. They had heard in the cab on the way back to the office that PA was already called for Obama. They were greeted by cheers from the office which had already heard the news.

And here’s a photo of all the staffers still in the office at the end of the night before everyone headed to the afterparty at Finnigan’s Wake. I was proud to be a part of the effort for the last week or so. Incredible. A few more photos from the day.

Incredible.

Locally, it seems like we’ll have an anti-choice Attorney General and anti-choice Auditor General. There is still plenty of work to be done here in Philly. Even with a 400k+ margin, within that 400k, is a lot of wiggle room to the left.

Here’s to tomorrow…

And the Philly Chinatown office is buzzing with volunteers making phone calls in at least 3 different languages. Pizza just arrived to feed the hungry mass of people.

There are at least a dozen different people making calls right now and another few entering the data of all the volunteers from the past few days.

People are squeezing in anywhere they can, many without desks or chairs. But they don’t seem to mind.

Tomororw, tomorrow…

More pics to be added to this set throughout the day.

I went up to NY for my grandma’s 96th bday on Friday. I went up to NYC on 9/11. I haven’t been in NYC on that date in a long time. I forgot what those tribute lights looked like up close. They made me very angry.

Don’t you ever fucking forget who got us into this mess. Don’t you ever fucking forget who has been liquidating the treasury these past few years on a needless war in Iraq. Don’t you ever fucking forget who has put the fate of this nation at risk and the world’s economy into a frenzy.

Don’t you ever fucking forget who will continue – or worsen – the situation at hand.

I wish the media would sack up like the women on The View did recently.

Today is 9/11. No shit.

I want something to happen today. When you hear some fucking idiot talking about how great the Republicans have been in handling things in this post-9/11 world, don’t let that fucking idiot get away with it. I don’t care if you’re on the bus or train – call them out on it. If you’re listening to a radio show – call in and call them out on it. If you’re on line to get your lunch – turn around and set them straight. If you’re talking to your relatives – smack them if that’s how your family rolls. If you’re talking to your friends – shake the shit out of them. When you hear somebody saying McCain/Palin will make a better post-9/11 White House – get right in their face and set them straight.

Stop letting fucking idiots have the final say. I know the Dems won’t be so spiny to call out the bullshit with equally harsh words so fuck them. It’s up to real people (you know, people from the big city – or is it small towns) to call BULLSHIT when bullshit is spewed within earshot.

Don’t let a stupid lapel pin intimidate you. Don’t let that Republican hair make you start running. Once, just once – stand up and call out the bullshit you hear. Stop letting people shit all over what America once was and can be. There are good people here, right in this rust covered city too. Don’t be scared.

Don’t be quiet. Not today.

How I feel about the war today, I can sum up in one question; the same question that can be asked for Vietnam: What have we gained as a country? What have we actually accomplished – other than the loss of some damn fine people? People willing to give their life for the country that we have, for this nation, for the freedom that we have.
-Marine Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller,
a.k.a. The Marlboro Marine

I just finished reading two stories from the LA Times about Miller, the famed “Marlboro Marine” whose face has been plastered on magazine covers and front page on newspapers everywhere. He was let go from the Marines and later diagnosed with PTSD. Accompanying the stories are two videos and an epilogue. The story is amazing. The photographs equally compelling. The video added the depth of Miller’s twangy, searching voice.

LA Times photographer Luis Sinco was embedded with Charlie Company of the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment as it entered Falloujah in November of 2004. He was the one who took the now [in]famous photo. He’s bound to Miller in this story and feels at least partially responsible for what has happened to/in Miller’s life since. Sinco got involved, more involved than journalists normally get. I really can’t do this piece of fine journalism justice in attempting to describe it further. Sinco must’ve gotten a lot of support from the LAT to stick with this story and I applaud them for that. The LAT is one of the few papers around which are taking on such endeavors. Their five-part series Altered Oceans special last year was amazing; check that out too.

The whole ‘Marlboro Marine’ project by the LAT lives here.

Photo: Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times, April 21, 2006

I went out to the United for Peace & Justice Oct27 action – Human Chain for Peace – in Philly. I heard one cop say 4,200 people showed up. I consider that an incredible number considering that it was pouring rain all morning and drizzling until about 1p.

Activists lined up across the city forming a human chain at Noon and started marching to Independence Mall (in between the National Constitution Center and the Liberty Bell) for a rally. There were 10 other cities where actions were held. Did anybody from the pond make it to one?

Above is a shot of some of the gang from Young Philly Politics with Philly’s City Hall in the background. Here’s a link to my final edit from the afternoon.

On Saturday night, My girlfriend and I went to see SiCKO, the latest film by Michael Moore. She’s already put her up her thoughts on the film here. We loved it. And to make the experience extra cool, we filled out questionnaires from the studios because we were part of the first general screening audience to view the film; and according to Moore’s website, every single sneak preview was sold out.

SiCKO is different from Moore’s other films. There’s less of his jowly face in it. There’s a Rutgers hat on his head for lots of the film (in addition to his Michigan State Spartans hat of course). There is less (limited to about 15 minutes of the 2h 3m of the film) sensationalism in this film. This film is not partisan to either major political party.

This film is heartbreakingly sad to watch. If you’ve experienced life without healthcare coverage, it will be particularly touching. If you’ve experienced life without adequate coverage, it will be particularly touching. If you have the ability to relate to another human being’s problems, this film will make you cry. I was tearing throughout the entire visit by the Americans to Cuba.

The film takes you from Colorado to Philadelphia to California to Missouri to Michigan to Canada to France to England to Cuba.

This film is perfect in that it is completely accessible to the average person. It dispels myths of the horrors of a state run medical system. Sure, they have their problems, but so does ours. Approximately 250,000,000 Americans have coverage and approximately 50,000,000 do not. This film is about the quarter billion who do and the service they receive, or do not receive. Canada, France, England and Cuba are all smaller countries with tens of millions if not hundreds of millions fewer people. But also with billions less in monetary power to provide for their people yet America lags far behind in the basic service of making sure its people are healthy and practicing preventative care.

I think of myself as a pretty well informed person. Not so much when it comes to the issue of healthcare, but I know what’s going on in our system even though I avoid doctors of all sorts like the plague itself. But seeing the things that are free in crazy socialized healthcare countries like Canada, France, England and Cuba, it was just astonishing. People would laugh at Moore when asked questions like how much it costs to have a baby in a hospital [answer: $0 in England] or the price of 30 pills opposed to a prescription of 120 [answer: the same under England’s NHS].

Learning when England decided to change their healthcare system to a universally covered system was astonishing. It was 1948, just after World War II as most of England was rubble and bankrupt, they decided that no person should go without coverage. Good show.

I’ve been very fortunate in my life. My mother was a (and still is) city (NYC) employed pharmacist when I was growing up. We had coverage. I was a pretty healthy kid. I didn’t have any allergies. The only surgery I ever had was a cyst removed from the roof of my mouth. The only emergency room visits I can recall was one particularly bad bout of the flu and a sprained knee in high school while playing soccer. My teeth were (still are!) slightly crooked, but not so bad as to need braces. My eyes are probably my biggest directly health-related expense as I have glasses and contacts. When I’ve had coverage (currently do), I haven’t needed to go to the doctor. When I didn’t have coverage (several years), I didn’t need to go to the doctor. I fear a traumatic incident putting me in the hospital with crazy bills to pay and my carrier dropping my ass like a bad habit. Hopefully that day will never come.

The film wasn’t all tears though. It was quite funny. His funniest yet for me. You can’t have a wide release like this without something to lighten the mood a little here and there. The film was a good length. I could’ve stayed there for another two hours, but I’m sure most can’t. I think he’s really gotten the hang of it now and his films will be more and more piercing as he continues to make films which I hope he does. But in the meantime, there is SiCKO and it is a must see. If for some reason you can’t make it to the theater – say you’re bed ridden because your carrier dropped your ass like a bad habit forcing you to work three jobs to pay off your hospital bills or simply having a child without someone to watch him/her for a few hours to see the film, pirated versions are available online (yes a solid week before the full release of the film on June 29th). After watching it; go buy the DVD in a few months, I’m sure it’ll have all kinds of goodies on it and you’ll know some money will be going back to the people who put up the money for this film to be made. Moore has said in the past that he’d rather his films be seen via pirated versions than not at all; but it is the studio which owns the full rights to the film.

He did it again. Just being a complete asshole about things. This time, as Pennsylvania’s junior senator, he has come out to vote against stem cell research. A friend told me about the news over dinner Monday night and I read about it in this Kimberly Hefling AP story.

Casey, who is Catholic and opposed to abortion, said in a statement released Monday he doesn’t support the bill because “I remain opposed to federal funding for research that involves the destruction of living embryos.”

…

“I have listened carefully, especially to those whose loved ones are suffering from serious diseases and disabilities and who disagree with my position,” Casey said. “I deeply respect their views and hope they can come to understand mine.”

Casey’s position counters that of his Republican colleague, Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, who has been one of the Senate’s most vocal supporters of embryonic stem cell research.

Listen you no talent ass clown, these fucking embryos are GOING TO BE THROWN AWAY OR FROZEN FOREVER.

If you’re doing this as a Catholic, where would you like me to start quoting the Bible to point out your hypocrisy? If you’re going to legislate by the Bible (separation of church and state anyone?), live by it you dipshit.

I hate you.

A post on the Huffington Post on the bill this asshole favors. From the article:

Another bill, S. 30, introduced by Senator Norm Coleman, R-Minn. and co-sponsored by Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) will be voted on after S. 5. The Coleman-Isakson bill is a Trojan Horse bill which will kill any federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research utilizing excess IVF embryos or any funding for the derivation of stem cell lines utilizing SCNT technology. Ironically, the short title of S. 30 is the “Hope Act.” For the millions of Americans suffering from disorders potentially curable from the future application of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research, this act represents anything but hope.

You can always call his office and leave angry voicemails as a constituent. They keep a tally of all calls for and against everything (and emails and letters and faxes).

In front of 17,000 people at the old Illinois State Capitol where Abraham Lincoln delivered his House Divided speech 148 years earlier, Senator Barack Obama officially announced his entry to the 2008 Presidential race.  In an expectedly well delivered speech, Obama made the crowd cheer.  The speech is archived on his homepage and [currently] accessible via the homepage.  Some of the promises he made:

*”let’s lay down broadband lines through the heart of inner cities and rural towns all across America”

*” Every single person willing to work should be able to get job training that leads to a job, and earn a living wage that can pay the bills”

*Let’s be the generation that says right here, right now, that we will have universal health care in America by the end of the next president’s first term.

*Let’s be the generation that finally frees America from the tyranny of oil.

*But let us also understand that ultimate victory against our enemies will come only by rebuilding our alliances and exporting those ideals that bring hope and opportunity to millions around the globe.

*It’s time to admit that no amount of American lives can resolve the political disagreement that lies at the heart of someone else’s civil war.

I thought his mention of laying broadband lines particularly interesting.  His campaign has already been noted for its use of the web [on the use of Facebook].  His campaign’s usage of facebook, you tube and flickr are quite evident with prominent buttons lining the bottom of his homepage.  The image above is used under a Creative Commons license via the campaign’s flickr.  I should note that they wisely changed their “All Rights Reserved” copyright to a CC license allowing for usage, good move assuring that the official campaign shots be distributed widely and legally by folks like me.  But not so hot is how overexposed the shot is – that 5D should’ve been at a slower ISO and the shutter speed a little faster, but hey, I’m sure their staff photog was scrambling around during the speech and you can’t be perfect every shot.

Obama’s podcast on Net Neutrality.

So here’s my view. We can’t have a situation in which the corporate duopoly dictates the future of the internet and that’s why I’m supporting what is called net neutrality. In the House, the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Judiciary Committee reached different conclusions on network neutrality. Judiciary Committee members voted to protect net neutrality and commerce voted with the Bells and cable. That debate is going to hit the House floor this Friday [6/06]. In the Senate, Senators Snowe and Dorgan are leading the fight for net neutrality and I’ve joined in that effort.

He spoke of his arrival to Illinois some 20 years ago without a job, without money, without familial connections (like me and my girlfriend!) and taking a job, at a church, as a community organizer for $13k.  The end of the first third of his speech was my favorite part:

The genius of our founders is that they designed a system of government that can be changed. And we should take heart, because we’ve changed this country before. In the face of tyranny, a band of patriots brought an Empire to its knees. In the face of secession, we unified a nation and set the captives free. In the face of Depression, we put people back to work and lifted millions out of poverty. We welcomed immigrants to our shores, we opened railroads to the west, we landed a man on the moon, and we heard a King’s call to let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.  We’ve done this before.

His acknowledgment of the flexibility of our government is nice to hear; a drastic change from what this administration has shoved down our throats for the last 7 years. We’re currently experiencing mass job loss and rising poverty numbers. [Illegal and legal] Immigrants are being persecuted while being exploited and embraced. The moon, and NASA, are now afterthoughts. American justice mocked all over the world after the episodes in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. Can Barack lead us to the mountaintop once again?

It’s going to be a big money dance.  This Harper’s article give a little look into the money behind Barack.  He’s no Clinton (take your pick of either one), but hey, when he says things like this:

And as people have looked away in disillusionment and frustration, we know what’s filled the void. The cynics, and the lobbyists, and the special interests who’ve turned our government into a game only they can afford to play. They write the checks and you get stuck with the bill. They get the access while you get to write a letter. They think they own this government, but we’re here today to take it back. The time for that politics is over. It is through.  It’s time to turn the page, right here, right now.

You got to back that shit up.  People are fed the fuck up with people saying they’re going to do this and not take this person’s/group’s money but then they do take the money and they do vote a certain way or allow certain bills to pass/not pass.  Politics is ugly and politics has gotten uglier with the influx of money in the last couple decades.

It’ll be interesting to see which of his Congressional colleagues come out to back his run.  Hillary already has that constantly scheming Schumer running around like a poodle saying this and that about his meal ticket.  I’d take either one in the end.  Whatever.  I’d be content [NOT HAPPY] with either a non-white or a non-male candidate on the D side of the ballot.  It’s about fucking time.  It’s <del>shameful</del&gt a disgrace this country of ours has yet to embrace such a candidate for the highest office in our land. We have to grow up some to regain a seat at the rest of the world’s adult table.

Two more years to go. This is going to feel like an eternity, because it will be just that.

Photo credit: Barack Obama flickr