Author: Anglico

(Cross-posted at BlueNC and Kos)

The executive director of the NC Democratic Party came to BlueNC this week asking this question:  Who should I recruit to run against Elizabeth Dole in 2008?  It was a smart move.  Not just because it generated a hundred comments, but because it made news in the mainstream media with two stories today.

If there was ever a clear illustration of the power of transparency, this is it.

I’m not naive enough to think there won’t be lots of back-room dealing down the line, but today the question of who will challenge Liddy Dull got put on the North Carolina agenda big time.
We used the opportunity to welcome a flood of new visitors, and put Dole on notice yet again.

BlueNC is a no-holds-barred online community focused on progressive politics in North Carolina. Content is generated by community members and if you spend anytime here at all, you’ll quickly discover we don’t all agree about everything.

But one thing many of us DO agree on is a comment made by Republican consultant Mark Stephens in the N&O article.

“Regarding [Meek’s] concern about whether Elizabeth Dole is going to run or not, she is going to run and never thought otherwise. She will take on all comers. America is a great country.”

America is indeed a great country, despite the enormous damage done by Senator Dole and the Party of Greed in Washington over the past few years.

We hope she runs too.

If you’re a North Carolina blogger, we hope you’ll find your way to BlueNC and help us continue to build momentum.  

Thanks.

Here in North Carolina over the past election cycle, we had a despicable human being named Vernon Robinson who challenged Brad Miller, one of our most progressive Congressmen. Somewhere along the way, I took to calling Mr. Robinson, “Vermin” in honor of his sleazy ways. In the wake of the election, several people – including my wife – questioned the wisdom of my stooping to being a name caller. I decided they all deserve an answer:
Why I’m a mean old name-caller.

Name-calling hasn’t always been my style – I used to be profoundly reasonable. But then the neocon cabal came into power. It started with the Hunting of the President (Clinton) and culminated in the Swiftboating of John Kerry. And got even worse from there.

And all the while, the reasonable people on the left steered clear of hitting back hard. They zipped their lips and tried to make logical arguments that would persuade the muddled middle to think things through. It didn’t work. The muddled middle slid farther and farther to the right, while a natural tendency toward political correctness emasculated the left. Without the neocon “killer instinct,” the left languished, the right flourished. And the mainstream media ignored the intellectual progressives.

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When I started blogging in earnest earlier this year, it became clear that even the mainsteram media were part of the problem, firmly under the spell of the free-market fundamentalists. Here in North Carolina, that gave free rein to a conservative think tank called the John Locke Foundation. Ted Vaden at the Raleigh N&O described the John Locke Foundation as a “multi-million-dollar opinion manufacturer” – and he was right. All that money was buying a lot of influence, wiht no one calling bullshit.

I decided to join the fight and found I was armed with a pea shooter in the middle of heavy artillery. Nobody paid attention to my rational criticism and I got pissed.

My first naming opportunity emerged spontaneously. Following the trail of JLF money in the run up to the primaries, it became clear that a man named Art Pope was pulling lots of strings. And thus “the Puppetmaster” was born. His executive director, John Hood, soon became the “Stagemanager,” and all the little flunkies generating opinions for JLF became known as “Puppets.” The nicknames came in handy as I dissected their organization, and they soon caught on among my friends at BlueNC. Why? Because they were accurate descriptors of the individuals and organizations involved.

From there, the trend toward accuracy in naming continued. Up Chuck Taylor. Flipper Hayes. Vermin Robinson. AWOL George. Names chosen to evoke negative reactions to individuals who shill for the Party of Greed.

Some have called this practice childish, others say it just alienates independents. Neither of those criticisms bothers me one bit. I don’t pretend to represent the mainstream anymore. My job is to attack and ridicule people who are destroying democracy, to stir up the base, to make thoughtful people on the left seem all the more reasonable by comparison.

I hope I don’t have to keep this up forever, because I don’t much like it. But keep it up I will until balance has been restored. I am not prepared to “play nice” with criminals and profiteers who have quite nearly destroyed this country. My practice of name-calling is nothing compared to the obscenity of their beliefs and actions.

Sorry I’ve been away for so long.  We’ve been focused on creating BlueNC … and have had some pretty good luck so far.  But I’m back and eager to re-enter.  Thanks for reading.

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I confess to a certain ambivalence about my status as a veteran. I was educated at taxpayer expense at the US Naval Academy. I served the absolute bare minimum required after graduation, which was five years. And I spent much of my time on active duty working aggressively against the war in Vietnam, to the bitter end. A third of the people I worked with were idiots, a third were assholes, and the remaining third – mostly people who were drafted or went to ROTC to avoid the draft – made life only barely tolerable.

When I graduated in 1972, my class standing was high enough to give me almost whatever duty assignment I wanted. I was the first in my class to choose a ship that had NO chance of going to Vietnam, ever. Stationed in Norfolk, I spent two years as the navigator on the USS Charleston, LKA-113. Every now and then the work was inspiring. It was my job to “shoot the stars” and pinpoint our location on gigantic charts. I was also responsible for being a weatherman.

But in general the work sucked. Taxpayer resources were wasted in ways you can’t imagine, and most of the people promoted were intoxicated with both testosterone and booze. Like George Allen, they hated faggots, niggers, grunts, spics, hippies and peaceniks. They hated women. And they hated thinking.

I made no attempt to hide my disdain for the system and before long, I was sentenced to a unit called 2nd Anglico at Camp Lejeune. ANGLICO stands for “Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company.” We were trained to jump out of airplanes and helicopters, mostly at night, to drop in behind enemy lines to call in air strikes and naval bombardment.

When I showed up at Camp Lejeune, I truly felt imprisoned. I wore a beard at the time, which was allowed in the Navy. But it didn’t go over very well with the Marines. It took less than 30 seconds for Major Dickhead to order me to go home and shave. He said he would court-martial me if I disobeyed.

Things got a little better after that sad start. I went to Jump School at Fort Benning, trained with Army, Air Force and Marine professionals, and got my gold wings for making more than 20 jumps. I got into better physical condition than I’d ever been, and I was a minor-league track star. Marines like it if you can run.

We deployed to Spain, Vieques, Italy, and the Middle East. We worked with NATO a lot. We lived in tents, sharpened our knives, and almost got sent to Uganda. I was the only one in my unit who was relieved when our orders were cancelled.

And then I got the fuck out. That was 29 years ago.

In 2004, I reached out to the people I went to the Naval Academy with. I asked them to join me in protesting Bush’s criminal war in Iraq. I wrote a “Dear George: letter and paid to run it in the Raleigh News and Observer. I had long, serious talks with my classmates. I wanted to understand how they could stand by and watch a draft-dodging frat-boy who went AWOL from the National Guard run our military into the ground. They assured me (some still on active duty) that there were weapons of mass destruction. They “knew” about intelligence that I would just have to trust them on. There were totally full of shit.

And just so I’m complete about this, I hate George Bush and Dick Cheney and all the cowards in the Republican Party who have enabled their tragic use of the military. I don’t like hating them, but I do. And if I were on active duty today, I would tell them all to go fuck themselves on my way to jail.

I know moderation is not a compelling virtue for many of us out here in the Internets, and no one would accuse me of being a moderate in any regard. Not in work, not in play, not in love, not in politics. But I must admit to a certain curiosity about people who bring a more considered approach to their words and actions. One such person is David Price of North Carolina’s 4th Congressional district. I recently had the chance to interview him – to find out what he thinks about the state of affairs in Washington.  I was happy to see my Congressman had more than a few choice words to share:

It’s difficult to know where to draw the line between corruption and incompetence, although there is surely a good measure of each. – David Price, March 14, 2006

Join me on the flip side . . .

What’s it like being in the minority party with George Bush in the White House? In all my nine terms in Congress, I’ve never seen as bitter and punitive a partisan atmosphere.  Democrats in Congress have virtually no say in the major legislation that comes before the House.  Bills are rammed through to appease the right-wing zealots of the Republican Party, giving the minority no opportunity to amend them or to vote on alternate legislation that would appeal to members on both sides of the aisle.  Even more troubling is the utter lack of oversight.  Instead of functioning as a co-equal branch of government, Congress is abdicating its constitutional responsibility to hold the Administration accountable – at a time when accountability couldn’t be more critical.

You’ve been in politics a long time. Have you ever seen a more corrupt and incompetent government than we have right now?   The President and his advisors don’t appear to understand – or perhaps care about – the legal and constitutional limits on the authority of the executive branch.  As a consequence, it is difficult to know where to draw the line between corruption and incompetence, although there is surely a good measure of each.  

In only five years, the Bush Administration has undone a decade of progress on bringing federal budget deficits under control. It has used the specter of September 11 to tread on civil liberties beyond what’s necessary to protect the country, and to justify a war of choice in Iraq.  Yet the Administration has also failed to secure the country, as recently revealed in the debate over control of our ports, or to prepare for natural disasters.  This Administration has taken a generally positive image of the United States abroad and turned it into a reputation for unilateralism and the disregard for human rights.  

The Republican leadership in Congress has been a partner in most of these transgressions, defaulting on its responsibility to fulfill the oversight responsibilities of the Legislative Branch of government and trampling on the rights of the minority party in the process.  While excess and abuse in the political realm have always been a threat to democratic government, the heights reached in the last five years are unprecedented in my lifetime.

A recent report shows you’re holding down the progressive front in North Carolina, along with Mel Watt.  How do you respond to 4th District voters who want you to be more aggressive?   A few weeks ago National Journal) released its composite vote ratings based on 2005 votes in three areas:  economic issues, social issues, and foreign policy.  I was ranked more progressive than 81.7 percent my colleagues.  I am proud to share with Mel Watt the only 100% ranking among North Carolina’s members by the NAACP, as well as a 94% League of Conservation Voters score shared by Mel and Brad Miller.

There should be no misunderstanding of my position on Iraq.  I voted against the war, and I have been a persistent critic of the way Bush has conducted it — without reliable intelligence, appreciable support from allies, or a workable postwar plan.  I have also introduced legislation (H. J. Res. 70), directing the President to submit an Iraq exit strategy to Congress.  

What’s your position on impeaching George Bush?  Would you vote for impeachment given the opportunity? I’ve called for a special counsel to investigate the Administration’s warrantless eavesdropping activity – in cooperation with Zoe Lofgren and 16 other members.  It’s hard to imagine any effort to hold the president accountable moving forward without the kind of factual record and legal determination envisioned in this demand.  I’m pleased that MoveOn.org has now adopted our position on this question.

Of course neither impeachment nor a special counsel nor even congressional oversight has a prayer as long as Republicans are in charge.  All of us need to think hard about how to gain maximum political support to turn out the current leadership of Congress in November.  

How do you see other races in North Carolina?  Do you think we can pick up a few seats? For the first time since 1994, the congressional races will be at the top of the ticket.  National opinion polls suggest it could be a good year for Democrats, but we have to pick up seats in North Carolina if there is to be any hope of regaining the majority in Congress.  The two best hopes for Democratic pick-ups are the 8th and 11th districts, where the partisan division is close, the incumbents are on the defensive, and strong challengers have emerged.  

In the 11th, Charles Taylor faces a strong challenge from Heath Shuler, a football hero originally from Swain County.  Heath offers a striking contrast to Taylor.  He is running an energetic campaign with a strong grassroots focus, and he’s made a strong start on fundraising.  In the 8th, Robyn Hayes is once again in trouble.  Although the area has lost thousands of textile manufacturing jobs in the last ten years, Hayes voted in favor of CAFTA – after stating that he was “flat out, completely, horizontally opposed” to it.

 

What are your top policy priorities going into next Congress? We must correct America’s course fiscally and diplomatically, so that our country’s policies reflect its true values.  My top personal initiatives include:

a) my resolution demanding an exit strategy from Iraq

b) my call for a special counsel to investigate warrantless wiretapping by the executive

c) the Democracy Assistance Commission, which supports parliaments in emerging democracies (on which Price serves as the ranking Democratic member)

d) my teacher recruitment bill, the Teaching Fellows Act

e) my push to restore FEMA’s capacity for disaster response and to better equip local first responders

f) the comprehensive congressional reform package I have proposed as a part of the “Gang of Four” with Reps. Barney Frank (MA), Dave Obey (MI) and Tom Allen (ME).

 

What’s the most effective way for citizens to support you in pursuing progressive agenda? First, they can continue to keep in touch.  The people of the Fourth District are engaged, committed, and above all, well-informed.   Although we won’t always reach the same conclusion about a particular policy question, it’s integral to my job to know what’s on their mind and to have the benefit of their perspective.

Second, they can help elect other progressive candidates to Congress.  None of us on the Democratic side can do our jobs as we and our constituents would like as long as the right-wing Republicans rule the roost.

Third, citizens can band together in organizations supporting public education, housing, environmental protection, civil liberties and other critical issues – encouraging politicians who support them, pressing those who do not, and laying the groundwork for the political change we need.

 

David Price (campaign site) has primary competition this spring from two Democrat challengers, Kent Kanoy and Oscar Lewis (no website found). Plus there’s a Republican in the hunt, retired Air Force colonel, Steve Acuff (no website found), who promises to stand behind the so-called principles of the GOP . . . which I assume would be incompetence, a culture of corruption and complete disregard for the common good.

I appreciate Kent Kanoy’s calls for impeachment and I admire his gutsy run for office. But with all due respect, I’m supporting David Price and putting my energy into defeating Republican crooks like Charles Taylor and Robin Hayes. David Price is on the right side of the issues I care about. He may not be a firebrand or a hot-head like me, but I assure you, no one wants to see the Bush administration out of power any more than David Price does.

Note:  All links are mine.

This history of business is the history of branding – and for good reason. When properly constructed, brands offer a powerful shorthand for communicating value – and values. Effective brand strategies signal strong promises and reassure buyers that they’re making smart choices.  Damaged brands have precisely the opposite effect. They destroy value, create barriers and undermine credibility.

Broken brands

I believe the Democrat brand is a broken brand. Stretched beyond the all reasonable limits, “Democrat” has come to stand for everything and nothing, creating a swirl of ambiguity that leaves many in the middle scratching their heads and wondering what the party actually stands for.  This is true for the Republican party too, thanks to Dear Leader’s total abrogation of their core principles, but that’s their problem, not mine.
There are many ways to repair broken brands. One strategy is to begin and sustain a relentless march toward clarity, integrity, and competence.  Companies do this all the time – or at least they talk about doing it. For the most part, such strategies rarely deliver the turnaround necessary to be successful. Ford Motor Company, for example, is trying to reposition its brand by promising design and safety benefits, trying to suck equity from the Volvo acquisition into the Ford brand. It will not work.  I believe Howard Dean is pursuing a similar strategy – trying to reenergize the Democrat brand and have it stand for the things he so clearly articulates. It is a long and challenging path, with no more likelihood of success than Ford will have. In fact, Dr. Dean’s challenge is even more daunting because he is not in control of the brand imagery or message. Indeed, no one is in control – which means the Democrat brand is diffused through countless lenses at the national, state and local level, each standing for what it stands for more or less independently.

Rebranding

Another strategy for repairing broken brands is to replace them.  That is what this diary is about. Specifically, I am calling for a new brand to replace the Democrat brand.  

The new brand name is Blue.

You are seeing this strategy unfold every week with UPS positioning around the color brown.  But unlike UPS, I am actually suggesting the radical move of changing our brand name . . . and realigning our brand values.  And though this strategy is not rocket science, it is loaded with risk.  For example, a newly named party with the same old bullshit would be a joke of tragic proportions. And it will be challenging to work around this particular risk. Because right now, Democrat and Blue are totally conflated.  The color is used to describe geographies and practices that are already aligned with the Democratic party.  This will have to change. Blue cannot be synonymous with Democrat. It must add value and solve problems.

One opportunity Blue creates is the opportunity to stand for something specific and simple. I will argue that that `something’ should be three things:  Integrity, competence and the common good.  And while we have the `common good’ dimension pretty well pinned down, I would argue that we are seen as interchangeable with Republicans the areas of integrity and competence. People believe politicians from both parties are crooks and liars . . . and frankly, there’s plenty of evidence to support that belief, especially if you look beyond federal office holders. Also, it may not matter if it’s true – perception is reality.

Another opportunity Blue creates is this:  it cannot be easily countered by Red. The brand imagery around Blue is infinitely superior to the imagery for Red.  Red is an aggressive color, tinged by a communist tradition, little red books, blood and worse. Blue is solid and dependable.

Green is not Blue

Not discussion of brands and political parties can be complete without acknowledging that there is already a “color” brand out there. It is Green. And while I personally subscribe to many, if not most, of what I understand the Greens to stand for, Green is not the same as Blue on the political spectrum.  It’s probably safe to say that Blue is Green, but that Green is not Blue.  Blues, for example, should articulate a position for nuclear power, but only as a last resort – after all conservation initiatives and alternative energy sources have been fully developed and deployed.

Green started from a blank slate, which means it had no legacy brand to borrow from and build on.  That mostly accounts for the inability of Green to really gain traction in today’s political landscape.  Blue would not have that problem. Blue would borrow the best of Democrat . . . supplement that best with the best of other political practices, and relaunch itself as a new progressive force.  The Blue Party is not same as the Democratic Party. It is different because it is founded to three core principles:  competence, integrity and the common good.

Operationalizing the transition to Blue will be a tricky undertaking. But if we do it properly, we can gain tremendous momentum.  Sure there will be detractors (the Reds and the old-school Dems who like things just the way they are) . . . but if we put some substance behind our rebranding, there will could be a tremendous ground swell as well.  And make no mistake, if there’s not substance, don’t bother. For example, Blues should have a fundamentally different approach to public education policy than traditional Democrats.  We should be FOR experimentation, entrepreneurial initiative, less bureaucracy and accountability. But we must redefine those terms so they are not the same talking points that created the monstrosity of NCLB and never-ending standardized testing.  We should be for small schools and multi-track secondary education.

More generally, we should also embrace privatization where it makes sense. Indeed, we should not just embrace it, we should advocate for it.  That would give us even more power to object when it doesn’t make sense. Bush’s privatization of the military, for example, is a time bomb with devastating potential.  

So now what?

One of these days, the Democratic Party will either become the Blue Party or it will succumb to the Blue Party.  And I, for one, look forward to the day when the candidates I support are listed under “Blue Candidates” on my paper ballot.

Cross posted at Blue NC and Daily Kos

I’m not a big fan of “history” months that relegate certain segments of the population to once-a-year acknowledgement. But given that March is indeed Women’s History Month, I hope you’ll join me below for some food for thought.

When March was declared Women’s History Month by Congress in 1987, our nation created an opportunity to celebrate women’s past accomplishments and, perhaps more important, inspire their future. Because if there’s any hope for grace in this world, it will surely come through the leadership of women.

Men have made messes of so many things — that is what men do. And this particular man has had enough. So on this first day of Woman’s History Month, I have a request for women everywhere.

Will you please take over?

I don’t deny that some men are good at some things, but peace and harmony are not our strong suit. The big stories of life in this century are the stories of male violence, of men smiling and shaking hands with one another while civilization collapses into rubble around them.

Of course, women aren’t perfect either. Not by a long shot. Some of you behave like the worst of men, gaming the system for personal power and prestige. But at least you don’t have a thousand-year record of abject failure. You haven’t started hundreds of wars. You haven’t killed millions of innocent people. You haven’t exploited the earth’s resources. You haven’t brutalized children.

Yet you have been complicit in all these things. You have been on the sidelines, watching it happen. You have let us men have our way. You have not taken charge. Not yet.

There are signs of change in the air. More than half of all college graduates in the United States are women. One in five wives makes more money than her husband. Women lead 30 percent of all households. There are more of you — and you vote more often.

But it’s not just about statistics. It’s also about sensibilities and style. And it’s about the simple fact that you are not men. You do things differently. I have no way of knowing whether you do them better, but you could not do them worse.

We’ve enjoyed the benefit of women’s voices here in Orange County for years. In roles ranging from activists and entrepreneurs to elected officials at every level of government, you’ve stepped up to leadership, creating balance and pulling us toward the common good. Your influence has been felt. We need to feel it more.

One challenge, of course, is that men don’t listen. We resist compromise. We fight. We do not cede power willingly — which means you must take it. How to go about that, I haven’t a clue. But whatever your path, be sure to watch your back. Men will do almost anything to preserve privilege. I know. I am one of them.

If you choose to take control — and it is a choice — I wish you the best. We have dug a very deep hole and it will be hard to climb out. You may find yourself slipping unaware into our old destructive patterns. You may be tempted to invoke our patriarchal gods. You could be seduced by the dark side of power. Please be careful.

And somewhere down the line, when you have the luxury of time to reflect, I hope you’ll look back on these days and be inspired to declare Men’s History Month. We men will need that opportunity to stop and wonder how we could have been so wrong for so long.

This column appeared in today’s Chapel Hill News.

An update on progress:

Lots of mixed feelings about the date.  Some people hate it . . . trampling on Pearl Harbor and all.  More people like it . . . they say it’s provocative.

And some people think I’ve lost my friggin’ mind.

What do you think?

The National Strike for Truth:  December 7, 2005

The Butterfly Effect is alive and well. Yesterday, this whirlwind of reporting on student walkouts all across America spawned a new possibility for action. Today their actions are carrying progressives forward to declare an unprecedented National Strike for Truth.

The National Strike for Truth will build on the momentum Harry Reid started on Monday . . . and the students continued . . . by carrying our nation to a tipping point for integrity.

Get the details below.

Thanks for considering this from a BT lurker. Cross posted everywhere I can think of
The Bush administration and Republican co-conspirators in Congress have hijacked truth to serve their personal interests and twisted view of America’s role in the world. It’s 1984 all over again.  But this week the most-magnificent Senator Harry Reid resorted to extraordinary measures to stop the lying – and now it’s our turn. There will be no business as usual until the truth is out.

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Why Truth Instead of Peace

Without the truth there will be no peace. Without the truth there can be no government of, by and for the people.

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Why December 7

December 7 is a “day of infamy” – and there is no better time to demonstrate out our ethically challenged president.  Almost everyone agrees that the attack on Pearl Harbor pulled America into a war that was just and honorable. We were indeed defending ourselves from a real threat. Contrast that scenario with the disaster of Bush’s War of Choice in Iraq – a tragic war waged with a stunning combination of incompetence and lies.  The juxtaposition of these two momentous actions is a perfect backdrop for our demand for truth.  

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Here’s What We’re Asking

1.    Make a personal commitment to the National Strike for Truth . . . to making December 7 a day of mourning for the loss of integrity and a day of truth.

2.    Do not work or attend school that day.  You might need to take vacation, call in sick, cut classes, whatever. Just make sure it’s not business as usual. Don’t buy anything on December 7th if at all possible.

3.    Organize a vigil or protest at your local city hall.  Demand that your local elected officials pass a resolution calling on Bush to tell the truth and end the war in Iraq.  Here’s a sample of on resolution that ties the war to local government challenges. It was passed unanimously in Chapel Hill, NC.

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How Else Can You Help?

*    Graphic designers.  Make up posters and bannersand post them for us to use and distribute.

*    Writers.  Develop talking points and guides people can use in conversations with friends and media.

*    PR professionals.  Draft a press release people can adapt for local use.

*    Web designers.  Develop a National Strike for Truth web advertising campaign.

*    Bloggers. Run the ads they design for free.

*    Everyone. Link this diary (or your own)  everywhere that might make a difference.

*    Religious leaders.  Get your congregations involved.

*    Union members. Get your union to support the strike.

*    Department of Homeland Security.  Stage another fake terror alert to distract us.

*    George Bush.  Tell the fucking truth.

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More coming.  

A number of committed truth-seekers are already signed on to this effort. You’ll be seeing diaries every day representing different perspectives and personal views about this National Strike for Truth. Please join us if you can.  Write your own diary. Spread the word. Cross-post like crazy. Anything and everything you can do will make a difference.

We’re not asking for money . . . just for commitments to join this cause for truth and spread the word.  Our first goal:  50 million strikers worldwide. Our ultimate goal: a responsible government worthy of our trust.

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National Strike Countdown:  33 days

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