Author: Indianadem

Yesterday we had a rally for Baron Hill, our candidate for congress in the IN-9th district.

Our little town is jam-packed with tourists this time of year and we knew we’d have quite an audience. What made our little rally unusual, was that we had a very special guest,  former Senator Birch Bayh (Evan’s dad).

Waiting for the senator to arrive. The traffic was horrible, so he was delayed.

After welcoming the senator, we chatted for a few minutes, then went over to the local volunteer fire dept. fish fry for a sandwich.

Senator Bayh greets a volunteer who is running for local office this election.

Greeting some of the locals.

We left the courthouse and canvassed the downtown, speaking with many of the shopowners and people on the street. It was a pleasure to watch the senator in action. He has a very genteel manner and gracefully deflects comments that detract from his points. People were greeted like old friends and neighbors. Lots of the shopowners took a few minutes from a very busy afternoon to chat politics. I only heard one negative comment from a couple of women who were obvious Sodrel supporters. Most of the feedback we received was quite positive for Baron.

I found it also interesting that Senator Bayh didn’t feel the need for an elaborate and expensive security detail to accompany him on his visit. The last time Sodrel came to town, he brought several security types with him.    

Our old friends from 2004, the Swift Boaters, may have struck a reef in the midwest according to a story posted this afternoon at the Indystar online news site.

Attorney General Steve Carter said today that a California-based group has agreed to stop making automated phone calls attacking Democratic congressional candidate Baron Hill.

However, Carter said the state is still seeking a preliminary injunction against the group, the Economic Freedom Fund, and pursuing a lawsuit in Brown County Circuit Court. A hearing on the injunction has been scheduled for Sept. 27 in Nashville.

Apparently several people filed formal complaints with the Indiana Attorney General after receiving automated “push poll” calls against Hill.

Carter had warned the political parties against such calls in August and is investigating a complaint against another campaign which he has not identified. After holding a news conference announcing that investigation, his office received 12 complaints about the Economic Freedom Fund calls. In those calls, a person purports to be taking an automated poll, which then slams Hill’s record. Hill, a former Democratic congressman, is running against Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Sodrel trying to regain the southeastern Indiana seat he lost to Sodrel in 2004.

For the newly active political reader, some background on Mister Perry and his motley crew.

The Associated Press reported that the Economic Freedom Fund is financed through a $5 million donation from Bob J. Perry, a Texas homebuilder with close ties to White House adviser Karl Rove. Perry also bankrolled the Swift Boat attack ads against the war record of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry in 2004.

What should we do with this scurvy dog?

Every now and then, a friend and fellow activist sends an e-mail around titled “Another Reason To Be Politically Active”. It always contains an account of some new outrage from the neocons and their horribly failed administration. He knows it will put enough fire in our bellies to gather enough energy to rise up and fight some more.

One such travesty that should simmer in our hearts forever is the drowning of New Orleans. This morning, I happened upon this haunting requiem from John Stewart, formerly of the Kingston Trio and NMSherwin.

Here is my reason for today to remain politically active. Many thanks to Nikki for the video.

Youtube video

Title: New Orleans
Songwriter: John Stewart and Buffy Ford
Copyright: © John Stewart, All Rights Reserved
Recording: The Day the River Sang (Appleseed Records, APR CD, 2006)
Lyrics:

I never got to see New Orleans
Or hear her mournful sound
Hear that singing through the doorways
The tapping on the ground
Dancing feet on Bourbon Street
The jazz, the blues, the beat
I never got to see New Orleans
Or feel the Delta heat

Yeah, I never got to see New Orleans
The parade on Easy Street
When Mardi Gras was swingin’
To the Dixieland retreat
Voodoo Alley, sweet King Cake
Confetti rain, for heaven’s sakes
I never got to see New Orleans
Or feel the Delta heat

And her waters may be rising
But Orleans is still alive and
Forever she will sing to me
The lullabies of used to be
Will I ever see New Orleans
And hear those melodies?

I never got to see New Orleans
Or the Gulf of Mexico
And hear the old piano man
Play the blues of long ago
And feel the simmer, taste the sweets
And hear the hum on Canal Street
Will I ever see New Orleans
And feel the Delta heat?

I never got to see New Orleans
Ride the river to the sea
Hear the muse of Louisiana
Sing her heart to me
Fats and Louis and Dixieland
She is the river, she is the land
But I never got to see New Orleans
Or hold her in my hand

Apparently, Keith Olbermann wasn’t alone yesterday in his denunciation of the current (mis)administration.
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Andersen offered his own scathing rant denouncing the preznit and assorted cronies.

Could it be a movement?

Crooks & Liars has the video and text for the broadband impaired.

A patriot does not tell people who are intensely concerned about their country to just sit down and be quiet; to refrain from speaking out in the name of politeness or for the sake of being a good host; to show slavish, blind obedience and deference to a dishonest, war-mongering, human-rights-violating president.

Serendipity has always been a part of life for me, perhaps because I’m usually open to surprises and new paths in life. Last weekend was lots of fun and held a few surprises as well. Mrs. Indianadem and I had not been away for several years and welcomed the excuse to get out of town to take a break from work, so the meetup was timed perfectly for us.

We all had a wonderful time getting together with other Bootribbers in the midst of this vibrant city. I’m not at all surprised that we have common dreams for our society, but I was amazed to discover that one of the others there (I’ll let you guess which one) helps to create the software our company has been using for almost ten years and no, it’s not software you would commonly find on most computers.

It was a delight to meet and hang out with everyone! Thanks to blueneck and Brenda for coordinating and Booman for making it possible.

At Huey’s near Beale Street:

blueneck

Brenda

ejmw

a friend of BT

Mrs. Indianadem

On the waterfront at Barbequefest:

Main Street Memphis

MLK Memorial

Mass transit that works

Only $1 to ride

Somewhat more pricey at $45 / half hour

After sweltering in the sun at the barbequefest on the riverfront, ejmw and his friend left us for home. The rest of us spent a few hours Saturday afternoon discussing our favorite subjects (and eating and drinking as well) in the nice cool bar at our hotel, then went our separate ways. Mrs. Indianadem and I stayed around to see the old Peabody Hotel and hang out on Beale Street, which was so crowded we could barely move. Lots of great blues sounds were everywhere there.

We left Memphis Sunday morning, crossed the Mississippi into Arkansas and headed north along the river. Our first stop was at New Madrid, MO, site of one of the greatest earthquakes ever. Much of the little town had a distinctly temporary ambiance.

On shaky ground

Next, we stopped into a truck stop for a snack and were delighted to see this on a van in the parking lot. This is near the birthplace of a certain radio blatherer sometimes known as pigboy, so the message was doubly delicious!

Our last serendipitous stop was Cape Girardeau. I wanted to see a river town with some history, as some of my ancestors had a riverboat, the Kate Sarchet. We arrived around 6:00 and had not a clue where we were going to spend the night, so we pulled up in front of a little B & B we had seen near the river and called to see if they would take guests on short notice. The man said yes, if we could wait until he cleaned the room and it wasn’t long before our conversation turned to political matters. To our great surprise, we had booked a room with the Cape Girardeau County Democratic Chairman!

He steered us to a great place on the waterfront for dinner. Barbecue is their specialty, but the seafood is good too.

There is a Corps Of Engineers flood wall there for miles along the river. The high watermark is from the 1993 flood. It’s just even with the railroad crossing sign on the left side of the flood wall door.

The door is definitely heavy-duty.

We wound up the rest of the trip visiting friends and family. We’re grateful to have had the opportunity to meet with other people who feel the way we do. It gives me hope and a new shot of energy to keep on fighting. I think we are making a difference. We have to.