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Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Markos weighs in on Prop 8
Markos of DailyKos on the Prop 8 fiasco:
But for now, the flashpoint in the culture wars is gay rights, and I have to say, as wonderful as yesterday might've been, losing Prop 8 hit me hard. That California would vote for a black president with a margin of 61-37 and then shit on gays was horrifically disappointing. We have a long way to go. The anti-Prop 8 campaign wasn't helped by a shoddy operation that most observers who interacted with it admit was incompetent and ill-suited to wage a statewide campaign. While the Mormon Church flooded the state with ground troops for the fight, our side had no ground game. Inexcusable, but borne out of a complacency that I myself shared. No longer.Read the rest of this post...
I admit, I was feeling run down yesterday, crawling across the finish line after a long marathon. Losing the Prop 8 battle has re-energized me. I'm ready for a rematch in 2010.
Colorado sends openly gay man to Congress
In good news, from my friend Rex Wockner:
Read the rest of this post...Openly gay Jared Polis was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 4 from Colorado's 2nd Congressional District, which encompasses areas north and west of Denver, including the city of Boulder.
Polis, a 33-year-old Democrat, is the first openly gay man elected to Congress who was out when elected for the first time. U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., holds the female distinction in that regard.
"The voters of our district have spoken clearly that they want change brought to Washington," Polis told the Denver Post. "I look forward to taking my out-of-the-box approach and creative ideas to help shake up Washington."
In his primary-election victory speech in August, Polis introduced his partner, made reference to being gay, and said, "I always worried that that would get in the way (of) giving back and contributing to our society."
A millionaire who made his money in online ventures, Polis spent $5.6 million of his own funds in the campaign.
Polis becomes the sixth open gay to serve in the House of Representatives, following in the footsteps of Baldwin, current Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), and former Reps. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.), who is deceased, Steve Gunderson (R-Wis.) and Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.).
FOX: Palin didn't know Africa was a continent, she thought it was a country
Smith: Now that the election is over, Carl, tell us more about those reports of infighting between Palin and McCain staffers.Via Huff Post:
Cameron: I wish I could have told you more at the time but all of it was put off the record until after the election. There was great concern in the McCain campaign that Sarah Palin lack the degree of knowledgeability necessary to be a running mate, a vice president, and a heartbeat away from the presidency. We're told by folks that she didn't know what countries that were in NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, that being the Canada, the US, and Mexico. We're told she didn't understand that Africa was a continent rather than a country just in itself ... a whole host of questions that caused serious problems about her knowledgeability. She got very angry at staff, thought that she was mishandled.....was particularly angry about the way the Katie Couric interview went. She didn't accept preparation for that interview when the aides say that that was part of the problem. And that there were times that she was hard to control emotionally there's talk of temper tantrums at bad news clippings......
Notwithstanding that there is to be an avalanche that will continue for many days now we're told of story upon story of the foibles of Sarah Palin.
According to Fox News Chief White House Correspondent Carl Cameron, there was great concern within the McCain campaign that Palin lacked "a degree of knowledgeability necessary to be a running mate, a vice president, a heartbeat away from the presidency," in part because she didn't know which countries were in NAFTA, and she "didn't understand that Africa was a continent, rather than a series, a country just in itself."Why don't the Republicans just pick Gumby next time.
More from Greg Mitchell:
Carl Cameron talking to Bill O'Reilly just now on Fox reveals that McCain aides were truly "shocked" at the lack of knowledge Sarah Palin displayed once they were stuck with her. He said that, in the most startling shortcoming, she actually "thought Africa was a country, not a continent." This led, among other things, to her asking how, in that case, South Africa could be a separate country. She also could not name all of the countries in North America, he said, not even the NAFTA partners. And she did not know many of the basics of civics and local/state/national duties.Read the rest of this post...
That explains, he said, why tensions erupted as McCain aides were truly alarmed by all of this -- yet Palin wanted to speak out freely. So in the closing week or so, they reveal, she took to yelling and screaming at aides over her press clippings, even "tossing papers" around. She was so out of touch she actually refused coaching before the Katie Couric interviews, then yelled at staffers for not preparing her better or warning her off the interviews.
BREAKING: Dems pick up Oregon Senate seat. Jeff Merkley in, Gordon Smith out.
Kaching! Dems have now picked up six Senate seats.
Read the rest of this post...
Top McCain aide was fired last week for trash-talking McCain staff for Palin
Oh the drama! I think this is going to be a fun week. But more important than this story is whether Palin and the fired staffer were in cahoot. No wonder McCain's top guy told Palin she couldn't speak at last night's concessions speech (she wanted to, they said no). Meeeowww!
Read the rest of this post...
From Paris, France
From my friend Serge in Paris:
Salut John,Translation:
Tu dois être à présent soulagé et heureux!!
C'est un grand jour pour vous et pour le monde!
L'intelligence revient au pouvoir en Amérique! C'est vraiment extraordinaire!
Je t'embrasse
Serge
Hi John,Read the rest of this post...
You've got to be relieved and happy at this point!
This is a great day for you and for the world!
Intelligence returns to power in America! It is truly extraordinary!
Serge
Palin greets McCain staffers practically nude
From Newsweek (this article is a gold mine):
At the GOP convention in St. Paul, Palin was completely unfazed by the boys' club fraternity she had just joined. One night, Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter went to her hotel room to brief her. After a minute, Palin sailed into the room wearing nothing but a towel, with another on her wet hair. She told them to chat with her laconic husband, Todd. "I'll be just a minute," she said.Read the rest of this post...
Lawsuit filed against anti-gay Prop 8 in CA
From Lambda Legal. The press release, unfortunately, is written like a legal brief. I'm a lawyer and I'm finding it difficult - check out the size of that first paragraph. Not very helpful.
The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a writ petition before the California Supreme Court today urging the court to invalidate Proposition 8 if it passes. The petition charges that Proposition 8 is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution's core commitment to equality for everyone by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group - lesbian and gay Californians. Proposition 8 also improperly attempts to prevent the courts from exercising their essential constitutional role of protecting the equal protection rights of minorities. According to the California Constitution, such radical changes to the organizing principles of state government cannot be made by simple majority vote through the initiative process, but instead must, at a minimum, go through the state legislature first.Read the rest of this post...
The California Constitution itself sets out two ways to alter the document that sets the most basic rules about how state government works. Through the initiative process, voters can make relatively small changes to the constitution. But any measure that would change the underlying principles of the constitution must first be approved by the legislature before being submitted to the voters. That didn't happen with Proposition 8, and that's why it's invalid.
"If the voters approved an initiative that took the right to free speech away from women, but not from men, everyone would agree that such a measure conflicts with the basic ideals of equality enshrined in our constitution. Proposition 8 suffers from the same flaw - it removes a protected constitutional right - here, the right to marry - not from all Californians, but just from one group of us," said Jenny Pizer, Senior Counsel with Lambda Legal. "That's too big a change in the principles of our constitution to be made just by a bare majority of voters."
"A major purpose of the constitution is to protect minorities from majorities. Because changing that principle is a fundamental change to the organizing principles of the constitution itself, only the legislature can initiate such revisions to the constitution," added Elizabeth Gill, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Northern California.
The lawsuit was filed today in the California Supreme Court on behalf of Equality California and 6 same-sex couples who did not marry before Tuesday's election but would like to be able to marry now.
The groups filed a writ petition in the California Supreme Court before the elections presenting similar arguments because they believed the initiative should not have appeared on the ballot, but the court dismissed that petition without addressing its merits. That earlier order is not precedent here.
"Historically, courts are reluctant to get involved in disputes if they can avoid doing so," said Shannon Minter, Legal Director of NCLR. "It is not uncommon for the court to wait to see what happens at the polls before considering these legal arguments. However, now that Prop 8 may pass, the courts will have to weigh in and we believe they will agree that Prop 8 should never have been on the ballot in the first place."
This would not be the first time the court has struck down an improper voter initiative. In 1990, the court stuck down an initiative that would have added a provision to the California Constitution stating that the "onstitution shall not be construed by the courts to afford greater rights to criminal defendants than those afforded by the Constitution of the United States." That measure was invalid because it improperly attempted to strip California's courts of their role as independent interpreters of the state's constitution.
Angry McCain aide goes off on the "Wasilla Hillbillies"
Newsweek:
NEWSWEEK has also learned that Palin's shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported. While publicly supporting Palin, McCain's top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy. One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family—clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill. Palin also used low-level staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards. The McCain campaign found out last week when the aides sought reimbursement. One aide estimated that she spent "tens of thousands" more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost. An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast," and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books.Read the rest of this post...
A first?
My friend Chris writes:
Apparently, the US is the first majority white nation to elect a President who is a racial minority in his (or her) own country. I'm trying to confirm that, but I think it might be correct. Have you seen anybody talking about this?UPDATE: Reader writes that Fujimori in Peru would be the first, though that depends on whether you consider Latinos caucasion, and whether the distinction even matters in terms of what this point is trying to show. Read the rest of this post...
Time to boycott Utah, and Marriott?
Reader Dave writes
I'm appalled that Proposition 8 passed, and did so largely because of the out-of-state dollars dumped into California by the Mormon church. We need to do something in response to this. I propose organizing a boycott of the state of Utah, not unlike the boycott of Colorado in the early 1990s. There need to be repercussions for the actions of the LDS church. Thoughts?In the 90s, we had some real boycotts of states that chose hate over tolerance, and it hurt. Bad. We targeted tourism and conventions, particularly. And it worked. Perhaps we need to revisit this tactic. A lot of people visit Marriotts, and have an easy choice to go elsewhere. And there's great skiing in Colorado too. What are Utah's top industries, top money makers, top companies? What business are connected to the Mormon Church besides Marriott? Who were the top donors to the hate amendment in California? Any big companies? Any donors associated with big name-brand companies? Perhaps it's time to make Utah, Marriott, and the Mormon Church the Cracker Barrel of 2009. Read the rest of this post...
dave
From Oklahoma City
A reader writes:
I was over the moon last night, but I am startled at how depressed I feel today. I am sunburned from holding an Obama sign with other supporters at a street corner yesterday, and I spent the day before making calls at the Obama Oklahoma City campaign office. Kerry didn't even bother to have one, so it felt great not to be counted out. It felt nice to think that the "50 state strategy" actually did include Oklahoma.Read the rest of this post...
I am so incredibly sad that my state voted even less (barely; 34 vs 35%) for Obama than for Kerry. I am also disgusted that Jim Roth lost his corporation commission seat, which can only have been because he is gay.
I feel left behind.
There are lots of us like me in Oklahoma. Apparently, 34% of my state is similar to me. It is hard not to feel alone with the results here, though.
When the dust settles, I would love it for there to be some sort of "Oklahoma Project." I don't see how we are going to get any bluer without outside help. Can't someone with money make us a social experiment?
I feel like I have to keep living the Bush years by virtue of living here, and yet I'm a 4th generation Oklahoman and I don't want to leave. I don't want to give over the place I love to the radical right. It's how we all felt about the United States for the last 8 years, but it has been that way for my entire life here in Oklahoma, and there is no end in sight, even though the rest of the country has moved on. Our state legislature became even more Republican last night, and the moderate Republicans, like Mickey Edwards, no longer live here.
We need help.
We, the "good guys" here in Oklahoma, feel like missionaries in a hostile world. It is hard not to want to give up. Please be thinking of us.
Thanks.
It's official. Nearly 20,000 marriages of gay couples were repealed last night. And their children made bastards.
We lost. And it was the hateful leadership of the Mormon Church, along with, reportedly, hefty black turnout, that pushed it over the top. From CNN's exit polls.
And to be fair, the problems go far beyond the black vote and Mormon money. I'd like someone to explain to me why the leaders of our side of the campaign shouldn't be metaphorically beaten to within an inch of their lives. We should have hired political professionals, even - eeks! - straight ones, to do this. But we relied on the usual gay names and faces because, cumbaya my lord, a PC group hug is far more important than actually winning. I'm disgusted. And I want to see some heads rolling. Read the rest of this post...
And to be fair, the problems go far beyond the black vote and Mormon money. I'd like someone to explain to me why the leaders of our side of the campaign shouldn't be metaphorically beaten to within an inch of their lives. We should have hired political professionals, even - eeks! - straight ones, to do this. But we relied on the usual gay names and faces because, cumbaya my lord, a PC group hug is far more important than actually winning. I'm disgusted. And I want to see some heads rolling. Read the rest of this post...
Video from D.C.'s spontaneous rally in front of the White House last night
I took some video of the spontaneous rally that erupted in D.C. last night after Obama's victory was declared. D.C. is not a spontaneous town, which made this even more fun. There was a lot of pent up energy unleashed by a lot of very happy people. Read Kagro's post, "Dancing in the Streets," on DailyKos about how this happened all over the country.
The video is a bit dark -- it was 1:30 a.m. Just keep in mind this was all happening on Pennsylvania Avenue, right in front of the White House, which soon be the home of the Obama family.
Read the rest of this post...
The video is a bit dark -- it was 1:30 a.m. Just keep in mind this was all happening on Pennsylvania Avenue, right in front of the White House, which soon be the home of the Obama family.
Read the rest of this post...
Lawsuit to be filed to stop Prop 8 hate amendment in California
From my friend Robin Tyler:
NEW SAME GENDER MARRIAGE LAWSUITRead the rest of this post...
Attorney Gloria Allred and her clients, a lesbian couple, who won right to marry in the California Supreme Court will hold a news conference to announce a new lawsuit against Prop. 8
Attorney Gloria Allred and her clients, Robin Tyler and Diane Olson, will hold a news conference today November 5, 2008 at 12:00 noon at 6300 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1500 L.A. to announce a new lawsuit against Prop. 8. Prop. 8 intended to ban same gender marriages in California.
Ms. Allred and her law firm represented the couple in their victory before the California Supreme Court. Her clients became the first to marry in Los Angeles County in June.
Ms. Allred will file the new lawsuit today with the California Supreme Court on behalf of the couple. The new lawsuit will contain a new and controversial legal argument as to why Prop. 8 is unconstitutional. Copies of the lawsuit will be provided to the press at the news conference.
Magnanimity is nice, but let's not forget the hideous race John McCain ran
I'm watching THE VIEW, and Joy Behar was talking about how last night McCain "finally came back to who he was." I.e., he's been kind of an ass for the past several months, and finally started to find his honor again. The token Republican countered with the following:
After eight years of having Republicans call me an un-American troop-hating fag-loving socialist, after months of John McCain embracing the hate to a level where his own supporters were calling out for Barack Obama to be assassinated, no one is going to be permitted to tell me with a straight face that "oh you know, both sides do it."
Your side was abominable. Your side was hateful. Your side race-baited. Your side gay-baited. Your side lied like we've never seen in recent presidential campaign history. Your side used a tax-cheat who would do better under Obama's tax proposal to be your everyman on the issue of taxes. Your side, in a veiled effort at race-baiting, said Obama doesn't put his country first. Your side had the audacity to call Obama a socialist. Your side suggested he was a Muslim. Your side suggested he was a terrorist. Your side suggested he was Osama bin Laden.
Spare me the crap about how both sides do it. You people are a disgrace, you've been a disgrace for eight long years, and all your hate and lying and venom and vitriol finally bit you in your collective fat ass.
Democrats don't do nasty, and they certainly don't do it well. Lord knows I wish they did, but they don't. Republicans elevate it to a religion. You are the party of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity. Angry, bitchy, bitter and elitist. What do we have to compare? Jesse Jackson, I often hear from my Republican friends. Um, maybe in 1980 when he was relevant. It's been 28 years, got any other examples? Michael Moore, you say? What has Michael Moore said - name one thing - that's comparable to the filth that regularly issues forth from Limbaugh, Hannity and Coulter and, of late, McCain and Palin?
Democrats, when they skewer (which isn't often enough), do it with biting truth. Republicans skewer, early and often, with vicious lies. It goes back to a more general philosophy that liberals have: If we just tell them the truth, the people will agree with us. Republicans are far less sanguine. They know that a good lie beats the truth any day of the week.
Except on a Tuesday in November. Read the rest of this post...
"I think it's hard because campaigns... really bring out the ugly in everyone on both sides. It's when you see them in their pure moments, Barack's speech last night, and John McCain's speech lsat night, that you see these moments of hope that they really have given us."Horse shit.
After eight years of having Republicans call me an un-American troop-hating fag-loving socialist, after months of John McCain embracing the hate to a level where his own supporters were calling out for Barack Obama to be assassinated, no one is going to be permitted to tell me with a straight face that "oh you know, both sides do it."
Your side was abominable. Your side was hateful. Your side race-baited. Your side gay-baited. Your side lied like we've never seen in recent presidential campaign history. Your side used a tax-cheat who would do better under Obama's tax proposal to be your everyman on the issue of taxes. Your side, in a veiled effort at race-baiting, said Obama doesn't put his country first. Your side had the audacity to call Obama a socialist. Your side suggested he was a Muslim. Your side suggested he was a terrorist. Your side suggested he was Osama bin Laden.
Spare me the crap about how both sides do it. You people are a disgrace, you've been a disgrace for eight long years, and all your hate and lying and venom and vitriol finally bit you in your collective fat ass.
Democrats don't do nasty, and they certainly don't do it well. Lord knows I wish they did, but they don't. Republicans elevate it to a religion. You are the party of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity. Angry, bitchy, bitter and elitist. What do we have to compare? Jesse Jackson, I often hear from my Republican friends. Um, maybe in 1980 when he was relevant. It's been 28 years, got any other examples? Michael Moore, you say? What has Michael Moore said - name one thing - that's comparable to the filth that regularly issues forth from Limbaugh, Hannity and Coulter and, of late, McCain and Palin?
Democrats, when they skewer (which isn't often enough), do it with biting truth. Republicans skewer, early and often, with vicious lies. It goes back to a more general philosophy that liberals have: If we just tell them the truth, the people will agree with us. Republicans are far less sanguine. They know that a good lie beats the truth any day of the week.
Except on a Tuesday in November. Read the rest of this post...
64% of eligible voters voted yesterday
For us, that's a record. MSNBC's First Read has more:
Highest turnout rate since '08 -- 1908: Provided the number stands, the turnout rate for yesterday's election was the highest in 100 years, according to the estimate from turnout guru Dr. Michael McDonald at George Mason University. Almost 137 million (136,631,825) went to the polls -- 64.1% of the voting-eligible population. 1960 saw 63.7% of the populace go out to vote; In 1908, 65.7% voted. It was, of course, the most people ever to go to the polls topping 2004's 122 million. That's 12% increase from 2004. For those wondering why the current total vote in the presidential adds up to approximately 117 million, note that it's going to climb. There is still a ton of vote missing on the West coast.Read the rest of this post...
BREAKING: AP un-calls MN Senate race
Game on.
The Associated Press is uncalling the Minnesota Senate race.That's ok. Liz the Donut pretty much called the race for McCain two days ago, so something must be going around. Read the rest of this post...
Republican Sen. Norm Coleman finished ahead of Democrat Al Franken early Wednesday in the final vote count, but his 571-vote margin falls within the state's mandatory recount law. That law requires a recount any time the margin between the top two candidates is less than one-half of one percent.
The AP called the race prematurely.
Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said the recount won't begin until mid-November at the earliest and will probably stretch into December. It will involve local election officials from around the state.
Bush congratulates President-elect Barack Obama
George Bush is on the t.v. right now. He just congratulated President-elect Barack Obama. It sounded so good to hear Bush say "President-elect Barack Obama." We've waited a long, long time for George Bush to send best wishes to his successor.
Truest words Bush ever spoke:
And, it will be a very gratifying sight to watch George Bush walk out the doors of the White House. He's left the country in a huge mess and it will take a long time to dig out of it. But, that all starts when President Obama steps through the doors of the White House.
Read the rest of this post...
Truest words Bush ever spoke:
It will be a stirring sight to watch President Obama, his wife Michelle and their beautiful girls step through the doors of the White House. I know millions of Americans will be overcome with pride at this inspiring moment that so many people have waited so long.It will be.
And, it will be a very gratifying sight to watch George Bush walk out the doors of the White House. He's left the country in a huge mess and it will take a long time to dig out of it. But, that all starts when President Obama steps through the doors of the White House.
Read the rest of this post...
Recount looms in MN between Coleman and Franken
From the Franken campaign:
The Secretary of State's office reports that all but nine of Minnesota's 4,130 precincts have reported in. And this race is too close to call, with a margin of just about 1100 votes out of 2.9 million cast. That's four one-hundredths of one percent of the vote. And we expect that when those final nine precincts are counted this morning, that 1100-vote margin will shrink into the hundreds.More from the Star-Tribune. Read the rest of this post...
Under Minnesota state law, we will now enter into an automatic statewide canvass and recount. It will be the first one since 1962, when I was 11 years old. I remember that year very clearly for two reasons. The recount between Elmer L. Anderson and Karl Rolvaag. And the Gophers were in the Rose Bowl that year.
And we have twice as many ballots to count this time.
Let me be clear: Our goal is to ensure that every vote is properly counted.
The process, dictated by our laws, will be orderly, fair, and will take place within a matter of days. We won't know for a little while who won this race, but at the end of the day, we will know that the voice of the electorate was clearly heard.
There is reason to believe that the recount could change the vote tallies significantly.
Our office and the Obama campaign have received reports of irregularities at various precincts around the state. For instance, some polling places in Minneapolis ran out of registration materials. Our team has been working on those issues for several hours already, and they will continue to do so this morning as the recount process begins.
Let me be clear: This race is too close to call, and we do not yet know who won. We are lucky enough to live in a state with built-in protections to ensure that in close elections like these, the will of the people is accurately reflected in the outcome.
This has been a long campaign, and it's going to be a little longer before we have a winner. Senator Coleman, Senator Barkley, and I have done a lot of talking. Minnesotans have waited a long time to have THEIR say. And thanks to our state's laws, we will eventually understand precisely what they have said.
Joe Lieberman fears country may not survive if Dems win 60 seats in Senate
How long until Chairman Lieberman starts holding hearings investigating the Obama administration? Are Democrats really going to wimp out and let this traitor remain in our caucus? Let him stay a committee chair so that we can pay for the staff he uses to try to bring down President Obama? It's time to show Lieberman the door.
Read the rest of this post...
In Georgia, Chambliss is below 50% with "undetermined number of votes to be counted"
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution just reported that incumbent Senator, Saxby Chambliss, was below the 50% mark, which would mean a run-off under Georgia law. There are still votes to be counted, but no one seems to know how many:
There was still no resolution in Georgia’s U.S. Senate race as the sun came up Wednesday and the candidates, election officials and reporters tried to figure out how many votes remained to be counted.Read the rest of this post...
At 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, incumbent U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) held a 49.8 percent to 46.8 percent advantage over Democrat Jim Martin with 96 percent of the state precincts counted, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. Libertarian Allen Buckley had 3.4 percent of the vote.
If that scenario held, Chambliss would face a costly and unpredictable four-week runoff with Martin.
However, there still were an undetermined number of votes to be counted — possibly tens of thousands of early and absentee ballots from Fulton, Cobb and Gwinnett counties. Chambliss spokeswoman Michelle Grasso said her campaign believes most of the uncounted votes are in Fulton County. But at 6:45 a.m. she admitted that there were no clear answers in the race.
“At this point we are just letting the process work,” she said.
Wednesday Morning Open Thread
Good morning. And, I mean that. It is a good morning.
I just watched the first half hour of the TODAY Show. It made me realize again just how emotional the election results are.
Our country finally has the leader we deserve. And, the reaction has been astounding.
Last night, as Rob mentioned, we went to the spontaneous rally down by the White House. I've lived in D.C. for fifteen years and have never seen this city show that level of excitement about anything. It was truly astounding. This city was rocking (and D.C. doesn't rock) -- the same thing was happening around the country.
Actually, it was happening around the world. One of my cousins in Ireland sent me this email: "everyone here is over the moon. you have never seen so such excitement here over an US election." Even in the US, we have never seen so much excitement.
Still sorting through the Senate and House results. Many have yet to be called including the Senate races in Minnesota, Oregon and Alaska.
And, it was a bittersweet night in California: It looks like Proposition 8, which eliminates same-sex marriage, passed. More on that later, too.
We made history last night. Yes we did. After eight long years, we are part of the fabric of this country again.
Let's start threading the news...there's a lot to discuss Read the rest of this post...
I just watched the first half hour of the TODAY Show. It made me realize again just how emotional the election results are.
Our country finally has the leader we deserve. And, the reaction has been astounding.
Last night, as Rob mentioned, we went to the spontaneous rally down by the White House. I've lived in D.C. for fifteen years and have never seen this city show that level of excitement about anything. It was truly astounding. This city was rocking (and D.C. doesn't rock) -- the same thing was happening around the country.
Actually, it was happening around the world. One of my cousins in Ireland sent me this email: "everyone here is over the moon. you have never seen so such excitement here over an US election." Even in the US, we have never seen so much excitement.
Still sorting through the Senate and House results. Many have yet to be called including the Senate races in Minnesota, Oregon and Alaska.
And, it was a bittersweet night in California: It looks like Proposition 8, which eliminates same-sex marriage, passed. More on that later, too.
We made history last night. Yes we did. After eight long years, we are part of the fabric of this country again.
Let's start threading the news...there's a lot to discuss Read the rest of this post...
Change We Need
These are from the Obama rally last night that Rob ad I attended. Click photo to see larger version - I love some of the faces. And here's another, slightly different, crop of the same photo - I zoomed in more on the faces and the excitement/motion/energy of the crowd (again, click the photo to see the original size).
Read the rest of this post...
Chris Shays of CT loses
The last Republican House member loses. As CNN just said, moderate Republicans used to be the Northeast but they are all gone now.
New England's last remaining Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives was swept out of office Tuesday, largely by Democratic surge in his hometown of Bridgeport and an Obama wave throughout the 4th Congressional District.Read the rest of this post...
U.S. Rep. Chris Shays conceded defeat about 9:45 p.m. and made an appeal to his colleagues in Congress to hire members of his staff.
Spontaneous Celebration in DC
It's been an exciting night here in DC. We had been hearing all the horns beeping and people yelling, but then seeing the spontaneous celebration in DC in front of the White House, we decided it was time to step away from the laptops and join in. We hopped into the car and headed down to the White House - or at least tried to. The spontaneous celebration was so large that the police had begun to block off the streets. We got on foot and headed to the White House.
As we walked through the streets, people were screaming, horns were all blaring with a "beep-beep-beep" in "yes we can" tempo. All the cars has people piled into them, flags and Obama signs flying, encouraging the street crowd and vice versa. THe whole scene prompted Joe to say that he'd never seen anything like it in DC.
When we got to the White House, the crowd out front was screaming, chanting, and all in all just having a great time. Washington isn't sleeping tonight, and I'm sure neither is George Bush.
Here is a little color from the celebration:
The Washington Post has some more. Read the rest of this post...
As we walked through the streets, people were screaming, horns were all blaring with a "beep-beep-beep" in "yes we can" tempo. All the cars has people piled into them, flags and Obama signs flying, encouraging the street crowd and vice versa. THe whole scene prompted Joe to say that he'd never seen anything like it in DC.
When we got to the White House, the crowd out front was screaming, chanting, and all in all just having a great time. Washington isn't sleeping tonight, and I'm sure neither is George Bush.
Here is a little color from the celebration:
The Washington Post has some more. Read the rest of this post...
The World Reacts
As an aside, there are still cars beeping in the streets, and random people yelling with joy. We don't normally do that in DC. Of course, it's not like we've had reason to in a long while.
Read the rest of this post...
Read the rest of this post...
Hateful, homophobic Marilyn Musgrave lost tonight
Finally. Musgrave is gone. Betsy Markey thumped her:
GOP Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave was unseated tonight by Democratic challenger Betsy Markey after another intense campaign that blasted voters with nasty attack ads.Read the rest of this post...
Musgrave first won the 4th Congressional District in 2002 and has fought bitter campaigns to hang onto it ever since.
The race, considered one of the most important in the country, was eyed by Democrats as key to expanding their control in Congress. Republicans have had control of the seat since 1972.
Democrats unsure what to do about Lieberman
I hear waterboarding isn' torture.
Seriously, I can't even believe we're having this discussion. What kind of spineless party are we, that we're even discussing whether Lieberman should be punished. Let's review Lieberman's crimes:
1. He endorsed the Republican presidential candidate, with the clear intent to leave his Senate seat by becoming McCain's VP or a cabinet secretary. He was going to be the Republican VP, people. Let's stop pretending this was just a dalliance or a moment of pique by Lieberman.
2. He gave a keynote address at the Republican convention, intending to hurt Barack Obama and all Democrats.
3. He said Obama doesn't always put country first. That's not just nasty, it's also veiled racist, and continues the meme that Democrats hate America.
4. He appeared on stage with the Republican nominee at numerous events, including McCain's final event of the campaign, standing right behind him.
What does someone have to do to "cross the line" for the current pack of Democrats in the Senate? What are we going to do when Lieberman starts using his committee chairmanship to undercut Democratic legislation and to hold public investigations of the Obama administration?
You don't campaign with the Republican presidential nominee, keynote his convention, then return to the fold. Joe Lieberman is going to vote how his heart tells him, regardless of whether or not we give him his chairmanship back. Lieberman betrayed our party and our nominee. It's time to show some spine, and show Traitor Joe the door. Read the rest of this post...
Seriously, I can't even believe we're having this discussion. What kind of spineless party are we, that we're even discussing whether Lieberman should be punished. Let's review Lieberman's crimes:
1. He endorsed the Republican presidential candidate, with the clear intent to leave his Senate seat by becoming McCain's VP or a cabinet secretary. He was going to be the Republican VP, people. Let's stop pretending this was just a dalliance or a moment of pique by Lieberman.
2. He gave a keynote address at the Republican convention, intending to hurt Barack Obama and all Democrats.
3. He said Obama doesn't always put country first. That's not just nasty, it's also veiled racist, and continues the meme that Democrats hate America.
4. He appeared on stage with the Republican nominee at numerous events, including McCain's final event of the campaign, standing right behind him.
What does someone have to do to "cross the line" for the current pack of Democrats in the Senate? What are we going to do when Lieberman starts using his committee chairmanship to undercut Democratic legislation and to hold public investigations of the Obama administration?
You don't campaign with the Republican presidential nominee, keynote his convention, then return to the fold. Joe Lieberman is going to vote how his heart tells him, regardless of whether or not we give him his chairmanship back. Lieberman betrayed our party and our nominee. It's time to show some spine, and show Traitor Joe the door. Read the rest of this post...
Obama's Acceptance Speech
Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama—as prepared for delivery
Election Night
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Chicago, Illinois
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.
It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation’s next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House. And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics – you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington – it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
I know you didn’t do this just to win an election and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers – in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing – Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America. Read the rest of this post...
Election Night
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Chicago, Illinois
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.
It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation’s next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House. And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics – you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington – it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
I know you didn’t do this just to win an election and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers – in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing – Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America. Read the rest of this post...
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