I wish any of my current Senators were half as inspiring as Beto:
I interrupt your Friday night to bring you this important video message:
Just a guy, sitting in a @Whataburger drive-thru, hot off the heels of telling Texas why he wants to work for them.
I don’t know about you, but that’s my Texas.
Vote for @BetoORourke!#VoteBeto pic.twitter.com/iMAOzzrDfh
— Cody Banks (@Banks_CodyBanks) September 22, 2018
Luckily, I’m motivated by my local congressional critters and state-level races. What’s motivating you today?
I’m off to do some leaf-peeping. Hopefully, I’ll have some good photos later today/tomorrow.
Open thread
Keith P
My college roommate has passed out in the Whataburger drive-thru at least once (and I’m pretty sure twice). And that’s not even an uncommon thing.
WereBear
I love Beto. If I could have crafted someone to take on the alt.human (from previous thread) Ted Cruz, it might have gone this way.
Afraid that is what it takes in Texas.
Mike J
Pretty happy with my senate and house races. I prefer a safe Dem seat to drama.
Motivating me? Found my croakies and gloves, leaving soon to go prep the boat for a (incredibly casual) race starting at 1pm at the yacht club just up the lake. Winner brings beer for next time. We’re safe bets to drink free all season.
geg6
Putting some eye of round steaks, Yukon golds, carrots and onions in the crockpot with some mushroom soup and onion soup. One of my mom’s comfort food specialties. Making sauce and meatballs tomorrow. Temps went from upper 80s yesterday to a possible high of mid-60s today. Fall has arrived right on schedule here in Western PA.
And Beto is the awesome.
West of the Rockies
FSM, I hope Beto can unseat the human blob fish.
MattF
Just… so obviously not Ted Cruz.
david
Whoever talks like Obama first gets to be the next Democratic savior. Beto’s got the shtick down pat.
He couldn’t have picked a better nemesis.
This will be a great test to see if all this talk of a “blue” or “purple” Texas is real, or just empty rhetoric.
Because if you can’t beat Cruz, you’re not turning Texas anytime in the foreseeable future.
mad citizen
I was campaigned today by a young woman D (with her friend, I’m sure for safety), running for state rep. Not only will I vote for her, I agreed to a yard sign. Told her it would be my third after two Obama signs. It will be an uphill battle in this Indiana district, though.
germy
I’d like to see Cruz and Nunes both go.
geg6
Oh, as for the races here, the NRCC has pulled ad funding for Rothfus, basically conceding the seat to Conor Lamb. Bob Casey has a very comfortable lead in polls and looks to not be in any danger. I’m very hopeful I’ll have a new rep. Governor looks pretty wrapped up, too. And we’re about to get John Fetterman for Lt. Gov. My state rep quit to run unsuccessfully for the US Senate nom, so it’s an open seat. Dems have a woman, Terri Mitko, running (after a very successful write-in campaign in the primary). Pulling hard for her. If yard signs and enthusiasm are any indication, she may pull it off.
Catherine D.
@geg6: Ha! I have a similar plan. I’m going to pressure cook the meat, onions, garlic and carrots, then switch to slow cook and add the very tiny potatoes I got from my CSA along with mushrooms.
Doug R
WHO’S NEXT?
The Dangerman
The thought of multiple power naps (Pink Floyd cover band tonight; no, not Raven’s relative/friend, and it might go late).
Cool video, fine song, but not the best Who song; that’s reserved for this one.
geg6
Last but not least, taking a break from politics to watch the Fred Rogers doc on demand. We all need Fred Rogers in our lives. Especially now.
Ella in New Mexico
Love that video!!!
Like I’ve said a hundred times, Beto is the real deal. Watching the debate last night, he frigging killed it. Cruz is everything that’s dying in America, and Beto is everything that’s our future.
He’s destined for great things. Regardless of if he is able to overcome the disgustingly rigged Texas voting system, we’re going to hear a lot more from him over the next few decades.
What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?
I like Beto and sent some coin his way, but I hope the Dem base has woken to the fact that not every candidate is going to be that inherently cool. I mean, that was an issue during the Obama years – yeah, he was cool, and inspiring, and a lot of people showed up to vote for that but in the off years they lacked the inspiration to vote for the boring, not cool, local candidate. We have to show up for the boring but sane candidates. Not everyone is going to have copious amounts of star power.
My Congressman is Jamie Raskin, who is pretty great, not on star power but on the issues he supports, and is also completely safe. The district I grew up in (Michigan’s 3rd) features a Dem (Cathy Albro) who looks good on paper but I don’t think she has anywhere near the star power of Beto, Ocasio-Cortez, or Sharice Davids (to name a couple of newcomers who seem to have something of an it factor). She’s running against Justin Amash, who is worthless and has done nothing for the district because he doesn’t get along with anyone and therefore nobody cooperates on any of his legislation – which I doubt he’s actually introduced any anyway. He’s a dipshit libertarian GOPer so getting along with anyone would compromise his glorious principles of destroying Government. I’d like to think Cathy has a chance but I doubt it. There’s not much buzz, but she’d be leaps and bounds better for the district than do nothing Amash. Unfortunately it’s hard to convince a majority of the district voters of that without some star power.
Thoughtful David
1/6 Corrupt Politicians Database
So, here are the rules for inclusion in my Corrupt Politicians Database:
Time Limits:
Events occurring in the last ten years. To make it easy, let’s say starting on January 1, 2009, to present.
We can expand this to earlier years later if we want.
Thoughtful David
2/6 Corrupt Politicians Database
Who is Eligible to Be Included in the Database
* US President and US Vice President
* Any of the president’s or vice president’s staff while in office
* Members of US House of Representatives and US Senate
* Anyone in US Federal government who must be confirmed by the US Senate (includes cabinet members, US Supreme Court justices, and US Federal Court judges.)
* Any statewide/US territory-wide elected officials (governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, etc. May include state supreme court justices if they are elected statewide)
* Any state-level delegate, representative, or senator elected to a state’s or territory’s governing assembly (State House of Delegates, State Senate, or whatever it’s called in various states).
This leaves out county-level officials, municipal officials, school boards, etc.
Thoughtful David
3/6 Corrupt Politicians Database
What Corrupt Actions Trigger Inclusion in the Corrupt Politicians Database
* Any conviction not overturned for any action while in office.
* Resignation from position as a result of accusation of impropriety, whether convicted or not.
* For an officeholder, withdrawal from reelection campaign or not running as a result of accusation of impropriety, whether convicted or not.
The last one of these is going be the most subjective. There may be a few cases where someone doesn’t run but it isn’t clear if they didn’t run because of accusation or if they just decided to retire.
Also, note that accusations or indictments that don’t result in a conviction, resignation, or ending a reelection bid don’t count.
Please let me know how the criteria could be improved.
Mary G
Still writing postcards to senators, and some to voters although seeing that marcopolo can do 100 a day makes me feel very inadequate, because my average is more like 11. I have to write slowly to be legible, and even in remission my RA makes it painful, and if I push it, deploys cramping. But I’m hoping to move a vote or two once in a while. I am donating more than I can really afford right now.
Thoughtful David
4/6 Corrupt Politicians Database
Information in Corrupt Politicians Database
* Name
* Office held at time of corrupt action
* Party affiliation (For judges, if affiliation is unknown, it is assumed to be same as president who appointed them.)
* Date of action
* Brief description of corrupt action and its result (e.g., conviction, resignation, withdrawal)
* Link to reliable source describing corrupt action
Let me know what you think of these criteria, and how to make them better.
Thoughtful David
5/6 Corrupt Politicians Database
I’m keeping this in an Excel sheet for now.
Note who isn’t included. No pundits, Manafort and Cohen (because they aren’t on President’s staff), Obvious Anagram Reince Priebus (no accusation of impropriety). But Rob Porter makes it, because his resignation was because of accusations of wife-beating. Gym Jordan doesn’t make it, because the accusations haven’t caused him to withdraw or not run. My former governor Bob McDonnell doesn’t make it, because his conviction was overturned.
maeve
My congresscritter is Don Young (sigh), my senators Koch Bros funded Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski. I contact Lisa regularly, don’t even bother with Sullivan. Donate to out of state people when I can.
My siblings live in Texas (we didn’t grow up there, they all just happened to get jobs there). I need to ask them if they are going to score tickets to the Willie Nelson fundraiser for Beto because that would be awesome.
Thoughtful David
6/6 Corrupt Politicians Database
And please let me know who to add. I’m starting with (most recent to oldest):
Knoblach, Jim; Minnesota State Representative; Republican
Collins, Chris; US Representative, NY; Republican
Pruitt, Scott; US EPA Administrator; Republican
Greitens, Eric; Missouri Governor; Republican
Garrett, Tom, US Representative, VA; Republican
Meehan, Patrick; US Representative, PA; Republican
Farenthold, Blake; US Representative, TX; Republican
Porter, Rob; White House Staff Secretary; Republican
Kozinski, Alex; US Federal judge; Republican
Franken, AL; US Senator; Democrat
Franks, Trent; US Representative, AZ; Republican
Murphy, Tim; US Representative, PA; Republican
Price, Tom; US Secretary of Health and Human Services; Republican
Gianforte, Greg; US Representative, MT; Republican
Brown, Corinne; US Representative, FL; Democrat
Shortey, Ralph; Oklahoma State Senator; Republican
Flynn, Michael; US National Security Advisor; Republican
West of the Rockies
@germy:
Is there any real chance that dreadful Devin will go down in flames?
Omnes Omnibus
@Thoughtful David: Why the fuck are you saying that Al Franken is corrupt?
Jerzy Russian
@West of the Rockies:
Wait, are we talking about the Canadian Ted Cruz here? I thought he was a lizard wearing human skin as a “disguise”. I guess it shouldn’t be too hard to devise a test to see which of these is true.
The Dangerman
@West of the Rockies:
Real? Yes. Likely? No. Maybe 1 in 10 to 1 in 5. His District is pissed but very Red. Donald would get pissed as they are pushing the Hispanic vote hard over there.
JPL
@Thoughtful David: Tom Price has been putting his toe in the waters again, hobnobbing with state republicans.
Sister Golden Bear
Reposting, since I the thread I posted to yesterday went dead…
Downstairs folks asked how I’m doing, so here’s an update.
I’m nine weeks post-op as of today. As I’d been warned, months 2 and 3 are harder than the first month — you’re back from Thailand, where your only job was to rest and recover, and now you have to do all that plus deal with the rest of your life (even if you’re taking time off).
Thankfully, I didn’t have too many issues with the scar contracture that kicks in during month 2, although the pain from the nerves waking up hasn’t been fun. Gradually, the pain has gotten better. In the last week or so, I’ve ended up being late taking meds because I forgot to take them on time, which is a good sign because usually my body would definitely let me know it was time. So I’m starting to experiment with reducing the meds. Although those plans were delayed by a couple days of extremely painful tissue irritation. (Nothing worry about, it happens periodically to almost everyone, but definitely not fun.)
Mostly, I’m just kind of exhausted. Haven’t been sleeping well — at a minimum I’ve had to wake up every three hours to take pain meds, and there have been plenty of nights where I’ve also woken frequently due to pain. Hard to nap during the day because they’re doing construction next door.
Plus I still have to do after-care 3x/day for another three weeks, and since it takes 60-90 minutes per session, it’s amazing how that takes over the day. I’m starting back at work next week, so my life really is going to be eat, sleep, work, dilate until I can go down to twice a day. Even twice a day (for three months) is going to be a lot.
I knew it was going to be hard recovery, but I did underestimate how much it would kick my ass. But I’ll get through it. Until then, I’m just embracing the suck.
bemused senior
@germy: Last night went to a fundraiser for Andrew Janz (Nunes’ opponent). He seems like a very good guy, and someone there said a recent poll shows him down 4, so they are close. It’s all about turnout. Go to the Janz website and volunteer to canvass or phone bank. Worker said there are a lot of gated communities, not just for the wealthy, in Fresno because of a crime problem, so phone banking is actually very important. Also, Michael Avenetti was speaking … sounded like a stump speech, urging dems to fight fire with fire. Someone in the crowd shouted “What about Andrew Janz?” and he cut the stump speech short and began talking about Janz.
jeffreyw
Be vewy vewy quiet.
A-weema-weh, A-weema-weh,
Amir Khalid
@david:
That Cruz’s Senate seat is in play is already evidence of Texas getting bluer. It is clearly not the Republican stronghold it has been for decades, so there is reason to hope, and something to build on whatever the result in November.
There is more going on with O’Rourke, and with the Democratic party as a whole, than mere mimicry of Obama. I think that what you hear from Beto is affirmation of and commitment to bedrock Democratic principle, where they are less hypocritical than Rrpublicans and that much stronger for it.
ruemara
@Sister Golden Bear: sending healthy, speedy recovery vibes. I have a friend about to through her surgery next month so I’m o n food staples duty. I hope you have a group helping you out too
West of the Rockies
@Jerzy Russian:
Have you seen a blob fish? Ted is at least a distant cousin.
Thoughtful David
@Omnes Omnibus:
I agree with you that he isn’t “corrupt,” but he meets the criteria: he resigned under accusations of sexual impropriety.
Maybe we need to change the name of the database to something like “Politician Resignation and Withdrawal Database.” But that doesn’t cover it very well, either, because some have resigned for other reasons.
The Pale Scot
@The Dangerman: @The Dangerman:
M.. My pick is Bargain, “To win you I’d stand naked, stoned and stabbed”
Peter Townshend, Roger Daltrey Live, 2014 acoustic. Roger and Pete are in their 70s and still gots the power
Luthe
@Thoughtful David: Why Excel? Put that sucker in Google Sheets and invite a select few to help fill it in. Less work for you and backed up constantly in the cloud.
West of the Rockies
@Sister Golden Bear:
I’m told it’s difficult to forge working memory with poor sleep, so on the vague upside, at least you may not recall your post-op with scintillating clarity in years to come.
Best wishes, SGB.
Elizabelle
@Thoughtful David: Remove Al Franken from that list, please. He is not remotely corrupt.
Yea to Omnes for noticing that howler.
WereBear
@Sister Golden Bear: Glad to hear it is going as well as you can expect, sounds like :)
Lapassionara
@Sister Golden Bear: thanks for letting us know how you are doing. Here’s hoping for some better days soon.
frosty
@geg6: Camping in Shawnee State Park near Bedford and yes, fall arrived last night. T-shirt yesterday, fleece today. About to leave for Cumberland and a short ride on the Great Allegheny Passage.
PS Seconded on Beto is the awesome anti-Cruz
Amir Khalid
@West of the Rockies:
Ted Cruz is definitely uglier than a blob fish. A blob fish is not a failed attempt to imitate a human being.
Chetan Murthy
@Thoughtful David: Last 10yr. {weeps tears of frustration} We can’t put Diaper Dave[1] on the list? Not even New “Leader of the civilizing forces” Gringrinch [sic]? Life is so unfair.
[1] and Diaper Dave missed by so little — only a little more than a year (Jun 2007 is when his name came out in that diary, though I guess you could argue that the deeds were committed even earlier).
Betty Cracker
Found a copycat recipe for Chick-fil-A sandwiches I’m gonna try. I know it’s garbage food, but I LOVE their sandwiches. Haven’t eaten there since I found out the owners were homophobes who contribute massive amounts of money to anti-gay groups.
Tomorrow, we’re making sauce. My mother-in-law is coming for a sleepover, and we’ll binge-watch The Crown. (She’s a fiend for the show but does not have Netflix.)
Aleta
https://twitter.com/MsEmmaPeele/status/1043347507990937600
Emma Peel @MsEmmaPeele1–
We have 1,000+ volunteers in field rescuing horses/cats/pigs/dogs/humans from contaminated water. Volunteers don’t have protective gear. We desperately need donations of Level B/ C hazmat suits/cut-resistant gloves, respirators. Pls Advise
@MsEmmaPeele how to get donations to you from out of state?
2–
We will be setting up an account tomorrow.
Thank you so kindly for wanting to donate will let you know when we are ready to accept donations. Have been trying to contact corps for donation of hazmat equipment to no avail, luckily we have people like you!
8:53 PM – 21 Sep 2018
Chetan Murthy
@Chetan Murthy: s/New/Newt/
frosty
@geg6: From my end of the Keystone State I’m happy to see Casey and Wolf pretty well ahead and I’m looking forward to following Fetterman. I still think he could’ve beaten Toomey. We have a good candidate in my ungerrymandered PA10: Jess King. And I think George Scott has a chance against Scott Perry (spit). Could be an interesting election. I’ll be knocking doors for Jess.
Cheryl from Maryland
I’ll be joining a phone bank for Beto here in Maryland on Wednesday. Very excited.
Here in Maryland, Dem Senator Cardin is safe, GOP Governor Hogan is going to win, although I will vote for Jealous as I don’t want Hogan to have an easy victory.
My Congresscritter, John Delaney, has resigned to run for President (I think that is foolish, but his choice …). Dem David Trone won the primary and is leading in the polls to replace Delaney. Again, I’ll vote for him, although he isn’t my first choice; he is basically shopping for a seat (tried first in another district), has never held public office but is a rich businessman, hid that he has cancer for 3 months until a GOP operative outed him at an event. Nevertheless, he’s leading handily, plays well with the GOP areas in Western Maryland (being a guy) and has so much money that he doesn’t need my help.
The real action is for Montgomery County Executive — GOP perennial crank Robin Ficker is against old-school 1960s Dem dude Marc Elrich, with development grifter Nancy Floreen as the independent spoiler. Not certain if I will work for Elrich; a friend deep into local politics tells me he will be the winner.
West of the Rockies
@Amir Khalid:
Okay, kids can be very prickly, but the way his own daughter responded to him on-stage that ill-fateful night a couple years ago said a lot.
I cannot imagine that guy just being a dad and not a smug, harsh task-master.
Thoughtful David
@Elizabelle:
Okay, so what do you want to call it? I’ll repeat: Al Franken resigned from Congress under accusations of sexual impropriety. So did Patrick Meehan, Blake Farenthold, Trent Franks, and Tim Murphy. None of them convicted of anything. Are you willing to let them get off without being called on it?
So, what should we call it? “Improper Politician Database”? I don’t really care, but I’m trying to put together some consistent criteria.
ChuckInAustin
IMO The Texas senate race is the most important race this cycle simply because it can end the career of Cruz.
It could go either way and Cruz probably has an advantage right now. Texas is not likely to go blue anytime soon, but the big cities are already blue.
Beto fever is strong here. Lots of Beto yard signs and bumper stickers, but zero (and I mean big, fat, 0) for Cruz. (Yard signs are like field goals in the first quarter, better than nothing, but rarely significant by the end of the game.)
I visited Dallas a few weeks ago. Lots of Beto support (not as much as Austin) and 0 Cruz.
No one likes Cruz. 6 years ago he won because he was Republican. He’ll lose some of that tribal support. Whether it’s enough for Beto? I don’t know.
Baud
@What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?:
I agree completely.
Betty Cracker
Another low-quality Trump hire is a grotesque hypocrite with no regard for women’s bodily automony. Shocked, gambling, etc.
The Pale Scot
@Betty Cracker: Two words, Pickle Juice.
And I’m sure I don’t need to tell you. Red Tide has overrun Madeira Beach and the Intracoastal, I turned around before I even got on the island
Thoughtful David
@Luthe: I probably will get around to doing that, but starting out this way.
p.a.
@david: TPM has an article from Thurs/Fri that Hispanic registration is not going well in Texas. (Not going well from the Democrats’, and democrats, point of view.)
Mnemosyne
@geg6:
The Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh has an exhibition of some of the props and sets from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Also an exhibition of the work of costume designer Ruth E. Carter called “Heroes and Sheroes,” which looks pretty cool:
https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/exhibits/mister-rogers-neighborhood
Another Scott
@jeffreyw: :-)
Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.
Ken
@Betty Cracker:
Unless the first step is “Pressure-inject the chicken pieces with the corn syrup,” it’s not going to be authentic.
West of the Rockies
@Betty Cracker:
That man is gross. That ugly patch of pubic hair on his swollen, angry face isn’t helping. Some woman mated with him on purpose?
p.a.
democrats’
Swear I had an edit function a few days ago.
thruppence
I’m hoping our term limited CO governor Hickenlooper challenges our current R senator Cory Gardner in 2020. Gardner occasionally makes independent noises, but votes in lockstep with the current one party rule regime. Hickenlooper has a pragmatic reputation for working with all sides to get things done.
NotMax
@Betty Cracker
Xmastime is coming.
Just sayin’.
Gelfling 545
@geg6: I am yearning for pot roast but tomorrow is my grandson’s birthday dinner and he has requested hot dogs. Sigh.
Humdog
@West of the Rockies: Multiple women mated with this evil twist. Multiple affairs cheating on his wife and family.
Blob fish Cruz found a wife as well, a woman who could have had other options.
Fellow women, we really need to raise our standards.
mad citizen
Thoughtful David, great idea and glad it sounds like you/we are doing it. Agree a shared sheet might be the way to go. And definitely a new name. Corruption to me is some kind of quid pro quo, not sexual failings, or even convictions of such. But all of those should be in the database. I can contribute several Indiana pols.
Recently the R atty general was accused of groping a few women at a party. Whole R party including Governor calling for him to resign. He refuses.
NotMax
Open Thread?
Saw it in the market and picked up a bottle of Best Foods (Hellman’s for you Easterners) ketchup on a whim.
Wouldn’t use it for everything (it’s sweetened with honey rather than sugar) but for cooking and sauces works darn well.
Comrade Colette Collaboratrice
The opportunity to make Cole cough up $50 for the awesome Kendra Fershee for Congress. Come on, jackals, we’re really close. Show John how much we love him!
germy
Jason Miller looks like if Ming the Merciless had a love child with Roseanne.
NotMax
@Gelfling 545
Enjoy the hot dogs as best you can and make the pot roast anyway. It is always better on the second and third days.
Another Scott
@Comrade Colette Collaboratrice: Donated++
Less than $200 to go…
Cheers,
Scott.
Gelfling 545
@Betty Cracker: I am only shocked by the fact that a human let him get close enough for insemination to occur.
jeffreyw
@Another Scott: My pleasure, sir.
West of the Rockies
@germy:
Bingo!
And then that spawn became a grade school bully and got just enough affirmation to believe he was all kinds of awesome.
Thoughtful David
@mad citizen:
Thanks. I will look into setting up a Google Docs sheet. May be a bit tricky getting other people access, since I don’t have your email address and you don’t have mine, but we can see about how to do it.
I’m open to changing the name, and even the criteria. I wish Al Franken weren’t on the list, as well; he shouldn’t have resigned, should have gotten the investigation and clearing that he warranted. But he did resign. If we’re going to look at this stuff, we can’t just give our side a pass. I’d still note that our side is doing pretty well, even with Franken on there. In my little preliminary list, it’s 15 R and 2 D, and I wasn’t specifically looking for Republican malfeasance.
So, how about naming it “Politician Impropriety Database”?
PJ
@Humdog: Low self esteem, an inability to live alone, and the belief that you have to be in a relationship with someone, anyone, now! are real issues for many people. Couple that with very poor judgment, deep-seated misogyny, and hatred of people who are not like you, and you have many of the women voting for Republicans.
Omnes Omnibus
@Thoughtful David: If you think he isn’t corrupt, then don’t put him on a list of corrupt politicians. If you mean pols who left office under a cloud of some kind, say that. Don’t call people corrupt if they are not.
Elizabelle
Happy first day of fall, jackals.
I think it is going to be a highly interesting one. Hope we get some local color too.
J R in WV
@Thoughtful David:
Don’t leave out whole Supreme Court Impeached for the win in WVa…
TaMara (HFG)
@NotMax: We got a free sample with our last mayonnaise purchase and I really liked it. I buy non-corn syrup ketchup now, which I think is less sweet. I’m with you, I like the flavor, the honey is a nice touch, but it is sweet.
Another Scott
ICYMI – MJ – The Many Mysteries of Brett Kavanaugh’s Finances.
Lots of questions that he hasn’t clearly answered.
(via Brad DeLong’s blog)
Cheers,
Scott.
West of the Rockies
@PJ:
Do you think s lot of Republican women are former mean girls?
I’d believe it. I think perhaps most Trump voters of any gender or race or creed are probably former/current bullies: under-informed and lacking humility or self-insight.
NotMax
@Elizabelle
While I understand why it is no longer so, ’tis still a shame that kids no longer get to experience that special aroma of burning leaves during autumn.
Marcopolo
@Mary G: First, thanks so much for joining in writing GOtV postcards. My postcard writing Indivisible St Louis (the vast majority of whom are seriously pissed off women) folks are the most fun group I’ve done political stuff with since my 2008 Obama neighborhood team.
Second, just to set things straight: it takes me approximately one hour to write 20 postcards. If I say I just finished 100 postcards that means either I just sat writing for 5 hours (probably not) or I had a bunch of postcards I had half-completed that I just finished up (more likely as I do all my addressing first, then write the message on the back usually at a later time).
Other than that I just got done knocking doors in west St Louis County for a labor backed Dem state house candidate. There’s a chance we flip the seat from R to D but as we get closer to the election I have decided to totally tamp down any expectations. I would love to say I am seeing increased signs of Dem enthusiasm at the doors I am knocking but not really. I really wish Eric Greitens was still MO governor–he got folks motivated. He only resigned on June 1 but with the average attention span & the introduction of the Trump news cycle that seems like news from the last century.
Kay
Here’s our minor star for state rep:
Don’t laugh- this is actually how he is. He’s a…pessimist. People really like him, though! We’re all sort of grim and wary too so maybe it’s a good fit :)
We’d be suspicious if he was too cheerful. You have to fit your district and MINE happens to be gloomy and constantly braced for disaster.
PJ
@West of the Rockies: Or people who were raised or conditioned by bullies until they’re like beaten dogs, and believe that Assholes should be given the power to continue the process. Most of the people think it’s good to be the Bully, and if they can’t be the Bully, they’ll be the Toady (e.g., Steven Miller). Christ, look at Chris Christie – he thought he was the Bully Republicans wanted, but when it turned out they wanted Trump, he was fine with being Trump’s shine boy. (No disrespect is intended towards actual shoe-shine persons, who perform a vital service, and whose work should not be diminished through association with venal assholes and their enablers.)
Betty Cracker
@The Pale Scot: I loathe pickles with all of my heart, but the recipe does call for marinating the fillets in pickle juice, and I’m going to do it. Fellow pickle-haters in comments under the recipe assure that it does not taste like pickles after it’s cooked.
WaterGirl
@Thoughtful David: I agree. Franken does not belong on your list. If he’s on it, you will turn off half your audience. Your list has to show some judgement about who to include.
Marcopolo
@maeve: So as someone who lived in AK for a decade in Fbnks, what the effing eff is going on in the Governor’s race? Was there some reason (barring oversized egos) that caused Begich to jump in/ that made it impossible for Ds to get behind Walker/Mallot for another term? Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. It’s the exact opposite of what allowed Tony Knowles to win election as a D twice in the 90s.
In other races, does Galvin have a chance against Young? I hope her campaign slogan is “45 years in Congress is plenty, bring Don Young home.”
Last but not least, are you in Anchorage & environs or somewhere else in the state?
WaterGirl
@Comrade Colette Collaboratrice: @Another Scott: Okay, between your cheerleading and Cole’s excitement, the three of you inspired me.
WaterGirl
@Thoughtful David: What Omnes said:
WaterGirl
@Betty Cracker: Betty, I imagine it’s like marinading in lemon juice, where there’s some sort of chemical reaction that makes it more tender.
bemused senior
@Thoughtful David: Have a look at Google Forms. It is a way to let other people provide data.
Marcopolo
@Kay: I was in NW Ohio last weekend taking my mom to her 67th HS reunion. Grim is a good descriptive word for what I experienced over 4 days. The town/county I was in has a fairly stagnant economy. We ate dinner one evening with some family friends who have three adult kids, none of whom saw any reason to return home after college to pursue careers–the closest is working in Cleveland.
The big economic development in the last ten years has been the placement of several wind energy farms in the county. According to a fellow who is on the county economic development board the company behind the wind farms wants to invest an additional $1 billion into more wind farms & solar fields there but the general reaction from the (older very white) residents tends more to anger over the turbines destroying their view. And they don’t seem particularly happy with the idea of there being 20-40 new wind turbine tech jobs, each paying around 100K/year, because that will just mess with the local economy/cost of living.
I did not see many campaign signs on my daily walks (most of them were for the local auditor’s race). No signs for Latta, Dewine or Renacci (sp). However there were two houses that each had 3 signs up for Sherrod, the Galbraith (D candidate for congress), and the local D state house candidate. Nothing for Cordray though. Speaking of Cordray, I guess Dewine is running a lot of ads that just outright lie about his positions? I had lunch with 2 cousins (white guys in their 60s who have traditionally been D leaning & live on the outskirts of Toledo) who apparently believed what the ads said about Cordray’s positions on drug offenders–I couldn’t believe what they were saying was true so googled it when I got home, found a number of articles, and emailed them back a link to one from the Dispatch. The reply I got was along the lines of “yeah, I see your point (which was not to believe shit they see/hear in campaign ads) but I still don’t like his (Cordray’s) position on Issue 1. I must admit I was a little surprised but their views/attitude. What a difference a decade makes.
Uncle Cosmo
@Elizabelle: First day of fall for jackals.
Nth day of fail for the Global Oligarchy Promoters.
Make it so!
Ella in New Mexico
@West of the Rockies: I’m always amazed at how the appearance of having money, power and access will get some women to mate with the most hideous of human males.
Ohio Mom
@Sister Golden Bear: Thanks for keeping us updated. From my limited experienced (having a cancerous breast loped off five years ago), recovering from surgery is a long slog.
Eventually, you’re better, and in retrospect, it is amazing that your body knits itself back together. But when you are living through it, it is an exercise in cultivating patience.
mad citizen
I’m on board for the database in whatever form. I had the same idea one day a few months back.
Bess
Google Sheets is a very good idea, IMHO. I’ve used Sheets and Docs on multiple shared projects. Automatic cloud storage and access from any device, pretty much everywhere, is great.
You can put a “contact me” email address on the page. Just set up a new email account that you use only for initial contacts.
Approved users can be limited to comment only, leaving you full editorial control if you think it best to maintain tight control (which is probably best). You can set the page so that anyone with the link can view.
How about separate pages for various offenses? A set of pages for state and local officials?
sgrAstar
@Thoughtful David: I’m uncomfortable with your criteria, David. In my state, for example, where venal electeds are blatantly, personally profiting from legislation they write and pass, none of them would make your list because the entire system is corrupt from top to bottom. Any list that includes Al Franken is casting way too broad a net, in my opinion.
Bobbo
I want to marry him and have babies with him. Catch up science!
Ruckus
@Gelfling 545:
Alcohol has been known to upset the visualization of objects.
Have no idea if that’s the case here.
There’s no accounting for taste in anything. Saw a bright pink Subaru WRX yesterday on the way home. It didn’t look any better to me than this guy does to you. And BTW he doesn’t look any better to me either.
Anotherlurker
@Omnes Omnibus: I was about to ask the same Question. Franken? Corrupt?
maeve
@Marcopolo:
I’m in Juneau – used to live in Sitka. I’m somewhat pissed that Begich stepped in – don’t like all of Walkers positions but they expanded medicare, etc. So although I would otherwise agree more with Begich (campaigned for him in 2006) am now somewhat torn and not sure how I’ll vote in Nov. (For those out of state – our current Gov is “i” and its a three way race.