Babblemur & Akaoni Power Hour!

From Ballot Access News:

The Minnesota legislature has passed HF 3986 and SF 3642, identical bills that say, “During the 2008 Republican National Convention, holders of an on-sale liquor license may remain open and may serve alcohol until 4 a.m. each day.” The Republican National Convention is in Minneapolis and St. Paul this year. The bill only applies to that part of the state, and is repealed effective September 8. The normal bar-closing hour in Minnesota is 2 a.m.

It should be interesting at 4 a.m. when the GOP and the Protesters are throwing them down.

I’m imagining something like this:

If the Presidential race is boring you, keep in mind that there are 33 US Senate races, and 435 House seats up for election this year, and some of these look like they will be fun fun fun!

In the US Senate, Democrats are defending 10 seats, while Republicans are defending 23 seats, several of which are open seats due to retirements or death. Typically the power of incumbency keeps seats in the same party’s hands, but this year a handful of Senators could be facing some tough challenges. The Senate currently has 49 Republicans, 49 Democrats, and 2 Independents who caucus with the Dems, giving them razor thin control. This year favors the Democrats and it is likely that they may extend their majority in the Senate. Will they rise above the “filibuster line” of 60? Not likely.

I would consider the following ten races to be the closest, with a real possibility of changing hands. One is held by a Democrat, the other nine by Republicans:

• Louisiana – Democrat Mary Landrieu is going to have a tough time holding her seat in post-Katrina Louisiana. Tens of thousands of traditionally Democratic voters have been displaced across the nation, opening the door for a Republican challenge. But the Republican challenging her is State Treasurer John Kennedy, a former Democrat who jumped ship to the Republican Party. He’s fiscally conservative but socially liberal and may not motivate Louisiana Republicans. Still this is probably the only Senate seat the Republicans could pick up. TOSS UP.
• Virginia – [Open Seat] 30 year Senator John Warner is retiring. Virginia may be the easiest Democratic pick up as popular former Governor Mark Warner will likely take on former Governor (and former Presidential candidate) Jim Gilmore. This will be a great race to watch. Watch out for Macaca! TOSS UP
• Colorado – [open seat] Republican Wayne Allard retired, opening up a Purple State in Red-Blue America. Democrats are putting up Congressman Mark Udall, the Republicans are putting up former Congressman Bob Schaffer. Polling is even between these two. Two more names will be appearing on the ballot, Bob Kinsey (Green Party), a retired teacher, Vet, and Peace Activist; and Buddy Moore (Independent), a Ski Patrolman. TOSS UP.
• New Mexico – [open seat] Republican Pete Domenici is retiring, and all three US House members from New Mexico want his seat. Republicans Heather Wilson (CD1) and Steve Pearce (CD2) shoot it out on one side, while Democrat Tom Udall (first cousin of Colorado Senate candidate Mark Udall) awaits the winner. Teacher Zach Boatman (Independent) is also in the race. TOSS UP
• New Hampshire – John Sununu has a problem. He’s a Republican in New England. He has another problem, former Governor Jeanne Shaheen is taking him on for his Senate seat. Throw in Libertarian Ken Blevens and Independent Shawn Girard and this will be a great race to watch. TOSS UP.
• Minnesota – Norm Coleman, who narrowly defeated Walter Mondale in 2002 (who was pinch hitting for Paul Wellstone after his death), will now likely face comedian Al Franken to hold his seat. Both have millions of bucks in the bank to spend on this race. Michael Cavlan, a nurse, is running for the seat for the Green Party. Race leans Republican.
• Alaska – Republican Ted Stevens deals with corruption charges but who doesn’t these days. Last month Mark Begich, Democrat and Mayor of Anchorage, announced he is entering the race to challenge Stevens. Begich could make this race closer than it was before. It still Leans Republican
• Maine – Susan Collins is a moderate Republican. Her challenger from the Democrats is Congressman Tom Allen. Both have several million dollars in the bank. Collins could fall victim to identification with the Bush Party but on the other hand she is very appealing to moderate Republicans and Maine has got a lot of those. Independents Laurie Dobson and Herb Hoffman are also in the race. Leans Republican.
• Oregon – Gordon Smith always has a tough time as a Republican in Oregon, but has made it 12 years as the Senator. He has two Democrats fighting for the nomination to take him on and they are slinging mud at each other. Jeff Merkley is the current speaker of the Oregon House, Steve Novick is an activist and former DOJ environmental attorney. Oregon will pick a Democrat on May 20. Independent John Frohnmayer is also in the race. Leans Republican.
• Mississippi (2) – [Open Seat] Trent Lott retired. The Governor appointed Republican Congressman Roger Wicker to fill the seat until November, giving him a year of incumbency. He is being challenged by former Governor Ronnie Musgrove, whose name recognition should do him well. However, it still Leans Republican

(Continued)

9/11 Truth champion Kevin Barrett is running for Congress as a Libertarian against Democrat Ron Kind in Wisconsin’s 3rd District.

Barrett was the center of a media frenzy in 2006 when he was an adjunct Instructor at UW Madison. Claims that he was teaching that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job orchestrated by the US Government led to calls for his termination and bad publicity for the University.

Kevin Barrett was brought to UW Oshkosh in October of 2006 by the Campus Greens to speak about Academic Freedom and Censorship, which led to a local media frenzy and an anti-Barrett “rally and prayer vigil” by the College Republicans. His speech followed a presentation of the documentary Loose Change 2 to a sold out theater at Reeve Union.
His campaign website is here: http://barrettforcongress.us/

See past Kevin Barrett coverage on Babblemur by clicking here.
ht/Third Party Watch

Kat Swift is running for President seeking the Green Party nomination. She was born in Louisiana but lives now in San Antonio Texas. She will be 35 in June. She has been a Green Party activist in Texas (and Nationally) for over 8 years, and most recently ran for City Council in San Antonio in 2007 against a very well connected and well funded wife of a former Mayor. She won 30% of the vote with very few resources.

Two interesting YouTube documentaries out there can do a better job than I of introducing Kat Swift.

The first is a video made for a “My Political Story” contest for WGBH, and features Kat Swift dressed as Wonder Woman. (Beat that, Hillary Clinton!)

The second video was made from an interview with Kat Swift at the 2007 GPUS Convention in Reading, PA, and covers more issues and positions:

Of the four candidates seeking the Green Party Nomination Kat is currently fourth in delegates but the delegate selection is just getting off the ground. The current delegate totals (per GPUS) for those four candidates are: Cynthia McKinney 157, Kent Mesplay 19, Jesse Johnson 17, Kat Swift 14. There are 836 delegates to the GPUS convention in Chicago July 10-13. 475 of those delegates have yet to be determined.

Kat Swift’s website here

Kissing Suzi Kolber nails it:

Chris: Isn’t this election just like a great FOOTBALL GAME? I mean, like a great knockdown, drag-out football game, where people are hitting each other really hard and really going at it? Don’t you think it’s just like a football game?

Howard: Not really, no.

Chris: I think it’s just like a football game, I really do. It reminds me of, you know, going to the stadium and seeing two teams just BATTLE back and forth. Only now we’re in OVERTIME! Isn’t it just like an OVER TIME FOOTBALL GAME?

Howard: Again, no. Football is an athletic contest played on a field whose outcome is determined by some combination of physical skill and good luck. This is a presidential primary election, whose outcome hinges on grass roots organization and effective if sometimes duplicitous PR and ad campaigns. It’s, you know, totally different.

Chris: Yeah, but can’t you just see Obama as the cocky young quarterback, who isn’t favored to win, but finds himself with a giant lead at the half? Only now he’s just trying to hang onto that lead, while the original favorite storms back and makes him sweat a little? Huh? I think he’s just like that. Don’t you think he’s like a football UNDERDOG here? A football underdog who kinda becomes the favorite, only to slip a little and therefore regain his underdog status? Isn’t he kinda like a slightly favored underdog?

Howard: What?

Chris: And can’t you see Hillary Clinton as the savvy veteran coach over on the other sideline? And she’s been through THE WARS! I mean, she’s seen it all! And now this young upstart throws her off at the beginning, so now she has to use all her wiles to get her team back in it? Don’t you think? You know, I think she’s just like Weeb Ewbank!

Howard: I don’t really see the connection.

Chris: I mean, isn’t this just FASCINATING! I think it is absolutely FASCINATING! The twists. The turns. Just a RIVETING five months. Don’t you think?

Howard: No, not really. I think many people found it interesting the first week or so, but would now happily mash their testicles in a garlic press rather than have this god-awful slog carry on one excruciating day longer.

Chris: It IS great, isn’t it? Say, don’t you think Obama supporters are just like Jacksonville Jaguars fans? I mean, they’re new to the whole football-slash-politics thing, BUT THEY LOVE IT! Then reality sets in a bit, and they kind of have to weather the storm. And they say, “Hey wait a second! This isn’t fair!” But then they figure it out it’s just HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED! Don’t you think Barack Obama is just like David Garrard?

Howard: Who?

via. Balloon Juice

Back by popular demand, more Pepe Deluxe. Again, a video that rivals the amazing song itself.

For fun, try watching the video with the sound off. Then listen to the song without watching the video. Then watch the video with the sound on. This is an example of: “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts”, meaning this song and video combined, is awesome.

For the past several election cycles Democrats have derided Republican-style politics as little more than a dirty, distracting exercise in fear-mongering and identity politics.  One of the most effective tactics has been to paint the Democratic candidate as an effete coward, someone who couldn’t be trusted to be commander-in-chief of the largest military in the world, especially during this Pivotal Time In American History when THE TERRORISTS were threatening to invade THE HOMELAND and force our women to wear headscarves and pray to Allah.  Democrats would commiserate with each other, claiming that Republicans choose these tactics because they would lose if they were forced to debate real issues.  Well, as we’ve seen over the past six weeks this sort of thing isn’t confined to the Right, and Clinton’s campaign to destroy Obama and critically wound the Democratic Party may have reached an all time low during the past few days.  Clinton’s new campaign theme, in quotes from her surrogates:

• Last Tuesday, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley gave the following inspiring endorsement of Clinton:  “We’ve heard alot of ‘yes we can’ and ‘yes we should’ goin’ around.  Hillary Clinton is ready to deliver, that’s the difference, she’s ready to deliver today!  And I’ll tell ya this, I’ve been accused of being persistent, and downright aggrivating.  But, this lady right here [Clinton] makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy!”  To which the audience cheered and laughed while Clinton smiled and nodded her head.  Um, in case there is any confusion on the subject, “pansy” is basically a still-acceptable way of saying “faggot.”
• The following day, Paul Gipson, a union leader, expanded on the theme, first by slamming “Gucci-wearing, Latte-drinking, self-centered, egotistical people that have damaged our lifestyle,” (e.g. “pansies”), and then by going on to give the following endorsement of Clinton as the person best equipt to address the problems with NAFTA:  “Well, you know what, then I truely believe that that is going to take an individual that has testicular fortitude, that’s exactly right, that’s what we got to have!”
• A couple of days later, Carville responded to Obama picking up additional superdelegates as follows:  “A super-delegate commitment and four bucks will get you a cup of coffee at the Ritz-Carlton. . . . Everything that’s happened to [Obama] is not because of [Clinton].  She hasn’t laid much of a glove on him other than just being there. . . . If she gave him one of her cojones, they’d both have two.”
• Finally, today, we have Terry McAuliffe, bringing the theme home:  “She loves to sit, throw ‘em back.  So to me this is nothin’ new.  We all hear about the story that she and John McCain actually had a shot contest, I think in the Ukraine or somewhere around the world.  And she actually beat John McCain in a shot contest.  She’s a girl from Illinois who likes to throw ‘em down with the rest of us!”

No, I can honestly say that I hadn’t heard about the infamous Ukraine-sponsored Clinton-McCain drinking contest.  Seriously?  Shots?  Hillary Clinton likes to “throw ‘em down?”  Well, shit, I guess Obama should really just run his little, pansy ass back to the madrassa, then.  There is really nothing to say about this new Clinton Campaign theme besides, well, WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?  We really have entered the twilight zone at this point, but it comes on the heels of so much other absurd crap that it almost seems normal.  I’ll just leave you with Obama’s response:

Well, James Carville is well-known for spouting off his mouth without always knowing what he is talking about.  And I intend on staying focused on fighting for the American people because what they don’t need is 20 more years of performance art on television.  And that’s what James Carville and a lot of these folks are expert at . . . a lot of talk and not getting things done for the American people.

Is that the best Obama can do?  Pansy.

Time for an update to the Facebook Politics series. The last check was on April 21, where we found Obama with a commanding lead in supporters over everyone else on the planet. Two weeks later we see some interesting action but no change in the leader board.

Biggest increase in supporter numbers: Obama added 26,464 supporters in the last two weeks, compared to McCain (+6,873) and Clinton (+6,000). Ralph Nader picked up 286 more fans, Cynthia McKinney (Green) 97 more, Bob Barr (Libertarian) +91, and Mike Gravel (currently seeking Libertarian nomination) +81.

Add/Drop: I dropped Alan Keyes from the list after he lost his bid for the Constitution Party nomination, and added Chuck Baldwin, who won the Constitution Party nomination. Baldwin starts at the bottom of the list with 20 supporters, 16 shy of Michael Jingozian who is seeking the Libertarian nomination.

Biggest percent increase in supporter numbers: The third party candidates get the edge here due to their smaller numbers. Socialist Brian Moore increased his support by 32% (from 75 to 99), followed by Micheal Jingozian (Lib) who jumped 29% (from 28 to 36), and Bob Barr (Lib) who increased his support by 22% (from 419 to 510). These three were followed by Kat Swift (Green) at 15%, Mary Ruwart (Lib) at 12.5%, Wayne Allyn Root (Lib) at 9.9%, Cynthia McKinney at 8%, Ralph Nader at 7.5%, and Steve Kubby at 6.25%. Among the two corporate parties, McCain grew by 5.98%, Clinton by 4.05%, and Obama by 3.64%.

And now the run down: (Candidate, Party, current supporters, change from two weeks ago, percent change)

1. Barack Obama (Dem) 809,569 / +28,464 / 3.64%
2. Hillary Clinton (Dem) 154,200 / +6,000 / 4.05%
3. John McCain (Rep) 121,767 / +6,873 / 5.98%
4. Mike Gravel (Lib) 9,021 / +81 / 0.91%
5. Ralph Nader (Ind) 4,056 / +286 / 7.59%
6. Cynthia McKinney (Grn) 1,300 / +97 / 8.06%
7. Bob Barr (Lib) 510 / +91 / 21.72%
8. Wayne Allyn Root (Lib) 356 / +32 / 9.88%
9. George Phillies (Lib) 257 / +2 / 0.78%
10. Brian Moore (Socialist) 99 / +24 / 32.00%
11. Mary Ruwart (Lib) 81 / +9 / 12.50%
12. Steve Kubby (Lib) 51 / +3 / 6.25%
13. Kat Swift (Grn) 46 / +6 / 15.00%
14. Micheal Jingozian (Lib) 36 / +8 / 28.57%
15. Chuck Baldwin (Con) 20 / New / New

Does this tell us anything interesting at all? 1. Obama is the God of Facebook; 2. McCain is keeping up with Clinton; 3. Nader is movin’ on up (and if Gravel doesn’t get the Libertarian nod Nader will be at the top of the “alternative” candidate list); 4. Cynthia McKinney & Bob Barr are pulling in new supporters, over 40 a week, as their campaigns get off the ground and get moving.
I’ll go out on a limb here and suggest that this may reflect the November results this year: Democrat, Republican, Nader, Libertarian, Green, Constitution, Socialist - although the Libertarian and Green finishes might flip flop depending a lot on who gets the Lib nomination.

Theme song for Howard Dean’s new 50 State Strategy? - No!

Possibly the best music video ever made, Finnish Electronica Rockers Pepe Deluxe. This Rocks hard. Finland Hard.

The original “pole dancing” - May Pole Dancing at Winterborne Strickland Fete 2006:

And a brief history of the origins of May Day / International Workers Day in America - born from the Haymarket Massacre in Chicago in 1886, when a workers rights rally devolved into a riot and a massacre. It is considered the birth of the weekend and the 8 hour work day. From Democracy Now (2006):

Happy May Day!

From Third Party Watch, Zogby International has a survey out April 28 with hypothetical four way match ups that include Ralph Nader (Ind) and Bob Barr (Lib - who hasn’t received the nomination yet). The results show Obama over McCain, but McCain over Clinton:

The survey included 7,653 likely voters nationwide and carries a margin of error of +/- 1.1 percentage points.

General Election Match-ups

McCain 44%
Clinton 34%
Nader 3%
Barr 4%
Not sure/someone else 16%

General Election Match-ups
McCain 42%
Obama 45%
Nader 1%
Barr 3%
Not sure/someone else 8%

I’d love to assume that those “someone else”s might be voting Green Party… but what is interesting is that if Obama isn’t the nominee the “not sure” numbers double, but if Obama is the nominee Nader’s support is halved. McCain’s numbers stay pretty consistent.

From our friends at the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign:

Madison - Well over half of members of the current Wisconsin Legislature are either actively or passively cultivating political corruption and helping special interests control state government by resisting reforms that would put ordinary citizens in the driver’s seat and restore the state’s reputation for clean and open government, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis shows.

Support for democracy reform among legislators in both houses was measured by analyzing four roll call votes in the Senate and four in the Assembly. Whether legislators sponsored any of six reform proposals also was taken into consideration. Lawmakers were awarded a full point for each reform measure they voted for, and got a half-point for each bill they sponsored. As a result, the point scale goes from zero to a possible high score of seven.

So who came out as “Democracy’s Defenders”?

• Gary Hebl, AD46
• Gordon Hintz AD54
• Terese Berceau AD76
• Spencer Black AD77
• Mark Pocan AD78
• David Travis AD81
• John Lehman SD21
• Fred Risser SD26
• Jon Erpenbach SD27

How did our Winnebago Land area legislators do (other than Gordon)?

Public Enemies:

• John Townsend AD52
• Carol Owens AD53

Bystanders:

• Carol Roessler SD18

Note: Roessler and Owens are retiring.

The original Akaoni & Babblemur, circa 1988, at a Mad Hatter Tea Party:

ht/facebook & the past

By the way - isn’t that a framed picture of Cthuhlu in the background?

Juxtapose that with this from around 1992:

The Constitution Party held its Presidential Nominating Convention this weekend in Kansas City and nominated 2004 Vice Presidential candidate Chuck Baldwin for President over GOP defector Alan Keyes, Max Rieske, Dan Imperato, and Susan Ducey.

Many were expecting the high profile and controversial Alan Keyes to take the nomination after joining the party only two weeks prior but instead the Christian Conservative political party went with insider Baldwin.

Chuck Baldwin is a pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Florida, hosts a weekly radio program, was involved with the Florida Moral Majority, and ran in 2004 as Michael Peroutka’s VP on the Constitution Party ticket. Baldwin has been an outspoken critic of the Bush Administration.

Baldwin, in a piece called “Only a Miracle Can Save America Now”:

Let’s be clear: a John McCain Presidency will be no better than a Hillary Clinton or a Barack Obama Presidency. In fact, in many ways, a McCain White House will be WORSE than a Democratic one.

On many issues, there is virtually no distinction between John McCain and any potential Democratic candidate. John McCain is no friend to gun owners. He is no friend to pro-lifers. He is no friend to fiscal conservatives. He is no friend to property owners. He is no friend to “family values” voters. He is no friend to America’s blue-collar workers. He is no friend to small business owners. He is no friend to opponents of illegal immigration.

On the other hand, John McCain is a great friend to Big Business. Similarly, he is a friend to Big Government and Big Brother. He is also a friend to open borders, supranational government, regionalism, and American imperialism.

[. . . ]

I am convinced that only a miracle can save America now. And I am expecting God to grant such a miracle. Beyond that, I am willing to do my part to place myself in a position to let God use my voice and my vote to accomplish this miracle. And if that means voting for someone who “has no chance of winning” in order to let God take the glory for whatever victory results, it is the least I can do. So, who will join me?

You can check out the state by state results of the Constitution Party vote here. Baldwin defeated Keyes 383.8 to 125.7, with the other 6.5 votes going to the three other candidates.

When I arrived at my office today I was a bit perplexed when I received an email from Al Gore encouraging me to donate money to the campaign of Leonard Boswell (D-IA).  Why am I perplexed by Gore supporting the longtime Democratic Representative from the third district of Iowa (greater Des Moines area)?  That’s actually not a difficult question to answer.

First, consider this small sample of votes made by Boswell in the last few years:

• He voted “yes” with the GOP for the Military Commissions Act, which immunized CIA officers from prosecution for torture and which explicitly denied Habeas Corpus rights to those declared “enemy combatants” by the Bush Administration.
• He voted “yes” with the GOP for the Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act, which explicitly endorsed the Bush Administration’s warrantless electronic surveillance program.
• He voted “yes” with the GOP for the Secure Fence Act of 2006.  He had previously voted with the GOP on all of recently proposed illegal-immigration-related legislation.
• He voted “yes” with the GOP on House Resolution 861, which pledged support for the War in Iraq and rejected a timetable for withdrawal (vote recorded on June 16, 2006, so no “excuses” about faulty intelligence allowed).  He voted for the war and has, until very recently (he is in a contested primary campaign), always voted in support of the war.
• He voted “yes” with the GOP on the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which gave huge tax breaks to oil companies in order to “spur innovation,” but which actually just resulted in windfall profits (while gas prices continue to rise).
• He voted “yes” to the 2005 proposal to enact a Constitutional amendment that banned desecration of the American flag.
• Perhaps more importantly, at least for Gore, is that Boswell has less than a stellar record on environmental issues (for a Democrat).  Boswell has a lifetime rating of 57% from the League of Conservation Voters, although his rating for the last session was 75% (remember, contested primary campaign).  He has voted against CAFE standards, for more offshore drilling, and has explicitly supported building new coal-fired power plants in Iowa, remarking that the future of electricity generation is tied to coal.

Second, consider who is challanging Boswell in the third district: Ed Fallon, who has been on the frontlines of fighting to protect the environment during his entire career.  There really can be no honest dispute that Fallon is much better on environmental issues.  I won’t belabor the point but will instead point you to this press release by the Fallon campaign.  No impartial observer would contest Fallon’s commitment to enviromental protection, or, for that matter, Boswell’s patchy history on the issue.

So why is Gore supporting Boswell?  Well, here’s what the email says:  “ I will never forget traveling across Iowa back in 1999 and 2000 during my presidential campaign with Leonard and his wife, Dody, joining Tipper and me.  Few people fought as hard for me as Leonard did.  From our very first bus trip until election night — every step of the way, he was right there beside me . . .”

In other words, in this case the environment apparently takes a back seat to cronyism.  Very disappointing.  I was unsuccessful in finding a link to an email address where people could express their disapproval of Gore’s endorsement.  Maybe some Iowa bloggers will help push back against this endorsement.

Update:  Century of the Common Iowan examines a Boswell mailer that inexplicably blames Fallon for the Iraq War due to his support for Nader in 2000, despite the fact that Boswell voted for the war and has continually voted to give Bush whatever he has wanted since that vote!!!  Despicable.