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Right now, this does not look good for New Orleans, let's just hope the storm misses. Meanwhile, Gustave also threatens to "swamp" (drown out?) news about the Republican convention, scheduled to start on Monday - just as Gustav could be hitting New Orleans. As Bob Brigham at Calitics points out, "I doubt Republicans will change the program to talk about global warming and effective government and protecting America." I think that's a pretty solid assumption right there.
The Virginian-Pilot reports that Virginia's 2nd District Congresswoman, Thelma Drake, will address the Republican National Convention on Tuesday. She was named to the speakers' list for the opening night of the Convention.
We can't wait to see what Drake has to say, since lately her public campaigning has been limited to dodging TV cameras at private fundraisers and holding town halls for pre-screened supporters in remote areas. As a public speaker, Thelma has always been a pretty good real estate agent, so we hope she isn't intimidated by the big crowd. But given the number of prominent Republicans who are skipping the convention, she may be talking to empty seats.
Terry McAuliffe, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a key adviser to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY.) is considering running for governor of Virginia next year.
[...]
"I'm focused on this election, I am going full time for Senator Obama," said McAuliffe, who lives in McLean. "But I never rule anything out. ...Everyday is a new opportunity. I would like to be Pope if I could."
Terry McAuliffe for Governor of Virginia? Well, that would certainly liven things up for 2009 if nothing else. As to how it might affect the dynamics of the Democratic primary contest, my first reaction is that McAuliffe, who lives in McLean, would potentially cut into Brian Moran's Northern Virginia base. On the other hand, McAuliffe undoubtedly has hundreds of connections (political, financial, etc.) all over Virginia from his work in the Democratic Party, which could adversely affect Creigh Deeds as well. Hard to say. What do you think?
Something has been lost in the debate about road funding in Richmond. Forgive me for sounding like an arugula-eating elitist here, but the massive environmental benefits of public transportation aside, there's just something nice about taking the train. You can sip your coffee, read the paper, get work done on your laptop, whatever. May take a little longer, may cost a little more, but in these times of traffic tie-ups and road ragers, you're buying some sanity.
So as we get ready to welcome our new vice presidential candidate onto the ticket, let's hear it for a man who gets it:
Biden's been commuting from this station to his job in the Senate, and back again, for more than 30 years, an hour and a quarter each way. The Obama campaign and everyone covering it have been talking up this fact a ton since Obama's veep-pick announcement Saturday. As a metaphor, the daily train commute works for the Democrats in a number of ways. Joe Biden: the old Washington hand who gets out of Washington each night. Joe Biden: man of the people. Joe Biden: committed father and husband. [...]
Most often in recent years, Biden has taken the No. 2103, which leaves Wilmington at 7:35 a.m. and pulls into Union Station -- barring delays -- at 8:55 a.m. (Amtrak has become a recurring character in the hearings Biden participates in. "Gentlemen, I apologize," he told a Judiciary Committee hearing in 1996 when he showed up late. "One of those things that I keep telling my colleagues: If they fully funded Amtrak, I would not be late. [Pause.] And some suggest that's why they don't fully fund Amtrak.")
The whole article is well worth reading. John McCain has been jetting from house to house, appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno thirteen times, and hosting embarassing parties so star reporters can ride his tire swing. Joe Biden has been riding the train and hosting retirement parties for the conductors. It's quite a contrast.
Reg Weaver has seen it all. As president of the 3.2 million-member National Education Association (NEA) -- the nation's largest professional employee organization, Reg and the NEA are constantly under siege by the forces of the right.
"The biggest bashers want to bash unions", he tells me, "but they never talk about resources. They never talk about what they're taking away from kids."
As a middle school science teacher and 30-year classroom veteran, Weaver has been a lifelong advocate for quality public schools. "Teachers need tools and resources. They're doing a great job but we need to fight for quality education for every kid." That's a battle, because the right-wing is constantly gunning for Teachers.
Still, there's hope. "We'll win this because of good practice and good policies and because we have to make sure that every kid in America can get a good education."
Virginia's Youngest Delegate, Bridgit Donnelly, is at the heart of the ground game that could deliver the White House for Barack Obama. The spritely, smiling, clear-eyed volunteer coordinator for the Fairfax Coordinated campaign, Bridgit is fired up! "...we're ready in Fairfax, we're going to deliver."
When she first heard Barack Obama speak at a rally for Jim Webb in 2006, her life changed for good.
After listening to Bush for 4 years, it was so inspiring to hear someone talk about getting young people involved. Like a lot of others, I really took it to heart.
Bridgit herself can be very inspiring. The story of how she earned her spot as a Delegate in Denver has become legend. Fellow 8th CD delegate and grassroots volunteer Chrisi West tells the story.
The Governor's Commission on Climate Change is supposedly charged with advising the state government on how Virginia should tackle global warming.
The Commission is meeting in Richmond this evening (details below the fold) to hold their latest public hearing where they are taking comments on how to reach their goals.
Unfortunately, the Governor's current plan calls for a mere 30% reduction of greenhouse gas emissionsfrom what they would otherwise be by 2025. That shady language translates into an actual reduction of only about 7% below today's emissions. And this measly goal is what the Commission is charged with meeting.
Check out "There's more"-ville to get details on how to attend.
From Harold Meyerson's otherwise lame column about Obama and America's anger problems called, Can He Be a Working-Class Hero?:
The unions will rely heavily on one-on-one meetings that shop stewards and local leaders hold with their members. "We'll have to fight with our own members on this," public employee union President Jerry McEntee, who also chairs the AFL-CIO's political committee, said at Sunday's rally. "We've got to say to our Appalachian members who say they can't vote for him, he's black -- we gotta tell them that's [expletive]!
I appreciate this sentiment from Mr. McEntee that racism is "[expletive]!". However, this tired narrative that "Appalachia is more racist than the rest of America" is as false as it ever was...
I've already posted video of Hillary Clinton's and Mark Warner's speeches last night. Here are some other highlights from Tuesday in Denver. I thought Gov. Brian Schweitzer particularly rocked, how about you?
For those of us who are big fans (not!) of former Allen for Senate campaign manager Dick Wad(hams), this is a classic on par with trying to claim that George Allen REALLY said "mohawk" or "caca," not "macaca."
Wow -- a leading Republican appears to have just inadvertently admitted that the GOP's spin machine set up to counter Barack Obama during the convention is a propaganda machine spewing nothing but lies.
The GOPer in question is Colorado GOP chairman Dick Wadhams, who accidentally made the admission when describing the GOP's war room in Denver set up to hammer Obama during convention week.
Wadhams described the GOP's outfit thusly to the Denver Post: "Just consider this the Ministry of Truth."
Um, as anybody who has ever read George Orwell knows, the Ministry of Truth exists to disseminate false propaganda about how great the ruling regime is, continuously rewriting both history and the present-day facts in order to maintain total control over the population.
According to Wikipedia, the Ministry of Truth "is one of the four ministries that govern Oceania in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four," with slogans like "War is Peace," "Freedom is Slavery," and "Ignorance is Strength" on the outside wall. Wikipedia's entry adds:
The Ministry of Truth is involved with news media, entertainment, the fine arts and educational books. Its purpose is to rewrite history and change the facts to fit party doctrine, for propaganda effect.
Rewrite history? "Involved with news media?" Change the facts to fit party doctrine? Does that sound like the Bush Administration (and the Republican Party more broadly) on issues ranging from global warming (sorry, don't like that study by the experts, rewrite it to suit Big Oil) to Iraq (WMD, supposed ties between Saddam and Al Qaeda) to science (e.g., stem cell research, evolution) to torture (it's not REALLY torture unless we SAY it's torture)? Speaking of the latter, I wonder if Faux News (or right-wing talk radio) would constitute "Room 101" for any sane American in this analogy?
With Hillary's historic call for purpose, determination and unity tonight, this convention has concluded its second overwhelmingly successful broadcast day.
If the goal of the first day was to introduce the Obamas as a family and put a final nail in the pitiful right-wing delusion/smear of "they're not like us", then mission accomplished. And after Hillary's magnificent performance tonight, possibly her best ever, the last vestiges of intraparty conflict, and more importantly the media myth of intraparty conflict, are going the way of the dodo.
So now we move into Day 3, the purpose of which must be to lay out the powerful and dramatic attacks which will undo the McCain machine and leave conservatism on the scrapheap of history.
As Sun Tsu said in the greatest military document ever written, The Art of War, "Know thy enemy and know thyself and you shall face a thousand battles without disaster." My battle plan for Kicking Ass in the tradition of Sun Tsu, below the fold.
Chelsea's introduction, short and sweet. Intro video... awesome!
The crowd loves her so much that they won't let her start!
I'm here as a proud mother, as a proud Democrat, as a proud Senator from New York, a proud American, and a proud supporter of Barack Obama.
It is time to take back the country we love. Whether you voted for me, or you voted for Barack, it is time now time to unite as a single party with a single purpose.
None of us can afford to sit on the sidelines. This is a fight for the future and it is a fight we must win together. I haven't spent the last 35 years in the trenches, fighting for children, advocating for universal health care, and fighting for women's rights, to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of a country that fulfills the hopes of it's people. And you haven't fought for the last 18 months or suffered through the last 8 years.
No way. No how. No McCain.
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A few points:
1. Hillary put out a historic call for unity. Not just for her delegates, but also for the American people.
2. Hillary called out those resistant to Obama - "Did you do this just for me?" This is bigger than any cult of personality, and nothing is worth 4 more years of McBush. Her "Twin cities crack" is genius.
3. Democrats LOVE Hillary. Her call to keep going! keep going! keep going! was incredibly powerful. Don't stop now, and don't lose track of what's important.
Since he's been making the interview rounds over the last two days talking about his speech, nobody should be surprised that Mark Warner's speech focused on bipartisanship. There's been some talk about how that's a little out of place at the Democratic National Convention, but I tend to think it was a really good move. Obviously we want to make it clear why John McCain shouldn't be our next president, but let me briefly explain why I think the talk of bipartisanship was a good idea.
I was prepared for "post-partisanship" from Mark Warner, and we certainly got some of that. But we also got lines like "it won't be won with a President who is stuck in the past." Excellent stuff, nice job by "his excellency." :)
P.S. I watched the speech with Chap Petersen, Jon Bowerbank, and a bunch of great Democrats out at Uptown Sushi Bar and Grill in Fairfax.
Prepared Remarks of Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner
August 26, 2008
Democratic National Convention
Denver, Colorado
My fellow Democrats. My fellow Americans. The most important contest of our generation has begun.
Not the campaign for the Presidency. Not the campaign for Congress. But the race for the future. And I believe from the bottom of my heart with the right vision, the right leadership, and the energy and creativity of the American people, there is no nation that we can't out hustle or out compete. And no American need be left out or left behind.
Yes, the race for the future is on, and it won't be won if only some Americans are in the running. It won't be won with yesterday's ideas and yesterday's divisions. And it won't be won with a President who is stuck in the past.
We need a President who understands the world today, the future we seek, and the change we need. We need Barack Obama as the next President of the United States.
In the midst of this amazing convention, it's very much worth noting that the DNC has done an amazing job of welcoming the Bloggers. While we've only been given one press credential, that credential offers amazing access. A "floor" pass puts you on the actual floor, with the delegates. Plus, a special "blogger lounge" with ethernet access (more reliable than wi-fi), plenty of space, even a sofa. Pretty amazing. There's a system for bloggers to request one-on-one interviews with principles. I didn't get mine, but it was nice of them to put in a request. On top of all that, a very hospitable DNC volunteer took us for a quick tour backstage and to the back of the podium.
I must hand it to the Obama campaign: they know how to kick off a convention. Positive emotion for change not only jibes best with the Obama's core message, it's also the best first step forward for introducing the candidate and his family to the nation.
To that end, I agree with Sullivan and Markos, who disagree with Begala, about the lack of hard punches last night. Monday was to introduce the Obamas as a family unit to the nation. You don't do that on the same night as any major negative broadsides. Some subtle jabs (see Pelosi's speech) are okay, but the vicious red meat stuff can't co-exist with a "meet my wife and kids" rollout (not to mention the emotional Kennedy appearance).
There will be some attacks at the right moments this week (my guess: Hillary and Biden). There will also be moments where bipartisanship and oneness will be stressed (my guess: Warner and Obama). Everything has a time and place, and the real viciousness against McCain will start after the convention.
Delegate Bob Brink (D-People's Republic of Arlington), who was also elected as a Delegate to the DNC from the 8th District, has some amazing reports from Denver up on his blog 7-West (which include YouTube videos that Bob taped and uploaded himself (NO JOKE)!!!!!). I encourage everyone to check them out.
PS: Delegate Kris Amundson, although pictured, unfortunately is not in Denver with us :(
The Virginian-Pilot reports that Virginia's 2nd District Congresswoman, Thelma Drake, will address the Republican National Convention on Tuesday. She was named to the speakers' list for the opening night of the Convention.
Reg Weaver
For those of us who are big fans (not!) of former Allen for Senate campaign manager Dick Wad(hams), 
With Hillary's historic call for purpose, determination and unity tonight, this convention has concluded its second overwhelmingly successful broadcast day.
I was prepared for "post-partisanship" from Mark Warner, and we certainly got some of that. But we also got lines like "it won't be won with a President who is stuck in the past." Excellent stuff, nice job by "his excellency." :)
Delegate Bob Brink (D-People's Republic of Arlington), who was also elected as a Delegate to the DNC from the 8th District, 
