Monday, December 29, 2008

Tell Obama to Push for Single-Payer Health Care

Dear PNHP Members and Friends,

Please use the Obama web site to vote your support for the
single-payer position. The Obama transition team is soliciting
questions from the public via their web site. Visitors may "vote" for
the best questions, which will then be responded to by the Obama team.

As of this writing, single-payer questions have been voted #2 and #3
under the "health care" section. Please help us vote them to the top
and send a strong message to the Obama team and the new Congress that
the American public favors single payer, not incremental band-aids.

http://change.gov/openforquestions

In addition, we encourage you to submit your own questions which will
highlight the inadequacies of the Obama proposal. Sample questions are
reprinted below the instructions which follow:

________________________________

Instructions for Voting / Submitting Questions

1. Visit http://change.gov/openforquestions

2. Click the small "Sign In" text on the right-hand side of the
screen. Sign-in with your email and password on the right. (If you
haven't signed-in before, just fill out the short form on the left.)

3. Under "pick a topic" on the left-hand side of the screen, click
"health care."

4. Questions will appear in a box in the middle. Skip the large
question in the blue box and scroll down. Immediate below the large
blue question will be leading questions. Two excellent ones should be
near the top:

"We all recognize the insurance industry is the problem, not lack of
insurance--what are you going to do about getting single payer
(government) health care, as other progressive countries throughout
the industrialized world have done?"

"What are the obstacles to implementing the single-payer health care
used in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia? With a growing
number of unemployed or underemployed in 2009, will your
administration work towards single-payer as a goal?"

(Note: More good questions may have appeared by the time you read
this. You may want to examine others if you have time)

5. To vote for these questions, click the small "check" box beside it.

6. To Submit a question, click the "submit a question" box at the
bottom of the screen and type it in. Here are some example questions:

Employer-based coverage continues to steadily deteriorate, leaving
millions without access to care due to costs and hundreds of thousands
facing medical bankruptcy even though they're insured. Why should we
use this defective system as the as the foundation of reform when
research shows single-payer national health insurance could provide
comprehensive, universal care for no more than we're paying now?

Subsidy and individual mandate schemes have failed to achieve
universal coverage anywhere they've been tried…including most recently
in Massachusetts. Rather than reprising these mistakes, wouldn't it be
better to move to a proven system - single-payer national health
insurance - which has already afforded other industrialized countries
healthier populations at lower costs?

Sincerely,

Quentin Young, MD
National Coordinator
Physicians for a National Health Program

(h/t to Brent Miller via e-mail)

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Important Reading

Good stuff you all should read from bloggers in other states...

techPresident: David Plouffe: The Obama Campaign Used Grassroots Data and Computer Modeling to Allocate Resources in Real Time

Down With Tyranny: In Tennessee, the myth of "clean" coal meets the reality of crumbling infrastructure

Open Left: Maddow: Did America Get Punked On the Bailout? Yes...Now Here's What to Do.

Open Left: The Best Public Policies of 2008: Broadcasting Successes

Open Left: In a Recession, Should States Raise Taxes Or Slash Spending?

Open Left: "You Have An Ideology; I Have An Idea."

Open Left: Experts, Citizens, and Democracy (Core Dilemmas of Community Organizing)

Daily Kos: Our Broken Health System: It's Not Just about Insurance

Open Left: The End Of Racism? Not Exactly...

Pam's House Blend: Time to stop the gay v. black competition

Why Now?: Assumed Knowledge

Open Left: America Not Very Ideological As A Nation

MyDD: Dems Have Majority of Congressional Seats in 2/3 of States

Open Left: The Case Against Dear-Leaderism and For Pressure

Resources

Presidential Transition Resources

Open Congress announces Battle Royale, where you can vote on the popularity of bills before Congress.

Statistical Abstract of the United States

Skewed Science

Latest Report on Communicating with Congress: Listen and Play Nice

Planning Ahead for Democratic Victory in 2010 - Setting Initial Goals and Objectives.

How Democrats Can Keep and Expand the Support of the Younger White Working-Class Voters who Voted for Obama in 2008.

Did My Vote Count?

Blogging Coverage of the Harvard Internet & Politics Conference

Would've been an interesting conference to attend. In lieu of that, we have lots of liveblogging coverage from techPresident:

Liveblogging the Harvard Internet & Politics conference part 7: Joe Trippi declares political parties dead

Liveblogging the Harvard Internet & Politics conference part 7: Joe Trippi with Ari Melber

Joe Rospars and A Billion Minutes on YouTube: Content was Key (and Overlooked) Part of Obama’s Online Juggernaut

Liveblogging the Harvard Internet & Politics conference part 6: the Obama Campaign

Liveblogging the Harvard Internet & Politics conference part 5: the McCain Campaign

Liveblogging the Harvard Internet & Politics conference part 4: Networked Public Sphere breakout sessions

Liveblogging the Harvard Internet & Politics conference part 3

Voting Reform Beyond '08

Liveblogging the Harvard Internet & Politics conference part 2

Liveblogging the Harvard Internet & Politics conference part 1

Ammunition

The latest links to the information you need to counter right-wing spin...

Bank Execs Have Personally Pocketed $1.6 Bil from Bailout - So Far

Soldiers Accuse KBR Of Knowingly Exposing Troops To Deadly Toxin In Iraq

New Gore ad shines a light on coal’s dirty lies.

Why Conservative Ideas CAN'T Work

GOP vs. UAW, USA Part I and Part II

What $73 Per Hour?

A Quick N’ Handy Guide For Confronting AHIP Reps At Obama’s Health Care Meetings

A Brief Peek At UCLA's Anti-FDR Propaganda

Fox News: "Historians Pretty Much Agree" That FDR Prolonged the Great Depression

Report: New Public Plan Will Control Health Care Costs

The Family Research Council and the Disappearing Studies on Homosexuality

It’s The Market That Got Us Here In The First Place

The Myths Republicans Spread About An Auto Rescue

The 'non-lethal' Taser: 400 dead since 2001

National Politics Round-up

What are Florida bloggers saying about national politics...

1. boiling mad (Revinem): Republicans baselessly shift blame for their recessions

2. Bark Bark Woof Woof: Brooks: Don't Know Much About Education

3. Pensito Review (Trish): Why There Are So Few Black Republicans

4. BlueHerald 2.0: You May Need To Sit Down For This

5. BlueHerald 2.0: Pardon Me!

Good Castor

I think Kathy Castor is right on this one:


As Americans, we can not allow our policies to bring more hardship to those we intend to help. As Floridians, we can not expect the Cuban people, many of whom are family to us, to endure more pain. Therefore, I urge you to lift current restrictions on family travel to Cuban and remittances. Doing so will not only provide relife to thousands of people, but will show our commitment to the Cuban people and their families here in America. Then, I encourage you to review and develop a renewed modern plan for Latin America and Caribbean basin.


I echo Michael Hussey's comments on this one:


The current Bush policy is not getting Cuba closer to a democratic society. The best PR campaign is American Cuban coming home and telling their relative how great their lives our in the states. It is hard for the Castro regine to say communism is better when American-Cubans are coming to Cuba with new clothes and iPods.


The time has come for change.

Daily Humor

Today's reason to laugh (via Sinfonian):

Palin kills Rudolph

Remembering Eartha Kitt

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Story of the Day

The most talked about story on the Florida blogs in the last few days was the Obama-Rick Warren story. Here's what people said...

Pensito Review: "Only Democrats, it seems, reward their most loyal supporters — feminists, gays, liberals, opponents of the war, members of the reality-based community — by elbowing them aside to embrace their opponents instead." – Katha Pollitt

Blue Herald: Deeply Offensive

Bark Bark Woof Woof: Pastor Warren's Obsession

Pensito Review: At Rick Warren’s Church, Women Must Be Submissive But, Despite Biblical Admonition, Are Allowed to Speak

ReidBlog: Rick Warren and the Elianization of Everything

Pensito Review: Rick Warren’s Church Scrubs Gay Ban from Website

Reidblog: At last, some sanity on the Rick Warren issue

Pensito Review: Beyond the Surface of Obama’s Choice of Rick Warren

Smashed Frog: Obama's Rick Warren Bridge

Betty Cracker: Going to the inauguration? Pissed off about Warren?

Change in Tallahassee: The Very Large Man Who Will Make Rick Warren Look Very Small

Talk to Me: Political Squawk: Rick Warren

Bark Bark Woof Woof: Oh, Lord

son of Timatollah: Rick Warren and the Inauguration

The Spencerian: The Purpose Driven Inaugural

AMERICAblog: In new video, Rick Warren accuses gays of "hateful attacks," "hate speech," "Christ-ophobia," and of being "evil"

Important Reading

Good stuff you all should read from bloggers in other states...

Show Me Progress: Preventing election problems--AFTER the election. Part One.

Scholars & Rogues: Is America ready for an honest conversation about abortion yet?

Open Left: Did the Bailout Work?

Conceptual Guerilla: GM: Give us 50mpg TODAY!!!

Arianna Huffington: Laissez-Faire Capitalism Should Be as Dead as Soviet Communism

BeThink: Did Racism Help Cause the Mortgage Crisis? The Bubble Bursts

Shakesville: Dear Mr. President Elect . . .

Open Left: On Allies

Open Left: Progressive Accountability for Democrats

MyDD: The Political Imperative of Universal Healthcare

Frameshop: Frameshop: On Civil Rights, Obama Must Lead Not Tinker

African American Political Pundit: Katrina's Hidden Race War

Pensacola Beach Blog: Obama and the New Awakening

ReidBlog: PFAW not pleased with Warren

Blast Off!: My take on the Rick Warren fiasco

Open Left: Rahm Emanuel's Strategy For Progressives

National Politics Round-up

What are Florida bloggers saying about national politics...

The Spencerian: Dispatch From Political Bizarro World

Why Now?: Class Warfare

The Spencerian: Quick Thoughts as Warren Overshadows

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

See, It's Not All Bad News In Florida

A judge got ahold of a case, read the law and constitution, applied them properly and now the gay adoption ban in Florida is gone:


Florida's strict law banning adoption of children by gay people was found unconstitutional Tuesday by a state judge who declared there was no legal or scientific reason for sexual orientation alone to prohibit anyone from adopting.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman said the 31-year-old law violates equal protection rights for the children and their prospective gay parents, rejecting the state's arguments that there is "a supposed dark cloud hovering over homes of homosexuals and their children." She also noted that gay people are allowed to be foster parents in Florida.


Anti-gay hatemongers, let this be a warning to you. You can't stop equal rights for LGBT Americans, you can only slow them down. Do the right thing and get out of the way of equality for all Americans.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Action Alerts

Send an e-mail: Tell Congress to include Sam - and the states - in their economic stimulus (NSFS)

Send an e-mail: Please enact additional measures to help hard-pressed families, protect critical public services, and boost the economy (NWLC)

Send an e-mail: Tell the EPA to act now to help stop global warming (NRDC)

Send an e-mail: Stop the Bush/Cheney 11th-Hour Assault on Wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies! (DOW)

Send an e-mail: Prevent pollution at Colorado's Little Snake! (TWS)

Send an e-mail: As the Obama administration transitions in, step one must be restoring the Constitution (PFAW)

Send an e-mail: Help Save America's Fisheries (ED)

Send an e-mail: Tell supermarkets to post FDA info on mercury in fish, not fishing industry talking points (Oceana)

Send an e-mail: Stop Bush Admin. From Gutting Farm Worker Protections (UFW)

Donate money: Stop the last minute attempt to log Oregon's ancient forests! (TWS)

Sign the petition: Stop the Bush Administration from Gutting Farm Worker Protections (UFW)

Sign the petition: Don't Let Another Bear Cub Die in Russia's Hibernating Bear Hunt (IFAW)

Sign the petition: Help Us Kiss Diabetes Goodbye (ADA)

Sign the petition: Help Sexually Assaulted Women in the Military Find Justice (Care2)

Sign the petition: Keep the U.S. Open to Refugees (IRC)

Sign the petition: Support Our Wounded Heroes (WWP)

Sign the petition: Impeach Bush To Stop Pardons (Dem.com)

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Info on Inauguration

From Karen Thurman:


Because this is an official government ceremony, I also encourage you to contact your Member of Congress, who can better assist you in getting tickets for the various events. You can contact members of the Florida Congressional Delegation by calling (202) 225-3121 and asking for the appropriate Congressional office or visiting www.fladems.com/inauguration for a complete listing of Members and their DC office numbers.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Election 2008 Analysis — Congressional Elections

This is the second in a series of posts I’ll do this weekend looking back over the 2008 election. This one will cover the congressional election, others will cover the presidential race, the Florida legislature, the constitutional amendments and Leon County.

District 8: Alan Grayson (D) 52.0%, Ric Keller (R) 48.0%

This was obviously the story of the day from the congressional races. Earlier in the year, most people in Florida didn't know who Grayson was and Keller was an incumbent with a lot of money. I had Alan on the radio show early on and I was so impressed with him that I followed this race very closely. Grayson ran as a progressive, worked his tail off and worked well with the Netroots in and out of Florida and maximized his opportunities to raise funds and spent those funds wisely. Hopefully after two years in Washington, his constituents will love him as much as a lot of the bloggers do and this will become a solidly Democratic district.

District 24: Suzanne Kosmas (D) 57.2%, Tom Feeney (R) 41.1%

Kosmas isn't quite as progressive as Grayson or as many bloggers would like, but she's still light years ahead of corrupt Tom Feeney. Hopefully her landslide here means that this district is turning blue and isn't just a artifact of Feeney's scandals.

District 16: Tom Rooney (R) 60.1%, Tim Mahoney (D) 39.9%

Mahoney, who spurned Barack Obama and Democrats at every turn, got what he deserved here. He only got the seat because of Mark Foley's sex scandal and he was too stupid to stay out of his own scandal. Moron. He still would've been better than Rooney, who seems to be a Tom Feeney clone. This is a Republican district, though, and we'll need something pretty big in terms of Rooney scandals or a high-quality candidate to take this seat back.

District 18: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) 57.9%, Annette Taddeo (D) 42.1%
District 21: Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R) 57.9%, Raul Martinez (D) 42.1%
District 25: Mario Diaz-Balart (R) 53.1%, Joe Garcia (D) 46.9%

It's difficult not to blame Debbie Wasserman Schultz for these losses, particularly Garcia's. The strongest challengers to face the Miami Cuban Republican trio probably just ran a few years too soon. Hopefully we'll see them again and I'll wager that Garcia would be a lock to beat Mario in two years.

District 4: Ander Crenshaw (R) 65.3%, Jay McGovern (D) 34.7%
District 12: Adam Putnam (R) 57.5%, Doug Tudor (D) 42.5%

These were the toughest losses of the day for me, since Jay and Doug were both great guys to know and very good candidates who would've elevated the discourse in Washington. Hopefull we'll see them again. Tudor was also hurt by Wasserman Schultz failing to do her job, but I have a feeling we'll see him again soon. With some more money, he could take out Putnam. District 4 is very Republican, so it's difficult to see Crenshaw going down, but if this were an open seat, I'd think McGovern could take it.

District 13: Vern Buchanan (R) 55.5%, Christine Jennings (D) 37.5%

While this seat rightfully belongs to Jennings, it wasn't likely that she was going to win this time. Not because of any fault on her part, simply because Republicans were able to convince enough of the public that Jennings's complaints about the stolen election of 2006 were "sour grapes." Once they won that battle, Jennings didn't have much chance.

District 6: Cliff Stearns (R) 60.9%, Tim Cunha (D) 39.1%
District 7: John Mica (R) 62.0%, Faye Armitage (D) 38.0%
District 14: Connie Mack (R) 59.4%, Robert M. Neeld (D) 24.8%, Burt Saunders (NPA) 14.5%
District 15: Bill Posey (R) 53.1%, Stephen Blythe (D) 41.9%

This was a series of Democratic candidates -- all of whom I met or interviewed on the radio show -- who are all very good people who I liked. But they each ran in tough districts where they were seriously outspent and they all were a bit new and inexperienced in campaigning. Hopefully we'll see them again, because they'd clearly be improvements over the Republicans in these seats and most would be improvements over the Republicans in the legislative districts they live in as well.

District 9: Gus Bilirakis (R) 62.0%, Bill Mitchell (D) 36.3%
District 10: C.W. Bill Young (R) 60.7%, Bob Hackworth (D) 39.3%

I think both of these seats are winnable for the Democrats, but both Mitchell and Hackworth suffered from tough primaries and not enough early exposure to voters. That and a lack of money made it difficult for them to gain any traction in the short general election period.

District 1: Jeff Miller (R) 70.2%, James Bryan (D) 29.8%

Miller is horrible, but this is an incredibly conservative part of the state and I don't know anyone who knows much about Bryan, so he faced an uphill battle that he couldn't win.

District 2: Allen Boyd (D) 61.9%, Mark Mulligan (R) 38.0%
District 11: Kathy Castor (D) 71.7%, Eddie Adams Jr. (R) 28.3%
District 19: Robert Wexler (D) 66.2%, Edward Lynch (R) 27.2%
District 20: Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) 77.2%, Margaret Hostetter (NPA) 22.3%
District 22: Ron Klein (D) 54.6%, Allen West (R) 45.3%
District 23: Alcee Hastings (D) 82.1%, Marion Thorpe Jr. (R) 17.8%

A series of popular Democratic incumbents in Democratic districts faced little competition. Most of these Dems have strong progressive voting records (except Boyd), even if they haven't always done the progressive thing outside of the capitol (I'm looking at you, Debbie). We'll likely hold onto these seats for a long time, although the numbers in District 22 are worrisome.

District 5: Ginny Brown-Waite (R) 61.2%, John Russell (D) 38.8%

Brown-Waite is one of the weakest members of the Florida congressional delegation and I think this is a winnable for the right Democrat. Suffice it to say that John Russell isn't that Democrat. He is one of the most widely-disliked Democrats in the state amongst other Democrats not because he's terrible on the issues, but because his personality and tactics are destructive and frequently offensive.

Election 2008 Analysis -- Presidential Election

This is the first in a series of posts I'll do this weekend looking back over the 2008 election. This one will cover the presidential, others will cover Florida's congressional delegation, the Florida legislature, the constitutional amendments and Leon County.

I'm not going to talk a whole lot about the national election in this post, as others have done that ad nauseum and I've linked in previous posts to a lot of the people who have already talked about it. I'm going to focus on what happened in Florida.

Obviously, Obama won Florida with a 51%-48% margin, almost an exact flip of the 2004 percentages where Bush beat Kerry 52%-47%. How did Obama turn Florida blue?

Misperception: People thought that Florida was a red state. Particularly on the Republican side, this meant that people didn't put quite the effort into the state as they might have otherwise done.

Money: Obama had a big lead in money, which allowed him to way outspend McCain in Florida, while at the same time forcing McCain to target other places he historically wouldn't have had to, which sapped potential resources from Florida.

Registration: The Obama campaign's fanatical devotion to registering new voters in Florida worked out very well. Hundreds of thousands of new voters were registered during the campaign and they were 6-1 or so Democratic. And many of them turned out.

Minority/youth turnout: African-Americans almost double their turnout over past elections. Young people increased their absolute numbers and percentage of the elctorate. The Hispanic population in Florida shifted in the Democratic direction. Even without the other factors here, this might have been enough to shift the state to the Democrats.

The economy: The bad national economy is even worse in Florida and with the majority of both our state and national representation being Republican, the GOP was bound to take the brunt of the anger from pissed-off voters. McCain was seen as the symbol of that.

Sarah Palin: Independent voters in Florida seemed to hate Palin and many of them voted for Obama just because of Palin.

John McCain: McCain ran one of the worst Republican campaigns in recent decades. Decision after decision and strategy after strategy either didn't work or actively backfired.

Steve Schale: The leader of the Obama campaign in Florida has a better command of the map in Florida than just about anyone else on the planet. Choosing him to run the show was a master stroke.

Staff: The huge paid staff for the Obama campaign around the state was loaded with smart people who knew what they were doing and knew the state. They worked together very well and had the resources they needed to get the job done.

Volunteers: Even more enthusiastic than the staff were the thousands of volunteers around the state who fought for Obama simply because they wanted change and felt hopeful that Obama would bring it. McCain and the Republicans just couldn't measure up.

There are probably a few things that I'm forgetting, as my mind is blanking on me at this point, but these are at least most of the key things as far as Obama's victory in Florida. It is a tenuous victory and winning again in 2012 is far from certain, so we can't give up and we can't forget why we won in 2008.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Important Reading

Good stuff you all should read from bloggers in other states...

Politics Magazine: Obama's Strange Coattail

VetVoice: Election Data: Military Communities Shifted Democratic in 2008

Democratic Strategist: Wanted: Strategic Analysis

Paul Hogarth: Why Prop 8 Can - and Must - Be Overruled

Nancy Scola: Fifty Bucks Worth of Facebook Ads Help Turn College Junior into County Treasurer

Daniel De Groot: Which Party Can't Win Elections Again?

Brian Levine: Progressives Won. Now What?

AMERICAblog: How Harry Reid is about to kill our 60-seat majority

techPresident: Web Video & the Obama Presidency: 10 Ways Team Obama Should Use MultiMedia

AMERICAblog: Baucus offers "sweeping universal-coverage plan"

Democratic Strategist: Why We Lost in California: An Analysis of "No on 8" Field Strategies

Down With Tyranny: Yes, Voters Did Reject Bush, Corruption, Pork And Bad Governance-- And They Also Overwhelmingly Rejected Conservatives

Ammunition

The latest links to the information you need to counter right-wing spin...

Conservative radio hosts accuse Dems of "trying to steal" MN Senate election -- but there's no evidence, according to GOP governor

David Frum knocks ‘the Architect’: ‘Rove hasn’t had a great batting record.’

The Right's MoveOn

IRS: Loopholes Let Corporations Pay 25% Tax Rate, Not 35%

National Politics Round-up

What are Florida bloggers saying about national politics...

1. Blue Herald: No Oversight of $700 Billion Bailout

2. Sunshine Statements: The Unanswered Question: What To Do About Russia

3. litbrit: Dear President-Elect Obama: Please Support Organic Food and Farming

4. Interstate4Jamming2: 2012: Are We ALREADY Seeing The Beginning?

5. boiling made: No nannygate with the Obama family

Action Alerts

Send an e-mail: Senator Martinez thinks the health care crisis can wait - you know it can't (PF)

Send an e-mail: Say NO to Last-Minute Logging! (TWS)

Send an e-mail: Set President Obama's Agenda (TM)

Send an e-mail: As the Obama administration transitions in, step one must be restoring the Constitution (PFAW)

Send an e-mail: Protect the Wolves in the Northern Rockies (EJ)

Send an e-mail: Urge the EPA to Limit Global Warming Pollution (ED)

Donate money: To the Count Every Vote Fund for the remaining Congressional races in 2008 (DFA)

Sign the petition: Impeach Bush To Stop Pardons (Dem.com)

Sign the petition: Sign our petition encouraging President-elect Obama to go to the climate talks in Poland (GP)

Sign the petition: A former global warming denier shouldn't be in charge of the fight against climate change (Credo)

Sign the petition: Tell Barack Obama, Put Children's Health First! (CNMC)

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Obama Supports National Cat Fund

It's about time we had someone in the White House that wants to do the logical and morally-correct thing on this issue.

Republicans Hate Bipartisanship

We already knew this, but the next time you hear some conservative spout off about the "divisiveness" in Washington and America, remind them that it's Republicans who start this stuff almost always. Such as Michael Reagan suggesting impeachment of Barack Obama before he's even in office.

What Should the CTO Do?

Barack Obama promised to appoint the country's first Chief Technical Officer if he won. He won. What should the role of the CTO be?

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Story of the Day

The most talked about story on the Florida blogs today was Veteran's Day. Here's what people said...

Can't Keep Quiet!: Veteran's Day

boiling mad: Let's end the war in Iraq

Talk to Me: Give-An-Hour for Vets

ReidBlog: IAVA launches 'community of veterans'

Pushing Rope: Support ALL the Troops on Veterans' Day

ReidBlog: Happy Veterans Day!

Blue Herald: Vacations For Vets

KenInNY: Why progressives should celebrate Veterans Day

KenInNY: Here's one way to celebrate Veterans Day: Help toss that sack of garbage Saxby Chambliss out of the Senate -- "Do It for Max!"

Blue Herald: Thinking of All Our Veterans and Troops on Veteran’s Day

Incertus (Brian): Veterans Day 2008

Smashed Frog: Salute to Vets

Man or Maniac?: Veteran's Day

Bark Bark Woof Woof: Veterans Day

Blue Herald: 11/11 Armistice Day 2008

Why Now?: Veterans Day

The Spencerian: Thank a Veteran Today

South Florida Daily Blog: A Salute

Ammunition

The latest links to the information you need to counter right-wing spin...

Media conservatives claim America is "center-right," but political scientists challenge reliance on voter self-identification

Absurd View: Hasselbeck, Shepherd suggest clergy could have been jailed without Prop 8

Poll aggregator results

How Many Seats?

Wingnuttery's Latest Obsession

Voters overwhelmingly want Republicans to give Obama benefit of doubt

Important Reading

Good stuff you all should read from bloggers in other states...

Off Our Pedestals: The Last I’ll Write on Conservatives

TerranceDC: No, We Didn't.

AMERICAblog: New Study: Lieberman not that progressive at all

Pam's House Blend: Why Black Church Isn't Like Any Church

Democratic Strategist: Demography +Events +Candidate quality +$ = Victory

techPresident: From Campaigning to Governance: Spreading the Success of Highly Effective Organizers. Part 1: civic engagement

MyDD: 2010-2011 Redistricting Project

Chris Bowers: Death Of The Fifty-State Strategy, Follow-up

National Politics Round-up

What are Florida bloggers saying about national politics...

1. Blue Herald: Anti-Abortion Leaders: We Will Not Go Silently into the Night

2. ReidBlog: The new heart of darkness

3. Pensito Review (Buck): Fed Secretive Over Where Our $2 Trillion Is Going

4. ReidBlog: What good would it do for Steele to lead the RNC?

5. Avery Voice: RE CONSTANT MEDIA ATTACKS on Bush

Resources

Coal is Dirty

De Smog Blog

Community of Veterans

In Their Boots

Progressive States Network has a new web site

Action Alerts

Send an e-mail: Fend off the Bush Administration's 11th Hour Attacks (NRDC)

Send an e-mail: Shape Yellowstone's Rules on Snowmobiles (TWS)

Send an e-mail: Save Patagonia (NRDC)

Send an e-mail: Tell your Senators to Support the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act! (TWS)

Donate money: Save America's Wolves (DOW)

Take the poll: Undo the Damage -- Barack Won.... Now What? (TM)

Sign the petition: Urge Congress to Stop Global Warming (NRDC)

A Post-Election Message from Tim Cunha


Dear Friends and Faithful Supporters,

It has been an honor and a privilege to run for the United States House of Representatives. Thank you for the opportunity and for all your encouragement and support.

I would like to share with you some of my thoughts and reflections in the days following the election.

Johanna and I have met thousands of wonderful people of every description -- and we've made hundreds of new friends. I can never express in words the depth and warmth of my profound gratitude for all the effort and sacrifice made by so many throughout this district and across Florida and the United States to support and advance our campaign. Nor can I describe the overwhelming sense of responsibility and obligation I feel to continue to serve all of them -- all of you -- by pursuing the principles and values so essential to our ethical character and our national destiny.

I have learned even more what an awesome and demanding responsibility it is truly to be a servant of "we, the people."

I have learned how important it is for all who seek public office and all who serve in public office to be guided always by the words of the prophet Micah:
"Do justice, love kindly, and walk humbly with your God."

I have learned that Americans are tired of the 'right/left' debate.
We Americans have far more in common uniting us than dividing us.
We need to return government policies to the center,
respecting all perspectives, seeking common ground -- and moving forward.

And, I have learned that we all are desperate to once again believe in
the promise and potential of democracy for ourselves and for all our children.

Rather than outmoded radical ideologies, we need new perspectives, fresh ideas, and bold leadership to solve the real problems affecting our everyday lives --
affordable energy,
accessible healthcare,
innovative education,
responsible environmental stewardship,
inclusive economic prosperity,
effective financial regulation,
extensive business stimulation,
and enhanced national security
-- all to build a better future, a nobler world,
for our children and grandchildren to live together in peace and prosperity.

Government must once again reflect core American values, fundamental human values that embrace that simple but most profound reality: we are family, we are all brothers and sisters. We must include all of us in the national conversation and, ultimately, come together in consensus seeking to make this best of nations even better, for the good of all nations.

As conscientious individuals and faithful citizens, we are called to express and share our principles and values to help build a better world. For too many decades we have pursued a national agenda of "every person for himself," "the survival of the fittest," "to the victor go the spoils." We have seen the disastrous results of such shortsighted, callous, and selfish behavior. This attitude is inconsistent with our moral heritage and antithetical to our best interests. Rather, we must once again commit ourselves to those time-honored values rooted deep in our collective national conscience -- liberty, justice, equity, equal opportunity, compassion, and, yes, love.

We must reaffirm that we are "our brother's keeper," and recommit ourselves and our government to a consistent ethic respecting the dignity of each person --
combating poverty and ignorance and despair,
assisting the ill and disabled,
protecting freedom and human rights,
providing opportunities for each American
to reach his or her unique God-given potential,
maintaining the rule of law, and,
liberating all those entrapped and enslaved
by circumstances beyond their control,
wherever and whoever they may be.

These are not just moral imperatives -- they are wise national policies that will make our country and our world more just, more humane, and more secure.
We must pursue these principles humbly and graciously and respectfully,
not as zealots or tyrants, but as instruments of God's peace.

When we provide opportunity for each of us,
we expand the accomplishments of all of us.

When we redress the injustices to the least of us,
we enhance the justice experienced by all of us.

It is this quest that together we must continue to pursue: "... that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
We will accomplish that goal
by prohibiting the inordinate power of money and privilege
from influencing the priorities of Congress;
by seeking justice for all people;
by treating each person with dignity, respect, and love; and,
by all of us, particularly our elected representatives,
serving with integrity, with diligence,
and most importantly, with humility.

As we look forward to the next four years of the new Presidential administration,
let's commit ourselves to all these values,
rally support for our new President,
and encourage Congress to
place principle above politics,
people above expediency,
and consensus above stridency.

As we look forward to 2010, let's talk to our neighbors about how important it is for every member of Congress to be committed to this same agenda. And, let's continue to seek new representation for the 6th District that will truly reflect the values that we share and will serve the best interests of the human family now and into the future.

In Conclusion.

Saying "thank you" is terribly inadequate, but nonetheless profound and genuine.

Counting all the couples individually, I figure that somewhere around 1,500 people contributed to this campaign -- from $1 to $4,600. And, a number of unions provided generous and essential financial support, along with the Duval, Clay, and Alachua DECs, the Florida Democratic Party, and various Democratic clubs. (But, not one cent from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Consider what we could have done with just a small fraction of the millions that were poured into some other campaigns, including some that were lost.)

On top of that -- and literally priceless, hundreds of people dedicated many, many hours -- several of them full-time -- for no compensation except to know they have been part of a noble cause: after eight long years of darkness and desperation, restoring the light of hope and rebirth to our nation and our world.

All this in just 6 months, with most of the funds raised and actual campaign effort waged in the 70 days from August 26 to November 4th. We all did remarkably well and, despite the final count on Election Day, it is truly a victory for all involved.

To all of you, I say simply but most sincerely,
Thank You,
Tim Cunha

What now?
There are just a little more than 700 days until Election Day 2010.

District 6 "Town Meetings".

In the next 18 to 21 months, Clifford Stearns will hold numerous "town meetings" at which he will give a PowerPoint presentation and answer a few carefully screened questions from an audience comprised disproportionately of radical right wing apologists. Let's change that paradigm!

Stearns told the press that I was welcome to confront him at these town meetings.-- Well, let's all do it. We need scores of Democrats, Independents, and "fed up" responsible Republicans to attend. We need to challenge him at every event-not just with questions to learn his viewpoint; but, rather, with alternative policy statements and demands for his response and his acquiescence.

These town meetings are public events, arranged by taxpayer-paid congressional staff, traveled to at government expense, promoted by government-paid printing and postage-let no one intimidate anyone from attending and photographing, videotaping, and recording everything. If anyone does attempt to infringe on our rights at these meetings (as they have in the past), we will confront Mr. Stearns and his staff and anyone else involved, in federal district court.

Federal Programs & Priorities for North Florida.

In the months ahead, let's gather together and determine what programs and policies are most pressing for the counties included in the 6th District. Then, despite the do-nothing obstructionism of our current representative, let's rally public support and congressional sponsorship to promote these priorities. In other words, let's put North Florida back to work in new high-quality jobs, with financially-sound homes, well-educated children, affordable healthcare, pure and sustainable water resources, secure and affordable energy, a healthy environment, and a durable public infrastructure.

Fortifying the Democratic Party.

We have accomplished so much in this campaign by revitalizing the party and engaging new people in areas of North Florida where Democrats have been an all-too-silent minority. In "red" Marion County, for example, Democrats came so close that with only a one-percent vote shift, Democrats would have controlled the County Commission 3-2!

We must keep the thousands of Obama volunteers as integral members of the organization, revitalize and coordinate the efforts of the various Democratic clubs, and build a solid financial base.

We also must create an environment of campaign cooperation, coordination, and teamwork so that we can reap the benefits of: (1) incumbent Democrats endorsing challenger Democrats; (2) more cost-effective advertising with full-ticket advertising in newspapers, on radio and TV, and in printed literature; (3) the economies of scale in the use of volunteers placing signs, distributing literature, making phone calls, canvassing neighborhoods, etc. for all candidates simultaneously; (4) and, assuring that public appearance opportunities for any one candidate are made available to all candidates.

Last, but not least, hold onto those "Tim Cunha" signs and shirts! We're going to need them again in 18 months. And, if you will, keep those bumper stickers on ... two years of sustained name recognition will help a lot.

We're keeping the "Tim Cunha For Congress" committee open; and, along the way, we'll be doing early fund-raising to get a head start for the next time.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Important Reading

Good stuff you all should read from bloggers in other states...

Jonathan Singer: No Democratic Senate Losses in 2006, 2008... and 2010?

Daily Kos: The coming immigration battleground

Jonathan Singer: Dems Take House Vote by 8 Points for Second Straight Cycle

Democratic Strategist: The Limits of Demographic Determinism

African American Political Pundit: Are Gays Alienating black voters?

Raven Brooks: Fireside Chats in the Digital Age

David Sirota: Elite Media Voices Begin Making Our Arguments

Jonathan Singer: Texas on the Horizon

SusanG: Too big to fail. Or to pay taxes. Or to be identified.

TerranceDC: Are Blacks More Homophobic

Down With Tyranny: Is There A Technological Fix To The Republican Party's Decline?

Story of the Day

The most talked about story on the Florida blogs yesterday was . Here's what people said...

Ybor City Stogie: Great Job Howard Dean

madfloridian: Dean said you have to go to places "where people don't know much about you."

madfloridian: Dean prepares to step down.

Incertus (Brian): We'll miss you, Howard Dean

Dohiyi Mir: Just What The Doctor Ordered

Chris Bowers: Dean Out, Fifty-State Strategy Likely Done

National Politics Round-up

What are Florida bloggers saying about national politics...

1. Can't Keep Quiet: Lieberman must go

2. Deep Something: 2008 Election Wrap-up

3. Eye on Miami (gimleteye): Are Americans waking up to global warming?

4. ReidBlog: 70

5. Workbench: Sarah Palin's Long Road to the White House

6. Eye on Miami (gimleteye): Not again, Newt Gingrich

7. Incertus (Brian): Reiteration and nitpicking

8. Pushing Rope: The O-List

9. ReidBlog: Dear Republican Party: Please nominate this woman for president in 2012

10. South Florida Daily Blog: SFDB Sunday Afternoon Political Commentary

Election Predictions

Democratic Strategist runs down who did the best in predicting how the election would turn out. The highest grades were given to John Judis and Ruy Teixeira in their book The Emerging Democratic Majority, from 2002. At the time I read this book, I was a recent political science masters graduate and I really understood the statistical analysis in the book well and since then, I've really stuck with this book as one of the most important books that we should all be reading these days. Pretty much most of it still applies now, so if you haven't read it yet, you should. It explains, in advance, what happened in 2006 and 2008 and what's still coming down the road.

You Wanna See Something Really Scary?



I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Important Reading

Getting rid of my backlog of these important links...

Good stuff you all should read...

Brownsox: The Price of Victory

DavidNYC: How I Became a Vote-by-Mail Convert

Paul Rosenberg: Creating Doubt - The Democrats' Dangerous Self-Blurring Strategies - And What We Can Do About It

Alan Farago: The Politics of Growth, the division of Florida

Alan Farago: No One Remembers Anything: Origins of the fall

Chris Bowers: Three Big Myths About The 2004 and 2008 Elections

March on Politics: Study: More Florida Hispanics Democratic

Incertus (Amy): Keeping Politics Out of the Classroom

Blue Herald: Wealth Gap Creating Social Time Bomb in U.S.

boiling mad: Wealth concentration is at the root of this recession

Blue Herald: Political Loyalties of Many Cubans Changing

Eye on Miami (Genius of Despair): As We are Set to Expand Nuclear Plants in Florida, Let's Learn From Europe's Recent Mishaps

Paul Rosenberg: A Movement-Building Strategy-Part 4: Start Your Engines!

Todd Beeton: Re-Framing Taxes

Anthony Man: Bloggers reach a lot of people with their views, but does it have an impact?

e.politics: Citizen 2008: Using the Internet for Individual Political Advocacy in the Elections and Beyond

Adam Bink: What Candidates and Traditional Organizations Want Out of the Blogosphere

Down With Tyranny: Employee Free Choice Act-- Why It Matters

Democratic Strategist: Messaging, Registration and Turnout Decisions Key to Election

The Campaign Manager: On the Uses of Polling

Wonk Room: How American Workers Subsidize Excessive CEO Compensation

John Podesta: What It Means To Be Progressive

Mike Lux: A Dialogue About Theories of Change

Mike Lux: What I Do for a Living

Jon Pincus: Towards a rebirth of freedom: activism on social networks, part 1

Progress Florida: What is this undefined "CHANGE" all about?

Pam's House Blend: Targeting Texas

Marion County Democratic Party: Getting an Organizing Advantage

PFAW: Blaming Black Voters for Prop 8 Loss is Wrong and Destructive

e.politics: How Daily Republican Talking Point Emails Enforce Message Discipline

e.politics: You’ve Got a Friend in Barack Obama: Integrating Social Networking Tools into Political Campaigns

Mike Lux: The Role Of Progressives In An Obama Administration

Open Left: The Crucial Difference Between Electoral Politics and Movement Building (Core Dilemmas of Community

Democratic Strategist: Gerrymandering and Turnout

techPresident: Seven Things about Online Politics We Can Learn from Barack Obama and the 2008 Primary Season

Micah Sifry: Obama's Organization, and the Future of American Politics

The Campaign Manager: What It Takes to Win - Candidate Specific Strategic Advantages

Eye on Miami: Investigative journalism and the blogsphere, more

Eye on Miami: Investigative journalism and the blogsphere

Mike Lux: The Blogosphere's Role in the 2008 Presidential Race

Open Left: Core Dilemmas of Community Organizing: How Do You Replicate Local Success?

Micah Sifry: Voter File 2.0: Catalist, Democratic Tool

Open Left: Core Dilemmas of Community Organizing: Privileged College Grads Need Low-paying, Fulfilling Jobs!

Michael Turk: Politics: Web 2.0 - VulnerableSpace: A Comparison of 2008 Official Campaign Websites and MySpace

Micah Sifry: PoliticsWeb2.0: Rating Candidate Sites, Dealing with Communication Overload

Micah Sifry: PoliticsWeb2.0: The Rise of Trickle-Up Politics

Micah Sifry: PoliticsWeb2.0: Lessons from Dean, John Kerry and Beppe Grillo

Michael Turk: Politics: Web 2.0 - Visibility Reach, Participation, & Peer Production

Micah Sifry: PoliticsWeb2.0: On the Future of Government in the Digital Era

Michael Turk: Politics: Web 2.0 - Facebook and Clustering of Ideological Types

David Sirota: The Uprising Power of Facebook

e.politics: 10 (+1) Ways to Build Traffic to a Website

e.politics: Social Media Marketing Cheat Sheet

Mike Lux: Building the Infrastructure to Get Progressive Policy Passed

Paul Rosenberg: A VERY Cheap Turnout-Boosting Method Democrats Need To Embrace

Mike Connery: The Emerging Progressive Leadership Pipeline

Shai Sachs: Outlining a progressive grand strategy, part 1 - goals and assessment

Shai Sachs: Progressive Strategy Brain

Open Left: Core Dilemmas of Community Organizing: Culturally Miseducated for Civic Action in America

Michael Turk: Offending Your Supporters: A Lesson in Bad E-mail

Michael Whitney: All Politics is Wiki: Kentucky Bloggers Wikify their Party

Shai Sachs: More on blogging for profit

Micah Sifry: It's Time to Wikify Government

Paul Rosenberg: A Movement-Building Strategy-Part 3: Getting Organized

Mike Lux: Dogma and Either/Or Politics

Mike Connery: Journalist Cheat Sheet: Ten Tips for Reporting the Youth Vote

Shai Sachs: Making Progressivism Real

Incertus: Rhetorical Strategies to Alienate People and Harm Your Cause

Mike Lux: The Intersection Between Insiders and Progressive Outsiders

MyDD: Political Outreach on the Facebook

Chris Bowers: Positive Feedback Loops For Progressives

Matt Stoller: Rethinking Democratic Party Revenue Flows

David Sirota: Finding A Real Progressive Strategy: It's All In the Numbers

Mike Lux: The Merger of Old School and Online Organizing

Chris Bowers: The Political Effectiveness Of The Progressive Netroots, Part One

Steve Schale: Steve Schale on Absentee Voting

Ammunition

Getting rid of my backlog of these important links...

The latest links to the information you need to counter right-wing spin...

GOP Set To Drive Off A Cliff

Fact check: Obama, Biden 'creeping down' on who gets tax cuts?

Why Even Rush Limbaugh Shouldn't Fear the Fairness Doctrine

Heritage’s Broken Conclusions On A Green Recovery

Drilling Down Into Reagan's Big Lie About The Economy

Three Lies of Saint Ronnie And One Truth From Michael Moore

Pushing the Referees: how the financial crisis occurred

Climate Change Evident

Does torture work? No

Video: Attacks on ACORN are part of a long-running right-wing campaign of voter suppression.

Mythos In Action: A Peek At A Cog In The Rightwing "Voter Fraud" Machine

Mythos, Logos, Racism and the "Voter Fraud" Fraud

Lou Dobbs falsely claimed 40 percent of working Americans "don't pay taxes"

Media revive pattern of reporting on alleged "voter fraud" concerns, despite lack of evidence

Conservatives Spread Benefit Mandates Myth

Florida couple divorces after nearly 50 years to get cancer care for wife.

Democracy Now Report on Voter Purging

Blame the rich for the subprime crisis

Poll: Majority of U.S. Voters Open to Electing Gay President

New Census numbers: 37.3 million living in poverty; 45.7 million uninsured.

Census Data: Most Americans Suffering Under Bush Economy

Two-Thirds of Corporations Pay No Taxes

Study: Thomas is the most ‘partisan’ Supreme Court justice, Scalia is the most ‘activist.’

75 percent of Americans support gays serving openly in the military.

The "Far Left" is the Mainstream

Conservatives Peddle Hurricane-Spill Lie For Entire Month

Liberalism Makes Modest Gains 1984-2006

Tax Cuts For The Rich — Not Even Good For The Rich

Study: Gays don't undermine unit cohesion

Americans Prefer Candidates Strong On Science

More offshore drilling does little at the pump: EIA

Progressive Infrastructure Is Working

Closing Enron Loophole Would Drop Oil Prices 25% - 50% Overnight

Lifting Offshore Moratorium Is Boon To Big Oil And No One Else

Scientists find gay brains are different

Report: 25 million Americans underinsured.

Global Boiling: Climate Change Makes Weather A ‘New Risk Class’

REPORT: Deregulation of Insurance Industry Would Create Wild West Environment

'Death gap' increasing in US

The Conservative’s Dictionary Of Scientific Language

Most Capital Gains Flow To Millionaires

Big Oil’s Corporate Welfare: Doing The Numbers

Right-wing talking points about oil prices are nonsense

The myth of meritocracy, blogosphere edition

Time To End The Double Taxation On Domestic Partners

Abstinence education in FL leads teens to think smoking pot will prevent pregnancy.

Study: Immigration Not Linked to Crime

Poll: 93% of Muslims Worldwide Condemn 9/11 Attacks - 0% Approve of Attacks on Religious Grounds

The Society of the Owned, Pt. 2: Under the Bus

Democrats Can Win On Abortion

The Shock Doctrine--A Powerful Reframing of "Free Market" Conventional Wisdom

Resources

Getting rid of my backlog of these important links...

The Secretary of State Project

Tell the new administration what you think they should do

Big Business May Be Against The Free Choice Act, But The Public Solidly Supports It

60 Influential Black Political and Social Action Bloggers

Big Dialog

60 Minutes Looks at Credit Default Swaps

Hashtags: The New New Way to Organize the World

help college students maximize the impact of their vote - new site: CountMore.org

SaysMeTV

The Future of Campaign Technology: The Ground Game

PolicyMap

Resources for DemocracyInAction Conference Presentation on Advocacy Tools

RootsWire.org

Run for Office

How to Do Internet Video Outreach in Five Simple Steps

The Virtual Activist

DFA Training Videos Online

Health care systems: the four basic models

VoterVoter

New federal contractor database

Correspondence School

Florida Performs

My Favorite Pic of the Campaign

Daily Humor

Today's reason to laugh...

This one is a little out of date now, but still really funny...

Diddy Blog #24 - Sarah Palin Scares Me

President-Elect Obama's First Press Conference

National Politics Round-up

What are Florida bloggers saying about national politics...

1. Miami & Beyond: CANF, Cuba and Obama

2. Bark Bark Woof Woof: The Myth of the Mainstream Media

3. Ybor City Stogie: Lieberman Must Go!

4. Blue Herald: President Elect Barack Obama Press Conference 11/07/08

5. Eye on Miami (gimleteye): Daily Show Futures Plummet

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Action Alerts

Send an e-mail: Ask President-elect Obama to lead on Climate Change (Oxfam)

Send an e-mail: Tell President-elect Obama to fight global poverty (CARE)

Sign the petition: Say No to Larry Summers for Treasury Sec. (OL)

Sign the petition: Lieberman Must Go

Sign the petition: Add Your Name to Keep Health Care on the Map (SEIU)

Make a phone call: Call your Senator and tell him to say no to Joe Lieberman (MyDD)

Words of Wisdom on the 2008 Election

A sampling of quotes, joke, observations and quips about the 2008 election...

Bark Bark Woof Woof: "We won."

Truman's Conscience: "To all the world, I present to you Barack Obama..."

Blast Off!: "Indeed, to all the True Believers in the hate-filled rhetoric of the Right ... to those who stuck with Drunky McStagger until it was too late, then picked up the mantle of the disingenuous charlatan who literally embraced him and his ideals ... to the doubters and the racists and the PUMAs and the liars and, yes, even certain convicted felons: today's Blast Off! Daily Schadenfreude is for you!"

The Spencerian: "I hope our Democratic candidates who didn't quite make it this time around give it another shot. Florida needs them."

madfloridian: "Daniel Ruth reminds us that the Florida county with the huge confederate flag went for Barack Obama."

Beating the Bushes: "OK, I'll freely admit that there's a wondrous bit of historic irony in the fact that he who signed the Emancipation Proclamation and he who would eventually become both the symbol and fact of its ultimate fulfillment, came from the same state."

Reidblog: "RFKJ for EPA? Could be (and would be great)."

Ron Mills: "Thank you Howard Dean."

Incertus (Brian): "The discussion this morning is supposed to be about Obama's transition team and what viewers expect from the Obama administration, but all the Republicans can seem to talk about is how Obama won because he was black."

Morning Martini: "This is like having a good dream after eight years of a nightmare. For the past eight years I kept hoping we would all wake up from the nightmare and now I’m afraid I’ll wake up and this will all be just a dream."

South Florida Daily Blog: "It's amazing the reaction people have to a Socialist, Marxist, America-hating, terrorist-loving, secret Muslim, black Fidel Castro...isn't it?"

boiling mad: "Has Obama made right-wing gas bags irrelevant?"

boiling mad: "We are ready to have a black president"

Smashed Frog: "With the election of Barack Obama as our President, America finally broke free of her adolescent chains, leaping forward into a maturity where all dreams are possible."

Meadows Ling: "Something has been made abundantly clear to me over the past few months, my ideologies differs so much from those that I grew up around. That includes my family, friends, pretty much 95% of the people that I’ve known in my life. I just wonder how I could have lived in the same environment as all of these other people, but have such different viewpoints."

Legend Killer: "I am so proud of all of you, Citizens."

Lucky White Girl: "So I'll just say that from my (feminist) standpoint, the view from here is just fine these days! I've never felt this way before about a leader of our country, never felt a glimmer of hope for a future where maybe my country doesn't rule the world with a bloody iron fist, invading sovereign nations left and right, engaging in immoral wars and irresponsible fiscal policy and using and disposing of the planet as it sees fit for short-term convenience. Maybe things can indeed change."

Sunshine Statements: "The Sunshine State can elect an African-American as president, but can't get other things right in terms of equality for all."

Buck from Blue Herald: "Even after just electing America’s first black president, inequalities both in and out of the workplace, along with hate and prejudice, still runs rampant in many parts of our country."

Sunshine Statements: "Obama now blazes his own trail for many others, including women, Hispanics, Asian Americans and other Americans of different races, religions and creeds."

Pushing Rope: "I have never been happier about being wrong."

Andrew Wahl: "With overwhelming voice, Americans have voted to move beyond the dark times of the past eight years."

Tiny Little Dots: "Gay rights took a giant leap backwards yesterday. We still live in a country where ignorance and bigotry run rampant. May I remind us all that in America there are no second class citizens."

South Florida Daily Blog: "If there is one thing this election has shown me, it's that we have a long, long way to go before we conquer racism in this country."

Lucky White Girl: "I think last night was the happiest day of my life."

Pensito Review (Trish): "U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney (R-East Central Florida) was soundly trounced by former state Rep. Suzanne Kosmas. Feeney was one of the poster children for the corrupt Tom DeLay/Jack Abramoff years, enjoying an infamous golfing excursion to Scotland on the lobbyist’s bankroll among many other gifts."

Pensito Review (Trish): "Now Can We Like the French Again?"

Tally: "Defeating that creep Feeney is sweet. Did you see the winning percentage?"

ReidBlog: "The Obama campaign won Florida with a combination of surging black turnout, significant improvement with Hispanics, and finally capturing the "white whale" of the Florida Democratic Party: the I-4 corridor."

Bark Bark Woof Woof: "If Sarah Palin is the future of the Republican Party, they are in deeper shit than anyone could possibly imagine."

Unscrewing the Inscrutable: "But I have just enough optimism - yes, just enough Hope - to think that we may be lucky enough to see real progress."

Discourse.net: "Only 43 years after the passage of the Voting Rights Act, the United States has elected a black man as President."

Political Bloviation: "America wins. The politics of hate lose."

Interstate4Jamming2: "I've written it here before, but it seems interesting how so many people can vote for change, but here in Central Florida how they can still continue to elect the same people for Congress."

Incertus (Brian): "We're a blue state

Dan Gelber: "No time for champagne or hubris"

BlueHerald: "A Sigh of Relief is Heard Around the World"

Left Side Out: "In the years to come my wonderful daughters, their sons and daughters, my sons in law — all of us will be telling the story of the day that the paradigm shifted in the United States. The day that the color barrier was broken for the most important office in the land, in the world. The day that we elected the best man for the job. The day we begin to heal our land from many wounds."

My God, It's Real.

madfloridian: "Failure to Blow Election Stuns Democrats"

Seminole Democrat: "I wish Martin Luther King, JR was alive"

BlueHerald: "For Obama, Michelle, and everyone that worked so hard to make this happen - the young."

The Spencerian: "Change has come"

Conceptual Guerilla: "I am so proud of America today."

Sheree Shatsky: "We did it. We blogged Florida blue."

Leonard Pitts Jr.: "We are finally included in `We the People'"

E.J. Dionne: "Obama understood better than any other Democrat that a vast new progressive movement, called into being by antipathy toward Bush and outrage over the Iraq war, was waiting for leadership."

Melissa McEwan: "It is because of him that my vote matters, for the first time."

Joe Scarborough: "This Is A Total Repudiation Of The Republican Brand"

Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va): "We've become a regional party, basically become a white, rural, regional party, and not a national party. And we're going to have to retool ourselves"

Tom Tomorrow: "Yes. America, you’ve restored my faith in you."

Atrios: "PRESIDENT BARACK FUCKING HUSSEIN OBAMA."

BarbinMD: "Mandate. Carry on."

Dohiyi Mir: "Apparently we, the People, won something today. PRESIDENT BARACK HUSSEIN OFUCKINGBAMA, BITCHES! Carry on."

Atrios: "In Case I Forget To Mention It...Holy fucking shit."

AMERICAblog: "Hateful, homophobic Marilyn Musgrave lost tonight"

Chris Bowers: "I'll have more detailed thoughts later, but right now I just want to say that I feel, well, humbled at the sublime face of promise and history. Something very good happened tonight. I'll write about it for ages. Right now, it is too overwhelming."

Matt Stoller: "That's four women winning, two women ahead, two behind, and thirteen losing. The Politico is predicting a 20 seat pickup for Democrats. That's a low percentage of incoming women. Something to think about."

e.politics: "For My 40th Birthday, I Get...A new country. Not too shabby."

Meteor Blades: "68% of Youth Vote Goes for Obama"

DemFromCT: "The Poll That Counts: Obama 52 McCain 46"

Pam Spaulding: "To put things in perspective, voters in California handily approved another measure to improve the health and well-being of livestock - 'Standards for Confining Farm Animals,' but were content to eliminate the existing right of gays and lesbians to marry."

Down With Tyranny: "I don't know if SpongeBob SquarePants knows the country is rid of dangerous extremists like Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Virgil Goode (R-VA), Thelma Drake (R-VA), Tom Feeney (R-FL), Steve Pearce (R-NM) and Robin Hayes (R-NC) but he sure knows that Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States. And like many of us, he thinks it's the best day ever!"

Shark-fu: A bitch is still struggling to put into words what I am feeling right now."

Lab Kat: "Last night, I sat on the couch in my living room by myself and cried."

techPresident: "Congratulations Mr. Community Organizer!"

David Sirota: "For three obvious reasons, last night was an historic landmark - the election of the first African American president, the success of a campaign that was more grassroots than any past, and the very bold progressive mandate the country delivered thanks both to the sheer size of the victory and to the candidates making clear this was an ideological choice between Reagan-ism and Roosevelt-ism."

The Onion: "Nation Finally Shitty Enough To Make Social Progress | The Onion - America’s Finest News Source"

The Onion: "Black Man Given Nation’s Worst Job"

Documenting Reality: "I'm Listening to Conservative Radio. This shit is too funny, talk about a bunch of crybabies. They are all screaming GOD has finally condemned us."

AMERICAblog: "Magnanimity is nice, but let's not forget the hideous race John McCain ran."

Texas Nate: "President Obama has the opportunity to establish himself as one of the truly great presidents in his first days in office. He can take advantage of the current economic crisis to announce plans to jump start national health care insurance. Extending health care insurance can be an effective stimulus that will provide an immediate boost to the economy."

Pam's House Blend: "Look at this accomplishment -- out of the record-breaking 111 endorsements of out candidates in 2008, more than 70 percent won as of this AM."

The Vanity Press: "First of all, it means that the Obama-skeptics were wrong. Those who issued dire warnings about the 'Bradley effect,' who insisted that only Hillary Clinton could have won, that Florida and Michigan were lost to the Democrats, that a black candidate could never win (and certainly in no southern states), that Obama would fold in the crunch, that he had no substance -- all wrong."

Kate Harding: "My President is Black!"

The Democratic Strategist: "But now, 28 years later, it's really morning in America..."

The Unapologetic Mexican: "I WEPT. And today, I am weeping. On and off. The smallest thought or image suddenly touches me again and I crack open with relief, hope, or gratitude. Excitement. Calm."

Think Progress: "The World Reacts To President-Elect Obama: ‘A New Deal For A New World’"

Wonk Room: "Conservatives Fear Progressives Will Shift Power ‘Back In Favor Of Unions’"

Dohiyi Mir: "Tomorrow the real work begins."

Governor David A. Paterson: "Last night, Americans rejected the politics of cheap rhetoric, distracting attacks, and exclusionary patriotism in favor of honest discussion, clear priorities, and a dedication to finding real solutions. That is truly historic."

Tom: "I too, would like to tell you how happy I am to finally have voted for the person who won the election..."

KenInNY: "I'm still pretty steamed about a lot that happened in the course of the presidential campaign, but I suppose today isn't the day to dwell on it. Let's enjoy it a little."

Charles Alexander: "I never thought I'd live to see the day..."

Chris Bowers: "Winning is pretty cool. No matter what else happens, this feels good."

Sine.Qua.Non: "Maybe I can actually get a full 8-hours of sleep for the first time in 9 years."

Melissa McEwan: "More democracy was good for Obama, good for the Democrats, good for everyone who voted for him in the general election. Let us never suggest again that better candidates are forged in less democracy."

Bryan: "I'm glad Obama won, but how come it's expected of me to rise above the anti-black bigotry I was raised with, and go vote for a black man, but then black people can go vote to enshrine bigotry into law and no one challenges that?"

BlueHerald: "A permanent Republican majority? Ha!"

Elderly woman in Pensacola: "Let's hope things settle down after today and we can watch what we want on T.V."

Paul Rosenberg: "Impressive as this election was, this county-level look at the election clearly shows a potential for much more dramatic shifts in our favor yet to come."

NTodd Pritsky: "Why can't Gobama close the deal?"

Baratunde Thurston: "I cannot stop crying. I am stunned. Barack Obama is the next presidentof the United States of America, and I cannot stop crying. America closed the deal. Yes, we did."

ReidBlog: "Yes, we can"

Talk to Me: "Yes. We. Did."

Paul Krugman: "Now the work begins."