Countdown to JANUARY 15, 2010

By GottaLaff

I'm still feeling a little foggy from meds today (slipped disks, had them for a long time, but they act up now and then), so if I miss anything or make any obvious errors, feel free to correct me in comments. Consider that my Disclaimer-O'-The-Day.

That said, here is information I promised to share from this Facebook entry:

Description:

AMERICANS NEED TO MARCH ON WASHINGTON IN NUMBERS HERETOFORE UNSEEN TO DEMONSTRATE OUR SUPPORT FOR THE FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES WE STILL BELIEVE IN AND WANT TO SEE OUR PRESIDENT & REPRESENTATIVES FIGHT FOR.

We're now on twitter: http://twitter.com/March4Change and, we have an email address for those who are so inclined:

March4Change@gmail.com
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IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE -THIS FRIDAY - PLEASE EMAIL THE FOLLOWING SHOWS/ORGS WITH THE FOLLOWING SUBJECT LINE

"March for Change We Still Believe In - Jan 15th, 2010"

and language to this effect:

On January 15th, 2010, Americans will gather, peacably, on the DC Mall to show our continued support for the progressive agenda our POTUS campaigned on. We voted for President Obama b/c we hoped for more from our government: more compassion, more diplomacy, more honesty, more protection, and more equality.

On January 15th, 2010, we will stand in opposition to the voices of fear, ignorance, and hate that have, thus far, garnered virtually all the attention of the main stream media and skewed the debate over issues that are far to important to ALL Americans. We've written and phoned our Representatives in the House and Senate. We've remained a diligent, anonymous, but silent majority. Now, is the time for America to see our faces and hear our voices.

info@rainbowpush.org

vfped@veteransforpeace.net

http://www.now.org/chapters/fl.html

rachel@msnbc.com

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30031533

Countdown@msnbc.com

firedoglake@gmail.com

--If you live in any State within a day's drive of DC - PLEASE DO YOUR UTMOST TO DISSEMINATE INFO & RALLY SUPPORT FOR THIS UNDERTAKING!

--LOCAL EFFORTS - If you'd like to participate by organizing something within your own community, PLEASE DO SO!!! Use the same techniques that have brought you to this group - only on a local level. Once you numbers grow, contact the local media with a press release a week or two prior to Jan 15th. We'd rather see you in DC but we understand if it's too far or costly for some to travel. BTW - organize carpools or pool resources to charter buses, rent minivans, pay for gas.

--A member suggested that those of us who will be in DC wear something to represent those who are unable to attend (e.g. a pin or flower or what have you). GREAT IDEA!

I suggest we ALSO wear something that demonstrates our solidarity with the POTUS and with one another so . . . . break out and dust off your "old" Obama gear to show support for him BUT ALSO wear an armband (any suggestions besides an armband?) to signify our solidarity with one another.

Midge Hough [Laffy Note: My posts about her can be found here, here and here] lost her daughter-in-law, Jenny, and unborn grandson due, in part, to lack of health care insurance. Midge contacted me yesterday and expressed her support for our effort. [...] Please watch the grievous inhumanity she suffered at the hands of those who oppose the health care reform our country so desperately needs.
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I understand that letters to congress and phone calls work. Been there, am doing that. But in today's political environment, perception and image (TV to be precise) are everything. When's the last time you tuned into your nightly news of choice to see a story about the millions of letters Americans have sent to our reps demanding serious healthcare reform? But I'll bet a months salary that you've seen stories re groups of sorely, uninformed, Tea Baggers in the last couple of weeks. And, whether we like it or not, these images drive the news stories and the national discourse on issues like Healthcare, the Environment, Energy, Education, and so on.

We need to show our numbers, our vigor, and our commitment to REAL, SUBSTANTIVE, AND FUNDAMENTAL (not incremental) CHANGE in a way that will capture the national media's attention and call attention to our discontent. This astroturf, right-wing, TeaBag movement has been successful in creating the misperception that "Millions" of Americans are fed up with Gov't (specifically Obama). THE REALITY, however, is that many more of us voted for our President because we hoped for more from our government. More compassion, more diplomacy, more honesty, more protection, and more equality.

If a conservative, Dick Armey lead and Glenn Beck fueled, astro-turf, movement can conjure up 50,000 to "protest" in DC, how many more democrats, could a true grassroots movement deliver to DC in a show of support for the policies our candidate campaigned on?

I KNOW WE HAVE IT IN US AND THE APPARATUS FOR ORGANIZING AND COORDINATING SUCH AN EVENT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. IF YOU FEEL THIS A WORTHY CAUSE LET IT BE KNOWN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY ACROSS THE COUNTRY - THAT ON JANUARY 15, 2010, THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S INAUGURATION, AMERICANS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WILL DESCEND ON WASHINGTON DC IN THE STRONGEST SHOW OF SUPPORT EVER FOR A SITTING PRESIDENT & THE POLICIES WE SENT HIM TO FIGHT FOR.

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WHAT WE FOUGHT FOR & WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN

I'm urging everyone (and I'm doing it here in SWFL) to contact friends, organizations (e.g. democrat clubs - those at local Institutions of higher learning, local federal congressional reps, local chapter of ORGANIZING FOR AMERICA, MOVEON, NOW, GLAAD, AFL-CIO, NAACP, RAINBOW PUSH COALITION, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK, VETERANS FOR PEACE, THE ED SHOW, OLBERMAN, MADDOW, Air America, etc) locally, regionally, or even nationally, please feel free to share the idea of the March for Change We Still Believe In.

We are, all of us individually, sparks in this and together we can create bonfires all over the country. Take the baton, run with it, pass it on, and keep us all posted!

Feel free to go to the Facebook page and add any input you may have.

Van Jones: A Moment of Truth For Liberal Institutions

By GottaLaff

There's an interesting piece by Jane Hamsher over at Firedoglake. It's bound to cause a stir among Democrats, so it's worth a read. In fact, it demands a read, because this one excerpt doesn't provide nearly enough context:

If there is going to be a serious progressive movement in this country capable of standing up for health care against an industry that spends $1.4 million a day on lobbying, we can't just look to the members of the Progressive Caucus and say "hey, you, get something done." They need cover. They need to know that they will be supported. And people like Van Jones who have given their lives to causes we say we value like prison reform and environmental advocacy need to know that they will be defended, and not handed over to Glenn Beck as an acceptable casualty in the battle for K-Street dollars.

Liberals Threaten to Strip Baucus of Chairmanship

Seems some of the liberal Dems might be finding their nervey bits. Chris has more on what they might be planning.

"In an apparent warning to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), some liberal Democrats have suggested a secret-ballot vote every two years on whether or not to strip committee chairmen of their gavels," The Hill reports.

Baucus "has frustrated many of his liberal colleagues by negotiating for weeks with Republicans over health care reform without producing a bill or even much detail about the policies he is considering."

Said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA): "Every two years the caucus could have a secret ballot on whether a chairman should continue, yes or no. If the 'no's win, he's out."

Liberal Blogger Gets Mic At Florida Tea Party

And as he puts it, "lives to tell the tale."

Obama And Michelle Ask Progressive Groups For Help Driving White House Agenda

By GottaLaff

A Me-Likey moment:

At a private White House cocktail reception last night for leaders of major progressive groups, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle appealed to these leaders and signaled that their groups would play a key role in driving the big progressive changes at the heart of the White House’s legislative agenda, an attendee tells me.

The message was that these groups would be valuable as a kind of progressive outside “echo chamber,” as the attendee puts it.

The party — which was organized by top Obama aide Valerie Jarrett — signals that the White House is moving forward with efforts to build coordination with outside progressive groups in order to drive the White House’s message and beat back its foes. As I reported recently, Jarrett is at the center of those efforts. [...]

Among those on the guest list: Labor leaders Jimmy Hoffa, Gerry McEntee and Andy Stern; MoveOn’s Eli Pariser; Sierra Club’s Carl Pope; Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richardson; and Joe Solomonese of the Human Rights Campaign.

And in a follow-up report:

Obama also displayed a fairly intimate knowledge of what the groups had done to push the stim, such as the big Americans United for Change ad campaign.

“People were very excited -– if I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, `It’s nice to be back in the White House after eight years,’ I could buy a nice lunch today,” the attendee adds.

One other fun detail, involving chief of staff Rahm Emanuel: “It was interesting,” the attendee emails. “Rahm came in the room and pulled Obama aside to share something. But it didn’t look all that urgent –- or at least it wasn’t bad. Whatever news he gave him got a big smile from the President and a half bear hug.”

If Prez O is smiling, then I'm smiling.

Josh Marshall On "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" About McCain And The Media

Shuster's doing a week about what the "Progressive Blogs" are talking about, and he started with TPM's Marshall.

Obama, Progressives Move to Restore Stimulus Spending

I love seeing the word "progressive" in a headline. Plus, it's the perfect timing for adding back things that the average American really understands; schools, state aid and health care extenders.

The Nation -- After the Senate passed a stimulus bill that key members of Congress now say "recklessly" shed much of the stimulus spending endorsed by the House, the Obama White House is reportedly prodding members of the conference committee that will reconcile two very different proposals to restore funding for schools, health insurance and aid for struggling states.

"To make room for added spending, the White House, joined by House Democratic leaders, is pressing to scale back certain Senate-passed tax breaks," according to the Wall Street Journal.

This is a dramatic step in the right direction by the Obama administration.

Pressured by Senate Republicans, Democrats in that chamber bartered off too much of the stimulus spending, creating a bill that is less likely to provide the boost that is needed for a sagging economy. As Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs Lynn Woolsey and Raul Grijalva note in a new letter to House leaders, "We are especially concerned that the Senate package does not invest in jobs -- be they focused on 'green' technology, veterans, or sustaining the local prevailing wage."

A Progressive Sighting!!

Which reminds me, doesn't Podesta count as a Progressive also?

Later today, President-elect Barack Obama will announce that our friend and former colleague Melody Barnes will be named as Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. The Council “coordinates the domestic policy-making process in the White House and offers policy advice to the President.” In her new role, Melody will be working with allies such as incoming HHS Secretary Tom Daschle to bring about comprehensive health care reform.

Olbermann Signs Contract Extension with MSNBC

Yeah Keith!!! Hope you got lots more cash too!! (You can see some bad video of Keith on The View here)

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann joined the ladies of The View today. But one piece of news he didn't get to report was about himself. TVNewser has learned Olbermann has signed a contract extension with MSNBC/NBC that takes him through the 2012 election. Olbermann had signed a deal in February '07 which kept him with the network through 2011.

Hume: Progressive Label Means Ideas Won't Work

Good thing you're retiring there Brit. More time to eat your words.

Middle class supports progressive policies

By GottaLaff

Via Think Progress