(Obama needs to seize the day... - promoted by poligirl)
In his second substantive, issue-focused discussion since the election, President-elect Barack Obama spoke to the bipartisan governors' meeting on climate change, with an extensive international audience. I recommend reading the speech (after the fold) and watching the video, but there are some key points worth calling out and perhaps just one important issue to raise.
This is a clear statement that Barack Obama's discussion of energy and global warming issues during the campaign will translate directly into the White House and is core to the Administration.
I promise you this: When I am President, any governor who's willing to promote clean energy will have a partner in the White House. Any company that's willing to invest in clean energy will have an ally in Washington.
Obama makes a strong point about science and the view of it from the Oval Office come January 20th: "The science is beyond dispute and the facts are clear." In the new 'bipartisan' era, can we hope that denialists need not apply?
(we cannot forget the American worker... - promoted by poligirl)
Well, the longest election season of my lifetime has now ended. The smashing victory for Obama, and Democrats in most of the country should show us one thing. It is time we fight for the American worker once more. All over America, workers came out in force to demand a fair deal once more. Union workers, and those that aspire to organize let their voices be heard, and were a pivotal voting bloc in our victory. Now, it is time that the American worker recieved some good news for a change.
Well, well, here you are, on a Tuesday night, just surfin' around on the toobz! Well, glad you found your way here to the Progressive Blue! Your regular Tuesday girl, edgery, is off tonight, so y'all will just have to make due with me, poligirl! He He HE! ;>
Since it's Tuesday, the second day of the workweek and largely a forgotten weekday that nobody really celebrates (except for a few taco and beer joints), we're going to do just that by singing the blues...
And of course, there's a poll for you: It's multi-choice; please choose your favorite 5... If you don't drink anymore, choose your fav 5 from when you did... If you've never drank, there's an option for you too... ;>
Tonight I'm gonna start you off with some Clapton, cuz, well, it's Clapton fcol!
(too much hate; too much destruction; too much war... - promoted by poligirl)
So many issues, so little time. Something that I am sure you have noticed is the fact that the killing and dying done in our names has been grossly under reported. It has become no more than a blip on the screen when compared to the economy and elections. Now this could be understandable except for the fact that it is not just the MSM that have ignored what is taking place in our names but the blogosphere too seems to hunger for something else. It's as if lately because we have a new "President-elect" that things will automatically heal themselves. To those people I say, you must not be paying attention.
It's hard to discuss TWO WARS at once and really has boggled my mind in the attempt to do so, but let me attempt it and ask for your patience in doing so. I'll start with a h/t to Sameer Dossani for the reminder of a quote in the lead of The Case for U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate.
In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
(without goals, how will we know if we get there? - promoted by poligirl)
I struggled with the title of this piece. I was going to call it "10 things I expect from the Obama administration," but I don't actually believe Obama will do even half of these. Nevertheless, they are all vital to the health of our nation and necessary if we are going to truly get on the right track. I considered calling it "10 things the Obama administration should do," but that minimizes the necessity of these steps. I considered calling it "10 things the Obama administration must do," but in reality, many of these things will probably not be accomplished in eight years. Nevertheless, they are the direction we must be moving.
This is my personal manifesto on the most important goals for our nation. As you read this opinion piece, remember, I don't believe I'm asking for too much. I'm demanding the minimum I believe we all deserve from our leaders. The fact that many of these goals seem far off and nearly impossible for Obama to achieve is only evidence of how badly our previous leaders have failed us. I'm not saying these will be easy for Obama, or that he will achieve them. I'm saying they need to be goals he has clearly in sight and he must work persistently toward them.
(Go Jim Martin - our Progressive Blue Bake Sale candidate for the GA-Sen! - promoted by poligirl)
This is a quick reminder that the runoff election for U.S. Senate in Georgia will be on December 2, and there are many ways you can help Democrat Jim Martin beat Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss.
Depending on how the recount in Minnesota turns out, which won't be resolved for a few weeks, Martin could be the key to getting Democrats to that magic filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.
Howdy to you all out there surfin' the Progressive Blue this Monday evening! Yes, Mondays do, in fact, suck, but a least there's only 4 days left til the weekend again! Thank God. Or Budda. Or the Flying Spaghetti Monster for that matter...
(Crescent Moon Sunset on Yellowstone Lake by Fort Photo)
It's time for the Monday Night Twilight - that special Monday evening ritual where we talk about how life's going and whatnot...
We also always have those wild and wacky (but true) story links in the Monday Night Twilight, cuz ya all just gotta laugh a little - it's Monday for heaven's sake! And sometimes you just have to read this stuff - I couldn't make this stuff up - (maybe if I worked for the Onion or Colbert...)
Notes on the poll: The poll tonight is multi-choice; pick as many as apply... Be truthful now... ;>
This might be an odd time to writer a letter, but I felt compelled.
Hopefully, we will reach the magic number 60 in the Senate, but keep in mind also that Bernie Sanders is one of two independents in the Senate who votes more correctly on progressive legislation like this than even a good number of Democrats in the Senate whom he often votes with 98% of the time and the other 2% is when they are wrong; being the only self described Democratic socialist [nothing wrong with that whatsoever] he will be supporting this legislation if it makes it to the Senate.
However, I'm tired of the excuses; I'm tired of the incremental steps and now that we have the presidency back, and a majority in the House and Senate, it's time to push for what most other modern industrialized countries have some form of, even if it operates differently, through taxation. We pay much more than other countries do with "taxes" without the benefits and it's time most Americans realized this.
Howdy y'all! Glad to see all of you out there surfin' the Progressive Blue on this very smokey evening! Tonight we are celebrating our own >>>>>cjallen's birthday!<<<<< He's the ripe old age of ##, well I won't tell ya - he can if he wants to... :D Happy Birthday cjallen!
(Grand Crescent Moon Sunset by Fort Photo.)
I bid you welcome to the last vestige of frivolity until (gasp) you have to go back to work tomorrow. So we will end our weekend properly with The Sunday Sunset. This open thread is meant to try to keep the weekend alive a little longer with our own late night farewell. I'll also post the weekly sunset photo in the body.
The floor for the Sunday Sunset is an open to any stories about your weekend, as well as to any ranting, whining, crying, bitching, moaning, kvetching, and venting any of you would like to do. Laughing is of course definitely allowed and even encouraged, even if it's just desperate hysteria that's causing it.
There are only 2 rules in this particular open thread:
1. Be Good To One Another
2. Vote in the Poll
Notes on the poll: It's multi-choice so pick as many as apply... ;>
Washington is abuzz with inaugural activities. I always love this time of the election process when the new president is already decided, former contenders make their peace and speculation about the new administration is buzzing. This year is particularly interesting as the 'what's done is done' mentality seems to be more convincing than usual.
