In Case You Missed It - The Obamas On 60 Minutes

Nice to have the adults in charge, isn't it?

Obama's Weekly YouTube Address - "It's The Economy Stupid"

Is it just me, or do you giggle a little bit (in a good way) when you hear the phrase "Presidential YouTube Address"? 

Nice having a prez who gets the Internets.......

Georgia Sen. Chambliss Knocks Over Camera When Asked About Deadly Sugar Factory Accident

From HuffingtonPost.com:

The pressures of the runoff election and the continuing questions about his ties to a large, scandal-scarred sugar company seem to be getting to Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

Asked by a reporter whether a lawsuit involving deaths at an Imperial Sugar plant -- a lawsuit in which Chambliss claims he has senatorial immunity from testifying -- were making his chances at reelection harder, the Georgia Republican responded by knocking away a nearby camera.

The video, put out by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, is another chapter in a bizarre but brewing saga that could very well affect the outcome of the Senate race.

In February 2008, an explosion at the Imperial Sugar Factory in Savannah, caused largely by combustible dust particles, killed 14 workers and injured 40. The whistleblower who brought the issue to light came before Capitol Hill to testify on the matter. Chambliss sat in on the hearing, though he was not part of the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. He was accused by his opponents of verbally harassing the whistleblower. Moreover, Chambliss continued to oppose a new combustible dust standard at the plant even after the explosion. Finally, when families of the victims filed a lawsuit, the Senator refused to give evidence or testimony, citing Senatorial immunity, which doesn't actually exist.

Imperial Sugar, which has funneled a moderate amount of donations into Chambliss' coffers, has defended the Senator's conduct as appropriate.

"Going Rogue" In California

The HuffingtonPost.com  just published a story on the California Obama campaign's massive GOTV phone bank effort. It's a great read about a largely unknown aspect of Obama's GOTV effort. But for those of us who were in the middle of the whirlwind, it's profoundly weird reading an "objective" account about something we knew so intimately. I especially got a kick out this passage:

By late September, the nascent phone bank operation already had 100 locations and was outgrowing the available lists from Nevada. Burning through call sheets almost before they could be printed, the operation was confronted with its own worst nightmare, a willing army, staring at their own phones, and no voters to call. By early October, the boiler-room operation was 'going rogue', staying up all night cutting voter file lists from battleground states, obtained without the consent of Chicago, and divvying them up to idle phone banks around the state. (Those lists came by way of Obama state staffers, who had originally been trained in -- California).

We were in the middle of this. By "we" I mean the Region 4 (Central Coast to Orange County) phone banks. My co-Regional Field Organizer, Mike Bonin, and I were responsible for the CD36 phone banks that ran under the direction of Aaron Schiller, the Region 4  Field Director, and one of the few paid Obama staffers in California.

When it became clear one weekend that Nevada was unable to provide Region 4 with enough call lists, and we were in danger of sending hundreds of volunteers home, Aaron, along with Amy Amsterdam, our Regional Data Director (and an unpaid volunteer) worked their contacts in North Carolina and New Mexico to get us lists.

It was a huge risk on their part. At the time, Chicago hadn't signed off on California calling any battleground states outside Nevada and New Mexico. If the program had backfired - if the lists were cut wrong, data didn't get entered, or if anyone caught on before we could prove what had been kludged together could work on a massive scale - Aaron could have lost his job and Amy could have been kicked off the campaign. We hid everything we did, even going so far as mis-categorizing our battleground state calls as "volunteer recruitment" calls in the nightly reports sent to Chicago.

But what they came up with did work, and it fundamentally changed the way the Obama campaign ran it's ground game. By literally becoming the nation's phone bank, California allowed battleground states to free up their resources to put boots on the ground for voter registration, canvassing, GOTV and early voting.

Our little congressional district was a huge part of this. In the last 4 days leading up to Election Day, we had over 1,500 volunteers who made 152,224 phone calls to the battleground states of New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Missouri.

No small debt of gratitude goes out to Aaron and Amy, who made this happen.

Amy Amsterdam and Aaron Schiller

"As God Is My Witness, I Thought Turkeys Could Fly!"

One of the funniest gags ever aired on network TV was the Thanksgiving Day episode of "WKRP in Cincinnati".  Centered around a radio promotion gone horribly wrong, station owner Mr. Carlson and ad man Herb throw turkeys out of a helicopter to a horrified crowd below. Intrepid reporter Les Nesman covers the spectacle as if he were watching the crashing of the Hindenburg, memorably reporting turkeys 'hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement.'

In one of the all-time classic lines, Mr. Carlson later explains his rationale simply: 'As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.'"

Now flash forward to this............

You have to watch this video to believe it. Sarah Palin appeared at a Wasilla turkey farm to engage in the time-honored practice of pardoning a turkey for Thanksgiving.

Everything went fine, until she gave an interview afterward. That's when a worker in the background shoved a couple of turkeys neck-first into a death grinder while Palin yammered on, seemingly oblivious to the carnage unfolding behind her.

WARNING! This video isn't for vegans or the squeamish.

Holy Crap

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) has ousted John Dingell (D-Mich) as Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee. The vote was 137-122.

The enormity of this can't be overstated.

As Marc Ambinder wrote:

The committee will be the most powerful in the new Congress, one that'll deal with health care and energy legislation. (Ways and Means? Pleghghgh.) A lot of impatient liberal Democrats want to see Dingell go; he is too old, too blinkered in his thinking and too at odds with the party on energy, they say; just as many, it seems, want him to say, including some influential members of the leadership, even if for reasons of preserving the integrity of the seniority system.

D-Day, writing for Calitcs put the politics of this into perspective:

Waxman, who wrote the Clean Air Act and who has an understanding of what is needed to be done on global warming and the post-carbon future, would make a great chairman, as opposed to the Dingellsaurus, who is still trying to protect the auto industry from moving into the 21st century, even as the verdict on their approach is defined by their trudging to Capitol Hill for a bailout. A majority of the caucus has signed a letter to Nancy Pelosi asking for greater efforts to combat climate change. Waxman at Energy is a key to that happening. We must eliminate this roadblock.

(snip)

Lots of members of Congress put themselves in the position of someone like Dingell, who earned his chairmanship with seniority, and they don't want to see him pushed out because they wouldn't want it to happen to them. That's the kind of institutional thinking that must be vanquished, as it restricts change. The enviro groups are backing away from this fight because they don't want to feel Dingell's wrath if he wins. There is nobody else left to step in but us. I was skeptical that House Democrats would be pushed in the direction of progress, but with Waxman's former chief of staff, Phil Schiliro, in the Obama White House, some pressure may be coming down from the top. It's in all of our interests to have Henry Waxman atop this committee.

That's change, folks. Real change we can believe in.

A Failed Talk Show Host And A Pollster Walk Into A Bar......

From D-Day:

John Ziegler, who probably has about 10 talk radio show firings left in his career, is I guess trying to make it now as a "filmmaker." This being a film on how stupid Barack Obama supporters are, he decided to sponsor a "poll" asking them a series of questions which had, er, idiosyncratic answers, and appeared designed to push negative information out about Obama.

And more from FiveThirtyEight.com:

I had the chance this afternoon to speak with John Ziegler, a documentary filmmaker and former radio talk show host who built the website HowObamaGotElected.com and is promoting a forthcoming documentary of the same name.

Ziegler was responsible for commissioning a Zogby International survey of Barack Obama supporters, which took the form of a multiple choice political knowledge test, stating a "fact" to the respondent and asking them which of the four major candidates (Obama, McCain, Biden, Palin) the statement applied to. Because I believe that many of the statements on the survey are questionable or false but are misleadingly presented as factual to the respondent, I characterized the survey as a "push poll" in an article posted early this morning.

Ziegler had contacted me by e-mail, asking if I'd like to interview him; the interview itself was conducted by telephone. Ziegler asked, among other conditions, that I post a full transcript of the interview, which I have. The transcript below is intended to be representative as possible from my shorthand transcript, with the exception of two or three rapid-fire ad-hominem exchanges being edited out. The transcript, however, is not safe for work.

A few of the more interesting exchanges here:

NS: What did Zogby charge you -- what did you pay for this survey?
JZ: I'm not going to tell you that, I'm not a fucking idiot.

NS: Did he charge you at his usual rates or did he ask you for extra?
JZ: You'll have to ask them. I'm not going to respond how much money I paid for this. It was substantial but I’m not going to say anything more than that.

(snip)

NS: Would you consider yourself well-informed
JZ: I’d consider myself extremely well-informed.

NS: Who are the two senators from South Dakota
JZ: Thune and, uh, Johnson.

NS: Very good. South Carolina?
JZ: Go fuck yourself. I'm done with this interview if you're going to ask me stupid questions like that. Obviously I know who Lindsay Graham is.

NS: Well, since you’re running a website calling people misinformed, I’d like to see if -- there are certain things you’ve said that I would consider misinformed.
JZ: Misinformed? You're a piece of work! You are never going to have the guts to post a representative transcript on your website! I thought you actually ran a legitimate website!

NS: Thank you, have a good day.
JZ: Go fuck yourself.

You really have to read the whole thing.

Just Really Weird Shit

OK, so this has absolutely NOTHING to do with Obama or politics, but they did find this critter wandering the streets of Venice, so this story is a least nominally relevant.

From the LA Times:

What do you do when you find a 2-foot alligator strolling through your neighborhood?

Call the police. That's what a resident in the 200 block of 4th Avenue in Venice did early this morning when he spotted an alligator walking in the middle of the street.

Police who arrived at about 1:40 a.m. found the alligator crawling under a bush in someone's front yard. They quickly corralled it into a trash bin and notified animal control, which arrived later to collect the reptile, said Sgt. Marc Reina of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The alligator was being held at an animal shelter until a representative from a local herpetology society could arrive to collect it, said Capt. Louis Dedeaux of the Los Angeles Animal Services Department.

No one yet has claimed the grayish-colored alligator.

Police estimated it was 3 feet long, though animal services officials thought it was closer to 2 feet.

John Cook, who lives nearby on Rose Avenue, walked over to where the alligator was captured. Weird happenings are common in Venice, and in particular, his neighborhood.

"This definitely fits that category," he said.

Reina said it was unusual to find an alligator wandering around Venice, especially that neighborhood. "That's several blocks away from the beach," he said.

In his 25 years with the department, Dedeaux said he has seen as many as 20 alligators, many of whom were confiscated from owners. "Chances are it got away from someone or got out of its confinement area," Dedeaux said.

Top 10 Reasons Why Saxby Chambliss Has To Go

In case you need more convincing. Thanks to super volunteer Julie Priess for looking up this information!

10. Saxby blames the United State's loss of respect in the international community on the Democrats, of course. Here's what he said:

"As long as Democrats in Congress continue to malign our President before the world for political gain back home, we will continue to face a declining stature worldwide."

9. Saxby Chambliss is rated 7% by the ACLU, with one of the most abissmal Civil Rights records in the Senate.

8. Saxby's bigotry knows no bounds.

While touring rural Georgia during this year's campaign, Chambliss tried to boost turnout in his predominately white base: 'The other folks are voting,' he bluntly told supporters. Just in case anyone is confused about who those 'other folks' are, Chambliss gave this quote to the New York Times: "There has always been a rush to the polls by African-Americans early."

At least Saxby is an equal opportunity bigot. In 2001, the Anti-Discrimination Committee wrote to House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert asking that (former) Rep. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, be removed from his position because of bigoted anti-Muslim comments at a Nov. 19 meeting with local Georgia officials. Chambliss told 30 local officials in Valdosta, Ga., that to combat terrorism a Georgia sheriff could be turned loose to"arrest every Muslim that comes across the state line."

7. Saxby's never met a big oil company he didn't like.

He has accepted almost $200,000 from Big Oil and Gas companies while voting to protect their $5 billion tax windfall and opposing legislation that would protect consumers from price gouging.

6. Saxby is rated 0% by NARAL for his %100 ANTI pro-choice voting record.

5. Saxby's a secessionist at heart.

In a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting, Chambliss said: "We need better intelligence. If we had better intelligence in the Civil War we'd be quoting Jefferson Davis, not Lincoln."

4. Saxby is rated 0% by the AU (Americans United for Separation of Church and State). Chambliss actually supports REQUIRING schools to allow prayer.

3. Saxby doesn't necessarily believe in Constitutional rights.

In 2003, Senator Saxby Chambliss chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee's public confirmation hearings on judicial appointments. Chambliss had adopted strict rules that would prevent qualified critics from challenging his predetermined selections to the federal court. One such critic was Elena Sassower, a representative from the Center for Judicial Accountability. She opposed the confirmation of Judge Richard Wesley to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals because of alleged conflicts of interest when he was judge of New York's Court of Appeals.

Sassower sought the approval of the committee to testify about Wesley and was denied by Chambliss. Sassower rose from her seat as Chambliss was adjourning the public meeting and requested permission to make a statement. Chambliss immediately ordered her arrested, charging her with "Disruption of Congress" for which she was imprisoned for six months.

This extraordinary action was taken to not only silence Sassower but dissuade others from exercising their constitutional right to redress government on legitimate issues affecting the public welfare.

2. Saxby is rated 0% by American Public Health Association - he voted AGAINST insuring children under the SCHIP program THREE TIMES.

1. Saxby the Swiftboater owes his Senate seat to his disgusting tactics during the 2002 race.

Saxby defeated incumbent Senator Max Cleland, a triple-amputee and Vietnam war veteran, by accusing him of not having the "courage to lead" because he opposed some of Bush's policies. Saxby ran ads showing images of Cleland morphed with images of Osama bin Laden and Saddem Hussein.

But it gets better. While denigrating a Vietnam War hero would lost three limbs for his country, Saxby was hiding an ugly fact. He sought and received five student deferments from service in Vietnam. During the campaign, he falsely claimed he was given a deferment for a physical injury. Saxby said...

"I was determined not to be physically fit. I had a bum knee. I had an old football knee and unfortunately they wouldn't take me."

Feedback Loop

From the Obama Transition Team:

Please take a few minutes and help shape the future of this movement.

Share your campaign experience and your thoughts on the best way to keep supporting our agenda for change.

The inauguration is just 63 days away, and as President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden prepare to take office, they'll need your support more than ever.

You've built an organization in your community and across the country that will continue to work for change -- whether it's by building grassroots support for legislation, backing state and local candidates, or sharing organizing techniques to effect change in your neighborhood.

Your hard work built this movement. Now it's up to you to decide how we move forward.

Take this short survey and share your ideas:

http://my.barackobama.com/whatsnext

Thanks to you, this country has an historic opportunity. Electing Barack was the first big step, but there's a lot of challenging and important work ahead.

Together, we can keep making history,

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Dial For Democracy This Weekend!

From Politico.com

The Democratic pursuit of 60 Senate seats received new life Tuesday night after Alaska Democrat Mark Begich was declared the winner against Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the Senate........

Democratic prospects of reaching 60 seats didn’t look so bright the day after the election. In Alaska, Stevens led Begich by more than 3,000 votes. In Minnesota, Republican Sen. Norm Coleman was holding a narrow lead. GOP Sen. Gordon Smith had not yet been declared the loser in the Oregon Senate race and in Georgia, Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss was just over the 50 percent mark necessary to win re-election in Georgia.

But over the ensuing two weeks, the landscape began to tilt in the Democrats’ favor. The Associated Press declared Jeff Merkley the winner over Smith in Oregon, Coleman’s lead shrank to 215 votes, Chambliss fell just short of the 50 percent threshold necessary for an outright victory, and Begich captured a majority of the nearly 90,000 absentee and early votes that were counted after Election Day......

Democrats believe they have a shot at picking off Chambliss’ Senate seat now that the race is heading into a runoff, likely a low turnout affair where get-out-the-vote efforts will prove critical. Chambliss dramatically outspent Martin in the general election, $11 million to $2.5 million, but still failed to avoid a runoff. Now, as the campaigns essentially start from scratch, Martin will be at financial parity and aided by scores of leading Democratic operatives.

Democrats’ recent success in getting out the vote has left Martin’s campaign guardedly optimistic. While Barack Obama lost the state by five points, he came closer than most recent Democratic presidential candidates, boosted by the record high level of turnout among African-Americans across the state.

Come to a phone bank this weekend and help the Democrats win the Georgia Senate run-off race.

A win in Georgia would make the Senate nearly filibuster-proof.

And that means Obama will have a much better chance of being able to enact real change.


Let's get a head-start on Saxby's retirement party. Join us:

Saturday, November 22
Pot Luck Phone Bank at Mary Jack's
1pm-4pm
913 Marco Place, Venice, CA 90291
Bring your cell phones, your chargers, and a dish!
We'll provide the drinks!

Sunday, November 23
BBQ Phone Bank and Hot Tub Extravaganza at Marta and Warren's
1pm-4pm
758 Palms Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
Bring your cell phones, your chargers, your bathing suit and a side dish. We'll supply the drinks, burgers and hot water!

Please RSVP so we'll know how much food to get!
msblucow@mac.com

Obama Sends a Message to Governors on Climate Change

President-elect Barack Obama recorded a message to be delivered this morning at the Bi-Partisan Governors Global Climate Summit in Los Angeles. The hosts of the summit include Obama allies Govs. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois and Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, as well as Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, whose wife is an Obama-backer.

Obama's remarks, as delivered and promising "a new chapter of American leadership on climate change," follow below: