Before you donate to Al Franken

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Friday July 20, 2007 · 3:17 PM PDT

2007/07/20 · 15:17

Everyone knows that Al Franken is running for US Senate here in Minnesota. Everyone knows that he would be a much much better Senator, for Minnesota and for all of America, than the incumbent rubberstamper Norm Coleman.

But what many Kossacks don't appear to realize is that Mr. Franken is not the only candidate running. In fact, there are 2 other candidates who are up and running, one in an exploratory phase, and one possible future candidate.

I am a little uneasy about the influence of non-Minnesotans in this race. Let me explain why below the fold...

mtullius

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Monday July 16, 2007 · 3:37 PM PDT

2007/07/16 · 15:37

I read substantial parts of David Halberstam's magisterial book, The Best and the Brightest, as part of a college course (that would be quite a few years ago; I turned 35 this past Friday, thankyouverymuch).

I remember being gobsmacked by the book: as a young person with a typical American education, I knew little about Vietnam (American history courses, sadly, rarely getting past the 19th century), and what I did know, or thought I knew, was mostly mythology. Halberstam's book was an eye-opener, changing my whole perspective on a host of issues-- one of many such books I've read over the years. I went on to read several other Halberstam books on my own (I especially recommend The Fifties) but never went back and completed TBATB (as I'll abbreviate the title).

Until last week. Needing a good solid (long) book to keep me busy during a weeklong vacation without television or Internets, I picked up a copy.

My thoughts below the fold....

mtullius

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Tuesday July 03, 2007 · 12:22 PM PDT

2007/07/03 · 12:22

A lot as been made of Obama's supposed lack of experience-- and not just in the MSM, where one would expect it, but here on DKos as well.

In this diary, I hope to explain why Obama's experience (both where he lacks it and where it is greater than other candidates') is one of the main reasons I am supporting him.

To do this, I will first look at what people usually mean when they criticize Obama's experience. Then I will explain what experiences of his make me believe he'll be the best President of the lot.

So first: what do people mean by experience and why is it not so important?

Join me below the fold, if you can stand to read something that's not about Scooter Libby...

mtullius

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Sunday May 20, 2007 · 9:28 AM PDT

2007/05/20 · 09:28

The Times today ran an article about the current budget battles in my home state of Minnesota. Headlined, "A Tenuous Legislative Consensus in Minnesota Has Collapsed Over Tax Increases," the gist of the article is simple: voters chose a middle way in the last elections, and now those crazy DFLers (as Democrats are called here) are messing things up by proposing a bunch of tax increases. Oh, and thank goodness, the Republican governor, Tim Pawlenty, is vetoing everything and the voters love him for it. Only problem is, as you might have already guessed, the Times' narrative is utter hogwash. More below the fold....

mtullius

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Friday May 04, 2007 · 9:36 PM PDT

2007/05/04 · 21:36

I was browsing some of the Presidential candidates' MySpace profiles. I know, it's a bit of an odd thing to do, especially since my favorite part of it is reading the crazy comments added by winger nutjobs on Brownback's page (or McCain's, or Romney's, or.. you get the idea).

But wait! Scandal awaits below the fold, and it doesn't even involve bashing fellow Democrats!

mtullius

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Tuesday March 13, 2007 · 8:38 AM PDT

2007/03/13 · 08:38

A new Rasmussen poll has Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) under 50%, though still leading DFL candidate Al Franken by 10 points, 46-36.

More below the fold...

mtullius

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Wednesday October 18, 2006 · 10:33 AM PDT

2006/10/18 · 10:33

Millionaire Mike Sodrel (R-Indiana 9th), was quoted (subscription only) in the Bloomington newspaper saying that many of the 46 million Americans without health insurance choose to be uninsured.

"They're young people who think they're bullet-proof" and who buy color televisions rather than pay for insurance, he said.

Wow. More below... Read More

Clock's Ticking: Who Will Stand Up For Workers?

mtullius

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Monday April 17, 2006 · 8:36 PM PDT

2006/04/17 · 20:36

Gretchen Clearwater will. She's tired of workers being blamed for demanding a fair wage to support their families and decent benefits like health care and a modest pension, while CEOs make ever-increasing millions by shipping our jobs to Mexico or elsewhere. That's one of the reasons she's running for Congress here in the Indiana 9th (in the Dem primary on May 2nd).

That's why she recently went to Clarksville, Indiana, to talk to workers from the Colgate plant there, which recently announced that it's closing and moving production to Mexico.

Read about her trip and what she plans to do in Congress to help our workers, (and see a snazzy picture of the famous Colgate clock) below the fold... Read More

Liberals' Lack of Faith

mtullius

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Wednesday March 15, 2006 · 8:06 PM PST

2006/03/15 · 20:06

My experience working for Gretchen Clearwater's campaign here in southern Indiana (9th CD) has been eye-opening. We've been scorned, attacked, ridiculed, ignored, etc.-- but not by Republicans. Oh, no-- that's the treatment we've gotten from some of our Democratic brethren. The state party has endorsed our primary opponent and refuses to even list our website (although the DCCC does, as do most of the county websites in the district). Several bloggers who claim to be progressives have told us to, in so many words, shut up and sit down. But the candidate I work for (as a volunteer, mind you) is not the shut-up-and-sit-down type. She's a fighter. She stands up for what she believes. Now, the conventional wisdom says that the Indiana 9th is a "conservative" district, that only a moderate-to-conservative candidate can win. The conventional wisdom is flat wrong. I'll tell you why below the fold. Read More

IN-09 If Not Now, When?

mtullius

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Wednesday February 08, 2006 · 4:26 PM PST

2006/02/08 · 16:26

I'm a volunteer for the Clearwater For Congress campaign, working to elect Gretchen Clearwater to represent Indiana's 9th CD. It's a grassroots, underdog campaign for the Democratic nomination-- our primary opponent, Baron Hill, held the seat until 2004. But we think it's a fight worth waging, and we believe we can and will win.

I plan to post a series of diaries about the campaign, why we're running, why we think we can win, what the main issues are, etc. I've already posted this diary about how the Indiana State Democratic Party leadership has ignored the primary and endorsed Mr. Hill. I also post as frequently as I can on the campaign blog.

Some of the questions we sometimes get from people about the campaign are: "Why are you splitting the party?", "Why are you running when you can't win?" and "Don't you realize how important it is for a Democrat to win back this seat?" Those are the questions I'll attempt to address in this diary.... Read More

IN-09 State Dem Party Afraid of Democracy?

mtullius

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Wednesday January 25, 2006 · 2:42 PM PST

2006/01/25 · 14:42

Gretchen Clearwater is a progressive Democrat running for Congress here in Indiana's 9th District. It's a seat held by millionaire trucking magnate and Tom Delay pal Mike Sodrel.

This is a contested primary. The other candidate is Baron Hill, who represented the district from 1998-2004, and who is a Blue Dog Democrat.

You can find links to both candidates' websites at, among other places, the DCCC site (and right here). The problem? The leadership of the Indiana Democratic Party has decided to preempt the right of the people to decide their candidate, by endorsing Mr. Hill and listing only his campaign on their official website, here. (more...) Read More

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Before you donate to Al Franken

Rereading "The Best and the Brightest"

Experience Counts, so Vote Obama

More Poor Journalism from NYTimes (MN-GOV)

Rudy Doesn't Like Me...

MN-SEN: Coleman under 50%

IN-09: Sodrel thinks people choose TVs over insurance

Clock's Ticking: Who Will Stand Up For Workers?

Liberals' Lack of Faith

IN-09 If Not Now, When?

IN-09 State Dem Party Afraid of Democracy?