Horne Calls for Filibuster on Warrantless Wiretapping and Telecom Immunity

In his announcement of his race for the U.S. Senate, Louisville attorney and Iraq war vet, Lt. Col. Andrew Horne (Ret.) gave the dramatic line, "While [Sen. Minority Leader/Obstructer-in-Chief]Mitch McConnell carred Bush's water on Iraq, I carried a rifle in Iraq." A powerful line, but I am glad to see that it is more than mere rhetoric. Today, Horne announced his support for Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)'s efforts to filibuster Bushco's attempts to further trample on our Constitutional rights by giving permanent legitimacy to warrantless wiretapping and retroactive immunity to those telecom companies that cooperated with this un-Constitutional program while it was also still in violation of the FISA statute. (FISA= Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1974). FISA was enacted in the wake of Watergate's revelations about how abusive government surveillance had become--using fear of Communism and the Vietnam War to spy on civil rights organizations, peace groups, opposition newspapers, and all U.S. citizens who exercised rights of dissent. FISA made the govt. get warrants from the secret FISA court before spying on U.S. citizens.

Bushco, including McConnell, argue that new tech and the "war on terror" means this should no longer be necessary. Don't believe them. I am glad to know that presidential hopefuls Sens. Clinton and Obama will be here to support Dodd in this vote, as they were not previously. This is more important than campaigning. This is protecting our freedom.

Don't be misled by McConnell's fear tactics: FISA does NOT expire on 01 Feb.! All that expires is the stupid law passed in '06 that "expanded" FISA to permit warrantless wiretapping without any safeguards or conditions. McConnell and the GOP have blocked attempts to update the law for an age of terrorism in ways that still protect our liberties. So, we stop the Bushies NOW, here. If Feb. 1 expires without a new law, all that will happen is that the old FISA goes back into effect--you know, the law that Bush and the telecom companies broke with their warrantless wiretapping. And the lawsuits against these companies go forward--so that at least SOME accountability happens for trifling with the Constitution.

Three cheers for Sen. Dodd (whom I hope will replace the spineless Sen. Reid (D-NV) as Majority Leader) and 3 cheers for Andrew Horne. Show Horne some love by sending his campaign some cash, today.

Toni Morrison Endorses Obama

Toni Morrison, the only African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, wrote an article in a 1998 issue of The New Yorker in which she (in)famously called Bill Clinton, "America's first black president" because of both the way he understood African-Americans and the similar way that the media treated him and black politicians. It was a comment that Bill Clinton (and some white media) took FAR too seriously--more than it was intended and more than African-Americans ever took it. Well, now, Toni Morrison has endorsed Barack Obama.

In giving her reasons, she writes that she admires Hillary Clinton but that gender has little to do with her reasons for that admiration. And she says the same about Obama's race--that she would not endorse him just because he's black or "makes me proud." What are her reasons:

"In thinking carefully about the strengths of the candidates, I stunned myself when I came to the following conclusion: that in addition to keen intelligence, integrity and a rare authenticity, you exhibit something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race or gender and something I don't see in other candidates. That something is a creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom.

"Our future is ripe, outrageously rich in its possibilities. Yet unleashing the glory of that future will require a difficult labor, and some may be so frightened of its birth they will refuse to abandon their nostalgia for the womb.

"There have been a few prescient leaders in our past, but you are the man for this time."

Tsunami Tuesday--05 February '08

Here are the Democratic races on "Tsunami Tuesday," along with the type of race and pledged delegates. (I am not counting the number of "super delegates" since it is still unclear how they will be awarded, not to mention how they will vote. I sincerely hope that they are abolished after this election cycle.) Some of these races are "closed" meaning that only registered Democrats (not Republicans or Independents) can vote. But, unlike with the Republicans, all Democratic primaries and caucuses are awarded delegates based on proportion of the vote won. None of these races are "winner take all." So, for instance, Hillary Clinton could win some delegates from Obama's home state of Illinois and Obama could win delegates from Clinton's home state of New York--even though the hometown favorites will probably come in first in their respective home states. Also, conceivably, John Edwards, though he has yet to win a primary or caucus, could still keep winning delegates up to the Democratic National Convention and be in a position to play King or Queen maker or influence platform positions. (There are rumors that the Obama campaign is considering Edwards for the role of Atty. General if Obama should win the White House. Edwards, by all accounts a brilliant trial lawyer, could use that office to defend Labor, enforce civil rights and voting rights, prosecute polluters and safety violators, etc. If offered, I think he would take that job, especially if some of his positions on healthcare, etc. were quietly adopted by Obama.)

Alabama: Primary 52

Alaska: Caucuses 13

American Samoa: Primary 3 (A territory rather than a state, it has no representation in Congress, but American Samoans are citizens who vote in presidential elections.0

Arizona: Primary 56 (Gov. Janet Napolitano (D-AZ) has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama, but the state is heavily Republican and, in the general election, is likely to vote Republican, especially if the GOP nominee is favorite son Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)).

Arkansas : Primary 35

California: Primary 370 (This is the big prize and has often been decisive in both the primaries and the general election because it is the most populous state in the union. Latinos are 35% of the population and Asians are 12.5%, while only 6% are African-American. Another wild card is that absentee balloting accounts for about 40% of California's voting--and those primary votes are already cast.)

Colorado: Caucus 55 (The Democratic National Convention will be held in Denver. This is one of those Western states that has been mostly Republican in the past, but is trending Democratic.)

Connecticut: Primary 48 (Now that favorite son, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) dropped out following the Iowa caucuses, how will CT vote? I would think that to win a Dodd endorsement, either Obama or Clinton would have to return to the Senate briefly to help him defeat the GOP attempts at permanent warrantless wiretapping with immunity for telecom companies.)

Delaware: Primary 15 (Ditto above, now that Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) has dropped out? Biden is a DLC Democrat and I would think he helps Hillary Clinton campaign here.)

Democrats Abroad: Primary 7

Georgia: Primary 87

Idaho: Caucus 18

Illinois: Primary 153 (Obama has homecourt advantage, but the breaking news of the arrest of Tony Rezko, even though Obama has returned campaign contributions and has not been linked at all with Rezko's corruption charges, could hurt. The Chicago Tribune is writing editorials critical of Obama's ties, even though they are nowhere as close as many other Illinois politicians--and even Hillary Clinton had Rezko raise money for her.)

Kansas: Caucus 32

Massachussetts: Primary 93 (Gov. Deval Patrick (D-MA) and both of Mass.' senators, Kerry (D-MA), and Kennedy (D-MA), are endorsing Obama.)

Minnesota: Caucus: 72

Missouri: Primary 72 (Obama has been endorsed by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and fmr. Sen. Carnahan (D-MO)

New Jersey: Primary 107

New Mexico: Caucuses 26 (Heavily Latino. I'd love to see Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) endorse Obama, but he has so far stayed neutral.)

New York: Primary 232 (Hillary Clinton's home turf. She has the endorsement of Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and of the New York Times, and many influential politicians and Afrian-American ministers here. But, Obama also has supporters, including fundraisers, here and has won the endorsement of the liberal New York Daily News. Still, I'd be very surprised if Clinton doesn't win NY.)

North Dakota: Caucuses 13

Oklahoma: Primary 38

Tennessee: Primary 68

Utah: Primary 23

If this round of voting (amounting to a national primary) does not end in a clear nominee, which seems increasingly likely, the next round of voting comes on 09 February and then throughout the month. Another wave comes in March and then leftovers. Kentucky's primary is not until 20 May '08. That would ordinarily mean that our 47 delegates are irrelevant to the selection of the nominee--but that may not be the case this year. We'll see.

Democrats Abroad

Are you a U.S. citizen living overseas? Do you want to vote in the 2008 elections, but have difficulty affording or getting the absentee ballots? Or, worse yet, does your state use a caucus rather than a primary to choose party nomination, thereby making it impossible for you to participate? Well, help is at hand. You can register to vote online at VoteFromAbroad.org

Further, if you are a registered Democrat (there is also a similar online group for Republicans, but I'll let GOP folks find it on their own--this is a progressive Democratic blog!), you should know about Democrats Abroad, the overseas branch of the Democratic Party. It will help you participate in more ways than just voting. But get to it quickly, because Democrats Abroad vote on 05 February '08, "Tsunami Tuesday," so your chance to register for that is probably gone. But you can vote if already registered. And, if you register quickly, even if you aren't yet registered, you can vote in the November general election. So, if this applies to you, get to it.

If it applies to loved ones--and I know many Kentuckians have relatives overseas in the military or serving as missionaries, or working for international corporations, serving in the Peace Corps or other peace-related national service, or are part of an embassy--or even pursuing advanced academic degrees abroad. Contact them and let them know how they can still exercise their franchise as U.S. citizens and help shape the future of this nation--and, because (for better and worse) we are so influential, the world.

Ted Kennedy to Endorse Obama!

Sen. Edward "Ted" Kennedy, will endorse Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for U.S. president tomorrow. That is his biggest endorsement, yet, and comes on the heels of yesterday's huge SC blowout and this a.m.'s endorsement by Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, daughter of the late Pres. John F. Kennedy, and Ted's niece. It also comes on top of huge online fundraising last night--the Obama campaign raised more than $500,000 (most of it in small contributions) in one hour after his victory speech. (Now if he can translate that into a ground game in the next 9 days!) Ms. Schlossberg's endorsement was amazing, calling Obama the first presidential candidate in her lifetime who had the opportunity to inspire her the way many say her father inspired them. (I was only 3 when JFK was murdered and only 5 when Bobby was killed. My greatest inspiration was Jimmy Carter--no great speaker--for his human rights foreign policy. But it wasn't the same. BTW, I don't think those who expect either Carter or Al Gore to endorse anyone are right. Carter needs the cooperation of the White House for some of the work of the Carter Center and Gore wants a major effort on climate change--so neither can afford to alienate a potential president by endorsing a losing candidate.)

But this is huge. With both Kennedy and Kerry endorsing Obama, he will probably win Mass. on 05 Feb. Further, I think he has a better shot at NJ than Hillary thinks. I also think he has a major shot at Georgia, Colorado, North Carolina and will take Illinois, of course. I do not know how to read the big prize of California--but Kennedy's endorsement may swing others. He is hugely popular among the liberal end of the Democratic Party. (I would love for California's Sen. Barbara Boxer to endorse Obama. She's been neutral, but with her cohort, Feinstein, endorsing Clinton, Boxer may way in--and she is more liberal than either Feinstein or Clinton. I would also love more Latino endorsements, of course!)

Obama's SC Victory Speech

TEXT:

Over two weeks ago, we saw the people of Iowa proclaim that our time for change has come. But there were those who doubted this country’s desire for something new – who said Iowa was a fluke not to be repeated again.

Well, tonight, the cynics who believed that what began in the snows of Iowa was just an illusion were told a different story by the good people of South Carolina.

After four great contests in every corner of this country, we have the most votes, the most delegates, and the most diverse coalition of Americans we’ve seen in a long, long time.

They are young and old; rich and poor. They are black and white; Latino and Asian. They are Democrats from Des Moines and Independents from Concord; Republicans from rural Nevada and young people across this country who’ve never had a reason to participate until now. And in nine days, nearly half the nation will have the chance to join us in saying that we are tired of business-as-usual in Washington, we are hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again.

But if there’s anything we’ve been reminded of since Iowa, it’s that the kind of change we seek will not come easy. Partly because we have fine candidates in the field – fierce competitors, worthy of respect and our admiration. And as contentious as this campaign may get, we have to remember that this is a contest for the Democratic nomination, and that all of us share an abiding desire to end the disastrous policies of the current administration.

But there are real differences between the candidates. We are looking for more than just a change of party in the White House. We’re looking to fundamentally change the status quo in Washington – a status quo that extends beyond any particular party. And right now, that status quo is fighting back with everything it’s got; with the same old tactics that divide and distract us from solving the problems people face, whether those problems are health care they can’t afford or a mortgage they cannot pay.

So this will not be easy. Make no mistake about what we’re up against.

We are up against the belief that it’s ok for lobbyists to dominate our government – that they are just part of the system in Washington. But we know that the undue influence of lobbyists is part of the problem, and this election is our chance to say that we’re not going to let them stand in our way anymore.

We are up against the conventional thinking that says your ability to lead as President comes from longevity in Washington or proximity to the White House. But we know that real leadership is about candor, and judgment, and the ability to rally Americans from all walks of life around a common purpose – a higher purpose.

We are up against decades of bitter partisanship that cause politicians to demonize their opponents instead of coming together to make college affordable or energy cleaner; it’s the kind of partisanship where you’re not even allowed to say that a Republican had an idea – even if it’s one you never agreed with. That kind of politics is bad for our party, it’s bad for our country, and this is our chance to end it once and for all.

We are up against the idea that it’s acceptable to say anything and do anything to win an election. We know that this is exactly what’s wrong with our politics; this is why people don’t believe what their leaders say anymore; this is why they tune out. And this election is our chance to give the American people a reason to believe again.

And what we’ve seen in these last weeks is that we’re also up against forces that are not the fault of any one campaign, but feed the habits that prevent us from being who we want to be as a nation. It’s the politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon. A politics that tells us that we have to think, act, and even vote within the confines of the categories that supposedly define us. The assumption that young people are apathetic. The assumption that Republicans won’t cross over. The assumption that the wealthy care nothing for the poor, and that the poor don’t vote. The assumption that African-Americans can’t support the white candidate; whites can’t support the African-American candidate; blacks and Latinos can’t come together.

But we are here tonight to say that this is not the America we believe in. I did not travel around this state over the last year and see a white South Carolina or a black South Carolina. I saw South Carolina. I saw crumbling schools that are stealing the future of black children and white children. I saw shuttered mills and homes for sale that once belonged to Americans from all walks of life, and men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. I saw what America is, and I believe in what this country can be.

That is the country I see. That is the country you see. But now it is up to us to help the entire nation embrace this vision. Because in the end, we are not just up against the ingrained and destructive habits of Washington, we are also struggling against our own doubts, our own fears, and our own cynicism. The change we seek has always required great struggle and sacrifice. And so this is a battle in our own hearts and minds about what kind of country we want and how hard we’re willing to work for it.

So let me remind you tonight that change will not be easy. That change will take time. There will be setbacks, and false starts, and sometimes we will make mistakes. But as hard as it may seem, we cannot lose hope. Because there are people all across this country who are counting us; who can’t afford another four years without health care or good schools or decent wages because our leaders couldn’t come together and get it done.

Theirs are the stories and voices we carry on from South Carolina.
The mother who can’t get Medicaid to cover all the needs of her sick child – she needs us to pass a health care plan that cuts costs and makes health care available and affordable for every single American.

The teacher who works another shift at Dunkin Donuts after school just to make ends meet – she needs us to reform our education system so that she gets better pay, and more support, and her students get the resources they need to achieve their dreams.

The Maytag worker who is now competing with his own teenager for a $7-an-hour job at Wal-Mart because the factory he gave his life to shut its doors – he needs us to stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship our jobs overseas and start putting them in the pockets of working Americans who deserve it. And struggling homeowners. And seniors who should retire with dignity and respect.

The woman who told me that she hasn’t been able to breathe since the day her nephew left for Iraq, or the soldier who doesn’t know his child because he’s on his third or fourth tour of duty – they need us to come together and put an end to a war that should’ve never been authorized and never been waged.

The choice in this election is not between regions or religions or genders. It’s not about rich versus poor; young versus old; and it is not about black versus white.
It’s about the past versus the future. [Personal note: Best line of the whole speech. MLW-W]

It’s about whether we settle for the same divisions and distractions and drama that passes for politics today, or whether we reach for a politics of common sense, and innovation – a shared sacrifice and shared prosperity.

There are those who will continue to tell us we cannot do this. That we cannot have what we long for. That we are peddling false hopes.

But here’s what I know. I know that when people say we can’t overcome all the big money and influence in Washington, I think of the elderly woman who sent me a contribution the other day – an envelope that had a money order for $3.01 along with a verse of scripture tucked inside. So don’t tell us change isn’t possible.

When I hear the cynical talk that blacks and whites and Latinos can’t join together and work together, I’m reminded of the Latino brothers and sisters I organized with, and stood with, and fought with side by side for jobs and justice on the streets of Chicago. So don’t tell us change can’t happen.

When I hear that we’ll never overcome the racial divide in our politics, I think about that Republican woman who used to work for Strom Thurmond, who’s now devoted to educating inner-city children and who went out onto the streets of South Carolina and knocked on doors for this campaign. Don’t tell me we can’t change.

Yes we can change.
Yes we can heal this nation.
Yes we can seize our future.

And as we leave this state with a new wind at our backs, and take this journey across the country we love with the message we’ve carried from the plains of Iowa to the hills of New Hampshire; from the Nevada desert to the South Carolina coast; the same message we had when we were up and when we were down – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope; and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people in three simple words:

Yes. We. Can.

Obama Wins BIG in South Carolina

Wow! What a win. As soon as video of the incredible victory speech is available, I will post it. It was as inspiring as the one after Iowa, but with more steel--so, maybe the media won't be annointing him already and setting up for failure as with the time between Iowa and New Hampshire.

I had been angry this week at the way that the Clintons and the media had made this almost a no win game for Obama. If he lost, they would celebrate, but if he won they would dismiss it as "just because of the black vote." 1. No one dismissed Clinton's NH victory as "just because of the white women" even though exit polls showed they were key to her NH victory. They said, rightly, that she was the "Comeback Chic," as the Kentucky Women blog put it. 2. Clinton was leading African Americans in SC for months. Obama EARNED their votes. African Americans don't automatically "vote black." There was no significant African American support in '04 for the candidacies of Ambassador Carol Mosely-Braun (D-IL) or Rev. Al Sharpton. 3. This lowballing of expectations and injection of race is typical of the Clintons. Bill Clinton today, when asked a question on a completely different subject replied, "you know, Jesse Jackson won in SC in '84 and '88." Hello! That was dismissing both as "just because they're black!" Sheesh.

But tonight will hopefully shut that up. Yes, Obama won big among African Americans--over 80%, but he also won 24% of whites in SC--who split almost in 3rds among the 3 candidates. He won significant numbers of white women, too. He beat Hillary Rodham Clinton by more than 2-1: 55% to 29% (at last count), which is a margin of victory of 29%!! That is "a thumpin" as the current White House Resident might put it.

Now, on to Tsunami Tuesday on Feb. 5th. And probably beyond that. My primary vote may actually count this year in May. It won't be easy, as Obama said. But notice that the Clintons keep trying to cheat. They agree to certain rules and then try to change them when they don't seem to work for them. We saw this in Nevada when the Culinary Workers endorsed Obama--the Clintons sued to stop caucuses in casinos--even though they agreed to that months earlier. NOW, the Clintons are trying to get the Democratic primaries in Florida and Michigan to count--even though the Party had stripped those states of their delegates because of moving up the primaries too early. I disagreed with that decision by the Democratic Party. I thought, like the GOP, that they should simply strip 50% of the delegates in punishment. But Clinton was the only one with her name still on the ballot because these races weren't supposed to count for delegates--and now she wants them too. I hope the DNC and Howard Dean stop her cold on this.
When the GOP does this, Dems rightly call it "dirty tricks" and should when the Clintons do so as well.

It's clear: Obama is giving us a message of hope and unity, and the Clintons are working at divide and conquer. I hope the states on 05 Feb (or many of them) give us the same answer as we saw tonight from the good voters of South Carolina.

There is good news for the Party and nation if we stay united: The turnout at each Democratic primary and caucus has been huge, whereas the GOP turnout has been smaller each time. Tonight, Obama won more votes on his own than John McCain and Mike Huckabee did together last week in South Carolina!

The country is hungry for change--big change, not just tiny adjustments--and it sure looks like Obama is the one to bring it to us.

A word about John Edwards. I think many of his ideas have been driving the campaign on the Democratic side. Obama's stump speeches have taken on some of Edwards' attention to issues of class and poverty and some of his fire and grit--but without his angry tone. Edwards has enough money and has won enough delegates to keep fighting and play king or queenmaker at the Convention. But he can't win the presidency: he hasn't won a single state--not even his home state of SC tonight. And I still worry that on Tsunami Tuesday he will divide the "more progressive than Clinton" vote with Obama and cause her to win the nomination. That didn't happen tonight in SC--and not in Nevada (although if all of Edwards' 4% went to Obama, it would have made Clinton's victory VERY narrow) nor Iowa. But it was a factor in New Hampshire where Obama lost by about 5%, but with Edwards 17% would have beaten Clinton in a huge way.

Please John Edwards: If you really think Sen. Clinton is part of the "status quo," as you have charged, then drop out and work for Obama. For the sake of all you believe in, sir.

Oh, and for WONDERFUL news, check out the Obama endorsement by JFK's daughter, Caroline Kennedy who says he will be a "president like my father" in the sense of inspiring that kind of hope and work for change that JFK inspired among a generation of people! Wow!