Letters to the Editor
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Holy cow
First I heard of this.
Take that, Denny!
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Take that, Denny!
That is just about the best news I have heard in weeks. Time to keep the Dem. candidates informed so they do not forget a few days or so from now.
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Grains of Truth
Republicans [...] demonizing Democrats and liberals as morally twisted, gender-confused, weak, subversive cowards, elitists and losers. Central to this process is the establishment media's reverence for these GOP personality mythologies and their eagerness to be part of it by scorning and mocking the weak and abnormal Democrats.
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The tragic irony is that in this description, only "liberals" and "gender-confused" are entirely specious. The rest is arguably accurate-- that's what so many of us non-partisans are on about!
Of course, the irony extends to the point that the Republicant powers & principalities, and the sycophantic corporate media which enables them and manufactures consent among the wingnut base and hapless yahoo masses, have indeed created an archetypal Democratic straw person that bears little relation to the real Democratic strawness, so to speak.
And in any case, it's reprehensible for the Republicant spin doctors to assert that Republicants are any better than their opponents. They're unsurpassed in projection, that's for sure.
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Interestingly enough
Hillary Clinton refused to openly or strongly endorse Foster, while Obama not only endorsed him he campaigned for him and cut an ad for him. Does this say something about both Obama's potential coattails, (ask Donna Edwards) and his ability to gain victories in red areas and Hillary's disdain for the red parts of the country, even in blue states, and her lack of interest in the advancement of the party as a whole? This may become a very important issue in November.
True, Donna's win was in Dem district and hers was a primary race but she was running against Steny Hoyer and Nacy Pelosi's good pal Al Wynn on a very anti-war platform. With Foster and Edwards Blue America, the Dems and Obama supported candidates are two for two in special elections.
As for ther establishment Dems, do you think they are getting the message, Mr, Sigaloff?
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Follow the money
Is it really so surprising that the news industry has hit this nadir? Once the public was sold on this "free market" idea that nothing had value unless it was directly making money for someone the jig was up. Broadcast news used to run at a loss as a public service, and in one sense part of the obligation in exchange for being in charge of the public airwaves. Newspapers did have to make a profit, but at least there are cases when public interest and breaking a big story coincide. However, at this point only an idiot could fail to see what is going to happen to the news section of the WSJ. Anyone want to start a pool as to when the first reporter quits in disgust?
Anyway, the profit trail runs straight to Carlson, Limbaugh, Hannity, and the rest of the stupid crew. (Not that stupid; they make more money than I do.)
Glenn, I hope you gave a nod to Bob Somerby in this new book -- he and his people deserve it.
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Various items indeed
whew. That was a meaty collection.
I suppose because Foster's victory happened yesterday, it can't be the focus of today's gasbags and editorialists. But it seems pretty darn important to me, a strong indication that Obama's version of the 50 state strategy has been vindicated.
I'm sorry I came to yesterday's comment thread too late to really contribute. I did want to note that we found the same presumptive off the record status in Matt Cooper's work, through the Libby testimony.
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Take note
Looks like Barack Obama has coattails. This means, what pretty much everyone already knew, with him at the head of the ticket we can easily sweep back into real, huge majorities in the House and Senate. This means passing real Democratic legislation for the first time since the 1960s. Change is in the air people! Let's get this train moving.
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Should also be noted
When Bush beat Kerry in that district in 2004, the state of Illinois when 55-44 for Kerry, so it's a particularly red district. Interestingly, the district also went heavily for Obama in the 2004 US Senate election, with every county in the large district going for Obama. And Obama endorsed Foster with TV ads. There are two open seats adjacent to this district in the fall, and that might be another opportunity for Obama coattails to have an impact on the Superdelegate decisions.
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Bill Foster
let's hope Bill Foster votes...the way he campaigns/talks
i wonder what other Democrats, who now seem to be caving in, would have said in Fosters situation [running for office]
marc
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Though I never lived in the 14th district
I do know the area well and I can't underestimate the importance of this result. IIRC however I thougt Dennis Hastert had had some diffuculties with a Real Eastate deal involving federal funding for an interstate extension so his coattails were nonexistent.
The eastern edge of the area consists of farmland being bought up rapidly and added to the Chicago/Naperville megalopolis but as RMP can attest, its a Republican stronghold through and through.
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I have to add
This is as much evidence as we'll ever get that Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee whose coattails will actually get more and better Democrats elected--
--even in the REDDEST districts.
No fucking way is America going to elect a Republican to the Presidency in 2008. They are mad as hell, and change will come.
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DrEyeBall
Glenn, I hope you gave a nod to Bob Somerby in this new book -- he and his people deserve it.
I quote and credit Bob Somberby extensively in my book, particularly with regard to what happened in 2000 and 2004, though not only. As far as I'm concerned, he's one of the best media critics in the country and has been for quite some time.
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Bill Foster is My Congressman!
Jim Oberweis is a spoiled child of privilege wanting to buy a congressional seat, and most rock-ribbed conservatives I know here hate him.
But that's the Republican Party all over, isn't it? With Chris Lauzen they might have even won, and he's a faceless party hack. But there was Oberweis and all that money, and Denny endorsed him.
Republicanism out here depends on satisfaction. If things are fine , except for all the things one sees on TV, you votefor theRepublicans who keep those things away from Kane County. But if you're scared of getting sick, if the job you took pays half of your old job and you've been running a balance on your gas credit cards, and gas prices went up 20ยข a gallon the wek before the election--well, that's a different story.
I've been saying all along that this is not going to be a character-driven election. This is going to be an electorate asking for help--and only one party is even saying they're going to give it.