Start your blog and start your movement.

https://www.blogger.com/start

IOW, shit or get off the pot.

Good luck. I mean that. I may even join you, depending on what it is you come up with besides angry exhortations and criticisms of everyone else.

I am someone who lives just outside the 12th district, and it was in fact gerrymandered by the Republicans in 2000; it was pretty amazing to get a Democrat elected at all. This is a part of the country where Bush still has job approval ratings over 40%, the local newspaper is extremely right-wing, and has a state government tightly in the grip of the GOP. The choice here is not going to be between a progressive Democrat and a conservative Democrat, but between an ultraconservative Republican and a conservative Democrat; the worst slur used in political comercials here is to call your opponent a liberal. Even if his politics stink, at least keeping Barrow in office will strengthen the Democrats overall numbers in congress. Given the current narrow margins by which Democrats are in control, that is not a minor consideration.

How dare you try to bring some maturity and reality to this discussion. Can't you see that everyone else, Glenn included, wants to form up the old Democratic firing squad? "Okay, everybody in a circle, ready, aim...

This is an excellent point which I find very persuasive. I'm looking back over the last 7 years -- the last 2 in particular -- when Blue Dogs were allowed to dominate the Democratic caucuses in the Senate and House, and I see all the great things that have happened from that strategy.

Mature people understand we should continue doing this because of how well it works. Only immature, childish people would be opposed to those who support the most radical aspects of the Bush agenda.

Also, anything that Barack Obama does is Good and Right -- everything -- and to criticize him means we're forming a "Democratic firing squad?" We should learn our lessons from the Republicans in 2002 and 2003 and get behind our Great Leader and keep our mouths shut. That's what mature and smart people do.

Sorry, edit failure

I meant to suggest that the job of grassroots mobilizing etc. wouldn't go away after an Obama victory.

-- El Cid

As to edits, it's "systemic" not "systematic".

Institutionalism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutionalism_in_political_parties

Learn it, pupsters.

Just registered a Salon account to say that I've been reading your blog for the past 2 months or so, (and in my spare time try to read your archives), and wanted to thank you for your efforts in this. Wrote/Called my congressman, and about to donate to the effort.

Keep up the excellent work.

Fascinating stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systemic

Yeah, there is a difference. "Systematic was a hard rock band from San Jose, California" and "systematics is the study of the diversity of life on the planet Earth, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_systems_theory

The fundamental problem plaguing American politics (other than the ignorance of American voters) is our official, institutionalized system of corruption known as "campaign finance."

Most of our politicians are bought by special-interest money before they even take office. Once elected, they aren't in the business of looking after the interests of their constituents -- their main priority is raising money for their next election.

This system of constant money-grubbing is a formula for corruption -- even for politicians with the most noble intentions. There's a name for those refusing to play the game of dealing with lobbyists and special-interest money: Losers.

Unfortunately, ethical purity has seldom been a successful defense against TV attack ads run non-stop by special-interest-funded opponents with ambition untroubled by idealism.

Our system is corrupt by design, and made to favor big-money interests over the interests of the People. No change of politicians can change the system. The system itself must be changed, and the only way that can be done is by Constitutional Amendment.

We must pass a Constitutional Amendment mandating public financing of federal elections, with free media time for qualified candidates. Furthermore, this Amendment must ban the "revolving door" between government and big business -- banning employment by members of Congress by any industry they ever voted on or regulated, as well as banning gifts or perqs of any kind to anybody in government.

Until we pass this type of Amendment, we will continue to see the type of outrages as we see with the telecoms literally buying immunity for their crimes. Until we do, why should we be shocked? The corporations have bought our government. Why shouldn't they do with it as they please?

Here is the message I left on the Obama for President "Answer Center"; if I get a response I'll post it.

"As a veteran and a citizen concerned with upholding the Constitution and the Rule of Law, I am deeply troubled by the report that Senator Obama has taped a radio endorsement of Rep. John Barrow of Georgia.

Congressman Barrow has run ads accusing fellow democrats of endorsing a "cut and run" strategy in Iraq; he also co-signed a letter to speaker Pelosi demanding that he (and like minded democrats) be allowed to vote for the Rockefeller/Cheney Senate bill to give warrant-less eavesdropping powers to the President and amnesty to lawbreaking telecoms.

Mr. Barrow's opponent in the primary, Regina Thomas, has come out strongly against warrant-less wiretapping and telecom amnesty. Ms. Thomas's position is change I can believe in.

It appears that Senator Obama approves of the old ways of politics when it comes to keeping incumbent politicians secure, even when they are on the wrong side of an issue that is of grave import to the country.

I will be withholding any support of Sen. Obama until I see clear evidence that he will preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution above all other considerations.

I look forward to your response."

And lest one snicker at this ambitious proposal, consider the fact that the group has managed to raise $90,000 in just the first 24 hours of its campaign. This number indicates there is a growing unrest with civil liberties activists. -Simon Owens (emphasis mine)

I think it takes more than a growing unrest to prompt what Glenn and the Strange Bedfellows coalition has undertaken. Sheesh. For myself, as a participant, it's more like indignant outrage.

It is discouraging to not see Obama use his position as the head of the Democratic Party to publicly pressure against telecom amnesty, especially since he's been forthright about opposing it. I'm not sure I understand why Obama has claimed only two hats; ie, that of Illinois Senator, and Presidential Nominee. He seems to eschew this head-of-the-party alternative. Guess he doesn't want to shoulder aside Reid or Pelosi. Still, there are ways to step on people's toes without scuffing their shoes, and I don't know whether, or if, Obama is doing that, or might do that. His endorsement of Barrow over Regina Thomas tends to suggest he isn't. And, it's pretty convenient for him to argue that as a Senator he will take time off from the campaign to vote against this ramrod amnesty bill, and as Presidential Nominee he will pledge not to wiretap without warrants as though those were his only two options.

I found Paul Dirks exchange with the Obama staffer really interesting. Yes, Obama does need to get elected. But, the National FISA Poll done by the Mellman Group found that voters opposed warrantless wiretaps and telecom amnesty. I don't have the time right now to unearth the specifics, or whether other polls have been done - I just recalled that one off the top of my head. But, if that poll was done without stratifying on voter affiliation, then I have a hard time believing Obama needs to be neutral on the subject so as to not threaten his electability among a diverse voter group.

Finally, Glenn, You Rock! This coalition is a wondrous thing. Not sure how much sleep you're getting, or where you are in your book promotion schedule, but wedging this fund raising, consciousness raising, coalition building, civil liberties activism on top bespeaks an unusual human being.