Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Senator John McCain Says He is In the Race - Have You Heard Him Sing Streisand?

Arizona Senator John McCain made it official...he is running for President. A young 70, he will be getting alot of interest here in Nevada. A war hero and competent senator, plus he knows some Streisand tunes. How shocking - John McCain getting up on stage and singing Barbara Streisand hits - Rudy Guiliani would never do something like that! Its hard not to like either one. They are formidable candidates, both very personable, who do not take themselves too seriously. Its refreshing to see candidates with a lively sense of humor - Democrats can learn from them. Politics should be fun! Remember, in Nevada in the general elections, we vote the candidate, not the party. Good luck to two American heros....we hope you visit Nevada often in the next year. Call 827-1900 for the details on the $1,000 March 10 Rudy Guiliani reception.

Lets Join The Protestors At the August 14, 2007 Reno Democratic Presidental Candidates Debate On Western Issues To Be Aired by Fox News

Oh what the hell. We probably won't get a ticket anyway. And maybe that lady with the sign that said "I'm here for the mindless easy liberal women, VOTE HILLARY!" will show up. She looked cute. We will take alot of pictures and post them here. Have some brews beforehand at the closest bar, get rowdy and have some fun. What will we protest about? Hey, we are Democrats - we will think of something. What did Will Rogers say? - "I belong to no organized party, I am a Democrat." The first round is on us.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Washoe County Democrats Get the Crabs

Speaking of the Food Channel, The Truckee Meadows Democratic Alliance and the Washoe County Democratic Party are having their 4th Annual Crab Feed, Saturday, March 10, 2007 at the California Building in Idlewild Park located at 1000 Whitmore Lane in Reno. Doors open at 6 p.m. for a pre-event mixer. Dinner will be at 7. Tickets are available for $45 per person or a table for $320. There will be a limited number of tickets (less than infinity) at the door for $50. Tickets are available at the new Washoe County Democratic Party digs at 1465 Terminal Way in Reno. Food catered by Rutherfords, mmm. Call 323-8683 for more information. There will be wine there, but you got to pay for it (no-host bar). Blue Dog democrats, progressives and even you rurals....lets get the crabs! If you don't like crabs, you can join former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani at a private reception that same night in Reno. Its only $1,000. If you want your picture taken with him, its another $2,500. We wonder what he will be wearing?

Monday, February 26, 2007

Food Channel to Air The Reno August 14, 2007 Democratic Presidental Candidates Debate, Not!

The last week several things have surprised us:

How well Senator Chris Dodd did in the forum. Even conservative commentator Peggy Noonan thought he looked good. She said Hillary "was off her game" and that Dodd was "a hard act to follow."

Current frontrunner Senator Hillary Clinton not softening up on her pro war vote. She seemed so out of touch with America. I am sure she will do better in the August 14 debate in Reno. At least she showed up.

Bloggers getting upset that Fox News, the mostly widely watched news network in America, is going to air the presidental debate in Reno on August 14, 2007, a tuesday (tentative date). Hey this is a coup for Nevada! Who do you want airing the debate, the Food Channel? Fox has not been too kind to Senator Obama, that may be part of the problem. Here is a video showing Fox attacking Senator Obama. CNN researched it and here is CNN's video debunking the Fox attacks on Senator Obama. One blogger, Nevada -- Gateway to Nevada's Rurals, likes the idea of Fox News airing the debate. We bet his opinion is shared by most rural Nevadans. Here is another anti-fox view and another pro-fox view and another anti-fox view and another pro-fox view...is it August 14 yet?

People getting upset with the Reno reporter who asked candidate Edwards about legal prostitution in Nevada. Hey we are in Nevada, that was a good question.

The woman protestor with the sign that said "I'm here for the mindless easy liberal women, VOTE HILLARY!" What was she thinking?

Someone not telling the moderator of the forum how to pronounce Nevada.

This blog being mentioned today on Chris Dodd's blog. Speaking of blogs, check out the MyDD bloggers` interview with Senator Dodd. MyDD has also interviewed other candidates including Russ Feingold, John Edwards, Barack Obama and former candidate Tom Vilsack. Very cool! We can't even get into the building, lol.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack Drops Out

Former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack has dropped out of the race. Guess he did not have the $100 million it takes to win. Former governor Vilsack, an early campaigner in Nevada, will be missed in the race: he has posted a farewell video on his website.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

The February 21, 2007 Democratic Presidental Candidates Forum in Carson City, Nevada - Its All About Iraq and Universal Health Care

Why read about it? Watch it yourself. We tried without success to get tickets. They wouldn't even let us in the overflow room that has video, lol. Next event we will hang behind the building looking for an interview, wearing our dirty Che Guevara tee shirt.

After an introduction by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (who has not endorsed any candidate, although his son is working for Hillary) and AFSCME (America's public service union) President Gerald McEntee, all the major democratic presidental candidates showed up except for Senator Barack Obama and retired General Wesley Clark. George Stephanopoulos from ABC News was the moderator. He promptly mispronounced the name of the state and was heckled by the Nevadans in the audience. Shocker no one told him how to pronounce Nevada correctly.

Senator Chris Dodd started things out. He was the most impressive candidate and admitted his vote on going to Iraq was a mistake. He said most politicians don't say two things - I don't know and I made a mistake. He has two small children and said we need a surge in diplomacy not more troops in Iraq.

Senator Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner, defended her vote for the Iraqi war and wants universal health insurance for all Americans by the end of her second term. She seemed the most pro-war of all the candidates and did not apologize on her pro-war senate vote.

Tom Vilsack, former governor of Iowa, asked the audience what they have done today to end the war in Iraq. He wants Congress to cut off funding for the war in Iraq now. He is worried about the weakening of the National Guard and appears to be the strongest anti-war candidate. He said the current defense budget is "unauditable", and the money we will save on Iraq should go into health care. He said if we put the liability for social security and medicare on the books, it would conservatively be a 39 trillion dollar liablility. He has since dropped out of the race.

John Edwards, former senator from North Carolina, came out very strong for unions. He wants to ban the hiring of permanent replacement workers for companies whose workers are on strike. He has already put forward a universal health care package. He does not want to wait eight years like Hillary Clinton, he wants universal health care coverage now by eliminating the George Bush tax cuts on Americans making more than $200,000 dollars a year. He wants us to draw down 40 or 50 thousand troops now out of Iraq. He voted for the war, and said he was wrong and said Bush and Company were incompetent on their handling of the war.

Bill Richardson, ex-governor of New Mexico, wants a strong nominee for President. He wants all candidates to sign a pledge they will not use negative campaigning against the other candidates. "Governors actually do things," the pro-union Richardson said. He said the next president must get us out of Iraq, worry about global warming, give us universal health insurance (Massachussets style plan) and get us more energy independent. He quoted Rabin: "You don't make peace with your friends, you make peace with your enemies."

Senator Joe Biden signed up for Richardson's no negative campaigning pledge. Biden wants federalism/decentralization in Iraq with some oil resevered for the Sunnis. Biden talked about the incompetence of the Bush regime, saying he was mislead by the early success in Afghanistan. He made a mistake he said in assuming the Bush administration were competent. He is worried about a wider war between Sunni and Shia in the middle east unless we handle the Iraq War properly. Refreshing, a candidate with a solution to the Iraq War.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio said he was not fooled by President George Bush. He was against the Iraq war from the beginning, finding no evidence Iraq was responsible for 911. He wants to get rid of the American contractors in Iraq (said they were cheating Iraqis) and have reparations for the people of Iraq. He said if Iraq did not have oil, we would not of went to war there. He said the war and the subsequent occupation is illegal. Kucinich's health care plan does not include a role for the for-profit insurance companies. He wants to eliminate the wasteful health care costs caused by the for-profit insurance system (paperwork and related costs and profits). He wants everyone to have health care. His first week in office he said would be to eliminate NAFTA and other trade agreements and go back to bilateral trade pacts.

Former senator Mike Gravel of Alaska is not convinced the democrats will win in 2008. Tens of millions of Americans had the view we should not invade Iraq, why weren't the democratic senators against the war early on? He is worried about a congressional congress on Iraq dragging out the war. He wants to eliminate the income tax system. He said a candidate with executive experience will be a better president than one with just legislative experience. He wants public funding for campaign.

Exceeded Expectations Award goes to Senator Christopher Dodd. Worse Than Expected Award goes to Senator Hillary Clinton. Too bad Senator Barack Obama did not show up.

There were some good natured young republican protestors outside the event with signs like "Keep Nevada Red." Another sign said "I'm here for the mindless easy liberal women, VOTE HILLARY!" Someone told them to "Go to Iraq." Wish I hand brought my Mao hat and my tee shirt with the big picture of Che Guevara. I could of had a sign that said "Better Red Than Dead", and joined their party for the press pictures. Something to keep in mind for next time, lol.

Other early blogger coverage:
Taylor Marsh
Nevada Caucus 2008
Las Vegas Gleaner
MyDD
Dullard Mush
Nevada Up North
Huffington Post
Random Thoughts From Reno
NevadaDem
Desert Beacon
Reno And Its Discontents
Vote Gibbons Out!
The Blog Formerly Known as "No Gibbons"
Coyote Angry
Nevada Today
Inside Nevada Politics

Photo Gallery

More Photos

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Complete Video of the Carson City Democratic Presidental Forum

Complete Transcript of the Carson City Democratic Presidental Forum (PDF File)

Don't Ask the Candidates About Legal Prostitution in Nevada, lol