Here's the thing. When people ask me about my patriotism, when they ask me why I'm doing this, I try to explain to them, I'm doing it because that story's not just my story, it's your story. It's the American story. It's that idea that each generation successively is able to work a little bit harder, work a little bit better, to make life better for the next generation

That's why I love this country.

Labels: Barack Obama, Patriotism

Labels: Family, Holidays, Mother's Day, The BBBUL

Labels: Lyndon Johnson

Doc Cheatham & Shorty Baker - Night Train
Dan Bern - Live Another Day
Mississippi John Hurt - Candy Man
Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Multi-Horn Variations
Etta James - At Last
Dixie Chicks - Hello Mr. Heartache
The Duhks - Dance Hall Girls/Bozeman Boogie
Duke Ellington Orchestra - Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
The Seeds - Pushing Too Hard
Cocoa Tea - I Can't Help

Labels: Music, Random Ten

Sen. Russ Feingold is offering a $5000 check to one of ten progressive House candidates. You get to help decide who gets the dough.

Cast your vote for Darcy in the Progressive Patriots Fund election today. Let’s show them the kind of strong grassroots support that has allowed Darcy to kick Reichert’s ass in dollars raised and number of individual contributors in every quarter since she joined the race this election cycle.

Labels: Darcy Burner, Progressive Patriots Fund, Russ Feingold, WA-8

Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) surprise visit Thursday to the House floor has already paid dividends in the form of a superdelegate endorsement - Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.)

Rep. Brian Baird: Obama.
Sen. Maria Cantwell: Clinton.
DNC member Ed Cote: Uncommitted.
Rep. Norm Dicks: Clinton.
Former House Speaker Tom Foley: Clinton
Gov. Christine Gregoire: Obama.
Rep. Jay Inslee: Clinton.
Rep. Rick Larsen: Obama
State party Vice Chairwoman Eileen Macoll: Uncommitted.
DNC member: Sharon Mast: Uncommitted.
Rep. Jim McDermott: Uncommitted.
DNC member David McDonald: Uncommitted.
Sen. Patty Murray: Clinton.
DNC member Pat Notter: Obama.
State party Chairman Dwight Pelz: Uncommitted.
King County Executive Ron Sims: Clinton.
Rep. Adam Smith: Obama.

Labels: PLEOs, Rick Larsen, Washington State

It is deluded to make "electability" THE issue, when the candidate making electability THE issue is losing the election.

Labels: Electability, Hillary Clinton

Iraq has all but given up on bringing U.S., Iran together

Labels: Diplomacy, Iran, Iraq

"He clearly did more than he had to, and she did not achieve what she had to."

Labels: Barack Obama, Democratic Nomination, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry

FROM: David Plouffe, Campaign Manager
RE: An Update on the Race for Delegates
DA: May 7, 2008

...With the Clinton path to the nomination getting even narrower, we expect new and wildly creative scenarios to emerge in the coming days. While those scenarios may be entertaining, they are not legitimate and will not be considered legitimate by this campaign or its millions of supporters, volunteers, and donors…

Labels: Barack Obama, David Plouffe, Democratic Nomination, Hillary Clinton, Kos

"The question, then, is not what kind of campaign they’ll run," he said referring to the GOP, "it’s what kind of campaign we will run. It’s what we will do to make this year different. I didn’t get into race thinking that I could avoid this kind of politics, but I am running for President because this is the time to end it...

...We will end it by telling the truth – forcefully, repeatedly, confidently – and by trusting that the American people will embrace the need for change – even if it’s coming from an imperfect messenger."

Labels: 2008 General, Barack Obama, Trust, Truth

Tim Russert just said "we now know who the Democratic nominee is going to be."

Labels: Barack Obama, Democratic Nomination, Media Bias, Tim Russert

U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Auburn) earned a dubious distinction in the pages of Roll Call, the newspaper that focuses on congressional politics. Yesterday, the former King County sheriff was featured in an early edition of the newspaper's "10 Most Vulnerable" House incumbents list.

Labels: Darcy Burner, Dave Reichert, WA-8

McCain fundraising email today: "I'm sure I don't have to remind you how important even one vote on the Supreme Court can be. Issues concerning states' rights, abortion, affirmative action, the Second Amendment and religious freedom have all been decided by a very slim 5-4 margin."

Labels: John McCain, McSame, Supreme Court

He denied ever talking with John Kerry about his leaving the GOP to be Kerry's '04 running mate -- then later admitted he had, insisting: "Everybody knows that I had a conversation." He denied admitting that he didn't know much about economics, even though he'd said exactly that to the Wall Street Journal. And the Boston Globe. And the Baltimore Sun. He denied ever having asked for a budget earmark for Arizona, even though he had. On the record. He denied that he'd ever had a meeting with comely lobbyist Vicki Iseman and her client Lowell Paxon, even though he had. And had admitted it in a legal deposition.

Labels: John McCain, Lies

Those polled indicated the greatest cynicism about Clinton, with 62% of respondents saying that she says what people want, compared with 34% who said she says what she believes.

Obama does markedly better; 43% said he says what people want, while 53% said he says what he believes. Meanwhile, 41% said that McCain says what people want to hear and 51% said he says what he believes.

Labels: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Polls, Trust