Haverford College Democrats

If This Isn't Worthy of a Post-Election Post, I Don't Know What Is

2008-11-10T20:29:00.002-05:00

Time to meet your new White House, everyone. Today, you get Rahm Emanuel, newly anointed Chief-of-Staff, and professional bad-ass.

http://rahmfacts.com/ provides you with all the information about him you will ever need.

Why We Need to Win

2008-10-18T16:08:00.003-04:00

"We believe that the best of America is not all in Washington, D.C. We believe" -- here the audience interrupted Palin with applause and cheers -- "We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation. This is where we find the kindness and the goodness and the courage of everyday Americans. Those who are running our factories and teaching our kids and growing our food and are fighting our wars for us. Those who are protecting us in uniform. Those who are protecting the virtues of freedom."

- Governor Sarah Palin, 2 days ago

Do we need leadership in this country that distinguishes between "real" Americans and "fake" Americans? Between parts of the country that are "anti-American?" I cannot begin to describe how offensive I find these comments. How do you define what pro-American is? These talking heads seem to identify "Republican" with "American," and frankly there are two sides of the political debate here in the United States.

Although, after listening to what the other side has to offer over the past few months, I'm starting to feel like there's two sides to this debate in the same way that there were two sides of the McCarthy hearings.

What We're Up Against

2008-10-09T10:23:00.002-04:00

All right, so maybe Homer Simpson wasn't the best strategic ploy to convince everyone to vote Democrat. But I think this video illustrates exactly what sort of campaign John McCain ran this year, and exactly why he does not deserve to be President of the United States.

It also illustrates why I'm a little scared of my own country.

Last Day to Register!!!

2008-10-05T11:35:00.003-04:00

PLEASE make sure you and the people you know are registered to vote. This is Haverford - we're a small enough institution to ensure that if enough people actually care, we can't miss anyone.

Also, if this isn't enough to convince you to vote, I don't know what will:

Hmm...Let's See...

2008-10-01T21:00:00.004-04:00

God bless you, Sarah Palin. You must be Jon Stewart's favorite politician ever. He might actually vote Republican this year, just to have you around to make fun of (what good would you be back in Alaska?). However, I hope that everyone else (you know, those who aren't late-night comedians) doesn't vote based on that rationale.

While we're at it, enjoy John McCain being angry, and John McCain pretending to understand space travel:

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/10/01/mccain_gets_testy.html

I Will Make Them Famous, And You Will Know Their Names!

2008-09-29T17:43:00.002-04:00

Borrowing the above line from John McCain, I would like to point out exactly who is responsible for voting against the bailout bill in the United States House of Representatives today. No, it's not a perfect bill, but it is a solution that had been negotiated for over a week, and did in fact contain some necessary home-owner protections and other important provisions that are key to getting the economy back on its feet.

You will know their names. These are the congressmen who voted against the Bailout Plan, most of them because they're running in close re-election races, not because they actually didn't think it was important.

I am proud to say, as a Haverford student, that Representative Joe Sestak (D-PA) buried partisan concerns and stood with the Democratic Party leadership to try and bring some relief to this economic crisis.

Upon this news, the Dow dropped 778 points today, an all-time record, putting the stock market below where it was on President Bush's first day in office.

Republican Senators Under Seige

2008-09-28T11:23:00.002-04:00

After the 2004 elections, the Democratic Party was faced with a major deficit in the United States Senate. Minority Leader Tom Daschle even last his seat. Holding only 44 seats, and having just taken a beating at the hands of the GOP, things looked grim.

But oh, how the times have changed. Democrats now hold a 50-seat majority + 1 Independent (thanks for that one, Joe), and look to be in prime position to win several more seats this time around. Of course, the magic number is 60 seats - the amount needed to prevent Republican obstructionism and get votes to the Senate floor. On paper, a +10 victory would seem almost impossible, but the realities of this year's races give us a chance.

Virginia, New Mexico, New Hampshire, and Colorado seem to be all but locked in for the Democratic challengers in those states. So congratulations Mark Warner, Tom Udall, Jeanne Shaheen, and Mark Udall on your impending elections as United States Senators. Beyond those races, there are a number of extremely tight contests across the country:

--> Alaska's embattled, crotchety Senator Ted Stevens (R) is currently on trial for corruption. The outcome will decide whether or not he has any chance to beat challenger Mark Begich (D). Let's see how long Sarah Palin's coattails really are.

--> In Oregon, Democratic State Speaker of the House Jeff Merkley is locked in a dead-heat with incumbent Gordon Smith (R), who has attempted to save his seat by running ads touting his close relationship with the next President of the United States - Barack Obama. Just goes to show how out-of-fashion the Republican brand is this year.

--> In Minnesota, comedian-turned-politician Al Franken is also roughly tied with incumbent Norm Coleman, who won his seat in 2002 after his opponent passed away in a plane crash two weeks before the election. Some may question Franken's qualifications to be a Senator, but remember that this is the state that elected Jesse Ventura. Also, as Franken likes to point out, he's "the only New York Jew in this race who actually grew up in Minnesota."

--> In Mississippi, former Governor Ronnie Musgrove (D) is locked in a surprisingly close battle with incumbent appointee Roger Wicker (R).

--> North Carolina also features one of the most exciting races of this cycle. Elizabeth Dole was expected to win reelection handily, but thanks to her desire to never actually be in the state of North Carolina, she currently trails State Senator Kay Hagan. This is a race that DSCC head Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will pour money into, because of how excited he is about Hagan's strong showing.

--> Finally, a new poll in Kentucky shows Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford tied with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R). This would be an enormous upset for the Democrats, even larger than the defeat of their minority leader 4 years ago.

A win in all 10 of these races would give Democrats the 60 seats, regardless of Senator Lieberman's mood. A win in 9 means we have to play nice with Joe for another 2 years. So just remember, the presidential election is far from the only interesting race to watch on November 4th. Keep an eye on these seats, so that we can see how effectively President Obama will be able to work with the Senate to get his agenda passed.

CNN Attacks Sexism - By the McCain Campaign

2008-09-24T13:13:00.002-04:00

Thanks for this one...

I also believe in setting Sarah Palin free, so that she may return to Alaska and roam the land as she was meant to, instead of being stuck in Washington. In Alaska, she can still live in a white house because her office will be covered in snow.

I hope that you will all join me in freeing Sarah Palin, by voting for her return to Alaska on November 4th.

McCain Wages War on Facts, Facts Respond with "Tanks"

2008-09-22T20:27:00.003-04:00

Steve Schmidt held a conference call today to press the media to scrutinize Senator Obama's campaign more closely. Steve Schmidt, for those unfamiliar, is Senator McCain's chief strategist on issues of mayhem, destruction, and overall naughtiness. Top campaign officials also report that he was not hugged enough as a child. He's welcome to stop by my apartment any time before Election Day for the biggest hug of his life - I'll hold him close and won't let go for 43 days.

Schmidt came out swinging today against the scourge of the GOP, The New York Times. He accused the liberal rag of failing to properly attack Obama to the same extent that McCain has felt the paper's wrath. Specifically, he whined about how, among other things, no one has pointed out that Senator Biden's son was a lobbyist for the banking industry. Of course, Hunter Biden was a lobbyist, although never for any credit card company or bank, but that didn't stop the McCain campaign. In fact, Jonathan Martin of Politico reports, shortly after Schmidt's rant was finished, RNC communications director Danny Diaz sent out a piece "to illuminate the connection." Anyone familiar with John McCain's line of attacks this fall can probably guess where the story originated: THE NEW YORK TIMES.

When pressed about the series of factual errors Schmidt made on the call, spokesman Brian Rogers, replied, "You are in the tank." Ladies and gentlemen, I give you John McCain's perception of our nation's journalists:

Meanwhile, it would be interesting how the media would react if your VP candidate would ever actually decide to take questions from the press. It's been 24 days - enough already. If she's qualified to be Vice-President, and potentially (shudder) President, then she's qualified enough to handle the U.S. media.

Obama's camp responded by pointing to a dark mark on McCain's past: the Ke ating Five scandal. They sent out a memo comparing the "more than 40" articles that the New York Times has written about Obama's "life, his religion, his childhood, his politics, his time in the state senate, his time in the U.S. Senate, his family, his religion, his friends, his fundraising and all other manner of associations" to the 0 articles they've written about McCain's incredibly questionable relationship with Charles Keating Jr., former chairman of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association. The Senate Ethics Committee accused McCain and 4 Democratic senators (this is how McCain views bi-partisanship) of interfering with an investigation into Keating's company.

The Obama Argument

2008-05-07T13:21:00.003-04:00

Well, for the first time in what seems like quite awhile, the Obama campaign exceeded expectations in its primary performance. With a 14 point trouncing in North Carolina and a mere 2 point defeat in Indiana, Obama made significant gains in both the delegate count and the popular vote. At this point it's fair to say that Clinton's chances of victory have dropped from "extremely unlikely" to "essentially impossible."

The Obama campaign has begun a fresh appeal to superdelegates after last night's results. From the Caucus Blog of the NYT, here's the letter Obama campaign manager David Plouffe is sending to superdels:

TO: Superdelegates

FROM: David Plouffe, Campaign Manager

RE: An Update on the Race for Delegates

DA: May 7, 2008

There are only six contests remaining in the Democratic primary calendar and only 217 pledged delegates left to be awarded. Only 7 percent of the pledged delegates remain on the table. There are 260 remaining undeclared superdelegates, for a total of 477 delegates left to be awarded.

With North Carolina and Indiana complete, Barack Obama only needs 172 total delegates to capture the Democratic nomination. This is only 36 percent of the total remaining delegates.

Conversely, Senator Clinton needs 326 delegates to reach the Democratic nomination, which represents a startling 68 percent of the remaining delegates.

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.

We believe it is exceedingly unlikely Senator Clinton will overtake our lead in the popular vote and in fact lost ground on that measure last night. However, the popular vote is a deeply flawed and illegitimate metric for deciding the nominee – since each campaign based their strategy on the acquisition of delegates. More importantly, the rules of the nomination are predicated on delegates, not popular vote.

Just as the Presidential election in November will be decided by the electoral college, not popular vote, the Democratic nomination is decided by delegates.

If we believed the popular vote was somehow the key measurement, we would have campaigned much more intensively in our home state of Illinois and in all the other populous states, in the pursuit of larger raw vote totals. But it is not the key measurement.

We played by the rules, set by you, the D.N.C. members, and campaigned as hard as we could, in as many places as we could, to acquire delegates. Essentially, the popular vote is not much better as a metric than basing the nominee on which candidate raised more money, has more volunteers, contacted more voters, or is taller.

The Clinton campaign was very clear about their own strategy until the numbers become too ominous for them. They were like a broken record , repeating ad nauseum that this nomination race is about delegates. Now, the word delegate has disappeared from their vocabulary, in an attempt to change the rules and create an alternative reality.

We want to be clear – we believe that the winner of a majority of pledged delegates will and should be the nominee of our party. And we estimate that after the Oregon and Kentucky primaries on May 20, we will have won a majority of the overall pledged delegates According to a recent news report, by even their most optimistic estimates the Clinton Campaign expects to trail by more than 100 pledged delegates and will then ask the superdelegates to overturn the will of the voters.

But of course superdelegates are free to and have been utilizing their own criteria for deciding who our nominee should be. Many are deciding on the basis of electability, a favorite Clinton refrain. And if you look at the numbers, during a period where the Clinton campaign has been making an increasingly strident pitch on electability, it is clear their argument is failing miserably with superdelegates.

Since February 5, the Obama campaign has netted 107 superdelegates, and the Clinton campaign only 21. Since the Pennsylvania primary, much of it during the challenging Rev. Wright period, we have netted 24 and the Clinton campaign 17.

At some point – we would argue that time is now – this ceases to be a theoretical exercise about how superdelegates view electability. The reality of the preferences in the last several weeks offer a clear guide of how strongly superdelegates feel Senator Obama will perform in November, both in building a winning campaign for the presidency as well as providing the best electoral climate across the country for all Democratic candidates.

It is important to note that Senator Obama leads Senator Clinton in superdelegate endorsements among Governors, United States Senators and members of the House of Representatives. These elected officials all have a keen sense for who our strongest nominee will be in November.

It is only among D.N.C. members where Senator Clinton holds a lead, which has been rapidly dwindling.

As we head into the final days of the campaign, we just wanted to be clear with you as a party leader, who will be instrumental in making the final decision of who our nominee will be, how we view the race at this point.

Senator Obama, our campaign and our supporters believe pledged delegates is the most legitimate metric for determining how this race has unfolded. It is simply the ratification of the D.N.C. rules – your rules – which we built this campaign and our strategy around.

Seems like a pretty strong case to me.

Congressman Joe Sestak on the Colbert Report

2008-04-23T18:20:00.003-04:00

This is pretty funny stuff... lasers mounted on dolphins...what type of naval ship would each candidate be?...

Well, that was an exciting 6 weeks or so. . .

2008-04-22T23:10:00.005-04:00

And after a hard-fought battle, Hillary has pulled out the win. As everyone has been saying, it will come down to spin. Obama is focusing on the fact that he closed the gap--and in the long-term, that's definitely true:

But Hillary's got the stronger argument, I think. Considering how much money Obama has spent in PA in recent weeks (with an acceleration in the last few days), it's remarkable that Hillary was able to maintain basically the same lead. She'll be able to play the underdog card that she used so effectively post-New Hampshire.

As for the bigger picture? No way in hell she drops out now. Even though her chances of grabbing the primary are negligible--her victory tonight won't get her more than a handful of delegates--I'd be shocked to see her out of the race until after Indiana and North Carolina, which are on May 6th. For the good of the party, hopefully a strong performance from Obama will convince her that the Democrats are going to need unity against McCain.

VOTE on April 22nd!!

2008-04-21T22:38:00.004-04:00

Please vote on April 22nd. The Haverford College Student Political Network will provide transportation to the polls. There is no excuse not to vote if you are registered in Pennsylvania.

Videos of Clinton's Visit

2008-04-18T13:47:00.002-04:00

The local Philadelphia ABC News station has a video on Clinton's visit to Haverford. Check it out.

Also, check out this youtube video of the event. The camera is a bit shaky, but the video gives a good perspective of the event inside of Founders Hall.

The Haverblog also has some great pictures of the event with Hillary.

Hillary Clinton Visits Haverford!

2008-04-17T17:13:00.007-04:00

Hillary Clinton Speaks in Founders Hall, Photographed by Scott Schnur

Senator Hillary Clinton held a town hall style question and answer session in Founders Hall at Haverford today. The event was only open to students, faculty and community members who had received an invitation. However, the event was broadcast on a large screen outside on Founders Green. Hillary fielded questions with topics including immigration, education, and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. She wants Americans to see the election as an extensive job interview and asks voters to decide which candidate can do better against Senator John McCain in the general election.

Haverford students on Founders Green, watching Hillary on the big screen

There were some complaints by Haverford students about the limited amount of people allowed into the event. However, when the event was over, Hillary came outside and spoke to students on the green. She then greeted Haverford students at the rope line, signing autographs and taking pictures with Haverford students. Overall, the event seemed very successful. Many students and community members came to Founders Green to watch Hillary on the big screen.

Hillary Clinton talking to Haverford students after the event

Michelle Obama Speaks at Haverford

2008-04-15T21:52:00.012-04:00

Michelle Obama at Haverford College, photographed by Scott Schnur

During a campaign rally for Barack Obama at Haverford College, Michelle Obama spoke to an audience of over two thousand students, faculty, and community members about Barack's candidacy and the status of what she calls "normal folk." She stressed that at the beginning of Obama's campaign, the media portrayed Obama as an underdog, someone who could not raise money, create a strong support base of volunteers, or win primaries. As Barack exceeded everyone's expectations, the bar was set higher and expectations were raised. No matter what he did, it was never good enough.

Michelle Obama then related Barack's story to the story of everyday Americans, struggling to reach a bar that keeps moving away from them. She discussed Barack's upbringing as the son of a single mother. At the conclusion of her speech, Michelle Obama told the audience that change will be difficult, but Barack Obama is the president that we need to bring about this vital change.

Compared to Michelle Obama's speech at Villanova last month, her Haverford speech focused more on defending Barack against claims that he is elitist and "out of touch." She claimed that Barack “didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in his mouth.” She also discussed how she currently sees the world through her working-class upbringing, rather than through the eyes of a former Princeton and Harvard student.

There is a good description of her statements on elitism at the New York Times Politics Blog.

Edit: There is another article about Michelle Obama's visit from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

No One Knows What's Going On In PA

2008-04-14T22:00:00.002-04:00

Differences in polls aren't exactly unprecedented. But the flurry of seemingly contradictory polls of Democratic primary opinions in PA in recent days has been a bit ridiculous. If you haven't been following this, you have to see for yourself. I mean, Clinton's up by 4! Actually, 18! Now it's tied! And the most recent poll has her up by 20. Sheesh.

It's probably safe to say, however, that Clinton is in the lead; the question is by how much. It's still definitely a long shot for Obama to win the state, but a single-digit loss, considering where the polls were a few weeks ago, can be framed as a win.

The 20 point disparity is probably a gut reaction to Obama's comments on the working class last weekend that was trumpeted as elitist by the Clinton campaign. We'll have to see when the next set of polls comes out whether Clinton really got that considerable bump.

One thing is for sure about the primary in PA: Michelle Obama is going to be speaking at the Alumni Fieldhouse at Haverford tomorrow! Hopefully you grabbed a ticket.

Michelle Obama Rally at Haverford!

2008-04-13T22:34:00.002-04:00

Michelle Obama is coming to Haverford College on Tuesday April 13th for a rally in the Alumni Fieldhouse. The event will be free and open to the public. Doors open at 2:30pm and the event will start at 3:30pm.

A ticket is required to attend this event. To find out how to obtain a ticket, follow this link:
http://pa.barackobama.com/page/content/pahaverford

Congressman Sestak at Haverford

2008-04-13T19:38:00.005-04:00

Today, Congressman Joe Sestak came to Haverford to answer questions from Haverford students. Topics included gay marriage, why the congressman supports Hillary Clinton for president, and the congressman's experiences as Vice Admiral of the United States Navy.

Congressman Sestak at Haverford College, Photographed by Scott Schnur

Congressman Joe Sestak is Coming to Haverford!

2008-04-09T00:07:00.004-04:00

The Haverford College Democrats are hosting Congressman Joe Sestak for a speech, followed by a question and answer session, on Sunday April 13th at 5:00pm in Sharpless Auditorium.

Before he was elected to represent Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district, Congressman Sestak served in the United States Navy, where he reached the rank of Vice Admiral. In congress, he serves as the vice-chairman of the Small Business Committee and is also a member of the Education and Labor and Armed Services committees. Congressman Sestak will be answering questions from Haverford students, discussing current issues, and sharing his point of view on the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary and the 2008 election.

This event is free and open to all members of the Tri-College community. Please contact cbischak(at)haverford(dot)edu with any questions regarding the event.

Congressman Sestak Speaks in Congress about the Iraq War

Maybe Senior Campaign Officials Should Think Before They Act . . .

2008-04-07T11:47:00.002-04:00

As has been a common theme this primary season, another campaign managed to shoot itself in the foot. Mark Penn, longtime Clintonite and Chief Strategist for Hillary's campaign, has stepped down after continuing to negotiate and lobby for a U.S. trade treaty with Colombia --a treaty Hillary opposes. WHOOPS. Quote from the NYT:

Mr. Penn, long a divisive figure within the Clinton camp, lost his pre-eminent position after revelations that he met with Colombia’s ambassador to the United States last Monday in his role as head of Burson-Marsteller. The Colombian government hired the lobbying firm last year under a $300,000 one-year contract to help secure passage of a bilateral trade treaty with the United States.
Mrs. Clinton strongly opposes the treaty, as do many Democrats in Congress and many American trade unions, who believe the treaty is unfair to American workers. Mrs. Clinton has also cited the Colombian government’s history of suppressing the labor union movement in that country.

It's worth noting, however, that Penn is not completely gone from the campaign: His firm will continue to do some polling and strategizing. Still, I guess it shows that, fundamentally, politics is not far removed from business.

2003 Torture Memo Released

2008-04-02T11:44:00.002-04:00

The NYT and WaPo report today on the public release of a 2003 Department of Justice memo giving military interrogators authority to torture (erm . . . " engage in harsh interrogation". . . ). Written by Office of Legal Counsel official John C. Yoo, the document was finally released after a Freedom of Information Act request from the ACLU. Of course, it provides an extremely narrow definition of what constitutes legal torture. Money quote from the NYT:

“The victim must experience intense pain or suffering of the kind that is equivalent to the pain that would be associated with serious physical injury so severe that death, organ failure or permanent damage resulting in a loss of significant body functions will likely result,” Mr. Yoo wrote.

Georgetown Prof Marty Lederman provides some additional solid analysis over at his blog. Key point: This is in many ways a new frontier for the imperial, unchecked executive power under President Bush.

CASEY TO ENDORSE OBAMA

2008-03-28T08:53:00.002-04:00

Philly.com reports this morning that freshman Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is going to endorse Obama for the nomination, even joining him on a bus tour.

This is definitely significant. Casey is one of the most conservative Democrats in the Senate--he is adamantly pro-life and a strong supporter of gun rights--and his main constituency is white, working-class men. Obama has gotten destroyed in that demographic in recent primaries, and this can help him make inroads in what is generally a strong Hillary group.

Well, I Guess It's One Way to Solve the Problem . . .

2008-03-24T17:40:00.004-04:00

Akhil Reed Amar, a Yale Law Professor (and the author of several great books on Constitutional theory and history; America's Constitution: A Biography and The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction are particularly excellent if you're interested in the subject), has a piece up on Slate proposing a bizarre but legal solution to the tight Democratic primary. Money quote:

But which should it be: Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton? In fact, voters in November could actually endorse both versions of the ticket—truly, two presidents for the price of one. How? The Constitution's 25^th Amendment allows for a new paradigm of political teamwork: The two Democratic candidates could publicly agree to take turns in the top slot.
Adopted in 1967 in the shadow of John F. Kennedy's assassination, the 25^th Amendment allows presidents unilaterally to transfer presidential power to their vice presidents and enables presidents, with congressional consent, to fill a vacancy in the vice presidency should one arise. By creatively using the constitutional rules created by this amendment, the Democrats can, if they are so inclined, present the voters in November with a new kind of balanced ticket.

Seeing those two running together (as Co-Presidents, no less) would produce some hilarious and awkward moments on the campaign trail, hmm? Sounds like fun.

The Wright Stuff

2008-03-23T12:20:00.001-04:00

Obama's race speech--definitely worth watching.

Hillary Up Big in PA

2008-03-23T12:04:00.004-04:00

Looks like Hillary's win in Ohio and "win" in Texas (she got fewer delegates than Obama in the latter) have had the desired effect in the final frontier of Pennsylvania. Though Obama was pulling close at the end of February, polls are showing Hillary with a high double-digit lead, most recently 16 points in a Franklin and Marshall poll. (It is worth pointing out that the poll was taking at the height of the Wright mess, and before Obama's widely-acclaimed race speech.)

But will it matter?

Short answer: Probably not. Giving Hillary solid wins in all of the remaining states (including a 16 point win in PA) and a split in the remaining superdelegates on the CNN delegate counter, she still loses by nearly 100 delegates:

The Wright debacle was probably Hillary's last chance to really slam Obama, and it didn't work very well. She needs a miracle to pull this one out.

Haverford Democrats See Michelle Obama at Villanova

2008-03-18T22:33:00.008-04:00

A few members of the Haverford College Democrats traveled to Villanova University last Friday to see Michelle Obama, the wife of Barack Obama, speak. Amy Thomas '10, a strong Obama supporter, describes the event:

After speaking at two other spots on the Main Line, Michelle came to speak at Villanova University. Her one-hour speech centered around the idea of a “moving bar”—a bar of success that seems to always be out of reach, both in her husband’s campaign and in the lives of what she calls America’s “regular folks”. She detailed Barack’s struggle with the always-shifting bar—he couldn’t win because he couldn’t raise enough money… but then he did. He couldn’t win because he couldn’t create a strong and widespread organization…but then he did. He couldn’t win because he would never win Iowa…but then he did. The story continues, as we know, and no matter what Barack did it was never good enough. Just like the American people, Michelle asserts. American citizens are working so hard but never quite reaching that level of success that assures them comfort and security in their own lives and for their children. As the cost of living sky-rockets, salaries remain stable and the quality of life that most Americans experience drastically decreases. However, as Michelle reminded us, we are a wealthy nation. There is not a deficit of wealth in the United States. She says that there is a deficit of empathy. And I completely agree. Due to the unfair and ever-changing circumstances, everyone is so focused on getting the money they need for themselves, that we forget to share it. And everyone is so focused on getting the food they need for themselves, that we forget to share it. As a result of outrageously impossible societal standards of living, we are all, understandably, a little more selfish than we used to be. And that must change. And that change will start with Barack Obama. Through his aggressive reforms of No Child Left Behind, tax cuts for the middle class, and comprehensive healthcare plan, I truly believe that Barack Obama is the man to change the national attitude and return us to the beautiful belief system of the Kennedy years—“ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

In the end, Michelle asked us: “Can we do it?” And the crowd answered, overwhelmingly, “YES WE CAN!”

Amy Thomas '10 with Michelle Obama

Register to Vote!

2008-03-17T15:34:00.002-04:00

The deadline for voter registration for the super-important Pennsylvania primary is a week from today (March 24th). Remember, you can register to vote in the PA primary even if you are registered in your home state (provided you didn't vote in its primary).

People will be tabling at the Haverford DC this week with forms and information. If you're feeling independent/aren't from Haverford, here's the state link.

Hooray for participating in democracy!

Internship Opportunity With Bob Roggio

2008-03-11T12:31:00.003-04:00

Bob Roggio is now the nominee for Congress in the PA-06. This is the last Republican district in Suburban Philadelphia!

The Roggio campaign is looking for interns, both immediately and for the summer.

Please contact Betti at 610-415-0714 or
betti.packman@bobroggioforcongress.com

Check out his website

Symbolic Victory For Dems

2008-03-09T13:35:00.003-04:00

In a shocking upset, Democrat Bill Foster has defeated Jim Oberweis 53%-47%in the special election for Illinois' 14th District, formerly held by none other than Speaker Dennis Hastert. (Score another one for Democratic physicists in the House--my representative and former Swarthmore prof Rush Holt is one as well.) Considering that the district went 56% for Bush in 2004, this is a major pickup if the Dems can hold on to the seat this fall.

And, since I have an obligation to tie everything to the primary, it is worth pointing out that a certain Illinois Senator's endorsement and GOTV machine helped push Foster to victory. You can probably chalk up another superdelegate for Mr. Obama.

Florida and Michigan

2008-03-07T11:45:00.007-05:00

Perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, the Clinton campaign is restarting the highly controversial battle to seat the delegates from Florida and Michigan at the national convention.

The states were stripped of their delegates for moving their primaries earlier than allowed by DNC rules, presumably to guarantee that their primaries would have an effect. (Deeply ironic turn of events of course--if they hadn't moved the primaries, they would certainly have had an effect on the race. Hindsight is 20/20, all that stuff.) Thus the primaries existed as mere formalities, stunts-- Obama and Edwards weren't even on the ballot in Michigan, leading to this amusing suggestion from DailyKos.

At first glance, Hillary seems to have a point. The voters in Florida and Michigan do deserve a voice in the primary. It's democracy, right? Is it fair that state legislatures had the effect of disenfranchising large groups of citizens?

But it's not that simple: Hillary's proposal for a simple allocation of the delegates from the primary results is hardly democratic. While no one is denying that everyone deserves a vote, they also deserve the assurance of fair elections--ones where all viewpoints and candidates are given an opportunity. Howard Dean gets it right in his quote in John M. Broder's piece today in the NYT:

Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic Party, said on Thursday that it was up to the states, not the national party, to come up with a solution. But Mr. Dean ruled out seating the delegations based on the voting in January.
“You can’t change the rule in the middle of the game,” he said in an interview on NBC’s “Today” program.

Voters in Florida and Michigan are right to be upset; they should seriously consider voting out some state legislators in the next election cycle. But Hillary's faux-democratic, last-ditch grab for delegates is not the right solution.

So What Has Changed?

2008-03-05T21:10:00.004-05:00

Well, once again Hillary was able to pull off crucial wins and revitalize her campaign. Looking back on the last couple of weeks, I think expectations of Obama's success in Texas and Ohio were considerably inflated--in terms of demographics, they certainly look like Hillary states. Obama's amazing momentum may have changed voters' minds in early polls, but Hillary's formidable campaign structure and effective attack ads brought them back to earth. And the bad weather in Ohio almost certainly lowered the turnout of Republican Obama supporters.

But how will this affect the race overall? Looking at current delegate counts (Obama actually won more Texas primacaucus delegates), the short answer is "not much." According to CNN, Obama is up 1520-1424 in pledged delegates, a lead which is likely to increase after the Wyoming primary this Saturday. Playing with the delegate counter game, it's going to be extremely tough for Hillary to catch up with the pledged delegates; as has been said for a long time, her only hope is with the supers.

And, despite the connections of her husband, that is not going to be easy. Though she can make a case that she is a stronger candidate because of her big-state wins, she is polling worse than Obama in a matchup with McCain. Considering that she is most likely going to have to convince supers to overrule the pledged delegate count, Obama's head-to-head advantage is going to put a major dent in her case. Hillary's performance will give her an excuse to drag on, sure--but change the final result? I doubt it.

March 4th Speeches

2008-03-05T13:28:00.006-05:00

Part II

Part II

Here is the current delegate count according to the New York Times:

Any thoughts on the delegate count, speeches, etc.? Does Hillary still have a chance?

As of 11 PM. . .

2008-03-04T22:58:00.004-05:00

Hillary has grabbed Rhode Island (no surprise) and Ohio by what appears to be a large margin--up by 16 according to NYT.com with 52% reporting. Looks like another "D'oh" for the Obamacentric Mr. Zogby, who had them tied as of yesterday and Hil up by 3 today. . .

As expected, Obama dominated in Vermont.

And, as expected, Texas is down to the wire. Obama was up early, but as of now (33% reporting) Hillary is clinging to a 2 point lead.

In terms of the delegate count, Obama can't be upset with this result. Considering that 35% of the Texas delegates are decided by caucus--Obama's specialty in this campaign--a virtual tie in the primary gives him a great shot to win the statewide delegate battle. Hillary will almost certainly stay in the race, but pressure will undoubtedly continue to mount.

Of course, tonight is also one of national sadness, after the concession of everyone's favorite successful dieter and Republican candidate (and, I suppose, his number one policy advisor):

Happy trails, Huck.

Bored? Procrastinating? Or Just Can't Wait Until Tomorrow?

2008-03-03T22:59:00.002-05:00

If you're into hypotheticals, this is for you:

Delegate counter game (CNN)

Up In The Air

2008-03-03T20:29:00.007-05:00

Polls are tightening up across the board. David Kurtz at Talking Points Memo has a quality post summarizing recent movements. Using pollster.com data (a poll of polls), Obama has a .2% lead in Texas, and Clinton is up by 6% in Ohio. An Obama sweep, despite his massive gains in recent weeks, seems extremely unlikely.

And that is significant. If he is able to pull it off, Hillary is going to have trouble justifying staying in the race--but a split gives her an angle to keep on battling. Considering Obama's amazing string of victories--and largely landslide victories, at that--stopping his momentum is no easy task. But her strong comebacks and possible victories against great odds can be spun as a return to viability.

Now, I'm not saying that she'll ride tomorrow to a primary victory; even with a sweep there is virtually no chance that she'll make up enough pledged delegates to put much of a dent in Obama's lead, and superdelegates will almost certainly continue to shift towards Obama. But it does give her an excuse to stay in. Despite the calls from a number of party leaders, I don't see the race ending for another few weeks at least.

Thoughts?

Neck-and-neck in TX

2008-03-02T12:11:00.004-05:00

Well, perhaps it's not all over. A couple of new polls show a statistical dead heat in Texas, a major change from a few days ago.

American Research Group, Inc: Clinton 47% Obama 46%
Fort Worth Star-Telegram/McClatchy/MSNBC: Clinton 46% Obama 47%

Zogby still has Obama up by 4 (47%-43%).

Should be an interesting next couple of days. If Hillary can stop the Obamatrain (or maybe rein in the Obamahorse, to continue the metaphor in the subject. . .)by grabbing TX and OH, who knows what will happen.

Obamabias?

2008-03-01T17:49:00.005-05:00

Is the media playing favorites in the Democratic primary? Hard to believe, I know. But an article in today's NYT provides evidence that a certain Senator from Illinois is getting better treatment:

In a New York Times/CBS News telephone poll conducted Feb. 20-24 and released Tuesday, nearly half of those respondents who described themselves as voters in Democratic primaries or caucuses said the news media had been “harder” on Mrs. Clinton than other candidates. (Only about 1 in 10 suggested the news media had been harder on Mr. Obama.)

Pretty damning statistics. While I'm not arguing that polls provide absolute truth, I can't say I'm surprised at the survey's findings. As I see it, the basic media coverage of the primary has gone like this:

Pre-Iowa: Obama is the inspirational underdog against the old guard.
Post-Iowa: With a big lead in New Hampshire, Obama is the shoe-in.
Post-NH: Obama back to underdog.
Post-February: Primary over.

Now, whether that has to do with Hillary's connection to Bill, or her own record, or anything else I'm not sure. Please disagree with me. Thoughts?

First Post

2008-03-01T17:37:00.004-05:00

Hello, my name is Jacob, and I'm going to be bothering you with some blogging for the HC Dems. I'm a sophomore from New Jersey, and have been interested in politics ever since I made a fool of myself when I was seven years old at a campaign rally for Senator Robert Torricelli . Not too proud of that one now, but at least I got to meet this guy. (Cooler picture.) I've been a nerd ever since.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to comment here or send an email to jwaters (at) haverford (dot) edu.

Please Vote for Democrats

2008-02-18T15:19:00.002-05:00

Dick Cheney in 1994...

Exciting Internship Opportunities with Congressman Joe Sestak!

2008-02-16T11:20:00.005-05:00

I just received this from Molly Parzen, the President of the Bryn Mawr College Democrats:

"Congressman Sestak (D-PA 7) was elected last year in a landslide victory against 10 term incumbent Curt Weldon. As his 2008 re-election campaign kicks into high gear in the coming months and over the summer, we are looking for dedicated, hard working and motivated interns. A Sestak for Congress Internship is unlike many other political internships out there. Unlike most campaign internships where you might be delegated to phone calls, canvassing and data entry, on Sestak’s Campaign you will be given important responsibilities and be trusted with crucial work covering many different aspects of the campaign. Many of the people who are paid staffers now started out just two years ago as interns. I really cannot stress how rewarding these internships are and I sincerely hope that some of you take advantage of this phenomenal opportunity.

If you have any questions, concerns or would like more information, please contact Molly C. Parzen, College Coordinator for Sestak for Congress and President of Bryn Mawr College Democrats at mollyparzen@gmail.com or 1-845-661-1093.

If you would like to apply for an internship please send a resume with a cover letter to george@sestakforcongress.com."

Oh Jim

2007-03-04T23:15:00.000-05:00

Now that he lost his prestigious position of Chairman of Global Warming Denial, Jim Inhofe is trying to reinvent his image in a more positive light....As a Holocaust Denier.

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) got the crowd cheering early in the day. "I have been called -- my kids are all aware of this -- dumb, crazy man, science abuser, Holocaust denier, villain of the month, hate-filled, warmonger, Neanderthal, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun," he announced. "And I can just tell you that I wear some of those titles proudly."

Not to leave out murderous, bigoted and insane. Oh, but we love you Jim Inhofe! This type of language reveals good-ole-fashion and proud Republican hatred, like calling people fags.

Understanding Darfur

2007-03-04T15:54:00.000-05:00

No one condones what is going on in Darfur these days. Yet, despite all of the activism about the genocide, many (myself included) lack a basic understanding of the causes of the genocide. This article from the Nation helps to make sense of the political forces in play in the region and explains why peace in Darfur is still an elusive goal.

From Baghdad, with love (and Al Sharpton)

2007-02-26T00:11:00.000-05:00

From Baghdad, with love (An ode in 3.5 parts)

1) Freshman congresswoman, Bush-groper, and all-around swell gal Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota) has once again amazed us with her insight into national defense policy. It turns out she has discovered a new plan for Iraq that not even the pentagon has known about. According to Bachmann, Shiite, Persian Iran will rule over the most Sunni and Arab province in Iraq, Anbar, in order to turn it into a terrorist safe haven and breeding ground. For those of you confused by the language, let's put it like this:
Western Iraq - Sunni Arab majority
Iran, the purported controllers of Western Iraq - Shiite Persian majority
Michele Bachmann - Idiot.
And if you thought this was enough, let's not forget about this video of Bachmann sexually assaulting the president during the SOTU.

2) This post by a father of a univerisity student in Baghdad is shocking.

3) If you are looking for a sneak preview of what's up next in the Bush Administration foreign policy show, check out this article from the New Yorker. Despite the misgivings many Iranians may have about Ahmadinejad as a leader, we've come up with the brilliant strategy of turning an entire other nation against us with the drop of a bomb.

According to Hersh, the Bush Administration is taking a cue from the Reagan strategy of funding Sunni fundamentalists (back when bin Laden was a "freedom fighter") to fend off the communists, and to oppose Shiite governments and movements in the Middle East has begun the "bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al Qaeda."

3.5) It turns out Al Sharpton's ancestors have a pretty intimiate connection to segregationist and racist late-senator Strom Thurmond.... they were his family's slaves. Oh, the irony.

Joe May Not Have His Way Yet

2007-02-24T13:57:00.000-05:00

From Taegan Goddard's Political Wire:

Lieberman Switch Wouldn't Flip Senate

With Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) publicly stating he'd consider becoming a Republican if Democrats block new funding for the Iraq War, many Democrats worry that control of the Senate hangs in the balance. However, their fears are unfounded. Many think back to 2001 when former Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-VT) began caucusing with Democrats instead of Republicans, taking control of the Senate out of GOP hands. However, the two situations - though outwardly similar - contain one important difference.

If Lieberman were to caucus with the Republicans, they would still not take full control of the Senate, despite Vice President Dick Cheney's ability to break 50-50 ties. This is because of a little-known Senate organizing resolution, passed in January, which gives Democrats control of the Senate and committee chairmanships until the beginning of the 111th Congress.

What's the difference between now and 2001? A small but important distinction. When the 107th Congress was convened on January 3, 2001, Al Gore was still the Vice President and would be for another two-and-a-half weeks. Therefore, because of the Senate's 50-50 tie, Democrats had nominal control of the chamber when the organizing resolution came to a vote. With Dick Cheney soon to come in, however, Democrats allowed Republicans to control the Senate in return for a provision on the organizing resolution that allowed for a reorganization of the chamber if any member should switch parties, which Jeffords did five months later. There was no such clause in the current Senate's organizing resolution.

2007-02-20T19:17:00.000-05:00

In a different vain, the New York Times ran an interesting article about Hillary's decision not to renounce her vote on the Iraq war, like basically every other Democrat running has. Hillary has always been calculating in her decision, and this may be her most important decision of all. I simply don't see how she plans to win primary votes by not backing down on her vote. In the general, if she wins the nomination, this stance will help her appeal to voters who view dems as Defeatocrats, and it will make her able to avoid to some extent the flip-flopper title Kerry had. But I'd be interested in hearing what people think about this. Check back later when HaverDonkey's alterego returns for more news on Haverford's liberal menace.
-Will
The article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/18/us/politics/18clinton.html

Is our new president a Defeatocrat?

2007-02-20T00:41:00.000-05:00

Has our administration made a grave mistake?
Is our new President playing for the"Blame America First" team?

According to the non-partisan Opensecrets.org, our new President Stephen Emerson made, in the 2004 election cycle, a donation to no other than head-Defeatocrat and Anti-troops Congressman John Murtha.

This is the same John Murtha who has called the Iraq War "unwinnable," who has said he has no doubts that the Marines "kill innocent people," and who has called the recently passed ethics reform bill "total crap."

Is this the kind of man we want representing Haverford?

We Report, You Decide.

Contributor	Date	Amount	Recipient
EMERSON, STEPHEN BRYN MAWR, PA 19010	3/17/2004	$250	Murtha, John P

We're back.

2007-02-20T00:12:00.000-05:00

.....So the blog has been down for a while.
College Democrats have been down for a while too, for that matter.

But under the new leadership of William Henry Harrison IV (up), we're back.

Look forward to lots of posts that you could easily find on mainstream blogs for yourself but which we will copy on paste on this blog for your convenience. Also look forward to motifs such as "Haverford Democrat of the Week" and "Bi-daily defeatocrat/Virgil Goode Quote."

For now, David Sanchez and Brian Tashman will be the primary writers, but if you'd like to get involved with blogging, please contact dsanchez@haverford.edu.

Weapons of Mass Corruption

2006-04-09T14:42:00.000-04:00

Since all of the hubbub surrounding the release of the "Downing Street Memo" this summer, it has become clear to many that the case for Operation Iraqi Freedom was a forged one--based on both faulty and manipulated intelligence. This week, developments in the Valerie Plame leak investigation reveal that the case against the President and his administration has become all the more damning. Read the Washington Post story here.

These days, one cannot help but long for those White House lies that caused mere embarassment--and not the deaths of over 6,900 .

--Rebecca

Fare Thee Well

2006-03-28T15:49:00.000-05:00

Bush is finally starting to cave to months of GOP pressures to shake up his inner circle. Today, he accepted Andrew Card's resignation as Chief of Staff. Talk about a storm-worn ship limping back to port. Mr. Card is "returning to private life" after taking it heavily on Dubai Ports World and Hurricane Katrina, not to mention the four-letter-word problem in the Persian Gulf.

We raise our dry martini to you, Mr. Card. Welcome back to the sporting life. And yes, that tastefully arranged fruit basket is from the Democrats.

2006-03-23T20:35:00.000-05:00

The Haverford College Democrats have placed a series of flyers around campus, overtly critiquing Pat Buchanan’s coming appearance. We do not, as an organization, reject his right to speak. The First Amendment is smart; people draw strength and grow analytically when faced with oppositional viewpoints. Even silly things have the right to be uttered and countered. The ideological position of the College supports this, as it seeks to foster an environment of “trust, concern and respect” where a pluralism of ideas can engage in dialogue.

For dialogue to take place at all, we recognize that there must be basic rules. Free speech is not constituted either by yelling “Fire!” in a crowded theatre, nor by the use of language for violent ends. We recognize that dialogue no longer takes place when one party is silenced, dehumanized and denied agency. For the women, Jews, Blacks, homosexuals, immigrants and poor denied rights, enfranishment or agency under Buchanan’s politics, this is not a parlor debate. The ability to freely exchange speech requires that there is a basic equality amongst participants. We don’t believe that Buchanan respects or allows this equality.

There will be students who disagree with this critique, and it is their right to seek out Buchanan’s views and speak in their own voices, as long as they don’t violate the rights of others. We believe that the College, which institutionalizes equality and plurality, has an equal right not to pay someone to come to Haverford who is racist, xenophobic, misogynistic and anti-semitic. In politics, money speaks with the loudest voice of endorsement. We might tolerate the opponent, but that toleration does not require that we write her a check.

Pat Buchanan is not an opponent of this College because of his position as a conservative pundit in opposition to Haverford’s liberal majority. His historical use of hate speech, his bigoted remarks on a variety of subjects, and his violent revision of history—including the Holocaust—oppose him to all respectful dialogue. Haverford’s respect for freedom of speech means he ought to be allowed to speak; Haverford’s supposed respect for dignity and empowerment makes cutting him a check hypocritical and cowardly.

Pat Buchanan is coming to speak at 7:30 pm on Sunday, March 26th—anyone with an interest should attend. Haverford College has paid $20,000 to have him come, and we ought not waste such money through poor attendance.

-Emma Rodman

Newsflash:

2006-03-17T11:15:00.000-05:00

Recent polls indicate that Adrian Bleifuss Prados is widely perceived as the most youthful and virile member of the Haverford College Democrats. He also dances well and dresses with a certain panache.

-Emma Rodman

2006-03-08T12:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Tom DeLay, the capo di tutti capi of the GOP mafia, won the congressional primary in his Texas district. It seems that a little money laundering won’t faze the Republicans of the Texas 22nd.

Mr. DeLay began his career as a pest exterminator in Sugar Land, TX. By all accounts, the residue of noxious fumes has followed him into his new vocation.

In other Texas news, Carole Keeton Strayhorn, the mother of Scott McClellan, is running for governor as an independent. Members of the White House press corps were surprised to learn that McClellan suckled at a human teat. According to the ancient Greeks, the President’s press secretary was born to the Gorgon Medusa.

-Adrian Bleifuss Prados

Crush on Buckley

2006-02-27T16:56:00.000-05:00

William F. Buckley Jr., the grand old man of the Grand Old Party, is hardly a chearleader for Bush's policies in Iraq. In a recent piece for National Review, Buckley offered some sober thoughts on the situation in that unhappy country:

... One can't doubt that the American objective in Iraq has failed...
Our mission has failed because Iraqi animosities have proved uncontainable by an invading army of 130,000 Americans. The great human reserves that call for civil life haven't proved strong enough. No doubt they are latently there, but they have not been able to contend against the ice men who move about in the shadows with bombs and grenades and pistols...
The Iraqis we hear about are first indignant, and then infuriated, that
Americans aren't on the scene to protect them and to punish the aggressors. And so they join the clothing merchant who says that everything is the fault of the
Americans....
Mr. Bush has a very difficult internal problem here because to make the kind of concession that is strategically appropriate requires a mitigation of policies he has several times affirmed in high-flown pronouncements. His challenge is to persuade himself that he can submit to a historical reality without forswearing basic commitments in foreign policy....

Why do I love Bill Buckley? The man is an unapologetic conservative - some of his editorials from the 1960s are rather embarrassing today. But Buckley has never been an apologist for any president or policy. He is committed to conservative political principles and not to the conservative political establishment. Personally, I always prefer an ideologue to a hack. Although he is no longer at the helm at National Review, his spirit still infuses the magazine, which is probably why NR is still so fun to read.

- Adrian Bleifuss Prados

The Birth of Beelzeblog

2006-02-24T18:02:00.000-05:00

Newsflash: The Johnny-come-latelies at the Haverford College Republicans have launched a blog. Our Tory pals are committed to “combating the left on a hippy campus.” Local hippies, beatniks and bohemians of all stripes are reportedly heading for the hills.

As the Gipper would put it, it’s morning in Haverford. Old Glory flies a little brighter over Leeds Hall. There’s a wholesome smell in the air and a spring in the step of every young lass.

Marriage seems better defended, tough love has replaced the soft bigotry of low expectations and fetuses float happily in their embryonic fluids.

In short, the war is on.

- Adrian

Looking After Rick

2006-02-23T17:04:00.000-05:00

Rick Santorum, who earns a Senate salary of $162,000, has described himself as a man who lives “paycheck to paycheck,” often with the assistance of his parents “who are by no means wealthy.” However, the American Prospect has found that Santorum’s PAC regularly lists expenses including such "unorthodox items as dozens of trips to the Starbucks in Leesburg, a number of stops at fast-food joints, and purchases at Target, Wal-Mart, and a Giant supermarket in northern Virginia."

The mortgage on the Senator’s home in Shenstone Farms is currently financed by the Philadelphia Trust Company. A private bank that only loans to (very wealthy) “investment advisory clients whose portfolios we manage, oversee or administer.”

The Santorums do not have any investments managed by Philadelphia Trust, nor do they have the investment assets of $250,000 that would be the bank’s minimum threshold. Santorum has disclosed a mere $140,000 in liquid assets. Neither Santorum nor Philadelphia Trust will disclose the specific interest rate associated with the mortgage.

Curiously, the officers of the Trust are closely associated with the Pennsylvania Republican establishment and have given over $24,000 to Santorum’s PAC and campaign fund.

Any special or exceptional loan made to the Senator would be in violation of the Senate gift guidlines. A complaint has been filed with the Senate Ethics Committee over the Senator's unusual refinancing.

In other scummy news, Santorum’s Philadelphia-based charity, Operation Good Neighbor Foundation, has spent 57% of its budget on fundraising commissions, travel and other administrative expenses and only 36% in grants. The Foundation is not registered as an official charity, although it has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars more than the $25,000 that would legally require registration.

- Eli Fishburne

Is it hot in here?

2006-02-22T00:30:00.000-05:00

(Picked up from the NY Times via Wonkette.)

Ever wonder whose research informs Bush's climate change policies? Fred Barnes’ puff-portrait of President, Rebel in Chief, fills us in.

Fred Barnes recalls a visit to the White House last year by [science fiction novelist] Michael Crichton, whose 2004 best selling novel, "State of Fear," suggests that global warming is an unproven theory and an overstated threat.

Mr. Barnes, who describes Mr. Bush as "a dissenter on the theory of global warming," writes that the president "avidly read" the novel and met the author after Karl Rove, his chief political adviser, arranged it. He says Mr. Bush and his guest "talked for an hour and were in near-total agreement."

Farewell, icecaps.

-Adrian Bleifuss Prados

Golden Rule Democrats

2006-02-20T14:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, on a brisk Sunday afternoon, about 120 people filled Thomas Great Hall over at Bryn Mawr College, and the campaigns of three state reps, two congressional candidates and one very jovial governer kicked off. Gov. Ed Rendell spoke very well, Lois Murphy and Joe Sestak gave resounding criticism of the status quo down in DC and the state representative candidates tried not to look too overwhelmed.

The Haverford College Democrats were there to provide sly, insightful and unheeded advice on speaking mannerisms, intonation, handling the press and presence on stage. (Any one remembering the Presidential Voice from last season's West Wing?) You know who else was there? The Associated Press. The Bi-College News. Various other propaganda machines. Emma Rodman (no, that's m-a-n) and Joe Ballou definetly have a picture with Lois coming out on the wires soon. And I am newly invigorated about the coming campaigns. Lois and Joe's races are important, and we're really going to be able to help them out.

In other news, something that Rendell said stuck with me: he called himself, and us, "Golden Rule Democrats". The moral and spiritual edge that the GOP seems to have culled isn't based in divine ordination or anything else insurmountable--as we're all aware, it is a P.R. game. I find the governor's reference to our compassion and social focus compelling, in the same way that I found his illustrative example awesome:

"They're so concerned with making sure that a fetus is carried to term. They call themselves pro-life. Well, where's the concern with the child's life when they vote against the WIC program that provides food to infants and small children? Where is the concern when they vote against funding pre-natal care for poor mothers?"

-Emma

Scandalous! A Post in Three Parts

2006-02-10T11:19:00.000-05:00

I. Jack Abramoff claims that the President, "saw me in almost a dozen settings, and joked with me about a bunch of things, including details of my kids." Although Abramoff was a well known Washington personality and a top fundraiser for Bush's reelection campaign, the President maintains that he cannot recall ever meeting the disgraced lobbyist.

II. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the VP's former chief of staff, has testified that his superiors approved the leaking of classified information to the press in 2003. Libby was on intimate terms with NY Times reporter Judy Miller, who faithfully reproduced the administration's misleading stories on the front page of that august newspaper.

III. Administration officials claim they were surprised to learn on Tuesday, August 30, that the levees of New Orleans had broken. A Congressional investigation has revealed that FEMA, then managed by Michael "Brownie" Brown, was aware of breaches on Monday morning and that officials of that agency sent urgent reports to the Department of Homeland Security headquarters on Monday evening.

-Adrian Bleifuss Prados

Tea Time!

2006-02-07T23:40:00.000-05:00

High tea-it's high time.

The Haverford Dems are having their first event of the semester, a tea party extravagnaza attended by dignitaries, notables, accompanying paparazzi and fan frenzy. We'll be serving up tea and treats by yours truly. We'll be serving up impassioned rhetorical whirls and flourishes. We'll be welcoming Vice Admiral Joseph Sestak to speak, who is an astounding US Congressional candidate (think Harvard PhD. and former national security advisor). We'll be the kids you want to be hanging out with this Thursday the 9th at 10 pm in Sharpless Auditorium.

[I, Adrian Bleifuss Prados, have censored some of Emma's less judicious remarks]

... I might just throw everything into the Boston Harbor. Expect the channeling of Patrick Henry and the denunciation of colonialism.

-Emma

The Eyebrow

2006-02-03T20:39:00.000-05:00

As always, the State of the Union address was followed by a response from the opposition party. By any standard, 2005 was a tragicomical year for America. The GOP is in a politically precarious position and the Democratic rebuttal should have been a slam-dunk.

With this in mind, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine’s response can only be seen as a squandered opportunity. Kaine delivered a wooden and uninspiring speech, as full of vacuous generalities as the State of the Union itself. The governor’s references to his past as a missionary suggested a Democratic Party awkwardly trying to “get right” with God. Democrats certainly need to articulate their ideals to religious Americans, but if their appeals sound contrived, they will be rejected. Moreover, Kaine made only the vaguest references to the Federal Government’s inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina and the bungled reconstruction of Iraq - the two biggest stories of the year.

Viewers were also burdened with the sight of Kaine’s left eyebrow dancing wildly about his forehead. As the speech progressed the eyebrow reached new and baffling heights, nearly merging with the gubernatorial hairline. Later that night, the governor’s eyebrow drifted from his head entirely and floated away on the breeze.

The governor's eyebrow passing a weather balloon (courtesy U.S. Meteorological Survey)

-Adrian

Iraqis: Capable of Answering Polls, Too

2006-02-02T16:21:00.000-05:00

The Poll--for politicans, fingers licked and held to test the breeze, it is Shangri-la. For example: wonder why Bush stopped talking about Social Security "reform" in the middle of last year? Polls. The measurement of soft power and political capital, the aggregation of polling data. The tidiness of numbers. How to keep power, how to get power: what to do next.

Today, Haverford's student page linked to a poll taken of Iraqi citizens, which was conducted by an organization called "World Public Opinion." For all the U.S. hollering about staying the course in Iraq, something tells me that Iraqi citizens have a pretty fair idea of what's going on in their own country. In numbers: 47% of Iraqis support attacks on U.S. forces, while only 7% support attacks on the new Iraqi government. And 67% think security will increase if the U.S. leaves in 6 months. The fact is, the U.S. prescence in Iraq is catalyzing the violence. 70% of Iraqis want the U.S. to leave either in 6 months or gradually over the next two years.

The idea that we need to stay in Iraq until the security situation improves is tautological. We are the reason security has failed to materialize in the 3 years since invasion. Our continued prescence ignores reality. The poll is simple; it is summarized in attractive and easy-to-read colored charts, and it gives a clear directive:

Set a time-table; send the troops home.

-Emma

Mourning the First Lady of Civil Rights

2006-01-31T13:23:00.000-05:00

On April 4, 1968, The United States lost one of the greatest public servants to ever walk within our borders. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed outside of a Memphis hotel while attempting to organize a march in support of the city's sanitation union. When he died later that night at St. Joseph's hospital, the nation mourned the man who spearheaded the movement for racial equality in America. From his Montgomery Bus Boycott (with the recently departed Rosa Parks) to the famous March on Washington, Dr. King exposed and fought the injustices that ran deep in our country's history. And his words continue to mark that struggle today.

But important as his speeches and actions were, are, and will be, for the past 38 years, we have been fortunate enough to have a face to assign to his legacy. Coretta Scott King, the so-called first lady of the civil rights movement, has been at every memorial, every service, and has spoken from the very spot where her husband delivered the words of his immortal dream too long deferred.

It was not just her face that was important, however. Mrs. King was more than a living embodiment of her husband's legacy. She was a leader in her own right. When Dr. King died, she led 50,000 marchers through the streets of Memphis, and only two months later, she headed the Poor People's March to Washington, in support the underclass of all races. It was Coretta who ran the successful campaign for a national holiday in honor of her husband, and it was she who opened and ran the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change--an organization which continues to fight for the racial justice that Dr. King so ardently sought.

Coretta Scott King died yesterday, on January 30, 2006. But the struggle that she and her husband initiated is far from complete. Too many blacks still suffer from the racism that exists in our neighborhoods and our Congress. Too many are still forced to attend under-funded and mostly segregated public schools. Too many still do not have adequate access to affordable healthcare. Today, when we look back on the legacy of both of the Kings, we must ask ourselves whether they "have not died in vain," whether we will continue to fight for the cause that they embodied.

Only then, only once we have completed the work that Dr. King began and that Mrs. King continued will we be able to realize the dream that Dr. King conceived of. Only then can we truly say of all Americans: "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Coretta Scott King will be sorely missed.

--Rebecca

Ethics Are Complicated

2006-01-30T16:42:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of January, GOP "Superlobbyist" Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to three federal felonies: fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy to bribe public officials. Throughout Washington, the sound of feet running scared can be heard, as President Bush, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and the already beleagured Rep. Tom DeLay, among others, rush to return contributions from Abramoff.

Especially for the Bush Administration, Abramoff's contributions are going to serve as another political millstone around the neck of an already weary president. Bush has denied that Abramoff had extensive access to the White House, though he has declined to publically release records on the subject, despite pressure from GOP lawmakers to do so.

(In fact, Abramoff raised over $100,000 for the 2004 Bush-Cheney re-election campaign, earning himself the coveted title of "Bush Pioneer" for his skill. "Bundling", the campaign finance trick devised by White House insider Karl Rove to circumvent the 2002 McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance reform, is the subject for a whole other post.)

All I can say is that when two Republican congressmen appear on FOX News Sunday and call for the President to fully release the records of his dealings with Abramoff, ethics don't seem so complicated, after all. To use the words of Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Nebraska, on the subject:

“Get it out. Get it out. Come on.”

-Emma

Chafee says NO!

2006-01-30T13:26:00.000-05:00

Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, a Republican moderate and an early opponent of the Iraq war, has decided to oppose Samuel Alito’s confirmation.

"I am a pro-choice, pro-environment, pro-Bill of Rights Republican, and I will be voting against this nomination," said the senator.

However, Chafee opposes a Democratic filibuster and the confirmation is all but secure.

In a typical move, John Kerry (D-MA, loser) had called for a filibuster – from the comfort of a ski resort in the Swiss Alps.

And so it appears that Justices Scalia and Thomas will have a new confrere on the court. For this observer, the highlight of the confirmation process was clearly the teary flight of Martha-Ann. As Tina Fey faithfully reported:

"During Sen. Graham's apology, Martha-Ann Bomgardner, Alito's wife, was so overcome with emotion she broke down in tears and left the hearing. To get an abortion."

-Adrian

Senate Race: Which way PA Democrats want to go

2006-01-28T14:48:00.000-05:00

Although the Democratic Party has thrown its support behind Bob Casey, Jr., a man with a political history not to be laughed at, the Primary is still a few months away and his Democratic challengers for the nomination are not to be ignored either.

A new Zogby poll reveals that versus Sen. Santorum, the "family-values" Republican who has declared homosexuals to be in the same category as practicers of beastiality, Casey seems to do poorer than his challengers, Chuck Pennacchio and Alan Sandals.
Admittedly, Casey didn't respond to questions about his issues profile and it had to be constructed from public statements. But Casey does better among Republicans and worse among some of the key demographics Democrats need when the responders were given issues profiles of the field:

Rick Santorum (Republican)
On abortion – pro-life
On stem cell research – opposed
Accepts PAC money – yes
War in Iraq – it was the right thing to do
Troops in Iraq – stay the course
National Health Care – opposed
Raising the minimum wage – supports an increase of $1.10
NAFTA/CAFTA – supports CAFTA; opposed NAFTA
Alito confirmation to Supreme Court – supports confirmation

Bob Casey, Jr. (Democrat)
On abortion – pro-lfe
On stem cell research – opposed
Accepts PAC money – yes
War in Iraq – supported
Troops in Iraq – stay the course
National Health Care – opposed
Raising the minimum wage – supports
NAFTA/CAFTA – opposed both
Alito confirmation to Supreme Court – supports confirmation

Chuck Pennacchio (Democrat)
On abortion – pro-choice
On stem cell research – supports
Accepts PAC money – no
War in Iraq – opposed
Troops in Iraq – out as soon as safely possible
National Health Care – supports
Raising the minimum wage – supports living wage with different levels depending on where the worker lives
NAFTA/CAFTA – opposed both
Alito confirmation to Supreme Court – supports a filibuster

Alan Sandals (Democrat)
On abortion – pro-choice
On stem cell research – supports
Accepts PAC money – yes
War in Iraq – opposed
Troops in Iraq – out as soon as safely possible
National Health Care – supports
Raising the minimum wage – supports
NAFTA/CAFTA – opposed both
Alito confirmation to Supreme Court – supports a filibuster

John Featherman (Republican)
On abortion – pro-choice
On stem cell research – supports
Accepts PAC money – no
War in Iraq – did support, but not since no WMD found
Troops in Iraq – out as soon as safely possible
National Health Care – opposed
Raising the minimum wage – opposed
NAFTA/CAFTA – support both
Alito confirmation to Supreme Court – supports confirmation

The question seems to be where the party goes next. Towards the right, with an anti-choice candidate who has more in common with the Republican opponent than with the majority of the party, or towards the left, with pro-choice, progressive candidates who actually seem to be in line with the party platform.
Fighting Santorum will be hard, especially in an off-year election. Yet part of mid-terms elections is getting the party fired up over something, or more importantly, someone. Fortunately or not, this is a time when politics becomes about the struggle and not the solution. Casey is a smart man who will work hard on Capitol Hill. And Republican votes for Democrats are a nice cushion. But how much support liberals will be willing to give him remains a problem for him, especially in this part of the cycle.
Primaries are a chance for the party to show its true colours, to work for what it thinks it needs. They're also an opportunity for the members to show what they want. Pennsylvania Democrats are being given an incredible opportunity to choose between the liberal and moderate wings of their party and to send a message of what future it should have.

-LK

Qualifications and Ideology

2006-01-26T17:12:00.000-05:00

As the debate surrounding Judge Samuel Alito's appointment to the Supreme Court began to unfold on the Senate floor today, our esteemed President met with 54 of the Judge's former clerks to discuss his anticipated approval. And as he has since the process began, the President touted Alito's background. "There's no doubt about Judge Alito's qualifications, his intellect, or his complete dedication to our Constitution and laws," the President said. Then, he went on, "[Sam Alito] is exactly the kind of person Americans want on the Supreme Court." Nevertheless, in spite of the strong rhetoric that the president chose to employ, there exists a signifcant discontect between the first and second portions of his statement. Exclusively because Alito is intellectually qualified to sit on the Supreme Court does not mean that Americans necessarily want him there. Simply put, ideology matters--no matter how ardently the President may argue to the contrary.

In 1795, the first nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge John Rutledge, was blocked by a 14-10 vote in the Senate because he opposed the Jay Treaty--a Federalist-supported agreement with Great Britain. Nobody could question Rutledge's qualifications (he was, after all, chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court). He was opposed because of ideology, alone. Years later, the famed Robert Bork, in spite of his glowing qualifications as both a scholar and a judge, was opposed by 58 senators--one of whom was the current, Republican chair of the Senate judiciary committee, our local Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA). Finally, despite all of the clout surrounding Democratic filibusters, Republicans, during the Clinton Administration, used what is called the "blue slip procedure" to slow down and, effectively, block a host of "liberal" nominees. In 1997, as a result of these back-door Republican tactics, Clinton was forced to declare a "vacancy crisis" when one in ten seats of the federal judiciary were left vacant. When Clinton left office in 2001, 42 of his nominees remained unconfirmed--38 of whom never received a hearing. All of these nominees were blocked solely because of Republicans' opposition to their liberal ideology. They have some nerve, then, to criticize Democratic oppostion to Mr. Alito.

President Bush is right; Sam Alito is, without question, a qualified nominee. But his opposition to Roe v. Wade, his history on minority rights, and his theories on Executive authority should give us pause. And as history shows, those ideological reservations are grounds enough to oppose him.

--Rebecca

Creeping Theocracy

2006-01-26T16:03:00.000-05:00

"The only way to restore this republic our founders envisioned is to elevate honorable jurists like Samuel Alito," said Rick Santorum at Justice Sunday III, an event organized by the Family Research Council.

Santorum warned that liberals were "destroying traditional morality, creating a new moral code and prohibiting any dissent."

The Justice Sunday events have been rebuked by progressive religious leaders of all faiths. Read their statement here.

Anyone interested in destroying traditional morality or waging a war on Christmas should come to tonight's Democrats meeting (Campus Center 205, 10:00 PM).

2006-01-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

Scalito Rising

It seems that Arlen Specter's much-lauded commitment to women’s rights wasn’t worth all that.

Here are the C-SPAN numbers (based on declared intentions of senators):

Democrats voting "No":
Baucus (MT)Biden (DE)Boxer (CA)Clinton (NY) Dodd (CT)Durbin (IL)Feingold (WI)Feinstein (CA)Harkin (IA)Kennedy (MA)Kerry (MA)Kohl (WI)Leahy (VT)Mikulski (MD) Murray (WA) Nelson, Bill (FL) Obama (IL)Reed (RI) Reid, H. (NV)Salazar (CO)Schumer (NY)Stabenow (MI)Wyden (OR)

Democrats voting "Yes":
Nelson, Ben (NE)

Republicans voting "No": None so far.

http://www.c-span.org/congress/alito_senate.asp

2006-01-25T17:25:00.000-05:00

Rogues, rascals and reprobates tremble!

The Haverford College Democrats have a weblog!

Like Pharos, the lighthouse of Alexandrian antiquity, this blog shall serve as a beacon, guiding the ships of liberty and justice through the storms of reaction and obscurantism.

Some links of interest:
http://www.collegedems.com/
http://www.bobcaseyforpa.com/
http://www.campusprogress.org/