Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDXCI--Chad & Jeremy: A Summer Song

 Back to our old ways....

I don't really remember when I first became aware of this week's tune, but I do remember what reminded me of how much I love it.  Dennis Hartley, who writes about movies and music for Digby's Hullabaloo, wrote a best summer songs post and as I was listening to each of his choices, this week's song came back like a long-lost friend.  Funnily, I've listened to the songs from many of Mr. Harley's music theme posts, and for the most part he and I do not share the same taste in what we consider best songs....

Chad & Jeremy (Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde) formed in London in 1962, after having met in drama school and beginning to perform as a folk duo (Chad taught Jeremy how to play guitar).  They would release their debut album in 1964 when they joined the British Invasion of America and had their first hits.  The duo would release several more albums by 1968, but in a fit of pique due to artistic differences walked away from their record label in 1968.  They reunited from 1983 through 1987, and then again in 2003 which lasted until Chad retired in 2016.  For their career, Chad & Jeremy released eleven studio albums, one live album, and five compilations, as well as nineteen singles.  Surprisingly, they only had one hit in their native U.K., with the bulk of their commercial success being here in the States.  Sadly, Chad Stuart passed away in 2020; Jeremy Clyde continues to perform.  On a somewhat poignant side note, the pair both admitted in their later years that they wished they had stuck it out in 1968, feeling that they had been talented enough to have achieved considerably more success. That may be the first time I remember of all the disbanded bands I've featured of any of them regretting not staying together....

Fun Fact:  During the pandemic my youngest son and I became huge fans of the old standard The Dick Van Dyke Show, and one of its latter episodes was a spoof of Beatlemania featuring a band called The Redcoats (Freddy and Ernie).  Much to my surprise, Freddy and Ernie were played by Chad & Jeremy, who it turns out, both had that wonderful British sense of humor.

"A Summer Song" was the third single released from their 1964 debut album, the rather belatedly entitled Yesterday's Gone.  The single peaked at #7 in America, the highest charting single of their career, but did not chart in the U.K.  The album was also the highest charting of their career, reaching #22 again in America, but I was unable to find out if it charted in Great Britain.

If ever there was a song that was a quintessential sixties pop song, "A Summer Song" might just be it.  Full of lush harmonies and having a lovely melody, the song just screams of the innocence that would be lost in the storms toward the decade's end.  For those wondering, Jeremy sang the melody and Chad sang the harmonies, and the pair's vocals were just this side of heaven.  Whilst doing my half-assed research, I happened to notice for the first time ever how great the drums were in the bridge, almost like a distant echoing of the song's theme, the regret of the end of a summer romance. It also features some nice acoustic guitar work and some seriously plaintive lyrics that help to make if one of the truly great, uh...summer songs, ever recorded.

Lyric Sheet:  "They say that all good things must end some day/Autumn leaves must fall/But don't you know that it hurts me so/To say goodbye to you..."

Enjoy: 

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

Make them carry the pro rape and incest banner all the way through November

How about some "show votes" on this stuff? Get those Republicans on the record. https://t.co/OstXKdYgMP

— digby (@digby56) May 13, 2022

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

 

Preach it, Digby

I'm so tired of being lectured about how people like me view rural Americans with "contempt" thereby causing them to turn to fascism. I've never dehumanized them. But they have been doing it to me for decades. #chickenoregg

— digby (@digby56) May 2, 2022

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

 

Especially considering McCarthy has all the backbone of an earthworm

Did anyone think this wasn't going to happen? Do you think it might be useful for the Democrats to inform their voters that this is on the agenda? https://t.co/FTPB7dM2nt

— digby (@digby56) April 26, 2022

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

 

The antidote to fascism

 

Sting like a butterfly, indeed

In light of Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow's fiery speech excoriating republicans for selling hate in lieu of having an agenda to actually help Americans, I came across this passage from Tom Sullivan of Digby's Hullabaloo:

Democrats think politics is about good policy and good governance. It is. But only if you win the power to make it happen. Elections are not about good policy. If Trumpism has not disabused Democrats of that fantasy, there’s no hope for them. Voters want leaders — even phony ones — willing to fight for them and to risk themselves in the effort. Wimps need not apply. Stern words do not count.

While promoting the good we've done in the past two years will help, it is crucial that we stand toe to toe with republicans on their culture war, reminding the sixty percent of Americans who aren't batshit crazy that republicans are coming for your birth control, are going to shove gay Americans back in the closet, are going to increase suicide among trans youths, that their grooming schtick is all bullshit to take away from the fact that republicans have done nothing ever to solve the problems of everyday Americans, and that fascism is their calling card.

Debating their talking points isn't enough--we need to take a baseball bat to their lies and their fealty to fascism.  Our very existence depends upon it.

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

Joe Manchin can rot in hell

Right wing Republicans and Democrats always have a hissy fit when any Democratic leader is allegedly "uncivil" by calling them out for their intransigent obstructionism.

Meanwhile, Donald fucking Trump is the frontrunner for president in 2024.

Please.

— digby (@digby56) October 8, 2021

The Republican Party Is Now a Fascist Cult Just Like Nazi Germany

Peace,

emaycee

 

Down and dirty

A win is a win

 Michelle Obama has famously noted that when republicans go low, Democrats should go high...and it's past time to admit that in our current political climate that is a losing strategy.  I have the utmost respect for the Obamas (and I thoroughly believe Barack Obama will eventually go down in American history as one of the five greatest Presidents ever), but it could be easily argued that President Obama went high in the Supreme Court battle with republicans over the open Supreme Court seat after Antonin Scalia's death...and made a mistake (perhaps colored by believing Hillary Clinton would win the Presidency) that ordinary Americans will still be suffering from a generation from now.  

Tom Sullivan of Digby's Hullabaloo wrote this week (at the risk of losing his progressive credentials) that when it comes to the upcoming midterm elections that if Democrats think they're going to win in 2022 by focusing solely on what they've done for the economy (which will be great) and undoing Donald Trump's executive orders (also great), they are kidding themselves.  He suggested that Democrats should hammer republicans for the insurrection and remind people of exactly what their party attempted to do on January 6th.  I think they should remind voters again and again just what a horrid human being Donald Trump was (there have been a plethora of books recently that have plenty of ammunition) and that republicans have yet to stand up to him.  Republicans should also be excoriated for voting en masse against the Coronavirus Relief Plan, which has helped working class Americans financially more than anything republicans have ever done in our lifetimes.

Sullivan is exactly right--sometimes, you need to punch a redneck.

You Have a Choice:  Pass a Voting Rights Bill, or Welcome Fascism to America

Peace,

emaycee

Quote of the week

Donald Trump, after his election loss

From Digby:

"Honestly, if Charlie Manson were alive and he endorsed Trump, Trump would call him a good guy who disdained Hollywood elites."

Truer words....

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

In which I play devil's advocate

His picture is next to "inspirational" in the dictionary

Quinnipiac released a poll yesterday showing virtually every Democrat beating Donald Trump in 2020, which, after watching polls for well over forty years now I take with a grain of salt.  Yes, I'd rather be in our position than theirs, but trust me, unless the economy collapses (in which case Trump is dead meat) it will tighten considerably in the next 17 months.

So I found it interesting that Markos Moulitas from The Daily Kos noted that since all of our candidates can beat Trump, we should feel free to vote for who we think would be the best candidate and not who is most likely to defeat Trump.  Yesterday, Digby posted that while voting for a candidate who can beat Trump is fine, it would be a great "insurance policy" in having a candidate that fires up the base.

While I don't disagree with either of them, I do think it's more than just choosing a candidate we like or an insurance policy--frankly, I believe it's utterly vital that we elect a candidate who will inspire the base because truthfully, Donald Trump or no, while people may very well vote for the Democratic nominee, we also need people to donate to, knock on doors for, volunteer for campaigns, and talk to their undecided friends and colleagues about our candidate and "He/She can beat Donald Trump" isn't nearly as inspiring as a candidate who shares the Democratic vision for America that so many of us aspire to.

And this is why I'll keep beating the drum against Joe Biden.  Because we all knew full well--even if it was a longshot--that Donald Trump could beat Hillary Clinton in 2020 (it's an election for Christ's sake) but still there were plenty of Democrats who stayed home and plenty who voted third party.  I've seen far too many uninspiring Democrats (Jimmy Carter in 1980, Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, John Kerry) lead us to defeat and we cannot allow that to happen in 2020.  Donald Trump must be stopped.

Give us a candidate to believe in and we'll show up.  If not, it's going to be a roll of the dice.

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, CCXIX--Joshua James: Crash This Train

One of the perks of reading liberal blogs is that, surprisingly enough, liberals often have a certain fondness for rock and roll music and aren't afraid to spice up their blogs with top ten Labor Day songs, or top songs about going to school, or best songs about summer, or even just a song that ties in neatly to the post at hand.  I've found quite a few songs and artists from such lists...much like this week's tune, found thanks to Dennis Hartley, who usually writes the Saturday night movie reviews for Digby's Hullabaloo, but on occasion likes to amaze with his rock and roll remembrances.

Joshua Fred James hails from Lincoln, Nebraska and due to a rather short bio in Wikipedia, this week's career recap will be mercifully short.  James has his own label in the great state of Utah (great only because my oldest son and his wife live there), and hasn't come any closer to having an album or single on the charts or a Grammy Award than I have, and I'm not a recording artist (though I'm sure my legion of fans is breathlessly awaiting my first release...or not). Over the course of his relatively short career (2003-Present), James has released 6 LPs, 5 EPs, and one single only release.  He's gotten some nice write-ups from Variety and NPR, and his album The Sun Is Always Brighter reached #1 on the iTunes Folk Album list in 2007.  James has also been the opening act for John Mayer, David Gray, Ani DiFranco, and Third Eye Blind.  And while he's not had much in the way of commercial success, he's had enough to make a living at playing music...and that's gotta be a hell of a lot better than selling groceries.

"Crash This Train" was released in 2008 on an EP  cleverly titled Crash This Train/The Garden.  Near as I can tell, it's a digital only release, and isn't even listed on his discography on his own web site.  Needless to say, no bullets on Billboard this week....

"Crash This Train" carries on the proud tradition (at least to old fart folkies like me) of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul, and Mary, and even Bob Dylan (though he stopped giving a shit long ago) of folk protest anthems.  James sings of the unjust Iraq war, of Presidents sending children off to die, and of a world that should be a lot more fair for regular folks, and he's asking God to put an end to all of the injustice.  There's a nice juxtaposition between an acoustic guitar and a plaintive piano, an ending with a crescendo (emaycee fave alert), but in the end it's James' vocals which carry the tune and take it to another level.  James' mournful rasp is offset by a weary hopefulness as he sings his prayer--and the imagery of ending the world's ills via a crashing train is one of those magic touches that make a great song.  All in all, "Crash This Train" is another in a long line of folk gems that add to its storied history.

Lyric Sheet:  "'Cause if it dies in cold, when the clouds start to roll/Is it then that your soul starts to bleed?"

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

I like our house

You know, sometimes I think the biggest problem our party/movement has is the fact that once people get a big platform, they completely fucking forget what it's like to be an ordinary American.

Thereisnospoon--whose postings I really like, usually much better than Digby's because a) he still has hope, and b) (at least I think) he understands that our philosophy is as much about heart as it is brains--had a piece today in which he asks if we (meaning the government) really want to be incentivizing home ownership so much.

The short answer?  Fuck yes!

I'll be the first to admit that an ordinary American like me was a little lost as I read the piece--there seemed to be something about how wage stagnation sucks (it does!), how we shouldn't be letting the rich buy up all the houses (hear, hear!), how renting a place to live has been given an unnecessary bad name (lost me on that one), and how we Americans like cheap mortgages (no shit, Sherlock). 

I might not know much about the ins and outs of our housing policies, but I do know a few things about calling a place home.  Renting sucks--I'm willing to grant that there are those for whom renting is ideal.  Young people starting out who don't want the responsibility that comes with home ownership, older people who no longer want the hassles of yard work and shoveling snow--hell, after my first marriage ended renting was great because I was busy with a career and when the kids visited I really didn't feel like spending what free time I had with them painting walls and cutting the lawn.  But for most of us, it sucks.  It's expensive as hell and you get zero return on your monthly check.  Having your upstairs neighbor drop a can of Progesso soup on the kitchen floor which wakes your two year old up from his afternoon nap isn't a whole hell of a lot of fun.  Climbing three flights of stairs with the weekly groceries is a good waste of your time.  If you're lucky enough to be in an apartment complex that allows barbecuing, it's kind of a pain in the ass having total strangers stroll past as you're cooking dinner (face it, you wouldn't let them walk through your kitchen while you're making spaghetti, why the fuck would you want them there just because you're cooking outside?).  And don't even get me started on renting a home--most of those letting homes take most of their cues from slumlords.

The government is helping me get a better mortgage rate--because we couldn't make a 20% down payment (well, maybe on a cardboard box we could have) the government is guaranteeing our loan.  I pay a little more for it, though less than was our rent at the last apartment we lived at.  For this I get the chance to play catch with my son and not have to worry about one of us beaning the neighbors' kid who's pretending to be an airplane in the middle of us--I can tell him to get the fuck out of my yard and play airplane in his own fucking yard.  I can crank "Baba O'Riley" as high was it will go on our stereo and the neighbors won't be calling the apartment owner to have me turn it down.  If our neighbors are having an argument in their home, we don't have to share it.  This year we planted daisies because our son loves them and tomato plants because we don't want to drive to the Farmer's Market once a week to get good tomatoes.

Our house is a long way from perfect--it was built when JFK was President and most of the house still has fixtures and electrical outlets from that era.  It's an igloo in winter and a sauna in the summer (shit you not, no exaggeration).  The appliances were new when my wife was in high school (class of '95).  But it's our home--it may be an investment to Wall Street and the wealthy, but it's not to us.  It's where we live.

I honestly cannot think of anything that is uniquely more American than owning one's own home.  Just ask the Martinis--the Bailey Plan was a whole hell of a lot better than the Potter Plan.

Peace,
emaycee

The "intelligent" wing of our party

"It's an innovative concept.  An intelligent conversation with the American people.  Imagine that."

This is how Digby today exhorted her readers to tune into Geek Out Live with Rush Holt, who is one of the candidates running against Cory Booker to be the Democratic nominee for the Senate from New Jersey (and in all likelihood, the next Senator from New Jersey).  Digby also said the race wasn't over and asked her readers to donate to Mr. Holt's campaign.

To put it succinctly, Digby is full of shit.

I'm no fan of Cory Booker, and would really rather see Mr. Holt in the Senate.  But the plain truth of the matter is that this election is a few weeks away, Cory Booker has a ton of money in the bank, and he leads Holt, as of July 14th, 52.5% to 8.8%.  This race is not fucking winnable.  If one wishes to listen to a good progressive have an intelligent conversation about the state of America, by all means do so.  Anything further than that is about as foolish as Tea Party dolts who nominate deep red candidates to run in deep blue states' Senate races.

I don't mean to be an ass, but my guess would be that there are a lot of Liberals who a) have family obligations, b) have full-time jobs, and c) don't have a lot of disposable income.  Anyone asking them to waste their valuable time and resources on a quixotic quest for another in a long line of demoralizing losses might as well be asking them to spend their time watching "The Price Is Right" and flushing ten dollar bills down the toilet.  It would do equally as much good.

How much better to invite them to particpate in races where their efforts and money can actually make a diffrerence, rather than propping up one's intellectual bona fides (the opening quote says it all) at the expense of the betterment of the American people.

Peace,
emaycee

No man an island

David Atkins wrote a nice piece today taking President Obama to task for his many errors on economic policy (Digby threw her inimitable two cents in as well) and outlines a framework for changing the narrative.  While I couldn't agree more--and I'd be the last to defend the President, who has been a monumental disaster from the Liberal standpoint on help for the working men and women of America--President Obama hasn't exactly had a lot of support from the spineless Democrats in the Senate:

• There's no way a $4 billion dollar cut in SNAP benefits can pass the Senate without Democratic votes (we provided 28).  Michigan's own Debbie Stabenow had the gall to say it was about cutting waste and fraud.  Au contraire, Senator Agriculture Industry, it's about taking food out of the mouths of children and giving the money saved to millionaires.
• Don't know about you, but I signed, oh, about a thousand petitions in the last couple of months to keep student loan rates low.  That worked out well--the Senate, with fifty-five fucking Democrats, managed to pass a bill that significantly raised the rates.  So much for competing in the global economy....
• Republican use of the filibuster has been unprecedented, but even with their minor victory in getting the President's nominees through recently, there still is great doubt Sen. Reid has the votes if he needs to go nuclear in the future.  I did, however, get a letter from my gutless Senator, Carl Levin, this week, outlining why he is against it.  Seems Sen. Levin can cite about three instances where Democrats successfully used the filibuster to prevent bad bills from becoming law.  What exactly Sen. Levin plans to do about the hordes of President Obama's judicial nominees that are languising while republican appointees run roughshod over American workers and support every bad bill/law/decision made by corporations and the chamber of commerce, Sen. Levin didn't say.  One supposes it's the usual gutless Democratic Senator answer:  we can suck on it.

Look, I get that the U.S. House is out of our hands--there's nothing that can be done.  And I really appreciate Senators like Bernie Sanders, Sherrod Brown, Elizabeth Warren, Al Franken, and a few others.  But where's the love from the rest of the rotten bastards? 

For fuck's sake, without our votes they'd be back home doing what the rest of us are doing--actually working for a living.

Peace,
emaycee

Not a pretty sight

Once again...I'm not trying to make light of the NSA spying program, but Digby reported yesterday that we've reached a point where "...it's always possible someone is watching you take a shit."

Quite frankly, I'd feel a lot more sorry for the poor bastard who has to watch my fat ass sitting on a toilet while I take a dump than I would for myself being watched as I do it.

Seriously.

Peace,
emaycee

The day's biggest surprise

...had to be the way the Liberal blogs have rallied around the President today.  I mean the folks on MSNBC, with the exception of the Reverend Al Sharpton, absolutely crucified him last night, and I was pretty much expecting the same from everyone today (especially with President Obama's comments on Social Security) except for Markos Moulitsas (Obama could go streaking buck ass naked down Pennsylvania Avenue and Markos would find a reason why it shows the President's brilliance--and I love him for it).  Even fucking Digby, who usually treats Obama like an ugly stepchild, was pretty darn tame and fought back against Romney's lies.  And the Detroit Free Press' Stephen Henderson only acknowledged Romney's victory as one heavy on style but light on substance.

Good to see that we just might be seeing the utter catastrophe of a Romney victory on November 6th.

Peace,
emaycee

An open letter to a man who will never read it

"So, yes, if you read DWT you know with which utter contempt I hold Republicans and conservatives and corporate whores and you know I agree with all that horrifying stuff Nick Kristof claimed about the Republican war against women in his NY Times column yesterday. Would it be catastrophic if Obama were to lose and Romney win in November? Yes. And if I lived in Ohio or Florida or Colorado or Wisconsin or any other swing state, I might even hold my nose and vote for Obama. But I live in California and I care barely wait to go to the polls and not vote for him."

Dear Mr. Epstein,

It was with much disgust that I read the post from which the above quote originated.  To be perfectly honest, with "Liberals"--oh, excuse, me you're probably one of those gutless wonders who won't stand up to republican bullshit and prefers the\ term "Progressives"--like you, we don't even need republicans.

For all your bullshit about helping the "common people" your voting decision shows that deep down inside you really couldn't give a shit less about people like me.  It must be really nice to live in your little cocoon of a world where you can make conjecture about what President Obama "might" do in his second term and base your precious vote--or rather gutless decision not to vote--on that.

We common people don't have that luxury.  Let me share a bit with you about what our world is like.  My wife lost her job five years ago thanks to the idiotic policies of the Bush the Lesser administration.  She was in the mortgage industry and you can guess what happened when the bubble popped.  Because our son has a chronic illness (not to be overly dramatic, it isn't life threatening), it has been impossible for her to find a job, and even if she had, she'd have lost it by now due to having to call in sick for all the school days he's missed.  Myself, I lost my job earlier this year.  Most of me losing my job can still be blamed on the W. Bush administration, but people like you who stood by based on your "principles" in 2010 share at least some of the blame.  By the grace of God I was able to find a job in ten weeks, but I took a 20% paycut. 

We common people spend nights tossing and turning in bed worrying if our savings can make up the deficit in our pay until the economy gets stronger, if we're going to be able to feed our families, if we're going to be able to continue to make the mortgage payment on our small homes.  I know you're probably thinking that if we had elected "Progressives" my family might not have these worries.  You may be right, but we can't afford to live in La-La Land.  We have to play the hand we're dealt, and President Obama is that hand.

No, I'm not thrilled with eveything President Obama has done, either.  And though I live in a relatively safe state for the President (Michigan) I can guarantee you he's getting my vote.  Part of it is the auto bailout--us common people here in the greater Detroit area would be living through an economic depression if not for his leadership on the issue.  Part of it is Obamacare--even though I lost my job this year we will be able to get health insurance for our son through my current employer thanks to the wisdom of not allowing insurers to deny care to children because of pre-existing conditions.  But the main reason I will be voting for President Obama is because that tossing and turning I do every night worrying about whether I'll be able to continue feeding my family will more than likely (I'm old enough to know there are no guarantees) remain just a worry.  Under a Romney Presidency, the reality of my family going hungry (and the often stated republican lack of compassion for those living in poverty) is just a little too close for comfort.

Digby and Noam Chomsky may respect your right not to vote, but I don't.  To me, you're no different than those rich people who donate to homeless shelters and food banks and then vote for republicans who do their best to see that as many Americans as possible end up in poverty.  Frankly, you're nothing more than a poser and you can blow your "principles" right out your ass.  You don't give a fuck about common people.

And in case I didn't get my point thoroughly across:  fuck you.

Peace,
emaycee

Moderates

With the cuckoo birds who make up what passes for the modern republican party, so-called moderates have played a major role in stunting any chance for an America that meets the financial needs of all Americans.  They're always willing to make a bargain that affects somebody else's paycheck, always willing to discuss dismantling the safety net for "bipartisanship."  Frankly, there's always been something a little smarmy about moderates--they're sort of like the chief ass kisser at your place of employment, kind of pathetic and not even in a way that you really feel any empathy for him.

Digby--much more literate than I--absolutely nails it on what makes moderates so...so...meager:

"The worst people in politics are often the so-called 'moderates' who are only 'moderate' by virtue of the fact that they believe themselves to be superior in every way to the people who believe in something."

Amen.

Peace,
emaycee

Told ya!

Well whaddya know?  Seems one Jeff Greene, uber billionaire, is getting a wee bit anxious about the fact that the Occupy Movement may have been a like watching a baby sleep compared to the shitstorm that's coming if the level of income inequality and the eroding of the middle class continues unabated.  Seems Mr. Greene even believes that eventually the ultra wealthy will realize the error of their ways--read, we can hold onto more of our money this way--and eventually become more supportive of progressive causes because it will be in their best financial interest.

Haven't I--moi, me, emaycee--been saying that it was only a matter of time before the aforesaid shitstorm hits?

Unfortunately for Mr. Greene, though, I tend to agree more with this assessment by John Kenneth Galbraith:

"People of privilege will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage."

One only need look at their desperate attempt to buy this election for Willard Romney to understand Mr. Galbraith's assertion.

Peace,
emaycee

Only for so long

Digby linked to a post earlier this week wherein the central claim was that republicans are throwing so much money into this campaign (reportedly, the Obama campaign expects to be outspent 3 to 1--and that's saying something considering Obama will probably come close to raising a billion dollars) not only to win it, but to demoralize Democratic activists and everyday voters who they hope will come to believe that fighting back against so much money is futile.

I suppose there's a germ of possibility here for republicans--moreso with everyday voters than Democratic activists.  I voted for Mondale in '84 knowing full well he was going to get routed, same for Dukakis in '88, and I didn't get demoralized.  I believed there was a significant difference in the two parties and continued to vote.  Digby also raises a good point with the fact that there are only so many ads voters can see in a day (not to mention that everybody, even zealots like me, eventually start tuning them out) and inundating the airwaves with their republican bullshit could backfire.

In the end, though, the republican strategy of demoralizing their opponents and the undecideds might win out in the short term, but I don't think it's in the American character to give up.  After all, this country was founded when people got fed up with the bullshit of King George III, and it had to be somewhat demoralizing knowing that the lowly colonists were taking on the greatest military power in the world with little money and a ragtag army (and a politically divided colonial states as well).  Still, we told him to go fuck himself and eventually opened up a can of whup ass on the redcoats.

And a billion dollars won't buy shit if there's guerilla warfare on the streets of America.

Peace,
emaycee

A little help over here

It's not that I don't think Digby and her cohort at Hullaballoo, David Atkins are wrong.  Digby's piece notes that we're making small but sure strides to get progressives elected but that it's going to take time (she notes it took the Antoinettes 40 years to get where they are) and that we have to keep slogging forward even though it isn't always exciting.  Mr. Atkins notes that, again citing the "it isn't exciting but we need to do it anyways" motif, we need to get a lot more involved at the city and county, or local, level because that's where change starts.  To Mr. Atkin's credit, he also notes that we won't be doing ourselves any favors by not turning out for President Obama, something Digby seems to be unable to voice, perhaps because she's too busy patting herself on the back for being one of about three Liberals who aren't surprised that Obama didn't embrace our entire agenda.

My question, though, is...what exactly are we supposed to do for the next forty or so years we're building this progressive majority?  I mean, we have exactly one unabashed Liberal in the Senate (Sanders) and maybe a dozen or so who are with us 90-95% of the time, which leaves us about 48 short of what we need.  The House has maybe 75 members who are solid Liberals, leaving us about 150 short.  Hell, even at the state level, the Michigan State Senate couldn't even be won back by Democrats, let alone Liberal Democrats, in the Democratic wave elections of 2006 and 2008.

How much farther can our wages and benefits fall before we're underwater?  How much more shredding of the government's safety nets can we stand?  A lot more damage can be done in forty years.  I mean, Digby notes that we cannot be sidetracked again by a charismatic leader (that means you, President Obama!), but frankly, I think it's our only hope.  FDR and LBJ accomplished a lot in a short period of time--and I admit that may not be possible in this day and age of republican obstructionism.

But I shudder to think of the damage that could be done--and my college educated kids working for pauper's wages in a nation that bears an economic resemblance to say, Somalia--while we're busy building this Progressive Majority. 

It doesn't have anything to with excitement--it has everything to do with survival.

Peace,
emaycee