Category: Action

The California state budget crisis lead to a sharp funding reduction for the State Park system — a proposed total of more than $143 million from a budget already operating on a shoestring. One hundred or more California State Parks are expected to close after Labor Day weekend, and the list of parks on the chopping block has not yet been announced.

Today I want to share one of my favorite places threatened by the budget crisis — that is Calaveras Big Trees State Park. It contains a stand of Giant Sequoia, the rare and famous Sierra Redwood, and holds a telling history about our approach to the natural world. The Sequoia are the biggest living creatures on the earth today, and some of the trees in these small groves are more than 3000 years old.

Happy Monday and welcome the Dog’s on-going (never ending?) letter writing campaign series. This series, for those new to it, is all about getting accountability to the rule of law for the apparent Bush Administration state sponsored torture program. The basic premise is the Dog writes a letter each Monday to decisions makers, urging them to take action on this issue. How you get involved is by either cutting and pasting the letter so it goes out under your own name, or using it as a jumping off point for your own missive. Then you just use the links the Dog provides to send it around. It is, admittedly, a small thing, but it by being consistent and getting as many people as possible to write weekly we keep this issue alive when other things like Health Care reform are taking up most of the news.

“Originally posted at Squarestate.net“

(cross-posted at openleft.com)

I read a diary over the weekend (“So You Want To Form A New Party? Hmmm, Come With Me”) that, together with the comments, illustrated the dilemma facing progressives who have had it with the Democratic Party. There are, of course, good reasons for progressives to take the ‘leave it’ option, as well as good reasons to take the ‘fix it’ option. Reading the diary made me think about another element missing from the Progressive political eco-system that can deal more constructively with this dilemma.

(wow! back to back Front Pages! I am honored, and getting verklempt! Talk amongst yourselves! : )

Are you frigging fed up with Senator Reid yet? If so, tell him so.

Crossposted at Daily Kos

    It is time to Yell Louder, and let Harry Reid know EXACTLY how you feel.

    It is time to Lead, Follow or Get Out Of The Way, Harry!

    At slinkerwink’s  request and with great pleasure I am asking everyone in this community to contact Sen Majority Leaner Harry “Punt on First Down” Reid and let him know how you feel about a Robust Public Option, and how you feel about his proposed privatized public option idea.

    I am also strongly urging you to keep your e-mails and calls to Harry Reid respectful, but to let him know how strongly you feel.

    Please, share your e-mails and calls with us in the comments below, and Recommend this diary so others can use the contact info here throughout the day.

    More info plus contact info for Sen. Reid can be found below the fold.

Crossposted at Daily Kos

AGAIN! On Fox, and AGAIN, with Micheal Scheuer!

WTF?

Michael Scheuer:     “Oh sure we’re going to be attacked, Brian, and it doesn’t carry, and, you know,  Rahm Emanuel wants an attack. He loves crisis, and crisis, the Democrats, he says, can get all of their programs through. These people simply do not care.”

    WTF???

    And this isn’t the first time Michael Scheuer has said something as horrible as this, nor is it the first time Fixed Noise has given him the air time to do so.

More of this madness below the fold.

Lets talk about torture for a few minutes, shall we? The Dog hears the groans out there, and yeah, he gets that this is an icky subject, but even in our digital age where it is easy to find content you like and ignore the stuff you don’t, there are some things you should not look away from. Torture is one of them. However just because torture is horrible does not mean there is not a place for mockery in our pursuit of accountability to the rule of law! Follow the Dog below the flip for more details.

“Originally posted at Squarestate.net“

Crossposted at Daily Kos

I’ll keep this relatively simple.

    In memory of Senator Kennedy, hear me roar.

    Per DKos diarist slinkerwink’s Reclisted diary from yesterday, the DLC is trying to justify losing the Public Option in healthcare reform via there bullshit third way think tank.

    And frankly, I think that sucks ass.

    Therefore, I have decided to share my thoughts with the DLC and other like-minded organizations, as well as you, my most welcome readers.

Just to clarify:

Once upon a time before I discovered teh blogs I made a few contributions to the DLC..

That is why I wrote this. I haven’t contributed anything in over a year, but I am sending this to them and to everyone I know who does contribute, or who cares about the Public Option

    More below the fold . . .  

Crossposted at Daily Kos

    Memo: Attach Bush to torture = make them defend both.

    Though Morning Joe doesn’t say Bush’s name, I think we should, and Democrats will use this to pursue justice and Destroy the GOP. I consider it a great instance of killing two birds with one stone.

    Republicans will say this will damage the President’s popularity in polls, they will justify and lie and say anything to avoid owning this issue, but the fact is that the law was broken, and I believe this is the beginning of a well timed plan to get the ball rolling now, and then use it against the GOP for maximum effect.

More below the fold, and a call to action . . .  

Happy Monday and welcome to the Dog’s ongoing letter writing campaign for accountability to the rule of law for the apparent Bush Administration State Sponsored Torture program. For those playing our home game, the way this works is every Monday the Dog writes a letter to decision makers urging them to take action under our legal obligations, both Federal and International, to investigate and where evidence of criminality exists prosecute those who ordered, those who justified and those who carried out torture in the name of the United States of America. You get involved by either cut and pasting the letter to the links the Dog provides, or writing your own letter based on this weeks ideas.  

“Originally posted at Squarestate.net“

 Crossposted at Daily Kos

   “But they vote to represent their Conservative districts!” some say.

   “But those voters won’t vote for a candidate that is that liberal/ much of a Democrat!” other say.

    Bullshit.

    No one woke up on 11-4-08 and said “I want to vote for a Democratic Congressman who will undermine Presidential Candidate Barack Obama and side with Bush Conservatives on every major issue! Yay! Change!”

    Screw speaking softly. I say it is time for the Big Stick.

    So . . .

    Riddle me this. Why isn’t House Representative and Liberal Progressive Dennis Kucinich (D-OH10) a Blue Dog with Conservative Concerns?

    More below the fold, and contact information where you can tell the Blue Dog Democants’ what you think of their Conservative Concerns.

So, the Dog very rarely posts on the same issue in the same week, but this is a kind of breaking and important news, so please forgive the old hound as he breaks his own rules. As you may know, the great State of Maine has passed marriage equality for its gay citizens. This is a very, very big deal as it is the first State to do so without litigation as the basis of the action by the legislature. Mainers, being the good small d democrats they are also have what is known as a citizens veto provision. If you live in Maine and can get the signatures, you can get a vote to override action by the legislature. This is what is happening now in Maine. The Anti’s (the theocratic forces who don’t think all citizens should have equal rights to marry) have gotten the signatures and are trying to override the legislature.

“Originally posted at Squarestate.net”

Update: You People Rock! We have already raised the 10,000 required to get the matching 10,000 from our anonymous donor. He is so impressed that he has agreed to match everything up to 20,000 raised by midnight EST Friday. We are already at 16,098 right now, so we only have to raise 3,902 in the next 11 hours!

So, if you have not donated, here is you very last chance to make you money count twice as much towards full civil rights for all citizens!

Yes, health care reform is a big issue, and yes every one of us needs to put some time in on it, but it is not the only issue. Since this is an off year for elections it is easy to get completely focused on policy but there is a fight we should all be aware of and should all put some effort into. What is this fight? It is the fight to take marriage equality away from the citizens of Maine. That’s right readers, the same forces of religious intolerance who managed to get Prop 8 passed in California and they are setting their sights on Maine.

“Originally posted at Squarestate.net“