Not Buying It

By ARIELLE REICH

At first glance, John McCain’s choice of Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate was a bold move.  Choosing someone so clearly outside of the beltway with a reputation as a reformer was calculated to enhance his image as someone who can bring change to Washington.  However, when you scratch the surface, his choice for VP is really far more cynical and uninspiring.

Coming straight from the unity-high of the Democratic National Convention, after listening to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton deliver knockout speeches, hearing the news about Sarah Palin was especially disconcerting. On Tuesday night, Senator Clinton made it clear to even to her most ardent supporters that the issues of the upcoming election are about the challenges that face us, not about any particular individual.  “You didn’t get involved in this race because of me,” she said. We got involved because of the values and ideals she represents, the same that Barack Obama stands for, making the transition from one to another so simple. 

Senator Clinton earned our respect because of her position on the issues, her common sense approach to problem solving, her tenacity and dedication to creating a brighter future for America.  Assuming that we could switch our allegiance to another female who is woefully unqualified, with diametrically opposing views, is not only cynical but grossly underestimates the intelligence and political savvy of women everywhere.

As Senator McCain passed over a multitude of qualified individuals who have already earned votes from his political party for an unknown with zero foreign policy experience, he made it clear that he has no real insight into feminist issues.  To suggest that we will switch allegiance to an anti-choice candidate who has taken active steps to undermine the rights of the gay community among a multitude other off-course decisions simply because she is a woman is outrageous, and we deserve better.

In the words of the incomparable Hillary Clinton, “No way, no how, no McCain.”

Pictures from the Convention

 

Dan with Bobby Kennedy

 

 

  

Cheering for Joe Biden

Michelle Obama

Senator Ted Kennedy

 

Dan and Cathy at the convention

 

Hello from Denver!

By DAN MALLOY

The past few days have been a whirlwind.  Since Sunday, our time in Denver has been packed with meetings, press conferences, parties, and of course, some of the most inspiring speeches I have ever heard.

Throughout this week, convention participants were able to take advantage of a unique opportunity to share a dialogue on the most critical issues of the day, including health care, education, job growth, transportation, women in leadership, energy, the environment, and so much more.  I had the opportunity to join in the debate on Monday, when I participated in a roundtable discussion on retirement security.  

Yesterday my focus shifted to getting to work rallying voters to elect our next president. I was part of a press conference to announce an unprecedented, coordinated campaign by America’s Democratic mayors to ensure that Barack Obama is our next president.  I’m especially proud to be sharing in all the events with our amazing delegation from Connecticut — it’s been a lot fun.

Without a doubt, the most exciting times we have had so far have been in the Pepsi Center during the convention.  From the Kennedys to Michelle Obama to Hillary Clinton, to Bill Clinton and Joe Biden later tonight, we have been privileged to listen to these amazing leaders deliver one awe inspiring hit after another.  Last night, after Hillary finished her speech, it was so clear that the democratic party has been able to come together for a common cause, erasing divisions between us and establishing a united Democratic Party and a united convention.

I am looking forward to hearing Bill Clinton and Joe Biden tonight along with our own Rosa DeLauro speaking from the convention floor!  Of course, I can’t wait to hear Barack Obama accept our nomination on Thursday.  The way that support has materialized around this Convention has been incredible. I believe the Colorado Campaign for Change received more than 80,000 requests to take part in the historic final night of the Convention, which is just a snapshot of what we have been experiencing at the convention- tremendous enthusiasm for our Party and our nominee.

More updates to come soon.

Live from Denver

By DAN MALLOY

I’ve officially arrived in Denver and I’m looking forward to an exciting convention.  

Throughout the week, I will be posting updates and pictures from the convention.  Check here often and participate with me as I join Democrats from around the country to make history as we nominate Barack Obama and Joe Biden as our candidates for President and Vice-President!

Numbers that Scare the Hell out of me

By MICHAEL K. NORRIS

Now that the media has convinced us with polling data that the presidential race is “close” enough to keep their ratings and site traffic up, I thought it would be a nice time for all 300 million of us to wonder who may not pick up the phone when a pollster calls:

1) People who work more than one job. According to last month’s release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 7.74 million Americans worked more than one job in July 2008 (up from 7.63 million compared to the same month last year). They may be too busy to be among the 1,100 or so who answer a phone survey. 

2) People who have had their home recently foreclosed and lost their landline along with it. According to a RealtyTrac study issued last week, foreclosure filings were reported on 272,171 U.S. properties during July 2008, an 8 percent increase from the previous month and a 55 percent increase from July 2007.

3) Any one of the people who have gone or will go bankrupt recently may not be interested in doing a phone survey. According to an August 4 release from the American Bankruptcy Institute, U.S. consumer bankruptcy filings are up 48% nationwide compared to the same period a year ago with an overall July consumer filing total of 94,124 (which is also 13.7% higher than June).

4) Any one of the 79 million Americans who have trouble paying medical bills (up from 72 million from the same period last year) may be too worried about how they will care for a loved one to chit-chat with a pollster.

5) Any person stuck in traffic because no real improvements have been made to the U.S. highway infrastructure or public transportation can’t be home when the phone rings. 

6) Anyone slumped at a kitchen table, trying to figure out how to pay for their Adjustable-Rate Mortgage and credit card debt may also feel too defeated to get up and answer the phone.

7) Anyone who is already on the phone with a troubled financial institution trying to make sure their money is still safe after irresponsible deregulation and/or greed has weakened them.

To be fair, there are plenty of people who do answer the phone. I imagine the 5.2 million Americans who are unemployed and want a job (up from 4.9 million compared to July 2007) grab the receiver immediately hoping someone is calling with a job offer. There are scarier things out there than bad poll data. Democrats need to let people know this, and tell everyone we have some great candidates on the ballot in November who can help turn these numbers around.

Sorry, Shays

By MICHAEL K. NORRIS

An August 7th Hartford Courant headline read: Shays Joins GOP’s Odd Protest On Dimly Lit House Floor. I guessed the editors must have settled on word “odd” because “embarrassing” would have made the headline too long to fit on one line.

Still, the article by Jesse A. Hamilton, painted a great picture. “Dimly Lit?” The House chamber must be a creepy place with the lights off. But insteadof telling ghost stories with a flashlight positioned under his chin (“Some say the scariest liberal alive still roams these halls!”) Rep. Chris Shays was telling a tall tale about how necessary it is for us to drill for more oil. Oil, as we know, that would only feed this country for less than 900 days. Oil, as we know, that wouldn’t be available for years. Oil, as we know, that would require billions of dollars worth of infrastructure to be worthwhile.

A few short weeks ago (and I do mean short; the summer is really flying by this year), oil was trading at over $140. Republicans were whining at full volume that we gotta drill. Today, it’s in the $115 range. That’s a drop of over 17%. Has a drill bit touched the ground somewhere? No.

Surely, free market folks have to appreciate what’s happening: drivers of everything from unnecessary SUVs like mine and cutesy hybrids like yours saw the high price of fuel and have changed both the way they drive (hypermiling, anyone?) and how much they drive (I bike. Ask anyone). Demand fell, prices fell, and a drill bit didn’t touch the ground, and nothing happened in ANWR. Even the land already leased held by the oil companies haven’t been touched.

Instead of being embarrassed at the attempt to pay back one last campaign I.O.U. before having their numbers reduced even further in November, Republicans have resorted to disinformation on the country’s energy problems and theatrics about how to solve them. And Shays, despite his fading record of bipartisanship, decided to take center stage in Right Wing Theater.  I’m sorry, Congressman: that doesn’t fly, and that’s just one of the reasons I voted for Jim Himes in the primary yesterday and will do so again in November.

Jim Himes for Congress

By DAN MALLOY

This afternoon, I stood with fellow constituents, clergy and political leaders to express outrage and concern over the statements made by Lee Whitnum in the course of her campaign for Congress in the 4^th Congressional District.  Through comments in the newspaper, written editorials, her campaign website and during a debate with Jim Himes, Ms. Whitnum has consistently espoused beliefs that are deeply offensive to many Connecticut residents.

It is important to speak up when a candidate for public office crosses the line and I am proud of Jim Himes for doing so.  In recent attacks on Jim, Ms. Whitnum has evoked age-old stereotypes that are downright anti-Semitic, and have no place in a campaign.  Her statement that the United States and Israel were directly responsible for the attacks on September 11^th only divide us as Americans and should not be tolerated.  Her views on immigration and desire to give Afghanistan back to the Taliban are shocking.

Jim Himes continues to prove that he is the right person to represent us.  He comes with an innovative set of ideas and experiences that will bring a new perspective to Congress and his intelligence, integrity and enthusiasm only underscore his capabilities.

I wholeheartedly endorse Jim Himes for Congress in the 4^th CD and ask you to join me at the polls tomorrow.  

Give Blood-Save Lives

By RYAN WELCH

The summer months typically bring in fewer blood donors since people tend to be reluctant to give when the weather is warm and so many regular donors are away on vacation.  The dearth of blood over past few weeks in particular has gotten critical, with Connecticut’s blood supplies dropping to dangerously low levels.  Most local hospitals consider at least three days worth of blood to be a safe amount to deal with emergencies, yet hospitals have been dipping as low as a half day supply.  The situation has gotten so dire that the Red Cross was forced to issue its first urgent appeal for blood since 2004.

The reality is that only a small fraction of the population gives blood regularly, yet we all expect the blood to be available in case of an unexpected medical emergency. In fact, only 5% of eligible donors regularly give blood and every two seconds, someone in the country needs it.

There is no medical invention that can substitute for human blood, but fortunately, there is new technology available that makes it possible for some people to double their blood donations, depending on blood type.  The special machine, which is available in certain locations here in Connecticut, separates blood cells and adds saline.  The process allows the donation to be used for two separate people, all while asking the donor to give only the standard pint.

The American Red Cross has blood drives scheduled regularly across the state, along with several walk-in centers to donate at your convenience.  I urge you to take some time out of your day, extend and arm and save a life. To find out where you can donate, visit www.givelife.org or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543).

McCain/Rowe ‘08

By MICHAEL K. NORRIS 

There’s a lot of speculation that John McCain will wait for Barack Obama to pick a running mate first to give the McCainiacs a head start in attacking that person; and maybe even make their selection based on Obama’s choice.  This is very much in line with McCain’s campaign strategy: letting Obama going first. The Senator from Illinois was the first to talk about health care, the first to talk about the mortgage crisis, the first to talk (sensibly) about energy policy, the first to talk (very sensibly) about Iraq, and so on.

With the McCain VP speculation, we increasingly get the feeling his campaign is asking themselves the usual questions: “What can I do/who can I pick/what can I talk about that’ll be best for my campaign?” When the Democratic Party is asking “What can I do/who can I pick/what can I talk about that’ll be best for the country?  All this tells me McCain isn’t interested in what the country really needs, but rather someone who can bring in a crowd, raise some cash, and smile big on camera for a short period of time while the campaign slouches toward defeat in November. Who would want that kind of job?

Like others with a frequent heartbeat, I’ll throw out a name for McCain. Not just anyone, but the most terrifying, feared opponent the Democrats could ever face. Yes, McCain’s running mate must be Mike Rowe, the star of The Discovery Channel’s acclaimed series, Dirty Jobs.

Think about it: only someone who bounces week-to-week from one terrifying, filthy and underappreciated job after another could possibly be McCain’s running mate. Not only does Rowe give McCain a big ‘in’ with the voters (John Edwards only worked at one lousy mill; Rowe’s worked at dozens of ‘em) but the pained expression on Rowe’s face as he calls an oil company to beg for a campaign contribution or defends torture would bring the show some great ratings. The RNC could even sponsor the entire episode and it could be a fundraising coup.

If you’re a McCain supporter I urge you to tell Mike Rowe what his next Dirty Job should be. Just hope he doesn’t decide that being McCain’s attack dog is where he draws the line.

10 Ways to Start Saving Energy and Money Today

In an effort to encourage Connecticut residents to reduce their environmental impact, DanMalloy.com commenter Luanne Kwon put together a comprehensive list of simple lifestyle changes that you can make today to reduce your energy bills and save money. Thank you, Luanne!

1.  Hang-dry your laundry outdoors.  The dryer uses 5-10% of household energy, second highest next to the refrigerator.  Your clothes will smell better and the sun is a natural disinfectant.  Read more about the Right to Dry effort here.

2.  Switch your washing machine setting to cold water. Using cold water in the wash can cut your energy use by 50%.

3.  Reset you refrigerator temperature between 35 and 38 degrees (F).  Refrigerators account for 20% of your electric bill.  The fridge does not need to be on the coldest setting to keep foods fresh.

4.  Turn on the dishwasher when it has a full load of dishes.  

5.  Turn down the temperature of your water heater thermostat to the warm setting (120°F).  You’ll not only save energy, you can keep your home safer for children without worrying about scaling their hands.

6.  Install a water-saving showerhead.  Also called “low-flow” showerheads. The average shower expels 2.5 gallons of water every minute, so think of how much water you could conserve each month but cutting out only two minutes a day!

7.  Switch to Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).  These are those funny looking swirly light bulbs.  CFLs can save 75% of the electricity and last up to 10 times longer than regular incandescent bulbs.

8.  Clean or replace air filters as recommended.   Air conditioners have to work harder and use more electricity when their filters are dirty. 

9.  Make trips to the grocery store with friends or neighbors.  Carpool and consolidate activities, alternating whose car to use.

10.  Ditch the car, and take public transportation. An unlimited bus pass is only $27 per month.  If you commute on Metro North, take the bus to the train and you’ll save money on gas and parking fees.  CT Transit bus: (203) 327-7433.