Goodbye, Blogger!

As much as I <3 Google, today I'm saying goodbye to one of their services. This is my last post here at Blogger.com. I'm moving over to Wordpress, and finally getting Saintless.com set up as my URL. Don't forget to add me to your RSS reader!

Head on over to read what I wrote about today's Salt Lake County Convention. See you there!

Nationwide Voter Drive - Update with Video

I should have blogged this one earlier, but well...I've been too busy planning the damn thing to tell anyone about it.

So, Utah for Obama is taking part in the 50-state Voter Registration Drive on May 10. Since the date happens to correspond with Utah's Democratic State Convention, Wayne Holland has been nice enough to let us mix it up with the convention. Of course, that is because Democratic voter registration benefits the party, and not just the Obama campaign. Hell, if Obama were to disappear into a black hole, leaving Hillary to get her hands on the Democratic nomination, that would mean voter registration would benefit her, too.

Anyway, the really great thing about this is that on one of the planning conference calls for this event, I got to hear the Deputy Campaign Manager talk about why the Obama campaign is doing this. They still have the last few straggler states to get votes in, so why worry about the General Election this early? Well, it's because Obama isn't trying to win the office of President. He's got much grander plans than that, and it involves you and me, and every level of the Democratic Party across the country. He's very serious about making sure that Democrats win every seat and office available to them in the nation, because that will help us to accomplish our goals. Registering voters is just a first step in that.

And registering voters on May 10 is just the first time, we'll continue registering voters through the fall.

So, if you want to volunteer for this event, please let us know. I'll be posting more information about this soon, but since it's already making news, I thought I'd at least blog the basics. We're still setting up the committee that will handle this event, and the ones in the future, so all the details aren't available quite yet.

Update: The campaign's announcement about this is now out. Check out this video with Barack talking about the importance of voter registration.

Outrageous Treatment of FLDS - Guilty Until Proven Innocent? (Update 1)

I'm absolutely appalled that America is just standing by and watching as the children and parents of the FLDS are treated as criminals. Here's what I know of the situation (please enlighten me on anything I might be missing):

• A woman calls in and lies about who she is, saying she's being abused
• Texas "authorities" round up babies, toddlers, teens and mothers as if they were cattle
• Nursing babies are abused by those authorities by being separated from their mothers
• Toddlers are abused also, although at least they haven't had their only chance at nursing ended
• The whole community is being paraded in the news as a circus spectacle

And then, they're all subjected to DNA tests to figure out how the community fits together?

This is the worst violation of basic human rights that I can imagine our country coming up with, short of declaring these people to be "3/5 human"! If there are abuses going on, and I'm sure that there are, is the way to prevent this to round up hundreds of the victims themselves and subject them to massive human rights violations? I fully consider depriving the infants from their mother's milk to be an aggressive act of abuse.

This is America. We sit in our warm, cozy houses thinking we have the perfect country, where our human rights are protected more than anywhere else in the world, and watch this debacle unfold on television, where it seems more like an HBO special happening to fictitious characters than something horrible happening to US citizens.

This is not right. And the most I've seen anyone suggest that I can do about it is sign an online petition sure to get ignored. I don't want to sit on my hands about this. Yet, what else can I do? This is a sad day for Democracy.

Update 1: Well, if you think that the Houston Rockets basketball team are responsible for the FLDS mess, there's another option. KSL reports that some are planning to protest the Jazz vs Rockets game, along with stalking the players at their hotel rooms. Brilliant!

Need to Borrow Obama Lawn Signs!

The Utah for Obama group is looking for as many Obama lawn signs as possible. We need to borrow them for the SL County Convention this Saturday.

If you can loan yours to us, please put your name and phone number inside the sign, so we can return it to you.

You can email me at saintless@gmail.com or call 386.7729 if you're able to help.

Healthcare and Barack

Dimitri recently organized a group of Utahns who support Senator Obama to participate in the MS Walk. Nikki took her camera down and got a really good interview with him, and another supporter, Brooke.

Listen to Dimitri, and tell me that you can continue ignoring healthcare issues in this country. I dare you.

Perfectly Worded Endorsement

Michael Moore made some excellent points in his endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for President. My favorites are in bold:

My Vote's for Obama (if I could vote) ...by Michael Moore

April 21st, 2008

Friends,

I don't get to vote for President this primary season. I live in Michigan The party leaders (both here and in D.C.) couldn't get their act together, and thus our votes will not be counted.

So, if you live in Pennsylvania, can you do me a favor? Will you please cast my vote -- and yours -- on Tuesday for Senator Barack Obama?

I haven't spoken publicly 'til now as to who I would vote for, primarily for two reasons: 1) Who cares?; and 2) I (and most people I know) don't give a rat's ass whose name is on the ballot in November, as long as there's a picture of JFK and FDR riding a donkey at the top of the ballot, and the word "Democratic" next to the candidate's name.

Seriously, I know so many people who don't care if the name under the Big "D" is Dancer, Prancer, Clinton or Blitzen. It can be Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Barry Obama or the Dalai Lama.

Well, that sounded good last year, but over the past two months, the actions and words of Hillary Clinton have gone from being merely disappointing to downright disgusting. I guess the debate last week was the final straw. I've watched Senator Clinton and her husband play this game of appealing to the worst side of white people, but last Wednesday, when she hurled the name "Farrakhan" out of nowhere, well that's when the silly season came to an early end for me. She said the "F" word to scare white people, pure and simple. Of course, Obama has no connection to Farrakhan. But, according to Senator Clinton, Obama's pastor does -- AND the "church bulletin" once included a Los Angeles Times op-ed from some guy with Hamas! No, not the church bulletin!

This sleazy attempt to smear Obama was brilliantly explained the following night by Stephen Colbert. He pointed out that if Obama is supported by Ted Kennedy, who is Catholic, and the Catholic Church is led by a Pope who was in the Hitler Youth, that can mean only one thing: OBAMA LOVES HITLER!

Yes, Senator Clinton, that's how you sounded. Like you were nuts. Like you were a bigot stoking the fires of stupidity. How sad that I would ever have to write those words about you. You have devoted your life to good causes and good deeds. And now to throw it all away for an office you can't win unless you smear the black man so much that the superdelegates cry "Uncle (Tom)" and give it all to you

But that can't happen. You cast your die when you voted to start this bloody war. When you did that you were like Moses who lost it for a moment and, because of that, was prohibited from entering the Promised Land.

How sad for a country that wanted to see the first woman elected to the White House. That day will come -- but it won't be you. We'll have to wait for the current Democratic governor of Kansas to run in 2016 (you read it here first!).

There are those who say Obama isn't ready, or he's voted wrong on this or that. But that's looking at the trees and not the forest. What we are witnessing is not just a candidate but a profound, massive public movement for change. My endorsement is more for Obama The Movement than it is for Obama the candidate.

That is not to take anything away from this exceptional man. But what's going on is bigger than him at this point, and that's a good thing for the country. Because, when he wins in November, that Obama Movement is going to have to stay alert and active. Corporate America is not going to give up their hold on our government just because we say so. President Obama is going to need a nation of millions to stand behind him.

I know some of you will say, 'Mike, what have the Democrats done to deserve our vote?' That's a damn good question. In November of '06, the country loudly sent a message that we wanted the war to end. Yet the Democrats have done nothing. So why should we be so eager to line up happily behind them?

I'll tell you why. Because I can't stand one more friggin' minute of this administration and the permanent, irreversible damage it has done to our people and to this world. I'm almost at the point where I don't care if the Democrats don't have a backbone or a kneebone or a thought in their dizzy little heads. Just as long as their name ain't "Bush" and the word "Republican" is not beside theirs on the ballot, then that's good enough for me.

I, like the majority of Americans, have been pummeled senseless for 8 long years. That's why I will join millions of citizens and stagger into the voting booth come November, like a boxer in the 12th round, all bloodied and bruised with one eye swollen shut, looking for the only thing that matters -- that big "D" on the ballot.

Don't get me wrong I lost my rose-colored glasses a long time ago.

It's foolish to see the Democrats as anything but a nicer version of a party that exists to do the bidding of the corporate elite in this country. Any endorsement of a Democrat must be done with this acknowledgement and a hope that one day we will have a party that'll represent the people first, and laws that allow that party an equal voice.

Finally, I want to say a word about the basic decency I have seen in Mr. Obama. Mrs. Clinton continues to throw the Rev. Wright up in his face as part of her mission to keep stoking the fears of White America. Every time she does this I shout at the TV, "Say it, Obama! Say that when she and her husband were having marital difficulties regarding Monica Lewinsky, who did she and Bill bring to the White House for 'spiritual counseling?' THE REVEREND JEREMIAH WRIGHT!"

But no, Obama won't throw that at her. It wouldn't be right. It wouldn't be decent. She's been through enough hurt. And so he remains silent and takes the mud she throws in his face.

That's why the crowds who come to see him are so large. That's why he'll take us down a more decent path. That's why I would vote for him if Michigan were allowed to have an election.

But the question I keep hearing is... 'can he win? Can he win in November?' In the distance we hear the siren of the death train called the Straight Talk Express. We know it's possible to hear the words "President McCain" on January 20th. We know there are still many Americans who will never vote for a black man. Hillary knows it, too. She's counting on it.

Pennsylvania, the state that gave birth to this great country, has a chance to set things right. It has not had a moment to shine like this since 1787 when our Constitution was written there. In that Constitution, they wrote that a black man or woman was only "three fifths" human. On Tuesday, the good people of Pennsylvania have a chance for redemption.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MichaelMoore.com
MMFlint@aol.com

Pete Ashdown and Chris Cannon on KSL to Discuss Nationwide Free Wireless

I just got this email from Pete Ashdown:

I will be joining Congressman Chris Cannon to discuss his proposal for
nationwide free wireless Internet tonight at 8:00 PM on KSL Nightside.
KSL is broadcast in Utah on 102.7FM and 1160AM.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3118044

Amusing Retail Packaging/Instructions

First up is a CD case I recently bought:



Geez, how is it I'm supposed to carry this CD case around again?

Next is the Dyson vacuum head.



Look close, and tell me exactly how these instructions are supposed to translate? I won't even start with the amazingly difficult instructions, where we're told not to vacuum up objects while they're on fire...

One Way or Another

If the Super Delegates don't follow the advice from Howard Dean mentioned in my previous post, we still have the opportunity to wrap up the Democratic Presidential Primary next Tuesday, in Pennsylvania.

You can help by making phone calls to Pennsylvania undecided voters. The first opportunity is to join Utah for Obama on Saturday to Phone Bank for Obama.

*Bring your own CELL PHONE*

Please join Utah for Obama for a Get Out The Vote phone banking session! We will be calling Pennsylvania. Change can’t happen without you!

The Obama campaign has asked us to make these calls, in an effort to get them out to vote! Please join us on Saturday, April 19 at The Pleasure Palace, to make phone calls from lists provided by the campaign. You do need to provide your own cell phone. We will not be able to provide any phones.

If you live too far away to attend, and would like help hosting your own phone banking party, please contact us.

Time:	Saturday, April 19 at 1:00 PM
Duration:	3 hours
Host:	Misty Fowler
Contact Phone:	801-386-7729
Location:	The Pleasure Palace (Salt Lake City, UT) 780 East South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84102 View Map: Google Maps MapQuest Yahoo! Maps

You can also make calls from your home (which isn't quite as much fun as joining the group on Saturday, but will still be enjoyable and helpful to the campaign!)

There are only five days left to go before the state's April 22nd primary, but there are still countless undecided Pennsylvania voters.

Like you, many of these voters are tired of the distractions and negative campaign tactics that we’ve seen over the last few weeks, and are eager to discuss real issues that effect Pennsylvanians and Americans across the country.

This morning, we launched a new calling campaign targeting these undecided voters. In conjunction with our Get Out the Vote operation on the ground, we’re making an effort to reach out to undecided voters throughout Pennsylvania and raise the level of debate.

With one on one contact, we can cut through the spin and the distractions to talk about real issues and real change. No matter where you are, you can help by making calls to Pennsylvania to share your story and to talk about why you support Barack.

It only takes a minute to get started making calls using our online phonebanking tools. There are five days left to make a difference in Pennsylvania – five days to let Pennsylvania voters know that their voices are being heard, and that their vote can make a difference.

Obama Puts Manufactured Political Distractions (by news media) On Notice in Surprise Colbert Report Appearance

I'm proud of our future president, Barack Obama.



In this surprise appearance on The Colbert Report, Senator Obama asks Colbert to officially put Manufactured Political Distractions "on notice". We're not putting up with them anymore! Do you hear that, ABC? We want more substance, and your pathetic attempt at a debate isn't going to be tolerated anymore.

Oh, and Hillary? Buh-bye. It's been fun while it lasted, and you almost had us worried a few times, but that just made us work harder for what we know is right, and for what we want as the future of America, the future that our children will live with. You didn't make the cut, and this continued attempt to subvert Obama in the general election is simply ruining your own chances for "next time". If you won't step down, I agree with Howard Dean - it's time for the Super Delegates to stand up.

The Ever Talented and Beautiful Michelle Obama Takes on Stephen Colbert

I can't help but be impressed every time I've heard Michelle Obama speak. I love seeing this side of her. It will a great thing when she becomes our next First Lady. Class, style, honesty and concern for everyday people. I love it!

What is going to be gained by having discussions with Hamas about peace when Hamas is in fact the impediment to peace?

Jimmy Carter may be meeting with leaders of Hamas.

Carter is on the third day of a nine-day "study mission" to the Middle East, as part of his "ongoing effort to support peace, democracy, and human rights in the region," according to the Carter Center Web site.

During a visit to the West Bank on Tuesday, Carter placed a wreath at the Ramallah grave of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. He also said he hoped to meet with exiled Hamas leader Khalid Meshaal when he visits Damascus, Syria, in the coming days.

"I'm going to try everything I can to get him (Meshaal) to agree to peaceful resolution of differences both with the Israelis through Gaza and also with Fatah," Carter said.

The ever wise Condi Rice says that's a bad idea.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she found it "hard to understand what is going to be gained by having discussions with Hamas about peace when Hamas is in fact the impediment to peace."

Seriously? She can't understand what can be gained? Let me put this in simple terms, Condi.

I have two sons. They're always fighting, and for the life of me, I can't understand why they can't just get along. So, when they're in the middle of a fight, and I can clearly see which of them is being a stubborn little twit, I generally talk to that child, and try to get the issues resolved, so he'll stop harassing his brother. Now, I don't always play peacekeeper with them. But, sometimes it's necessary. And if I were to talk to the child who was not being stubborn, while ignoring the stubborn child, all hell would break loose, and the stubborn child would definitely not stop.

If Condi Rice seriously can't see what might be gained from talks with Hamas, she should consider stepping down and allowing someone with a true interest in the peace process to step up. I'm tired of the US being the world bully, and that's what it's come down to.

Hall of Shame

I'm proud to admit that I've joined Wing Coop's Hall of Shame. Recently recommended by City Weekly, my sister and I set out to prove that we are "not chicken".

We went to the Olympus Hills location Saturday afternoon, along with Jacob, and ordered the "11 in 11", which consists of 11 damn hot wings. You can drink all you want prior to beginning the wings, but once you start, there is no food or drink or even ranch dip to cool your burning mouth until you're done! If you finish within 11 minutes, you get a free t-shirt and your (red-faced) photo up on their "Wall of Shame". I've always liked hot food, and I have to say that their sauce is great! It's extremely hot, but it's got a lot of flavor, too. Apparently, there are 11 spices in the sauce, which is where the name comes from.

If you ever decide to try your tastebuds at it, have a jug of milk ready for when you finish. And prepare to let your sinuses run! And note that when they say that it helps to be crazy, they aren't kidding.

Apparently, they had a lot of response to being in City Weekly, so the t-shirt is on backorder, but when I get it, I'll be sure to post a photo of me proudly displaying my free advertising souvenir.

I definitely plan to go back for more, but next time, I'll be enjoying them with a side of ranch and a beer at a much more leisurely pace. If hot isn't your thing, there are plenty of other options, including the mild teriyaki flavor, to enjoy.

Obama on Special Interest Communities

Barack Obama spoke to Advocate Magazine recently, and made a point that I feel compelled to share. When being questioned about why he hadn't spoken to more GLBT press, as Hillary apparently has, he gave the subject a broader context:

I guess my point would be that the fact that I’m raising issues accordant to the LGBT community in a general audience rather than just treating you like a special interest that is sort of off in its own little box – that, I think, is more indicative of my commitment. Because ultimately what that shows is that I’m not afraid to advocate on your behalf outside of church, so to speak. It’s easy to preach to the choir; what I think is harder is to speak to a broader audience about why these issues are important to all Americans.

If you read the context in the article, you'll see that what he's saying is that GLBT issues, or African American, or any other special interest communities like them, are every day issues, that shape his entire outlook, and don't concern him only when he's speaking to interested press. He doesn't have to pander to them as an audience, because these issues affect everyone in one way or another, and he brings them up often.

I very much appreciated his candor and honesty when being asked the "tough" questions on topics such as gay marriage and employment discrimination. His goal is to pass these laws as they should be, but that in each of them, he will take the issues as far as he can and still have them pass, even if they're not yet perfect. He isn't coloring his words to make them believe what they want to hear, and he's presenting his reasoning in a well-thought manner.

Later in the article he talks about how to have the difficult discussions:

I tell you what -- my campaign is premised on trying to reach as many constituencies as possible and to go into as many places as possible, and sometimes that creates discomfort or turbulence. This goes back to your first question. If you’re segmenting your base into neat categories and constituency groups and you never try to bring them together and you just speak to them individually -- so I keep the African-Americans neatly over here and the church folks neatly over there and the LGBT community neatly over there -- then these kinds of issues don’t arise.

The flip side of it is, you never create the opportunity for people to have a conversation and to lift some of these issues up and to talk about them and to struggle with them, and our campaign is built around the idea that we should all be talking. And that creates some discomfort because people discover, gosh, within the Democratic Party or within Barack Obama’s campaign or within whatever sets of constituencies there are going to be some different points of view that might even be offensive to some folks. That’s not unique to this issue.

And this is how he always is when talking about the difficult issues. Barack Obama will be a wonderful change from the lying bastard election stealing bigoted racist asshole currently occupying the White House.

Utah DNC Delegates Get Warwick Hotel

According to Dan Harrie, Utah Delegates to the DNC this August will be staying at the Warwick Hotel, which is right behind the State Capitol and a mile away from the convention. As long as that mile is mostly horizontal, rather than vertical, I'd say we got it pretty good.

It looks like the rooms start at around $190, although since the booking feature has the DNC dates blocked out, who knows whether that price will go up or down? The web site describes the smallest room as 500 sq ft, though - with a mini bar and a marble bathroom. If I go, I'll likely split the costs with someone else, though. So, that really won't be too bad.

Last year, when I began volunteering for the Obama campaign, I thought about how great it would be to be a delegate, but "knew" there was no way it would happen. Of course, it might not, but the fact that I am even running for it, and feel good about my chances, is one of the most amazing things that has ever happened to me (not counting my children). The whole process of running and being so involved with the Democratic Party at all levels is absolutely thrilling, even when whatever I'm doing is mundane. This process isn't the "smoke filled rooms" that I used to believe it was.

Weeks, huh?

I didn't realize it's been weeks since I posted anything. I hope everyone doesn't give up on me.

I'm in the middle of moving. Well, I'm not quite to the middle, actually. I'm at the part where I'm staying with my sister, and looking for a new place. So, if anyone knows of a 3 or more bedroom home that will allow my 2 cats in, and is near SLC downtown, or possibly Sugar House, please let me know. I'd also like to be able to have a large, well-trained dog, but that part is negotiable.

I'll be back to blogging, soon! I can't wait to write about the two candidates for the Legislative seat in District 28. Having met with both of them, I'll just say it's great to have two great candidates on our side, going for Roz's old seat. And I'm running for National Delegate. So, there's just no way I can go without posting for much longer.

See ya soon!