Fitz!

Here’s what I wanna know first: will I wind up on some list after I make the contribution?
Especially do not want to be on any DLC, DNC, DCCC and so on list as happened in the Dean/Kerry days.

Pach, Jane, & Christy – Thanks so much for facilitating yet another great Roots Project action. Thank you for helping us raise the volume of our voice and giving us a place to take our interest in politics and turn it into direct action.

If anyone has questions about the action or wants to volunteer to help with the delivery, please email CtGProject@yahoo.com or AIM me at MattFreeTibet

Off to buy a the book for some deprived Congressperson…

fitz

If you get more than 250 copies donated (not beyond the realm of possibility with this crew), you might want to expand this to include copies for their chiefs of staff as well as assorted Democratice governors and mayors.

sigh…i knew better. dial-up and fitz do not mix.

bbuster at 2 — trust me when I say that we don’t hand over reader lists or anything else to the DNC, the DSCC or the DCCC. And certainly not the DLC.

Of course, whom the NSA hands the list to is a different story….

Christy @ 9 and bbuster @ 2:

No, not any of *those* lists, just the NSA’s . . .

Just an idea here, why not try to get another 100 or so copies to give to the top 100 Democratic consultants and lobbyists as well? If you really want to reach the Congresscritters and Senatwhores you gotta influence the pimps, thieves and hustlers that butter their bread.

bbuster–

We don’t see your contact information at all. It just a bricks and mortar transaction directly with the bookstore.

Questions you don’t want to post can be sent to me jay at ackroyd.org or

ctgproject at yahoogroups.com.

Just an idea here, why not try to get another 100 or so copies to give to the top 100 Democratic consultants and lobbyists as well? If you really want to reach the Congresscritters and Senatwhores you gotta influence the pimps, thieves and hustlers that butter their bread.

There are several such ideas brewing. We wanted to start with something focused.

Politics and Prose is a wonderful, wonderful, bookstore with a long and honorable history of supporting center and left of center writers and thinkers. What a fantastic idea this is.

aimai

Here is my small piece in the action. Thanks for cooking up this little scheme and a great idea.
Order #: 496856
Politics & Prose
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington DC 20008
202-364-1919 or 800-722-0790
Please Print a copy for your records.

Qty Description Price Line Total

1
Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-Powered Politics
Armstrong, Jerome
1931498997 TC

Fini Finito 12
Those pimps, thieves and hustlers make far too much money for them to want to clue into what we say/do. Let them buy their own dam* books.

Personally, I’d rather leave them behind than have them try to figure out how to game us.

I was heartened to read this morning that NOW, both national and CT state, is about to endorse Ned Lamont. Woo hoo!

As a New Yorker, I’m so jealous of Connecticut progressives.

So I just checked — Jonathan Tasini’s primary challenge against Hillary is still alive. But whereas Lamont has a real shot at giving Lieberman the boot, I don’t see a Tasini campaign doing more than nipping at Hillary’s heels. Maybe, at best, biting a hole in her stockings. Is a pyrrhic victory worth the energy? Could it maybe, at least, help knock Clinton’s 2008 ambitions off balance? Where are my limited time and energy best expended?

thanks fallenmonk, for the confirmation. I haven’t want to bother the P&P folks because the orders look they’re coming in quickly. About 30 visitors to the intermediate site in the first 15 minutes

When did the congresscritters learn how to read? They certainly didn’t know how to when the Patriot Act was introduced.

All Democratic Congressional candidates should receive a copy as well.

Put dollar bills between the pages of the ones you give to Schumer and Emmanuel, then there’ll be at least a chance they’ll crack ‘em open.

FDL It’s your continued pro-interaction like this that makes me truly appreciate this site. thank you thank you thank you.

(Hey LindyH 7 – buck up – I’ve gotten fitz a bunch of times on my dialup at home!)

Roots Rock!! Roots Roll!!

I just want to chime in to say that I think that Jay has conceived and executed this project perfectly. It is focussed, it is not too expensive, it goes straight to the top, and it is really cool. There are always a lot of different ways to do things, but Jay has come up with a way to do this, and I congratulate him. Can’t wait until next Thursday!!
peace,
jim

I will donate. But I have one wish — that Jane or Christy personally, that would be face-to-inyourface, hand a copy of CTG to Paul Begala so he would not continue to think that Dean is sending people to Utah and Mississippi to ‘pick their noses.’

That which one accuses others of doing, you are doing in secret. So Paul, about using the Kleenex…

thanks jim preston, but never forget that it was philo’s idea.

Oops, let me clarify that last snarky sentence. We accuse, and we KNOW, that Bush is spying … doesn’t mean the dems would use such tactics. Didn’t want the snarky analogy to go too broadly.

Done and ordered.

Great idea Fini Finito!

Randi Rhodes pointed out yesterday:

Who wouldn’t join the Yankees if all you had to do was show up and sign on the dotted line?

Thank You Pacha, Jackaroyd !!

Great Idea ! Easy too.

reminds me I should loan my copy to the guy running Mary Beth Harrell’s campaign – they knew they needed an on line presence, but the idea of blogs and on line communities is still kind of fuzzy and abstract to them

Good On Ya Roots Folks !!

With all due respect to Jerome’s and Markos’ outstanding manifest, the cover needs to be changed to PARADE: Great Leaders Know How to Step In Front and Lead! By Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas.

This just may get the attention of a few of the dolts.

When you order, there is a window for comments. You can write in – donation to Congress – like I did.

Maybe as an extra service, the bookstore people will let you dedicate a book to your favourite Congesscritter. It might be worth forgoing the discount.

Just out of curiosity. How does the order form know that our orders are gifts for Dem congresscritters, and not for ourselves personally?

I just put a little notation in the comments box, just in case.

cbl

The NY Roots folks have been leaving a copy behind when we visit our democratic elected officials. We tell them it’s the long description of who we are.

I’ve suggested to one of our Red State Root folks that the book to leave behind with their Republican elected officials is How would a Patriot Act? which cites a considerable number of right wing sources, and has, I believe, a blurb from Bob Barr.

We’re leaving a copy with Kerry’s Boston office on our visit Thurs. Anyone making visits to congresscritters in the states could do so as well. That way there is no excuse re “it’s in the other office.”

Can’t wait for Glenn’s book. By the way he has a very disheartening piece today about Specter totally selling out here.

Just out of curiosity. How does the order form know that our orders are gifts for Dem congresscritters, and not for ourselves personally?

This special discount is just for this project. Any orders for CtG marked “instore pickup” will be dedicated to the project, and will receive the discount. We’ll get a call from P&P when we hit the threshold and will take down the links. At the rate of visits to the intermediate site that we’re seeing, that should take a couple of hours.

Pachacutec – One last thing. Are you going to cross-post this over at DailyKos? Maybe you already did and I missed it?

All Repug Senators and Congresspersons should get a copy of “How Would A Patriot Act?” By Glenn Greenwald.

I haven’t read it yet, but I am expecting my copy soon!

Props to Jack @ 32 for this suggestion.

Anyone on board??

Terre:

No reason why you couldn’t put a diary yourself.

Maybe as an extra service, the bookstore people will let you dedicate a book to your favourite Congesscritter.

We’re gonna put in a bookplate with a personalized message for each recipient.

O/T – This is more a reminder for me, hoping if I write it down somewhere I wont forget

Russell Tice will be testifying before the Senate Armed Services Comm. tomorrow -

He is the NSA Whistleblower – and his stated intent is to let them know all disclosures to date cover only the tip of the iceberg

I for one can’t wait for that Patriot John Cornyn to ask all those probing questions . . .

WIKI

Thanks jayackroyd. Debated about which box to check, and figured in-store pick-up was the most appropriate.

Hmmm. I should bold the in store pickup instruction. Thanks Terre.

OK – I’m off to do one. Will take me a few minutes to get it up. I’ll post back when it’s up.

I’m actually on the road. I won’t be cross posting at kos, though Markos and the front pagers may choose to write about it – they’re aware of it all, though all planning and development on this came from the Roots. But, at the rate Jay says contacts are being made to P&P, the orders may be done before more traffic hits.

Mmmmmm. . . I love the smell of grassroots in the morning!

this is a great idea. can we do this for “How would a Patriot Act?” too?

Terre, imo, that’s better than Markos, or ftm, one of the organizers of the action making the diary. No hint of self-promotion.

can we do this for “How would a Patriot Act?†too?

My thought on that has been to target Republicans, to emphasize the non-partisan nature of Glenn’s argument. But first we want to pull this one off successfully.

Copies should be bouncing all over DC tomorrow. Are the strategists next? Would you want to read a story that ponders your unimportance? In to the trenches, it is time to fight for Democracy and the inspired logic of common sense.

The follow-on ideas for CtG that I have had have been the Beltway Democratic consultants and the single issue lobbyists like the Sierra Club and NARAL.

Glenn’s book for republicans.

‘Dream a little dream with me’

;>)

Sorry I didn’t mention philo in my congratulations. I didn’t know all the playahs, but I am keeping an eye on the scoreboard.

Howard Dean was cool on the Daily Show last night. It was the most relaxed I have seen him. He is a tightly-wound guy, and it was nice to see him having some fun with the positive side of the 50-state strategy and the confidence that we are doing the right things for the long term.

My thought on that has been to target Republicans, to emphasize the non-partisan nature of Glenn’s argument. But first we want to pull this one off successfully.

yeah. let’s send it to all Congressmen and Senators – regardless of party affiliation. (And after this has proven itself).

Just went through the process and bought a book for my Congresscritter, Lincoln Davis, TN. The web process didn’t have a clear point of selection to put the sale as part of this project. I chose In-store pickup and added a note to deliver to Cong. Davis courtesy of a constituent. Then I called the store to discuss and they said they are feeling their way though the thing, too. GREAT IDEA !!!!!

My name is Scott Ely, I live in Maryland. I love the idea but I will not join an organization that has a mythical person at the helm. Your real name please pachacutec.

Order #: 496881
Politics & Prose
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington DC 20008
202-364-1919 or 800-722-0790

If donation order numbers are going in order, this is #25.

Thank you so much for this wonderful project! I went immediately and bought a copy. I actually have sent emails to Feinstein, Boxer, etc. to read this book. Yipeee! Great idea, and am so darn proud of you!!!

More innovative action from FDL, you keep raising the bar on what you do. Way to kick some ass.

I think I will buy (another) book. But please don’t let mine go to Lieberman. I don’t want him to have any kind of knowledge whatsoever. He deserves a rubber stamp.

Just back from donating a copy.

Wanted to say thank you to you all on this site. As a recent de-lurker who now feels a little more confident in posting, I just wanted to say it feels good to part of something trying to change the direction of this country. My husband is a now a diehard Republican (he was a Democrat when I married him) so it is hard to vent some of my feelings on politics at home these days. I am still trying to figure out why a smart African American male decided to go over to the dark side, but I digress….

This past week has not been easy with all of NSA revelations, but I finally have a place where I can at discuss these things and feel less passive. I even got Fitz! in over the weekend!
So thanks again.

Scott Ely–

Pach’s not around right now. But, IAC, he’s not at the helm of this action. Philo and I have been running this. I’m sure he’d be happy to share his identity with you. I post almost exclusively under my name, and have for at least a decade.

Here’s mine:

Order #: 496893
Politics & Prose
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington DC 20008
202-364-1919 or 800-722-0790

Let me know if you still need people to help deliver the books to Congress.

CatStaff

Is there anyway we could get a matching program – a bar of Secret sent to every Republican with a note: Something smells.

Order #496892 for (1) copy CtG placed.

Bon appetit, whomever you are in Congress that will receive this copy. You’d better devour it; if you don’t, believe me when I say you will be devoured instead by forces you will not understand.

OfT: From Jeralyn at TalkLeft
Monday :: May 15, 2006
“Luskin Denies Truth of Leopold Article on Karl Rove Indictment”
“Robert Luskin, Karl Rove’s attorney, has officially denied the allegations in Jason Leopold’s article reporting Rove has been indicted and that there was a Fitzgerald-Luskin meeting on Friday.
I received the denial directly from Robert Luskin this afternoon.
1. Luskin stands by his April 26 statement in its entirety.
2. Karl Rove’s status has not changed. They remain confident Fitzgerald will decline to bring any charges.
3. There is “no truth whatsoever” to any of Jason Leopold’s recent stories about Karl Rove’s resignation, the alleged meeting in his office or the Indictment. The denial he gave me Saturday night was and was intended to be “all purpose.”
4. As far as he knows, Patrick Fitzgerald was in Chicago on Friday.
5. People should not interpret their “unwillingness to comment on every wild and malicious rumor as a change in position….”"

Serious glitch

Sigh. No project works perfectly. The yahoo groups address is bouncing. I’ve changed the volunteer address to my own on the site.

Send delivery volunteer emails to jay at ackroyd.org.

Order 496880 from Politics & Prose is my contribution for the California contingent!

OK – It’s up, but no comments yet. NSA stuff taking front and center stage:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/5/16/103844/494

Mary (65) — BWA-HAHAHAHAH!!! Good one!! made me snort my chai tea!!

Actually, I think it should be deodorant AND a bar of strong soap, something like Irish Spring that you can smell at arm’s length, along with a stiff scrub brush.

And perhaps a little lagniappe for all the Dem members of Congress, like a bottle of Murphy’s oil soap and a scrub brush with a note: Clean house. Now.

Cat staff–email me. We’re shooting for the 23rd of May.

Someone suggested giving a copy to every Democratic challenger, too — that’s a great idea, since most of them need all the help they can get. It sure won’t be coming from the DCCC for most of them — other than a “my way or the highway” ultimatum, along with a phone number for a DC consultant.

My current project is getting independent funding for Bill Winter, so he can hire Russ Feingold’s media consultant, Steve Eichenbaum. Bill Winter is the real deal, a Marine veteran, and he’s running against the excreble Tom Tancredo. Unfortunately, the CO-6th is a very tough district, so the DCCC will demand fealty and offer a pittance.

A CTG excerpt:

http://www.alternet.org/story/34113/

The bull-in-a-china-shop approach of the Democratic establishment is felt with some regularity by Democratic candidates across the country. It happened in Oklahoma, where Feingold’s media consultant, Milwaukee-based Steve Eichenbaum, pitched a potential job to U.S. representative Brad Carson. A two-term congressman looking for a promotion to the Senate, Carson saw the open seat as the best possible chance in a state extremely hostile to Democrats in federal races … Any Democrat running for statewide office in Oklahoma is a serious underdog, and a “business as usual” campaign wasn’t going to win Carson the seat. Despite being one of the top-tier races for the Senate in 2004, the campaign was one of the last to hire any media firms, seeking an outside-the-box mix of consultants.

… While the DSCC wanted Carson to hire inside-the-beltway consultants, Carson was keen on using Eichenbaum, a corporate advertising executive who first created waves by helping Feingold win his dramatic 1992 upset victory using innovative, funny and clever ads, and again helping Feingold win reelection in 1998.

Just as Carson was about to bring Eichenbaum on board, the DSCC weighed in … Carson ended up hiring the uber-connected D.C. consulting firm of Murphy Putnam Media. (Steve Murphy ran Dick Gephardt’s 2004 presidential campaign, among others.)

Things didn’t go too smoothly. While he got along with Murphy, dealing with all the consultants from D.C. was an eye-opening experience for Carson. “That’s the thing you’ll learn about any consultant at the top level. They’re above you in the food chain,” said Carson. “You have to negotiate about what you do in your commercials. They call up the DSCC and complain if you’re not doing the ‘right thing.’ They’re a source of intelligence to people back in D.C. And these guys are all powerful people, prominent people. They aren’t even working for you. It’s an amazing thing in a lot of ways, really amazing.” Carson lost the election 53 to 41 to Tom Coburn.

After his initial contact with Carson, Eichenbaum never heard back from the campaign and figured they just didn’t see him as a good fit. When we went to Wisconsin and talked with him, he was rightly disturbed upon finding out that Carson was pressured to pick the other firm. “To find out that it was actually the party that told them that they couldn’t use us after we ran a successful campaign for Feingold the last three times is really upsetting,” Eichenbaum said. It wasn’t the first run-in with the establishment for Eichenbaum, who was a key component of Feingold’s “Miracle Campaign” in 1992. Feingold “ran against Democratic people that were pretty well entrenched in the party and the primary,” recalls Eichenbaum. “One of them spent $3.1 million; the other one spent $4 million. We spent $220,000 and we got 70 percent of the vote. And those two other guys were so badly embarrassed and angry at us that the state Democratic Party people just locked us out.”

You would think that scoring such an incredible upset would’ve been a rocket trip to the stars for the campaign consultants. But not for Eichenbaum. He serves mostly corporate clients and continues to do local political work and did Feingold’s subsequent campaigns in 1998 and 2004, but any efforts to hire him got blocked by the Democratic establishment in D.C. Eichenbaum is not part of the D.C. consultant cocktail-party circuit. He’s not one of them.

Jay at #68 — I’ve amended the post to reflect the change in e-mail on that. Let me know if you need further amendments anywhere. :)

I’m helping Jay with the Roots Project action. I’ll timidly take credit for the idea, but it wouldn’t have gotten to this point without the help of Jay, Pach and other key Root Project players.

My name is Matt Browner-Hamlin, my AIM sn is upthread if you have questions or comments, and my wee lil’ blog is Emboldened. Also visit NetRootsNY to see what the NY branch of the Roots Project is up to.

choochmac (62) — glad to count you among us. On the issue of African-Americans going to the opposition (male or female), if you ever care to speculate on the attraction, please do. I’ve got to tackle that issue over the next three months as I assist a couple candidates in races with a substantial African-American constituency. Even the African-American progressive I’m supporting has a nasty habit of quoting Michelle Malkin…agh…I don’t know if it’s just occasional centrism or something else.

Rayne and Mary,
maybe Greenwald could commission a pop-up version of Patriot

New poll out from Survey USA-

GW Clusterfuck is now down to 33%- three points less than a month ago.

A couple of states look significant:

Ohio rates him at 32%

Missouri has him at 29%

These states are important this year for both the senate and the house.

Good job Clusterfuck!

http://play.rbn.com/?url=demno…..tart=41:55

Greg Palast talks with Amy Goodman about his book. He talks about Bush’s motives and ultimately how they’ll steal 2008.

I was just told by my buddy, Tyson Slocum, that he will be Stephen Colbert’s in-studio guest on tonight’s Colbert Report to be taped this evening (aired, I think, at 11:30EST). Tyson works at Public Citizen and will be talking about Bush, energy policy, and oil companies.

Hot timing for his appearance in the wake of Colbert’s WHCD.

Forgot to add: The snooping into the phones is all about how they’ll win 2008…..

Muzzy — good news for your buddy — looking forward to watching it. :)

OT here’s a fun google trick. go to google.com, type in Asshole and hit the “I’m feelng lucky” button. Enjoy the show. (needs sound turned on)

John Casper #67. I think Jeralyn is going to get burned by Luskin…..I don’t feel sorry for her especially after her puffing up Roy Black. Luskin hasn’t told one bit of the truth. He is only interested in Gold Bars and that disgusting scum Rover is a new stash of Gold Bars for him. I am sticking with truthout, whose editor has gone on the record as saying they have FIVE…yes FIVE sources that confirm their report…I’ll take that anyday over Jeralyn and her cradeling of lawyers who defend traitors of this country.

Bill Winter has dKos diary, that needs more recommendations — any FDLer’s who are also Kossacks, please go help him out. (via Soapblox/Colorado)

In a new poll in the CO-6th, when voters are read a short biography of both candidates, Winter leads Tancredo 47% to 45%.

http://www.soapblox.net/colora…..aryId=1482

BILL WINTER SPEAKS, CO-06: DEFEND EVERY VILLAGE!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/5/14/105823/668

For those of you who don’t know me, I am the Democratic candidate for Congress in Colorado’s Congressional District 6. I am running against Tom Tancredo. I recently finished reading “Crashing the Gates” and met Markos when he was here in Denver recently. His book inspired me not only to new thoughts but to real action. Last week I fired my high priced campaign consultant and moved in a bold new direction in my campaign, and the results have been amazing and electric. We are going to win a new way, Markos’ way, and prove the value of the netroots.

But that is not the point of my post today. Today I want to open a discussion about how and where we fight as progressives.

Hey Philo, thanks and mucho props !

Rove’s clearly losing it……Indictment looms….

http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..01217.html

Karl Rove, Bullish on the Budget and the Border

By Dana Milbank
Tuesday, May 16, 2006; Page A02

It’s a heck of a curse.

Presidential adviser Karl Rove had almost finished his appearance yesterday at the American Enterprise Institute when it happened. Discussing the Bush administration’s record on illegal immigration, he blurted out, “We’re doing a heck of a job.”

D’oh!

President Bush made the phrase a national shorthand for incompetence when he bestowed it on FEMA Director Mike “Brownie” Brown in the days after Hurricane Katrina. And Rove knew he stepped in it yesterday. First, he said the administration was doing “a heck of a lot better, uh, job of getting control of the border.” Then he uttered the forbidden phrase, and it sent him into a syntactical tailspin: “We’re doing a heck of a job — lot better job at getting, at getting, uh, the — the problem of catch-and-release under control.”

Rove has a lot on his mind these days — a fact hinted at in the introduction to his speech by AEI President Christopher DeMuth. “In Washington, the hens are clucking and pecking and the sharks are circling,” DeMuth observed. “Still, he goes about his work with discipline, serenity, never permitting himself to lapse into vitriol at the unfairness of it all, even in circumstances of flagrant unfairness.”

I have an idea for the Repuglicans in congress. Why do we hand deliver a copy of My Pet Goat to each and every one. LOL! I’m sure they will get the message.

Let me reiterate: I’m not running anything. The Roots Project is not a national organization. It’s a collection of locally run activist groups. My role is solely to help you all conect with each other and answer questions asked of me, and maybe share ideas I come across elsewhere.

Anyone who focuses on me is missing the point. These are pick-up groups that run their own plays.

I would add, I tend doubt that anyone who wants to focus on me has my interests, or the interests of people-powered politics, in mind.

Note: this is an automatic confirmation and the total does not reflect any shipping charges or some discounts that may apply.
Order Information:
Order Number: 496905

Thanks, Pach, for clarifying your vision for the Roots Project and your role in it. But be careful – your comments sound almost like “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain . . .”

This is a great idea. So great that I was going to suggest a variation on it myself. ;) (There’s a reason my son gave me a T-shirt with the following legend:

“Top 10 Reasons To Procrastinate:
1.
” ;)

Anyway, back to the subject at hand. I think it is equally important, if not more so, to get the book into the hands of Democratic candidates who are opposing incumbents.

I live in the MN 3rd district, which has been safely GOP in the past. Incumbent is Jim Ramstad who is one of the diminishing handful of grown-up Republicans in the House. For example he had a good working relationship with the late Senator Wellstone, the pinata of the Republican right before his tragic death. Being the center to center left person that I am, I used to vote for him. By 2002, however, it became apparent even to me that the GOP had become something utterly beyond the pale, and the fact that Ramstad caucused with the Republicans outweighed anything else he might accomplish.

In spite of the fact that as recently as 2002 Ramstad got more votes than any GOP House candidate in the country, I think he’s vulnerable to the right kind of attack. In 2004 Kerry took two of the largest municipalities in the district, my own Minnetonka and Edina, both of which hadn’t gone GOP for Prez in years, if ever. I worked on the MOveOn GOTV effort that year and there was a discernable unease with the direction the GOP was taking the country even among professed Republican voters.

The Dem candidate is Wendy Wilde, a lefty talk radio host. I rarely listen to the local lefty channel (AM 950) and thus are not familiar with her. The hopelessly bland list of issues she’s running on per her campaign website (http://www.wildeforcongress.com/), however, will never do the job. I suspect she’s following the lead of the DCCC, or one of their approved consultants.

Instead I think she (and other Dem challengers) should base their campaign as follows:
- There is one vote that whomever is elected will make in Washington that will dwarf all others in importance, and that is the vote they will cast in early January, 2007, to determine which party will organize the House or Senate. No other vote to be taken in the next Congress matters in comparison.
- If you vote for a Republican and that party retains its majorities, you’re voting for more of the same roll-over, rubber-stamp Congress. If the Republicans retain majorities in both houses it will be open season on the Constitution and the Treasury for another two years, and the damage to our country will likely pass the tipping point to the irreversible, if it hasn’t done so already.
- Therefore, the personal congeniality, integrity and competence of the candidates for office are of minor importance in comparison to their party label.
- If the Democrats win a majority in at least one House, investigations will be conducted into the facts of the controversial actions of the Bush-Cheney administration, especially, but not limited to, the apparently unconstitutional domestic surveillance, war profiteering and detainee incarceration and interrogation policies.
- If the House has a Democratic majority, the party will, if the facts unearthed by the investigations warrant, not hesitate to proceed to introduce the appropriate bills of impeachment. They will also put the teeth back in the mouth of the Ethics Committee(s) and seriously investigate alleged malfeasance of any member regardless of party.
- If you vote for a Republican and that party retains its majorities, you’re voting for more of the same roll-over, rubber-stamp Congress.
- A vote for Ramstad (or any incumbent Republican) is a vote for Bush and Cheney.

If there are any other MN03 residents reading this, I’d like to arrange to go in a group meeting with Wendy Wilde and discuss this with her. (I’m leaving next week on a long planned vacation and I’ve got a lot to do between now and then so my scheduling will be tight. I’ll send part of this post to the RootsMN list also.) I suspect that the DCCC won’t give her much support because they believe that Ramstad isn’t very vulnerable. If thaat’s the case perhaps she’ll be open to considering this alternate strategy to the wimpy recomendations of the Dem Congressional establishment. If a campaign based on a direct assault on an incumbent, center-leaning Republican’s party affiliation gains traction, it oculd inspire other candidates, incumbent and otherwise, to stiffen their spines and redirect their campaigns on parallel courses.

The Dems have a good chance of picking up at least one seat in MN and possibly as many as three. The other two currently GOP districts in play are the 2nd and 6th, where the Dem candidates are Colleen Rowley and Patty Wetterling,respectively. Both are much more widely known than is Wendy Wilde. If we can convince Wilde that she has nothing to lose by trying this approach and it achieves traction, perhaps they’ll follow her lead.

I think we are probably at about 50 books and counting judging by the order numbers.

Yeah us . . . only 200 or so more to go.

Keep up the great work.

cbl (77) — heh. Bet the pop-up book would look a lot like this one, though, through the lens of neo-conservative perspective…

[ed. note: link should not be seen as an endorsement.]

Rayne says:
May 16th, 2006 at 8:00 am

Like I said I haven’t completely figured out the entire psychology of his transformation. It was somewhat gradual and I think some of it is personal and some environmental in a certain sense (he works as an engineer at an aerospace company which no doubt rubs off on him), so I don’t know if any musings would be of help to you. But I’ll give it some thought.

Update – We’re doing great with book sales, almost half way there and we’re just three hours in!

Please recommend Terre’s diary at kos (link here) so we can get more visibility for the action and sell the rest of the books!

Oh, and thank you so much to everyone who’s donated a book so far. We wouldn’t be able to do this action without people who want to turn our netroots support into offline action.

I want to add this to the end of this thread as to not put a crimp in this great book project. After all of the books have been bought and delivered there is something else you can do.

I have taken a photocopy of the book jacket. Then I send that (their postage) back to the 15 dem groups a week that beg for money. DLC ,
DNC, DSCC, Hil, Schumer, obama, etc.

I handwrite on the photocopy that I have decided to give through the netroots this year. Hit them where it hurts. Money (or not) is all they understand.

Kind of hard on my orange printer ink, but i can do it from here and it doesn’t cost me anything but a few minutes of time. I send about 10 a week. If nothing else they will probably take me off the lists. Pepper them.

New thread from Christy – Rough Duty

Regarding my post #92, above, here’s a live link to Wendy Wilde’s website:
Wendy Wilde

Peterr–

I don’t know about other actions or activities, but on this one, the role has been entirely consultative. When we wanted help or sought a contact we’d ask him.

But I wrote to the publisher, negotiated the arrangement with bookstore, set up the web sites and net connections. Matt has written all the copy, and backed me up on management activities. As we speak, emails are flying around wrt the logistics of the delivery with four people participating at the moment. Pach is not involved. We don’t need him. Although we are looking for a blast fax resource for DC press and Capitol offices. Know where we can find that?

This facilitator role is going to just arise as the project grows. I worked with someone in WA to put together a Kos diary on her experience visiting her senators, and now I hear from her routinely. That doesn’t make put me at any helm. The whole idea is that this becomes self-perpetuating, viral even. Having a leader would be counterproductive.

That is not say that you don’t need clearly defined decision-makers and points of contact on an action like this. So far, everything has been settled by consensus and negotiation among people of good will. But we always identified who had the final say on an issue. But that doesn’t put anyone at any helm.

Pachacutec, BULLSHIT. Good luck, you can count me out, and you have
lost a political junkie that you could have used on your side. Author idenitity is crucial, can you say Augustine? Off to the minors for the lot of you all.

Yeah us . . . only 200 or so more to go.

Well over a hundred actually. I really want a counter somewhere, but couldn’t get that worked out. 150 visitors so far, and I did confirm with P&P when we were at 120 visits that there were over 100 books sold at 11:20.

496920

Thanks, Jay.

While it’s true that, like Digby and Billmon, I value my privacy and the privacy of my family, the real point here is any attempt by any individual to make this movement about an individual will stunt and probably halt its growth, maybe even kill it.

If I can give a rolling snowball a little extra push as it makes its way down the hill, that’s more than enough for me.

Minnesotachuck: I think it is equally important, if not more so, to get the book into the hands of Democratic candidates who are opposing incumbents.

I think this is a great idea. One of the reasons we chose this format for the action is that it leaves room for a number of natural next steps. Upthread people suggested donating copies to Democratic Chiefs of Staff and consultants. Jay has also suggested that we donate copies of Glenn’s book to Republican elected officials.

All of these ideas have merit and I don’t doubt that future Roots Project actions might target these groups. My advice, though, is that you should get involved with the Roots Project in your state. Pitch an idea and you can make it work. I suggested this literally a day after getting involved and here we are now. So go join the Roots Project, help make a difference through grassroots political actoin.

Scott Ely at 101 — with all due respect, that is just so much crap. I wrote under a pseudonym for months before switching to my actual name — and I write no differently now than I did when I wrote under a pseudonym. (I just write a lot more because we have more traffic. And it was a tough decision to out myself, considering my past in prosecuting people who will be released from the penitentiary, and considering I have a small child, but it was MY choice and no one else’s.)

Digby is amazing, as are Billmon and TBogg — and yet all use pseudonyms. And that’s just three off the top of my head.

You don’t want to participate? Fine — that’s your choice. But the whole “to pseudonym or not” — especially intimating that Jane and I wouldn’t have thoroughly checked out Pach (who I’ve had dinner with, in person, btw) before asking him to head the Roots Project is just asanine. Pach is doing amazingly difficult work setting up organizational infrastructure and contact system for us — and I will thank you and everyone else, to watch your tone with him. You have a problem with how we do things? Take it up with me or Jane.

101:

Why would a ’side’ want someone who quits when they don’t get their way, and dabbles in wholesale insult as a substitute for rational debate and negotiation?

Can you say ’stalker troll’?

Knew that you could

Author credibility is crucial, not author identity. Want to tell us Digby has no influence?

Scott Ely:

Sorry you feel that way. In reality, I owe you nothing. If your commitment is that brittle we don’t need you anyway, though your fellow activists will, I’m sure, welcome your support and participation, should you wish to offer it.

And with that, I’m through with this subject.

choochmac (95) — oh my. I think I know where he lives. He’s in the same space as my father, an Asian-Polynesian engineer. If I’ve got it right, these guys can’t “see” anything they can’t solve. Things that are intrinsically human they don’t get; humans are more like machines and are limited by poor inputs and bad design and anything they can’t explain with facts and numbers just doesn’t exist or is a left-wing bogeyman, in their opinion.

You may be able to break through if you use the science angle.

To those who are concerned about Pach “hiding” his identity.

I agree with Pach’s comment above WRT the interest in his identity: I would add, I tend doubt that anyone who wants to focus on me has my interests, or the interests of people-powered politics, in mind.

But I would also like to point out that several times Pach has, when appropriate, identified himself, his company and what he does. I respect his right not to have to keep putting it out there for everyone to read.

This is an anonymous medium. Exposing yourself by your real name here carries some risk. We all recognize that. Many of us who do make our real name available find out that there are some people out there who like to hide behind their own anonymity to write threatening letters to us. No one wants to invite more of those than necessary in one’s life.

But if it bothers you to deal with people whom you know only by a made up name, you are certainly free to protect yourself by not participating in events they sponsor or are connected with. That seems to me to be a sensible approach.

What isn’t sensible to me, is writing posts that imply or suggest some nefarious purpose to a standard protocol of anonymity. Especially from an anonymous poster.

This is a free blog. You can either join in and get to know everyone, observe from the shadows until you decide to join or find a different crowd to hang with elsewhere.

The usual rules of society apply.

Don’t write anything you wouldn’t want anyone you know to read.
Caveat emptor.
You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Have you got a link for that.

Pach – thanks for running with this.

BTW: are the Mets for real this year?

Count me in!

Order #: 496935

Regarding identities, the NSA is probably figuring it all out in real time in any case.

Also, regarding my post #92 above, I was thinking in terms of giving copies of Glen Greenwald’s How Would A Patriot Act to the candidates, not Crashing The Gate. The latter is a good idea, too.

Regarding #99, I must be doing something wrong when trying to post the link.

Minnesotachuck 114 –

just copy/paste the link — no formatting reuired.

One more thing on anonymity…

Isn’t part of the fun of the blogosphere wondering who are these people named Pachacutec, Digby, Billmon, Whatever It Is I’m Against It, etc? How remarkable is it that we have the privilege of reading brilliant analysis that arrives to us not on the credentials of the author’s resume, but the high quality of the work?

Lastly, knowing who Pach is has zero relevance to this action. Jay Ackroyd and myself are organizing it with the help of other volunteers. We have posted our full names, Jay’s email, and my AIM screenname in this thread.

As has been pointed out numerous times in regards to the Roots Project, the FDL bloggers have given RP folks a platform to solicit help for our actions. Maybe that’s a hard idea for people to wrap their heads around, but it’s one that is defining the Roots Project’s citizen actions.

jayackroyd @100

I must have left the snark tags off my Oz-style comment above. No disrespect to you, Pach, or the makers of The Wizard of Oz intended. It’s just that the way Pach phrased his “I’m not running anything” note had that “behind the curtain” feel to it. (It could just be me – something about moving years ago from close proximity to Kansas to the environs of the Emerald City . . .)

That said, props to you for your work with this, and to Pach for posting about it here!

Just bought another one for the effort. Really is a good idea, even if half of them will probably trash it the second you’re out the door.
Order Number: 496939

I’d just add we’re find the staff of our elected officials equally non-plussed by what we’re doing. I even put together a little powerpoint presentation that summarizes it, because the natural question apparently is “who are you with?”

It is absolutely central to the project that the answer to that is “nobody.’ The absence of any organization also means that none of the traditional things that destroy movements, like schisms can happen. NE is a good example. They are much more focused on state-wide issues than are NY folks. In some ways, they’re taking RP in a different direction. But because there’s no leadership, you can’t something like Dean-Schumer spat. There can’t be a schism, because they’re already on their own.

There are no talking points provided, no issue identified by anyone other than participants. The whole organizational structure is antithetical to leadership or control.

windowdog–

Staff count too, you know. And they tend to be young and more netcentric.

Done! Order #496941. Thanks, Jay and Philo, for organizing this.

And I think giving extra copies of CTG/HWAPA to staffers/challengers is also an excellent idea.

We just cracked 200 visitors, so we’re probably at around 190 books purchased.

Sweet! Keep it up FDLers!

Scot Ely: On my worst, hormone raging meopausal days I still got it that netroots is about all of us working together it isn’t about one person’s issues or problems with names. Sorry you missed the point but the netroots are not so easily sidetracked. Oh, and it looks like sales are well over the 1/2 way mark now. Good community this.

So I ordered the book, selected Instore Pickup, and added the following comment to the order: “This book is being purchased for the CTG Project”. Is there anything else that needs to be done or people who need to be notified

Brian — that’s perfect! Thanks!

PLEASE Fix the comments… Whoever posted #100 didn’t close a link tag and now everything below it clicks to that page… even this form, which I had to tab to, because clicking on anything below #100 opens that link.

Brian–

That’s it. I have checked with them and orders are coming through fine. I think we’re less than an hour away.

I’m about to head out to a couple of meetings on wall street. I’ll leave you in Matt’s hands. I just did handle one question in email, which I won’t be able to do while on the subway. So AIM Matt or post any problems here.

Brian — I’m not getting an open tag. What browser are you using? I’ll see if I can find an error…

The problem is in message 99. It does look like an op;en tag-a reference to a link, but no link.

ah yes, it is in #99…

btw, i’m using Safari in OSX.

It ought to be fixed now. I closed the link out — is it working for everyone else?

When you deliver the books, you should include a note that points out that this is a spontaneous and almost instantaneous action by the netroots. It is a real demonstration of what can be done.

Useing Apple means the terrorist win.

Submit Hippie

No more problems with the open tag, Christy — but it was very weird. It showed up in the preview section, but disappeared in the post.

A thought on WordPress having the slows in long comment threads. It might be caused by the auto-preview function — maybe a manual preview would fix it?

Next mission?

Could we hand-deliver to *every* member of Congress (all 535) copies of “How Would a Patriot Act?”

Maybe that would wake some of them up!

Done! Order Summary

Order #: 497017
Politics & Prose

I have my own copy already, BTW — now all I have to di is read it. *g*

Thanks!

Order # 496978

Keep up the good work.

Nathanael Nerode: Could we hand-deliver to *every* member of Congress (all 535) copies of “How Would a Patriot Act?â€

I love that idea.

Has anyone received their preordered copy of Glenn’s book yet?

141 philo

I prefer the idea of joining with some libertarian types and delivering just to republicans.

Order #: 497046
Politics & Prose
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington DC 20008

I’m assuming that a bookmark (with explanation or fdl url or some such) will be included. If I’m assuming wrong, I’m suggesting.

A bookplate, a personalized invitation from the netroots will be included.

Dixie – good idea.

What we’re actually doing is inserting personalized bookplates with the name of each Senator or Congressperson. The plate will include a description of who donated the book and what the goals of the donation were: greater knowledge of the netroots amongst elected officials.

Any news on how many more are left to go? Might wanna bump this on the front page if there is still a large gap.

I know I’m in waaay EPU land but just ordered a copy for whomever needs it.Rootsprojects and CtGproject Rock On!We The People baby!

Order #497097 for the FDL CtG project. Thanks Philo & Jay.

Order Information:
Order Number: 497116
1 COPY OF CRASHING THE GATE
“FOR DELIVERY TO ANY DEMOCRATIC SENATOR OR REPRESENATIVE BY THE CTG PROJECT”

NOW DO WE NEED TO TEACH THEM HOW TO READ?

Order No. 497151 placed “For the Roots Project!”

I think this must be meta-EPU-land . . .

this is pollyanna incarnate.

hey fools and eedjits and Kos Klones,

the Dems in the Congress DO NOT CARE WHAT WE THINK.

they care only about who gives them the most $$$$ and ego gratification (read, perks etc.)

keep dreaming your silly dreams.

wiser people would create a 3d party.

such is your paucity of wisdom.

and I thought humans were capable of LEARNING!

dumbasses.

Order #: 497238

(4) Copies “Crashing The Gate”

for IN STORE PICKUP

(Hopefully you can handle it from there. Contact me by email if you need more info)

Good Luck!