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Christy and I got to meet Bill Clinton at his offices in Harlem yesterday. Coming off our mutual victory scored in the ABC/911 fight it was something of a celebration. I can't remember a time when national political figures have picked up on a battle being waged in the blogosphere and managed so successfully to reverberate the message and force it into traditional media.
He was also quite interested in what was happening on the Libby/Fitzgerald front. We'll be posting more as transcripts of the meeting become available, but suffice to say that we hope this becomes some kind of model for how bloggers and politicians can work together when they share common interests. Mad props go to Peter Daou who was in the unique position to be both aware of the blogospheric conversation and have quick, high-level access to those who could influence the situation.
Maybe all those snappy, forward thinkers in the Democratic Party who might have an interest in doing likewise could leave off calling us dirty urchins long enough to figure out most of us are actually successful professionals who have some interesting things to say and a lively place to say it.
If we're good enough for Big Dog...
(photo by Bill Sher of Liberal Oasis)
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Jane!!! Christy!!! Big Time!!!
OT- Jane, if you are reading, could you please check messages at the mod com courtesy desk? xxoo
OMG!!! Jane! Christy! President Clinton! Fitz!
Woohoo!
I am soooooo jealous!
I hope I’m not out of line to say, them’s some fine lookin’ women.
Soon they’ll be calling you…
Back in the day, when FDL was a little bitty thing, y’all didn’t think it’d lead to this, did you?!?
Just totally cool, and well deserved!
Who dat punk wit my gals?
Pachacutec @
6
Dang! Can’t help but agree. They look pretty happy too - good combo…
The Dog looks positively giddy!
Holy Shit, FireBigDogLake!
You are completely out of line, Pach. As Jane said to Markos, “I’m the girl.” Christy nodded, and said, “I’m the other girl.” However, wrt to the following,
“
. . . I will concede that they do clean up pretty good.
with all due respect to the Big Dog - imo, he’s not good enough for the two of you.
How did the Pres look in person? When I have seen him on TV since his surgery, he has looked a bit haggard.
WOW! I am SOOOO jealous…. (of Bill, too, of course…!) Can’t wait to hear more. And Pachacutec is right…
To quote Oliver Twist: “More, please??”
Very proud of you both, amazing what is happening.
As a matter of fact, I’m pretty proud of all of us.
Beautiful picture!
I am happy for our last elected President and our ladies of the lake– it’s about time real folk sit down and talk face to face, eye to eye!
I’m so happy you got to meet him. Way to go!
That pic is priceless. Love it.
Gawd, I miss the Big Dog.
chrisanthemama @ 20
Oh, me too.
That man knew how to be President . . .
And those gals know how to blog!!!
Congratulations, ladies. On so many levels. There are many more to come, I’m sure.
What a wonderful picture.
And Pach, if I may speak for the relatively few of us hetero guys here - I so totally agree.
Curious in Central Texas @
21
Me three…..
What a great photo! All three of you exude total confidence. I’ve picked up a little bit about the meeting from other bloggers and can’t wait to get your perspective.
BTW, you’ve probably know that Big Dog’s the Cover Boy on this week’s Fortune mag. Great caption: Love him or hate him, Bill Clinton is a force.
Je ne said quoi.
Jane and Christy -
You must be delighted with yesterday’s memorable meeting. Perhaps the Tao of blogging (or should that be the Tao of the blogosphere?) made the meeting possible. I will look forward to reading more about it.
I’m not sure either Jane or Christy are around, as they have been travelling today, but let me say this:
This photo is an affirmation of FDL, but FDL is also you.
Do you have any idea the reputation this commenting/Blue America community is building around the political, even the entertainment, worlds?
We have some very recognizable names lurking, but this burgeoning progressive movement building site is, excuse my lack of humility, really da’ shit.
Bubba wasn’t just acknowledging Jane and Christy, but you.
You.
So did you hit the Big Dog up for a chunk of change for Marcy’s 16 Words?
Heh.
Amazing, though, really, the trajectory of this blog. What will you two do next? I can hardly stand it, can’t wait to find out!!!
o just beautiful
I hope no one tells Kobe about this! He used to be the big dog…
Way Cool! And Hi Big Dog! ; )
p.s. thanks, Pach, we do forget that. This is an awesome community, a collection of talent and resources unlike anything I’ve seen in 10 years on the internet, as either a chat host/moderator, blogger, consultant, what have you.
I am wondering, in the transcripts, will anything be revealed about President Clinton’s thoughts on how to get the Palestinian/Israeli situation back on the resolution table? President Clinton, in my view struggled tirelessly for Middle East peace.
Valley Girl @ 30
707!
I thought I heard recently that Bill doesn’t use computers at all, a total luddite. I wonder if that’s true, or if he reads blogs. At the very least, he recognizes their importance, and that’s a very big deal.
what impressed me about the large group foto of the Big Dog and bloggers was the large number of female bloggers included … a good ratio there !
Hey all — got home about an hour ago or so. Just logged on to catch up on e-mail after getting The Peanut to bed, and…whammo!…there’s a photo of me and Jane with Bill Clinton on the blog. How did that happen? *G* (And can I say that being asked to attend a meeting with the former President of the US is a little overwhelming — but that both Jane and I had plenty of opportunities to speak our minds…surprising, eh? lol)
OKK– I am watching President James Carter right now; the other President who worked as hard as he did for peace in the Middle East is President Clinton.
Pachacutec @ 27
either that, or he’s trying to co-opt us.
i withhold judgment pending more evidence/information.
p.s. jane and christy SO rock…. hold his feet to the fire!
Pach at 27 — damn straight!
Your daily gas and oil prices
Average price for regular gasoline 9/13/06 in 50 states and DC
$3.00 plus 1 state
$2.90 plus 7 states
$2.80 plus 5 states
$2.70 plus 4 states
$2.60 plus 10 states
$2.50 plus 8 states
$2.40 plus 10 states
$2.30 plus 4 states
$2.20 plus 2 states
Average national price: $2.592, down $.021
Highest recorded national average price: $3.057 9/5/2005
Highest average price: Hawaii $3.289
Lowest average price: Ohio $2.295
http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/sbsavg.asp
Nymex Crude Future $63.97, up $.26
Dated Brent Spot $62.98, up $.62
WTI Cushing Spot $63.97, up $.21
http://www.bloomberg.com/marke.....rices.html
The Republican friendly fall in gas prices continues. There was a seasonal fall off last year but this one is steeper. Oil prices mark time.
Well, gawrsh. Talk aboutcher “suitable for framing” (the path of this country’s comeback, that is)!
Oh, and not to worry, VG — Kobe’s still the Big Dog, and his sharp ears can pick up the difference between that and Big Dawg.
OT, I saw that the Young Turks are the new morning drive show for Air America. ‘Bout fucking time, although I will miss them on my Sirius. God bless, Cenk, Jill & Ben, go forward and kick ass!
Inside word is Bill reads blogs. He has a very curious and thirsty mind. Of course, he’s also doing charm offensive on behalf of Hillary, though I have not heard he made that explicit at all during the meeting. Originally, the meeting was to be off the record, so we did not speak of it. I did not expect it to turn into a photo op.
Still, even if he’s making ambassadorial outreach for Hillary, he’s still using his face and name to lend legitimacy and power to the netroots - to you - and that’s worth something.
That’s really cool. Was Hillary there? Man, I miss having duly elected Presidents. I’m tired of having that dumbass governor of Texas besmirching the White House.
So, does Bush ever go hang out with the clowns at Pajamaload media? Think he’s aware of blogs? Hell, do you think he could even turn on a computer?
This picture is just exactly what I needed! Thank you!
In my attempt to catch up with everything I missed today, I got stuck way down below in the thread on Joe Sestak.
I despise Weldon, who, to my misfortune (and without my assent) was for several years my “representative” in Delaware County. But that wasn’t the part that got me all caught up.
It was what everyone in that thread was writing about the fundamental attack on our beloved Constitution which happened today in Congress — the ham-handed attempt to ram through permission to Little Boots to do whatever the fuck he wants to whomever he wants whenever he wants.
By the time I finished reading all the brilliant comments from my fellow outraged Firepups/True Patriots, I was shaking and dissolved in tears.
I couldn’t stop crying. For more than half an hour. Sobbed my heart out. Had to call Mr. K8 at work for comfort in my horror and fear for the future of this country I love so much. I don’t trust these fascists not to do everything in their power to keep the reins of power, democracy and elections be damned!
I normally keep my fear to myself — for me personally, it seems like a luxury I can’t afford — at the cost of the morale of our community — to express fear in such a public forum as FDL. That’s just my take on it (not dissing others with a different approach!) — thinking that my fear could be contagious and I’ll keep it offline in the privacy of my home.
I was just about to violate that long-time principle of mine, to come back here to ask for support from y’all — help to lift me up out of incipient depression at the horror of the evil evisceration of the Constitution, and fear of the depths to which the fascists will sink to keep the war crimes prosecutors at bay.
And here I see this wonderful picture which lifted my mood immediately! Thank you, thank you, thank you Christy and Jane!
And thanks to the soul in the Sestak thread (was that you, John Casper? I’m too weary and cried-out now to go back and check…) — who issued a reminder that as bad and truly dire the situation of our beloved country is now, it still is not as awful as it must have been for Washington’s starving troops at Valley Forge.
Thank you, whoever you were, for that reality check! It helped. I am also put in mind of the fact that my ancestors fought to save the Union in the Civil War — and that, too, must have seemed like the very end of the world to them.
We must never, ever stop fighting, no matter what. Courage is not absence of fear — courage is doing what is right no matter how intense the fear one feels.
Thanks to Jane, Christy, and everyone of the many people who make this FDL community as vibrant and nourishing as it is. And thanks to everyone who offers moral support to others in dark times such as these.
Hey meta, I have a theory about certain luddites. There are a very special few that are “ecosystems” in and of their own virtue; they create information, attract it to themselves. for these rare few, spending time retrieving and processing information may actually be of less value to the entire information food chain than spending time creating information (a.k.a. news). They might only be reading later what they’d already done, causing lag or delay, an inefficiency.
I suspect Bill Clinton is one of those rare luddites.
The overwhelming percentage of luddites don’t fall in this category, though; they simply live 1 to 2 days behind us and starved for information.
Welcome back, Christy. The president was so lucky to be able to meet you both. I hope he will drop in and give his impressions. Barring that, I expect a LOT of dish from you and Jane. ;)
I am so happy for and proud of you both! And grateful…thanks.
btw, President Jimmy Carter is on CNN right now (Larry King)
Big Dawg, the Brainiac Babes, and Pete Daou. All my faves in one spot. Well, it would be if’n you added Skippy to the lot. I’m thinking that the time we all spent in Las Vegas together was the start of something B-I-G. And everytime I hear or read the Has-Been Media referring to this crowd as doofuses blogging
in their pajamas, I must snort with derision. Truth will out. And clowns will inevitably fall down in their big floppy shoes. Thanks for all you do for Truth, Hope and the American Way. I concur that you three are positively oozing fabulosity-what a hot shot!
I would like to say thanks to Jane and Christy for all of the wonderful articles that they’ve posted at FDL, and which I have had the privilege to read. I came, and have stayed, because of these two awesome female voices. That is a rarity in the blog universe. Or perhaps, a singularity. And, despite the easy reads that they produce in prose, I have no doubt that it ain’t easy.
And, BTW, who’s the guy with the hair?
BEST.PRESIDENT.EVER
Pachacutec @ 43
true enough! and i trust jane and christy to keep their heads!
Jane - I’ve been missing your perspectives on the CT Senate race. Can’t believe that a poll yesterday puts Holy Joe ahead by 13 points. How can this be?
What is keeping Ned from making better headway? We have just a few weeks to turn this around.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 37
Oh, everyone already knows about your pajama party
;>)
Am exhausted from all the travel — nothing like a quick up and back in three days time, and a meeting with Bill Clinton — to wear you out. But I promise some good dish tomorrow. ;-)
Hi Christy! I am very grateful to you and Jane for meeting with President Clinton! Such an important opportunity to get ideas heard and exchanged. I look forward to hearing more and moving forward together with this growing movement.
Heh. . . Lieberconcerntroll.
Christy Hardin Smith @
37
Congrats, CHS and Jane (and alla yuz firepups, really)!
Cozumel @ 53
Oh, I don’t know. Thomas Jefferson wasn’t bad. FDR was ok too.
Rayne @ 47
‘Scuse me for horning in on your comment to Meta, but would you mind decoding that? I have no idea what you meant, but I’m intrigued.
President Carter? He deserves our undying respect. This man worked harder than anyone for peace in the Middle East. I am so proud to say I voted for this giant. Twice.
All these pent up OTs, sorry:
From an article entitled “When rockets and phosphorous cluster” in Haaretz by Meron Rapoport
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/761910.html
Christy Hardin Smith @ 37
You’re one up on me. I told Jane a couple of weeks ago that when I shook hands with Clinton in ‘92 was one of the few times in my life I’ve ever been caught speechless. He gave me every chance, but I just didn’t know what to say besides, “Good luck.”
cleter @ 61
OK, in my life time I mean ; )
Darkblack! 70707070707070707
Rayne, that a great insight. I meant no slight to Clinton. He’s obviously a curious and voracious intellect. I just happen to see him do an interview where he was being self-deprecating about it. The real message is clear, whether it’s one if by land, two if by sea.
I posted that earlier today, Hugh and am heartsick.
Props to Jane and Christy and all you/we do together. And Pach–too, too modest! And TRex and all the mods. And we commenters who take part from time to time. We are the village. Margaret Mead’s village, perhaps, a small-no-more hardy band on our heroic quest. We will succeed. We will prevail.
And special props to Bill Clinton, who recognizes savvy talent when he sees it.
And while it may be sullying the moment, I must add, so we don’t ever lose sight of the task, even amid the fiesta moments:
George W. Bush–Smallest. President. Ever.
The Republican friendly fall in gas prices is driven by the election season — just as the steep rise in gas prices in the fall of 2000 was timed to do maximum damage to the Gore Campaign.
The black gold gangstas are as despicable as Halliburton, and other merchants of death . . .
Twisted Martini @
12
teehee
darkblack @ 56
LMAO!
I recognize the FORMER president. But do I see a FUTURE president in there?
Cozumel @ 66
Point taken. If you were born in, oh, 1981 or later, then yeah, I’ll buy that. Best prez in my lifetime, I guess I’d go with Carter.
darkblack,
The teddy bear was an especially fine touch!
Swopa at 65 — we were at his offices in Harlem for close to 3 hours, so there was ample opportunity for conversation and some real debate (and some awesome sweet potato fries and chicken for lunch to dish over…).
And, Swopa, thank you muchly for addressing my questions in prior FDL posts. I appreciate that. And, thanks, for posting at FDL. Your articles are always thought-provoking.
Pachacutec @
6
Yup!
darkblack lmao
Great picture and kudos - I think it is great news. (I met Clinton briefly at a book signing. He almost glows - and has incredible blue eyes.)
It’s fascinating to me the politicians who were early adopters and “got” blogs from the get-go, i.e. the intelligence, the passion, the community such as Dean, Clark, Kerry, Edwards, Lamont - and worked with the blogosphere so effectively.
Now we have the “2nd generation” of adoptors like the Clintons. I suppose the others will catch up eventually. Clearly change, transparency, loss of centralized power, etc. are too threatening for many in the Dem party right now. But they’ll have to change because they simply can’t marginalize us - no matter how hard they try.
Thank you Jane & Christy for putting yourselves on the line for us. You deserve all the recognition you get.
Wow! I am so impressed! So amazed! (and so jealous!)
I hope that you really enjoyed the experience becuase it is so truly deserved!
Congrats to all!
The collective brainpower in the room for that meeting is nothing less than awesome. And yes, they, the rising leaders of this democracy, each one of them, are folks we can be proud of.
Prairie Sunshine @ 70
Oh, hell yeah. He’s like a freakin’ Titan of suck. He stands astride the suck like a Colossus. He’s taken suck to heights never dreamed of by guys like Warren Harding and Millard Fillmore. He’ll be like a shining beacon of suck for generations.
Mrs. K8 @ 6:24 pm
“And thanks to the soul in the Sestak thread (was that you, John Casper? I’m too weary and cried-out now to go back and check…) — who issued a reminder that as bad and truly dire the situation of our beloved country is now, it still is not as awful as it must have been for Washington’s starving troops at Valley Forge.”
Yes, it was John Casper who posted that reassuring comment.
“I don’t trust these fascists not to do everything in their power to keep the reins of power, democracy and elections be damned!”
Paternalism might be another apt description for their modus operandi of governing this country.
FireBigDogLake.
I like it.
WHAT OP99 SAID AT 48: YAY-EZZ!
cleter @ 75
In my case that would be starting with Eisenhower. 1981? LOL I wish
Jane’s home.
Jane Hamsher @ 86
Register it quick! *ilson?…
Compare Carter to Bush. There is none.
Clinton can be very charismatic — a few years ago he spoke at the Black Congressional Caucus dinner — my Congresswoman (in her 60s) was seen on CSpan standing on her chair applauding and whooping … charismatic!
angie #69,
Sorry, I missed it. Did you see it in the US media? I have lots of criticism of the Israeli press but they still do a much better job than our MSM.
Just got an update on Subway Serenade–it’s posted here
http://howardempowered.blogspot.com/
BigDogFireLake sounds better, dontcha think ?
Jane Hamsher @ 86
Some people just know how to make an entrance, don’t they?
Christy Hardin Smith @ 77
True, I suppose if I’d been with him for three hours, I would’ve figured out something to say eventually. :)
J & C, what were y’all laughing about just at that moment?
I think the policies of Terrorist Bush and Vice Terrorist Cheney have been detrimental to this country.
don’t tell me Christy just discussed recipes with him !
op99 — Remember way back when Ron Suskind reported that a White House aide said,
Ditch the arrogance about the empire bit. The rest contains a nugget of truth. Something or someone so large that they are a newsmaker and news leader actually creates not reality per se, but mass quantities of information. They are an ecosystem, an ecology, where information is born.
For people that fit this category, spending time reading news when news is about them is highly inefficient. Being a luddite is fine in these circumstances — because they already know the news.
Big Dog meeting with bloggers is an example of that ecosystem consciously at work. He made news; does he need to read about it on a computer after the bloggers assembled post about it? Or does he simply get on with the next thing — whatever it is?
I vote the latter. Much more efficient.
So are you now offically ladies who lunch?
How exciting! What day in the life of two talented and beautiful woman.
Iam so extremely envious, but so proud that you were there to represent the liberal bloggers. What a fine, fine group. Congrats, girls!
Mrs. K8, I thought it was Peterr. Nonetheless, love to you and your family.
So let’s see…less than eight months ago some putz named Brady thought he could dismiss Jane by calling her Columbo. Now she and Christy are invited to sit at the table with the Big Dawg.
That’s some serious affirmation for what they, and all of us, have done.
Stephen –
“Paternalism” — hmmm.
Haven’t heard that word used much in a good while. Seems to me that when my excellent teachers gave us good reading materials on American history, I read it a lot in reference to the slave-holders in the South and their enablers.
And I remember it being used quite a bit by writers who exposed the worst, ugliest aspects of British imperialism, foisted on their colonial “subjects.”
So I guess it works. But “fascists” works, too. Walks like a duck, and all.
Thanks for affirming that the Valley Forge remark came from John Casper — I hope he gets to hear how grateful I am to him for that reminder. I was so awfully low, and needed that badly.
I hope all the others in that thread who said they also could not help crying are — like me — finding renewed strength here tonight.
Rayne, thanks all is clear.
Hi Jane. Nice bear.
Hugh @ 92
I found it at Common Dreams first, Hugh and this is the link I had– I must say, the Israeli govt moved a lot quicker with testimony than we do ;(
http://www.commondreams.org/he.....912-10.htm
I saw that picture and my heart skipped at least two beats. I am so proud of Jane and Christy I could just burst! You two do the entire blogsphere proud!
I’m dying to read all the nitty gritty about what was said, but just knowing these brilliant ladies got solid face time with Big Dog…wow. Just friggin’ wow!
Looking at Carter on Larry King: Good Lord, the man is a progressive.
Mrs. K8, thanks for talking about your feelings. I’ve been down today because of, of all things, the Donna Edwards race. I’m so extremely upset that it got diebolded — I feel like giving up. I am now convinced this will happen in November in CA-04 and any other district. We are not going to win, no matter how many people vote for Democrats.
I want to be wrong. I think I’m right.
RBG @ 102
Oh, dear. I sure hope darkblack doesn’t get any ideas…
dab from CT @ 81
Then there’s that…that…thing Lieberman calls a blog. Retrograde.
The ladies of the lake keep making it happen
Woot !!!
Jane Hamsher @ 85
Gonna cost you a martini next time you are in town…
Mrs. K8 @ 46
Mrs. K8, I go through the same things, and I don’t sleep well at night because I worry about my children and grandchildren and what they are facing. These thugs would have us believe that we are nothing and they are everything. I don’t believe it for a moment, and I think they are in for a few surprises.
Jimmy Carter is a peacemaker, a statesman, a “common man”, a spiritual man, and a humanitarian.
I respect him every day.
meta –
Now I’ll have to go back, later, to check it out — wouldn’t want to leave Peterr by the side of the road here, if he was the one to give me a lift!!!
But I’ll wait until after Mr. K8 gets home from working late, and we go for a late evening swim together. He promised me that on the phone. It does wonders for my soul when I don’t have to do my daily exercise work-out in the water alone. We get into great spash fights, and the pupster has a grand time barking from the sidelines (while getting splashed herself).
I’ll be curious to ask in future what others (specifically those others who like me were totally devastated in that thread) do to nourish their hurting hearts.
“Tips for good morale” in the long battle for America’s soul is a topic of use to many of us, I suspect.
And love to you too, my dear friend! xoxoxo