Who am I feeding? A bunch of one year old babies who don’t know that carrots are good for them and continue to squeeze their mouth together as tight as they can when the spoon comes round. And by babies I mean all my otherwise wonderful friends who are Republicans (hey, I live in Texas, I have to have SOME friends) and by carrots I mean the damn truth of what has been going on in this country for six years and by spoon I mean, of course, me. Be the spoon!

Peterr @
141

Alice @
139

Webb was given a speech to read by the Democratic leadership. He threw it out and wrote his own.

Is there a source for that? Because it sounds made up.

It’s been reported in a variety of places, and not just by Alter in the link at the top of the post. Michael Shear of the Washington Post is another one who referred to Webb’s work:

Aides said Webb took the speech seriously, vigorously rewriting the initial draft suggested by the offices of Reid and Pelosi.

As one who has done some ghostwriting, I think I’m on safe ground when I say “vigorously rewriting” is a polite way of saying “he threw out the initial draft.”

who’s aides? do these aides have names? and who cares how many times this has appeared, are there any sources who have names?

last years SOTU response was given by Tim Kaine. It may have fallen short of electrifying it was cleary Kaine’s speech.

I don’t think there was a draft, I think this story is made up.

Take it up with Sen. Webb himself:

Webb, who has written several books, said in a radio interview Wednesday morning that he threw away the first draft of the speech suggested by Democratic leaders in Congress. He wrote a new draft that became the speech he delivered Tuesday night.

whether he “rewrote” or started from scratch, he did a damn good job and said what needed to be said.

Alice @
139

Webb was given a speech to read by the Democratic leadership. He threw it out and wrote his own.

Is there a source for that? Because it sounds made up.

It’s been reported in a variety of places, and not just by Alter in the link at the top of the post. Michael Shear of the Washington Post is another one who referred to Webb’s work:

Aides said Webb took the speech seriously, vigorously rewriting the initial draft suggested by the offices of Reid and Pelosi.

As one who has done some ghostwriting, I think I’m on safe ground when I say “vigorously rewriting” is a polite way of saying “he threw out the initial draft.”

who’s aides? do these aides have names? and who cares how many times this has appeared, are there any sources who have names?

last years SOTU response was given by Tim Kaine. It may have fallen short of electrifying it was cleary Kaine’s speech.

I don’t think there was a draft, I think this story is made up.

Thank God that Jim Webb tossed it and wrote his own. Jim Webb has already proven to me that he has the leadership qualities that put our liberal, democratic nation first above party puppetry (which places him head and shoulders above the lapdog Republicans who get on their knees for the latest “talking points” from the RNC and Karl Rove).

But I would be curious to find out who composed and okayed the draft speech given to Webb to read. In other words, was it Rahm Emanuel’s group (the Blue Dog’s who act like Republican lapdogs) or Howard Dean’s DNC? I bet that the draft speech came from the Blue Dog’s and that Jim Webb decided (just as I’m certain Howard Dean would have decided) not to pander to the “culture of corruption” Republicans anymore.

Our country needs strong, liberal, progressive leadership now from all the Democrats (and maybe even some progressive Republicans, at least the few that remain) to counterbalance the evil and corruption of the neo-con Republicans over the past six years.

Jim Webb has stood up proudly and defiantly for our democracy, our Constitution, our rights, just as all the folks at FDL have. True patriots. One and all. Thank you.

Webb was given a speech to read by the Democratic leadership. He threw it out and wrote his own.

Is there a source for that? Because it sounds made up.

It’s been reported in a variety of places, and not just by Alter in the link at the top of the post. Michael Shear of the Washington Post is another one who referred to Webb’s work:

Aides said Webb took the speech seriously, vigorously rewriting the initial draft suggested by the offices of Reid and Pelosi.

As one who has done some ghostwriting, I think I’m on safe ground when I say “vigorously rewriting” is a polite way of saying “he threw out the initial draft.”

Remind me please — what exactly is her position on Iraq?

Is there a source for that? Because it sounds made up.

FDL has been feeding me for a long time now. Once in a while Digby or Gillliard hit it out of the park as well.

For downright head smacking wow, Olbermann’s “Special Comments” have been remarkable, Bill Moyers has given some amazing speeches over the past couple of years and Al Gore as well.

What is really hard as Peterr knows as well is being able to write something that reads well and at the same time works from the pulpit, the podium, the seat in front of the camera. Reading sermons out of context of a pulpit lacks the intensity, inflection, and voice that we are able to inject them with in person. Some of my colleagues will not post sermons or give out copies for just that reason.

All the more reason to hold those who can do both in awe.

Thanks Peter.

I was very moved by Peterr’s post and particularly the pastoral question at the end, “and more importantly, who are you feeding?” I was ecstatic last night to read the Mandela quote sent in thanksgiving to Jane. I immediately resolved to use it in a spiritual support group I lead focusing on Henri Nouwen’s marvelous little book (but then I think all his books were “little” though all also monumental) Life of the Beloved for it mirrored Nouwen’s
proclamation. That book, that group, FDL (though I resisted the latter for a long time) and other internet resources, and returning to the Episcopal Church, are all feeding me these days. I am also being fed enormously by researching and writing a monthly newsletter and leading a support group for folks with peripheral neuropathy and thus passionately “feeding” and advocating for us PNers. Now and then, though I suspect it will become much more frequently, I speak out on political issues I am passionate about. The grace of God, strangeley mediated by FDL, is that my voice is no longer so pathetically and hysterically strident. And while I really appreciate RevDeb’s comment about the pulpit/pastoral context of sermons, I’m also grateful that I occasionally receive
masterful sermons from a UCC pastor in Canada that feed my soul and social justice passions. So, I’d nevertheless love to read RevDeb’s and Peterr’s sermons too. Blessings to you both and Jane and Christy and all the FDL community.

And Dan Senor is an idiot. And speaking of idiots, within the last year or so he married Campbell Brown who works with (wait for it)…Tim Russert.