Scout, who had spent about a year planning the White House reception (and the marriage proposal), posted a wonderfully elegant and genuine video addressing the hateful remarks.

Friend of the Blend activist Jacob Tobia of Duke, who was there with fellow students representing the sentiments of Duke and UNC student bodies, intended to position himself at the front of the room to hand the letter to the President. I spoke with him outside while waiting in line to enter the White House. I asked him about his plan.

Today we have any number of groups who represent any number of interests. They raise funds, recruit members, send out petitions, operate phone banks; but when it comes to putting progressive candidates in office, they can’t seem to organize themselves for a common purpose. Enter Van Jones’ Rebuild The Dream. Jones has some ideas on how to build a movement with enough power to make things happen.

Dissenters’ Digest takes a look back at the week’s stories covering whistleblowers, watchdogs, and government accountability.

A look back at the week’s stories covering whistleblowers, watchdogs, and government accountability.

During last night’s “Your Interview with the President” event sponsored by Google+, President Obama and Google completely and shamefully ignored the dominant questions — about marijuana — submitted by the American people. Questions about marijuana policy reform dominated almost all of the top “most popular question” slots, but Obama ignored them.

The joy in some quarters over the Obama decision to deny the permit to TransCanada to build the Keystone XL pipeline to carry tarsands oil from Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico. I’m glad for the decision, but it was hardly a ringing endorsement of either concerns about potential damage caused by spills from the pipeline or concerns about what tapping into the tar sands will do to the climate. Rather, it was political posturing for effect by DC politicians on either end of Pennsylvania Avenue. The GOP forced a rider into must-pass legislation saying “You’ve got 60 days to approve or deny” and State said — back then — that with that kind of a time limit, they’d have no choice but to deny. And this week, they did just that.

As Bill McKibben says, “We’ve won no permanent victory (environmentalists never do) but we have shown that spirited people can bring science back to the fore.”

Come Tuesday, Bill will be taking a group of spirited people to Capital Hill, to take the fight to the science-deniers who live off the money from Big Oil. It should be quite something.

This nifty holiday card is being circulated by activist Saint Teresa Stone–yes, that’s her real, birth certificated, government name–one of the bright lights in the Los Angeles underground of punk rock, politics and vintage pleasures, concurrent and oft co-mingled streams that erupt from the same deep underground wellspring of desire, passion and joy. And what [...]

A president elected in reaction to the economic and political environment. A president hated on the left for lack of bold action and accused by the right of being a socialist. A president who appears to struggle with any sort of confrontation within his own Administration and who appears to have continuing issues with quality of staffers. A president accused of promoting class warfare and ‘uncertainty’. A president with a justice on the Supreme Court who opposes him named Roberts. A president with a wife who is, to many, as controversial as he is. A president and an Administration during a time when bold decisive action is required, but who seem to suffer from chronic timidity.

Obama or Roosevelt? Both?

Today I was down by the White House to witness the massive protest against the new Keystone XL pipeline that would bring tar sands oil from Canada down to American refineries on the Gulf of Mexico. Thousands showed up to cover the multiple city blocks it takes to fully circle the White House. The protesters all came out to send a single clear message to President Obama: use your power, do not approve the pipeline.

It was one of the most impressive protests I’ve ever experienced personally. The event was well run, had a massive turnout and was full of great energy.