Minnesota is an interesting Bell-weather state following on the heels of the Massachusetts Senatorial Special Election. Last night was caucus night in MN. Two years ago, the parking lot outside our polling place was jammed and so were the surrounding streets. My precinct which met in a high school classroom was standing room only. This year my precinct had five people, (including myself). Funny thing is that two years ago, none of those new attendees ever showed up again for anything except the Nov. vote. This year there was a qualitative difference in that every single person who came out on a cold winter night in an "Off" year were anxious to be delegates to the upcoming conventions and expressed interest in becoming involved in local party activities. They did not come out as part of a personality cult but rather because they were concerned about their state and country. Early figures indicate that only 12% as many people showed up this year as two years ago. I found this years crop more valuable in that the wheat was separated from the chaff.

There were 11 candidates on the Democratic side vying for Governor. The intersting development coming from the straw poll taken was that two fairly little known candidates who were the most liberal/progressive finished in the top tier out-polling six better financed and better known candidates. Between them, they received more than 15% of the total vote. The two top vote getters were more establishment choices who each received approx. 20%. One was R.T. Ryback, (Minneapolis Mayor), and Margret A. Kelliher, (State Speaker of the House). Third place was "Uncommitted". Neither one of these front runners will be successful in Nov. without being able to attract the left base. If there is lesson to be learned from Mass.: you ignore the liberal base at your own risk. Rahm had it only half right when he derisively said: " they have no where else to go." No Rahm, they can decide to stay home or worse yet send a protest vote and elect an unknown. Progressives are on the war path. Other lesson to be learned? It's a cliche', but...The middle of the road was a dangerous place to be in MN. last night. One of the candidates who ended up as road-kill last night was a good fellow named Matt Entenza. He and his wife are reported ton be worth around 300 million. She, (Lois Quam) was a former vice president of United Health. Her boss was Bill McGuire. The torches and pitchforks are out. BTW, the Republicon's turnout was 30% of two years ago. They are a little better disciplined than the Dems, but, not that much. I think this political fight is very fluid and will remain so until Nov. All the talking heads are predicting a bad slog for the Dems. It might be if we believe it. It could turn out to be more dangerous to be an incumbent than just a Dem. We'll see. Obama seems to be getting his groove back.

Daniel Pipes cannot possibly be as stupid as he sounds.

What's he really up to? He can't possibly think that bombing Iran would end its nuclear program; the program is too dispersed precisely out of fear of being bombed.

Pipes *is* providing the mullahs with propaganda points to help prop them up. And that gives people like Pipes more ammo for their books. They're sort of propping each other up.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/
Fascinating piece in the New York Times today about the original Tea Party movement, which took place -- sacre bleu! -- in France in the 1950s, complete with angry small business owners, a chief executive who was accused by some of not being "a real Frenchman," and other interesting conspiracy theories. What's most relevant for our present condition is the question: How did it end?

The election, though, proved to be Poujade’s swan song. He had demanded the nation’s ear, but once he and his fellow deputies had it, they had nothing substantive to say. Slogans and placards were poor preparation for governance, and the group’s rank and file soon either retreated from the political arena or joined the traditional right.

By 1958, most Poujadists were ready to throw their support behind a far more impressive opponent of the Fourth Republic, Charles de Gaulle. When de Gaulle assumed power and held a referendum that replaced the parliamentary system with an authoritarian executive, Poujade’s former adherents overwhelmingly voted yes. As for Poujade himself, he had already become a footnote to French history.

Today in America, we're seeing this already play out to some degree even before the fall 2010 elections, thanks in part to the fulcrum shift between the 60 and now (technically, as of Feb. 11) 59 Democratic votes in the Senate. People wondered if and how Obama would "pivot" in the State of the Union and related events, and I think the pivot was trying to place more responsibility on the GOP to...do something, anything. The "Party of No" may be offering a tiny ray of hope to the Democrats by giving them a chance now to run in November against the "do-nothing 41." (Although voters can and should also ask the Dems why they did absolutely nothing during those months that they had a supermajority.)

The other interesting parallel: Who is the Tea Party/GOP deGaulle?...no doubt this mass movement would rather rally behind an authoritative leader than all the hard work of holding rallies, carrying signs, etc. But who is that person? Sarah Palin? I think she'd only run for the job if they raised the presidential salary to at least $5 mil, right?

@ Gerald

Sorry friend, but as Ronald Regan used to say: "There you go again." You remind me of that Andy Capp character from Lil' Abner who goes around with a storm cloud over his head, or perhaps "Chicken Little" who is always warning that the sky is falling! I can be as cynical as the next guy, but, I think you sell the American people short. Bush fatigue is almost endemic, even amongst the Repubs. The last thing they will want to do is remind people of W's stewardship. You better worry about the other snakes in the woodpile. I mean slick dudes like Tim Pawlenty or maybe Mitt. Jeb Bush ain't gunna happen. I hope he tries though, it would introduce a turd to the Republican punch bowl. Or...more in keeping with your preferences: It would be a fart in their spacesuit.

Another day, another Dem defeat!!!

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2010/01/28/wisconsin_poll/index.h...

Russ Feingold behind in the Wisconsin polls for November, 2010. Democrats can expect an old fashion alley mugging by the GOP in 2010. Obama deceived me and his presidency has beaten the crap out of me in an old fashion alley mugging.

I know many service men and women who are gay and serve in the military. They are just as "gung-ho" crazy to be serving their country as any straight soldier. The funniest comment I have heard is one young soldier who was in a humvee with another soldier who was ranting about gays in the military. My friend is not out in his unit so he just listened. The soldier went on about how he wouldn't want to be worried about another guy looking at his "junk" while he was in combat. My friend winced at the sheer ridiculous of this as though someone else's behind is really an issue when in combat...but not only that, my friend says he just thought to himself, "As if...don't flatter yourself honey....most gays are pretty discriminating about their tastes! "

Here are some words from Howard Zinn.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/01/28-7

Has Forbes gone psychotic?

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/30/has-forbes...

Here is one example of how we waste money.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Grit-Your-Teeth-DNC-Fundi-by-Rob-Kall-1...

Thom,

Regarding the Economy, we need to become more competitive in the world marketplace, so one major move we need to make is to impose taxes and tariffs on all imports from the countries where most of our jobs have been exported to. If we raise the cost of importing goods to equal that of manufacturing it within the United States, it would give companies more incentive to keep the jobs in the USA.

While I know this concept would raise the prices on the majority of items sold within our borders, the revenues from the fees imposed on imports could be used to finance businesses within our borders, to fund education programs, and improve the GDP.

Re: Children and the Internet

The 'conservatives' are the most terrified people I have ever witnessed. Their entire agenda is not only motivated by fear; it is contingent upon it. When people are frightened they more easily give up their rights.

The conservatives and the Religious Right (and the big corporations) are using the fear card when dealing with our kids and the Internet, and, unfortunately, it might work.

They also use fear when dealing with children and sex in general, hence "abstinence only" education (which is a huge oxymoron, because how can you claim to educate someone when you do not teach them everything that they need to know about their own bodies and sex and relationships?)

In our home we have always treated education as paramount and we have been open with our teenage son about everything. He is computer savvy and extremely knowledgable and spends a lot of time online. I am not the least bit concerned.

We have taught him to never give anyone his age or his real name or his location. He can only "friend" people who he knows in real life. He is cautious and open with us and we communicate frequently about what he does.

I have no fear of the Internet... other than having our access to information limited, having the government snoop my records or Net Neutrality failing. Other than those fears we use the Internet as it was intended and I AM NOT AFRAID. Therefore, the cons have no way to manipulate me.