The Final Strategy Session of 2008

So what should we discuss? I'll let you decide. What were the most memorable moments of 2008?

What were the biggest learning experiences? What were the biggest mistakes? What were the best decisions?

Enjoy the final strategy session of 2008. Next week, I'll be back in full swing as we discuss what to do in 2009.

Weekly Strategy Session: House 2010

Swing State Project has a great thread up today on possibly vulnerable House seats in 2010. This really got me thinking.
What Congressional races do you think we should invest in?

The strategy session is now open. Please come on in!

Late Nite Strategy Session

OK, it's time to open up this week's strategy session. What should we discuss? Yes, I'm asking you tonight.

What are you concerned about? What do you think we need to work on? What should our goals be in the coming weeks?

It's time to open up the session. So please, come on in & let's get working.

Weekly Strategy Session

This week, I'm opening the session to you. What should we focus on in the coming weeks? What issues should we discuss? How should we plan for future campaigns?

I want to hear from you on what we should do now. Go ahead and chat away.

Weekly Strategy Session: If They Won't, We Will!

OK, everyone! Ready for this week's strategy session? I am! We need to talk. Seriously.

Unfortunately, many of our Senators decided to ignore us & let "Traitor Joe" Lieberman off the hook. He keeps his dear Homeland Security Committee chair and he only loses one Environment subcommittee chair. After working aggressively AGAINST Democrats, he only gets a weak slap on the wrist and a meaningless "condemnation" from real Democrats.

Is this for real? REALLY??!! Did Traitor Joe just get away with almost murdering the Democratic Party?

I don't know about you, but I'm furious! Even my own Senators in my reliably Blue State couldn't muster the courage and the decency to hold Traitor Joe accountable for elliing out his integrity and our party for his additional 15 minutes of infamy with his beloved Johnny Mac. How could they? How could the Senators that we elected cave into Traitor Joe?

It's not like he actually does his job. On the Homeland Security Committee, he's never held one investigation into the botched response to Hurricane Katrina or our continued national security challenges. He's always caved into Republicans in agreeing to confirm radical right judges who consistently oppose civil rights, workers' rights, and environmental protections. He always runs to the corporate media to bash real Democrats and bad-mouth our now President-Elect. So again, why are Democrats rewarding Traitor Joe for failing all of us?

If they won't do what's best for our party and our country, then we must. It's time for us to hold "Traitor Joe" accountable. The aforementioned (as in linked) petition to start a campaign to unseat Traitor Joe in 2012 looks like a good start. But what else can we do? That's where I need your help!

What can we do in the coming months to not just defeat Traitor Joe Lieberman, but really hold accountable all those politicians that break their promises to us before actively working against us? Let's talk about it. And once we have a plan of action, let's make it happen!

Where I Think We Can Go Now

This last week has been so much for me. I've been delighted. I've been hurt. I've been in mourning. I've been in celebration. I've even been sick in bed!

And especially since I've been sick, and again today when I had to renew my state ID at the DMV, I've had some time to think about what we can do next. As someone with Latinos & Asian-Americans and Arab-Americans my family, I've been so proud that so many in this nation voted for our first President that also happens to be a person of color. But as a gay person, I've also been extremely depressed that a majority of voters in three states (including the state where I presently live) decided to deny gay & lesbian couples the basic right of marriage. I feel like part of me wants to feel proud of this nation while the other part of me is still embarrassed of the continuing oppression of at least 10% of this nation's people.

So where do we go from here? First off, do whatever you can to help the ACLU & other progressive legal organizations as they fight the Florida & California marriage bans in court. Amidst the bad news of these two evil, discriminatory initiatives passing, the good news is that they're so poorly written that we stand a good chance of defeating them in the courts. And if the courts side with us, it will be nearly impossible for the homophobic radical right bigots to try this in The Golden State & The Sunshine State ever again!

Also, we need to get into the American people's heads that marriage bans are segregation. Remember when racists said only 50 years ago that "separate but equal" is AOK, thereby Jim Crow segregation laws should stand? Well, they're doing it again. This time, the homophobic bigots in California tricked voters here into thinking that "separate but equal" domestic partnership agreements are AOK. And in Florida, they went even further in banning ANY AND ALL LEGAL PROTECTIONS for same-sex couples! We need to educate people that love is love is love and that all relationships between two loving adult people deserve the same equal protection under the law... And that the ONLY way for us to achieve this is by granting full marriage equality to everyone!

So now that we've talked about civil rights on the state fronts, let's talk about the national scene. Fortunately, we have better news there. We have a Democratic President & a Democratic-controlled Congress. So what should we now demand from Washington?

First off, how about fixing our broken economy? How about energy independence? How about universal health care? How about bringing troops home from Iraq? How about taking action on all these items?

Let's face it: Our economy will need one heck of a stimulus to recover! And perhaps instead of simply encouraging us to buy more crap from China, our government should take action to secure the long-term health of our economy. This means creating new jobs in the growing renewable energy sector. This means using the money we'll save by ending the Iraq occupation to fund investment in American infrastructure. This means making our workforce more attractive in the global marketplace by solving our national health care crisis.

I know the Republicans now say that "we can't afford any of this". However, the truth is that we can't afford NOT to take action on these matters. Frankly, we need the extra money invested in our economy. This is why President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Reid shouldn't hesitate to enact a BIG agenda that addresses all that'swrong with our economy.

So do you agree with my agenda? Perhaps not? Well, then tell me why! Let's finish formulating our agenda so we can get it done!

Where Do We Go Now?

Today is our first weekly strategy session post-election. We have some HUGE decisions to make. Later on, I'll be sharing my ideas of what we can do next. But first, I want to hear from all of you!

So what should we focus on now? What can we do in the coming days and weeks and months to overturn the horrendous marriage bans in California & Florida? What can we do to help those Democrats still locked in too close to call races? What can we do now to prepare for 2010 & 2012?

And perhaps more importantly, what do you want to be President Obama's policy priorities? What should be the top issues we ask President Obama & Congress to tackle ASAP? Where should the new administration begin?

This week's strategy session will be two segments. Now, I want to hear from you. Later, I'll discuss my ideas. And in the coming days, we'll formulate a plan of action for the next four years.

Sound good? I hope so. Now let's start talking!

Tuesday Strategy Session: What We Can Do

In case you've lost track of time, we only have two weeks left to make a difference in this election. So what can we do? Well, let me tell you about what I did last weekend.

In addition to my local walking, I also made phone calls to Nevada. Other than door to door, face to face contact, the best way to reach voters is by way of volunteer phone calls. Yes, that's right. Better than robocalls, better than mailers, better than teevee or radio ads... Calling works! And last weekend, I was able to do just that in calling Nevada. I talked to undecided voters, I reminded Obama supporters to vote early, and I may have been able to convince people that weren't originally planning to vote to vote early.

This is why it's critical for us to keep working right now. And especially now, it's critical for us to reach voters in the swing states and GET THEM OUT TO VOTE! The Obama campaign has made it easy for us to help. All we need to do is visit my.barackobama.com and either sign up to call online and/or sign up for a physical phonebank.

It's simple. It's easy. And best yet, IT WORKS! Please make the calls for Obama and help Democrats win!

Tuesday Strategy Session: Update on Our Races

OK, now that I'm back, I'd like to get today's strategy session going. Let's talk about some updates on our All-Star races. Ready for the big news?

NV-03: So far, so good for Dina Titus. The Rothenberg Report upgrades this race from "Pure Toss-up" to "Toss-up/Tilt Democratic". Also, Dina Titus has taken a large 9% lead in her new internal poll while the best Jon Porter could muster in his own tracking poll was a 2% lead for him. Oh yes, and did I mention that I had a great time campaigning for her and Obama last weekend? ;-)

NM-01: News is now breaking that GOP candidate and current Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White was involved in the US Attorneys Scandal that has crippled the New Mexico GOP. They all tried to politicize the US Attorneys and the job they're supposed to do for Republican gain, but the whole mess is now backfiring on them. Martin Heinrich's latest internal poll has him up 5% with leaners, and up 6% without, supporting the newest independent polls here also showing Heinrich in the lead.

Oh yes, and here's Heinrich's awesome new ad!



MI-09: Gary Peters is leading Joe Knollenberg 41% to 37% in his new poll. Obama's also leading McCain in this district. Hopefully with all the Democratic efforts to win Michigan this year, we'll win this race as well.

CA-04: The newest Research 2000 poll here has Charlie Brown leading Carpetbagger Tom McClintock 46% to 41%. Hmmmm, I wonder why? Maybe because Charlie Brown has a history of serving the community up here while McClintock's just looking for another prominent soapbox to spew his radical right crap? Just sayin'... ;-)

Feeling good? I hope so. Want to feel better? Well, why not donate?! That'll really cheer up for day... And your November 4! :-)

Tuesday Strategy Session: Reclaiming the O'mentum

Oh, my! Take a look at these new & interesting poll numbers via 538.com!

Ohio: McCain +1
Michigan: Obama +2
Colorado: Obama +5

538.com Projection:
Obama 284 EVs
McCain 254 EVs

So far, so good. Obama's closing the gap in Ohio, holding on in Michigan, and taking back the lead in Colorado. Still, the race looks close. However, it's a little reassuring to see Obama bounce back in most of these crucial swing states.

So what more does the Obama campaign need to do? What do you expect out of these next three days of the convention? What must be done for Democrats to win this fall?

The strategy session is now open. Come on in & grab a comfy seat. It's time for us to plan for victory this fall! :-D

BELATED Weekly Strategy Session: Open Thread

OK, my bad. I forgot again to schedule our weekly strategy session for Tuesday. So because I f***ed up, it's your reward.

I'm opening up the strategy session to you. Tell me what our agenda for the next few weeks should look like at C4O. Since this community belongs to all of you as much as it does to me, I'm open to suggestions.

Still, enjoy this open strategy session while it lasts. Next week, we'll have a whole lot of work to do. The home stretch of this 2008 election is fast approaching, so I want all of us here to be fully prepared to fight... And win. :-)

Tuesday Strategy Session: Beyond VP

I know, I know... There's a whole lot of speculation going on trying to figure out who Barack Obama will pick as his VP. And you know what? I'm f***ing tired of all the idle speculation!

No really, I'm done speculating. While I have my own opinions on who I'd like to see as VP, there are far more important matters we need to deal with. That's what we'll be talking about in today's strategy session.



First off, MoveOn & VoteVets have a great new ad ready on what's wrong with McBush's plan for indefinite occupation of Iraq. I mean, isn't "Operation Iraqi Freedom" supposed to be about letting Iraqis decide their own future? Well, they now want their country back. So shouldn't we help put this ad on the air?

Secondly, we all know that "the liberal media" is nothing more than a myth. But still, the corporate media is being allowed to smear Democrats while giving Republicans like John McBush a free ride. This simply must stop. Let's help Media Matters fight the lies & spread some truth.

And finally, let's remember to show some love for the one special lady in our lives that won't stop fighting for us. Hillary has kept her promise to us, so let's keep our promise to her. Let's remember to help Hillary retire her debt & elect more Democrats to office.

Get it? Got it? Great! Now let's finalize our agneda & get it done! :-)

BELATED Weekly Strategy Session: Where Do We Go From Here?

Hi, everyone! I'm sorry that I haven't been around much lately. I've been violently ill since Monday night, and I'm just now beginning to rediscover life outside my front door.


So anyways, let's talk about what's been happening this week while I've been suffering on my sickbed. First off, the horrid "FISA Amendments Act" capitulation crap passed. And worse yet, our nominee Barack Obama voted for it. So will this HUGE mistake of his prevent me from
supporting him? No! But has it been dampening my enthusiasm? No doubt it is!


So what should we do to hold Obama accountable while continuing to support him against John McBush? I really need your help here. Should we write to him asking why he broke his promise to us? Should we take some of that extra money we were planning to send him and give it to Hillary instead? After all, Hillary did the right thing and opposed the fonal bill while Barack ultimately agreed to the capitulation to Bush on FISA.


And while we're talking about Democrats doing the right thing, let's expand on this thought. While this blog is dedicated to electing Barack Obama as our next President, we certainly refuse to stop there. We also want to send more progressive Democrats to both houses of Congress, more Democrats like Hillary Clinton with real courage & backbone, who will hold President Obama's feet to the fire and pass the legislation that he's promising to make into law. So now, I want to ask you... Who else should we be supporting here?


We'll certainly always have Hillary's back... She's earned our respect many times over. But still, who else should we be pushing for? Which Democratic House & Senate candidates do you like that we should take a closer look at? Which organizations supporting Democratic Congressional candidates should we give a thumbs-up to? Since C4O is your community as much as it's mine, I'm opening the floor to all of you. Which candidates and organizations should we support in order to elect more "Hillary Clinton Democrats" to Congress?


OK, so are you game for this week's strategy session? Need a quick review? That's fine. I'll remind you what's on the agenda:


- What to do with Barack now, after the FISA disappointment

- Supporting Hillary for getting FISA right

- How to elect more Democrats to Congress who will show real strength, just like Hillary


Get it? Got it? Great! Let's start the session!

Tuesday Strategy Session: Defending Wes Clark, Stopping "PUMA", Saving the Constitution

(Proudly cross-posted at Democratic PartyBuilder) Hey, everyone! I'd like to start a new tradition here at C4O. I want for us to do a weekly strategy session, when we can all get together and discuss some important action items. So are you ready to join me for our important weekly strategy session? First off, I want us to talk about the new right-wing smear campaign against a promiment "Clintonista for Obama" and good friend of ours, Gen. Wesley Clark. Because Wes Clark isn't afraid to tell the truth about John McCain's dangerous plans to keep our troops mired in Iraq indefinitely, the radical right is now having its friends in the corporate media trash the General. That's why VoteVets now has a peitition up for us to support Wes Clark. But still, what else can we do? Can you help me come up with ideas? In other news, Chris Dodd is asking us to become citizen co-sponsors of his amendment to the FISA compromise bill that would strip retroactive immunity from telecom companies that aided and abetted the Bush Administration in warantless wiretapping. What else can we do to support Dodd? What can we do to save our Fourth Amendment privacy rights? There's a great group up and running on "MyBO" (the Obama campaign's online community) calling on Barack Obama to do the right thing... How can we support their efforts? And finally... We just have to figure out a smart strategy to take care of "PUMA". One of our fabulous community members informed me about Yes to Democracy, a fantastic clearinghouse site where we can get the real facts about what the "PUMA movement" is all about. So what can we do to support their efforts to actually support what Hillary Clinton is calling for us to do? We now have a wonderful group of committed Democrats that's continuing to grow and flourish... But what can we do to take that to the next level? I'd love to have your input. OK, so do you need a quick review of our agends for this week's strategy session. Well, here goes: - Defend Wes Clark Against the Right-wing Smears - Save our Fourth Amendment Privacy Rights - Stopping the "PUMA Madness" Are to ready to help me do something? :-)