I doubt it will happen (though it should) but the Ohio Democratic Party would like to hold a forum of all the Democratic presidential hopefuls. Openers has the story but it's very short.
Read More: ODP thinks big - OPENERS
This is the first time I've seen Zack Space in person and I wasn't disappointed. In the last few weeks all the stories I've heard about Space and his efforts to work with his constituents have caused me to build him up as the gold standard that I compare all other public officials to. For someone to live up to hype like that is almost unimaginable but yet Space pulled it off flawlessly.
I was also amazed to receive an email addressed only to me tonight from Space's chief of staff apologizing because I wasn't able to speak with his boss. Now the real brilliance to this is that I had to clear out rather quickly (I had to meet someone back in the valley at 3 P.M.) and I had arrived a half hour late. Because of this I never even attempted to talk with Rep. Space. It was a great personal touch.
The 18th district is lucky to have such an involved and outgoing man (and his staff) representing them. I can honestly say that I wish they were representing me as well.
I posted earlier that I was sitting in on Zack Space's Salt Fork edition of his "Connect Appalachia" summits but before I could really get into anything the break ended and they started showing a few PowerPoint presentations.
First off a very quick guesstimate had me thinking there were around 60 people in attendance, almost equally divided between panelists and concerned citizens.
Highlights included:
All in all it was definitely a positive experience and I think it made some progress at identifying the main issues holding back broadband in the area and started looking at how to get past them.
I'm sitting here at Salt Fork Lodge during a 10 minute intermission of his "Connect Appalachia" summit on bringing broadband Internet to the area. I arrived about 30 minutes late because of some bad directions but so far I've heard some fairly interesting ideas. More coming later.
Update: I guess the intermission didn't have as much time left as I thought it did.
Okay if I get this right a man (Scott Pullins, a lawyer and blogger) helps spread the unsubstantiated rumor that at the time candidate for governor Ted Strickland is homosexual. This man then turns around and starts threatening various bloggers with lawsuits for publishing or allowing other people to publish posts and comments that portray him in a negative manner (regardless of whether or not they're true) if the items aren't removed immediately. The requests are reportedly made in bizarre and threatening ways. This in turn starts another round on posts from bloggers and demands from Pullins.
Might I suggest that Pullins has created, either by accident or on purpose (you know what they say: no publicity is bad publicity), and endless cycle of drawing negative attention to himself? Had the man simply let whatever little thing it was that started all this go I probably wouldn't even know who he was. Instead I keep reading countless stories about how he keeps attacking people just because someone anonymously posted a comment on their website. I'd also like to suggest that perhaps the reason for all the negative publicity is because a large group of people view his actions excessive and hypocritical. Translation: The truth hurts, get over it.
Now I want to clarify that this is just my understanding of the issue. I do this not just because I don't want to get myself stuck in any kind of legal mess but also because I really may not know the whole story. I'd also like to warn anyone looking to drag me into such a mess that I will do everything I can to get the case before Judge Judy. That way both parties will end up looking like idiots.
Read More: Plunderbund - » On Getting Threatened with Lawsuits and Watching My Wife Cry
For some reason my feed reader has been filled with stories about how President Bush is going to ask 15 countries to take action on cutting greenhouse gasses.
"So my proposal is this: By the end of next year, America and other nations will set a long-term global goal for reducing greenhouse gases," Bush said in a speech outlining his agenda at next month's meeting of leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations in Germany.
'The world is on the verge of great breakthroughs that will help us become better stewards of the environment.'
— President Bush
So my question is this: Why are we giving this man credit for leading this effort (that hasn't even happened yet) when he's refused to even debate more comprehensive plans that some of these countries are already a part of?
Source: Bush urges global goal on greenhouse-gas emissions by 2008 - MarketWatch
Just a quick update to remind anyone interested that Zack Space will hold his first broadband Internet summit tomorrow.
Also if anyone else uses Google Reader and would like to have their mind blown I'd suggest checking of the newly released Google Gears which enables offline reading. It's also supposed to be spreading to Gmail and Google Docs soon.
At least according to Politico
Fred Dalton Thompson is planning to enter the presidential race over the Fourth of July holiday, announcing that week that he has already raised several million dollars and is being backed by insiders from the past three Republican administrations, Thompson advisers told The Politico.
Thompson, the "Law and Order" star and former U.S. senator from Tennessee, has been publicly coy, even as people close to him have been furiously preparing for a late entry into the wide-open contest. But the advisers said Thompson dropped all pretenses on Tuesday afternoon during a conference call with more than 100 potential donors, each of whom was urged to raise about $50,000.
Thompson's formal announcement is planned for Nashville. Organizers say the red pickup truck that was a hallmark of Thompson's first Senate race will begin showing up in Iowa and New Hampshire as an emblem of what they consider his folksy, populist appeal.
A testing-the-waters committee is to be formed June 4 so Thompson can start raising money, and staffers will go on the payroll in early June, the organizers said. A policy team has been formed, but remains under wraps.
I just want to know how he's already raised several million dollars without even having an exploratory committee. I assume that he must mean people have pledged that much if he did run.
I took a quick trip through the Democratic presidential candidates campaign site's today to check out what kind of blogger access they allowed. Here's what I found...
While I haven't been able to find any sort of blogger outreach page on Barack's site I did manage to find a media credential request form. It might be worth a try if he stops in your neck of the woods. I'd assume that the MSM wouldn't need a form.
Edwards actually has a form where you can submit your blog information and receive updates from the campaign. I've been on it for a while now and it hasn't been anything groundbreaking so far. He also has a blog roll that you can sign up for and an assortment of badges to show your support. They also encourage people to start new blogs.
All I found on Dodd's site was the contact information for his media relations person. I also couldn't find the "DoddPod" anymore. He is on Twitter though.
I'd consider Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich lucky enough to have a site at all, much less a site with any functionality. Gravel did have some contact information up though. Kucinich went the extra mile and provided a form as well as a press kit. I was surprised that I couldn't find much from the likes of Biden and Clinton though. Both had contact information found by clicking a tiny "Contact Us" link at the bottom of their pages. The same goes for Bill Richardson.
It seems for now John Edwards is the only Democrat with any kind of blogger outreach effort. Barack's credential page is definitely intriguing but I can't say for sure just who exactly might qualify.
Update: I've sent messages to the Obama and Clinton campaign's asking about what policy they have about credentialing bloggers for events. I've received automated replies from both stating that it may take some time for them to get back to me and the Obama message implied that they may not be able to get back to me at all.
In a post at DailyKos Cindy Sheehan has announced her resignation as the "'face' of the American anti-war movement".
Read More: Daily Kos: "Good Riddance Attention Whore"
A man right across the Ohio River from me has announced that he will run for president as an Independent write-in. Does he actually expect to even win his own county?
New Martinsville resident Howard Haught said he has thought about running for president for a long time and has decided to go through with it.
He is running as an independent write-in candidate.
Haught served in the Navy and as a New Martinsville police officer, among other jobs. He believes his experiences make him as qualified as any other presidential candidate.
Source: New Martinsville Man Running For President - News Story - WTOV Steubenville
I can't believe I'm posting this but I want to be fair, these are real issues and I'd post them about a Republican in a heartbeat. I also want to clarify that this has very little to do with Wilson's Iraq vote.
Oh Charlie, where have you gone? We all learned to spell C-h-a-r-l-i-e W-i-l-s-o-n but we haven't gotten much in return.
When it comes to voting you've betrayed us on both stem cell research and the war in Iraq. The only bill I remember you cosponsoring honored John Glenn and that was probably more for PR than anything else.
Back here in your district the only event I've heard about that you attended was the Washington County Democratic Dinner. That's a far cry from the countless panels and meetings that have been held by your fellow Rep. Zack Space.
As for online presence you have a House website with:
That really helps us constituents a lot don't you think? It's almost enough to make a blogger cry.
So when Congress is in recess next week what are you going to be doing Mr. Wilson? It might be a good time to start making sure people remember how to spell your name again next year even if they won't have to write it on the ballot.
Update (6/4/07): Follow-up post can be found here.
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