Category: Politics

One Trillion Dollars

I think I should read Matt’s stuff more often: The shocking truth, according to Bilmes and Stiglitz, is that if one applies the Congressional Budget Office’s basic assumptions about the duration of the [Iraq] conflict (“a small but continuous presence”), it will cost nearly a staggering $1.27 trillion dollars before all is said and done. […]

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Liberal Outsourcing

When my fellow interns and I would grumble about our tasks at the ACLU of Michigan a few years back, the legal director would like to remind us that he got his start in politics canvassing for the nuclear freeze movement in suburban Michigan — in winter. Is political canvassing — specifically outsourced canvassing — […]

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BAM-N Launches Organizing Drive in DC

Thought this was interesting. As usual, the issues they talk about are very important. Their usual tactics are another question; hopefully the DC organizers will be more democratic and civil than the Detroit group. Dear DC Public School Advocates, I’ve had the privilege of working with many of you in the DC Full Funding Campaign, […]

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Yet Another Reason to Avoid Trotskyites

Affirmative Action “victim” from the Gratz v. Bollinger case, Jennifer Gratz is accusing BAMN/Revolutionary Works League organizer Luke Massie with threatening her with a knife. Having failed in the courts, Gratz is currently heading an effort to ban affirmative action through a ballot initiative. Whether or not there’s any truth to the story, it underscores […]

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Reframing and the Global Warming Debate

I blogged about these ads produced by the industry-funded “Competitive Enterprise Institute” attacking Al Gore’s documentary on global warming because they’re too over the top not to be funny. However, the tagline to each spot reveals they’re playing defense against a subtle shift in the way people talk about global warming. Each ad ends with […]

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Political T-Shirt Designs Wanted

My friend Elana at Campus Progress emailed me about a t-shirt designing contest they’re hosting for their annual student conference this summer. In addition to an overall winner, two other winners will recive $500 cash prizes for best humorous design and best single-issue designs. The star-studded judges panel includes Janeane Garofalo, Markos “Kos” Moulitsas Zuniga, […]

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Wiki the Presidency

Like many nonprofits, my old employer People For the American Way was all over the place when it came to new technology. While they had some really great staff excited about blogs, podcasts, and other new technology, some (including some young people) were skeptical and perhaps a bit afraid with how the new technologies could […]

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