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20 January 2006

Jan. 20, 2006

In my normal daily reading of political websites, I couldn't help but smile at this on Politics1:

OPEN THREAD. Friday is January 20th, so we only have to wait exactly three more years for President Russ Feingold's inauguration. See you there!! (Also, for button collectors, please check out my eBay auctions.)
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 01.20.06 | Permalink | COMMENTS (91)
Thanks Ron.

18 January 2006

Welcome Iowa and MeetUps

Today I'd like to welcome Iowa for Feingold, the latest addition to the pro-Feingold blogging movement. The blogger in question, noneed4thneed, has been active on RussForPresident.com for a while, and it's great to see a new blog for this first and very important state of the primary season.

Also, the first Feingold for President MeetUps are starting up, which you can see listed on RussForPresident's Events page. The first ones so far are in Madison, WI (Feb. 19) and New Brunswick, New Jersey (Feb. 20), being organized by RussForPresident and NJ for Feingold, respectively.

[UPDATE] Add another one to the list: Los Angeles, California on Feb. 19. [/UPDATE]

Why those days? Because February 20th is Presidents' Day. A fitting start to the next phase, no?

I'm afraid I won't be in town that week, but if anyone wants to do a Feingold for Michigan MeetUp that weekend, e-mail me and I'll help you set it up. Perhaps something to go along with the Michigan Democratic Convention on the 18th? It'd be a great way to get the word out. So e-mail me if you're interested.

16 January 2006

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day -- Mid-January Update

Today's a very important day, honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., perhaps the greatest public speaker of the 20th century, and a man that in his short life accomplished so much for America's minorities. Today should be a day of remembrance, recognizing the greatness of Dr. King.

This is my first post in a few weeks, and I apologize for it-- especially considering all of the Feingold news that I missed. Here's a quick recap of everything.

First, there were the confirmation hearings for Samuel Alito. RussForPresident.com has that pretty well covered, here, here, here, and here. (Also, a side note that I wish I didn't have to make: on those pages and others, RussForPresident.com has been getting a lot of trolls in the comments. To all those who don't support Feingold, I say that all the other pro-Feingold bloggers and myself are willing and ready to get into an honest debate on the issues, Senator Feingold as a candidate, or what a President Feingold would do. But the character attacks and supposed "facts" without any proof do nothing to support your credibility. This might get me in a little trouble, but trolls such as those are cowards and nothing more. They're afraid to honestly discuss issues because they're afraid that they're not smart enough to convince anyone of anything. Seriously, folks, this kind of thing bothers me.)

Next, somewhat lower profile than the Alito hearings but perhaps even more important to a Feingold for President campaign are some good posts over at Feingold for Illinois and Tennesseans for Feingold. Just as he was a leader in campaign finance reform, Senator Feingold is the leader of lobbying and ethics reform, with his positions outlined here and here.

And Senator Feingold recently travelled to Vermont and New Hampshire, some of which apparently was covered some on C-SPAN. His visits, including campaigning with one of my favorite congressmen, Bernie Sanders, soon to be joining Feingold in the Senate. Tennesseans for Feingold has this one covered nicely as well.

And those folks keep writing some pretty high-quality things. Check out Schwompa's explanation of why Feingold's religion won't hurt him.

"Oh my," you're probably thinking. "That's an awful lot of stuff I need to read! I'd better get right on it!" Well, now I'm going to add a few new sources of information for you. The campaign moves along with the additions of several new state blogs-- California for Feingold, Feingold for President - Minnesota, New York for Feingold, and Pacific Northwest for Feingold. So, let's recap, just so that everyone knows. We've got Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, Illinois, Tennessee, California, Minnesota, New York, and the Pacific Northwest (Washington and Oregon). If we count Washington and Oregon as separate, that puts us at 10 states-- one-fifth, 20 percent, or, quite simply, a fantastic step in the right direction. The next step is to turn each blog into a network of supporters ready for the primary season. I haven't been posting as often, but I have been working some behind the scenes when I can, and hope that by the end of February I can report some positive developments in this state.

For now, all Michigan readers are encouraged to join the soon-to-be active Michigan for Feingold Yahoo group, where we can discuss how to move the campaign to the next level.

One last thing: the Irregular Times has added wiki-style sections on each of the leading Democratic 2008 candidates. Check out what's up already for Senator Feingold, and add anything left out. This could become a great resource in the future.