Progressive Democrat Issue 173

Strange week. Saw my first McCain ad this week...and it is clear he is running as a Democrat. Healthcare, alternative energy, environment...all Democratic talking points. We have gone from Democrats feeling like they have to run as Repub-Lite to Republicans trying to hide behind a Democratic facade. You even have a Republican running for Senate in Oregon trying to claim (falsely) that Obama supports him. This is desperation for the Republicans! It sounds like racist attacks have failed them, though I am sure they will try more as time goes on.

Meanwhile yet more polls show Obama ahead in Virginia and Missouri, tied in Florida, AHEAD IN INDIANA (wow!) and within 1-2 points of McCain in North Carolina, Alaska and Georgia. Each and every one of these states was solid Bush in 2004. Now they are either leaning Obama or effectively tied.

In NY there have been some major developments. In the NY-13 Congressional race (where I back Steve Harrison) the Republican candidate died last weekend. Right now there is no Republican candidate for the last remaining Republican seat in NYC. This is the seat currently held by disgraced Republican Vito Fossella, who was so pro-family values he had to have two families, unbeknownst to his wife. In addition, the Republicans took another hit when long-time state senate majority leader Joe Bruno decided not to run for re-election and to step down as leader. Bruno has seemed worn out and tired. His party is slipping, he faces being in the minority by next year, and, sadly, his wife died not so long ago. In the end I think his heart is no longer in it. But it is one more sign of the NY State Republicans losing their grip.

This week I include some video of Senate candidates in states I don't normally cover. It really looks like we are likely (not possibly, but LIKELY) to flip at least 4 Senate seats from Repub to Dem this year: Virginia, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Colorado. We also have a reasonable shot at flipping Mississippi as well, for 5 very good challneges. And we also have a shot at 2-4 more including Mitch McConnell's seat in Kentucky. With some real effort we could really take over the Senate.

One problem with all this is, great though it sounds, it may be coming too late on one extremely critical issue: global warming. I have covered how the more optimistic scientists think we have 10 years (now more like 8) to deal with global warming before we are hit with the full brunt of it. That relative optimism is fading. Jim Hansen, possibly the top global warming scientist, has revised that down to one year. This is our last chance right now. This rather frightening statement is covered in some detail on Daily Kos. The statement that we have one year to deal with this gigantic problem is demoralizing, and it plays into one right wing talking point that has always struck me as stupid: well it's too late now so let's not do anything. In the Daily Kos article it addresses this right wing talking point:

Some have speculated that we have already passed tipping points, and there is nothing we can do. The first may be right (probably is, unfortunately), but I strongly disagree with the second. a) Keep in mind there are widely varying degrees of badness: 1 million people dying is very different from ten million dying, which is very different from a billion dying, which is very different from 5 billion dying, which is very different from 6 billion dying. I don't know where on this scale we fall, but I think we still very much do have the ability to keep it close to the start. So b) all these windows are closing fast. That's why Hansen-- and so many of us here on dKos-- feel such a strong sense of urgency.

I think we have a year to keep the disaster down to more the million dying mark. If we don't, as individuals and as a society, take huge steps in the next year, I believe a billion could die within the next 50 years as a very, very rough estimate. Flooding (of the scale Bangladesh sees annually), famine (already started), water shortages, spreading diseases and war will all take a large toll. And for what? What did we gain by putting it off? Nothing. Not one goddamned thing. There is no more time to debate, delay or wait for someone else to deal with it. I have said ten years so often now. But global warming accelerated this past couple of years far beyond what any models predicted. Things are worse than even some of the more pessimistic predictions and things have been accelerating. Waiting any longer means, quite simply, more and more deaths.

If you can, offset your carbon usage. I suggest either Native Energy or Carbon Fund, though I use other ways as well (like purchasing energy efficient and solar stoves for families in Darfur or Central America or Haiti...let me know if you are interested in this kind of carbon offset).

And anyone in almost any part of the United States can purchase (sometimes in a roundabout way) their home energy from renewable energy generation companies. Joy and I have been doing this through a NY State program for a few years now and the increase in our monthly bill was only a matter of pennies. You can buy green energy through this website.

We can't wait any longer.

Stopping global warming is not just about saving the environment for the hunters, fisherman, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts of today and tomorrow. Global warming is a matter of national security. Will we live in a world where we must fight our neighbors for fresh water and food?

— General Wesley Clark, quoted in Global Warming: The Last Chance for Change

Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

DEMOCRATS WORK, REPUBLICANS EAT CAKE

JOHN McCAIN OPPOSED FUNDING MIDWEST FLOOD CONTROL MEASURES

SENATE RACES: Some Great Candidates

NEW YORK TO PHILLY: A Joint Voter Reg. Operation

IOWA FOCUS: Dams, Blogs, Peace Vigils, Groups and Events

OHIO FOCUS: Blogs, Progressive Candidates, Groups and Events

WISCONSIN FOCUS: Dams, Blogs, Progressive Candidates, Groups and Events

NEW JERSEY FOCUS: Dennis Shulman, Blogs, Blue Jersey Radio, Impeachment, Groups and Events

GEORGIA FOCUS: Obama, Veterans for Peace, NAACP, Groups and Events

FLORIDA FOCUS: Blogs, Obama, Christine Jennings, Joe Garcia, Groups and Events

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Blogs, Progressive Candidates, Alternative Energy, Groups and Events

VIRGINIA FOCUS: Blogs, Obama, Impeachment, Groups and Events

NEW YORK STATE FOCUS: Blogs, Progressive Candidates, Peace Vigils, Groups and Events

ILLINOIS FOCUS: Dams, Peace Vigils, Alternative Energy, Groups and Events

MICHIGAN FOCUS: Blogs, Obama, Mark Shauer, Gary Peters, Groups and Events

PENNSYLVANIA FOCUS: Blogs, Progressive Candidates, Groups and Events

NORTH CAROLINA FOCUS: Blogs, Obama, Kay Hagan, Larry Kissell, Veterans for Peace, Groups and Events

OREGON FOCUS: Blogs, Jeff Merkley, Neighborhood Leaders, Groups and Events

TEXAS FOCUS: Blogs, Rick Noriega, Alternative Energy, Groups and Events

ALASKA FOCUS: Diane Benson, Mark Begich, Veterans for Peace, Groups and Events

ARIZONA FOCUS: Progressive Candidates, Groups and Events