Jack Conway is Kentucky’s Attorney General. He is running for the Senate now – and his opponent is Rand Paul. Read about Jack Conway’s campaign here – and if you are moved to support him as we are, please donate at this Act Blue page. But, hey, the quilt people must have something more going on, right? Correct!
Those of us who are crafters understand that any worthwhile project takes time. I don't quilt, but I crochet. Crocheters and knitters start out with a hook or needles and a skein or ball of yarn (or several), and end up with a blanket, or a sweater, or a pair of socks. As you begin, the task seems daunting, and you wonder if you'll ever finish or if you should just chuck everything into a box and go do something actually useful, or at least clean out a closet or something. But then, as the project grows by rows or squares, you start to see progress, and at the end you look at your finished product, whether it's for yourself or a special someone, and realize that all the work was worth it in the end.
I'm sure it's the same for quilters, like Sara, her sister Ann, and many others; they start with a pile of fabric and a pair of scissors, and gradually, as they cut and fit the pieces like a puzzle, what looks like stuff for the trash to most people becomes a work of art.
Jack Conway is running for Senate from the state of Kentucky. Not only is he running to replace the retiring Jim Bunning, he is running against Rand Paul, a man who has severe problems with the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act as they apply to his friends in the business community. And as one who has a mother-in-law whose disability bridges the era before and after the ADA, this one's personal, folks.
Rebuilding Congress has a lot in common with all crafts; it's not going to happen overnight, and it takes a lot of hard work. And, just like you need money to buy yarn or fabric, you also need money to elect candidates. And thanks to the generosity of Sara R., you can not only have the opportunity to know that you contributed to changing this seat from Republican to Democrat, but also the opportunity to receive the above pictured quilt!
As Sara wrote in her diary:
Back in 2006, at the very first Yearly Kos convention (now known as Netroots Nation), we had a quilt available for signing – something that has since become a tradition and a symbol of progressive blogger community. That quilt is “From Red to Blue”, a roman stripe patterned quilt designed by Aunt Arctic, pieced by Aunt Arctic, my sister and me, and hand quilted by me. This quilt really is an artifact of that first convention – and it contains some fabulous signatures. Here they are, listed by block number:
1-1 Shirley Koegel
1-2 fabooj
1-3 Rain
1-4 Pastor Dan
1-5 Yerritt Blom
1-6 Mary Blom
1-7 Brian and Jane Elliot
1-8 Quicksilver
1-9 Francie Goodrich
1-10 Toni R. Ramiz
2-1 Joe Trippi
2-2 Sobermom
2-3 democracylover
2-4 Malacandra
2-5 Timothy D. Smith
2-6 Danielle Coppola-Smith
2-7 Kate Daniels
2-8 Adam Conner
2-9 Hunter
3-1 Christina Stallard
3-2 Arianna Huffington
3-3 Frisco
3-4 Scott Harrid
3-5 Atrios
3-6 Mariva
3-7 Eddie C.
3-8 Colleen
3-9 Liz Noteware
3-10 Murray Waass
4-1 Lo Owens
4-2 Anne Schu
4-3 Warren Lathe
4-4 Mrs. Pastor
4-5 Chunyang
4-6 Mark in San Fran
4-7 Bridgitt Funk
4-8 Chinton Wheeler
4-9 Ann Reed
5-1 China Parmalee & Elizabeth Compa
5-2 Ambassador Joe Wilson
5-3 Emptywheel
5-4 Twin Planets
5-5 Sharon Mahoney
5-6 Pachacutec
5-7 Gov. Mark Warner
5-8 Jerome a Paris
5-9 Barb Morrill
5-10 Rick Boston
6-1 Fred Koegel
6-2 Robert Greenwald
6-3 Shermanesqe
6-4 Jessica C. Clark
6-5 raginggurrl
6-6 Bonddad
6-7 George Lakoff
6-8 K.J. Lakoff
6-9 Linda Mercer and the Boise Peace Quilt Project
7-1 Howard Carlin
7-2 Ducktape
7-3 Jerome Armstrong
7-4 Ellen Harten
7-5 bendygirl
7-6 Susan S.
7-7 Ilona Meagher
7-8 Sam Seder
7-9 Alinda Lord
7-10 Pucklady
8-1 hono lulu
8-2 Maryscott O'Connor
8-3 Martianchronic
8-4 Eric Wagner
8-5 Ninth Elegy
8-6 Jim Edwards Hewitt
8-7 Nolan Treadway
8-8 Sarah R. Carter
8-9 Aunt Arctic
9-1 Christina S. O'Connell
9-2 Uncle Jack
9-3 Pamela Nelson
9-4 Raines Cohen
9-5 David Perry
9-6 Bonnie Hannifin
9-7 Ke (Kay?) Tibbetts
9-8 Derth Adams
9-9 paxpdx
9-10 Elizabeth Carter
10-1 hyperbolic pants explosion
10-2 Martha Tune
10-3 Andy Ternay
10-4 Chicago Dyke
10-5 Tracy Joan
10-6 Rep. Brad Miller
10-7 David Sirota
10-8 Milo Elliot and Rosemary Elliot
10-9 Jack Carter
11-1 Jeanne Vollmer
11-2 Vigilant Meerkat
11-3 Daniel Senning
11-4 M&M Gal
11-5 Jeffrey Feldman
11-6 Redd Hedd
11-7 Juliette Moore
11-8 Quotefiend
11-9 Brett Spivey
11-10 Glen Greenwald
12-1 Jesterfox
12-2 Momster
12-3 Diane Palmer
12-4 San Diego Dem
12-5 Londonyank
12-6 Rochelle Athey
12-7 mik
12-8 Nicole Sawaya
12-9 Skwimmer
13-1 Barbara B
13-2 CD Moondancer
13-3 Stephen Darksyde
13-4 Maribeth McIntyre
13-5 Baratunde
13-6 World Wide Ellen
13-7 Lisa Schiff
13-8 Brillig
13-9 Mary Ratcliff
13-10 Dante Atkins
14-1 Linda Lee
14-2 YKos volunteers
14-3 Pat Schwieterman
14-4 Frederick Rhine
14-5 Eric Boehlert
14-6 mc joan
14-7 Elizabeth D.
14-8 Evie Zeidman
14-9 virgomusic
15-1 Chris Bowers
15-2 Chris Kenngo
15-3 Greg Felice
15-4 Kos
15-5 Michael Schiavo
15-6 Terry Boggs-Moura
15-7 Mark R. Brown
15-8 Major Danby
15-9 David Keeler
15-10 teacherken
16-1 Kael Alford
16-2 Lucky Ducky
16-3 Diane Purcell
16-4 Maxomai
16-5 James W. Hill
16-6 Lakshmi Chaudry
16-7 Senator Harry Reid
16-8 Dan Abbott
16-9 Alex Vrevick-Ackelsberg
17-1 Kid Oakland
17-2 American River Canyon
17-3 Shockwave
17-4 DiAnne Gieser
17-5 Deborah Brown
17-6 Rick Hegdahl
17-7 Vince Vitale
17-8 "42"
17-9 Zack Brown and Anna Hentzel
17-10 Lil Bird
18-1 Scarecrow
18-2 Gina Cooper
18-3 Laura Fitzpatrick
18-4 David Atkins
18-5 Jamie Vollmer
18-6 Tim Waters
18-7 Ann Rose
18-8 Nancy Skinner
18-9 Outlandish Josh
19-1 Katie Halper
19-2 David T. Harris
19-3 Jamie Ekatomatis
19-4 Claude Hayward
19-5 Robyn D. McMillin
19-6 Jeanne & George Kalogrides
19-7 Mari Higgins
19-8 General Wesley Clark
19-9 John Laesch
19-10 Sari Joseph
Many of those names are still with us; others have gone on to bigger and better things.(Unfortunately, my name is nowhere on the quilt; like Dick Cheney in the Vietnam War, I had "other priorities", but unlike Cheney's priorities I think celebrating my spouse's 50th birthday took precedence even over progressive politics.)
From now until September 15, every day you donate $10 (or more) to this Act Blue page, you will receive a chance to win the quilt – one donation per day will be counted. OR, if you prefer not to donate, you can enter by writing an essay of 50 words or less on this subject: "What Jack Conway’s Run For the U.S. Senate Means to Me” -- and send it to communityquilts (at) yahoo.com. If we find your essay to be topical, we will give you an entry in the drawing, one essay per person per day. The drawing will take place the last day in September.
Please consider helping out in this grand project and taking the opportunity to receive a piece of art that is also practical as well!