**Sigh** Yesterday, Larry Kissell, a candidate we all admire (running as a Dem. in NC-8), posted a diary asking Kossacks to follow a link to the Progressive Patriot's Fund, headed by Russ Feingold. Kissell asked us to vote for him in a competition among progressive candidates there; the Prog. Pats Fund would give the candidate with the most votes $5,000.
I had the temerity -- the nerve --to compliment the diary, and make a suggestion. Now, I'm an Asshat. And all because I said...
Slow down a bit... (2+ / 0-)
This is a good diary and a terrific idea, but everyone considering voting should slow down and make sure you check out the Meet The Candidates page. There are other progressive candidates in the running for that $5,000, and they deserve your consideration.
There are two Ohio progressives, for example, whose election might help the nation better than the reliably Dem district that Kissell runs from. One of them, Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15) focusses on health insurance and help for the poor and working poor, two constituencies often overlooked in the general focus on middle-class families.
Ashwin Madia (MN-3)
Serv[ed] as the lead counsel in over one hundred trials, Ashwin is most proud of his work defending a gay Marine from administrative discharge in 2005 when is was clear that commanders were using disparate standards in their treatment of this Marine compared to other Marines.
Tom Perriello (VA-5) has worked extensively on war crimes in Libya and Sierra Leone, and
He helped found FaithfulAmerica.org and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, which bring together faith communities to fight for children’s health care, supporting a higher minimum wage, environmental stewardship, and responsible solutions in Iraq.
Charlie Brown, the CA-4 candidate, turns a district red to blue, as does Eric Massa in NY-29.
The last thing I'm saying is that we should bypass Larry Kissell. My point is simply that these are terrific progressive candidates, and they deserve a look -- a chance to 'win' that $5,000, and a thought to whether the money contributed to one district might help, overall, more than another.
Thanks for this diary!
4thepeople
The response I got?
Ass. Hat.
(3+ / 0-) Recommended by:cjallen, bettync, lpeacock
No signature this cycle is as important as electing Larry Kissell to Congress.
by RANT
My comment...and my style of participation on this site... is apparently what makes a Kossack an Asshat, these days.
What's my style of contribution? Well, you can certainly read my diaries and my comments on 4thepeople's page. But here are some contributions that don't show up there. Keep in mind: I am totally disabled, am not employed, and I live on an extremely modest fixed income.
This email confirms that you have donated $50.00 USD to Avaaz Foundation (iain@avaaz.org) using PayPal.Donation Details
Confirmation number: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Donation amount: $50.00 USD
Total: $50.00 USD
Purpose: Avaaz Foundation
Contributor: (4thepeople)
Note: Avaaz Foundation is a group of Burmese monks helping the Myanmar cyclone victims.
From: MoveOn org Political Action
Date: 4/29/2008 9:14:38 PM
To: (4thepeople)
Subject: Thank You!
April 29, 2008
Dear (4thepeople),
Thank you so much for your contribution of $25.00 to support MoveOn.org Political Action's Obama in 30 Seconds ad contest.
Your contribution will help pay for the contest and broadcast the winning ad once it's been picked.
[ActBlue] Thank you for your contribution
Your contribution:
Ben Chandler -- $10.01
ActBlue Federal Tips -- $0.50
Total: $10.51
Occupation: Not employed
Employer: none
ChipIn Event Title: Black and Missing Blog
ChipIn Event Organizer: Deidra Robey (mzdeidra@hotmail.com)
Transaction ID: 0bd99443cb2efc32
Contribution Amount: $50.00
Contribution Date: March 14, 2008 10:24 AM CDT
[Black and Missing Blog does what the media consistently refuses to do ...it publicizes missing non-white children, and tries to coordinate searches.]
ChipIn Event Title: Pretty Bird Woman House
ChipIn Event Organizer: Pretty Bird Woman House (campisib@gmail.com)
Contribution Amount: $250.00
Contribution Date: November 12, 2007 11:48 PM GM
Subject: [ActBlue] Thank you for your contribution
Your contribution:
Donna Edwards -- $150.00
BlogPAC -- $50.00
ActBlue -- $20.00
Total: $220.00
Contributor Information:
Occupation: none
Employer: none
Dear(4thepeople),
This email confirms that you have paid Larry Kissell for Congress (info@larrykissell.com) $24.00 USD using PayPal.
Hello, webmaster!
>
> I click on Ecology Fund and the other CharityUSA sites every day
> (I've saved more than an acre of land thus far). I've changed my
> email address since the first time I registered on your site. How
> do I change my email address so when I log in, I use my current
> email address rather than the old one?
>
> Thanks for all you do.
> (4thepeople)
Subject: [ActBlue] Thank you for your contribution
Your contribution:
John Unger -- $50.00
Contributor Information:
Occupation: none
Employer: none
Subject: [ActBlue] Thank you for your contribution
Your contribution:
Eric Massa -- $25.00
Donna Edwards -- $25.00
Al Franken -- $25.00
Darcy Burner -- $25.00
Dan Seals -- $25.00
BlogPAC -- $25.00
Dan Maffei -- $25.00
Mark Pera -- $25.00
Charlie Brown -- $25.00
ActBlue -- $22.50
Total: $247.50
Contributor Information:
(4thepeople)
Occupation: None
Employer: None
Subject: Thank you for your contribution
From: webadmin@dccc.orgThank you for your generous contribution of $10.00.
Your contribution will immediately go towards supporting Democratic House candidates across the country and putting an end to the Rubber Stamp Congress once and for all. It's time to win and with your help we can make that happen.
Thank you for your support.
10/27/2006 3:01:28 PM
To: MoveOn org Political Action
Subject: Rural districts in play
Dear MoveOn guys;
I'm responding to your message because I don't think you've understood me at all. I was invited to host a house party and do phone banking by MoveOn precisely because the upstate NY campaign of Democrat Michael Arcuri against Republican Raymond Meier (NY-26) is the quintessential example of a traditionally "red" seat that is in play. The open seat, held by departing Republican representative Sherwood Boehlert, is highly competitive, with Arcuri (Dem.) on the brink of an upset in this traditionally Republican area.
The problem is that rural Democratic party infrastructure, and especially its GOTV, is desperately in need of help. This is true of upstate NY as it is true of the midwest and western states -- areas of potential growth for the Democratic party. But we need help. Rural areas have special problems and need special focus. Rural red to blue is achievable, but only if organizations like MoveOn will help.
We need to focus our attention on the midterm elections, and there's nothing to be done about rural areas right now. But please -- don't just blow me off. After the election, please please engage this issue. It will face us again before we know it, in 2006 and beyond.
Sincerely,
(4thepeople)
From: (4thepeople_
Date: 10/22/2006 10:39:32 PM
To: Chris Bowers
Subject: Re: Google Bombing Ray Meier (NY-24)
Dear Chris:
I read about your Google Bomb project in your Daily Kos diary, and I'd love to volunteer. I'm in upstate NY, in the Arcuri - Meier district race, and that's a natural for me; I'm not sure how many upstate NY volunteers there are, so I'm open to doing some of the other upstate NY races as well (looks like NY 24, 25, 26, and 29). But I might as well start with Arcuri - Meier.
Let me know how I should start. Thank you! (I've also taken the NY phone numbers for your Use It or Lose It, and I'll be phoning on Monday).
Let's get it started!
--4thepeople
...I have looked at Meier's Wikipedia entry, and in all honesty, it looks like his Wiki entry was written by someone from his campaign. It is both bland and entirely favorable to Meier. My guess is that anyone doing a websearch for Meier will stop in at Meier's campaign website -- nothing we can do about that -- and the Wiki entry.
My solution would be to add negatives (all true and verifiable) to the Wiki itself. For example, I could add to the Wiki that Meier opposes embryonic stem cell research, and I could add the particulars of the issues on which his Drum Major Institute "F" grade rests.
...
(Diary readers, please... by all means... check my additions of factual material that balanced the puff-piece posted by his campaign or his fans; they've since been edited out, but they can be found here.)
From: Steve Thibodeau
Date: 9/7/2006 3:33:02 PM
To: (4thepeople)
Subject: Re: DKos phone bank volunteer!
Again, thanks so much for agreeing to volunteer to do phone calls. It appears that the dKos volunteers alone should be able to contact one whole precinct! That's pretty amazing, and I'm grateful for the help.
Attached please find a script, talking points about Central Committee, and a list of 5 numbers to call. The script and talking points are in Word format, and the phone list is in Excel.
If you want to call in the mornings or evenings, it does not matter to me. I'll be calling in the evenings this weekend, if that helps as a guide.
Once you are done, just let me know how many you get through and report back to me. If you have any questions, you can call me at 443-939-8113. Thanks so much for your support!
Steve Thibodeau
---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: (4thepeople)
Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 19:28:33 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)
>Hello, wmtriallawyer!
>
>Sign me up to volunteer on your campaign phone bank -- it's a privilege! I
>have a prepaid card; I'm on total disability, very limited income, so my
>phone card has to last. But I'll certainly give you 5 phone calls, with
>pleasure. Just email me back with the details.
>Good luck! --
>4thepeople
From: Tell ABC, ThinkProgress.org
Date: 9/5/2006 7:56:38 PM
To: (4thepeople)
Subject: Thank you for telling ABC to tell the truth about 9/11
From: (4thepeople)
Date: 8/30/2006 2:20:35 PM
To: news@timesdispatch.com
Subject: A follow-up on Sen. Allen's "macaca" slur
Dear News Editors:
Daily Kos, the well-known blog, has been closely following Sen. Allen in the wake of his use of the "macaca" slur. (While you may know Daily Kos to be a 'liberal' blog, it is not an inaccurate blog; Daily Kos writers may interpret facts in a liberal light, but they do not make up facts.) I am forwarding to you a front page article posted on Daily Kos today, that shows Sen. Allen to have ties to a virulently racist organization, the Council of Conservative Citizens. The Kos article (and online commentary) can be found at http://www.dailykos.com/...
Dear (4thepeople)
This email confirms that you have paid Kos Media $5.00 USD using PayPal....
Payment Details
Item Price: $5.00 USD
Total: $5.00 USD
Item/Product Name: Jeremy Recovery Fund
Item/Product Number: Jeremy
Buyer: (4thepeople)
From: contributions@actblue.com
Date: 4/9/2008 10:30:20 PM
To: vitaconsecrata@gmail.com
Subject: [ActBlue] Thank you for your contribution
Your contribution:
Barry Welsh -- $10.01
ActBlue Federal Tips -- $1.00
Total: $11.01
Occupation: Not employed
Employer: None
From: BarackObama.com
Date: 9/28/2007 5:51:04 PM
To: (4thepeople)
Subject: Thank you for your donation!
Dear (4thepeople),
Thank you for your generous donation of $250.00.
Of course, I've deleted a bunches of emails that document other acts of advocacy I've done.
So. That's what an Asshat on Dkos looks like, these days. Well, give me about 150,000 of my kind of Asshats anyday. Because...si se puede; because we're going to change the world. Because my kind of Asshat is an Asset.
And, oh, yes: some Kossacks will surely say that maybe I just need to develop a thicker skin. But lemme tellya ...splitting my grocery money in half to help out these progressive candidates isn't really a luxury, for me. Getting rid of Republicans is, for many of the poor like me, a true matter of survival. And helping people who are in even more desperate straits than I am (like the Katrina victims, the Burmese, and the women at Pretty Bird Woman House)is what you do when you don't have thick skin enough to ignore their suffering. In my book, you can't have it both ways: If you're sensitive enough to care deeply that others are suffering, you're bound to be sensitive enough not to enjoy being cursed out by people who ought to know better.