Welcome! "The Evening Blues" is a casual community diary (published Monday - Friday, 8:00 PM Eastern) where we hang out, share and talk about news, music, photography and other things of interest to the community.
Just about anything goes, but attacks and pie fights are not welcome here. This is a community diary and a friendly, peaceful, supportive place for people to interact.
Everyone who wants to join in peaceful interaction is very welcome here.
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Hey! Good Evening!
Tonight's music features first generation bluesman Robert Nighthawk, a remarkable slide guitarist. Enjoy!
Robert Nighthawk - My Sweet Lovin' Woman
"The party politics being fashioned for empire and for inverted totalitarianism is a politics where the parties court voters but do not seek mass membership. Consequently most vote for a party without joining it; a few become party foot soldiers, and fewer still are courted as “contributors” of huge sums of money. A party wants a few zealous cohorts, generous donors, and a mass of occasional, TV-conditioned voters."
-- Sheldon Wolin
News and Opinion
From Marriage Equality to Legalizing Marijuana, Election Day Ballot Measures Won by Movements
In Obama's 2nd Term, Will Dems Challenge U.S. Drones?
I expect that the Obama administration will continue their policies of drone strikes, which have killed hundreds of innocent people and have put to death, through drone strikes, thousands of individuals who were just determined to be combatants, often because they happened to be the wrong age. This is repugnant to morality. It’s morally depraved, this drone strikes. And whether you’re a Democrat or Republican doesn’t matter. This is about what kind of human beings we are.
When partisan politics trumps morality, we are in big trouble. So I had no problem whatsoever in challenging this administration, the Bush administration, the Clinton administration, or any other administration, whenever I felt the—the honor of our country, the heart of our country was at risk.
The drone situation is abominable. By the way, I’m going to have a briefing in Washington on November 16th on the drone policies. We’re going to be bringing some of the top people in the world who have something to say about this and could be considered experts, on civil liberties and other matters.
But our country is changing, you know, and think about this: drones are now being offered and used domestically. How long is it before some local police department uses a drone to intercept and kill a suspect, and when that becomes commonplace? People say, "Oh, well, that can’t happen." Well, it’s happening now overseas, and we’re committing acts of war in other countries without Congress’s knowledge or without Congress’s assent. We’ve got a problem here. And no matter who wins tonight, we still have a problem.
'Corporations Are Not People' in Montana, Colorado
In a landslide victory Tuesday night, Montana voters approved an initiative stating "that corporations are not entitled to constitutional rights because they are not human beings" -- corporations are not people.
The initiative directly challenges the now infamous Citizens United decision, which allows corporations to contribute unlimited amounts of money for campaign groups know as super PACS and 'shadow money' organizations.
Initiative 166 will win roughly 75 percent to 25 percent, according to the likely, but not yet final, results, Montana's Billings Gazette reports. ...
Similarly, Colorado Amendment 65 looks like a victory. 65 instructs Colorado’s congressional delegation to propose and support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that allows congress to overturn Citizens United.
Colorado and Washington Officially Legalize Marijuana
Bachmann likely to hang on by a thread after tight re-election race
The Tea Party darling and failed contender for the Republican nomination Michele Bachmann has said she is “humbled” to have been re-elected to Congress as projections showed her on course to narrowly defeat her Democratic challenger in Minnesota after a very expensive campaign.
Bachmann, who pulled out of the race to become nominee in January after only 5% of Republicans in Iowa entrusted her with their vote, led the businessman Jim Graves by 3,256 votes, with 98.2% of precincts reporting, according to unofficial state elections returns.
Both CNN and the Associated Press called the contest for the incumbent, who will return to Congress for a fourth term
Ben Jealous, Laura Flanders on Obama’s 2nd Term & the Future of Progressive Politics
Michigan Voters Reject Emergency Manager Law - Victory for both unions and democracy
In a victory for unions and grassroots organizers, Michigan voters rejected the controversial Emergency Manager Law or Public Act 4 of 2011 which bequeathed a state-appointed manager with sweeping powers including the ability to get rid of union contracts, dissolve local governments, sell public utilities and slash budgets in fiscally-troubled communities.
The Detroit Free Press is reporting that, with 93 percent of precincts in, Michigan voted 52% to 48% against keeping the contentious law, which had been suspended since August when opponents of the bill won a court decision to have the referendum placed on Tuesday's ballot.
In U.S., Corporate Cash Pouring into State Campaigns
Local and state campaigns have become a moneyed battleground this year for corporations and special interest groups hoping to sway the results of elections for local and state offices on Nov. 6.
From California to Texas to Florida, global businesses as well as ideological organisations and extremely wealthy groups have helped channel more than 1.6 billion dollars through political action committees and non-profit groups and into local campaigns and issues this year, according to the National Institute on Money in State Politics, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that analyses state campaign-spending reports.
Some of the cash went into campaigns of local lawmakers. Other amounts supported campaigns for judges, sheriffs and other offices. More than 6,000 legislators are running for election Tuesday, according to the National Council of State Legislators, with most relying on private funding.
German economy beginning to feel pinch of Europe’s debt crisis
The German economy, which long seemed immune to Europe’s debilitating debt crisis, is now feeling the pinch and growth will be hit in the fourth quarter, a panel of top economic experts said Wednesday.
This assessment was backed up by new data showing that industrial output slumped in September, as the key manufacturing sector is hit by falling demand both inside and outside Germany. ...
Growth has been slowing this year. After expanding by 0.5 percent in the first quarter, the economy grew by 0.3 percent in the second quarter and growth looks set to slow again in the third quarter.
“Economic momentum in Germany is likely to reach bottom in the fourth quarter,” the Five Wise Men wrote, confirming their previous March forecast for overall gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 0.8 percent for the whole of 2012.
Strikes hit recession-plagued Greece
The Do the Math Tour
Blog Posts of Interest
Here are diaries and selected blog posts of interest on DailyKos and other blogs.
What's Happenin'
From Liberal Victory to Disempowerment in Six Easy Steps
A Little Night Music
Robert Nighthawk - Return Mail Blues
Robert Nighthawk - Someday
Robert Nighthawk -- Mama Talk to Your Daughter
Robert Nighthawk - Anna Lee
Robert Nighthawk - Blues Before Sunrise
Robert NightHawk - Honey Hush
Robert NightHawk - Love you Tonight
Robert Nighthawk - Kansas City
Robert Nighthawk - I'm gettin' tired
Robert Nighthawk - The Time Have Come
Robert Nighthawk - Dust My Broom
Robert Nighthawk - Prison Bound
Robert Nighthawk And Houston Stackhouse - Bricks In My Pillow
Robert Nighthawk & Forrest City Joe - Lonesome Day Blues
Robert Nighthawk - Can't No Grave Hold My Body Down
Remember when progressive debate was about our values and not about a "progressive" candidate? Remember when progressive websites championed progressive values and didn't tell progressives to shut up about values so that "progressive" candidates can get elected?
Come to where the debate is not constrained by oaths of fealty to persons or parties.
Come to where the pie is served in a variety of flavors.
"The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum." ~ Noam Chomsky
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