Howard Dean in Idaho

Sharon Solomon and Howard Dean

This photo is our past, our present, and our future.  It was taken on April 16, 2011, at the North Idaho Democracy Luncheon at the Coeur d'Alene Resort and Casino in Worley, Idaho.  I was there.  It was exciting, inspirational, and educational.  And I had the proud opportunity to hear, and even meet, Gov/Dr. Howard Dean.

In the photo above is Howard Dean, Governor, Doctor, Democratic National Committee Chair, past Democratic candidate for President, and one of the founders of Democracy For America.  Dr. Dean represents both out present and our past.  He represents our past because he has a history of engagement in Democratic, Progressive, and Populist politics.  He also was one of the first politicians to make large scale use of the internet in the 2004 primary run for presidential candidacy.   As president of the DNC, he implemented the 50-state strategy which was very beneficial to the Democrats in many states, including Idaho.  Dr. Dean also represents our present because he is still a prominent political figure in Democratic circles and because his organization, Democracy For America,  has become a primary part of Democratic training and education.  He is also a dynamic speaker who doesn't shroud his speech in euphemisms, ambiguity, and hyperbole; instead, he goes straight to the heart of the matter and states the truth.

The other person in the photo is Sharon Solomon.  She is our future.  She is one of the "younger than thirty" generation who holds the fate of our country and possible even our world in her hands.  Currently, Sharon is a student in north Idaho.  She jumped at the opportunity to not just attend the luncheon/speaking engagement with Howard Dean, but she also attended the DFA training sessions as well. Sharon is part of the Millennial Generation and she is our future.  And Sharon wasn't the only student there listening to Howard Dean.  Students came from the University of Idaho, Lewis and Clark State College, North Idaho College, and as far away as the College of Southern Idaho.

Dr. Dean pointed out that polling during the 50-state strategy showed that Sharon's generation is the first multi-cultural generation.  Also, it's a generation that is neither liberal nor conservative.  Even President Obama, stated Dr. Dean, wants to work with both Republicans and Democrats because "he wants to get things done."  He added that we should always listen to young people or we leave them behind.  Actually, I think that if we don't listen, they leave us behind.

The anthropologist, Michael Wesch, made very clear in his video A Portal to Media Literacy, that students learn differently today.  Technology makes a big difference, from cell phones to laptops, and to all the different ways this technology can be used.  Furthermore, social networks like Facebook and even youtube are important aspects of these students' lives.  Young people are not just our future, but it's a very different future than that of the baby boomers.

Republicans were not spared by Dr. Dean.  He pointed out the obvious, but in a way that made me want to ponder these blatant facts.  He said that Republicans don't care about facts and that Democrats allow Republicans to say anything they want.  It's about time for Democrats to emphasize that we work for the working class, the middle class, the lower class, and all those who are not in the top 2% of the tax bracket.  Dr. Dean pointed out that "we manage money fairly."  Indeed, he said, we are fair and we want everyone to have opportunities.  He added that as much as Republicans focus on social issues, "ideology doesn't put food on the table."

I am still amazed that Howard Dean came to Idaho.  Usually we're the state that nobody wants to visit because we're so unimportant politically and we're also so Republican.  That's changing.  The number of Democratic votes is rising.  Slowly.  But as Dr. Dean said, we cannot just look to the next election, we have to look to the fifth election.  Democrats from all around the state and even from out of state attended the luncheon.  They came from the east and southeast, Lemhi to Twin Falls; from the southwest heading north, Ada to Benewah; and from the north to the south, from Boundary to Kootenai.  They even came from Washington and Montana.  Idaho, like a number of western states, are all too beautiful with too many good folks, to remain Republican.   We share values about health care, education, social security, veterans, and privacy. 

And we care as much about the future of our country as the generation who carries that future in their hands.

The Ten Mile Diet Dessert

Last Sunday I had a 300-0 mile diet dinner at my house. Everyone brought pot-luck dishes, made from ingredients grown within 300-0 miles from our county in north Idaho. I felt bad when the first thing my friends said was that thinking about their dish was very stressful. But, as we talked some more, they were all up for the challenge of creating the best dish. The number one problem with cooking locally and sustainably turned out to be salt! How do you make a dish taste really good without salt? Good question. None of us were able to identify a source of local (within 300 miles) salt, unless, of course, we made some from sea water. The second toughest ingredient turned out to be oil. We do live in an agricultural area, and many farmers grow canola, but it just isn't made here. However, thinking about all of this made us aware of what we have, what we could be making, and what we can live without. And we all enjoyed the party!

In spite of the lack of salt, the dishes were creative and delicious: leek and potato soup, adding fresh Cougar Gold cheese for some saltiness; zucchini "pasta" ribbons with a fresh tomato sauce including local garlic, tomatoes, and basil; locally raised Scottish Highland beef meatballs with Priest River cheese; Montana feta; salad from the garden; vegetable casserole; and my apple wine zabaglione with hazelnut meringue cookies.

Yeah, I won with best dessert. I have to confess I searched for salt, but in my pastry-loving heart I knew dessert would be my entry. A friend around the corner gave me some cream from her cow. I whipped most of it but saved some to turn into butter. With the butter I sauteed some apples slices (from my tree), sweetened with some local wildflower honey. This went on the bottom of a teacup. Then I made my "zabaglione" with local egg yolks, the wildflower honey, and some apple wine that my neighbor had made from local apples. I stabilized this with the whipped cream and put it on top of the apple slices. Finally, earlier in the day I had made local hazelnut, meringue cookies (using the local egg whites), sweetened with the honey. The cookies topped off the custard. It was really good. Frankly, I think it was the wildflower honey that put the dessert over the edge. It's so flavorful.

So, I throw down the gauntlet and challenge all readers to try a locally sustainable dinner. It might give you pause to think about what you eat and how far the ingredients must travel before arriving at your table....

I Think I Love This Judge

Nothing tickles me more than reading about a well-deserved and eloquent delivery of both summary and insult in one sentence. The Fine Books and Collections blog has captured such a moment. Some corporate schemer, involved in a proxy lawsuit against the giant book chain Barnes and Noble, received this verbal swat from a Delaware judge:

"At bottom, Yucaipa is simply positioning an absurd scenario at best fit for a discussion by a Red Bull fueled group of nerdy second year law school corporate law junkies, who find themselves dateless (big surprise) on yet another Saturday night."

Just The Energy Bill

I received an email this morning which I found enlightening because it made me wonder to what extent either ignorance or greed, or perhaps both, influenced the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Project Agency decision to provide monies for energy research into projects that do nothing to help prevent global climate change. As the Wired.com Google Spreadsheet demonstrates, the biggest slice of the $150+ million money pie went to energy storage and biomass energy technologies. Carbon capture? Isn't that a way to give tons of money to polluting industries? Waste-heat capture? Energy storage? If we didn't produce toxic waste, we wouldn't have to be spending millions of dollars trying to figure out what to do with it.... (download The Story of Stuff for Annie Leonard's pointed and entertaining video about our ability to produce too much stuff!!).

And don't even get me started on biomass....that incredible brainstorm of the waste industry that burns our carbon sequestering resources (wood), contributes to the the biofuel rape of the earth, and promotes cultural ethnocide on a scale that simply takes their breath away.

I mean, even Scientific American has figured out that renewable has to stop after wind, solar, geothermal, and tidal because we don't really need to depend on fossil fuels. We have enough to do the job. It just takes money being delivered into the direction of real care and concern rather than never-ending pockets.

Of course, organizations like Friends of the Earth have had it figured out for some time. Just check out their latest video Just the Energy Bill.

How much of a "Suck it, Santa" meltdown will it take before we stop the corporations and other foolhardy greedmasters from destroying our earth, our cultures, our diversity, our lives....

I Love Rain In July

And that's exactly what it did today: rain. I awoke around 5am to a real cloudburst with a bit of thunder and lightening to boot. Now that's the way I like to greet the day. Water for my garden (which is way too big and too much work, but Lordy, how I love to reap the rewards), a crisp, moist smell in the air, and thankfulness for the moisture and escape from dry heat. Now all of that makes me happy.

I really didn't do much today.... although my son and mother will be very happy to hear that I did make raspberry jam. With three days off, I really should have done more but hey, it was the 4th of July, and I needed to celebrate with friends. My friends, Diana and Steve, have a small house/cabin (too big for a cabin imo) on the Moyie River. I arrived too late to join the float-down-the-river gang, but still enjoyed the breeze, the shade and some nice, cold beer. As a potluck, I thoroughly enjoyed all the wonderful dishes that everyone brought, especially Fred's Scottish Highland beef burgers and Michael's spicy, hot venison/goose smokies. I also loved all the various salads and desserts. Me, I brought homemade vanilla ice cream. It was all delicious.

It thrilled me to announce, to many who had not heard, the news about Sarah's resignation as governor of Alaska. And like everyone else, I await the "true" reason for her resignation. I just hope to God it doesn't mean she plans on moving back to Idaho and running for governor. Horror of horrors!

Now, several days later, with Sarah's resignation still a topic of speculation, with more rain and thunderstorms and lightening, and with a full week of producing grub for hungry tourists awaiting me, I'm still feeling rather happy. It must me the cool weather and Mother Nature fulfilling my rain wishes. And to top it all off, I'm eating out of my garden: spinach, baby turnips, baby beets, lettuce, peas, omg peas, herbs, peppers, zucchini, and yes, I immediately stuffed into my mouth the first two orange mini tomatoes. Such a glutton! I really should upload some photos one of these days.

I bask in the luxuriousness of it all, knowing that global warming is not a vast left wing conspiracy and that very hot weather lies ahead.....

"Nice People Take Drugs"

Nice People Take Drugs, is a new, British campaign by Release, "...the national centre of expertise on drugs and drug law...." In consideration of current laws, and specifically the "War on Drugs" as criminal offenses that require punishment, Release calls for a new paradigm, a new way of thinking about current drug problems. Instead of focusing on drug users as "bad" or seeing drug use as "evil," Release calls for a discussion about what is really needed to reduce drug use in society, specifically in Britain but with ramifications around the world.

Release is not the only group that approaches drug problems with a call for a renewed discussion about treatment instead of imprisonment. stopthedrugwar.org is an international organization that "...calls for an end to drug prohibition (e.g. some form of legalization), and its replacement with some sensible framework in which drugs can be regulated and controlled instead." This is neither unreasonable nor surprising given that the criminalization of drug users is not working to reduce drug use. Senator Jim Webb of Virginia introduced the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009 which addresses the overall problems of incarceration, including reform of U.S. drug policy. For many years, Congressman Ron Paul has addressed the issues of drug policy and drug legalization. The Swiss have long realized that maintenance programs work while criminalization does not. Studies and policies from around the world demonstrate that a new discussion and perhaps a new paradigm is needed in order to address the problem of illegal drugs.

What I find most ironic about this, is, that "scheduled drugs" are routinely prescribed by doctors as well as being promoted by drug companies in magazines, on the web, and on television. I think it's about time that we realize that nice people do, in fact, take drugs. Once we truly grasp that idea, we may be able to actually have a discussion about drugs, addiction, criminalization, and treatment that offers workable solutions for all societies.

Human Rights, North Idaho Style

On Monday, March 16th, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Human Rights Education Institute and the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations dinner/fundraiser/awards banquet. Four hundred and fifteen people, count them, 4 1 5, attended the dinner. Of course a thousand would have been better, but this is north Idaho, and getting that many people out on a Monday night impressed me.

Thanks to Jeanne Buell, Idaho Democratic Party Vice-Chair, both Laura Bry, Bonner County Democratic Central Committee Chair, and myself, received invitations to sit at Jeanne's table. Of course, friends from around north Idaho also sat at the table and it's always nice to reconnect with others in the north Idaho community.

The Coeur d'Alene Press provided a good overview of the events, including the exciting announcement of the Civil Rights Award to Scott and Mary Lou Reed. Having known Scott for almost twenty years, and Mary Lou for almost as many, it pleased me to no end to see them awarded for the many contributions they consistently make to the people of north Idaho. You guys are the best! We should all try to follow your example.

Nontombi Naomi Tutu gave an inspired, heartfelt, pointedly truthful speech about racism. She said that in order to heal the wounds of racism, we have to recognize that racism in each and every one of us. Pointing out that although people may say we don't see differences, we do, as is so evident when we look at what children say ("out of the mouths of babes and sucklings"). Through their words, we can all see that children see differences, and they see these differences as opportunities to learn, but as adults we try to shush the children in order to be polite or whatever. Nonbombi Tutu suggested that, like children, we should see differences as truth, talk about those differences, and respond to, and appreciate them.

She gave the example of white people saying, "I don't think of you as black," meaning black has a stigma or story for the rest of the community. So when a white woman can finally make that statement, what it really means is that she now trusts and respects the black person. Prejudices exist, and until we know and recognize them, we cannot begin to come together. She gave us, a room full of white people, a glimpse into the causes of racism and asked us to recognize difference as opportunity. I think her point was well taken.

I felt honored to be there, and proud as well, to be a member of a community that seeks to educate about racism, prejudice, and human rights. I am so thankful for all the Human Rights activists, in Idaho in particular, and around the world. It takes all colors to make a rainbow.

When It Rains, It Pours

Wow, the news is overwhelming. Thank goodness I have to work tonight, meaning I focus on food instead of world events. That will be a relief after this day of troubling news.

Every morning I read The Independent (London) for that out-of-country perspective on today's news. Inevitably, it's the newspaper in which I first hear about all global warming events. Today was no different. But what I learned is very scary. It appears that if the world doesn't do something this century, then the melting of the Antarctic ice may be unstoppable. Not a good way to start the day.

Amy Goodman and countless others have not only been keeping a watchful, indeed astounded, eye on the AIG bailout, but also bringing attention to all those not helped by the bailout. That includes the group I'm in: the 55 yr. - 80+ yr. olds.

Then my husband directed my attention to an article about Idaho's favorite French friend, the nuclear poster child, Areva. Check it out. Areva is begging for a bailout from the French government, i.e., French taxpayers because, amongst other problems, its stock has plunged. They must also pay billions in penalty fees for their Finnish plant. But it doesn't end there. Their reprocessing plant in La Hague is under attack everywhere for discharging massive radiation into the English Channel. Oh, and there's much more, including having nowhere to dump their nuclear waste which is being made worse by the U.S. not opening Yucca Mountain. In terms of business sense alone, Areva's problems are welcome news to me, because anyone with a lick of sense would no longer trust any of Areva's plans for Idaho.

Specifically, this news about Areva may actually benefit north Idaho because Areva is now focusing on building a biomass plant in north Idaho. The same news was recently reported in The Statesman, where it seems some ignorant souls like the idea. So do some folks in Bonners Ferry, obviously oblivious that another proposal for a biomass plant was shelved in 2001, due to public outcry. I guess they like that old adage, "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Or perhaps it's just the local mania for more and more timber harvest. Obviously, for the taxpayers' sake, Areva is not a safe company to do business with these days. Unfortunately other biomass companies will be lined up behind Areva to sell their snake oil to all ignorant buyers.

Wow! From the world to the Democrats to north Idaho, the news has been overwhelming. I guess I'd better head off to work and try to impart a little love and happiness into tonight's food because the world, if not just Bonners Ferry, seems to need it. A lot.

Frank Church Banquet 2009

The weekend of March 6-8 found me once again in Boise for my usual reason: the Idaho Democratic Party Frank Church Banquet and state committee meeting. This visit proved to be an exceptional one for several reasons. First, I joined several other Idaho political bloggers on both Friday and Saturday nights for an exchange of stories, political discussions, great beer, and lots of fun. Not only did I experience Boise nightlife, but Nampa's as well. And I received an educational lesson on beer. Bloggers know what's important....

Secondly, events like the Frank Church Banquet allow me to become re-acquainted with fellow Democrats. It feels really good to be surrounded by other people who share a similar political ideology. Those large groups do not often come together in the netherlands of Idaho and one can begin to feel very alone in the redder parts of this great state.

Finally, I really wanted to hear what the banquet, keynote speaker, Jim Messina, had to say about the Obama White House. Jim is an Idahoan through and through, raised in Boise, a graduate of Boise High School, with family still in the state. And now he is Obama's Deputy Chief of Staff. And he did have something to say about working with Obama and being in the White House. He basically said that he has learned five very important lessons so far. His description of these lessons painted a portrait of a president who is respected, intelligent, and insightful as well as having a good sense of humor, great love for his family, and a belief in not just our country but in its citizens.

While describing these five important lessons, Jim also made us all aware that in many ways he is like his president, including his love of family, his willingness to work hard for our nation, and his own disarming sense of humor. The first lesson he learned is that no one is more important than anyone else. It takes teamwork to accomplish great and small tasks and the people who helped organize the Obama campaign and who now work in the White House are all team players.

Jim also learned that such jobs are never glamorous. His office is small, he receives more emails than he can read, and at all hours of the day (and even night) people want his help and attention. His main job is fixing problems, whatever they may be, which entails both seemingly insurmountable problems to petty and insignificant ones.

Next Jim pointed out that Democrats are passionate. He gave several examples of this, including his own faux pas at the Democratic National Convention which led to his being taken aside by Obama who told him, "Let me make the headlines." But Democrats' passions show up in many forms, and Jim also described the example of approaching an arena at which Obama was to speak and at three miles away people already were lined up along the roadway, just for the chance to wave to Obama.

Jim also made us aware that contrary to some opinions, Democrats are not disorganized. He told several anecdotes about Democratic organization, but the one that stayed with me is that on the Sunday before the election, the Obama team knocked on over one million doors. Now that is true grassroots organization!

Finally, he said that Democrats not only make history, but that their core beliefs are the same as the American people's beliefs. In making history, he described how ironic, but also historic it is that slaves helped finish building the White House that is now occupied by the first African-American president and his family. He also mentioned how Obama has already begun to repair the damage of the Bush administration with the passage of SCHIP and the Lily Ledbetter Act, and with a re-newed focus on alternative energy. He made the point that this administration believes in making health care available to all Americans, in becoming energy independent, in insuring that all children receive a world class education, and in providing tax relief to those who need it most, the poor and the middle class, and not the richest, and not the corporations.

All in all, Jim provided a personable and insightful view into all the next four years could be. Idaho Democrats are proud of Jim and very happy with their new president. This weekend demonstrated to me that Democrats are fair, organized, passionate, and that they believe in providing for the American people. And although their job as Democrats may not be glamorous, Democrats are terrific, rather beautiful people.

What Human Rights Act?

I cancelled my subscription to the Spokesman-Review when they published what I felt was an extremely racist cartoon portrait of Barack Obama. So imagine my surprise today when I heard about their editorial which slammed the Idaho Legislature for their recent committee denial for a bill that would insert into the Idaho Human Rights Act a measure for the prevention of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

On February 20th, Senator Nicole LaFavour made a motion to the Senate Affairs Committee for the Idaho Human Rights Act to include anti-discrimination provisions for sexual orientation and gender identity. She had, at least, twenty legislative co-sponsors including Chuck Coiner, R-Twin Falls. But to no avail. The committee voted 5-2 against the motion. The "against" votes included Senators Denton Darrington, R-Declo; Monty Pearce, R-New Plymouth; Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs; and Russ Fulcher, R-Meridian, who have now successfully made the entire state of Idaho a place that is not too great for hate. Indeed, by virtue of their vote, they indirectly endorse hate. Why are these guys even in the Legislature?

The real tragedy of this failed motion lies in a legislature that has too many members who are so blind, so devoid of empathy, so lacking in intellectual thought, and so absolutely unable to act as individuals, that through their own sin of omission they allow others to openly discriminate against LGBTs. When 64% of Idahoans believe that it should be illegal to fire someone because of their sexual orientation, why are those people not represented in our state legislature?

In a candid and poignant interview with Thanh Tan, available at The Mountain Goat Report, Sen. LaFavour mentioned two reasons for this denial of motion that caught my attention. First, she mentioned that although many of her colleagues supported her individually, as a group they all ended up voting together. This kind of behavior was noted and supported by the research of Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal, back in 1938. At that time, Myrdal came to the United States to study the "American Negro problem"; his research, however, produced an even more profound result. He found that although most Americans say they value "the worth and dignity of the individual, equality, and inalienable rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness" (Understanding Human Differences), in fact, their behavior is consistently in contradiction to these values. I can only guess that's why our Republican legislators like to "fall in line" rather than represent the real values of 64% of their constituents.

Secondly, Sen. LaFavour mentioned that by omission, by not inserting anti-discrimination measures for LGBTs in the Human Rights Act, we allow discrimination. I would add, that by allowing discrimination, we also condone hate.

So five senators have basically invalidated the Idaho Human Rights Act because, in fact, it does not include all humans. All minorities should be outraged. By so quickly and easily denying the rights of one group, it sets a precedent for denying others. They didn't even allow for public discussion, the arrogance of which is not only a disservice to the people they represent but also to those people who will continue to live in fear of such discrimination.

The five senators who voted to turn down this motion are a shame to the great state of Idaho. This state is too great for hate, and too great for spineless, narrow-minded, and short-sighted leadership.

Idaho Ethics

Today the Idaho Statesman has an editorial about Closing holes in Idaho's ethic laws. Using the example of Popkey's report on a recent case of bribery by a lobbyist for the Idaho Association of Realtors, the editorial suggests that firming up the ethic laws in our state is definitely necessary. The Statesman then mentions how Eagle Republican Rep. Raul Labrador is "working on a bill that would make it a felony offense to offer financial benefits in exchange for a public action." Then the article adds, "The idea deserves bipartisan support, albeit belatedly."

Wow, that was gutsy. And it ignores the fact that the Democrats already had included ethics legislation in their caucus agenda of bills. Indeed, Senator Kate Kelly has been working on ethics reform since 2005! But now the Statesman is interested in ethics because a Republican has come forward? Where has the Statesman been for the past four years? Why are they allowing the Republicans to co-opt an issue that the Democrats have been pursuing for years? And what do they mean to insinuate by the phrase "the idea deserves bipartisan support, albeit belatedly," that it's about time the Republicans began to pay attention to ethics, or is the writer suggesting that the Democrats have been ignoring this problem as well? It's bad enough that the Republicans like to co-opt Democrat issues when it suits them, but why doesn't the Statesman at least provide some fair and accurate reporting?

Another Statesman blunder: they correctly reported that the Republicans rejected their own pay raises, but they FORGOT to mention that the Democrats did the same LAST DECEMBER in a caucus press release. Wow, it seems to me that perhaps the Statesman should have a review session on its own sense of ethics....

Living In Obamaland

Ah, Inaugural Eve, and all is quiet in this house....although D.C. seems to be rocking. As a Democrat in VERY Republican north Idaho, I just luxuriate in telling my Republican neighbors about how happy I am to be living in Obamaland. I can't help myself: the Republicans here are SOOO irritated, depressed and resigned to the overall world's end doom of this country. I pity them their ignorance and their blinded view. But I find it difficult to arouse any sympathy in myself.

Perhaps it's because at least one local county commissioner has boasted that he and the other incumbent commissioner, who had Democrats challenge them during the election, now have the "lists" of those who contributed to the Democrats' campaigns. I asked the person who told me this if the boast came because they planned revenge and the response was not what I expected, but should have, "Hell ya!" That's how it is up here. In politically divided families, spouses make the decision to not talk about politics at all, which, I must admit, is very foreign to me. However, if I want to make a difference as a Democrat, I guess I'd better try to understand these rigid, unyielding, and blindly biased ideologies. Wow, is that possible???

What really gets me is that Democrats are the supporters of the underdog, the downtrodden, the disenfranchised. So why don't why my Republican neighbors see this? Hmm, maybe I just answered my own question. Maybe they don't see themselves as the underdogs, maybe that's reserved for, and more equated to, people like the disabled, or immigrants, or "other races." And downtrodden? perhaps that's for the homeless, or immigrants, or welfare recipients of another "color." And disenfranchised, well, the Republican party disenfranchises no one who will support their wedge-issue, fundamentalist-in-word-but-not-deed, and anti-environmentalist, pro-union, abolish the right-to-work laws, and keep-moms-at-home ideologies. Wow, we Idaho Democrats certainly have our work cut out for us. I hope that the 50-State-Strategy doesn't end any time soon.....

So, on this pre-Obamaland eve, it is quiet in my house while we ponder how we can make change and what kinds of change an Obama administration might bring. I can promise this: I'll be keeping a close on the the Idaho Legislature and what kinds of frivolities they entertain as serious legislation.....

United We Stand....

I read an interesting article in the Seattle Times this morning by David Sirota about the progressive victories that have occurred at the grassroots level around our nation. I did not know that 17 states won a Democratic trifecta, taking the governorship, state house and state senate. Wow! That makes me even happier to be living in Obamaland....

But this wasn't just a Democratic victory. In some states, like New York, these victories occurred because of the extensive, grassroots organizing of a new third party: the Working Families Party. This recent (1998) organization began in New York and has worked very hard to ensure that the voice of working families is heard by politicians, and what they want is "good jobs, fair taxes, good schools, reliable public transportation, affordable housing, and universal healthcare." This is known as a "progressive agenda." I guess there must be lots of progressives in the state of Idaho, as well as the rest of the nation, because those seem to the be goals that most Americans want. The Working Families Party secures these goals through electoral fusion.

Electoral Fusion is the process in which more than one party endorses a single candidate. When this happens, both parties are recognized on a ballot, each endorsing the same candidate. It is a process that is legal in only seven states, including Idaho. In effect, it brings together seemingly disparate people, albeit with similar wants and needs, in the effort to elect the candidate who is not just a Republican or Democrat but one who represents what working families want. This has produced numerous successes in New York and the party has branched out into other states, including Connecticut, South Carolina and Oregon.

It seems to me that Idaho has need of a working families party, or at least similar efforts to promote what most Idahoans want, like "good jobs, fair taxes, good schools, reliable public transportation, affordable housing and universal healthcare." Wait, Idaho has such a party, and it's the Idaho Democratic Party. I guess the major task in Idaho is convincing Republicans and Independents to participate in some "working families fusion" and vote for candidates who put people's needs before big business and personal values agendas.

As Patrick Henry stated in his last public speech, "United we stand. Divided we fall."

Someone Stole My Obama Yard Sign Last Night

Can you believe it?

I was a poll watcher for 6 hrs. beginning at 8am. Then I had to drive 50 min. to Sandpoint to teach an evening class. That ended early so I rushed home to celebrate at my Vice-Chair, Fred's home, arriving just in time for Obama's speech. We all watched with great happiness, clapped our approval, and cried tears of joy. I guess about 40 people were there. Then, I finally headed home around 10:30, only to discover that my Obama/Biden sign had disappeared from my yard.

The missing sign was a portent of the next several hours as I mulled and mulled over the Idaho Secretary of State's election night results, along with the Boundary County Clerk's election results, and then cried my heart out for Idaho candidates. Wow! So many 24-28% losses. I can't believe that our local candidates did so badly. It all seemed so bright. But it soured so much.

As a poll watcher I saw all our local wingnuts arrive at the polls, but not alone. They brought their newly registered spouses, their first-time-voting children, and their friends. I haven't reviewed the statistics, but I think that Sarah did a good job of bringing out the religious right. I still had hope, however, for the votes received from the youth and from new arrivals to our community. Unfortunately those hopes were shattered in the night.

We lost two county commissioner seats in Bonner County. Our local candidates for county commissioner lost to Republican incumbents. Our two representative races were lost to Republicans. The Secretary of State offices, who mistakenly put Lew Langness on the ballot, marked him as a withdrawal rather than excluding him after the primary as they should have. Shawn Keough has certainly taken that to the bank....

So, I would like to put out a call to Blaine County - perhaps some of your Democrats would consider moving to north Idaho??? Our land is cheaper, we have less people, and our local Democratic Central Committee is strong. Any takers? I'm sure that Bonner County, also ID District 1, would love to have you as well. We're not the "Crown Jewel of the North" for nothing.... And hey, I'm a sous-chef at a local restaurant, Papa Byrd's Bistro, and our food has received raves from customers from around the world. So, think about it, that's all I ask....

In the meantime, we're making arrangments for evaluation and planning, I've already volunteered to work for a local possible candidate in the 2010 campaign, Minnick will be in congress, and our Idaho candidates ran some damn good campaigns.

So thank you, everyone, all volunteers, all candidates, and our very own IDP. We have taken steps forward on the successful undertaking of making Idaho blue.

Racism in This Campaign? You betcha!

It started after the Obama campaign began in Idaho. Our local newspaper, the Bonners Ferry Herald, along with the Idaho Statesman, printed an LTE that called Obama a Muslim who tooks his oath of office by swearing on the Iran (sic) and all sorts of other misinformation, racial slurs, and outright lies. Then, about a month ago, the Spokesman Review, decided to print the Michael Ramirez political cartoon, Lipstick on a Pig, a very racist caricature of Barack Obama. The actual cartoon can still be found at radical right websites, although it was taken off Ramirez's usual website post, Investor's Business Daily, about five hours after it was originally posted.

And now it turns out that one of our only large Obama signs in Bonners Ferry has been defaced by someone who spray-painted a large, black "N" over the "O" in Obama.


Is this an act of hatred and racism? An adolescent prank? A politically motivated activity? Well the Boundary County Democrats are providing a reward for information that will lead to the arrest of this person or persons. Why? Because not only is this a rash and egregious political act, but with its undertones of racism, if not blatant hatred, it is a message that most Idahoans do not want to send. Republicans and Democrats alike have worked very hard to fight the presence of Aryan Nation types, to promote Human Rights, and to make our state too great for hate. Such defacement of a political sign is not good for the election, for the county, for the state or for the nation.

Fair And Balanced...

I originally saw this on OpenLeft this morning. It's a photo taken by loojie at DC's national airport. It's tagged with the headline "Fair and Balanced." The Republicans seem to have a real knack for tipping the truth scales. The network coverage of this presidential campaign should be interesting, and hopefully not downright irritating. I'm curious about where those T-shirts came from....

Of course the biggest headline these days, running neck in neck with Gustav is that hero of the Christian Right, Senator Stevens, Big Oil, and foreign policy expert, Sarah Palin. I believe that this morning, Governor Palin has won the race with Gustav because of her announcement that her seventeen year old daughter is pregnant, that is without the benefit of marriage. You know, the information that her daughter is pregnant doesn't bother me, although I think that it is irresponsible. Given her parents Christian Right background, I do wonder if her only education on the topic was one of abstinence....a deplorable use of the term education when young adults should be taught about protection as well. This news brings up topics which should be discussed, although I think that the privacy of the daughter should be respected. On the other hand, Palin did accept a Veep position which means as much public exposure as the media can grab. And given how much of a surprise it was and is, I can't imagine that we're going to hear about much of anything else in the next two months.

Sisyphus at 43StateBlues has a great summary of who Sarah Palin is, while Red State Rebels chimes in twice about the chimera. IdaBlue thinks Palin will implode within two weeks, which I certainly hope for but the media has a way with toying with my sense of reason. Of course Morialekafa had his usual bit of fun with this nomination, should you need to find some humor in the selection. And then there are the Idaho extremists, including the Village Idiot and the wingnut.

The presidential race has certainly become interesting, but what will be even more interesting is how fair and balanced the media will actually be.

Go Democrats! Go Obama/Biden!

Oh To Be Part Of The Convention Confusion...

I just eat up the reports about the Democratic National Convention that are coming from our Idaho bloggers. The confusion, hard work, and long hours are summed up nicely by D2 at 43StateBlues, who describes a typical blogger's day at the Convention. And although she is not at the Convention, RedStateRebel's dedication to posting everything that's happening includes an excitement that reverberates in the blogosphere.

For the typical delegate's day, check out Megan Nagel's descriptions, who puts more activities in a day than I thought possible. From events to interviews to getting those daily credentials to travel time to enthusiasm and to catching up on eluded sleep, Megan describes it all.

Of course, being both blogger and mom, I keep turning to my son, Julian, page and youngest member of the Idaho delegation. He has done well with meeting people from Evan Bayh (they are in the same hotel) to Bill Richardson to John Oliver, and, while on the floor, ran into Howard Wolfson, with whom he briefly joked about his role in Hillary's campaign. Hey D2, maybe you can talk Julian into letting you get those pics out of his camera....

Those are some of the highlight moments in days that begin closer to 4:30 am, and which keep Jessica and Julian very busy from carrying signs to running credentials to making sure everyone is present for roll call to listening to both the mundane and the most exciting speeches. And Julian, like so many of us in Idaho, loved Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer's speech, whose enthusiasm, wit, and passion is so inspirational.

Julian and the other delegates have also been featured in various news articles. Julian was lucky enough to be interviewed by AFP, which was picked up all over the internet. Richard Hill, a delegate from Moscow, was featured on NPR. Jerry Brady reports about the souvenir collecting at the Convention, which is interesting just in terms of what's being offered. Megan Nagel was picked up by the Norwegian Dagbladet, although they had trouble with their geography thinking that she came from Ohio. The National Journal Online couldn't resist asking Keith Roark about Idaho potatoes.... Albert Wilkerson was stopped on day one for his take on Obama. And there has to be more to come!

Go Democrats! Go Obama!

Idaho at the Democratic National Convention

Wow! Idaho is at the Convention and our Idaho delegates, bloggers, and reporters are doing their best to bring the convention to all of us. With charm, wit, fun and great reporting, 43StateBlues is Idaho's "official" blog at the Convention. Watch the videos and feel like you're there (and you'll also find out why D2 and Serephin have to "share" a floor credential). You can also follow their every movement (well, almost) at Twitter and Flickr.

Of course Red State Rebels is on top of everything in spite of reporting from Idaho. She notes some of the other reports coming from the convention, including Jill Kuraitis from NewWestBoise and Nathaniel Hoffman for the Boise Weekly. I especially liked the excitement that emanates from delegate Megan Nagel's report in Blue Girl From A Red State, and, of course, that informative and interesting blog from one of Idaho's best legislators, Nicole LeFavour and her Notes From The Floor. We even have reports from our very own Jerry Brady who, as a delegate also provides a well-rounded description of Convention events.

With 3 news people for every one delegation member, delegates and anyone with those special lanyards, are being interviewed left and right. As many of you know, my son, Julian Langness, is the youngest member of the Idaho delegation and is there as the page from District 1. He says he has been interviewed by so many different people, he can't remember all of them. But Mom was smart enough to sign up for GoogleAlerts and discovered that Julian and roommate Steve Mercado have already appeared online at New West Politics. I liked the article because I believe that the youth that Obama has drawn into the party are my future, if not yours.

Go Democrats!

Just Another Day....

Well, another part of our water line burst on Saturday night and we're still without water.... We just had half the water line replaced about a month ago. In between then and now a wind storm knocked down a huge Ponderosa pine which took with it three electric poles on our street so we were without electricity for two days. Now it's the water line again. Doing without water, and power, and water, certainly teaches one a thing or two about their value. I think of all the people in the world who do not have water and electricity and am thankful that I live where I live. I must say though, that it's tempting to try to "get off the grid." Being dependent on so many other people really requires a tremendous amount of patience. And when I think of how our American infrastructure is beginning to crumble because of things like corporate salaries, it just shortens my temper.

I did finally get my internet service back, about two weeks ago. That was a VERY BIG LESSON in patience. I also finally am back on my old, trusty laptop, after accidentally spilling a glass of wine on the spare computer....yeah, just let your imagination run wild.

Bill Sali hasn't disappointed me either this summer: he still persists in being the Idaho Village Idiot in our national congress. Thanks Sali. I can't wait until Minnick demonstrates to Congress that intelligent life does exist in Idaho.

I also can't wait for Larry LaRocco to replace that lying, impostor of family values, Senator Wide Stance Craig. I might have some pity for him if he ever actually sought to upheld the truth, perform honorable deeds, and do something beneficial for the state of Idaho (as opposed to filling the coffers of the Republican party). So, you go, LaRocco! We want Idaho people and Idaho values representing us in Congress.

On another note, I do plan to take up pen, well, keyboard, more often, now that I'm into the groove of working six days a week.... I still love the "cheffing," as a recent visitor, Serephin of 43StateBlues can tell you, because Serephin visited the restaurant where I work. Thanks so much for the visit! One of these days I hope to drink liberally with you in the southeast nether lands of this great state!

In the meantime, the sun is lowering in the sky and I still see no sign of my water returning. Well, tomorrow is just another day....

Good Eats In My Blue Idaho

Wow, only one post this month.... I must be following in the footsteps of TheMountainGoatReport who has also been noticeably absent from the usual consistent format and vigilance. Sometimes one's life takes new direction and mine certainly has. Aside from a return to teaching part-time at the college level, I've also taken on full-time work as a sous-chef, or as my boss says, everyday we get to "play restaurant." He jokes, but since February the place has grown past four times what it was when they first opened. I am especially lucky, because cooking really good "wow" food is very dear to my heart and my boss treats me as an equal, creatively speaking. So now I'm doing two of my favorite activities in the world: teaching anthropology, and cooking in a really good local restaurant. So, RSR, please put Papa Byrd's Bistro on your list of great places to dine in Bonners Ferry, ID.

And yes, we are good. That's why the restaurant has grown so quickly. Indeed, the Moroccan spiced ribs with couscous and tzatzikis sauce that my boss made last night deserved a very special photo, but alas, I didn't have my camera with me. Of course, I probably wouldn't be able to take many photos because we're always so busy.... I've been able to contribute many desserts including a drop-dead Tres Leches Cake, made with Thai coconut milk. And on the chocolate side, I've contribute both a chocolate mousse cake (not too many calories....) and a decadent chocolate cake served on raspberry coulis with a dollop of whipped cream. Hungry yet?

Well, it may not be politics for this blog, but it's still my blue Idaho, and I just feel great about making the crown jewel of northern Idaho just that much more tempting.