Burnt Orange Report has published a list of the 234 native Texans who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Please take time today to reflect on the sacrifices they’ve made for us, and pray for comfort for their families and friends.
Everyone welcome Wyld Card, our first true guest blogger. Wyld Card is a progressive political blogger that not only maintains his own blog (Sharpening our Wits on the Grindstone of Life), but also guest blogs for other members of the TPA (Peoples’ Republic of Seabrook), as well.
I honestly don’t know that much about Wyld Card, aside from reading his blog, but I am familiar with his work, and am certain he’ll be a welcome addition around here. I’ll let him do his own bio post, if he wishes. Ya’ll welcome Wyld Card to the mix.
(As usual, we are still accepting guest bloggers, for more information, contact.)
This year promises some exciting political coverage, and it’s becoming apparent to the mainstream media that they won’t be the only ones providing it. The Houston Chronicle published an article today about how bloggers are shaping the face of politics these days.
“In the presidential primary, it’s all going to be on the blogs, that’s where it’s happening and that is where the early narratives on the election are all going to be laid out,” said Mathew Gross, a political consultant who was Dean’s director of Internet communications. “It’s a small pool of people, but they are very active.”
The bloggers’ audience is large and growing along with the Internet. A February Gallup poll found that 40 million Americans read weblogs frequently or occasionally. About 147 million Americans are Internet users, up from 133 million in January 2005, according to a recent survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
“The reach of top blogs rival the reach of regional papers,” Gross said. “If we are to believe what the Boston Globe has to say about a presidential race, it follows that clearly some of these blogs with a reach equal to the Boston Globe online will influence elections.”
So the days of Walter Cronkite giving everyone their opinions are gone, and are being replace with voices like the Bloggers Caucus at this years Texas Democratic Convention, Texas Kos, the heavy hitters in the Texas Progressive Alliance, and Mindspeak’s host, Eric. And the political power wielded by these voices is becoming considerable. In a recent Washington Post article, Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos blasted Hillary Clinton for losing touch with her peeps:
“No longer would D.C. insiders impose their candidates on us without our input; those of us in the netroots could demand a say in our political fortunes,” Moulitsas said. “Today, however, Hillary Clinton seems unable to recognize this new reality. She seems ill-equipped to tap into the Net-energized wing of her party. … She may be the establishment’s choice, but real power in the party has shifted.”
And it appears that those on the left are wielding the power with more vigor that the right-wingers, possibly because those on the right are so busy defending their party’s mistakes and ethical lapses. Or maybe just because they’re afraid of all things new.
Keir Murray, a Houston political strategist who worked on retired Gen. Wesley Clark’s 2004 presidential campaign, said he views the Web as the emerging center of political activity.
“You see more and more campaigns using the widely read blogs to disseminate information, either about their opponent or their issues, and that’s critical,” he said. “There is also a tremendous amount of fundraising that goes on online.”
But, Murray said, while cyberspace is novel, there is still virtue in the old ways.
“Yard signs are still a powerful and effective political statement,” he said.
So plant your yard signs, you hangers-on to the past ways. Progressives are plowing through cyberspace at the speed of electrons, and getting information to the masses. The days of the dinosaur are numbered.
Posted by Wyld Card
Meet Edolphus Towns. Mr Towns represents the 10th district, in New York State. Congressman Towns has sold out his constituents, and the Internet.
Congressman towns voted against the Markey Amendment to the COPE Act, just like Congressman Green. Just like Congressman Green, Towns was paid off by several telecommunications companies. Let’s take a look at him, step by step, year by year, shall we?
2006: In the 2006 election, Congressman Towns has received the following contributions, thus far (as of April 20th):
$24,000 from telecommunications and cable providers, so far, this year… Let’s continue with the 2004 election:
I realize I’m taking a step back from the education issue, and many other important issues (like the immigrant walk-out, today). It’s for a good reason, though.
For starters, do you know how net neutrality will affect you? Let’s begin:
Google users—Another search engine could pay dominant Internet providers like AT&T to guarantee the competing search engine opens faster than Google on your computer.
Innovators with the “next big idea”—Startups and entrepreneurs will be muscled out of the marketplace by big corporations that pay Internet providers for dominant placing on the Web. The little guy will be left in the “slow lane” with inferior Internet service, unable to compete.
Ipod listeners—A company like Comcast could slow access to iTunes, steering you to a higher-priced music service that it owned.
But wait, there’s more…
Congress is now pushing a law that would end the free and open Internet as we know it. Internet providers like AT&T and Verizon are lobbying Congress hard to gut Network Neutrality, the Internet’s First Amendment and the key to Internet freedom. Net Neutrality prevents AT&T from choosing which websites open most easily for you based on which site pays AT&T more. So Amazon doesn’t have to outbid Barnes & Noble for the right to work more properly on your computer.
Many members of Congress take campaign contributions from these companies, and they don’t think the public are paying attention to this issue. Let’s show them we care - please sign this petition today. Let them know..
I know I haven’t been around too much, lately, folks. I know you all expected a huge follow-up to my Congressman Green outing. Well, there is one. It’s coming. I’m compiling the data, right now. What am I going to do?
I’m going to out:
for the back-stabbing, sell-outs they are.
Spread the word. Tomorrow, the truth is revealed.
