twain's blog

Now, I know all you unfeeling, uncaring liberal jerks out there look at President Bush and see a man who knows nothing of sacrifice. But, you're wrong. Our president suffers, he gives up, he cares. Look no further than what W has sacrificed as a way to personally show his solidarity with our men and women in the military. No, it's not a financial contribution. No, not a bill or executive order. No, Barbara and Jenna aren't joining up or even going on a USO tour.

Our Commander-in-Chief has given up golf.

Mark your calendars now for the 2008 YDNC State Convention, which will be held March 29 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in RTP (http://www.sheratonrtp.com/). The keynote speaker at this year's convention will be James Carville, the CNN commentator, political strategist, and all around firey speaker.

The convention will also host trainings, presentations, and (hopefully) debates between state-wide Democratic candidates. More information will follow in the coming weeks, but mark your calendars now. BlueNC will receive updates, but do consider signing up for the YDNC email newsletter at http://www.ydnc.org. The signup box is on the left.

I just received the below press release from my congressman, Rep. Etheridge, and he is going to vote for S-CHIP. What a great turn of events. Congrats to everyone who wrote, called, emailed, and railed. Here is the press release:

Etheridge to Vote for S-CHIP Veto Override

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) today announced that he will vote to override the President’s veto of H.R. 976, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007. Etheridge strongly supports the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, but voted against the legislation on September 24 because it would be funded by a 61-cent tobacco tax increase.

I just came across this headline: McIntyre To Vote For SCHIP Bill Will Not Support Presidential Veto. What shady source did I get my info? Well, McIntyre's website itself.

Now if only we could get my representative, Etheridge, to join the Coalition of the Sane (COTS), it'd be a great day.

So, I wake up this morning, and the headline in the Sanford Herald screams, "Political disorganization: Lee GOP loses recognition over failure to file paperwork." Beautiful, huh? I had noticed that our local GOP was in some trouble; hell, I've met its members.

The Young Democrats of North Carolina will be holding our first-ever state-wide YD day for the Troops on Saturday, September 8th, 2007 at 10:00 am. Since my first post about this event, we have decided upon the exact places in Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, and Jacksonville.

Our purpose is to show our support for the troops and connect with them on a personal level. A large percentage of our troops are actually YD aged (between 18 and 35), and it is our aim to show all of them that we Democrats appreciate them even if we may disagree with the policies they must operate under.

Like all Democrats, the Young Democrats of North Carolina support our troops, and we want you to help us put that support into tangible action. On Saturday, September 8, 2007, YDNC will hold our first-ever statewide USO day, which we are calling Operation: YD Day for the Troops.

This day will take place at four sites across the state: Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, and Jacksonville. Our support will be shown by having a month-long drive for items needed by troops and their families for school, home, and relaxation. With this donation and presentation on September 8, we will begin to counter the misperceptions that some have about our party and the military.

Zack Hawkins, President of the Young Democrats of North Carolina, recently sat down with News 14 Carolina’s political reporter for a great discussion about the YDs, youth activism, and how technology has and will affect politics in the future. Zack’s interview shows how the YDs aren’t just for grunt work, but instead are a group of focused and professional out to turn NC blue.

See Zack's interview here.

The YDs, of which I am member, have begun to focus on what needs to be changed and are beginning to change it. The latest victory is good for all Democrats, which is the Same Day Voter Registration bill. Now, all voters will get more opportunities to vote, and as many of us know, most later voters vote for Democrats.

Young Democrats of North Carolina

I wanted to give you all a brief overview of what happened this weekend at the YDs of NC convention. First, there were two informative sessions that all those who did not attend should kick themselves for missing. The first session was entitled “Internet Campaigning and Communication,” and the presenters were Ed Cone and Chris Bowers. These two presenters were both interesting and informative. Also, BlueNC should know they got some love from both men; BlueNC was held up as an example as a well-run blog, so don’t be surprised if some new readers begin hanging around. While some in the crowd were obviously new to political blogging, I saw that as a good thing. I could see light bulbs clicking on as Cone and Bowers described how blogs can encourage and even push stories into the mainstream media. Both bloggers agreed that blogging by itself is great but there have to be live events to encourage and increase enthusiasm among readers.

I posted this on the calendar, but I also wanted to tell you all that the Young Democrats of NC will be having our state convention on Saturday, March 24 in Greensboro. We are expecting about 300 guests (from what I've heard), and promises to be a great event. One session will even relate well to the online community: Internet Campaigning and Communication w/ speaker Matt Gross (Joe Trippi and Howard Dean's online architect in 2004) and Ed Cone (Greensboro blogger, Tech Journalist, and columnist for the Greensboro News and Record).

My little hometown paper has become one in a growing number of those across the nation to drop Ann Colter as you can see at Talking Points Memo. I and others in the community emailed the Herald's new editor, and to my surprise, he agreed to drop her. Could it be that the Sanford Herald is becoming more progressive? I doubt it. I think Coulter is just that damn bad.

The Herald, like most smaller papers, I imagine, has owners who lean right, but I have begun to see that if readers lean hard enough back, we can get results. It's good to have small victories.