citizen journalism

I want to try to give an overview of the NC progressive blogosphere for the past week. While these are just my arbitrary opinions of what I thought to be interesting posts, please let me know what I missed and should have included.

Louisa Warren calls attention to the fluctuating proposals to (partially) fund child care. "Childcare has long been one of the largest, if not largest, budget items for working families." It's a blessing that Louisa is doing this work; I'm sure she needs help.

Elizabeth Edwards is all of yours' neighbor, too

Thanks!

Yesterday our own Screwy Hoolie got an opportunity to meet Sen. Max Cleland (D-GA). It was a short meeting, but Cleland gave some very sage advice to the blogosphere.

Heath Shuler was kind enough to sit down for few minutes before a "meet-the-candidates" forum and answer some questions. With Charles Taylor outspending Shuler 4-1 on media buys, spending $300,000 last week alone, Scrutiny Hooligans are doing our small part in moving the media wars towards parity.

Watch it.

{KKK pic}

The 450-seat Thomas Auditorium on the campus of Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, NC was at least 3/4 full. White people from all over came to hear white people talk about how to have fewer brown people in our country. The two-hour "Immigration Town Hall Meeting" was paid for with your tax dollars, and I didn't hear a voice of dissent all night long. The Taylor for Congress team was there shooting footage for advertisements both during and after the event - call it government subsidized campaigning.

Press Secretary Deborah Potter came up to me, and though we'd never met, said, "Screwy, how are you. You lambasted me...". Ms. Potter was very nice, some might say flirtatious. She couldn't keep her eyes off of me for the first half-hour of the show, and she later told me, "behave yourself" after giggling at the famed Hooligan wit. See this dramatized video capture of Ms. Potter striding into the meeting.

Calling all BlueNCers! Today is the big "Immigration Town Hall Meeting" featuring Charlie Taylor and racism's favorite Congressman, Tom Tancredo. It's in Hendersonville from 5-7pm on the campus of Blue Ridge Community College (click here for a map). If you're in the Asheville area and would like to car pool, folks are meeting at the Asheville Brewing Company on Coxe Avenue at 3:30pm. Several groups are attending including One America and Operation Democracy.

Hendersonville's Apple Festival is a big deal every year, bringing thousands of folks from all around to eat, drink, and celebrate the vaunted Henderson County apple. A BlogAsheville contributor, the effervescent Edgy Mama, was on the scene.

BlogAsheville:
"The fam and I just got back from the parade at the Hendersonville Apple Festival. Both Charles Taylor and Heath Shuler paraded--appropriately separated by a long line of marching bands, cheesy floats, dancing girls, and classic cars.

You know your morbid curiosity has been getting the better of you. You've seen his vacant off-screen gaze in the television ads. You've seen the photos here and at ScruHoo. And Jeebus knows you've seen the 16-year old picture used in Taylor mailings (including this post's banner) and too many newspapers. Now's your chance to lay eyes, ears, and immigration questions on Congressman Charles Taylor. From an email:

In addition to sweaty hours over this keyboard of ultimate power, I've been getting out to work towards a Democratic majority in November. While blogging is great fun and an excellent way to spread the word, it doesn't bring in the voters the way that face to face politics does. Helping to staff the Heath Shuler booth at this weekend's Southeastern Energy and Environmental Expo was a great way spend time with progressive voters.

Over 400 people weathered a steady downpour outside Henderson County Democratic Party Headquarters to hear John Edwards urge voters to work hard for Heath Shuler. I arrived a couple minutes late to the 12:30 p.m. affair, which also served as a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity, the Housing Assistance Corp. and the Mainstay women’s shelter. The rain was falling, but everyone stuck around to hear Heath Shuler talk about his plan to offer $1,500 tax credits to first time home buyers and to hear John Edwards talk about Shuler and a better America.