"Maybe the best definition of a judicial activist is a judge you don't like." - Professor Lee Epstein, professor of law and political science at Washington University.

Pulled this from a NYTimes article

found here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/04/politics/politicsspecial1/04ideology.html?th&emc=th

Brian Ellner, who recently ran and lost the primary for Manhattan Borough President, had run a great campaign.  He went up against much more prominent and experienced officials and came in tied at 3rd with Margarita Lopez - the former city councilwoman.

Brian ran as an openly gay candidate with campaign posters that read: Be Proud to Vote Again and Vote Proud: Vote Ellner with messaging like "an end to politics as usual".  Modelling himself as a Dean Democrat, he even hired Joe Trippi as a consultant.

He ran a great grassroots campaign.  He fought hard... and even nasty sometimes, which is part and parcel with politics.  His efforts landed him that third place spot.  

However, it seems that Ellner is the epitome of "politics as usual" and for that he is a Douchebag...

This may seem vague, but I've been wondering, how many of 'us' are out there with relation to Democrats as a whole?

The straw poll prompted this questions because Clinton does not do well in this or the DailyKos polls, but she is the presumptive frontrunner.

We weren't able to get Howard Dean past the primaries, hardly any Democrats listen to us and talk about the Iraq war and, Paul Hackett and Louise Slaughter aside, I get this nagging feeling that we are just talking to ourselves.

Anyone know what percentage we are of Democrats?

I've been seeing a lot of posts about the DLC lately.  Our blogoverse has been all abuzz about their Ohio meeting and has been ranting and raving about how the DLC undermines us and is the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.  

They blame us for the losses Democrats endure, they blame us for the Dems looking weak on national security, they think liberals are the downfall of the party and think the only way to win is to cast off the liberals and progressives and become Hawkish (somehow wanting to go to war at the drop of a hat makes a Dem "moderate") and more "centrist" (whatever this means).  

This BS about why liberals should support the War on Terror (newsflash to DLC dickheads, terrorism is a tactic, not a state you can declare war on) regardless of the ramifications.  

But frankly, I'm sick of hearing about it.  I want to know what we can do about it.  

More ranting below

I heard through the rumor mill that Dean hasn't been doing well in the fundraising front and that he will be replaced by the end of summer if things keep going as they are going.

I heard the off-year fundraising dollars being better than ever was just spin and that he refuses to call the "big money" donors.

Does anyone have any info as to what's going on?  

Is this true?  Am I worried about nothing?

This is an interesting article on the internships the Heritage foundation offers.  While I would have liked more in-depth reporting, it was... disturbing in how attractive the internships were especially compared to what is offered on our side of the ideological spectrum.  

We cannot keep playing "catchup".  We need to invest in programs like these for our youth now and tap into the 'overwhelming liberal nature of our educational institutions'.  We need to cultivate that, harness it and build an army.  That's what the Right has been doing for the past thirty-some odd years.  And today we are seeing the fruits of their labor and patience...

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/14/politics/14heritage.html