Local Democrats kick it into high gear

It's great to see new faces at each monthly meeting of the Laramie County Democrats in Cheyenne. The 2008 election season is kicking into high gear -- that accounts for some of the interest. And Laramie County is lucky to have two very active organizations in the LarCoDems (sometimes ominously called "the central committee") and the Grassroots Coalition. Lots of activities on the schedule for the months leading up to the Democratic Party national convention in Denver in August.

The LarCoDems will hold a Caucus/Primary Watching Party on Tuesday, Feb. 5 ("Super Tuesday') at the new county HQ at 117 W. 17th St. downtown. It will start at 6:30 p.m. and last until the cows come home, or until the last state reports its results. For more info, call the HQ at 307-634-9001.

Next meeting of the LarCoDems is Feb. 26 at the Plains Hotel downtown. That Friday, Feb. 29, is the annual legislative reception, followed the next evening (March 1) with the annual Nellie Tayloe Ross banquet (more details in future posts).

The county convention convenes on Saturday, March 8, at the University of Wyoming Family Practice Center, 821 E. 18th St., Cheyenne. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and activities commence in the auditorium at 9. Delegates to the state convention will be selected and the LarCoDems will conduct a presidential preference poll. To vote or to be considered as a delegate, you must be a registered Democrat in the county as of Feb. 22.

LarCoDems meet again on April 29.

The Wyoming Democratic Party state convention will be held May 23-25 in Jackson, which is Memorial Day weekend. Bring your snow gear, as it seems to be a Teton County tradition to feature snow along with its Memorial Day celebration. Two years ago, I sold books outside at the vendor fair as sheets of "sunshine snow" blew in from the West. Be prepared!

The Grassroots Coalition also plans a full slate of activities in 2008. More details in future posts.

Reminder: Laramie Co. Dems meet Jan. 29

Winter blahs got you down? Depressed by the fact that Dubya is still in the Oval Office (or lurking somewhere around the White House)?

Here's an antidote for what ails you. The Laramie County Democratic Party will host the "Wyoming Legislator Panel Discussion: Legislative Issues in 2008." It will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m., at downtown Cheyenne's Historic Plains Hotel. This event is free and open to the public. FMI: Contact Nicole Novotny at 307-514-4685.

We have a great batch of Democrats from Laramie County in the Wyoming State Legislature. They always have a lot of good info, and can give us a preview of what's to come in the 2008 session.

Trauner edges Lummis in latest poll

Good news for Democrat Gary Trauner's bid to grab Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat in 2008 (as reported in today's Casper Star-Tribune):

The general election race for Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat could be another nail-biter, a new Casper Star-Tribune poll shows.

Democrat Gary Trauner, the Teton County businessman who narrowly lost to Rep. Barbara Cubin in 2006, is in a statistical tie with former state treasurer Cynthia Lummis, a Republican, the results show.

The poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research of Washington, D.C., on Jan. 18-21, surveyed 625 registered voters from across the state who said they regularly vote in Wyoming state elections. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

If the election were held now, Trauner would receive 41 percent of the vote, while Lummis would get 40 percent, the poll showed. The remaining 19 percent of voters said they were undecided.

So what are we waiting for -- let's hold the election now, before those "undecideds" get swayed by the Repubs.

Between hardrock law and a hard place

I don’t pretend to understand the 1872 hardrock mining law. I do know that it gives mining priority over almost all other endeavors, including living a life free from mine tailings and arsenic and other environmental toxins. I also know that the law dates to 1872. This was seven years after the end of the U.S. Civil War, four years before the Battle of the Little Big Horn and the Black Hills gold rush, and 136 years before much-needed overhauls to this ancient law (finally) are actively under consideration in Congress.

Here are excerpts (including response of our own Sen. John Barrasso in boldface below) from the Jan. 25 article about the situation in the Casper Star-Tribune:

Senators indicated Thursday that they will pass a less-sweeping reform of 1872 hardrock mining law than the House did late last year, imposing royalties on new mines but perhaps not on existing ones.

At a hearing on the issue, senators generally agreed to put in place a royalty on future mines, to create a fund to clean up abandoned hardrock mines and to replace the outmoded patenting system with a more modern practice. But they expressed more reluctance than their House counterparts to impose a royalty on mines already operating.

The House-passed bill would charge an 8 percent royalty on the gross revenue from new mineral production and a 4 percent royalty on existing operations. That includes gold, silver, copper, uranium and more. The royalty would be used for cleanup of abandoned mines.

Under the 1872 law, federal land can be sold for $2.50 or $5 an acre. Congress for more than a decade has annually approved a moratorium on such sales, and the House bill would permanently end them.Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, objected to some of the increased environmental regulations in the House bill. He said that because other national environmental laws already apply, the new rules are "solutions in search of a problem."

But some Democrats and environmental groups want to keep a House-passed provision that gives the Interior secretary the power to veto a mining operation if it would cause undue degradation of the environment.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who also sits on the panel, said he was "troubled" by some of the provisions that came out of the House. He objected to giving future administrations explicit veto authority over mining operations, saying it would add too much uncertainty for investment in mining.

UW symposium ponders climate change

Here in the land of oil/gas/coal, we too are turning our attention to global warming. Over at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, there's a Climate Change Committee (code name -- C3), described as a "faculty group that works with the UW Research Office and the Office of the President to coordinate a campus-wide initiative on climate change."

To that end, C3 has planned a free symposium Jan. 30-31.

The event is coordinated with more than 1,200 other universities and institutions across the country participating in Focus the Nation. Its goal is "to educate the public about significant aspects of climate change, with special attention to ways that we can mitigate and adapt to anticipated environmental changes at a national and state level."

The symposium on Thursday, Jan. 31 opens at 12:30 p.m. with a panel discussion featuring Mary Byrnes, Wyoming Public Service Commission; Gary Collins, Wyoming Governor's Office, Arapaho Tribal Liaison; Mike Purcell, Wyoming Water Development Commission; Rob Hurless, Wyoming Governor's Office, Energy and Telecommunications adviser; and John Corra, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality.

At 2:30 p.m., Denise Stephenson Hawk of the National Center for Atmospheric Research will present "Climate Change and its Sphere of Influence: Pathways to Societal Resilience." A 4:30 p.m. workshop on lobbying skills, led by Sarah Gorin of the Equality State Policy Center, will be followed at 6 p.m. with another keynote presentation titled "Climate Change in the Rockies: Global Problems, Homegrown Solutions," by Michelle Nijhuis, a freelance journalist and contributing editor for High Country News in Colorado.

A symposium launch party, featuring free food and live music from the bluegrass band "Head to the Hills," is Wednesday, Jan. 30, in the Wyoming Union Gardens. A live, interactive webcast of "The 2 Percent Solution," hosted by actor and clean energy advocate Edward Norton, begins at 6 p.m.

For more info on the symposium, call 307-766-5310 or e-mail strauss@uwyo.edu.

Destination Buy-a-Good-Book

I normally don't read USA Today unless I'm on the road and hotel managment drops a copy at my door. Nothing against USA Today. It's short, bullet-laden news stories get right to the point and out again, perfect reads for the weary traveler. One of my favorite sections is the one that lists a short news item for each state. I always read the snippets for my state of Wyoming, plus those for other states I've lived in, such as Kansas and Maryland. I also like the colorful weather maps.


The paper also likes lists, especially when it comes to travel. Top 10 sushi restaurants in the USA. Best sandy beaches! Top 10 things airline travelers need to know.


A recent list featured the top nine "bookstore destinations" in the USA. Here's the list:


BOOKS & BOOKS: 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables, Fla., http://www.booksandbooks.com/


CITY LIGHTS BOOKS: 261 Columbus Ave., San Francisco; http://www.citylights.com/


ELLIOTT BAY BOOK CO.: 101 S. Main St., Seattle; http://www.elliottbaybook.com/


POLITICS AND PROSE: 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington; http://www.politics-prose.com/


POWELL'S CITY OF BOOKS: 1005 W. Burnside, Portland, Ore.; http://www.powells.com/

PRAIRIE LIGHTS: 15 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. http://www.prairielightsbooks.com/


TATTERED COVER BOOK STORE: 1628 16th St., Denver; http://www.tatteredcover.com/


THAT BOOKSTORE IN BLYTHEVILLE: 316 W. Main, Blytheville, Ark.; http://www.tbib.com/

THE STRAND: Corner of 12th Street and Broadway, near Union Square, Manhattan; http://www.strandbooks.com/


I'm pleased to say I've been in four of the nine. I spent the majority of my time during two business trips to Portland at Powell's. But the store that's claimed most of my book-browsing-and-buying time has been Tattered Cover in Denver. When I lived in Denver, a week didn't go by that I didn't drop into the store. I once even lived in the Cherry Creek neighborhood, five blocks from the store. Then the area became chic, rents went up, and many of the old brick bungalows were scraped from the property to make way for townhouse duplexes. Another great thing about the neighborhood: the Cherry Cricket, one of the best sports-watching bars in the city.


Other destination bookstores of note? Sam Weller's in Salt Lake City, Changing Hands Books in Tempe, Ariz., Chapters A Literary Bookstore in D.C., and the modest but fantastic The Book Shop in funky downtown Sheridan, Wyo.

What are your favorites?

Celebrating Dr. King with a speech

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech (excerpt), delivered in Oslo, Norway, Dec. 10, 1964:

“I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept the idea that the ‘isness’ of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal ‘oughtness’ that forever confronts him.

I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life which surrounds him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.

I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into a hell of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.

I believe that even amid today’s mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men.

I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down men other-centered can build up. I believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land.

‘And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid.’ I still believe that we shall overcome. This faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future. It will give our tired feet new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born.

Today I come to Oslo as a trustee, inspired and with renewed dedication to humanity. I accept this prize on behalf of all men who love peace and brotherhood.”

(Found at http://www.leveesnotwar.org/).

Fearful Leader speaks on the economy

I know that Fearful Leader will appear on TV this morning to talk about his ideas to stem the country's recession. His ideas have all been so good and helpful in the past, I can't imagine that he won't offer brilliant solutions to our economic malaise.

But what can get us out of a recession? Dubya sent us some rebate checks early in his presidency. All taxpayers got one. Did I go out and spend it to support our consumer-based economy? No, I paid bills. Most Americans did the same, I'm sure.

That's not going to be enough this time. I don't have any big ideas. It might help to repeal the tax cuts to the rich that was Bush's big idea for stimulating the economy. We also might try to pay back the country's debt. That would mean a plan for energy independence, keeping jobs in the U.S., solutions to the sub-prime mortgage mess, ending the war in Iraq, etc. Since Bush's buddies are petro-moguls (and Saudi princes), CEOs of giant corporation who send jobs overseas to fatten their own bonuses, mortgage bankers and war profiteers, don't look for anything meaningful from Fearful Leader's speech.

Let's hope that the Congressional delegation from Wyoming will be on the side of the angels and come up with a sensible plan. Not likely, as they tend to vote the Republican line, whether it makes sense or not. Mike Enzi, a successful businessman from Gillette, has good ideas and has worked successfully with Dems (even Ted Kennedy!) on other issues. But comity is not a valued commodity during an election year.

FURTHER READING: For some background on the roots of this crisis, read Paul Krugman's column, "Don't Cry for Me, America," in today's New York Times.

Laramie Co. Dems meet Jan. 29; supplies needed for state party extension office

Nicole Novotny, secretary for the Laramie County Democrats, passes along this news:

Hello fellow LCD members. Here is the announcement for the next meeting. Also, we are collecting office supplies for the new state party extension office here in town! If you have any office supplies lying around, especially wastebaskets, notebooks, pens, and pencils, please bring them to the meeting. If you have questions about this "office supply drive" please contact LCD Chair Mike Bell at thomcat@bresnan.net.

The Laramie County Democratic Party is pleased to host the "Wyoming Legislator Panel Discussion: Legislative Issues in 2008." It will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m., at downtown Cheyenne's Historic Plains Hotel This event is free and open to the public.

Questions regarding this event can be directed to Nicole Novotny at 307-514-4685.

The eyes of the nation turn to... Wyoming

While the political eyes of the nation are riveted on primaries in South Carolina, Florida, and Nevada, let's not forget that Wyoming Democrats will be deciding 18 delegates and four super-delegates during the next five months. Unlike our brethren and sistren in the Wyoming Republican Party, we will take our full slate of delegates to the national convention. That's because we didn't monkey with our calendar to get a little extra publicity by luring presidential candidates to the state. The Wyoming Repubs did this, lost half their delegates, and only drew visits from a few candidates. Mitt Romney flew in, but he's almost a favorite son due to his Mormonism, and the western part of Wyoming is basically a Utah annex. Romney's son Josh owns a ranch in Wyoming, and participated in the Repubs' state convention in Cheyenne a few weeks ago.

So, the Wyoming Democratic Party calendar is full. We'll know our delegates at the end of Memorial Day weekend in Jackson. Who knows, the national race may still be undecided at this point and the lateness of our selection may actually give us some publicity. Our county party held a mock debate and straw poll last September and Barack Obama finished first, with Hillary Clinton way down the list. Don't count on too many Hillary delegates coming out of our state convention. But who knows -- maybe her support will increase as she gains delegates on the national scene.

If you wish to read the details of the WDP's delegate selection process, all 47 pages of it, go to http://www.wyomingdemocrats.com. Meanwhile, here's the party's list of key 2008 events:

February 22: Deadline to register as a Democrat in your county in order to participate in the county caucuses.

March 1: Delegate and alternate candidates may obtain statement of candidacy forms from this website or by calling the state party office at 800-729-3367.

March 8: County Caucuses and Conventions held, and Democrats attending the county conventions vote for their preferred presidential candidate.

April 30, 5 p.m.: Deadline for Democrats wishing to represent Wyoming at the 2008 Democratic National Convention to file statement of candidacy forms with the state party office.

May 23-24: State Convention in Jackson. Delegates to the state convention elect Wyoming's delegates and alternates to the national convention.

August 25-28: National Convention, Denver. Our party formally nominates its presidential candidate.

Books for stay-at-home sickos

I've grown tired of the world of contemporary novels. So, during my last trip to the Laramie County Public Library, I picked up a batch of anthologies. A good thing, too, as I finally fell victim to one of the many viruses floating around Cheyenne. I'm home, and I desperately need new reading material, lest I be lured into watching political news on the tube all day.

"Bronx Noir," edited by S.J. Rozan, got my attention because it features work by one of my favorite writers, Jerome Charyn. There are no Charyn books in the library or in our local bookstores. That could be due to the fact that the writer sets most of his work New York City. He's best known for his Isaac Slidel police novels. Before he turned to mysteries, Charyn was a "literary writer," which is usually the kiss of death when it comes to book sales. He also won an NEA creative writing fellowship way back when.

But he's not the only good writer in this anthology by Akashic Books. Hard-boiled Lawrence Block is in here, as well as Terrence Cheng with his great noirish story, "Gold Mountain," about a young Chinese man who jumps ship in New York Harbor with a suitcase full of his boss's cash.

"Wolf Woman Bay" (Carroll & Graf) boasts retro cartoon-like cover art and features 10 of "the finest crime and mystery novellas of the year." I skipped Ed McBain and Joyce Carol Oates and jumped into a story by Steve Hockensmith, who's a mystery to me. The title of his novella, "Gustav Amlingmeyer, Holmes of the Range," caught my attention. It features Miles City, Montana, cowboy detectives Big Red and Old Red. Big Red has been reading Sherlock Holmes to his illiterate brother, Old Red, and it exerts a big influence when there's a murder in town. Hockensmith writes in an easy-going style that flirts with folksiness. The novella is also epistolary (told in letter form), which you don't see much these days.

I don't know how steamy all the stories get in "Killing Me Softly: Erotic Tales of Unearthly Love," but the one I read -- "Jaguar Hunter" by Lucius Shepard -- barely scratches the surface of an "R" rating. The story is great, though, by one of the best contemporary sci-fi (or maybe speculative fiction) writers around. Shepard sets this in an unnamed Central American country, a setting for much of his work. Esteban is an Indian who only wants to give back a TV his wife bought from an unscrupulous store owner in town. But the owner talks him into killing a jaguar. It turns out to be harder that he thought. And much more mysterious. "Killing Me Softly" is a HarperPrism paperback.

Now, back to my reading...

What's $100 a barrel and rhymes with "toil?"

Pres. Bush met with our Saudi Arabian overlords today. And just what is the Prez whispering to King Abdullah? Or is that a kiss? Probably not. A kiss would have to be planted on another part of the king's anatomy.

Reuters had the lowdown:

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah hosts George W. Bush at his desert playground on Tuesday when the U.S. president will get a taste of how the royals live in the world's richest oil-producing monarchy.

Setting aside serious talk of Middle East peace, Iranian challenges and controversial arms deals that dominated day one of his visit, Bush will trade in his business suit for more casual attire and stay the night at the sprawling tent-like structure with walls made of silk.

Even the Arabian stallions the king raises at his Al Janadriyah "horse farm" near Riyadh lead lives of luxury. They are kept in climate-controlled, air-conditioned stables and are treated to aqua-therapy.

The special hospitality is for a U.S. president who hosted Abdullah as crown prince in Crawford, Texas, in 2002 and 2005.

When Bush walked arm-in-arm with Abdullah at his ranch nearly three years ago, oil cost $54 a barrel, a level the Saudi government admitted then was "clearly too high."

Oil is now hovering near $100 a barrel and many Americans are griping about their tax dollars helping to underwrite the defense of wealthy Gulf allies, so the issue may come up again.

Winning the West in 2008

McJoan wrote Sunday on Daily Kos about the presidential race in the West, concentrating on the Rocky Mountain states. The Democratic Party started its run for the White House by paying a lot of attention to the West, and providing money for state parties to beef up their staffs and outreach efforts. Wyoming's a great example of that. The state party has consistent leadership, and PR guy Bill Luckett does a good job of getting out the word, both in person and on the web. Howard Dean's 50-state strategy has helped Wyoming Democrats, although we're not too welcoming when he actually shows up in the state. But that's the key issue, isn't it? Democratic candidates in Wyoming need to be strong progressives but can't be seen as beholden to to the DNC. The only way Dems can win is to woo Republicans, Libertarians, and independents. Gov. Freudenthal did it twice in his campaigns. Former Gov. Mike Sullivan is another good example. Gary Trauner snagged a lot of votes in 2006 as the anti-Barbara Cubin. That won't be so easy this time, as Cubin is retiring.

McJoan made a lot of great points in her DK post. Here's a paragraph that rings true:

Finding avenues of nonpartisan, and even anti-partisan, appeal have been critical to the survival of the Western Democrat in the lean years since Ronald Reagan helped solidify the region as solidly red, as has keeping the national party at arm's length. The key for the Democratic Party in shaping a strategy for the 2008 elections will be allowing Democrats running in the region to run with a high degree of independence from the national party's message and structure. The key for national Democrats running in the West will be to find those issues that can be branded as Democratic and that uphold our progressive values.

Notice that she doesn't use the term "bipartisan." Here's why:

There is also the risk of misreading the basic anti-partisan orientation of these voters as a longing for bipartisanship. It's important to note that, in the context of this region, anti-partisan is not the equivalent of bipartisan. Western voters are highly pragmatic, looking for problem solvers first, and ideological debate is of less interest than action. Misreading this as some great yearning for comity can result in short-lived and uneasy compromises that erode the Democratic brand and end up diluting policies and programs. That doesn't have to happen. Voters in the Mountain West are more swayed by results than by process. Battles can be won, even in the most unlikely of places, by taking strong, principled, progressive stands.

Standing up for constitutional rights, a living wage, energy independence, etc., will go far in the West.

Give me some of that new-era science

After hearing about it on NPR's "Science Friday," I cast my vote of support for Science Debate 2008. Here's a short description of the project's goals:

Given the many urgent scientific and technological challenges facing America and the rest of the world, the increasing need for accurate scientific information in political decision making, and the vital role scientific innovation plays in spurring economic growth and competitiveness, we call for a public debate in which the U.S. presidential candidates share their views on the issues of The Environment, Health and Medicine, and Science and Technology Policy.

The web site features a long list of people who support the effort. It includes scientists, media people, politicians, and bloggers.

What's the likelihood of such a debate? Not bloody likely, as the Republican side has everything to lose and nothing to gain. A recent article in Reason Magazine revealed that all the Democratic candidates believe in evolution and most of the Republicans are on the side of the creationists and the so-called "Intelligent Design" curriculum. Reality-based vs. faith-based.

But hold on a minute. Reason also notes that all of the Democrats also believe in God, so they really fall into the category of "theistic evolutionists." In other words, Obama and Clinton and Edwards and Kucinich and all the candidates who've since dropped out believe that God plays a part in evolution.

That's the tack that the nuns and priests took at my Catholic school way back in the sixties. Evolution was a given, they said, but God's influence was in there somewhere. How much of a role did he/she/it play? After all, doesn't the Bible say that God created this whole mess in six days and rested on the seventh? My university-educated teachers all cautioned us not to take the Biblical account too literally. We should see it as a story, an illustration of the power of God the Creator. We should look at the term "day" as metaphorical. Who's to say what a day means to God? It could be a millisecond; it could be five billion years. This brings to mind the courtroom exchanged in "Inherit the Wind."

The contemporary Catholic Church has fallen into the clutches of its anti-abortion allies in the Religious Right. The Bible has crept back into everyday Catholic teachings, and that doesn't allow for any metaphors. Metaphors out, dogma in. Rigidity, too. That's why so many practicing Catholics have gone over to The Dark Side.

Let's have this 2008 science debate! Sing with me now. "Give me that new-era science, give me that new-era science...."

CAPTION: In the 17th century painting by Guido Reni (above), St. Michael (my namesake) is shown subduing science-loving Liberal Catholics, driving them out of Wyoming and into Denver, where they all become Democrats. This is metaphorical, of course.

Plan for the future, not the past

On Thursday and Friday, Gov. Dave Freudenthal convened his "Building the Wyoming We Want" conference in Casper. Casper Star-Tribune correspondent Brodie Farquhar covered the event and reported in Saturday’s paper that almost 500 people attended. That’s probably why I couldn’t get in and had to settle for a waiting list. It also helps if you don’t wait until the last minute for these things.

It appears that the main point learned at this conference was this: Wyoming has to plan for the future. Lest you think that "planning for the future" is a redundancy, remember that one of the state’s favorite bumper-sticker slogans is: "Wyoming is what America was."

The Governor asked the audience to go home with two concepts:

One, a successful planning process will evolve over time, as thinking and conditions change.

Two, "We can control our own future," Freudenthal said, although that belief has been waylaid in the past by fears of today's boom turning into tomorrow's bust. If Wyoming can successfully figure out how to allocate resources, how to pay for open space and wildlife, how to pay for education, then surely the state can get a handle on growth, he said.

Freudenthal promised the audience that he'd continue to work on a supportive structure for communities what want to plan their future.

I’m hoping that plenty of legislators were on hand to hear this. They too often seem to be planning for the past. The Republicans just love stashing away money in the rainy day fund. We need to spend on infrastructure now. The Joint Appropriation Committee began holding hearings in Cheyenne this opast week and will be meeting until the Legislature convenes on Feb. 11.

To read Brodie’s entire CST article, go to http://www.trib.com/articles/2008/01/12/news/wyoming/.

January 11: Close Guantanamo

Republicans think like it's 1899

Bill Luckett, blogger for the Wyoming Democratic Party, led off his Jan. 9 news digest with a piece about Teton County Republican goals. You just have to ask: what century are these people living in? On what planet do they dwell? Here's the excerpt:

Next, we have this piece from the Jackson Hole News & Guide, which demonstrated to all the people of Teton County just how out of touch their local Republican leaders are (I’ve included the entire piece below, because it’s just two sentences):

GOP goals: Abolish the federal income and estate taxes, deport illegal immigrants who are stopped by police, dissolve the Teton County Housing Authority, and begin planning for another bridge over the Snake River to the west bank. Teton County Republicans voted for these and other positions Saturday as they set their platform for the upcoming election cycle.

N.H. voters voted for... CHANGE!

I've kind of lost touch with Dave Barry and his very funny Miami Herald columns. Seems he was covering the recent New Hampshire primaries from a hotel room while eating Cheez-Its, or so he says. This column serves as an antidote to all the very serious N.H. post-mortems we've been getting for the past two days:

The voters of New Hampshire have made their decision, and the big winner is:
Change. Here's the final vote tally:
Change -- 43 percent
Hope -- 28 percent
Hope For Change -- 17 percent
Hair -- 9 percent
Experience -- 2 percent
Dennis Kucinich -- 1 percent

Now it's time for the politicians and the press to drop New Hampshire like an ant-covered corn dog and sprint for the airport, leaving the residents of The Granite State to spend the rest of the winter plucking 239 billion candidate signs out of their snowbanks, all the while wondering if there ever really was a candidate named ''Mike Gravel,'' or if that was just teenagers playing a sign-planting prank.

Mr. Barry also took a little time to dissect the Hillary Clinton "crying incident," also referred to as the "welling-of-the-tears incident." You decide the proper terminolgy:

Meanwhile there are many unanswered questions about the races in both parties. On the Democratic side: Is Barack Obama for real? Or is he, as sources inside the Hillary Clinton campaign have suggested, a hologram formed by laser beams? Is the nation truly ready for a hologram president? And speaking of Hillary Clinton: When her eyes appeared to well up with tears during a campaign appearance at a New Hampshire diner, was that real welling? Or did she fake the welling? If she did, in fact, well, do we know for certain that those were her own personal tears? Why was no sample made available to the media for testing?

Lest you think he just picks on Democrats:

Among the unanswered questions on the Republican side are: Is John McCain, at 117, too old and cranky to be president? Like, during the White House Easter Egg Roll, would he come outside in his bathrobe and yell, ''You kids get off my lawn!'' Does Mitt Romney contain any human DNA whatsoever? Does he, for example, burp? Can he emit bodily aromas? And is there any TV show that Mike Huckabee will NOT appear on? Are we going to see him one of these nights on Deal or No Deal?

Hillary Clinton fans and "Girl Power!"

My wife is ecstatic about Hillary Clinton's win in the New Hampshire primary. "Girl Power!" she kept shouting all morning. "But," says I, "Barack Obama leads in the delegate count -- and don't forget about John Edwards." "Girl Power," she says. My daughter wishes she could vote in this presidential election but will have to wait until 2012. "Girl Power!" she shouts as she shuffles off the school.

I couldn't think of anything clever to say. "It ain't over 'til it's over," comes to mind. Or as John Edwards said last night: "There are 48 states left to vote." That would be 47 for the Republicans, as the Wyoming Repubs had their say last Saturday.

On to the rest of the primaries!

McGovern: Impeach Bush & Cheney

South Dakota's George McGovern -- writer, bomber pilot, senator and presidential candidate -- wrote an illuminating column for Sunday's Washington Post. In it, he calls publicly for the impeachment of our fearful leaders -- and gives all the reasons why it's high time we did so. In the process, he says a few nice things about his old nemesis, Richard Nixon:

I have not been heavily involved in singing the praises of the Nixon administration. But the case for impeaching Bush and Cheney is far stronger than was the case against Nixon and Vice President Spiro T. Agnew after the 1972 election. The nation would be much more secure and productive under a Nixon presidency than with Bush. Indeed, has any administration in our national history been so damaging as the Bush-Cheney era?

How could a once-admired, great nation fall into such a quagmire of killing, immorality and lawlessness?

Read the rest at the Washington Post on the Jan. 6 op-ed pages.

I cast my first vote for president in the 1972 election. I hadn't thought about lately, but it just ocurred to me that it involved a race between two Westerners: Nixon from California and McGovern from South Dakota. I know that some consider S.D. more Great Plains that High Plains. But the western one-third of the state is more mountainous than many places in eastern Wyoming. And McGovern has written extensively about the region, most notably in his book about the Ludlow Massacre in Colorado.

What other presidential election has pitched West vs. West? We certainly won't have one this time, unless John McCain or Duncan Hunter is matched up against Bill Richardson or Mike Gravel (is he still in the race?). Not likely....

Go, Dennis, Go!

Special Kucinich TV spot available at http://www.usalone.com/kucinich_tv.php

A man of great courage. Too radical to get elected, Democrats say, and too short. Too bad he's been so marginalized by his own party. It would be great to see him win the Democratic Party primary in New Hampshire. My second choice for great N.H. happenings would be a first place finish by John Edwards with second place to Barack Obama. I don't dislike Hillary Clinton. In fact, after today's film clip from N.H., I feel sorry for her as I admire the hell out of her. Alas, her time has come and gone.

FMI: http://www.kucinich4president.com.

Dems watch N.H. primaries Jan. 8

We had such an uplifting time last Thursday during our local "Iowa Caucus Night Party" that we're going to do it again tomorrow night. Join the Laramie County Democrats on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 6-10 p.m. for our "New Hampshire Primary Results Party." We'll gather at the bar at Little America in Cheyenne out in the prairie where I-80 and I-25 connect. Everyone is welcome. The discussion are sure to be lively.

FMI: Nicole Novotny, LCD Communications Director, 307-514-4685.

Local Democrats digest Iowa results

Local Democrats held an informal "Iowa Caucus Party" last Thursday at C.B. & Potts in Cheyenne. I was late to the party, so I skipped the ribs and dove into a flagon of Buttface Amber Ale. We watched two sets of results on two TVs. The good TV showed FOX with its Republican noisemakers such as William Kristol. The other TV, which was as old as Dick Clark, carried MSNBC with Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann. I made the wrong choice and sat facing FOX. I quickly switched seats and engaged in a lively conversation about the Iowa results. Most of the 20-or-so Dems in attendance seemed pleased that Barack Obama took the convincing win. In the fall of ought-seven, Obama had finished first in the Laramie County Democrats straw poll. I was happy to see that John Edwards made a convincing number-two showing, although he finished neck-and-neck with Hillary Clinton.

I was distressed that Kucinich didn't even place. Predictable but still distressing. Kucinich has the best policies of any of the Democratic Party candidates. His stands against the Iraq War and in support of the U.S. Constitution have pushed him to the fringe. His own party has been complicit in this, as you'll notice that Kucinich was nowhere to be seen in the New Hampshire debate. Kucinich is a good man, a brave man. He'd be a radical alternative to what we have now. That's not saying much, I know.

Who attended the caucus party? Local party officers. Union members. Gubment workers such as myself. An Air Force veteran who now flies for United Airlines. Several candidates for public office in ought-eight. A Boston Red Sox fan. A poet. A Vietnam veteran. A young rabble-rouser. A Colorado refugee. A rancher. An historian.

All Americans. People trying to take back their country.

You too can get involved. The next meeting of the Laramie County Democrats will be on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m., at the Historic Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne. Our county convention will be March 8 and the state convention will be Memorial Day weekend in Jackson. Get statewide news on Bill Luckett's blog at the Wyoming Democratic Party site.

It's Mitt and Fred for WYO Republicans

This comes from Denver Post Online:

Mitt Romney captured his first win of the Republican presidential race on Saturday, prevailing in Wyoming caucuses for a much-needed boost to his candidacy three days before the New Hampshire primary. "This is just the beginning," he declared.

The former Massachusetts governor won eight delegates, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson got three and California Rep. Duncan Hunter won one.

"The people of Wyoming took the first step towards bringing true conservative change to Washington," Romney said in a statement. "I am honored to have won many of the first delegates awarded this primary season. As the Republican nominee, I promise to fight to seat all of Wyoming's delegates at the national convention." The victory was a welcome development for Romney, coming two days after his loss to Mike Huckabee in the Iowa caucuses and three days before the first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire. Those two states have attracted most of the political attention. Wyoming had scheduled its GOP county conventions earlier to attract candidates to the state but had only modest results.

Romney visited Wyoming in August and November and three of his five sons campaigned in the state. One son, Josh Romney, owns a ranch in southwest Wyoming.

Searching for Republican bumper stickers

I prowled the Cheyenne Holiday Inn parking lot this morning searching for signs who the local Republicans might prefer as they hold today's county convention. The results will be available on the local evening news. But if bumper stickers are any bellwether, only Mitt, Fred and Ron are going to get votes. I spied one Mitt 08, one Fred 08, and one Ron Paul. To be fair, the big black truck with the Ron Paul sticker had several of them, including a placard and the legend "Ron Paul for Freedom" scrawled across its windows. The truck bore a Colorado license plate. I did see a bumper sticker that read "Christmas: an American Tradition." I suppose that the sticker is a sign that at least one Republican convention-goer agrees with Pat Robertson and Bill O'Reilly that there's a war on Christmas. This war, according to the fundies and Fixed News, is waged by secularists against god-fearing traditionalists. In reality, if there's a war against the Christian Christmas, it's being waged by rich Republican corporate CEOs. Those same people that are funding the campaigns of the candidates running today in the Laramie County Republican convention. You could say that Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee are not in the pockets of corporate special interests. But just wait...

Revisiting 1968 in 2008

Yet another column about 1968 (40 years gone) and its impact upon the U.S.A. Written by Bob Herbert on the New York Times web site. It does include a few mistakes. "The Sound of Music," for instance, was not released in 1968 but in 1965. Just ask my wife, the world's number one SOM fan. Besides that, though, Herbert's column is a good one. Go here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/01/opinion/01herbert.html?_r=2&ref=opinion&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Reagan on Rushmore could mean a boost to Wyoming tourism

Jim Hightower, "America's No. 1 Populist," revisited the Ronald Reagan presidency in his year-end column:

"I must admit that the seven-year reign of Bush & Company makes me yearn for the years of Ronald Reagan, when the term “conservative” merely meant right wing, rather than full-tilt, bull-goose loopy."

He's a bit shocked that there's a movement afoot to add Reagan's image to that of Jefferson, Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, and Lincoln on Mount Rushmore. Hate to tell you this, Jim, but certain Reagan idol-worshippers have been at this since 1988, when The Gipper left D.C. for his California ranch. But now there's a web site devoted to the cause: “Put Reagan On Rushmore in your home or office." Go to http://www.reaganrushmore.com/. I was going to copy and paste the image but I didn't want to be responsible for spreading it around.

But hey, if you look at it from a Wyoming tourism P.O.V., it's not such a bad idea. Reagan fans from all over would be drawn to the Black Hills during the construction phase, which could take up to five years. Once the giant head is completed, it will receive a constant stream of traffic until the end of time. The most direct auto routes to Mount Rushmore from Orange County, California, take you through Wyoming. Even those voyagers taking the southern route through Colorado would have to transverse the southeastern corner of WYO, where I live. Gas prices will be, like, $10 a gallon by then, so we can siphon off some of that dough from Hummer 5's and the giant SUVs of the future.

Makes you wonder what other GOP hero could be added to Mount Rushmore. Perhaps the beady-eyed visage of Karl Rove? He wasn't technically a president, but he was George W. Bush's "Brain." Maybe we could just stick the brain up there. The actual brain.

Beware of that "brief flash of fear"

I'm a sucker for good literary references. It's the English major in me. Possibly no book has been more abused in this arena than George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. It's the no-brainer lit reference for our times, the era of John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzalez, true champions of the abridged Republican version of the Bill of Rights.

But here's a good one regarding new security methods in use by the Transportation Satety Administration. It was posted Jan. 1 by Avram Grumer at Making Light:

George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Part 1, Chapter 5:
He did not know how long she had been looking at him, but perhaps for as much as five minutes, and it was possible that his features had not been perfectly under control. It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself — anything that carried with it the suggestion of abnormality, of having something to hide. In any case, to wear an improper expression on your face (to look incredulous when a victory was announced, for example) was itself a punishable offence. There was even a word for it in Newspeak: facecrime, it was called.

Us, now:
TSA officials will not reveal specific behaviors identified by the program — called SPOT (Screening Passengers by Observation Technique) — that are considered indicators of possible terrorist intent.

But a central task is to recognize microfacial expressions — a flash of feelings that in a fraction of a second reflects emotions such as fear, anger, surprise or contempt, said Carl Maccario, who helped start the program for TSA.

“In the SPOT program, we have a conversation with (passengers) and we ask them about their trip,” said Maccario from his office in Boston. “When someone lies or tries to be deceptive, … there are behavior cues that show it. … A brief flash of fear.”

Looking ahead to ought-eight

As promised, here are my predictions for 2008.

The Bush Administration will decide to dis-invade Iraq, discovering that the long-suspected weapons of mass destruction are in Iran.

We invade Iran.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan.

Not to mention Osama bin Laden.

Barack Obama will be elected president. His vice president is Bill Richardson.

Wyoming Republicans exported to D.C. for the Bush presidency make plans to return to their home state to make mischief of one kind or another. Dick Cheney begins moving out of the V.P Mansion. He and his cabal of ousted neo-cons start making plans to invade Idaho.

For the first time since the 1970s, a Democrat is elected to Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat. Gary Trauner pledges that he won’t let down his adopted state.

The Republicans in the Wyoming State Legislature, faced with crises in health care, meth addiction, transportation, and education, spend most of their time proposing bills outlawing gay marriage, "fetal homicide," evolution, global warming, stem-cell research, and Democrats. Their only success is the "Why Do They Hate God and Our Troops?" measure, which bans for life all Democrats currently registered in the state.

I move to Colorado. I conspire with my fellow exiles to invade Wyoming. The plot is exposed by an FBI mole (an actual mole named Ralph fitted with high-tech snooping devices) and we are all sent to Gitmo.

We await full pardons from Pres. Obama.

Happy New Year!

Dems host "Caucus Party" Jan. 3

Nicole Novotny, communications director for the Laramie County Democrats, sent this reminder:

On January 3, 2008, the Laramie County Democratic Party will host a "Caucus Party" at CB & Potts on Dell Range Blvd. in Cheyenne from 6-10 p.m. Please drop by and see which presidential candidates are pulling ahead at this point in 2008! See you there!

FMI: Nicole Novotny, 307-514-4685

Who'll win in Iowa? Today's polls show front-runners in both parties ranked neck-and-neck. Who would you caucus for in Iowa if you could?

Wyoming Year in Review: 2007

While it’s tough to predict the coming year, it’s easy to crack wise about events of the previous 365-or-so days. Esquire Magazine once cornered the market with its "Dubious Achievements of (insert year here)." It stopped offering dubious achievements in 2001 but resumed in 2003 due to popular demand. It usually features a photo of the late Dick Nixon with the caption, "Why is this man laughing?" In 2007, his laughter was caused by a poll showing that Dubya (and not Tricky Dick) was "the worst president ever." Thus Nixon is off the hook, posterity-wise.

Esquire taught me how to write headlines. Some of the worst transgressions against America featured in DA carried this headline: "The Thanks of a Grateful Nation." So, you could feature any of Dubya’s incomprehensible quotes under this headline. How about this one from April 2003: "You’re free. And freedom is beautiful. And you know, it will take time to restore chaos and order – order out of chaos. But we will." For this, Bush receives the thanks of a grateful nation. And how about this from April 2005: "I’m going to spend a lot of time on Social Security. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking on the issue. I guess, it’s the mother in me."

Before you accuse me of poking fun at a man who rose from humble beginnings to be the leader of the free world, remember that Dubya was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and experienced many of life’s advantages, including an Ivy league education. So why can’t he speak in complete sentences? Is it an affectation, designed to appeal to the Bubbas in the Republican Party? Is he just dumb, as many suspect? Or is it his dyslexia at work, which was talked about in the early days of his presidency but dropped post-9-11?

But let’s get back to the year in review. The major problem with 2007 is that Bush is still president. That will change with the 2008 elections, which truly will earn the thanks of a grateful nation. The Iraq War continues to rage, with 2007 becoming the worst year for American combat deaths. Democrats, with a majority in the House and senate, attempted to end the war several times but kept running into lunkhead Republicans standing shoulder-to-shoulder in defense of Bush’s lunkhead policies. The Dems – except for the crusty Christopher Dodd – forget how to play politics and filibuster and hold their breath until they turned blue to get their way. The Democratic Majority was a big disappointment in 2007.

What about Wyoming? The Associated Press’s top stories for the state were also political ones. They include the death of U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas and his replacement by John Barrasso, a celebrity-physician from Casper who might yet become a free-thinking Republican from Wyoming if he could quit his addiction to voting with the Know-Nothing bloc of his party on issues such as stem-cell research and health insurance for poor children.

Another big political story: Barbara Cubin decided to retire from her U.S. House seat. This would seem like good news for Democrats except that Cubin was a big target, losing many voters in her own party to Gary Trauner in the 2006 election. Trauner is running again, but no big-name Repubs have entered the fray. State Sen. Colin Simpson, son of former U.S. Sen "Big Al" Simpson, says he will not run. We’ll have to wait and see what 2008 brings.

The state’s Repubs also made news with their decision to move up their presidential delegate selection to Jan. 5, making the Wyo. event among the first in the nation. The Republican Party has severely disciplined their high-plains brethren and sistren, withholding any signed photos of Dick Cheney until they change their ways.

Wildlife issues entered the fray. Ranchers and other big guys with big guns want to shoot wolves and grizzly bears. The feds have entered the fray and I can’t figure out all the ins and outs of their decisions. Suffice to say that with Bush and Cheney’s hand-selected wildlife conservators in control, the wildlife will lose. I have a practical question. While the loss of stock is a blow to ranchers, how many cows and sheep are killed annually by wolves? What does it add up to in dollars? Now, balance that against the tourist dollars spent annually to see (or attempt to see) the wolves and bears in Yellowstone National Park. Tourism is our largest economic generator along with energy development (oil, gas and coal). Agriculture and ranching are a distant third or fourth, depending on whose statistics you accept. You’d think those staunch bottom-line members of the state Republican Party would be allies in protecting wolves. But many legislators continue to be ranchers or those beholden to the ranching lobby. They are living in the last century or maybe the one before that.

One of the best things about Wyoming in 2007? The Governor’s first annual Arts Summit in Casper. Wyomingites convened from across the state in October to listen to some common-sense advice about how the arts can help Wyoming prepare for the future. Gov. Freudenthal has convened his own summit conference for Jan. 10-11, 2008, focusing on "Building the Wyoming We Want."

The University of Wyoming’s energy institute has added a school to study wind power. There is a gradual awakening in the state that global warming will also affect us. Strange but true. We produce tons of low-sulphur coal each day and ship it around the country, only to have it come back to haunt us in drought and acid rain and higher temps and the ravages of the pine bark beatle. On the plus side: a millennium from now, we’ll have some bitchin’ surf in Cheyenne.

Wyoming’s economy continues to hum along. Population is increasing, but at a measured pace. Baby Boomers are discovering Wyoming as a retirement haven (see preceding post), which could be good news or bad, depending on your P.O.V.

We face 2008 with angst and hope. I’ll offer some predictions in upcoming posts. They will be wildly unpredictable.

Herds of Boomers choosing Wyoming

I am pleased to report that my nefarious plan is working. When I moved to Cheyenne in 1991 to work at the Wyoming Arts Council, I pledged to help transform the state into an arts mecca. This, in turn, would cause my fellow Baby Boomers to abandon their Yuppie ways and come to Wyoming, the Rocky Mountain Nirvana. As Horace Greeley might have said in 2007: "Go West, aging Baby Boomers -- and don't forget your medication for restless leg syndrome and erectile dysfunction."

Today's AP story on CNN.com says that migrating herds of Baby Boomers are heading this way in ever-increasing numbers:

Demographers say thousands of people...are heading to the Rocky Mountain West in their later years. Forget the warmth of Florida and Arizona. Baby boomers, in particular, are gravitating toward the peaks and sagebrush basins of Wyoming and Montana, promising to turn these states from relatively young into two of the nation's oldest.

They're drawn by low crime, fresh air, little traffic and abundant outdoor activities, said Larry Swanson, an economist and director of the Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Missoula, Mont.

Although people of all ages like those things, older people tend to be flexible enough in their careers, families and finances to finally kick up their boots on a porch rail, he said. "If you're 25, you say, `I'd like to live here, but maybe someday in the future.' But if you're 45 or 55, the future is now."

The populations of Montana and Wyoming are not very old. In 2000, Montana ranked 18th and Wyoming 43rd for the relative size of their 65-and-over populations. But by 2030, the Census Bureau predicts Montana will rank fifth and Wyoming third in the nation for their over-65 populations.

The two states are not seeking out older people; they are being discovered.

The AP story by Mead Gruver cites some examples of people who’ve taken the plunge and moved to Wyoming. John Kerr, 69, retired from Boston's PBS station and became a seasonal Yellowstone ranger. Laurie Lyman, 55, quite her teaching job in San Diego and she and her husband are joining their friends in "snapping up property around Yellowstone." Ms. Lyman said she visited Yellowstone a few years ago and fell in love with its wolves. She plans to live close to them. I advise that she keep a close eye on her Yorkie, as gray wolves consider them a delicacy.

It’s easy to understand why Boomers with means are moving to the Yellowstone area. The scenery is gorgeous, crime rates are low, and there are lots of outdoor activities. The article does not mention that Wyoming has no income tax, which could be part of the draw. It also doesn’t mention that Teton County property tends to appreciate because there is only so much open space to build on. So, a pretty solid investment, even in this era of mortgage scandals and rampant foreclosures. And there are some celebs to ogle in Jackson Hole. The Dick Cheney Air Force drops out of the sky with alarming frequency. His gated community is lousy with CEOs, both indicted and unindicted. Harrison Ford, once a full-time resident, is occasionally spotted buzzing bewildered tourists with his helicopter. The cry goes out: "Indiana Jones! Run for it!"

Jackson is Wyoming’s cosmopolitan outpost. There is a plaque downtown that celebrates the first latte served in Wyoming. In some of the quaint shops downtown, you can buy clothing items that cost more than your "Greatest Generation" parents paid for their first house. Jackson features all of the state's great restaurants.

Jackson Hole's biggest draw? The arts. It features the Grand Teton Music Festival in Teton Village. Scores of arts galleries. And best of all -- the new Center for the Arts in the middle of Jackson. It houses the state's only full-time dance company in Dancer's Workshop, two theatre companies, the Jackson Hole Writers Conference, two film festivals, and scores of others. The Center houses classrooms, a dance rehearsal studio, a state-of-the art theatre, and a huge pottery studio with kilns. This facility gives the rest of us something to shoot for.

But what about the rest of the state? Does art exist in Casper and Green River and Cheyenne? And will Boomers want to dwell in these windswept outposts?

Yes, I'm happy to report. And so are AP and CNN. The reporter located a couple that relocated to my town of Cheyenne:

Working was what Lee and Beth Dix had in mind in 1999 when they began thinking about leaving Washington, D.C., where he was a systems analyst for IBM Corp. and she was a corporate planner for Fairchild Corp.

Lee Dix, 62, said the couple researched dozens of communities in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, then flew to Denver and started driving. The couple ended up in Cheyenne, the first overnight stop on their trip.

Lee Dix said the couple did not even consider Florida or Arizona after sweltering in Washington. "Except for the wind here, this is a pretty ideal place for us," he said.

This is an encouraging development. I've lived in the Washington, D.C., area and I'll take Wyoming's wind to the Beltway's swelter and bombast any day. But approaching Cheyenne from the south as the Dixes did can be a daunting experience. At the border, motorists must negotiate a scary line-up of giant brightly-lit billboards (they can be seen from space) and then a series of big-box fireworks' outlets ("More bang for the buck!"). Roaming herds of buffalo and pronghorn antelope lurk in the tall grass, waiting to pounce on wayward tourists. Beware of the roving bands of gay married couples trying to sneak their illicit lifestyles into The Equality State! Republican legislators warned us last session about this, said we needed to change our lax marriage laws to stem this rising tide. And now look!

The constant west wind can send cow-sized tumbleweeds barreling across I-25. Last fall, a particularly large t-weed swallowed a Toyota Prius and sent it tumbling off to Nebraska. The occupants, a trio of consultants from Denver, were never heard from again. The City of Cheyenne's gateway is notable for its truck stops, car dealerships, and tumbledown motels. Mile-long freight trains rumble along the tracks. Tourists crashing at the motels stay awake all night just so they can hear that lonesome whistle blow.

Still, it's a town where the arts are increasing in quantity and quality. And we're anxious to welcome other adventurous Boomers. We hope you're not here just for the tax breaks or the housing prices. Bargain hunters or part-time residents make bad neighbors. They also tend to be Republicans -- we don't need any more of those. We hope you are good citizens who contribute to the town's cultural vitality. We have a great symphony and theatre company. We have an active arts scene. Our new library is top-notch. This is a community full of readers, people curious about the world. We come out in force for events sponsored by the Arts Council and the Wyoming Humanities Council. The State Museum has a great lecture series focusing on Wyoming history.

Welcome Boomers! We've been setting the table for years, awaiting your arrival for the feast that is Wyoming. Hope you remembered those little purple pills.

DCCC gives boost to Trauner campaign

Mcjoan on Daily Kos posted this on Dec. 20 about Gary Trauner’s new visibility (and viability) in the 2008 race for Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat:

The DCCC's fundraising efforts have been successful enough that they can look beyond defending seats of vulnerable incumbents, so they're looking at targeting key open seats, currently held by Republicans. These include state Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson in Illinois’ 11th district; state Sen. John Adler in New Jersey’s 3rd; state Assemblywoman and 2006 nominee Linda Stender in New Jersey’s 7th; Franklin County Commissioner and 2006 nominee Mary Jo Kilroy in Ohio’s 15th; state Sen. John Boccieri in Ohio’s 16th; and most exciting for us, Gary Trauner in Wyoming’s at-large.

Mcjoan also includes this quote from Frank Luntz:

Luntz, who has been most often associated with the Republican Party, was not as certain about whether the Wyoming GOP can hang onto the U.S. House seat to be vacated by incumbent Barbara Cubin. "In this current environment, I don't count on anything anymore," he said. "Wyoming is not as Republican as people think it is," Luntz added. "Voters have such a deep independent streak, and they don't like Washington."... "Do you realize how angry the American people are right now? They're angry at the war. They're angry at the economy. They're angry at illegal immigration," he said. They also are angry at the waste and corruption in Washington.

Here's what Mr. Trauner has to say about this turn of events:

The support of the everyday people through the netroots means a lot. There may be some issues where we disagree, but their financial support will make a huge difference going forward.... I welcome the DCCC's support, but I'm still running a race for the people of Wyoming and what matters to them. That's doing the right thing for the people of Wyoming and our country, and I'm glad the DCCC willing to stand behind that.... For me, I'm optimistic, buoyantly optimistic. It's more clear than ever that people aren't happy with the path we're on, with the representation that they have. It's gotten worse since 2006. We need representatives who are willing to be leaders and tell it straight.

Act Blue! Contribute to Trauner!

Blue Majority has endorsed Gary Trauner for Congress. The site bills itself this way:

We may have re-taken Congress, but our work is by no means done – in fact, this is just the beginning. Now, we need to support and strengthen our caucus. This page will feature candidates selected by DailyKos, OpenLeft, and the Swing State Project whose presence in Congress will make our party stronger.

Trauner won in most of WYO’s cities in 2006 but lost in the rural north. Trauner’s challenge will be to woo those voters in 2008, no easy task. The good news is that there isn’t yet an announced Republican candidate to replace Barbara Cubin, the right-wing kook who’s (finally) retiring. Many Repubs thought that the candidate would be State Senator Colin Simpson, son of former Sen. Big Al Simpson. But Colin tendered his regrets a few weeks ago, saying that he didn’t want to go to D.C. because the change would be too much for his young family. Colin Simpson has not been particularly noteworthy during his time in the State Senate. He tows the party line most of the time, but that’s not to unusual in this state. If he does decide to run in the future, let’s hope he exhibits his father’s tendency to cross party lines and work with the other side of the aisle.

Here’s what Blue Majority says about Mr. Trauner:

In deep red Wyoming, Trauner stands up for the Constitution. He nearly beat Republican Barbara Cubin in 2006, and forced her into retirement. He’s now gearing up to take the seat, while speaking out strongly on core Constitutional principles like the rule of law and illegal wiretapping by private phone companies. No matter what the pundits say, the Bill of Rights is popular everywhere in the country, with the possible exception of DC.

Blue Majority is collecting funds for Trauner. So far, it's racked up more than $1,100, which goes a long way in WYO. You can also contribute at his web site. Trauner will need lots of dough to counter the deep pockets of the WYO GOP, an outfit which specializes in casting aspersions through expensive TV ads.

Wandering in the wilderness since 1968

This comes from Jim Wallis's Dec. 19 column, "My Prayer for 2008," at Sojourners Online:

1968 was the turning point when everything began to go wrong in America. I remember my feelings at the time vividly. King had been the leader of the movements that had captured my imagination and commitment as a young activist; and Kennedy was the only politician who won my political trust. I was getting ready to take a break from college to work on his presidential campaign when he was killed. Ever since 1968, the door has been closed to real social change in the U.S. Since 1968, we have been wandering in the wilderness. The coming New Year -- 2008 -- marks 40 years of that wandering, a passage of time I have been pondering as we enter into it.

I agree with Jim. We have been wandering in the wilderness since 1968. We have a chance for a major upheaval in the 2008 elections. But it's not just elections that make big changes. As Jim says:

Real social progress seems to require that combination -- strong social movements and open political doors. I believe we may be approaching just such a time.

Maybe we are. Those doors have been closed for such an awfully long time.

Read the entire column at http://www.sojo.net/.

WDP offers daily news roundup on blog

Bill Luckett, the Wyoming Democratic Party's PIO, has been compiling a daily news roundup on the party's blog. To check it out, go to http://www.wyomingdemocrats.com/ and click on "blog" on the sidebar.

He carried this listing yesterday:

Not too much today. First up is a new story today in the Casper Star-Tribune on Chairman Millin’s recent letter to the Denver Post: Dem leader ruffles feathers

I read the story yesterday in the CST. Some of the state's Dems have complained about what they saw as the party's endorsement of Brack Obama for president. Millin said that he was only voicing his personal opinion and not speaking for the WDP. Still, the rules committee will probably look at this during the state convention over Memorial Day weekend 2008 in Jackson.

Wyoming's Cheney featured on Time's "Magazine Cover of the Year"

As did so many smart-asses of my generation, I devoured each issue of National Lampoon when it hit the newsstands. All those great humor writers: Michael O'Donaghue, who later found fame in strange one-man sketches on Saturday Night Live; P.J. O'Rourke, who grew up to be a "Republican lounge lizard" (his term) and author of one of my favorite books, "Holidays in Hell;" Bruce McCall, comic writer and illustrator, inventor of the "Bulgemobile;" Tona Hendra; and Doug Kenney (notice all the Irish-American surnames?). The magazine's covers were designed to grab the attention of teens and twenty-somethings, mostly males. The most infamous is the one pictured above: "If you don't buy this magazine, we'll shoot this dog." I don't know this for a fact, but I'm sure that issue sold out quickly. Not that we were dog haters. Almost everyone I knew had some big gallumphing mutt. We just loved dark humor.

Maybe that's why I was pleased to see a Texas Monthly homage to that National Lampoon issue chosen as Time's "magazine cover of the year." As you can see above, it features a gun-toting (and always snarling) Dick Cheney with shotgun. It refers to the famous incident in 2006 when Cheney went duck hunting and all he did was wound a Republican supporter. Funnier still was his victim's apology a few days later. Apparently he was concerned that the Veep might wield some of his limitless power to do him harm. His apology went something like this: "Sorry I got in the way of your shotgun pellets, Dick. Please don't send my family to Gitmo!" Texas Monthly is a fine magazine, one that almost makes me want to live in Texas. I first started reading it back in the late 1970s when Bill Broyles as editor. Broyles is a fine writer and now a famous Hollywood screenwriter who (like many Texans) lives in Jackson Hole. He's written movingly of his experiences as a Marine in Vietnam. Way to go, Texas Mo. Keep up the good work.

Arthur C. Clarke wants "to be remembered as a writer"

"Sometimes I am asked how I would like to be remembered," said Arthur C. Clarke at his 90th birthday Sunday in Colombo, Sri Lanka. "I have had a diverse career as a writer, underwater explorer and space promoter. Of all these I would like to be remembered as a writer."

Clarke, author of 100 sci-fi books including "2001: A Space Odyssey," listed three wishes on his birthday: for the world to embrace cleaner energy resources; for a lasting peace in his adopted home, Sri Lanka; and for evidence of extraterrestrial beings.

"I have always believed that we are not alone in this universe," he said.

Humans are waiting until extraterrestrial beings "call us or give us a sign. We have no way of guessing when this might happen. I hope sooner rather than later."

Wyo. Democratic Party responds to Millin

The Wyoming Democratic Party web site offers several links to stories about State Chair John Millin's letter to the editor last week in the Denver Post (see previous post). The letter dissed Hillary Clinton's candidacy because, according to Millin, she would be a drag on the efforts of Democrats in Wyoming. The state is red as red can be, and many of these Reds have an irrational hatred of the Clintons. His letter also promoted the candidacy of Barack Obama. So, the WDP web site offered this caveat:

Please note that the opinions expressed by Chairman Millin in the Denver Post article are his personal opinions only, and they do not reflect any official position of the Wyoming Democratic Party. The party remains neutral in all Democratic primary elections, and the party will enthusiastically support our presidential nominee. Every one of our party’s major candidates for president would make a better president for this country than any one running on the Republican side. As a state party chairman and as a superdelegate to the national convention, Chairman Millin is free to endorse whichever candidate he prefers for president. Part of our presidential election process involves the candidates trying to earn the endorsements of unpledged delegates to the convention. But any delegate’s endorsement of any candidate does not change the position of the Democratic Party, which remains neutral in the presidential primary.

Last week was an active one, media-wise, for some of the state's top Democrats. First you had Gov. Freudenthal say he wasn't going to attend the Democratic National Convention in August 2008 down the road in Denver. He did a switcheroo on that one, once he was informed that he was a superdelgate to the convention and his presence would be missed. And then came Mr. Millin's letter and the responses to it.

I believe in standing up as a Democrat. I did like Millin's letter's list of Dems' accomplishments in Wyoming. The best was Gary Trauner scaring Barbara Cubin into retirement. We're all very happy about that, as Ms. Cubin continues to miss crucial votes in Congress. Considering her right-wing voting record, maybe that's not such a bad thing...

Regarding Millin's Denver Post comments

Here are my comments to a recent letter to the editor by Wyoming Democratic Party Chair John Millin which appeared in the Denver Post. His comments about a Hillary Clinton candidacy and its effects on other WYO Democratic Party candidates (local and national) have caused quite a stir. I thought I'd provide some context:

I'm a Wyoming Democrat and recently served as secretary to the Laramie County Democrats when John Millin was its chair. So, my comments come to you completely biased. Yes, Hillary Clinton will not be a fave among Wyoming voters. Obama may get a few more votes if he's the Democratic Party's presidential candidate. The same goes for Edwards. But let's face it: the Republican candidate, no matter who HE is, will win Wyoming and its crucial three electoral votes. Democrats voting for president in Wyoming are throwing away their vote. We saw how little the popular vote counts in the 2000 elections, when Gore was elected prez by the majority of Americans but Bush won the electoral contest thanks to Republican Party hacks in Florida and some tired old cranks on the Supreme Court.

But the alternative is to vote for the Republican candidate. We can't afford another eight years of compassionate conservatism. Look what's happened the past eight years. Bush and Cheney have taken us to the brink of World War III and keep pressing war against Iran.

I will vote Democratic for president, Hillary or not. My neighbors will vote for Mitt or Fred or Rudy. Republicans will continue to turn our government over to corporate interests and Christian know-nothings. They will continue to wage war against the planet.

Our only choice for salvation lies with the Democrats. My first choice for president is not Ms. Clinton. I like Edwards and Kucinich and Richardson. But if she's chosen at the Denver convention, I will vote for Hillary Clinton. I reckon that John Millin will also do so, as will other Wyoming Dems.

Calls to impeach WYO's "favorite son"

Democrat.com carried news on Friday about a call by Rep. Robert Wexler of Florida to impeach V.P. Dick Cheney, the quiet young man who grew up in Casper, Wyoming, and went on to become the scourge of the universe. Joining Wexler in this effort are two other Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee: Luis Gutierrez of Illinois and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. They called on their committee to begin impeachment hearings. Here's what they said:

"The charges are too serious to ignore. There is credible evidence that the Vice President abused the power of his office, and not only brought us into an unneccesary war but violated the civil liberties and privacy of American citizens. It is the constitutional duty of Congress to hold impeachment hearings."

They wrote an op-ed outlining their position, but none of the nation's leading newspapers would publish it, according to Democrat.com. No surprise there. As A.J. Liebling said, "The free press belongs to those who own one." So it's been up to progressive bloggers to spread the word. Some of those links are on my sidebar.

To sign a petition supporting Wexler's efforts, go to http://wexlerwantshearings.com/

A fine mishegoss you got us into

In Wednesday’s New York Times, Maureen Dowd writes about a recent speech at the American Enterprise Institute by Iraq War architect Douglas Feith. He was part of Donald Rumsfeld’s stable of neo-cons who did such a great job in Iraq. Dowd says this about Feith and his chickenhawk pals:

"He was simply trying to put an egghead gloss on his Humpty Dumpty mishegoss."

Mishegoss? That’s a new word for me. Here are its meanings:

"Noun 1. mishegoss -- (Yiddish) craziness; senseless behavior or activity meshugaas, mishegaasfoolery, tomfoolery, lunacy, craziness, folly, indulgence -- foolish or senseless behavior."

That pretty well sums up our Iraq misadventure.

Bush's "hoodoo science" on global warming

Ronald Reagan believed in voodoo economics. This president believes in voodoo science (maybe that's hoodoo science). Or maybe he just believes in the power of ignorance. Rep. Henry Waxman’s House Oversight and Government Reform Committee issued its report Monday about the Bush Administration’s interference with climate change science. It obtained more than 27,000 pages of documents from the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Commerce Department, held two investigative hearings, and interviewed officials. Most of this info has never been publicly disclosed.

The findings are available on Waxman’s site at http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1653. Here’s an executive summary:

The evidence before the Committee leads to one inescapable conclusion: the Bush Administration has engaged in a systematic effort to manipulate climate change science and mislead policymakers and the public about the dangers of global warming.

On a gut-level, we always knew this to be the case. Now we know for sure. We have proof, which is something the Republicans never pay attention to.

Coal-powered projects snuffed in WYO

Casper Star-Tribune energy reporter Dustin Bleizeffer reports this in today’s issue:

Two coal-based power projects planned for southwest Wyoming have been snuffed due to an uncertain political climate regarding greenhouse gases. PacifiCorp, which operates as Rocky Mountain Power in Wyoming, said it has pulled all coal-based power generation from its plan to meet increasing load demand within the six Western states it serves. The action scraps a planned 527-megawatt, "super-critical" pulverized coal unit at the Jim Bridger power plant in Sweetwater County. It also scraps a coal-gasification, carbon capture and sequestration demonstration project in partnership with the state of Wyoming at Jim Bridger, according to Rocky Mountain Power spokesman Dave Eskelsen.

"The situation the company finds itself in now is a significant amount of uncertainty about what climate change regulation might do to the cost of coal plants," Eskelsen said Monday. "Coal projects are no longer viable."California, Oregon, Washington and other states across the nation are forcing utilities to consider the additional cost of curbing carbon dioxide emissions in proposed coal-based generation, due to increasing pressure to address climate change. The world's top scientists say human-caused CO2 is almost certainly a key factor in global warming.

This is good news for all of us, including Wyomingites. Republicans will blather on about this, I’m sure, but global warming affects Rock Springs as much as Palm Springs or Warm Springs or any other similarly-named place on the planet. Cancelling (or at least postponing) coal-fired plants is a good thing. In the meantime, we can invest more in solar and wind energy, as well as biofuels.
But the CST story gets more intriguing further down the page:

The outside pressures against coal-fired generation are in complete contrast with the treatment conventional coal projects have received from Freudenthal's administration and Wyoming regulators. At least three new coal-fired power plant projects have been approved in Wyoming in recent years, with no carbon capture or sequestration requirements. All three plants are planned for construction in Campbell County over the next three years. Among them is Basin Electric Power
Cooperative's 385-megawatt Dry Fork Station.

As a Democrat, this distresses me. Many pressures are brought to bear on a Dem governor in our fair state, but Freudenthal shouldn’t be so quick to approve these coal-fired monsters. While he’s talked about global warming and attended some of the regional/national conclaves about renewable energy, Freudenthal needs to take the same kind of proactive stance shown by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter. Less coal, more renewable sources of energy. Gov. Freudenthal also needs to put some money into play.

Home from Iraq for Christmas

Our plane was late. Good thing for the eight Air Force guys who showed up right before the regular boarding time. Some were in desert camouflage uniforms, others wore civvies. All had short haircuts. "Iraq," I guessed. "Maybe Afghanistan."

Iraq, it turns out. One of the airmen sat next to me in row 31 on the flight to Denver. They had been eight months in Kuwait. Their job was driving the trucks that supply to U.S. military throughout Iraq. The guy next to me, Greg from southeastern Idaho, estimated that he drove 20,000 miles in his eight-month stint. Sometimes he drove, sometimes he rode shotgun – in this case, a government-issue automatic weapon. I asked him if they had any problem with I.E.D.s. He looked at me as if I was crazy. "Yeah," he said simply. "It wasn't any fun.

That may be the understatement of the year.

Greg and his buddies had departed Kuwait Sunday morning. A five-hour flight to Germany. Eight hours to Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI). Four hours to Denver. Greg’s next flight was to Spokane where he was stationed at Fairchild AFB. Then he was off to his family near Idaho Falls for Christmas. His brother won't be there because he's in Afghanistan until April.

Before joining the Air Force two years ago, he was part of a harvesting crew that spent the summer and fall roaming the high prairie cutting wheat, corn, and soybeans. Wheat in the Dakotas, corn in Kansas and Nebraska, soybeans in Missouri. He said that he dropped on Cheyenne Frontier Days a few times during his travels. A few days in Cheyenne and then, like an 1880s cowhand, he was off to greener fields, or maybe I should say ripening fields? So now he travels the world with the Air Force. Join the Air Force and drive a big rig to Kirkuk and Ramadi and Fallujah!

Greg and his buddies threw back the drinks. Who could blame them? They were young and fatigued and happy to be out of the war zone. They all had I-Pods. Greg’s was stored in a sturdy black metal case. I didn’t have to ask him why. His buddy across the aisle wore civvies and a do-rag on his head. He was plugged into music, as was the buzz-headed airman in front of him. A few rows up, another airman was reading a book about Iran. Didn’t see the whole title, but he was reading up, just in case our presdident makes yet another dumb move.

Many of us had short connections in Denver. One airman had six minutes to catch his flight to Salt Lake City. Greg and his pal Matt had 30 minutes. I only had 15 minutes and a colleague and I ran to the A concourse only to find that it had been cancelled and we had to wait two hours for another. But, as I sit here on a Monday morning in Cheyenne, I realize I’d only been gone five days to an arts conference in Baltimore. These guys hadn’t seen family for at least eight months. I wish them well and hope they don’t have to return to Bush’s Insane War in Iraq.

How do we build a Wyoming we want?

Governor Dave Freudenthal will convene a conference called "Building the Wyoming We Want" on Jan. 10-11 at Casper College's Krampert Theatre. Tickets are $25 each. Anyone can attend, but registration is required. To register, click here.

FMI: Mark Toft at 307-777-8922 or Wendy Curran at 777-3654. I’ll

To see the conference schedule, go to http://outreach.uwyo.edu/conferences/buildingthewyowewant/agenda.asp

First suggestion: Let's quit socking money away in the Rainy Day Savings Account ($4 billion and counting) and spend it on infrastructure.

Even in Wyo., King Coal may lose crown

Bill Sniffin's column in today's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle is the second of his I've read that addresses coal's precarious future in Wyoming.

Sniffin, a long-time Wyo. journalist who once ran for governor in 2002 as a Republican, seems to know his subject. He notes that the state has 250 years worth of low-sulphur coal in the ground. He adds: "Wyoming is North America's Saudi Arabia when it comes to coal."

We are in the midst of an energy boom that began back in 2002. Coal, oil, and natural gas are partners in the boom. Sniffin doesn't mention this, but this also coincides with a Republican president and a Republican Congress, all friends of fossil fuel. Not to mention Wyoming's own, Dick Cheney, whose secret meetings with corporate energy tycoons early in the Bush presidency set us on our current path of energy dependence and Middle East wars.

But Sniffin, at least, recognizes that coal's days are numbered. And why is that?

"A bogeyman named global warming has entered the nation's consciousness and is starting to put a crimp into some of these developments, especially coal."

While Bush has spent most of his tenure denying that global warming exists, he now at least acknowledges that there's a slight possibility that it could exist. Even Texas, Dubya's home state, has cancelled "a huge development of coal-powered plants that would have used 7 percent of Wyoming's coal." Not even Texas wants a new batch of coal-fired plants polluting the atmosphere and ratcheting up the global CO2 index. Sniffin also notes that Utah residents are up in arms over plans for a coal-fired plant next door in Nevada.

People everywhere, it seems, are taking global warming seriously.

Meanwhile, battles rage over keeping energy development out of the Wyoming Range and the Red Desert. While energy development is king in Wyoming, hunters and ranchers and environmentalists are forming alliances to save those natural places which make up the true bounty of the state. It's ironic that fossil fuels pulled from beneath the high prairie and rugged mountains may be the cause of a warmer planet that will kill alpine forests and turn grasslands into desert.

Bill Sniffin wraps up his column by saying that "the public relations advantage is definitely in the hands of the global warming folks." His wording implies that he is not one of these folks, nor are most Wyomingites.

But it's not just a mater of P.R. Global warming is a real threat with dire consequences. Republicans, too, have only one planet to call home.