Poetry and villainy get comeuppance at summer melodrama

As an actor, I'm a pretty good writer.

That's why I spend my stage time as a master of ceremonies at the Cheyenne Old-Fashioned Melodrama each summer. As one of the emcees, I fire up the crowd and keep the action moving. I occasionally do battle with hecklers or, during Cheyenne Frontier Days, drunken hecklers. I'm big and I'm loud, two important assets for any melodrama emcee.

The melodrama this year was written by Brooks Reeves and Rory Mack. It's called "The Rhyming Rapscallion" and centers around Tallen and Truly Handsome's shame at raising a son (Hardly) who wants to be a poet. His father, you see, wants Hardly to go into the family business of saving damsels in distress. He'd rather write poetry all day. Wouldn't we all! As always, there's the villain (BOO!) by the name of Dirk Degenerate and the villainess (HISS!) Shirley Take, or Miss Take if you prefer.

It's raucous fun. Just when it appears that Dirk Degenerate may win the day, there's the chase scene, the reversal of fortune, and the good guys triumph in the end, just as in real life. There are can-can dancers, too, and olio performances between acts.

"The Rhyming Rapscallion" or "A Tale that Goes from Bad to Verse" or "Dirk and Tallen Handsome" (a multitude of titles!) opens at Cheyenne's Historic Atlas Theatre on Friday, July 11, 7 p.m. For complete schedule, go to http://www.cheyennelittletheatre.org/.

Cheyenne protests McCain's big-oil ties

Cheyenne’s “Day of Action for an Oil-Free President” rally will take place at 8th & Warren Ave. On Wednesday, July 9, 5 p.m. Hosted by Cheyenne’s Moveon.org Council. Meet at the southeast corner of Lion’s Park at the corner of 8th & Warren Ave. Host is Kate Wright. RSVP at http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=48246&id=13158-1460962-qsIhRex&t=4

Save those stimulus checks for heating bills

Are you ready for gargantuan home heating bills this winter? Rob Hurless, energy adviser to Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal, predicts that those bills could rise 30-70 percent. "It's pretty gruesome," he said in an Associated Press story.

Hurless and other state officials say consumers should prepare now, because the first heating bill after a cold snap this fall could be a real shock.

Chris Petrie, chief counsel for the Wyoming Public Service Commission, said there are a number of reasons for the rising price of natural gas. Among them, he said natural gas is tied to the price of oil. People in other parts of the country are changing from heating oil to natural gas. Many global contracts for natural gas are tied to oil prices.

In addition, he said fewer coal-burning power plants are being built because of environmental concerns. He said energy companies are turning more to natural gas to run their turbines.

Less natural gas is available for import, Hurless said. He said Canada is using natural gas to heat oil shale to make petroleum, while the Middle East and Asia are consuming more of their gas."If there is a message here, it's check the windows and do all you can to winterize now," he said.

So, the lack of a comprehensive national energy policy once again comes back to bite us in the ass.

Once I'm finished blaming the usual suspects (I'm looking at you, Bush and Cheney), I'm going to take a long hard look in the mirror and wonder why that guy didn't do more on the conservation side.

McCainosaurus stalks the streets of Denver

In this Denver Post photo, an unsuspecting Denverite screams in horror when confronted by a McCainosaurus at today's town hall meeting. She was even more shocked later when the saurian interloper began to speak, roaring a litany of crazy old dino ideas: privatizing Social Security, cutting Medicare and Medicaid, building a nuclear or coal-burning power plant in every backyard, continuing tax cuts for the rich, and staying in Iraq for 100 years. "That's crazy talk," the woman allegedly said. "Run for your lives!" The McCainosaurus devoured her, and then rampaged with his mate along Denver's 16th Street Mall.

DNCC chooses Mile High Stadium for Obama nomination speech

This just in from the Democratic National Convention Committee:

Breaking the mold of traditional political Conventions, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today announced that Senator Barack Obama will accept the Democratic nomination for President of the United States at Denver's INVESCO Field at Mile High. INVESCO Field can accommodate more than 75,000 people and will be the site of the 2008 Democratic Convention's final day of programming on Thursday, August 28, 2008.

"The Democratic Party is nominating a true change candidate this August, and it is only fitting that we make some big changes in how we put on the Convention," said Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). "Senator Obama's candidacy has generated an enormous amount of excitement and interest, not only in the Democratic Party but also in the 2008 Convention. By bringing the last night of the Convention out to the people, we will be able to showcase Barack Obama's positive, people-centered vision for our country in a big way."

Rising prices put a dent in WYO politicians' travel budgets

Casper’s Keith Goodenough announced through The Underdog Report e-mail newsletter that he will officially launch his campaign for U.S. Senate on July 10, which is "Statehood Day." He plans to conduct weekly podcasts on Sunday evenings. He says that he will "invite my opponent to be a part of each and every one of them. I doubt that he will accept, but with enough voter pressure he might."

To get on Goodenough’s mailing list, drop him a line at citizen@citizengoodenough.com.

He also said this:

In order for the Wyoming Democratic Party to advance, we must be in the lead in using new technologies, and this should be one. Think of the potential if primary races in the WyoDem Party were conducted to a large degree via podcasts!

The advantages would be numerous. Politics should be about logic, and with unlimited 'airtime' on the computer a candidate like myself would have the time to fully flesh out a platform for the voters. The cost in time and money for a candidate to get around the state would be minimal. The money saved could be used in the General Election. Wyoming Democratic voters could be convince to listen to their computers in their own homes to really get a bead on the candidates, plus they could call in with their questions, comments and viewpoints.

This tech approach to campaigning is a great idea, considering gas prices and lodging prices ($110 a night in Rock Springs -- if you can find a vacancy). It does create a quandary in a state where personal contact among candidates and citizens is considered a God-given right. We're touchy-feely that way. Gary Trauner came close to beating Barbara Cubin in 2006 because he walked the neighborhoods and knocked on almost every door. He also hit rural areas, where space between neighbors is measured in miles. Unlike Goodenough, Trauner does not have a primary challenger, so all of his funding can go to the general election campaign against whomever Republican voters choose.

But here’s a fact that all of us independent-minded, behemoth-driving, outdoor-loving Wyomingites will have to face: gas prices are high and will only get higher. Driving everywhere will drive your budget into the ground. So what are the alternatives in a state that lacks a public transportation network? You tell me.

Victory Garden bearing fruit

My Victory Garden is coming along nicely. Thanks for asking. Three tomato plants in clay pots lined up against my south fence. I documented the dicey early stages of their existence on June 16 and 24. Almost lost them to a late freeze. But now they’re thriving, gulping water in this semi-arid climate like there’s no tomorrow (can you hear the sprinkler in the background?).

I began with three six-inch plants and now the German Striped and Gold Currant plants are climbing out of their cages. The Zapotec plant was getting tall and stringy so I lopped off the top half in the hopes that it will fill out below and create some blossoms. None yet. No blossoms as of this morning on the German Striped, either. I’m beginning to worry. Lots of blossoms on the Gold Currant, with tiny cherry tomatoes busting out all over (see photo).

Several tomato-growing friends were over the Fourth of July and they told me not to worry about the plants, that the blossoms will be along by-and-by. One friend told the story of her uncle in Kearney, Nebraska, who keeps his tomato patch growing even though his kids have grown up and moved away. He has a caged enclosure "the size of a VW bus" that grows big juicy tomatoes that he gives away to neighbors and the doctors and nurses and staff at the local hospital, a place where he and his wife are spending more time lately. There’s something about the gift of a big red tomato that satisfies some ancient urge in us. A zucchini doesn’t mean as much, probably because they can grow themselves. Same with summer squash or green beans. Tomatoes are difficult, especially at this altitude and in this climate. Someone in Cheyenne gives you a ripe homegrown tomato, and you know that person is a friend. Or more. My wife likes flowers, but this former tomato-spurning person now swoons at the sight of a homegrown tomato.

Meanwhile, the morning paper carries news that salmonella-tainted tomatoes have sickened 943 people in the U.S. Not bad, really, when you think of the millions of Americans who eat tomatoes. Unless it happens to you, and then one case of salmonella is too many. This looks like a case for "CSI-Produce Posse" as authorities have begun to suspect other ingredients used in salsa, such as jalapeno and Serrano peppers and cilantro. It might have rushed to judgement on the tomatoes. "Tomatoes are the leading suspect," the story says, "although other produce is being investigated."

Isn’t that always the way it is. The authorities always pick on the big round shiny red fruit before they investigate their green accomplices from the veggie kingdom.

As goes Butte (MT), so goes Cheyenne (WY)

Sen. Barack Obama spent the Fourth of July in Butte, Montana, which says something about his hopes about winning at least some of the Rocky Mountain states in November.

Here's an excerpt from today's story by Mike Dennison in the Billings Gazette:

BUTTE -- At events more likely to host a candidate for county sheriff than president, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama spent a sunny Fourth of July here Friday, driving home his message than if he can win in Montana this fall, he can win almost anywhere.

"If you stand with me and walk with me and vote just four months from now, we will have won Montana and we will have won everywhere else," he told a cheering crowd at an outdoor picnic on the Montana Tech campus in Butte. "We are going to change this country and we are going to change the world."

Forest Service gets its fight with Rainbows

The U.S. Forest Service office in Wyoming has been spoiling for a fight with the Rainbow Family since its leaders refused to move the site of its annual gathering because it was located near a Boy Scout summer project.

As if Wyoming doesn't have enough of an image problem. Picking a fight with the peace-and-love Rainbow Family is like, well, the schoolyard bully picking on the skinny long-haired kid who wears retro-60s clothes and listens to Green Day.

According to a lead-off article in this morning's Casper Star-Tribune, the Forest Service got its fight:

http://www.casperstartribune.com/articles/2008/07/05/homepage_lead/doc486f88a0700fc081116263.txt


UPDATE (July 6): The American Civil Liberties Union plans to investigate how federal law enforcement officers treated members of the Rainbow Family during their annual gathering this year in western Wyoming. Linda Burt, executive director of the ACLU in Wyoming, said Saturday that her organization plans to accept collect calls from Rainbow Family members for the next two weeks to hear how law enforcement treated them (from CST wire and staff reports).

Where will we be on Fourth of July 2009?

The fireworks show began a little behind schedule. That was fine with me, as my wife Chris, daughter Annie and I had just cleaned up from our annual Fourth of July Party and Bocce Ball Tournament. Chris was tired after a long day, so Annie and I walked to the corner to watch the show from the lawn of the Word of Life evangelical church. We gazed to the southwest, over the Air Guard base with its burgeoning fleet C-130s and choppers.

We saw nothing special, as far as fireworks go. But I kept wondering about Fourth of July 2009. Pres. Obama will be in the midst of his sixth month in office. Will he be removing U.S. troops from Iraq? One to two brigades a month, as he promised in speeches all over the country? Or will he have caved to political expediency? It’s easy making promises in front of 15,000 cheering Wyomingites in March in Laramie. It’s hard to make good on those promises once you’re the chief of the world’s super power, with lobbyists and legislators and citizens yapping at your heels every moment of every day.

It was the fervor of the antiwar crowd that vaulted Barack Obama to the Democratic Party nomination. Yes, it was also the economy stupid – rising gas prices, unemployment and all the rest. And the venality of the Republicans. And blatant mismanagement of the government. But it was the "Out of Iraq" crowd that made the difference for Obama. We pushed and pulled and cajoled. We could not support Hillary Clinton because of her votes on the war. That was the big difference between Barack and Hillary. Barack against the war, Hillary for it. Yes, she made statements to the contrary, but her votes and quotes are on the record.

With bombs bursting in air, I thought about John McCain. Warrior, senator, Westerner, old guy. He’d seen rockets rising to meet him during combat runs over North Vietnam. One of them tore through his plane and made him a P.O.W. He used to be a straight talker but is no longer. He hasn’t yet met a Bush policy he doesn’t like – or endorse. A Pres. McCain will never get us out of Iraq.

My reverie ended with the fireworks. When I looked around, Annie was gone and I was sitting on the grass with groups of disbanding strangers. In four months, we all troop to the polls and vote. Wyoming will go McCain’s way, but I’m voting for Obama, even though my vote gets lost among the electoral votes. Obama will win. I’ll wait at least until the fireworks go off this time next year to begin the criticism.

FMI: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/wyhome

Quiet neighborhood, low crime rate

Our neighborhood is relatively quiet and crime-free. Occasionally, teens tear down our street on the way to the high school. A neighbor got busted for firing fireworks within city limits last Fourth of July. Late on summer nights, somewhere nearby, an annoying dog barks until its owner comes home.

Nothing major to report to the Crime Blotter. Cheyenne, in general, has a low crime rate. The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle tried to scare us about street gangs with a recent series of stories accompanied by colorful headlines. Gang-like graffiti is popping up all over town, which led city leaders to declare a gang alert. Not sure what that is, but it sounds serious. City maintenance crews are scrubbing graffiti from city property but private property owners are on their own. Some perpetrator even tagged the state parking garage downtown. A big colorful tag on the wall inside the second floor. It can't be seen from the street. I would venture that not many gang members are out the claim a parking garage as their turf. Maybe it's a new trend.

I was surprised yesterday when I came home for lunch and found police cruisers swarming the neighborhood. I spied one idling in the dead-end street that runs by my house. I wandered out to get some info. "Armed robbery at the Cenex station," said the policeman. "Seen anybody?" I told him I just got home. "Let us know if you do," he said, and then drove off. As I sat on my couch munching a sandwich, I saw several police cars pass. On the way back to work, I drove by the Cenex station and at least five police cars were on the scene, one with its lights flashing.

This morning's paper said that the robber was "a Caucasian man of average height and weight" dressed in a cowboy hat and a flowered shirt. Many residents fit this profile once Cheyenne Frontier Days begins later this month. But, as a rule, a white guy in a cowboy hat and flowered shirt waving a semi-automatic pistol and running down one of the town's busiest streets attracts attention. But nobody claims to have seen him. Same with me and my neighbors. Nobody saw him.

This is the second time in the past five years that the Cenex station has been robbed. The first time, the robber ran through the park across the street from our old house. My daughter and her friend were out in the playground after school. They saw the guy put something under the Dry Creek bridge, and then tear off to the West. The police arrived a few minutes later and brought down the robber. My daughter and her friend told me about the bridge and I told the police and that's where they found the loaded gun. I'm glad it wasn't the kids who did the finding....

As I said, a pretty quiet neighborhood.

Are the Republican dinosaurs awakening?

Aaron Owens, head honcho of the Gary Trauner campaign, send us all a letter today contending that the Republican dinosaurs that rule Wyoming are waking up to the threat Trauner poses to the established order. Here's the letter:

Dear Fellow Trauner Supporter:

We need your help! And no... I'm not asking for money. I'm asking for time.

We all know that career politicians think they are entitled to any office they choose, and Republican Party leaders are having a rough time this year accepting that Wyoming favors Gary Trauner for our lone U.S. House seat. They are looking for anything to discredit and defeat Gary.

Gary has been campaigning non-stop for several months now, winning votes (from Republicans, Independents, and Democrats, alike) at every VFW hall, American Legion, senior center, and school campus he visits.
It is clear from the reactions of voters of all political stripes that Wyoming is ready for change, ready for a fighter who puts our country back on the right track.

It is clear that two more years of career politician leadership just like Barbara Cubin will leave us in a heap of trouble.

Now the Republican Party leadership is waking up and seeing a mass exodus of their former supporters - Republicans, Independents, and even some conservative Democrats who are fed up with the Republicans same old career politician tricks. So how are they fighting back? By mobilizing their base, making phone calls, knocking on doors, and attending events on behalf of Republican candidates. More and more signs are appearing, more and more floats are appearing, and more and more phone calls are being made. Republicans are running scared, and they are running hard. They will not let Gary into our U.S. House seat without a fight.

Now for the GOOD NEWS...

Team Trauner has MORE supporters calling, MORE supporters knocking on doors, MORE donors, MORE floats and event booths, and MORE passion! Here in Cheyenne, we are launching Phase 3 of our campaign today.

YOU are the core of Phase 3, because 90% of our energy and efforts will have to come from volunteers like yourself.

Bryan and I will be calling you to listen to you about where your interests are, and how you will help send Gary to Congress.

We have a field campaign schedule that we will use for the next few weeks. Please consider where you might fit in. Can you join one shift a week? Maybe even two or three?

We are looking forward to hearing about your interests and passions in this campaign. Talk to ya' soon!

All Great Things,
Aaron Owens
Senior Field
Organizer
Trauner For Congress
307-399-0898
aaron@TraunerForCongress.com

I just donated $25 for Trauner so he can claim my grassroots support for the year's second quarter. You can do the same. Think about it -- you have until midnight.

Trauner volunteers were out in force Saturday in Cheyenne for SuperDay. Aaron and his young cohorts, and a cadre of Boomers. We signed up volunteers for the campaign, and gave out Trauner stickers to entire families. Most people willingly accepted a sticker from a Democrat, although a few drew back in horror. I wandered over to the Rick Kaysen for Mayor table. Rick's a Republican with a solid business background. His wife Diane is a moderate Republican (we used to work together at the Wyoming Arts Council) and their daughter is an unabashed Obama supporter. Rick has some good ideas for growth and wants to see a thriving downtown. I agreed to haul around a Rick Kaysen for Mayor water bottle, mainly because I was thirsty. But I also enjoyed talking to him.

Two other mayoral candidates were on hand -- Joe Dougherty and Jayne Mockler. Joe's my neighbor. He used to work for Mayor Pando and now runs the city's bus system. His signs are an appealing green and they bear a shamrock. They are propagating like weeds around the neighborhood and I'm betting that Joe will be dropping by before long to see if I want one for my lawn.

Jayne Mockler's a Democrat and just spent her last term in the Wyoming State Legislature. She gave away packages of peanut M&Ms with her fliers, which immediately got my attention. She's a serious candidate, with some good ideas for proving up Cheyenne. But I'm taking a serious look at all six mayoral candidates. I'm not opposed to voting for Republican for local offices. Mayor Spiker's an evangelical and a Republican and he's done a pretty good job of running the city.

I have until the Aug. 19 primaries to decide.

Live from Jackson: It's "Meet the Govs"

As Tom Brokaw wrapped up this morning's "Meet the Press" interview with Gov. Dave Freudenthal and Gov. Bill Ritter, he reminded the audience that the show was not filmed on a set. Out the window was a view of the Tetons -- the real thing. A gorgeous blue-sky image, with just a hint of a haze from Western wildfires burning in Colorado and California.

"Meet the Press" is in Jackson Hole for the annual Western Governors Association conference, which starts today. Ritter and Freudenthal were up first, and then Brokaw promised us Rep. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger from California later in the show. The theme of the day was the West's possible influence in the 2008 elections. To point out the political oddity that the West has become, Freudenthal pointed out that Schwarzenegger, the Republican, was more liberal that most of the Democrats elected as governors in the Intermountain West.

But back to the environment. Wildfires are not exclusively a Western issue -- just look at what happened last year in Georgia and Florida. But summers in the West means fires, whether we're in the midst of a drought or one of the wettest years in recent memory. Periodic fires existed here long before people did, and climate change, drought, and booming populations just make them worse, or at least more spectacular to the media.

Land use issues include wildfires, oil & gas drilling, water rights, wildlife management, and a host of others. As Freudenthal said this morning, the states have been cooperating on these issues for a long time, but "there's no federal partner. With this administration, the only resources they want to maximize are oil and gas."

They're maximizing them at a heady rate, with new wells going in daily in sensitive environments around the West. Oil companies are anticipating a change in the regulations with the November elections. Those changes may be huge.

Brokaw asked about V.P. Dick Cheney, who lives in Jackson Hole. Do his low approval numbers nationally hold true in Wyoming?

"Wyoming people ask, 'What happened to Dick Cheney?' " said Freudenthal. He noted that Cheney had a strong reputation as an able state legislator and U.S. Congressional rep. "His standing has declined in Wyoming," he added.

Cheney's not exactly persona non grata -- this is his home state -- but when he returns, he's not exactly treated like a homeboy hero. He's shuttled from place to place in armor-plated vehicles surrounded by Secret Service. Last week in Casper, he dropped in out of the sky to a Republican fund-raiser and then was whisked away back to his secret bunker somewhere in D.C. He comes with all the security trappings of a Third World dictator.

But Thermopolis-born-and-raised Freudenthal, more a native son than Cheney who was born in Nebraska, knows that political realities can change over time. "We'll end up being proud of Dick Cheney," he told Brokaw.

I've never been proud of Cheney and his Neanderthal politics. But Freudenthal is in this for the long haul. As he noted earlier in the interview, the state is 67 percent Republican and the last Democrat Wyoming voted for in a presidential race was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Freudental received a lot of Republican votes in his two election runs and he'll also need those votes if he ever runs for the U.S. House or Senate. Don't know if he will, but who can tell?

Gov. Dave and Gov. Bill on "Meet the Press"

The Associated Press reported yesterday that Tom Brokaw will interview Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal and Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. Some of the show will be taped today at Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Resort.

"The West: Battleground 2008," is the topic of the show. Freudenthal and Ritter -- both Democrats -- will be discussing crucial issues in the November election. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican governor of California, will also be on the show but his part will be taped at another location.

The govs are in Jackson for the annual Western Governors Association meeting, which begins on Sunday. Brokaw will be speaking at the conference.

While the WGA includes governors of both parties, it is cool to note that all the govs on the Rocky Mountain Front are Democrats: Freudenthal, Ritter, Schweitzer (Mont.), and Richardson (N.M.). While that doesn't necessarily translate into a Democratic victory in November's presidential race, it does mean that Dems in those states have an ally in the state house. And all of these governors know how to work with the opposition because they have to. That goes double for Wyoming.

FMI: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3898804/

War spending includes G.I. Bill funds

Was it worth it?

Congress has passed a new funding bill for our foreign misadventures and Pres. Bush says he will sign it. It funds the Iraq War until this time next year, when Pres. Obama will have to deal with it.

On the plus side, the bill includes funding of Sen. James Webb's 21st Century G.I. Bill. Sen. Webb did a fine job assembling supporters from both sides of the aisle, although that didn't include Sen. John Barrasso and Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming. They voted for the war spending bill, but they had to, didn't they? They've supported Bush's war from the beginning and they're not about to waiver now, even when it includes "extras" such as the G.I. Bill.

Here's Sen. Webb's statement on the legislation:

“Today, the Senate took a final historic step toward a modern and fair educational benefit for the men and women who have served honorably since 9/11. This bill properly responds to the needs of those who answered the call of duty to our country—those who moved toward the sound of the guns—often at great sacrifice.

“Eighteen months ago, we began with the simple concept that those who have been serving since 9/11 should have the same opportunity for a first class educational future as those who served during World War II. Today, we have accomplished that goal.

“I would like to emphasize that this is not simply an expansion of veterans’ educational benefits. This is a new program, a deserved program. It has now been nearly seven years since 9/11 -- seven years since those who have been serving in our military began earning the right for a proper wartime GI Bill.

“We have delivered this new, robust GI Bill with a great deal of collaboration and cooperation among members of the Senate, members of the House, and with the guidance and support of all of our nation’s leading veterans’ groups.

“There are no politics here. This is about taking care of the people who have taken care of us. I am looking forward to the President living up to his word, and
signing this legislation at his earliest opportunity.”

To download an audio clip of Senator Webb at today’s GI Bill press conference, please go to: http://demradio.senate.gov/actualities/webb/webb080626.mp3

Sen. Webb is being a bit disingenuous. Of course the bill was all about politics. Bush & Co. have shamelessly neglected our veterans. Remember the Walter Reed Medical Center fiasco? And the rash of suicides by combat veterans? The G.I. Bill was a way to get veteran's educational benefits out of an administration that finds oodles of money for warfare but can't be bothered by its aftermath. So, we have the irony of an appropriations bill that funds more international mayhem while it allows its military survivors to receive a proper education.

This legislation also signals the dismal failure of the Democrats in the House and Senate to end this war.

Obama office to open in Wyoming?

Politico.com reported on Wednesday that presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama plans to set up offices in Wyoming and other red states "that would otherwise be written off as lost causes." This according to Obama's deputy campaign manager, Steve Hildebrand.

"Hildebrand's plans underscore the unusual scope and ambition of Obama's campaign, which can relatively cheaply extend its massive volunteer and technological resources into states which won't necessarily produce electoral votes," according to Politico.com. The tactic probably won't persuade the two-thirds of Wyoming's registered voters who are Republicans to cast their ballots for the first-term Illinois senator.

Rather, it's intended to inspire Obama's supporters to work for federal, state and local Democratic candidates in the state, Wyoming Democratic Party Director Bill Luckett said Wednesday.

We have lots of Democrats running for office on all levels. It may be true, as Bill Luckett said, that an Obama presence in Wyoming could have a coattail effect. But I think it goes farther than that. Obama can win the popular vote and our state's measly three electoral votes. We registered 3,000 new Democratic voters before the statewide caucuses. We need to get them all out to vote in the primary Aug. 19 and in the general election. Obama's team that dropped into the state last winter showed us the way.

The State of the Nation is horrible. Bush and Cheney (Wyoming's favorite son) put us in the hole we're in. His allies in this cause were Wyoming's Congressional delegation, all Republicans. They all need to be voted out.

SuperDay brings out the candidates

My wife, daughter, and I will be staffing the Gary Trauner booth Saturday at the 26th annual SuperDay in Cheyenne's Lions Park. Not sure where the booth will be located, but just keep wandering and you'll find us. I expect that all of Gary Trauner's Republican opponents also will have booths. The odds seem to favor Cynthia Lummis as Gary's Repub challenger for Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat.

My guess is that there may be more political booths than those selling wind chimes. We have six mayoral candidates as well as a slew of people running for the state legislature. Both U.S. Senate seats are up for grabs, so the challengers (all Dems) may be on hand. The primary will be held Aug. 19. By my count, that makes for 52 days of campaigning. It goes fast....

Victory Garden 2008 Update

Finally transferred my three tomato plants (a.k.a. "Victory Garden 2008") outdoors Saturday. I'd repotted them and placed them outside the first time on the first 80-degree day of the spring, only to see them buffeted the next day by 60-mile-per-hour winds that pushed the wind chill to freezing. A handful of leaves froze, some stems snapped, so I transferred the plants back to the kitchen window.

I waited until I was sure the winds and the cold was over, and then sneaked them outside under cover of a moonless night. I have a couple small tomatoes on the Gold Currant bush, and a few blooms popping out on the others. Now comes fertilizer, water, TLC, and the ever-loving sun. But not hail. Let's hope there's no hail.

I ran into Karen McManus of Wolf Creek Farms at today's farmers' market in Cheyenne. She's the one who sold me the tomato plants a month ago. She had more plants, cherry tomatoes, with lots of fruit popping out all over. I was tempted to buy them all, but I have my hands full with the three I already have. I did buy some of her spinach, which she picks off her plants daily and hauls to various markets. She also sold me some garlic tops (can't remember the formal name), the part that she used to clip off the garlic plant and toss away until they became the hot new thing in the modern chef's kitchen. She advised me to chop them up and use them instead of chopped garlic cloves. "Great flavor," she said. I'm in favor of that.

She will soon have peas and beans on her Wellington, Colo., farm. She advised that I keep popping in on Tuesday to see what's next on the menu. I bought some baguettes and cheddar-onion rolls from Sara's Breads, the best subversive bakery in these parts. She's hosting Massachusetts folk-rock duo Sweet Wednesday during their Rocky Mountain tour, and they were on hand playing for the hungry multitudes. They played this morning on Wyoming Public Radio. Music to fit a farmers' market.

"Elephant Tipping Made Easy"

There's a new activity in town for all of you Wyoming Democrats who thought that cow tipping was the ultimate in contact sports.

Elephant tipping is sweeping the nation and has finally come to the Cowboy State. On Tuesday, June 24, 7 p.m., Mike Bell will discuss "Elephant Tipping Made Easy" at the monthly meeting of the Laramie County Democrats at the Historic Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne.

Learn the five foolproof ways to get the drop on your local pachyderm. Most Dems mistakenly try to sneak up on elephants -- the stealth approach. As it turns out, the direct head-on encounter is best. Stare the beast in his beady eyes and be aggressive, even when the elephant lashes out with his trunk or tries to crush you with his massive feet. Stand your ground and bellow "E Pluribus Unum" at the tops of your lungs. That -- and eye contact -- will make the beast back down. He will be gentle as a lamb, and you can tilt him over on his backside as if he were made of feathers. He will jump up, tuck his tail between his legs, and retreat into the jungle from whence he came, never to bother civilized society again.

If I give too much away on these pages, you won't bother to come out and learn the other skills involved in "Elephant Tipping Made Easy." See you Tuesday night.

NOTICE: No elephants were hurt during the composing of this blog post. No donkeys, either. The Laramie County Democrats and the Wyoming Democratic Party do not condone the so-called sport of cow tipping or elephant tipping or any other kind of pastime in which an animal is upended.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: No harm to actual animals was intended. All references to elephants are purely metaphoric.

Denver demonstrators: Don't tase me, bro!

Black helicopters sighted circling downtown Denver.

Denver police stocking up on pepper-spray guns and extended-ray tasers.

Not just the bad dreams of lefty conspiracy wonks. These stories come from the headlines of Denver daily newspapers. According to The Denver Post, Blackhawk helicopters conducted a drill over Denver the other day, shocking Yuppies sipping espresso on their rooftop patios. And then there's the police order for "88 Mark IV launchers and projectiles." The weapon fires plastic balls filled with a substance "like a combination of cayenne pepper and baby powder." A spokesman for the manufacturer says that this can incapacitate people like pepper spray, but it avoids some of the "more severe reactions."

Not to mention you could use the cayenne pepper to spice up your burrito and the baby powder can soothe skin chapped by the eruption of your tear ducts and mucous membranes.

All this for the August gathering of Democrats -- and street demonstrations planned by groups such as Recreate 68.

This was in the Rocky Mountain News:

The city received a $50 million federal grant for security. A senior adviser to Mayor John Hickenlooper has said the city plans to spend up to half that amount on equipment, with the rest going to pay officers.

But the city has refused to disclose how it is spending the money, prompting the American Civil Liberties Union last month to file a civil lawsuit.

The court filing alleges the city is violating the Colorado Open Records Act.

City officials say releasing the information is "contrary to the public interest" because it could disclose important tactical information, potentially jeopardizing security.

A city spokesperson could not be reached for comment Monday. Meanwhile, speculation about what the city is buying has run rampant.

Some organizers of protest groups believe police are buying extended-range Tasers and weapons that incapacitate people with high-intensity sound.

The Denver Police Department is notorious for snooping on peaceniks. This goes a few steps beyond that.

I've been pepper-sprayed and tear-gassed, and neither was any fun. Most of the time I was a not-quite-innocent bystander, but not always.

This is going to be one exciting time in Denver. Glad I'll be there recording it via my blog.

Good turnout for Trauner open house

Good turnout at the open house yesterday for Gary Trauner's downtown Cheyenne office at 211 W. 18th St. I waited around for a half hour, expecting Gary to show up at any time, but then had to head off to another meeting. My wife Chris stayed, and said that Gary did show and fielded some tough questions about health care, the war in Iraq, and other pressing issues.

The offices have plenty of room for field organizers and volunteers. Many phone calls will be made from this spot in the next 130-something days until the general election when Trauner is elected to be the first Democratic U.S. Representative in many decades. Much work to do in D.C., much work to undo the mischief that's been wrought in the past eight years.

I was surprised to learn from Senior Field Organizer Aaron Owens that Gary has seven field organizers for the 2008 campaign. How many did he have in 2006? One. These organizers are young and fired up, which is encouraging. Aaron just moved to Cheyenne from Laramie two weeks ago and seems to be plunging right in.

As I munched a cookie, I chatted with a guy about my own age wearing a cap that read "Play it Again, Sam" and below that the name of a town in Maryland. As a one-time Marylander, I introduced myself and asked him about the cap. He said it came from a coffee house in Chestertown in northeastern Maryland, and that he lived across the border in Delaware. He'd just driven across the U.S. to deliver his son to the Trauner campaign. His son was a student at Skidmore near Albany, N.Y., in 2006 when he got involved in the campaign of a Democrat running against an entrenched Republican for the U.S. House. Against all odds, the Democrat won (I'll look up the name later), and the man's son was bitten by the political bug. When he heard about the Trauner campaign, the situation in Wyoming sounded somewhat similar so he joined up.

Stories like these keep me fired up.

FMI: 307-399-0898

Repub Dinos want to drill seabed near you

More news from the dinosaurs who run the Republican Party:

Bush to Congress: Embrace Energy Exploration Now (Denver Post)

McCain: Allow oil drilling off coast (Miami Herald)

Whether it's the saltwater playground of the Gulf of Mexico, or the ancient inland seabed of Wyoming, Repubosaurus Rex wants to get its tiny claws on the oil that is like an elixir to his kind.

This is not likely to happen. Gulf-state Republicans whose cottages and manses line the beaches from Corpus Christi to Sarasota won't permit it.

Trauner Cheyenne office open house today

This e-mail invitation comes from Aaron Owens at the Trauner for Congress office:

Hello fellow Laramie County Democrats. I am a recent transplant from the Albany County Democrats, and I'm in town on staff with the Gary Trauner campaign.

I wanted to make sure to extend a personal invitation to each of for tonight's Cheyenne office opening with Gary. It will be very laid back, and we'd love if you could stop by on your way home from work to meet (or re-meet) our next Congressman, Gary Trauner.

Gary will be here, as well as 7 of our 9 staffers, and most of our County Leadership Team. We're going to be bugging you A LOT over the next few months, so stop by now before we become really annoying. :) I'd love a quick RSVP to team@TraunerForCongress.com if you haven't already called, emailed, or been called by one of our staffers/volunteers. This is so we can be sure to have enough room opened up for you to be comfortable.

WHO: All supporters of Gary Trauner... and potential supporters (i.e. ,BRING FRIENDS, PLEASE!)

WHEN: Wednesday, June 18 @ 5:15 p.m.

WHERE: 211 W. 18th St, Cheyenne (between Carey and Capitol)

Thank you. See you in a few hours.

All Great Things,

Aaron Owens
Senior Field Organizer, Trauner for Congress
307.399.0898
aaron@TraunerForCongress.com

Juneteenth celebrations in Wyoming

Juneteenth celebrations are held in two Wyoming communities -- Cheyenne and Casper -- on Saturday, June 21. While Juneteenth is no novelty in most parts of the U.S., the Cheyenne event is just eight years old. Local NAACP Director Thomas Rudolph was the guiding force for Juneteenth, but sought some organizational help from the Cheyenne Family YMCA six years ago. My wife, Chris, heads up the YMCA efforts and serves on the planning committee. This Saturday's celebration starts with a 10 a.m. march from the Wyoming Capitol Building at 24th and Capitol and will go to Martin Luther King, Jr., Park along Crow Creek near Missile Drive. Festivities get underway at 11 a.m. and will go to 4 p.m. There will be events and kids, and a 3-on-3 basketball tourney will be held for teens and adults. A full line-up of music, hip-hop and dance groups will performing. The Laramie County Democrats will staff an information table, as well as the Gary Trauner for Congress campaign. Food vendors, too. Last year I ate some great barbecue cooked by Gloradean Stephenson and her husband. For more info, call the YMCA at 307-634-9622.

Also on Saturday, Casper will hold its Juneteenth celebration. Featured will be food, vendors, entertainment, games, barbecue, art displays, and a 1865 costume contest. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. at Riverview Park (north side). FMI: Pastor William, 307-267-3902, 237-0831.

Juneteenth is officially celebrated on June 19. It marks the day in 1865 that federal troops entered Galveston, Texas, and reissued the declaration that freed the slaves. Although Pres. Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862, and it took effect Jan. 1, 1863, black slaves in the South knew little about it. Once the news spread, African-Americans in Galveston celebrated in a big way, and the date went down in history as Juneteenth. It's an official state holiday in some places, but celebrated in most of the U.S. with weekend celebrations such as the ones in Cheyenne and Casper.

Victory Garden may yet yield fruit

My Victory Garden is off to a rocky start.

It’s not much of a garden, just three tomato plants that I bought at the Cheyenne plant sale a month ago. But that’s three more tomato plants than I’ve planted since we moved to high, dry and windy Wyoming in 1991.

This is an auspicious year to plant tomatoes. First of all, there’s the salmonella scare. And rising gas prices are boosting food costs. It takes a lot of diesel fuel to truck tomatoes from Texas or California to Wyoming. And when they arrive, they’re not so good. Local agriculture is in, veggies from Chile are out. Farmer’s markers are in, supermarkets are out. And, as we know, there’s a war on (several wars, in fact) and we need to be aware of our precarious position within the world’s food and petroleum supply chains.

So, in mid-May, I went to the spring sale and bought three six-inch-tall plants from an organic gardener out of Wellington, Colo., about 30 miles south on I-25. She called them heirloom varieties: Zapotec, German Striped, and Gold Currant. I wasn’t familiar with the term as it relates to tomatoes. When I Googled it, I discovered that heirlooms are non-hybrids that trace their origins to pre-World War II farms and gardens. They’re tougher to grow than modern hybrids, and the plants take up lots of room with their fast-growing stems. But they have cool names, and the fruit can be very funky-looking. The Black Krim is chocolate-colored. Zapotec is really called Zapotec Pleated because (as you might surmise) it has more pleats that a pair of Zoot Suit pants (see photo). They are indigenous to Mexico.

I placed the three plants on a table in front of my south-facing kitchen window. They grew like crazy, 18 inches high before I could get to the local nursery. I bought three big pots and potting soil and cages. On an 80-degree June afternoon, I assembled all the pieces in my backyard. I watered the plants, admired my handiwork, and went inside with an intense feeling of superiority.

That night, the temperature dropped, the north wind freshened, and in the morning I had tousled plants with frozen leaves. I hauled the plants back inside and put them on the floor in front of the south-facing window and the furnace vent. I cursed the elements. I remembered why I haven’t tried tomatoes in Wyoming.

After a few days of stewing about it, I fertilized the plants and began to hope that they would bear some pleated fruit before the next cataclysm struck. I’m keeping them inside until the arrival of the first official day of summer, or maybe longer. I have them in pots so I can move them under the porch roof in case of hail storms. We’ve had two already, and more are sure to come.

Much too early to declare victory for my garden. Or even "Mission Accomplished."

Trauner takes on four Republicans at forums

This comes from the June 12 Jackson Hole News & Guide via jhwygirl in Montana:

The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce this month will host the first in a series of five congressional candidate forums in Wyoming. The forum, from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, was organized through partnerships with the museum and in collaboration with the chambers of commerce in Cheyenne, Casper, Gillette and Rock Springs.

Republican and Democratic candidates running for the lone U.S. House of Representatives seat in Wyoming will be present to answer questions and address issues, concerns and interests of Jackson Hole, the rest of the state and the nation. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin has already announced she will not seek an eighth term. Republicans Michael Holland of Green River, Bill Winney of Bondurant, Cynthia Lummis of Cheyenne and Mark Gordon of Buffalo have filed to run for Cubin’s seat. W. David Herbert has filed to run as a Libertarian.

Wilson Democrat Gary Trauner announced in October he would try for the second consecutive election to win the seat. No Democrats have filed to challenge him. In 2006, Trauner lost by 1,012 votes to Cubin in his first race for statewide office. A panel of four will pose questions to candidates in this first opportunity for the public to learn the candidates’ positions on important issues.

Moderators for the panel will be Jackson Mayor Mark Barron, Jackson Hole News & Guide Editor Angus Thuermer, Planet Jackson Hole Editor Sabra Ayres, and M.J. Clark of the Wyoming Business Report.The panel will also take questions from the audience.

For information, contact Tim O’Donoghue, executive director of the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, at 733-3316, ext. 25, or tim@jacksonholechamber.com.

Keith Goodenough opens Casper HQ

Keith Goodenough's "Weekly Underdog Report" of June 15 contained this news:

The Casper campaign office is finally ready to occupy, and we have our first gathering there tomorrow night. It’s a small place, but has the advantage of being next to the Federal Courthouse. So when I have a gripe with the Federal court system, they’ll be able to get the message by just looking out the window and reading my slogans. If I need bail money, I’ll send a note.

When he says tomorrow night, he must mean tonight, Monday. No time was given but you can e-mail Mr. Goodenough, a Democrat, at citizen@citizengoodenough.com. I'd tell you to go to his web site but it's in the process of being updated.

Goodenough is running against Gillette's Nick Carter for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Casper Republican John Barrasso. They will face off in the Aug. 19 primary.

Slammin' on a Cheyenne Saturday night

So many things to choose from last night during Cheyenne’s first warm-and-sunny spring weekend. The Ozymandian Theater –"Wyoming’s only improv comedy group" – was on stage at the Atlas downtown conducting a fund-raiser for the historic theatre’s $5 million renovation. The Wyoming Brewers Festival was on tap a block away on the Depot Plaza. At the Civic Center, Hands in Harmony gave a "thank you" concert for all those people and organizations who contributed to a recent emergency fund drive. At the mall multiplex, The Incredible Hulk was getting incredibly angry about something.

Over at the library, we were slammin’. Two performance poets from Denver’s 2006 national champion Poetry Slam team – Ken Arkind and Panama Soweto – took turns on stage with two of Laramie’s finest – Craig Arnold, a poetry professor at the University of Wyoming and winner of the Rome Prize Fellowship in literature, and Luke Stricker, a recent graduate of the UW MFA program and organizer of poetry slams in Laramie.

Saturday's event was part of the Wyoming Humanities Council’s summer program paying tribute to the beatniks. This was the final stop on a Wyoming mini-tour that included Casper, Lusk and Cheyenne.

Arkind and Soweto have been performing together for several years. Arkind’s a skinny long-haired white guy who wears John Lennon specs. Soweto’s a lanky black guy with a buzz cut who wore a "Where the Wild Things Are" T-shirt. The two perform as a duo (bought their CD, "The Dynamic Duo") and separately. The evening really caught fire when they launched into their performance piece "Uhuru," which they’ve performed at Red Rocks and on Denver radio. They warned the 30-some audience members that this was the "political part of their program." "Stand up," was the refrain. By the end of the piece, they had us all standing up. "Uhuru!"

I kept wondering: "How did this one go down in Lusk?"

Arkind and Soweto describe themselves as nerds, guys who spent their youth not getting dates but playing endless rounds of video games. Arkind had a poem, "Life is Like Mario Brothers," which received big cheers from the teens and twenty-somethings. I made a note to buy this CD for my 23-year-old nerdy son, who still stays up late playing the games he grew up on – and some new ones, too.

The duo performed together on another gamer piece. It’s possible our generation misjudged all of our pimply-faced gamers who spent too much time in the basement in front of the TV console. These guys are fine performers. Nerds gone public. What caused them to jump from their musty confines of youth and jump onto stage. Politics? Maturity? Love of the spoken word? Maybe all of those things. My son, Kevin, also loves the stage. Last year, he and his girlfriend were in the Euripides’ play, "Electra." Maybe it was the role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons that bit them with the performing bug.

After the talented people performed, the rest of us were enlisted in a "haiku slam." We were challenged to write haiku based on a random idea shouted from the audience. You’ve seen this done in improv on "Whose Line is It, Anyway." The five competitors (including me, representing the AARP set) had five minutes to write a poem. Five judges gave us scores, as we were vying for some very exciting prizes that Craig Arnold found at garage sales and in his basement.

First haiku theme was "wood." I scored pretty low on that one. Next was "the circus." I immediately got an image of George Bush, so I had to run with it. Here’s my haiku:

George Bush, ringmaster
sticks head into lion’s mouth;
we cheer the lion

I received a 10 from one judge, nine-point-somethings from three others. A guy my age named Chris said, "I can tell I’m in a room with a bunch of Libs." He gave me a 1. Fortunately, the emcee drops the high and the low scores for the final tally. At the end of the second round, I was in the lead.

We all were challenged by the final round’s topic: "Arnold Schwarzenegger." Sara creates a scene in which "tiny Maria" faces sex with Arnold in the missionary position. Wild cheers erupt – and a perfect 10. Amanda and Xon and Colin all get good scores. And, finally, it’s up to me. I try it with an Americanized Austrian accent:

Ah-nold Schwarz-en-eg
ger, too many syllables
for such a small man

That clinched it. I claimed my first prize of a plastic horse with a Farah Fawcett mane. Also a collection of work by the Nuyorican Poets Café. Amanda said she really wanted the horse so I traded that for a 1970 manual on sandal making. Not a bad haul for a prose writer. I’ve judged a lot of slams and this was the first time I’d entered one. It was a strange sort of slam, more improv than the standard variety of writing and memorizing and performing your own poems.

That said, I shall treasure my prizes.

To view a performance by Ken Arkind, go to http://www.podslam.org.

Did Rep. Millin switch political parties?

NO!

This morning's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle ran an article by reporter Michael Van Cassell that identified Rep. Lori Millin of District 8 as a Republican. I wondered how such a thing could happen. Did the Wyoming political universe shift course overnight? After all, Rep. Millin snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the 2006 election against an entrenched Republican incumbent. She's married to Dr. John Millin, head of the Wyoming Democrats' central committee. I have her son Patrick on film carrying a Gary Trauner banner at the Democratic State Convention in May.

Then I realized that the paper had made a mistake. A revelation. So I dashed off a letter and sent it to Mr. Cassell -- and copied to my fellow Dems. You can e-mail your own letter to mcassell@wyomingnews.com. Here's mine:

Dear Mr. Cassell:

FYI: Rep. Lori Millin is a Democrat and not a Republican, as you so mistakenly note in your June 14 article. She's been a great state representative for us in District 8. She knocked on every door in the district in 2006 and won the general election against long-time incumbent Larry Meuli (Republican) by a mere nine votes. A quick look at her legislative priorities focusing on families, children, at-risk youth, affordable health care, workforce safety, minimum wage, etc., reveals that she could only be a Democrat. She puts people first!

I hope you give this correction a suitably visible spot in the newspaper.

Sincerely, Michael Shay

UPDATE: Michael Van Cassell e-mailed me that a correction ran in the June 16 WTE.

On Father's Day, be a mensch

"What separates the men from the boys....is the size of their toys."

You’ve seen that phrase on the bumpers of king-cab pickups, or maybe on fancy boats plying the waters at the reservoir. Maybe you heard it on a Father’s Day commercial urging you to buy something big for that big boy in your life. A mega gas grill or riding mower or tool set.

But maybe we should work on a new slogan. "What separates the men from the boys...is the size of their consciences."

Doesn’t rhyme, I know, but I couldn’t think of a good one to get my point across. Which is: a man is supposed to have a mature conscience, while boys can be forgiven for immature thoughts and actions. A teenager, for instance, might wield his sexuality in a reckless way. It may lead to unwanted consequences, such as the pregnancy of his partner. A man, on the other hand, has the ability to use discretion when it comes to sex. Don’t laugh – the opposite is just as possible. But a man can think through the rush of testosterone to its inevitability. Gee, maybe I should ask her if she’s on the pill or has had any STDs or maybe I should check out the condom aisle at Walgreen’s before doing this. Consequences!

But if we’re all just overgrown boys, then what’s the point? We’re only fit for playing with toys, whether young or old or in-between. That’s all we see on TV commercials. Poor saps can’t be counted on to take care of the kids or figure out the new cellphone or shop for groceries.

But I propose that the measure of a man is not in his pants or in the garage. It’s in his heart and mind. We’re part of the animal kingdom, that’s true, but we also possess higher brain functions that determine behavior. We can judge the ethical and moral implications of a situation and can act accordingly.

This also makes us political animals, too. We should be able to tell when another human being is lying to us. We should be able to tell when condescension raises its ugly head. We should be able to determine when a politician is up to no good with his/her policies, foreign and domestic.

So, you’re immature if you say "I can’t believe George W. Bush lied to us about Iraq." You’re a boy if you back Bush on his Iraq policies because he's our elder statesman and it's wrong to question your elders in time of war. The facts are out there. By ignoring the facts about life in the adult world of politics, you’re not a man but a boy. You're unable to look beyond the wants of the present to the possibilities of the future. You're a boy.

American conservatives seem to be stuck in an eternal boyhood. Gimme our tax breaks now! Gimme our guns now! Gimme answers now! Gimme our SUVs now! Gimme cheap gas now! Why do they (the terrorists) hate us? Why can't those Liberals quit whining and let us get on with mindless consumption?

Liberals (especially Baby Boomers) are not blameless. They too have been caught in a twilight world of adolescence. We love to bitch and moan and say we're going to change the world. But if it doesn't work out our way immediately, we take roll up our protest banners and go home -- or to law school. The inability to see things through is also a sign of immaturity. Another reason we are in this current mess.

Men, be a mensch, as they say in Yiddish. Or work to become one. Here's how columnist Paul Krugman put it in the New York Times:

'Be a mensch,' my parents told me. Literally, a mensch is a person. But by implication, a mensch is an upstanding person who takes responsibility for his actions.

The people now running America aren't mensches.

When in doubt, check it out

This was reported by Michael Falcone yesterday in the New York Times:

A new web site created by the Obama team, called “Fight the Smears,” is designed to systematically dismantle Internet rumors by letting users see both “the smear” and, the campaign’s response. The site already features sections fact-checking rumors that Mr. Obama refuses to say the pledge of allegiance, or has written racially incendiary remarks into his books or that he is a Muslim.

Recommend this to your friends and colleagues who seem to believe everything they read on the Internet.

Gary Trauner spreads the WyoDem message in San Francisco

You learn all kinds of things spending hours and hours each day skimming the blogs. A post today in Daily Kos held this announcement:

Bay Area Kossacks: WY-AL (and Orange to Blue) candidate Gary Trauner is going to be in town these weekend. Come meet him at the rooftop bar at Medjool Sunday evening. Date/time: Sunday, June 15th from 5-7 Location: Medjool, 2516 Mission Street (24th/Mission BART station. Medjool is located three blocks north on the left hand side of Mission Street between 22nd and 21st Street).

"Kossacks" are what Daily Kos correspondents call themselves. I never did, even when I was posting there regularly. But it's clear that any blog with a posse has got to be doing something right.

But just what is Gary doing in San Fran? He's either gathering funds or media coverage, or both. He may be hanging out in the Mission District for the same reason that politicians of all persuasions go to Jackson, Wyo. -- money! They carry it around in wheelbarrows up there. Well, not everybody. Some people have to make the wheelbarrows and fix the wheelbarrows and load the wheelbarrows and...well, you know what I'm saying.

Wheelbarrows may be a bit gauche for Medjool. But Gary takes checks, ya'll.

Just checking out the Medjool web site made me hungry. It has a restaurant, lounge and rooftop terrace with views of the Golden Gate Bridge. It serves tapas, small plates featuring interesting combinations. Here's one from the Southern European category: "Seared Sea Scallops with Preserved Lemon Gremolata and Sunchoke Puree ($14)." Here's a Middle Eastern offering: "Date Palm Sugar Crusted Quail, Cippolini Onions, Basmati Rice -- Golden Raisin Stuffing ($15)." They capitalize their menu items like book titles. But who can blame them? The place has been featured on local TV and was recently named the city's top gathering place. If you have to schedule a meeting in San Fran, you may as well hold it at a great place with good food and a view.

It occurs to me that this type of setting goes against the grain of modern American politics. Every time we saw a presidential candidate during primary season, he or she was either chomping on corn-on-the-cob at a county fair in Iowa, or swilling cheap whiskey with teamsters in downtown Cleveland. Not once did I see Hillary or Mike Huckabee or John Edwards sitting down to a petite plate of Date Palm Sugar Crusted Quail with all the trimmings, sipping a fine Napa Valley wine, and gazing off at a fog-encrusted bridge. It's elitist, don't you know, and would bruise the delicate sensibilities of Middle America.

I wish Gary a productive weekend in San Francisco. How about bringing home a quail-crusted doggie bag for the Wyomingites you left behind?

How many more, Mr. Bush?

The web site icasualties.org lists 13 deaths and 101 wounded from Wyoming thus far in the Iraq War. Total U.S. deaths are 4,096 and 29,978 wounded.

The latest grim news came from an Associated Press story that appeared in this morning's Casper Star-Tribune:

A soldier from Saratoga who died in Iraq this weekend was remembered by his mother as a dedicated serviceman who looked forward one day to retiring to the Wyoming mountains.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced Wednesday that Staff Sgt. Tyler E. Pickett died Sunday in Kirkuk Province. He was killed by enemy forces using an improvised explosive device.

Pickett was assigned to the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y.

Pickett's mother, Saratoga resident Sheri Peterson, said her 28-year-old son was killed in a suicide bombing that also injured 18 other people. Pickett was on his second tour in Iraq and had also served in Afghanistan.

Pickett is survived by his wife, Kristy, of Antwerp, N.Y., and her two children, Peterson said. The couple celebrated their second anniversary in February.

Pickett was born in Rice Lake, Wis., and moved to Saratoga, in south-central Wyoming, at the age of 14. He graduated from Saratoga High School in 1999 and enlisted in the military about a year later, Peterson said. She said serving in the military was always a part of Pickett's plan.

Pickett's survivors include his father, Ed Pickett, of Rice Lake, and other family members in Wyoming. Peterson said funeral services are planned in Saratoga, Antwerp, N.Y., and Minnesota.

When dinosaurs ruled the nation

Another dinosaur/politician from Wyoming, V.P. Dick Cheney, finds himself staring into the past rather than gazing into the future.

On Wednesday, Cheney spoke to the very conservative U.S. Chamber of Congress. He proposed revolutionary solutions to America's problems. They included tax cuts, unlimited free trade, and drilling for dead dinosaur goop in untrammeled places, such as the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and, if necessary, the property of any Democrats who could be located in Wyoming.

He blamed the "recent headwinds" from skyrocketing gas and food prices to "the turmoil in the credit and housing markets." The phases of the moon are also to blame, as well as wars that have mysteriously broken out in the Middle East.

Here are some actual quotes from an AP story:

Cheney said the recent tax rebates sent to about 130 million households should help, but he also urged Congress to take swift action to extend President Bush's first-term tax cuts, some of which are set to expire in 2010.

Letting the tax cuts expire, Cheney said, would be huge blow to all Americans. "The tax rate for every single income tax bracket would be increased," he said.

Not one to take such nonsense lying down, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., responded (for real):

"The Republicans' answer to the real, deep, serious economic pain American families are feeling is to continue the Bush-Cheney economic policies that are destroying the middle class... At a time when Americans are facing so much economic uncertainty in their lives, George Bush, Dick Cheney and John McCain want to give more tax cuts to the top 1 percent of the wealthiest people among us."

To help ease gas prices, Cheney advocated increased U.S. oil exploration and called on Congress to allow it. He said he also would consider using his super-secret time machine to send all imprisoned Islamicists 60 million years into the past, bury them along Wyoming's ancient sea bed where they would burble and suppurate, forming new deposits of crude which 21st century oil companies could then pull out of the ground and sell for ridiculously high prices, adding to Cheney's already incredible wealth.

"It's a grandiose plan, but difficult times call for grandiosity," roared Wyoming's favorite (son) dinosaur.

U.S. energy policy in the wrong hands

Kucinich web site attacked following his introduction of Articles of Impeachment

The Dennis Kucinich web site was one of the first I linked to when I began blogging in earnest in 2005. Now it's June 2008 and Kucinich is no longer running for president but still performing brave and amazing acts to defend the U.S. Constitution. I already noted how he stood up and introduced 35 Articles of Impeachment against George W. Bush. And then something mysterious happened. This comes from the Committee to Re-elect Congressman Kucinich:

Under circumstances that can best be described as "suspicious," the http://www.kucinich.us/ website was crippled early this morning a few hours after Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced 35 extensively documented Articles of Impeachment against President George W. Bush.

Until we can restore the website and implement additional security measures, you can find the full list and detailed Articles at http://www.democrats.com/files/amomentoftruth.pdfand http://chun.afterdowningstreet.org/amomentoftruth.pdf

If you would like to show your support for the Congressman's efforts, please go to myinfo.kucinich.us to offer your comments and provide us with contact information so that we can continue to keep you informed.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Rep. Barbara Cubin: "Best and Brightest?"

That's the question many Wyomingites were asking when we read that Cubin earned the "Best and Brightest" award. She has rarely been accused of being the brightest bulb in the pack. As for the "best" label, her own party has been working feverishly to unseat her during the last two election cycles. She eked out a victory against Democrat Gary Trauner in 2006, with many Republicans crossing over to vote against her.

Even though Rep. Cubin owns the worst attendance record in Congress, the American Conservative Union (ACU) gave Cubin its "Best and Brightest" award over the weekend. The reason? Rep. Cubin's stellar conservative voting record (when she does show up). She earned a perfect score of 100 (and a gold star) for voting according to the tenets held dear by the ACU. You can probably guess what they are. Cubin voted against funding for stem-cell research and Planned Parenthood. Any vote for stem-cell research is obviously a vote for science, which is roundly opposed by the Right Wing, especially the Rapture Right. Scientific inquiry can lead to questions about the very nature of our existence: "You mean that T-Rex and Noah didn't walk the earth together?"

Planned Parenthood is another Right-Wing target. Family planning is a personal issue, they say, best left up to wise counselors such as the Man of the House, the male ministers who run the local 10,000-member evangelical church, and God himself, who speaks directly to church leaders on these matters. Planned Parenthood gets in the way, with all its pills and potions and (Help me Jesus!) abortion advice.

Lest you think that Cubin spent all her time voting no, the ACU points out some of its favorite issues that she supported. She supports the border fence, which is designed to be stout and tall so that illegal immigrants (a.k.a. "Mexicans") can't knock down the fence with tanks borrowed from al-Qaeda and steal U.S. jobs in the very popular and competitive fruit-picking industry. Rep. Cubin also earned the eternal thanks of the ACU by voting for bills establishing English as the official U.S. language.

As you can see, the world may change but the Right Wing holds on tightly to issues that have no relevance in a world where energy costs are sky-rocketing, food shortages run rampant, global warming threatens our future, and dingbats push us into needless wars. As we speak of dinosaurs, we should note that the age of political dinosaurs is nearly over. Good-bye, Rep. Cubin. Good-bye, George W. Bush. Good-bye, Rapture Right. So long -- it hasn't been good to know you.

Kucinich pushes Bush impeachment

Dennis Kucinich, the tallest person in the U.S. House of Representatives, presented articles of peachment this evening. Here's a clip from the Chicago Tribune story:

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, a former Democratic presidential contender, said Monday he wants the House to consider a resolution to impeach President Bush. Speaker Nancy Pelosi consistently has said impeachment was “off the table.”

Kucinich, D-Ohio, read his proposed impeachment language in a floor speech. He contended Bush deceived the nation and violated his oath of office in leading the country into the Iraq war.

Kucinich introduced a resolution last year to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney. That resolution was killed, but only after Republicans initially voted in favor of taking up the measure to force a debate.

Send Dennis your regards at http://kucinich.house.gov/

"Wild and Scenic" Snake could be a bipartisan effort

Some updates on my June 4 post about the differences between the Wyoming GOP platform and the Wyoming Dem platform....

The WYO GOP platform opposes "Wild and Scenic River" designation for the Snake. During its convention in Jackson May 23-24, the Wyoming Democrats did indeed approve a plank supporting this designation. While some may see this as a case of WyoDems being bewitched by the hoodoo of Jackson Hole tree-huggers and whitewater lovers, it's bigger than that. One of the Snake's champions was the state's late great conservative icon, Sen. Craig Thomas, who hardly ever hugged a tree. Said the Casper Star-Tribune in a June 3 editorial, "Wyo. GOP shows it's at odds with leaders:"

This stance [by the WYO GOP] ignores the fact that the late Republican Sen. Craig Thomas championed a bill to declare 387 miles of the Snake River system as wild and scenic. The bill, introduced by Thomas' successor, Sen. John Barrasso, and supported by GOP Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming, is even named the Craig Thomas Snake Headwaters Legacy Act of 2008.

One of the major non-Wyoming opponents of this bill is Idaho Sen. Larry Craig, a member in good standing of the Flat Earth Society. He contends that a W&S Snake will cause Idaho to lose water rights, a claim that has been debunked almost as often as Sen. Craig has been in the headlines the past few years.

Wyo. for Obama thanks Fla. for Hillary

The Florida for Hillary campaign is sending me press releases. Actually, they only sent one so far, and that was today. Here are the contents:

FLORIDA FOR HILLARY ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENT OF SENATOR BARACK OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT

FLORIDA HILLARY SUPPORTERS COMMITTED TO ELECTING DEMOCRAT TO WHITE HOUSE

FLORIDA STATEWIDE - Florida for Hillary, the statewide campaign that was largely responsible for her big win in the Florida Primary announces its endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for President.

"Throughout this historic campaign and her incredible life, Senator Clinton has fought for issues that the people of Florida care deeply about, including the expansion of children's health care, the creation a national catastrophic insurance fund and the protection of Israel," said Ana Cruz, Co-Founder and spokesperson for the group. "Senator Barack Obama will fight for these same important causes as President, and we look forward to working with him to make sure that Florida voters are heard."

Florida for Hillary is an organization of Democratic elected officials, party leaders and activists from across the state who mobilized grassroots support to ensure a victory for Senator Clinton in the Florida Democratic Primary on January 29, 2008.

The group now turns its energy and attention to electing Senator Barack Obama the next President. Florida for Hillary will work hard to ensure that every single Floridian who cast their primary vote for Senator Clinton now votes for Senator Obama in November.

"The differences between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are small, but the differences between Democrats and Senator John McCain are enormous," said Co-Founder of Florida for Hillary Alan Clendenin. "John McCain wants to continue the failed policies of the Bush administration. Barack Obama will deliver the change this country desperately needs."

I like this final paragraph the best. Yes, the differences between Democrats and Sen. John McCain are enormous. That's because electing McCain as president would be exactly like electing Bush to a third term. Perhaps you're getting tired of hearing Democrats saying that. If so, you can also listen to McCain say it during his speeches, such as the one he delivered from a shack in Louisiana last Tuesday night. He used it to coax laughter from his audience, which consisted of a half-dozen very bored McCainiacs.

I'm happy to see that Florida for Hillary is communicating with Wyoming for Obama's Cheyenne chapter. We do need unity among Democrats to send Bush and McCain packing in November. There's much to do (stop Iraq War), many things to fix (Constitution, highways, Supreme Court), so we can't waste time quarreling.

This one-time resident of Daytona Beach and Gainesville welcomes further communication from Florida Dems. Don't be scared -- Dick Cheney doesn't live here any more (he visits his mountain redoubt near Jackson occasionally) and we are sorry that we unleashed his evilness into the world. But you Floridians still have to answer for Katherine Harris and Jeb Bush. I'd say we're about even.

The day that Bobby Kennedy died

"Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality of those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change."

Robert F. Kennedy said this in a speech in Capetown, South Africa, June 6, 1966. Today is the 40th anniversary of his assassination.

I was 17 when RFK was killed. I was snoozing away in the room I shared with three of my four brothers. We always slept with the radio on -- couldn't get to sleep without the Beatles or Doors or Motown. The windows were open and, if it was quiet, could hear the surf breaking on Daytona Beach a half-block away. But it wasn't quiet. The radio was on and lulled us to sleep and the next thing I remember was waking up to a news report. Robert Kennedy had been shot in L.A. Another Kennedy shot! Didn't seem real but I was awake. I got up and walked to my parents' room. "They shot Kennedy," I muttered. My mother mumbled and went back to sleep. My father said something about Kennedy getting shot a long time ago. "Bobby Kennedy," I said. "In California." My father looked at me like I was nuts. "Go back to bed," he said.

They both had to work the next day -- my father at NASA and my mother as a hospital nurse. It was tough to support nine kids, even in those pre-inflation times of 35 cents/gallon gas and four loaves of bread for a dollar.

In the bright light of a Florida June morning, my parents were distressed. JFK's assassination had devastated them. This was shocking, but not on that same level. They both were moving away from the Democratic Party and into the hands of Nixon and, later, Reagan. It had mattered to them in 1960-63 that JFK was the first Irish-Catholic president. He was a war hero, too, and had solid anti-commie credentials. Bobby, though, was a radical. He was soft on Vietnam and hippies and civil rights agitators.

At school, the day before the nuns released us into the summer, we went to mass to pray for Bobby's recovery, which seemed very unlikely. Most of us were in a funk. But at least one of my classmates noted that Kennedy was a "N----- Lover" and would probably die and never be president. He voiced what others thought. This was the South, after all. Our high school was located between white and black neighborhoods. Black kids south of the school went to Campbell, the all-black high school. After the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., two months earlier, this part of town erupted in riots. White homeowners north of the school sat up all night, guns at the ready. At least that's what the newspapers said a few days later. I don't doubt it.

Another Kennedy was dead. King was dead. Lots of Florida boys were destined to die in Vietnam.

Things were falling apart. And it was going to get worse.

WYO GOP doesn't buy climate change

Anyone who doubts the differences between Wyoming Republicans and Democrats only need look at a few planks in their respective platforms.

The AP reported that a plank adopted at the state Republican Convention in Rock Springs last Saturday opposes any new laws or regulations related to the "hypothesis of man-made climate change."

Contrast that with the following planks that came out of the platform committee at the May 23-24 Democratic Party convention in Jackson (there may be some revisions to the wording, as contentious Democrats discussed and amended the platform ad nauseum at the convention).

In "The Environment" section under "Confronting Climate Change:"

1. Wyoming Democrats believe that our country must address climate change by working with others at local, state, national, and global levels to reduce greenhouse gases.

2. We call for development of alternative, renewable energy resources, including solar and wind power, through federal and state incentives.

3. We insist that government policy work to increase energy-use efficiency throughout our economy, including raising the fuel efficiency of the nation’s vehicles.

The Democrats have moved way beyond the hypothesis of global warming to cold, hard facts. That approach is supported by most of the climatologists in the known universe.

At their convention, Republicans also decided to oppose a federal designation of any Wyoming stream as a Wild and Scenic River. This is in response to the efforts in Teton County to declare the Snake as a Wild and Scenic River, providing it special protections under federal law. I believe a plank to that effect was added to the platform (I have to keep better notes). If not, it should have been.

Walk blocks with Democrat Nick Carter

Nicole Novotny, secretary for the Laramie County Democrats, sends notice that U.S. Senate Candidate Nick Carter is looking for volunteers to help him walk door-to-door in Cheyenne this weekend, June 7-8. Carter is running against Republican John Barrasso for a U.S. Senate seat (first, he has to win the Aug. 19 primary). Volunteer times for Saturday are flexible and volunteers walking on Sunday have been asked to meet at the Lions Park amphitheater at 9 a.m. Carter will host a barbeque on Sunday to thank volunteers who helped out. To volunteer, please contact Kyle at 307-640-1028 or you e-mail nick@nickforsenate.com.

Thoughts on the final "Super Tuesday"

On Tuesday, Wyoming super-delegate Cynthia Nunley pledged her support to Sen. Hillary Clinton. Nunley was the last of the state's six Democratic Party super-dee's to commit. The other five had already come out for Sen. Barack Obama.

This makes the final delegate count for Wyoming 12-6, Obama.

Also on Tuesday, Obama clinched enough delegates and super-dees to become the party's presumptive nominee. He won Montana handily, and logged enough votes in South Dakota to claim some of those delegates.

I watched all the speeches last night. Obama looked and sounded presidential in the St. Paul, Minn., convention center. Crowd was estimated at 17,000 inside the building and 15,000 outside. Those are the same numbers we'll see when the Republican party gathers for its convention in September. There will be 17,000 Repubs inside, trying to work themselves into a lather for McBush. Outside will be 15,000 protesters, already worked into an anti-McBush lather. Could be a combustible mix.

Clinton spoke to a large appreciative crowd. She didn't concede, however. That will probably come soon.

McBush spoke before a group of semi-awake bystanders in what looked like a high school gym in Kenner, Louisiana. He called for "the right kind of change," which includes more war on the Iraqis and the U.S. middle class. He contended that he was the candidate for change and not Obama. McCain says that he wants to revamp the entire government so that it's leaner and meaner and more accountable to the American people. Of all things, he brought up Hurricane Katrina as an example of how bloated government fails its people.

Here's a news bulletin for McCain: Bloated government didn't fail New Orleans. It was government in the hands of Bush-appointed, government-hating flunkies. If you remember, government in the form of the U.S. Coast Guard performed heroically. In Iraq and Afghanistan, government in the form of the U.S. military does its job every day, despite the odds. And the most successful program in U.S. Government history, Social Security, provides a safety net for millions of Americans. Ironically, it's one of those "bloated" programs that the Republicans want to dismantle.

Remember that McCain voted with Bush 95 percent of the time during the past year. It's tough to distance yourself from someone you hold so close.

I eagerly await the first Obama-McCain debate.

Closing in on the prize

By the time polls in Montana at 8 p.m., Barack Obama will have enough delegates to call himself the Democratic Party nominee for president. Montana's votes for Obama will put the icing on the cake.

Keep your eyes on the blogs (see below).

John McBush McCain has a big speech planned from Louisiana (just beginning on the TV tubes). Says McCain: "I will bring the right (wing) kind of change."

Barack Obama has an even bigger speech planned in the Twin Cities convention hall where the Repubs will make a mockery of politics this summer.

Stay tuned....

Look to SD and MT blogs for June 3 results

We prepare for the last two contests of the primary/caucus season in neighboring South Dakota and Montana. While the usual MSM outlets will be gearing up to cover the results Tuesday evening, many of us will be looking to blogs for results mixed with first-person dispatches from the trenches (and some wise-ass commentary).

I was dismayed to learn that Ed Kemmick is giving up the City Lights blog he writes for the Billings Gazette. And Matt Singer at Left in the West out of Missoula has fried his hard drive during the feverish run-up to June 3. He's still blogging, courtesy of the local library and his wife's computer, but that can be frustrating for a blogger just itching to get his/her hands on his/her own keyboard.

LITW remains the go-to blog for politics. 4&20 Blackbirds, too. As the polls close tomorrow evening, check out those two purveyors of prog news in Montana.

I have to admit that I haven't paid sufficient attention to South Dakota blogs. I'm a new fan of Madville Times. Great place to read about stops in Madison and other S.D. locales by Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and their surrogates. Photos, too.

Another S.D. source is Badlands Blue, the blog of the S.D. Democratic Party. Great political coverage and links.

Daily Kos, of course, covers national politics like a big blue blanket. The search engines tease out DK posts by state and many end up on Lefty Blogs. Go to the site and click on your favorite state on the left sidebar.