Wyoming's District 8: Land of the well-educated & politically active citizenry -- well-defended, too

Nifty profile of Lori Millin, our state rep from District 8, in the 10/6 wyofile. Cheyenne's Marguerite Herman wrote the story.

I live in District 8. Here's what Marguerite had to say about us:

District 8 is a compact, middle- and upper-middle-class area here in the Wyoming capital. Residents tend to be well educated and politically active. The district includes many state employees and professionals, with a voter turnout of 90 percent. Republicans hold a substantial numbers advantage -- 2,511 registered Republicans compared to 1,563 Democrats, 505 unaffiliated and 10 Libertarians.

Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal carried the district in 2006, the same year that Millin beat Republican physician Larry Meuli by nine votes. Meuli won a three-way primary battle in 2004 by 31 votes. Elections in this district are close.

Chris and I make up .13 percent of the district's registered Democrats. Dr. Meuli came by the house in 2004 and we had a nice chat. He was opposed by Dem Joe Barrett in that general election, and won by 94 votes, a veritable landslide in our district.

But, I have no qualms in casting votes for Repubs in local elections. I'm also thinking of voting for the Republican, Rick Kaysen, in our non-partisan mayoral election. Democrat Jayne Mockler is running against him. I like them both, but Kaysen seems to have the edge on experience as the former head of Cheyenne Light, Fuel & Power. One of my neighbors, Joe Dougherty, didn't make the cut in the mayoral primary. We have political candidates coming out of our ears around here.

Lori Millin worked extremely hard in 2006 to win her seat. She's working equally hard this time to beat the Repub candidate, attorney Bob Nicholas. He's been in politics more than 20 years and comes from a prominent Repub family -- his uncle Phil is the Republican chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. Yet, Nicholas is advertising himself as the underdog. He said this in the wyofile story: "I'm sure Lori is outspending me 10-to-1." Sounds a little odd to hear a Wyoming Republican plead poverty. It's possible that District 8 voters will go ga-ga for this poor underdog lawyer. Not that Lori is without means and connections. She's married to John Millin, the Cheyenne opthomologist who's also the head of the Wyoming Democratic Party. As Marguerite writes: "This year, the District 8 race could be seen as a political party showdown."

One other thing about the district. We're well-defended. The district includes the Wyoming Army Guard HQ, surrounds the Wyoming Air Guard Base, and butts up against Warren A.F.B., home of many pointy-headed nuclear (pronounced new-klee-ur) missiles. If provoked, we could bring to bear a lot of firepower. I'm just saying...

For a nice color map of the city's House and Senate districts, go to www.laramiecountyclerk.com/_pdfs/CityPrecinctDistrict08.pdf.

Don't try to go to Google earth and get any close-ups of the district. All you will get are shots that are at least three years old. Google Earth satellite close-ups reveal a dark blue 1968 VW bug parked in back of my house. That belonged to the house's previous owner. We moved here on New year's Eve of 2005. Do the math. As I said, we are strategically important here in the land of the well-educated and politically active.

There are whoppers, and then there are McCain-style whoppers

Just as we always said: Wyoming's bar graphs are bigger than Colorado's

Coloradopols blog had a little fun with a press release from Headwaters Economics:

At a press conference Wednesday, Headwaters Economics will release a report detailing how Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming choose to tax oil, natural gas, and coal extraction -- and how the revenue is spent.

The report shows Colorado has the lowest effective tax rate in the Intermountain West. It also demonstrates that states can increase their effective tax rates with little risk of affecting the local energy economy.

A giant bar graph, perhaps the largest bar graph ever in Colorado will dramatically illustrate the differences between the 5 states studied in the report.

You'll be able to sit down atop Colorado's three-foot bar on the graph, while Wyoming's bar will loom over you head at about 8 feet tall. That's because the effective oil and gas tax in Wyoming is over twice Colorado's (6.2% for Colorado and 15.9% for Wyoming).

When: Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 10:30 a.m.

Where: Civic Center Park (East side of the park, directly across from the State Capitol)

Dubya gets snowmobile, wreaks havoc

"A Snowmobile for George" is a new election-year documentary. Here's a description from the film's web site:

When President Bush reversed regulations that would have banned the two-stroke snowmobile, filmmaker Todd Darling asked the question: why would he bring back a machine that pollutes dozens of times more than any automobile? Baffled by this regulatory change, he straps his own family’s sled onto a trailer, and drives across America looking for the answer to just why exactly did President Bush change that rule?

Along the way he digs into "de-regulation" and looks at how environmental rule changes have affected a wide range of Americans.

Yurok fishermen on the Klamath River along the Oregon/California border, suffer calamitous losses to their fishery when Karl Rove helps re-write the rules about how much water a fish needs.

Cowboys in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming are now locked in a range war with oil companies because political appointees to the Interior Department stopped the enforcement of clean water rules.

Firemen and paramedics in New York City suffer serious health problems because the White House suppressed key environmental rules during the 9/11 clean-up.

And, in Washington DC the filmmaker meets some lobbyists, and discovers a pattern to this de-regulation that amazingly enough hinges on the Bush Administration's view of the snowmobile.

Thanks to the meltdown on Wall Street, the phrase "de-regulation" has re-entered the popular imagination. Now find out what happens when de-regulation lands right on your doorstep.

You can see the film in the WY/CO/MT region during the next two weeks. here's the schedule:

Oct. 8, Denver, CO, Starz Entertainment Center, "The Election Year Series," presented by The Denver Film Society, 7 p.m.
Oct. 9, Laramie, WY, film and discussion with filmmaker, 7 p.m., Rm. 129, Classroom Bldg., UW

Oct. 10, Sheridan, WY, WYO Theater, 42 N. Main, presented by Powder River Basin Resource Council, 7 p.m., http://www.wyotheater.com/

Oct. 16, Fort Collins, CO, Lyric Theater, http://www.lyriccinemacafe.com/

Oct. 17, Billings, MT, Billings at MSU, time and venue TBD, presented by Northern Plains Resource Council, http://www.northernplains.org/

Feb. 13-22, 2009, Big Sky Fill Festival, Missoula MT, Roxy Theatre

Voter suppression tales in MT, IN, etc.

The usually very alert jhwygirl in Missoula emerged from her cold medicine haze to notice that she's on the list of 6,000 voters being challenged by the Repubs in Montana. All she had to do was dash over to this site: http://www.montanavotersuppression.org/home2

She also noted this:

Lt. Governor John Bohlinger wrote an op-ed for the Montana Standard this past Sunday, listing a few of the disgraceful challenges the Montana Republican Party put forth for this upcoming election: Kevin Furey, former legislator who left the legislature to serve in Iraq; Cindie Kalan-Green, serving in Iraq; Mathew Robison, deployed to Fort Drum; Chelsi Moy, the Missoulian journalist who broke the story; Babe Aspholm, an elderly man from Anaconda who merely moved across town to live in a senior living center; Tom Detonacour, a Deer Lodge County policeman; Frank St. Pierre, 86, Medal of Honor recipient for his service in WWII; Mrs. St. Pierre

And the list goes on and on.

Alan Boswell sent this update this afternoon:

Here’s a brief roundup of the various voting rights news of the past few days. Also note the legal mess in Indiana holding up early voting sites and the 6000 voters whose right to vote is being challenged in Montana.

Election Protection’s 866-OUR-VOTE hotline is THE place to report any foul play (and get basic answers to any question a voter may have). You can also follow more frequent voting rights and voter suppression updates at twitter.com/866OURVOTE.

FMI: Alan Boswell at 866ourvote.org

Wasn't it a Republican who said this: "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." Nope, that was Thomas Jefferson.

These guys made a billion dollars for running their companies into the ground

Here's a New York Times article that will make you sick. Go to http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/10/07/business/20080929-payout-graphic.html to read the stats on a group of a dozen Wall Street CEOs that raked in more than $1 billion in pay from their companies. One of the champs is Richard S. Fuld, Jr., of Lehman Brothers, who made a tidy $256,411,839 in take home pay from 2003-2007. Here's what the NYT said about Fuld:

As recently as June 2008, Richard S. Fuld Jr., the chairman and chief executive of Lehman Brothers, said he was confident that Lehman was sound even as the bank posted a second-quarter loss of $2.8 billion, caused by bad mortgage investments. But on Sept. 16, Lehman filed for bankruptcy and began sliding toward an eventual liquidation.

These greedheads should be locked up.

Fuld testified today before the House Oversight and Governmental Reform Committee. At one point in his life, Fuld was worth $1 billion and now has come on such hard times that he and his wife have had to sell some of their prized art collection, which includes three rare works by abtract-expressionist Willem de Kooning.

Again from the New York Times:

Henry A. Waxman, the California Democrat who heads the panel, began the hearing with an assault on Mr. Fuld’s pay, bringing out a chart showing that the Lehman chief executive received nearly $500 million in salary and bonus payments in the last eight years.

“That’s difficult to comprehend for a lot of people,” Mr. Waxman said. “I have a very basic question for you, is that fair?”

Join fellow progressives at Prez Debate Party on Tuesday night

On Tuesday, October 7, 7 p.m., join the Laramie County Democrats and other progressives at the "Debate Party" at Old Chicago on Dell Range Blvd. in Cheyenne. We had a great time at the first prez debate at the Capitol Grille in downtown Cheyenne. Nobody threw anything at the TV except for some choice folksy epithets, such as "Doggone your bald-faced lies you old coot!" And we weren't addressing Sen. Obama.

FMI: LarCoDems HQ at 307-634-9001.

Prog-blogging in Platte County

I'm a little slow finding out what's happening next door. Just discovered a great blog by Michael the Democrat (and not the only one) in Wheatland. Go to Platte County Democrats and get the lowdown about what's happening in the Big Rectangular County just to the north of Laramie County. And Cheyennites might want to drive the 7o-some miles to Wheatland on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2-4 p.m., for this "Meet the Candidates" event.

Great job, Michael. Great name, too.

McCain: Just ignore that rabid attack dog behind the curtain

More on mental health parity legislation

Forty-eight states offer their own mental health parity laws, although they vary widely in the type of coverage offered. I hate to say this, but only two states do not have any type of laws on mental health parity. One is Alaska. I would advise Sarah Palin to do something about that when she returns to her regular job as governor on Nov. 5. Gov. Palin has made a big deal during the presidential campaign about her passion for special needs children, such as those with Down Syndrome, autism and birth defects. Her youngest daughter was born earlier this year with Down Syndrome. Since she won't be able to carry through with this on the national level, perhaps she can propose legislation in Alaska that can address the demands of all families with special needs children. And perhaps that effort can be adopted in Wyoming, the only other state other than Alaska without its own mental health parity law.

Wyoming is a place with 500,000 residents spread out over 99,000 square miles. We don't have enough hospitals and clinics and health care professionals to take care of the mental health needs of our residents. While the U.S. suicide rate is 11 in 100,000 and the rate in Rocky Mountain states averages 17 per 100,000, Wyoming's rate (when last measured) is the worst in the nation at 22 per 100,000 people. We have a governor who cares enough about this issue to address the Governor's Round Table on Children's Mental Health Nov. 5-6 in Cheyenne. The first lady will also speak. So will Rodger McDaniel, head of the state's Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Division.

McDaniel sees his role as a champion for those families who've been faced with drug abuse and mental health issues. He's an old school social justice activist, a lawyer and ordained minister who practices what he preaches. He and his family left Cheyenne in the 1990s to build houses in Central America for Habitat for Humanity. When you call his office you get a real person on the phone who can answer your questions or get you right to someone who can. This is just a wild guess, but I would say that most people calling his office are desperate for answers, deep in the throes of a family crisis. I was, when I called about our daughter earlier this year. Where do you go to get the help you need? How do you pay for it when your insurance runs out? If you don't have insurance, how can you cover costs at a drug treatment facility or mental health center that can cost hundreds of dollars a day?

I know at least one family in Cheyenne who had their teenager at a residential treatment center in the state for seven weeks until insurance coverage ran out. Even though their teen still needed help, they withdrew her because they didn't know what else to do. Isn't that a crock?

There are organizations in Wyoming that address these issues. I'm a board member of one -- UPLIFT of Wyoming. You can always talk to someone at UPLIFT. Go to http://www.upliftwy.org/.

Do you have any tales (uplifting or horrifying) about efforts to get mental health care in Wyoming -- or any other rural Western state?

VOTE EARLY VOTE EARLY VOTE EARLY

C'mon, people, you know who you're going to vote for. I know some people say they're undecided and are still mulling the various pros and cons of candidates for president and Wyoming's U.S. House and U.S. Senate seats. I've met some as I've gone door to door. "I vote for the person not the party." Great -- so vote already. How much more information do you need? This presidential campaign has been going on for decades, it seems.

Laramie County residents can follow the instructions on the county clerk's web site and go downtown and vote any week day from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. You can also request an absentee be mailed to your home address.

Here are all the details from Laramie County Clerk Debbye Lathrop's web site:

For the convenience of Laramie County voters, the Clerk's Office has an absentee polling place located in the Atrium of the Laramie County Governmental Complex, 309 W. 20th Street. This polling place is open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday for the 40-day period prior to the election (that began Sept. 25).

Voters wishing to cast an absentee ballot may visit this polling site or:

• Call 307-633-4242 to request a ballot which will be mailed to the address provided
• Write to P.O. Box 608, Cheyenne, WY 82003 to request a ballot
• Bring a written request to the Elections Office at 309 W. 20th Street and pick up a ballot
  

All absentee ballots must be received in the Clerk's Office by 7 p.m. on the day of the election to be counted.

At last Tuesday's meeting of the Laramie County Democrats, Chair Mike Bell asked how many of us had already voted. He said he voted last week and a half-dozen others raised their hands. LarCoDems' stalwart Tom Lee keeps urging us all to get down to the polls "tomorrow!"

So that's what I'll do.

Mental health parity part of bailout bill

Lost among all the angst and hoopla over the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (a.k.a. Wall Street Bailout Bill, Economic Rescue Plan, Paulson's Folly, etc.) was news about an equally important aspect of the legislation considering health insurance. This is especially true if you and/or a loved one have struggled with mental illness. If statistics are accurate, that includes most of you out there. It includes me, my daughter, my father, and assorted siblings, nieces and nephews. If you choose to see the larger bill as a bailout, that's fine, but it also throws a lifeline to millions of Main Street families.

This news comes from the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health through a Mental Health Liaison Group "Action Alert" this afternoon:

The long campaign to pass parity legislation is over, with a stunning win in Congress.

The U.S. House of Representatives has just voted to pass the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 that includes the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. The vote total on H.R. 1424 was 263-171. The roll call will be posted at http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll681.xml

This action clears the legislation for presentation to the President, who will sign it very quickly.

Thank you to all organizations that have worked with us since 2001! Thank you to the sponsors of the legislation: Senators Domenici, Kennedy and Enzi, and Representatives Kennedy and Ramstad. Their leadership on this vital issue has been stellar. We could not have had more energetic champions for our cause.

Text of the Parity Legislation is on pages 310 to 344. H.R. 1424 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 or at Section-by-Section of Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.

Resources: Fact sheets, analyses of the parity legislation and past letters to Congress are posted at www.mhlg.org/page18.html

A big cheer to Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming for being one of the original sponsors of the legislation. A chorus of boos for voting against the Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 on Wednesday in the Senate. We expect Sen. & Dr. John Barrasso to vote against health care bills. After all, he hates Medicare and SCHP. When will you two get a clue? We already know that Rep. Barbara Cubin is a lost cause. But what do we have here? Cubin voting for the rescue plan? She voted for the original one on Monday. You never can tell...

P.S.: My original post said something nice about Enzi -- until I went to his web site and saw his vote.

Veep candidate's take on Veep Cheney

A few words from Joe Biden last night about part-time Jackson resident and full-time (for now) vice-president Dick Cheney:

Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we’ve had probably in American history. The idea he doesn’t realize that Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that’s the Executive Branch. He works in the Executive Branch. He should understand that. Everyone should understand that. [..] The idea he’s part of the Legislative Branch is a bizarre notion invented by Cheney to aggrandize the power of a unitary executive and look where it has gotten us. It has been very dangerous.

Voter suppression tactics being used by Montana Republicans

Fellow blogger jhwygirl at 4&20 blackbirds in Montana brings us some disturbing news. Republican political apparatchiks are getting on the voter suppression bandwagon by challenging new registrants in heavily Democratic Counties, such as Missoula, Butte-Silverbow, and Glacier. These counties include a lot of college students and Native Americans. You can get more details by going to http://4and20blackbirds.wordpress.com/2008/10/02/.

Montana is recognized as one of the election's Rocky Mountain swing states, along with Colorado and New Mexico. So it's no coincidence that Republicans want to suppress voter turnout, especially among new registrants, which have been heavily Democratic throughout the region.

Wyoming has also registered a lot of new Democratic voters, yet we're not considered a swing state (not by a long shot). But keep your eyes and ears open for similar dirty tricks in some of the larger counties, such as Laramie, Natrona, Fremont and Albany. Report any Republican election shenanigans to the Wyoming Democrats at 1-800-729-3367 or info@wyomingdemocrats.com.

UPDATE 10/3: Voters confronting efforts that interfere with your right to vote should report those experiences to Election Protection at http://www.nationalcampaignforfairelections.org/page/s/sharestory

Collected Poems of Sarah Palin, Vol. 1

Thanks to Hart Seely at Slate for bringing to our attention the poetry of Sarah Palin, assembled from her own utterances. Here's a sample:

"On the Bailout"

Ultimately,
What the bailout does
Is help those who are concerned
About the health care reform
That is needed
To help shore up our economy,
Helping the—
It's got to be all about job creation, too.

Shoring up our economy
And putting it back on the right track.
So health care reform
And reducing taxes
And reining in spending
Has got to accompany tax reductions
And tax relief for Americans.
And trade.

We've got to see trade
As opportunity
Not as ! a competitive, scary thing.
But one in five jobs
Being created in the trade sector today,
We've got to look at that
As more opportunity.
All those things.
(To K. Couric, CBS News, Sept. 25, 2008)

Trauner calls for "new ethical standards for members of Congress"

Wyoming's Democratic candidate for U.S. House Gary Trauner held a press conference in Cheyenne this morning. Haven't heard yet if any Republican moles tried to burrow into this one. Speaking of underhanded tactics, today's press conference was all about ethical standards. The press release is included here:

Democratic Congressional Candidate Gary Trauner today called for a new ethical standard for members of Congress, and pledged to lead by example. Trauner said he has called for the resignations of Democratic and Republican members of Congress who violated ethics rules, and says he will continue to do so, regardless of party.

"Last election, I was perhaps the first national federal candidate who called for William Jefferson, a Democrat, to resign after $90,000 in cash was found in his freezer," Trauner said. He is calling for Charles Rangel, the Democratic Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, to step down from his leadership post because of questions raised about tax payments on property owned by Rangel. "People are not perfect, but the head of the tax committee can't get away with not paying his own taxes! And don't tell me he didn't know any better. No excuses,"
Trauner added.

However, Trauner says he is very disappointed that Cynthia Lummis, and Barbara Cubin before her, don't take the same road. "Neither my opponent at the time nor my opponent now uttered one word when a member of their own party, Tom Delay, was under investigation, and subsequently indicted, for money laundering and corrupting the system. In fact, Barbara Cubin never gave back the thousands in tainted money she received from Delay and his cronies."

Trauner said that Cubin and Lummis are content with politics as usual, and that's not good enough for the people of Wyoming. "No wonder people seem to have lost faith in the system and don't want to trust any politician," he said. He called on Cubin and Lummis to take the same ethical high road with people in their own party. "We should be outraged with the behavior of people like Senator Ted Stevens in Alaska, Senator David Vitter in Louisiana and the behavior of many members of this Administration such as former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez – regardless of legal outcomes," Trauner said.

Cubin and Lummis have so far been silent on ethical issues. Trauner said that's not the kind of leadership people in Wyoming want. "True leadership means taking a stand on issues, standing up for your core values and beliefs," he said. "People in Wyoming believe in honesty, obeying the law, and playing by the rules. Our representatives in Washington should do the same," he concluded.

Who's popular now, Governor Palin?

Back on Aug. 29, I crowed about the fact that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin wasn't the only Western governor with high approval ratings. I scoffed at the fact that she had an 82 percent rating, which wasn't all that great for a somewhat competent Republican governor in a red state. Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal had equally impressive numbers as a Democrat in a Really Red State. Here were the stats from an 8/24 article in the Denver Post:

The six-state Mason-Dixon poll also asked voters to judge their governors' performance. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter received excellent or good ratings from 60 percent of those polled. That put Ritter on the lower half of the scale, compared with 81 percent approval for Dave Freudenthal in Wyoming, 82 percent for Jon Huntsman Jr. in Utah and 66 percent for Janet Napolitano in Arizona.

At the time, Palin had not been recruited for the Veep spot on the Republican ticket.

What are the latest approval ratings in Alaska for Palin? That would be 68 percent. Maybe it's because Alaskans haven't seen too much of her lately, or maybe because they've seen too much of her on TV interviews (quick, name your favorite newspaper -- or least favorite Supreme Court decision!). Or maybe it's because so many sordid details of her governance have been revealed by that nasty liberal press.

What if Dave Freudenthal had been tapped by Obama as his running mate? I know it's far-fetched, but just think about it. How many skeletons does the Gov have in his closet? In the 2006 race, desperate Wyoming Republicans dug deep for dirt. They discovered a non-scandal about alleged misuse of the state airplane. That went nowhere (the scandal, not the plane). Considering the resources at the disposal of Repubs in this state, with old pal Dick Cheney just a phone call away, you'd think they could come up with something solid -- or just make up something completely outrageous, which is their usual m.o. (Cheney's, especially).

They couldn't, and didn't. Our governor remains popular two years into his second term. Sure, Wyoming has a huge budget surplus, which makes things easier on the decision-maker. And we're a pretty easy-going bunch here in the least-populated state in the nation. We seem to like the fact that we have something Alaska doesn't -- a governor who reads, thinks and can speak in complete sentences.

Spreading the word about Wyo. Democrats

Chris Rothfuss, running for the U.S. Senate from Wyoming against Republican incumbent Mike Enzi, sent out an opinion piece yesterday about the current economic mess. I spent a god portion of my Saturday dropping off bundles of material on Rothfuss & Carter & Trauner to county voters who requested absentee ballots. The idea is to get the material into the hands of undecideds as they are filling out their ballots. Many hadn't yet received theirs, and some just weren't happy that I was ringing their doorbell. But I did get into some fine conversations with some, and had some surprises along the way.

I stopped in front of one house in my assigned territory in Cheyenne south of I-80. A strategically placed flagpole flew the Marine Corps and POW-MIA flags. In the driveway, a huge pickup sported stickers for the Marines, Army Airborne, and those ribbons that popped up during the Iraq invasion. It's easy to jump to conclusions, having seen all of those members of the military used as backdrops for Bush's LSOS speeches. True, many veterans I've talked to are Republicans -- but not all.

Mr. R came to the door with his buzzcut and tattoos. Vietnam, I thought. And then I went into my spiel, showing him my Dem candidate flyers. He stopped me. "Got any yard signs for Trauner?" I said I didn't but could get him one. "How about Mockler?" I didn't have any signs for our Democrat running for mayor. I told him I'd contact her campaign. "What about stickers -- I drive all over the state and I can drop them off." I said I would get him all the stickers he needed. He took my material, noting that he wanted to see some new blood in Congress and the mayor's office.

As I thanked him and walked off, I thought about how dangerous it is to compartmentalize people. I also decided to leave my assigned task and go get this guy a yard sign and some stickers. He seemed a bit surprised when I returned quickly with the goods. When I drove away, he was planting the Trauner sign among the green grass and flowers and trees of his front yard. Later, I got into a conversation with a couple I'd say were in their late thirties. The man was Independent, the woman Republican, and their three boys, well, who knows? The man said he was leaning Democratic this time, both for president and Congress. The woman then admitted that she was too, at least in the Congressional races. She works for the school district and her three boys all were in public schools. Education was big with her, and she was dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. Nothing like discontent to get people to vote for change. That's real change, the Obama kind, not the fake McCain variety.

I know that walking neighborhoods talking about politics isn't everyone's cup of tea. I would have rather been lounging in my backyard, reading my Roddy Doyle novel, or spending time with my family or doing a thousand-and-one other things. But times are tough and strange and I have to do something about it. In the next decade or so, as we dissect the damage that Republicans did to this country, I want to be able to say I took a few small steps to change that.

Back to Chris Rothfuss's opinion piece.... I'm going to include a few paragraphs below and let you go to the candidate's web site for the rest. Here it is:

This train did not wreck itself, but nobody is taking responsibility. Through action, inaction, and failed oversight, Congress (both parties) and the Bush administration have crafted this economy. Political action committees (PACs) representing the financial sector contribute heavily to campaigns and lobby strongly against regulation. Unfortunately, there is no comparable force lobbying on behalf of the people for transparency, fair lending, and responsible asset management. The members of the House that voted for the bailout on Monday received an average of 51% more campaign contributions from the finance, insurance and real estate sector than those that voted against it. That’s no coincidence.

My opponent, Senator Mike Enzi, has worked diligently to deregulate the financial sector over his 11+ years on the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. During this election alone he has received over $250,000 in contributions from finance, insurance and real estate PACs. That’s about $200,000 more than he’s received from the people of Wyoming. Senator Enzi has not been a casual bystander in our economic crisis - he has been instrumental in its creation.

John McCain's lies are mounting up into a big pile of...

Nick Carter drops by for a little chat

Nick Carter dropped into tonight's meeting of the Laramie County Democrats. He's been putting some hard miles on his motor home. The Democrat from Gillette has been campaigning for U.S. Senate in our part of the state, dropping into Cheyenne last Friday for a presidential debate party and then stayed over for Saturday's endorsement by the Federated Firefighters of Wyoming on the State Capitol steps. Tomorrow, he'll travel to Torrington and vicinity for some doorbell ringing.


The personal touch, that's what Wyomingites like. That's why candidates and supporters go door to door for some personal contact with voters. We still use phone banks, and sometimes gather for phone-calling parties. There will be one this Sunday in Cheyenne -- details to follow. But the old reach-out-and-touch-someone approach is losing some of its effectiveness. For one thing, we're mainly calling home phones. Nobody under 25 has a traditional home phone these days. And, as Tom Lee said tonight at our meeting, people don't answer their calls anymore. They screen their calls, in order to avoid the solicitors and worse -- push-polling calls from remote states by people who can't even pronounce our Governor's name. Some of the Dems have received these calls which are laden with traps and innuendos against Gary Trauner and other Democratic Party candidates. I hope I get one of these people calling me. I can't wait to record their number and turn them in. To whom, I don't know, but those who do push-polling are the lowest of the low.


Nick Carter is feisty. His campaign signs say "Wyoming tough." He is outspoken and persistent, I'll give him that. He calls Barrasso on his nonsense. He wonders how we can trust Sen. Barrasso on the energy issue, when he's taken a half-million dollars from energy companies. He must be tapping into the Cheney pipeline. Carter wonders how we can trust Barrasso (Dr. Barrasso) on healthcare reform when he's taken a half-million dollars from drug companies and healthcare conglomerates. He's puzzled about Barrasso's ability to vote correctly on issues affecting the economy when he's taken money from Sallie Mae and Freddie Mac.


Said Carter: "Every day I have to go out and raise money for a campaign against a guy who has $2 million in the bank from special interests." Carter advocates for real campaign finance reform in the form of federally financed elections. Barrasso does not, he added, noting wryly that the Doctor/Senator received federal financing in a roundabout way by accepting money from Freddie Mac and Sallie Mae who got gazillions of taxpayer funds in the recent bailout.


He asked a good question regarding the so-called bailout: "A company that is too big to fail is probably too big to exist."


Carter wants to emulate his hero Teddy Roosevelt by breaking up the big corporations "You need courage to break them up." You also need to get elected. To that end, local Dems will be conducting a literature drop throughout the county for Nick Carter and Chris Rothfuss, the Democrat who's challenging Sen. Mike Enzi. More than 30,000 flyers in the hands of voters -- or placed strategically in their screen doors. Interested in volunteering for this task on Oct. 11? Drop me a comment.

Read a banned book today!

The American Library Association conducts "Banned Books Week" this time each year. The date for 2008 are Sept. 27-Oct. 4. Please endeavor to read a banned book today.

The ALA's list of the “10 Most Challenged Books of 2007” reflects a range of themes, and consists of the following titles:
1) “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell; Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group
2) The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier; Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence
3) “Olive’s Ocean,” by Kevin Henkes; Reasons: Sexually Explicit and Offensive Language
4) “The Golden Compass,” by Philip Pullman; Reasons: Religious Viewpoint
5) “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain; Reasons: Racism
6) “The Color Purple,” by Alice Walker; Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language
7) "TTYL,” by Lauren Myracle; Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
8) "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya Angelou; Reasons: Sexually Explicit
9) “It’s Perfectly Normal,” by Robie Harris; Reasons: Sex Education, Sexually Explicit
10) "The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky; Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group.

As far as I can tell, there are no Wyoming writers on this list, although a book by Cheyenne mystery writer C.J. Box is being challenged at one of the state's public libraries. There is one Colorado writer on the list: Lauren Myracle of Fort Collins, Colo. Terrific writer of books for tweens and teens. My daughter read "TTYL" when she was 12 and reports no permanent damage from the experience.

Trauner has ideas on better bailout bill

As we all know, the bailout bill tanked today in the U.S. House. I thought that the Dems had a deal on a good bill -- or at least a better bill than originally proposed by the Bushies -- and that the Repubs had decided to join in. Then the vote came, and the rescue/bailout/buy-in bill went down in flames.

My eyes are bleeding from the hours of commentary I just watched on the tube. It's a mess, to be sure, but who to blame? I'm usually content to blame the Republicans. "Nancy Pelosi hurt our feelings!" What a bunch of whiny babies. But did Pelosi have to drag out Bush's culpability one last time before the biggest vote in the House since it voted to change the name of "french fries" to "freedom fries." Why didn't the Dems whip the troops into shape and get the vote in, if that was the goal?

Just received an e-mail from Gary Trauner's campaign for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Repub Barbara Cubin (she voted for the bailout, by the way). Gary could be in that seat come January, so let's see what he has to say:

Today Congress rejected the flawed bailout bill by a narrow margin, showing once again why real leadership matters in Congress, now, more than ever.

Trauner stated, "This flawed bill would not have limited CEO pay, or stopped CEO Golden Parachutes, and there was no truly independent oversight. During this time of crisis, career politicians in Washington D.C. are pointing fingers and playing partisan games. We need a bill that doesn't give Wall Street a blank check and puts into place real protection for taxpayers, like I specifically proposed last week."

Trauner continued, "So far, since this crisis has started, we have heard nothing from our sitting Congresswoman, and the best I can tell, the closest Cynthia Lummis has come to addressing the bailout is proposing to privatize Social Security. Privatization would prop up Wall Street by risking our Social Security in a stock market that is tanking as we speak."

So here is my proposal:

• In return for any purchase of bad assets held by private entities, we. the taxpayers, get a contingent stake in any company -– so if the assets are not worth the paper they are written on, taxpayers don't get burned and companies do not get off scot-free for bad behavior.


• The Government institutes direct oversight of these businesses and regulates them much like banks are regulated today.


• No golden parachutes or huge paydays for the CEOs and executives who got us in this mess in the first place. In fact, we should be taking money back from them. And if they've been irresponsible, they should be banned from future work in the securities industry.


• If we are going to bail out Wall Street, then we need to take care of Main Street as well – there must be provisions that ensure that we do everything we can for well-intentioned primary homeowners -– not investors or speculators -- who are at risk of foreclosure so they cans stay in their homes, either as owners or renters.

Dems meet Tuesday, prep for Veep debates

The monthly meeting of the Laramie County Democrats will be held at the Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m. All attendees at the meeting will receive an English-Palin dictionary in order to really understand what she will be saying at the Thursday evening Veep debates with Sen Joe Biden. While on any given night Biden can make mincemeat out of a poser like Palin, his job is made tougher by the fact that she speaks in an unknown tongue -- when she's allowed to speak by Big Daddy John McCain.

Palinspeak was spoofed on Saturday Night Live's opening sketch this past weekend. Katie Couric (played by Amy Poehler) asks Gov. Palin (Tiny Fey) about the bailout (this excerpt from Crooks and Liars blog):

“PALIN”: “Like every American I’m speaking with, we are ill about this. We’re saying, ‘Hey, why bail out Fanny and Freddie and not me?’ But ultimately, what the bailout does is, help those that are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy to help, uhhh, it’s gotta be all about job creation too. Also, too, shoring up our economy and putting Fannie and Freddie back on the right track, and so health care reform and reducing taxes and reigning in spending… 'cause Barack Obama, ya know, has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans, also, having a dollar value meal at restaurants. That’s gonna help. But 1 in 5 jobs being created today under the umbrella of job creation. That, you know. Also…..”

The blog Orange Crate Art compares Palin, Orwell and the English language. Truly scary.

As George Orwell points out in “Politics and the English Language,” one need not take on the responsibility of thinking when composing sentences:

You can shirk it by simply throwing your mind open and letting the ready-made phrases come crowding in. They will construct your sentences for you — even think your thoughts for you, to a certain extent — and at need they will perform the important service of partially concealing your meaning even from yourself. It is at this point that the special connexion between politics and the debasement of language becomes clear.

So, not only will debate watchers need a translation key, they also will need to bone up on their George Orwell. This will also help as you watch John McCain speak. And George Bush? I doubt if even Orwell could have conjured such a mangler of language.

Local Dems will gather for the Biden-Palin event on Thursday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m., at Applebee’s on Dell Range Blvd., in Cheyenne.

Still time to enjoy "Eat Locally Month"

Sheridan's Samuel Western wrote about the state's farmer's markets in a Sept. 22 article on Wyofile. Western tallied 27 Wyoming farmer's markets, with the Cheyenne Saturday market in Cheyenne as the oldest of them all at 25 years. That reminds me, today's Saturday, and I feel a need for seed-bearing victuals. I'll be out buying fruit and veggies until it's time to walk local neighborhoods for Gary Trauner.

One problem experienced by local markets in Wyoming -- antiquated rules. Western follows the saga of the Welde Family of Sheridan County trying to get their breads and pies sold at market. Not nearly as easy as it sounds....

Read the entire article at http://www.wyofile.com/wyoming_farmers_markets.htm

Debate winner depends on P.O.V.

Who won the debate tonight depends a lot on your point of view.

Part of the time, I watched through my 57-year-old eyes. I'm closer in age to Barack Obama, but my life experiences are more akin to those of John McCain, 15 years my senior. No, I wasn't a P.O.W., and I didn't marry an heiress. But I did grow up during the Cold War and Vietnam, and those experiences shaped me. Despite my liberal outlook, the old battles and grudges of the Soviet-U.S. face-off are still with me. One big Super-Power against another. The Arsenal of Democracy vs. the Gulag of Godless Communism. I know that the world is a much more complicated place. But I can't change my life's building blocks. And neither can John McCain. Tonight, when he went off on a long diatribe against Russia invading Georgia and Putin being a Soviet apparatchik in the KGB, I knew what he was talking about. I grew up with that kind of lingo, that sort of world view.

But Glasnost started in the 1980s and the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. My son turned four that year. The Soviet Union was gone by the time my daughter was born in 1993. Talking to them about the Soviets and apparatchiks and the Cold War and all the rest is like talking to them about the Crimean War (McCain mentioned Crimea tonight, which made me recall all the lines to Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade"). This is ancient history to my kids. They like history. But it's not current events. It's not NOW.

And that's what Obama talks about -- NOW. Health care and student financial aid and housing foreclosures and Iraq and Afghanistan. Stuff that is happening NOW and not THEN, back in the old days when the Soviets existed.

How do the young people see McCain? As someone who was born during the Great Depression, was a kid during World War II, went to Vietnam in its early days, and now is old as the hills and twice as dusty. He could be their grandfather of even great-grandfather. Obama? He could be their father. He has a pretty wife and two little kids. He's a guy with energy and vision. He's a guy they can relate to, and work hard to elect.

Who won the debate? Ask a 23-year-old.

If Ole Miss debate gets cancelled, pick up a good Mississippi book

Put aside the fact that presidential debates these days aren't much more than exchanges of policy statements. It's still a good thing to see your candidate matched up against the other. This time, we may get excellent speaker and debater Barack Obama matched up with a chair. It's possible that the chair may be more animated than John McCain.

McCain is busy, you see, screwing things up in D.C. And he's not even president! As soon as McCain flew into negotiations about the big bailout, those negotiations fell apart. If this is how he handles this crisis, what would he do as Commander-in-Chief?

So what about the debate? I've been checking out several of the fine Mississippi progressive blogs and they have no definitive answer. But they do provide some great reading and a lot of info on local and state politics. Check out Cotton Mouth and the Natchez blog. The Natchez bloggers were on the scene at the DNC in Denver and seemed to be right on top of things.

As you probably know, the debate is supposed to be held in Oxford, site of University of Mississippi or "Ole Miss" as its alumni and fans refer to it. Oxford also home for the Center for the Study of Southern Culture. On the web, you can locate info about your favorite Miss. writer at The Mississippi Writers Page. The lists are a who's who of the country's best writers in the past century: William Faulkner (in photo, looking upon the proceedings with jaundiced eye), Eudora Welty, Barry Hannah, Nevada Barr, Richard Wright, Larry Brown, Richard Ford, Rick Bass, Elizabeth Spencer, Beth Henley, Lewis Nordan, Etheridge Knight, Walker Percy, Tennessee Williams, John Grisham and Brad Watson (currently teaching writing at University of Wyoming).

So, if the debate is postponed or cancelled, I suggest you hunker down with a good book by one of these writers. You'll learn more about humankind on those pages than you would at any political function.

Photo: From the Cofield Collection

Same ol', same ol', for McCain

Nick Carter gets Firefighters endorsement

From a press release:

Nick Carter, Wyoming Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, has won the coveted Federated Firefighters of Wyoming (FFW) endorsement. Joe Fender, President of FFW, will officially announce the endorsement at an event in downtown Cheyenne to be followed immediately by press availability.

Federated Firefighters of Wyoming to Endorse Nick Carter for US Senate at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, on the front steps of the Wyoming State Capitol. Carter will accept the endorsement of the FFW and will also be making a major announcement. The press and public are invited and encouraged to attend. Post event press release and pictures will be forthcoming Saturday afternoon. The Federated Fire Fighters of Wyoming represent 85 percent of Wyoming's Professional Fire Fighters and protects half of Wyoming's population. They are a state affiliate of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

FMI: Eric Hevenor at 307.682.2425

Pound the pavement this weekend for Dems

Lauri Kay Elbing keeps giving me all sorts of great material to put on the blog. We're down to the last 40 days and nights of this year's campaign, and things are really getting interesting. On the local scene, we have great Democratic candidates running for the legislature. The balance from Laramie County is now 6 Republicans and 4 Democrats. We want to turn that around to 6 Democrats and 4 Republicans. We need more Dems in the legislature to help Gov Dave accomplish his goals for the final two years of his second term. Get out and pound the pavement this weekend.

Here's more info from Lauri:

They always say, if you want something done, ask a busy person. To that end, I am writing to you because of your leadership and interest in this year’s campaigns as well as your record of solid volunteerism. Our Congressional and Legislatives candidates are in the home stretch of a long and brutal campaign…and volunteers and their time are at a premium, and leaders like you are even more rare. We can’t do it without your help and support….and time is short.

There will be nearly 15,000 absentee votes cast over the next week all across Wyoming. It is not difficult to see that the margin of victory could be decided this weekend in many races…including one that we lost by just 1,000 votes two years ago. We cannot allow that to happen again. We need to get our message out to these citizens about our great candidates. To that end, a major canvassing operation has been planned for this weekend and if you aren’t already signed up to help, I hope you will consider spending just a couple hours this weekend.

Can you help us knock on the doors of absentee voters in your neighborhood on Saturday or Sunday? Two hours helps us touch base with 50 early voters. Bringing yourself AND a friend helps us connect with 100 early voters!

Coordinated Campaign Regional Field Coordinators:

Aaron Owens: Laramie, Goshen Counties 307-399.0898, aaron@wyomingdemocrats.com
Paula Hanson: Laramie County (shared with Aaron Owens) 307.635.3130 paula@wyomingdemocrats.com
Bryan Watt: Carbon, Albany County, 307-660.0614 bryan@wyomingdemocrats.com
Rey Fuentes: Sweetwater, Uinta, Lincoln Counties 307-679.4125
Katie Lass: Natrona, Washakie Counties: 307-680.6128 katie@wyomingdemocrats.com
Dana Walton: Converse, Platte, Niobrara Counties 307-258.1825 dana@wyomingdemocrats.com
Andrew Simons: Crook, Weston, Campbell, Johnson, Big Horn, Park Counties
307-221.2954 andrew@wyomingdemocrats.com
Meg Michelena: Sheridan Counties 307-752.7460 meg@wyomingdemocrats.com
Brian Peterson: Teton, Sublette Counties 307-229.630.0437 brian@wyomingdemocrats.com
Scott Porot: Fremont, Hot Springs Counties 213.814.8820, scott@wyomingdemocrats.com
Hanna Thompson: Sweetwater County (shared with Rey Fuentes) 371.1630 hanna@wyomingdemocrats.com

CHEYENNE volunteers:

Saturday from 10 a.m.-noon, 1-3 p.m., and 4-6 p.m.
Sunday will be from 2-4 p.m. and 4-6 p.m.

Email Aaron@WyomingDemocrats.com or call at 307.635.3130 to set up your shift and get instructions.

Visit http://www.traunerforcongress.com/free_details.asp?id=51 to find a Coordinated Campaign office near you.

We have 40 Days and no more to pull off a few miracles and I know we do it. The lesson that we learn every election cycle is that every vote counts and getting people to the polls and excited about our candidates is the end game….Like you, my goal is to have no regrets on November 5th and to do everything humanly possible to put
these candidates over the top.

We all need encouragement to keep going periodically and I appreciate that we all lead busy lives, but this is a finite commitment, the results of which will impact our lives and our future. A very practical and powerful objective in Wyoming is to secure a Congress that will work with the Obama Administration. Let’s send as many Democrats to Washington, D.C., as possible to support the agenda of President Barack Obama.

Secondly, I wanted to let you know that we have an honest to goodness Statewide Coordinated Campaign underway… I would also encourage you to contact your County Democratic Party Chairperson to see what you can do to support this effort and to see if there is a special role you may take on.

There will be three major walk weekends, including this weekend and the weekend before the election. The more feet on the ground, the more votes at the polls. From literature drops, phone calling (voters and volunteers), addressing post cards, basic office work…there is much to do and the list goes on….but it IS achievable.

LarCoDems plans next 40 days and nights

Lauri Kay Elbing is the communications director of the Wyoming Democratic Party. She was at the meeting of the Laramie County Democrats tonight reminding us that we're in the last crucial weeks of this election and we need to get out and work hard for our candidates.

She also advised to take some time out for partying. You don't have to tell us twice...

Here are the Democratic parties slated for the next 40 days or so:

Friday, September 26, 6 p.m.: Presidenial candidate debate party at the Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne. It is possible that the debate will be between Democrat Barack Obama and an empty chair.

Tuesday, September 30, 7 p.m., monthly meeting of the Laramie County Dmocrats at the Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne.

Thursday, October 2, 7 p.m., vice-presidential candidate debate party at Applebee’s on Dell Range Blvd., on strip mall row in Cheyenne. It's possible that the debate will be between Sen. Joe Biden and and empty chair.

Saturday, October 4, 7 p.m., presidential candidate debate party at Godfather's Pizza on Yellowstone Ave., near my house in Cheyenne.

Tuesday, October 14, 7 p.m., the final presidential candidate debate at the Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne.

Tuesday, October 28, 7 p.m., the final pre-election for the LarCoDems at the Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne.

VICTORY PARTY: Tuesday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m. until whenever at the Plains Hotel.

Absentee ballots will be landing in mailboxes tomorrow and Friday. If you get one, fill it out with the appropriate Democratic slate and mail it in.

Remember that pre-voting starts tomorrow.

FMI: Lauri Kay Elbing, 307-634-3367 (office), 307-277-1187 (cell), lauri@wyomingdemocrats.com

Lummis press secretary leaves campaign "of her own volition"

This isn't exactly breaking news, now that it's been covered all days in the press and on the blogs. But here's the latest update on "Phonegate" from Matt Joyce at the AP:

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Republican U.S. House candidate Cynthia Lummis said Wednesday that her press secretary was leaving her campaign after a report that the staffer called in to a rival's news conference and used a fake name to pose a question.

Lummis told The Associated Press that she did not ask Rachael Seidenschnur to call the news conference held Tuesday by Democratic opponent Gary Trauner and was not aware that Seidenschnur planned to do so.

Lummis said Wednesday that Seidenschnur had decided to leave the campaign.

"She is concerned that she doesn't want anything to reflect poorly on the campaign, and she has made the decision on her own volition to leave the campaign," Lummis said in a telephone interview.

When asked her opinion of the appropriateness of the call, Lummis said: "Well, I support transparency, that's the best policy, but as I said she chose to leave of her own volition."

Lummis "Mole" calls in to Trauner event

I can't be too hard on Cynthia Lummis's press secretary, Rachael Seidenschnur, for her attempt via phone to derail Gary Trauner's press conference yesterday. For one thing, she has that name to deal with. Sounds like a character from a Mel Brooks movie. For another, she says she was just trying to be helpful.

Let me set this up for you. We (Trauner staffers, the press and me) were gathered in the lobby of Gary Trauner's Cheyenne office. Gary addressed the current economic crisis. He rolled out some great ideas, some outlined in previous posts. And then he took questions from those gathered in the room. And then he turned to questions from the phone on the podium. The call-in number had been widely reported, so members of the press -- and anyone else -- could call in. Elsa Partan from Wyoming Public Radio asked some good questions about the bailout plan. She wondered if the candidate advocated a monthly review of any legislation. She also asked if he supported the plans by some Democrats to add to the legislation ways to help homeowners.

And then a woman's voice came over the speakerphone. At first it sounded as if her name was Sara. Gary leaned closer and gathered that her name was "Sierra." She identified herself as "a supporter." She didn't say a supporter of who or what. Then the woman with the fake name asked her question. My notes only show a snippet of the question: "...would you vote with Pelosi and the Democrats...." It sounded like a loaded question, but it also sounded lame. Fortunately for us, Mead Gruver of the Associated Press had an audio recorder.

Here's what the caller said, as recounted in an AP story:

"I have a question. This is Sierra. I'm just a supporter. I was curious about whether Mr. Trauner supports, or if he'd been in the House would have voted for Nancy Pelosi's and the rest of the Democrats' energy bill this past week."

Trauner asked the caller who she was. After the caller repeated that she was a supporter, Trauner steered the conversation to the topic of the news conference.

According to my notes, Gary told her that the question was off-topic and that she should call him at his office and he could answer her question.

Do you think Sierra will call Gary's office today? She's a supporter, after all.

The AP called Seidenschnur and questioned her about the call. Here's what she said:

"I was curious about getting information to people concerning the Pelosi question. And it's a public thing. And I was curious. I wanted folks to know. I think that was a fair question. It wasn't in any way, you know, derogatory."

The AP also received phone records from the Trauner office which showed a listing for Seidenschnur's cell phone number. Caught red-handed!

Trauner said:

"That's not the kind of thing I would ever do, and I think to myself, 'Is this really the kind of person we want to send to D.C.?' "

Thing is, Seidenschnur has already done her time in D.C. as press secretary to Rep. Barbara Cubin, the Republican that Gary's trying to replace. Seidenschnur served as Cubin's press secretary until a few weeks ago.

Makes you wonder about the quality of people Lummis picks for her staff. Cubin retreads. If elected, would her next two years in Congress be more of the same?

Gary was right to be suspicious of the caller. When the press conference was over, I heard whisperings from some people about the caller being a "mole." To be a mole, you have to be somewhat effective at burrowing into a situation and finding out stuff. Perhaps if the Lummis staffer had been a bit better at theatrics, she would have yielded better results.

All this would be laughable if it wasn't for other Republican hijinks during this election year. If you've been reading the papers, you'd know that "caging" is a tried-and-true Repub tactic to keep Democrats from the polls.

Citizens! Beware of phone calls from Sierra and her fellow travelers!

More on the Trauner press conference

Here's the press release on the Trauner speech today in Cheyenne:

Democratic Congressional Candidate Gary Trauner says there should be no blank checks for the financial companies lining up for a federal bailout. He laid out a list of conditions he would push for if he were elected to Congress.

Chief among them was the elimination of golden parachutes and huge paydays for the CEOs and executives who are responsible for the problems. "In fact," says Trauner, "we should be taking money back from them. And if they've been irresponsible, they should be banned from future work in the securities industry."

Trauner added the following conditions for the bailout:

1. In return for any purchase of bad assets held by private entities, we, the taxpayers, get a contingent stake in any company – so if the assets are not worth the paper they are written on, taxpayers don't get burned and companies do not get off scot free for bad behavior.

2. The Government institutes direct oversight of these businesses and regulates them much like banks are regulated today.

3. If we are going to bail out Wall Street, then we need to take care of Main Street as well – there must be provisions that ensure that we do everything we can for well-intentioned primary homeowners – not investors or speculators - who are at risk of foreclosure so they cans stay in their homes – either as owners or renters.

Trauner warned that the bailout doesn't address the root causes of the problem, such as a lack of transparency and oversight, financial investment that no one understands, and investments like credit default swaps.

"This crisis is the direct result of 8 years of thinking that markets don't need regulation; that we don't need to have rules or enforce the ones that exist. That somehow "the market" will solve everything," Trauner said. "It's like playing a football game without the referees."

Trauner press conference in Cheyenne

Gary Trauner, Democratic candidate for Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat, talked to members of the press and one lone blogger today in Cheyenne. The subject? It's the economy, stupido. While Gary talked, U.S. Senate members in D.C. were grilling Henry Paulson about his proposed bailout.

Said Trauner: "This bailout without accountability is a license to loot." As a businessman, he wants the specifics of the plan laid out for all to see. And he wants the Bush Administration and Congress to move quickly. "We can't afford two more days let alone two more years of Wyoming politicians doing nothing."

Those remarks seemed to be aimed at Wyoming's delegation, Republicans all, but particularly do-nothing Barbara Cubin and the Republican pretender her throne, Cynthia Lummis. He said that all Lummis wants to do is raise taxes on millions of Americans (the poor who now pay no taxes) and dismantle Social Security and put the money into private accounts. "Ask anyone with a 401(K) how their investments are doing," Trauner said.

When asked if one particular political party is to blame for this mess, Gary refused to name names. "No party is to blame. It's a philosophy that's to blame." That philosophy, he added, "holds that government has no role in oversight." It's the same philosophy that brought us the bungled response to Hurricane Katrina, the unnecessary Iraq War, and the privatizing of essential government services -- contracts that usually go to the buddies of the chief philosophers of the Republican Party. He added: "One party is more to blame. But the people in the Democratic Party share some of the blame."

The candidate offered some more specifics. I'll roll those out later....

Federal bailout without accountability? Trauner says "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME."

Silent auction items needed for Dem event

The Laramie County Democratic Grassroots Coalition is holding a silent auction at its Oct. 18 meeting. Please donate items by Oct. 1 to Louise Raimondi. Preferred items include gift certificates, collectibles, artwork, and political items from elections past and present. Call Louise at 307-635-1592.

The Oct. 18 meeting includes a chili supper and Democratic political candidates. It will be held at the VFW 1881 Hall in Cheyenne from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

To receive e-mail bulletins from the LCDGC, e-mail Linda Stowers at lpstowers at bresnan dot net.

I'm voting absentee for the first time

A talking head on one of Denver's TV stations said that it may take as long as 20 minutes for each voter to complete the state's very long general election ballot. This could mean Florida-like chaos in the Mile High City on Nov. 4.

The Wyoming ballot is much shorter. Still, I'm going to vote absentee this year for the first time. I have enjoyed trooping off to the polls since the first time I voted in 1972. As a Wyoming state employee, I get an hour off to vote. I wish that all employers in the state did this.

I'm not concerned that thousands of registered voters will show up and clog the lines at my precinct. I already know who I'm voting for, not just for president (Obama) but for state and local offices. No amount of negative advertising by John McCain could influence me.

Absentee voting begins in Laramie County on Thursday, Sept. 25.

Here are the details from the county clerk's web site:

Absentee voting begins 40 days prior to each election. For the convenience of Laramie County voters, the Clerk's Office has an absentee polling place located in the Atrium of the Laramie County Governmental Complex, 309 W. 20th Street. This polling place is open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for the 40-day period prior to the election. Voters wishing to cast an absentee ballot may visit this polling site or:

• Call 633-4242 to request a ballot which will be mailed to the address provided
• Write to P.O. Box 608, Cheyenne, WY 82003 to request a ballot
• Bring a written request to the Elections Office at 309 W. 20th Street and pick up a ballot

Absentee ballots must be received in the Clerk's Office by 7 p.m. on the day of the election to be counted.

There have been reports of voter intimidation at the Atrium during previous elections. Don't take any crap. Notify the county clerk of any untoward behavior at the polls. Also report it to the Laramie County Democrats. Or post a comment on this site.

And good luck to all you Colorado voters. You are going to need it.

Trauner holds Cheyenne press conference on U.S. economic crisis

On Tuesday, Sept. 23, 10:30 a.m., Gary Trauner will hold a press conference at his Cheyenne office about the state of the economy and the current legislation to bail out Wall Street. Trauner is the Wyoming Democratic Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives. His downtown Cheyenne office is at 211 W. 18th St. You can dial into the press conference by calling 712-451-6100, key code: 721718#.

FMI: Adam Ruff at (307) 699-4956.

I'm sure that Trauner will be advocating that Congress include some sort of oversight into the legislation for the mega-billion-dollar bailout for Wall Street. Sen. Chris Dodd outlined his plan today, as did Rep. Barney Frank in the House.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, will convene a hearing at 9:30 EDT tomorrow (7:30 a.m. MDT): “Turmoil in U.S. Credit Markets: Recent Actions Regarding Government Sponsored Entities, Investment Banks and Other Financial Institutions.” That's a mouthful. Expected at the hearing are Secretary of Treasury, Henry Paulson; Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke; and Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Christopher Cox. A live stream of the hearings will be available on C-SPAN until 1:30 p.m. EDT.

Columnists on bailout: "Not So Fast!"

Here's a sampler of headlines about the proposed Wall Street bailout which appeared this morning on the New York Times op-ed pages. Note that they also represent three distinctive voices, from neo-con William Kristol to liberal Paul Krugman. Here they are, in no particular order:

WILLIAM KRISTOL, A Fine Mess. Synopsis: A friend serving in the Bush administration tried to talk me out of my doubts about the $700 billion financial bailout. I’m not convinced.
PAUL KRUGMAN, Cash for Trash. Synopsis: Henry Paulson is demanding extraordinary power for himself to deploy taxpayers’ money on behalf of a plan that, as far as I can see, doesn’t make sense.
ROGER COHEN, The Fleecing of America. Synopsis: World leaders converge on a battered New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly, my advice to them is: think Damien Hirst.

For more, go to your local newspaper's opinion page. Or to The Nation magazine, where William Grieder explains it all for you.

Just call me Sack Panther Palin

We bloggers scour the Internets for crucial news about war, famine, pestilence and Dick Cheney. As we perform this public service, we come across some humorous bits about Sarah Palin that we just have to share with our reader(s). This one comes via jhwygirl at 4&20blackbirds in Montana. If you go to the blog politsk.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah_13.html, you can enter your real name into a name generator and find out what you would have been called had you been born to GOP Veep nominee Sarah Palin. Her kids all have real American names: Track, Trig, Bristol, Willow, and Piper. Not a Tiffany in the bunch. I entered my full name and came up with Sack Panther Palin. If that ain't a name fit for a politician from Alaska or even Wyoming, I don't know what is.

Pelosi: "Insulate Main St. from Wall St."

CNN Money reports this:

Democrats want the measure to include independent oversight, homeowner protections and limits on executive compensation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement early Sunday evening.

"We will not simply hand over a $700 billion blank check to Wall Street and hope for a better outcome," she said.

Pelosi said that Congress will take action on the bailout this week but will act "to insulate Main Street from Wall Street."

The current economic crisis, in pictures

Social Security: Trauner vs. Lummis

In an Associated Press article that appeared in the Casper Star-Tribune, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, the Billings Gazette and a host of others, Cynthia Lummis is quoted as saying she wants to extend the income tax to the poorest Americans and, if elected, will advocate the privatization of the Social Security System. Cheyenne's Lummis is the Republican candidate for Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat. To her credit, she seems to have done a good job as the Wyoming State Treasurer. She demonstrated her money management skills by increasing the state's investment portfolio. I always admire anyone who can increase any investment portfolio, as I'm so lousy at it.

But privatizing the national safety net for retirees? Puts her on the same page with George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and John McCain.

Lummis's Democratic opponent, businessman Gary Trauner, had this response in the AP story:

Gary Trauner, Lummis's Democratic proponent, criticized Lummis's proposal to extend income taxes to people who aren't currently paying them.

"One in every five kids in this country is born and raised in poverty," Trauner said. "A large number of those people are living below the poverty line, and she wants to raise taxes on the people who can least afford it in this country?"

Trauner also opposes privatizing Social Security. He pointed to the tumult on Wall Street over the past week as one reason why.

"I would just ask how all of our millions of Americans that look forward to having Social Security as a safety net would feel today if we had privatized Social Security, and they had been in the marketplace, investing in the market for the last 10 or 15 years," Trauner said.

"They would have lost billions and billions worth of money just in the last week alone."

"Im having a hard time keeping up...

Writer James Crumley dead at 68

Many of you already heard about the death of writer James Crumley in Missoula. He was the writer of great hard-boiled novels such as "The Mexican Tree Duck" and "The Last Good Kiss." Hard-boiled characters from a hard-boiled guy. Great books, though, with a hard shell surrounding the tough, age-old strugle between right and wrong. You couldn't always tell the good guys from the bad. But that's the heart of the matter, isn't it?

Here are the literary facts from Crumley's obit:

Crumley has published 11 novels, taught at universities across the country and worked in Hollywood for several years. Famous for his hard-boiled mysteries, his works include “One to Count Cadence,” (a novel about Vietnam) “The Last Good Kiss,” “The Wrong Case,” “The Mexican Tree Duck,” “Bordersnakes,” “The Final Country,” and most recently, “The Right Madness.”

Lummis would bankrupt Social Security

I've been reading lots of stories the past couple days about how the Social Security System would have gone into a nosedive if we had sided with George Bush in 2006 and decide to vote for John McCain and Cynthia Lummis in 2008. In the past week, you may have lost some (or a lot of) value in your investments, including your 401(K). And you want to trust these people to handle your retirement?

Here's an update from Bill Luckett at the Wyoming Democratic Party:

In April, Congressional candidate Cynthia Lummis said that on her first day in Congress, she would try to privatize Social Security. Lummis also said she would try to raise the age at which Wyoming’s seniors and people with disabilities are eligible for the guaranteed Social Security benefits on which they depend.

This week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost more than 800 points, or more than 7 percent of its value. Privatization replaces the guaranteed floor of economic security with the uncertainty of the stock market. Individuals are free, of course, to invest their personal savings in the stock market – but Social Security guarantees a floor beneath which their fortunes will not fall and in Wyoming, 84,022 count on their earned Social Security benefit every month.

Social Security privatization would cut guaranteed benefits for thousands of future retirees in Wyoming by thousands of dollars, according to a new report released in August by the research arm of the Campaign for America’s Future. The report shows that more than 18,000 older people living in Wyoming would have a greater risk of falling into poverty, each losing more than $130,000 over the course of their lifetimes, by the time a privatization plan is fully implemented.

In addition to the benefits that Social Security provides to Wyoming families, it also provides a stable level of individual income that fuels Wyoming’s economy. Thousands of businesses, and the state government, also depend on the Social Security guarantee. Fully $1 billion in individual income flows into Wyoming’s economy from Social Security each year – roughly $84 million every month.

Again today, Bill Luckett asked Cynthia Lummis a simple question: “Why do you support privatizing Social Security and raising the Social Security retirement age?”

Background:

Planet Jackson Hole: “If you could put one law into effect on your first day of office, with zero opposition, what would it be? Why?

Cynthia Lummis: “I would restrict domestic non-defense discretionary federal spending to inflation minus 1 percent, make the Bush tax cuts permanent, raise the age of social security eligibility for post-draft era Americans, stop raids on the social security trust fund, limit federal Medicaid dollars to current amounts plus 4 percent per year allowing states discretion in crafting their programs, and authorize voluntary personal social security accounts.”
[“In the Hot Seat,” Planet Jackson Hole, 4/09/08]

The U.N.'s loss is Wyoming's gain

Contrary to previous reports in various Wyoming media, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin won't visit the state next week. Instead, she'll attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York. No, she won't be speaking there. Instead, she'll be out on the streets with several American Jewish groups protesting a U.N. appearance by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Wonder if she'll be knocked to the ground by NYC cops and hauled off to jail as were the RNC protestors in St. Paul. Probably not.

A scheduled Republican fund-raiser in Jackson Hole will now feature Cindy McCain instead of Palin.

Maggie Scarlett, organizer for the fund-raiser, could hardly contain her excitement (CST quote): "Needless to say, we are disappointed Gov. Palin is not coming, in that she is indeed creating a lot of energy and excitement everywhere, not just in Wyoming. But to have the opportunity to have Cindy McCain come in is equally exciting to us."

Maybe Cindy will be wearing the same $300,000 outfit she wore at the RNC. Or some other $300,000 outfit.

The Repub fund-raiser will be held at Teton Pines, home to Dick Cheney and other nogoodniks. Cost of the breakfast fundraiser will be $250 and $1,000 to have a photo taken with Cindy McCain. For $2,500, participants can participate in a round-table discussion with Cindy McCain and former Wyoming U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson.

Only $2,500 for a roundtable discussion? How much is that per lie?

Wyoming's senators oppose passenger rail revival

Westerners talk with pride about how railroads built the West. But it never would have happened without U.S. Government subsidies and a sweetheart deal to the railroads. You know, capitalism -- or is that socialism?

Now Congress wants to restore passenger rail service to Rocky Mountain states. Fact is, it can't and won't happen without subsidies such as those enjoyed by passenger airline service in Wyoming. Maybe there are only so many subsidies to be had, what with capitalist giants on Wall Street begging for money lest they go the way of, say, passenger rail service in the West.

Yesterday's Casper Star-Tribune featured an article about Congress's attempt to restart rail service in the Big Square States. Note that Wyoming's two senators, Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, oppose it. Thanks to Laramie's Nancy Sindelar for e-mailing the tip, and providing a great anecdote to go with it: "I had to ride the dirty grey dog up from Denver on my way home from MNLPS/StP because the train no longer comes to Laramie." The dirty grey dog, in case you've never ridden it, is passenger bus service, namely Greyhound. Wonder if that gets a subsidy? Nancy also wondered if Enzi and Barrasso had voted for "The Bridge to Nowhere" for Alaska.

Here's segments of the CST story:

An Idaho senator says he is organizing a congressional delegation to push for the return of the Amtrak Pioneer passenger train to the western United States.

Republican Sen. Mike Crapo, along with Rep. Mike Simpson, support plans to bring Amtrak rail service back to Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

U.S. Sens. Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., say they're reluctant to support the proposal, however....

In comments to the Star-Tribune Monday, Enzi pointed out that Amtrak has failed in the past to earn enough revenue to cover its costs in the most populated areas of the country, a problem that he said will require the work of Congress to correct.

Enzi said he would be willing to fully consider the impact of passenger rail service on Wyoming if Amtrak "can present a financially viable plan for the Pioneer train in the state." But he sounded doubtful.

"While rail service is good in theory, the reality is that the cost is rarely offset without digging into taxpayers’ wallets to provide heavy government subsidies," Enzi added.

Barrasso’s spokesman, Greg Keeley, struck a similar tone when he said that passenger rail service in Wyoming, while appealing, even nostalgic, has historically bumped up against some "stark financial realities."

“For the past 30 years, Amtrak has not demonstrated any real ability to provide reliable and cost efficient service in Wyoming,” Barrasso said.

CANCELLED: Legislative Candidate Forum

Nancy Sindelar, veteran activist and activist veteran, keeps track of progressive news and events around the state. If you have news for Nancy's calendar, e-mail it to all.laramie-owner@lists.riseup.net.

Here's an event from the calendar:

On Thursday, September 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m., in Cheyenne, there's a Legislative Candidate Forum sponsored by Wyoming Conservation Voters and the Wyoming Wildlife Federation. It will feature Wyoming House and Senate candidates for contested races in Laramie County. It's at the Historic Plains Hotel, corner of Lincolnway & Central Ave.

Info: 307-335-8796; darci@wyovoters.org, wyovoters@wyovoters.org

Fund-raiser in Denver Sept. 29 for Trauner

Christopher Findlater, publisher of wyofile.com, sends this invite:

I would like invite you to join me to support Gary Trauner in his run for U.S. Congress for the great state of Wyoming!

Gary Trauner is a solid Progressive Democrat who came within a 1,000 votes of winning in 2006. It is an open seat this time and in this climate of change thousands of new voters registered in Wyoming for Obama’s primary.

Five of the hosts for this event have donated $1,000 each. So we encourage you donate what you can even if you are unable to attend and I would ask that you send this invite out to your email list. Please note this event as “8 Rivers” in the memo field of any checks. The donation for those people that do attend or wish to donate would be a “suggested” $200. Any amount helps the cause!

The fundraiser will be held at 8 Rivers Restaurant, 1550 Blake Street, 5-7 p.m., in Denver's LoDo neighborhood on Monday, Sept. 29.

This is our year for change including in Wyoming!

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Wyoming Democrats held a reception for Walter Mondale at 8 Rivers Restaurant during the recent Democratic National Convention. The Carribean-style cuisine was good, and the place has an expansive bar. If there's a Rockies game that night, and you're a glutton for punishment, you could attend the reception and then stroll own to the ball game.

UPDATE: Just checked the Rockies schedule. Their season is over on Sunday, Sept. 28. And I mean over. Meanwhile, Gary's just getting started.

McCain's lies: the gifts that keep on giving