Book festival arrives on heels of primaries

Although many Wyomingites are focusing on political issues this time of year, such as whether or not U.S. House candidate Mark Gordon is a "real Republican" (a question posed in Cynthia Lummis's TV ads), others are looking ahead to the second annual Equality State Book Festival Sept. 18-20 in Casper. Some of us are doing both at the same time! A group of very energetic planners in Casper brought Wyoming its first statewide book festival in October 2006.

This one is bigger and better than ever. featured writers include Alexandra Fuller, Jack Gantos, Laurie Kutchins, Gary Ferguson, C.J. Box, John Gierach, Laura Pritchett, and many more (35 in all).

Four, two-day writing workshops offering Casper College continuing education units will be offered Thursday and Friday, Sept. 18 and 19. They’ll be taught by faculty from the University of Wyoming’s Masters of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing: prizewinning poet H.L. Hix, fiction writer Alyson Hagy, nonfiction author Beth Loffreda, and Wyoming Poet Laureate, essayist, folklorist and accordion player David Romtvedt.

Anyone else with a book in print is welcome, too, to reserve a spot for a 15 minute reading and signing at the book fair on Saturday, Sept. 20. Works from anthologies will be accepted for readings as well. Contact kcoe@caspercollege.edu for information. These slots are limited, however, and will fill on a first-come, first-served basis. To register for the workshops, banquet and to reserve a table at the Fair on Saturday, click on the “register” tab on the bookfest web site.

Gary Trauner in Cheyenne for fundraiser

Please attend a reception benefiting Gary Trauner, Democratic candidate for Wyoming's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

At the home of Mike and Amy Bell, 727 Oak Valley Lane, Cheyenne, on Friday, August 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Contributions will be warmy accepted for Gary's run to put the state's House seat into Democratic Party hands for the first time in many moons (I'll look up the stats).

Please R.S.V.P. Grant Mitchell at (307) 413-8203 or grant@traunerforcongress.com

Paint it black at Sturgis 2008

Three pals and their skeletal friend out on the town in Sturgis

I dressed inappropriately for Sturgis.

I wore non-black, which definitely puts you in the minority among all comers, both men and women. Black leathers, black bandannas, black T-shirts, black motorcycles. Actually the motorcycles were much more colorful -- and more artful -- than their riders. Flashy colors and wild designs. The guy camped next to us in the Hog Heaven Campground traded in his Yamaha 650 (he brought a Yamaha to Sturgis?) for a Big Dog Mutt pro-street model. It was blazing orange with lots of polished aluminum (Big Dog's motto: "Only your jacket should be black"). Cost: $25,000. But it was a beauty. The real challenge came when he had to get the bike on his RV's rear-end bike mount built for a smaller Yamaha. The day before, he had taken his RV to a welder who had reinforced the carrier. Blake and Dan helped him and his diminutive wife roll the bike up the ramp and tie it down.

But back to the clothes. I wore my green Cheyenne Frontier Days Hawaiian shirt with palm trees interspersed with trucks and horse trailers (that's me at left above). It's an all-purpose shirt, one you can wear to luaus, rodeos and motorcycle rallies. One woman stopped and commented on the shirt, saying she had never seen anything quite like it. She wasn't wearing black but a white blouse and blue jeans. She and a friend from Rapid City were in town for a day of shopping and ogling.

The real problem with black is that it absorbs the blazing S.D. sun. The sun seemed hotter there than it does in Cheyenne, but maybe that was my imagination. Black doesn't make sense when you spend the day walking around downtown Sturgis staring at motorcycles and women wearing leather chaps over string bikinis. There was also one guy walking around in shorts and a bikini top with this written on his back: "I lost the bet." He was cooler than most of us.

Because black clothes absorb the sun and heat up your body, many bike week denizens slip into the many bars which line the streets. We had to do that several times in desperate acts of self-preservation. When it did rain later in the afternoon, I stood outside while people ran for shelter in the bars. As most Westerners know, these summer showers are quick and gusty and pack little rain. And, if you do get wet, the sun will reappear shortly to dry you out. I maybe got a dozen drops on me, just enough to lower the body heat a degree or two.

So I had no choice but to join the multitudes streaming into One-Eyed Jack's bar.

Sen. Obama believes in the arts

There is one major difference between the arts policies of Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain -- Obama has one, McCain does not.

This is not surprising. Sen. Obama talks about the importance of arts education during his major speeches. He even has an arts policy committee of people in the arts both well-known and obscure. They've been circulating a five-page plan on the subject.

Before I proceed, I do have to say that the arts is not solely the domain of Democratic Party candidates. Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi serves on the Senate Arts Caucus and has served on the board of arts organizations in Gillette, his hometown. He has worked on this issue with Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy, who had been out of the loop lately with his cancer treatments. If a CONSERVATIVE businessman from Wyoming coal country can work on arts legislation with a diehard LIBERAL city boy from Massachusetts, maybe there is some hope for Arizona Repub John McCain to get on the arts bandwagon.

You can read Obama's plan at http://www.artsactionfund.org/pdf/artsvote/ObamaStatement3b.pdf. It also features a letter from one of the members of the advisory committee, novelist Michael Chabon, author of the "Yiddish Policemen's Union," which I recently devoured.

Have no bike, but will travel (to Sturgis)

Blogger adrift in a sea of motorcycles

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is a big fat target for Liberals like me. Main reason? John McCain addressed the biking multitudes last week. He urged them to vote for him lest the Democrats get in and take away their motorcycles and guns, raise gas taxes, and make them all wear helmets, even when they're not riding.

McCain didn't say that. But you can be sure he inferred it.

But I steered clear of politics when I was in Sturgis, S.D., over the weekend. My brother Dan from Daytona and our mutual friend Blake were in town for the rally after spending two weeks exploring the Rocky Mountain West. They "trailered" their Harleys behind an RV, opening them up to criticism from the purists who ride their bikes from Daytona and Detroit and Seattle. I saw variations of this theme on a T-shirt: NICE TRAILER, PUSSY." But I saw a lot of RVs and a lot of trailers. One biker friend of mine from Florida sent his Harley out with friends and he flew to Rapid City. I didn't see any T-shirts that read NICE AIRPLANE, PUSSY."

Dan and Blake had parked the RV and ridden their bikes through Glacier National Park -- and other Montana scenery -- Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in Wyoming, the Big Horns and, finally, the Black Hills of South Dakota. For the Black Hills leg, they hooked up with a friend of a friend who lives in Custer and he became their guide for rides in the Hills. When driving a car in the Hills this time of year, you're outnumbered substantially by bikers. It's kind of like being a Democrat in Wyoming -- always outnumbered.

I had a fine time over the weekend. It was great to see Dan and Blake. My brother's less than two years younger. My mother used to joke that she didn't know Dan could speak until I shipped off to kindergarten. I was his mouthpiece in those early years. But he's spoken for himself since then. Now a retired air traffic controller, he has a business, Daytona Gear, selling leather tank bags to bikers. Kind of a natural fit for a biker from Daytona, considering there are now two big rallies there each year, one in February/March with the annual bikes races and the other called "Biketoberfest."

Dan knew Blake first, but we also became friends when I rented a house next to his in the little burg of Holly Hill north of Daytona. He runs a successful construction company and decided to take a few weeks off because business is not exactly booming in these harsh times.

What does a civilian like me do during Sturgis? The same things that bikers do. Wander the Sturgis streets, looking at all the fancy bikes. Shop, too, at one of the hundreds of stores and vendors. These are some serious shoppers, snatching up T-shirts, bandannas, helmets, and various bike accessories, such as kickstands in the shape of a skeletal arm flipping a bird. Skulls are a favorite design, as are skeletons, wolves, buffalo and eagles. As I looked around for souvenir T-shirts, I was disappointed to find that most of them were cheaply made overseas. The only "Made in the U.S.A." labels I found were on Harley T-shirts. Those weren't selling as fast as the "5 for $25" shirts out on the street. But I wondered how bikers, a subculture that prides itself in its blue-collar and military-veteran roots, could be happy with buying "Made in Vietnam" T-shirts. Also, these bikes aren't cheap. Why would you ride a $25,000 official Harley motorcycle (at least $10,000 more than any car I've bought) and not want to buy a $25 Harley U.S.A. T-shirt?

We all need a bargain, what with rising gas prices and inflation and unemployment and housing foreclosures. A lot of the jobs of working men and women have been shipped overseas by our corporate overlords. Many of those were union jobs at places that make motorcycles and cars and steel beams and beer and even T-shirts. Many of those jobs were shipped overseas by buddies of Bush and Cheney and McCain. Still, McCain has the effrontery to drop into Sturgis and tell the gathered bikers to be very very afraid of the Democrats (especially the "swarthy elitist" Sen. Obama) because they will refuse to extend tax cuts for the fat cats who moved your jobs to our stalwart ally Pakistan which shelters the Muslim extremists who have killed and maimed your sons and daughters serving in Afghanistan.

(More about my weekend in Sturgis in upcoming posts)

Who's got the tickets for Obama's big bash?

The Wyoming Democratic Party was overlooked when it came to tickets for Sen. Obama's big speech at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium Aug. 28. And why is that? Is it due to the two-to-one Republican registration in the state? Our measly three electoral votes? Our meager population? Did the DNC lose its map of the Rocky Mountain region? We are adjacent to Colorado, the convention state. In fact, many people consider Denver a suburb of Cheyenne. Coloradans got tons of tickets, but not us.

So, Wyomingites are going to have to work for them. Tickets (a.k.a. "community credentials") are available by calling the Denver Convention Wyoming Contact Number. According to the WyoDems web site, "that is the only way to be considered for tickets. Spread the Word!"

O.K., I'm spreading the word.

You need to e-mail commcredentials@demconvention.com or call (720) 362-2500 and leave the following information:
· Name
· Telephone number (including area code)
· E-mail address
· State where you reside

More info at http://www.demconvention.com/invesco/

Who's the next Dick-Cheney-in-waiting?

Word comes this morning that Dick Cheney, Wyoming's not-so-favorite son, may skip the Republican National Convention Sept. 1-4 in St. Paul, Minn. Perhaps he'll be hiding out in his Jackson redoubt.

But there is a new Dick Cheney lurking amongst us. John McCain (McBush) will require his own Dick Cheney. What will he be like? Will he have a forked tongue and long tail? And how will he attempt to subvert the Constitution and destroy the world?

Keep track of all the shenanigans at thenextcheney.com.

Dem delegate profile: Sara the breadmaker

As she is every Tuesday afternoon in Cheyenne, Sara Burlingame-Thomas was at her very busy vendor's stall at the farmer's market.

She makes her own bread every day, using natural ingredients -- 100-percent whole wheat flour, local organic honey -- even on her 33rd birthday, which was today.

Sara is one of Wyoming's 18 Democratic delegates to the national convention Aug. 25-28 in Denver. This is her first trip to a national political convention and she's charged up -- and still raising money for the trip. On Saturday, Aug. 9, 5-7:30 p.m., Sara is holding a "Help Send Sara to the National Convention" party at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Cheyenne.

She's be selling her family's trademark grilled cheese sandwiches and her own carrot cake. She's enlisted her husband and high-school-aged son as volunteers, as well as a gaggle of friends. There will also be a raffle -- and plenty of Obama signs and buttons. Wyoming First Lady Nancy Freudenthal will be dropping by. Nancy isn't a delegate -- but her husband the Gov is.

It's tough to be objective about Sara, so I won't be. We've taught writing workshops to the kids at Attention Homes, which is the alternative to the local alternative school. We've judged poetry slams together, even competed in slams against one another. I helped her get a literary magazine off the ground. And I've eaten lots and lots of her breads, baguettes, and rolls. I am carbed up for the rigors of the convention.

Sara campaigned hard for a delegate slot. She was not above using her nine-month-old, Atticus, as a prop to help her get delegate votes at the state convention in May. She also made huge buttons featuring her and Atticus that she handed out with a vigor usually reserved for bread and poetry. Sara's favorite photo shows a younger, bald-headed Atticus in the arms of Sen. Barack Obama at a speech last March in Laramie. Sara knocked on hundreds of doors for Obama prior to the Wyoming caucuses in march. Her house was also the staging ground for lots of pre-caucus (or pre-primary) Obama calls to other states.

While she's lived in Cheyenne for 10 years, she was born in rural California and and also lived in Idaho and Nevada. She spent some of her childhood in Gillette, Wyoming's coal-mining mecca.

What does she want out of the convention? "I want to get all fired up," she says, "so we can come back from Denver and get the community fired up to elect Obama."

You'll see and hear more from Sara at the convention through the magic of live blogging on hummingbirdminds. Tune in here beginning Aug. 25. In the meantime, I'll be profiling as many of the other delegates as I can round up.

Democrats gather for picnic in the park

Attended yesterday's picnic hosted by the Laramie County Democratic Grassroots Coalition. I was a bit late, two hours to be exact, as I had another event in Fort Collins earlier in the afternoon. My contribution to the dessert table was watermelon, all cut up in a big red bowl (symbolic in a red state?). As I arrived, Dem State Chairman John Millin was leaving, as was Mike Bell, head honcho of the LarCoDems. I missed some of the candidates and a lot of the food, but stayed to eat cake and chat with some of the Democratic candidates from around the county.

All four Dems running for the House District 44 seat vacated by Floyd Esquibel were there. I talked to Jim Byrd and his family, including his mother Liz Byrd, a lifelong Democratic activist in the county and former state legislator. The other three Democrats in the H.D. 44 race are Nate Breen, Richard Leslie, and Tammy Rasnake, better known as "Tammy R." on her campaign signs.

Floyd Esquibel was there, too. He's running unopposed in the primary and general election for Senate District 8. While you see a number of unopposed Republicans on the Wyoming sample ballot, you see very few unopposed Dems (Mary Hales from Casper joins Floyd in this category). Floyd's brother Ken was on hand. He's running for re-election in H.D. 41 and is unopposed in the primary.

I had a chance to chat with Tony Reyes of H.D. 9 about various zoning ordinances and redevelopment plans. Zoning is one of my favorite new concerns, as it will have a huge impact on how the city develops (and doesn't). It also could be a big help in forming livable communities, places where you can walk to the store instead of driving. This is the "new urbanist" concept you hear so much about. The odd thing is, all the things we've heard about zoning may be outdated. Energy shortages and global warming are causing us to rethink the residential zoning practices that created suburban sprawl. And yes, we have that in WYO.

Tony is unopposed in the Dem primary, but he will have an interesting Republican opponent in the general election. My work colleague Marirose Morris and incumbent Dave Zwonitzer are battling it out in the Repub primary. I keep teasing Marirose that she sounds more like a D than an R. I would love to see her beat Zwonitzer who has a reputation of not being accessible to his constituency, which included both Dems and Repubs. Marirose sits on the civil rights commission and is an expert on community outreach and accessibility issues. Doesn't she sound like a great legislator? Dems in H.D. 9 might consider switching their party affiliation on primary day to vote for Marirose. We can do that in Wyoming. Don't forget to switch back for the general.

Katherine Van Dell was one of the organizers of the picnic. She recently stepped down as head of the Grassroots Coalition so she could run in H.D. 12. She had a lot of supporters at the picnic, judging by the Van Dell T-shirts in the crowd. She's unopposed in the primary, and then goes up against right-winger Amy Edmonds. We are throwing all of our support behind Katherine.

Phyllis Sherard also had a gaggle of beshirted supporters, some of whom looked like family. She's running in S.D. 6.

I helped with the clean-up and then headed home. By the way, most of the watermelon was eaten. It was the only fruit item on the dessert table. You'd think that Democrats would be more interested in fruit and nuts and veggies. Maybe not in Wyoming...

A Monday afterthought: Didn't see any of the mayoral candidates at the picnic. Only a few of the six are Democrats, but hey -- I brought the watermelon!

"Manifest Hope" through your creativity

Creating a work of art is an act of hope. The artist has something to say, maybe has a vision for the future or is recalling a past event. He/she may be painting the view from the kitchen window.

Sen. Barack Obama's candidacy is also an act of hope. That's where MoveOn got the idea for the "Manifest Hope" art contest. Anyone can enter -- but the deadline's Aug. 18, so you have to get cracking.

Here are the details:

Barack Obama's historic candidacy has sparked an unprecedented artistic outpouring. Now, in partnership with Shepard Fairey and his Obey Giant collective, we're offering a new way for artists—anyone with a pen and paper qualifies—to share their talents and help elect Barack Obama at the same time.

It's called "Manifest Hope," and it's a new Obama art contest for 2D and 3D art, from painting to photography to sculpture. The winners will be shown at the Manifest Hope Gallery online and in Denver during the Democratic convention alongside works from dozens of established and influential artists.

Anyone can enter. You don't have to be Picasso, you just need to be inspired by Barack Obama and willing to donate your creativity and time to the cause.

But you need to get started soon. The final submissions deadline is August 18 at 11:59 a.m. ET. That's not much time to conceive and create a piece of art, so get started today.

All submissions will be judged by a distinguished panel of judges—artists from Obey Giant, contemporary art curators, and multi-talented musicians. Finalists will be asked to auction off their pieces, and donate the proceeds to progressive organizations.

Denver will be buzzing during the convention, but this gallery is going to be one of the coolest places to visit there. Plus, the gallery's going to have an amazing party with live performances by Death Cab For Cutie, Moby, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

Submit your artwork at http://pol.moveon.org/mh/enter/index.html

Dear Son: Enjoy Wyoming's wind energy

Dear Beloved College Son in Tucson, Ariz.:

I am sending you 2,000 megawatts of wind-generated electricity to power your air conditioner, PC and X-box. You can thank me later, around 2014, to be exact. That's when the huge wind farm in Carbon County will be ready. This is also the target date to build a $3 billion 3,000- megawatt high-voltage transmission line. This line, according to an article in this morning's paper, will be 900 miles long and link up with sites in Arizona, Nevada, and California. Once again, Wyoming will be the energy exporter and the growing cities of the Southwest will be the beneficiaries of our largess, not to mention we get to look at the thousands of scenic wind generators atop our mountains and transmission towers marching across our prairies.

Currently, we burn coal in power plants and send the electricity to you to keep the lights burning in Scottsdale and Lake Havasu City. We dig the coal out of the Wyoming soil so it's only natural that we pollute our air to send you power. We also send you natural gas, although we need pipelines for that, lots of pipelines. We're pumping the gas out of the ground like there's no tomorrow -- or like there are changes a-brewing in Washington, D.C. Dick Cheney's been kind enough to open up all of our public lands to energy exploration. Can't wait to thank him when he moves back to Wyoming in January.

We send you water, too, I can't forget that. Our Wyoming and Colorado mountains reach to the sky to gather the winters snows so that the golf courses of Tucson and Phoenix can remain green year-round. We don't mind sending you the waters of the Green and the Yampa and the Colorado when we have it. Lots of water this year due to terrific winter storms. As you know, we've been struggling with a drought for the previous decade or so. If the snows keep up, your city fathers might want to invest in a few dozen additional golf courses. There will be so much water that you can take a shower twice a week! Imagine that. Your girlfriend will appreciate this.

Now, this is the United States of America. We help each other out in lots of ways. So what if Wyoming is the energy exporter of the West and the rapidly growing cities of the Southwest are the importers? Not every state is lucky enough to be located atop millions of tons of low-sulphur coal and directly in the path of the westerlies. But I do wonder what Arizona will send us in return. John McCain is not enough! Besides, we won't be hearing much from him after Nov. 4. We have appreciated the books of your fine writers, such as Barbara Kingsolver (loved "High Tide in Tucson") and poet Alberto Rios. I gladly will trade Arizona a few megawatts of wind energy for a good book.

Arizona has provided refuge for thousands of Wyoming retirees. We're grateful. My former Cheyenne neighborhood emptied out each November as the snowbirds headed south. Once all those huge RVs hit the road, we could once again see the night sky. So many stars!

Yes, you gave us Arizona Iced Tea and the Arizona Diamondbacks, which have become a nuisance to us Colorado Rockies fans. I like cactus, but there's just so many cacti we can put in our window garden.

Somehow, I think you get the better end of this deal. But, we'll keep doing our job up here in Wyoming as long as you keep studying. I know you like Tucson, but we would love to have you complete your education and return to Wyoming to teach. Let Arizona be the exporter this one time.

Have a great school year.

Love, Dad

WyoDems blog again!

Bill Luckett has resumed posting on the Wyoming Democratic Party blog at http://www.wyomingdemocrats.com/ht/d/Blogger/pid/273375. We missed you, Bill! He's been doing other things since March, such as running the state party, traveling Wyoming's vast distances, hiring people, etc. The blog also has a feed from Wyoming newspapers, Wyoming Public Radio and news-oriented web sites such as wyofile.

In other news, the WyoDems have hired a communications director. Her name is Lauri Elbing and she just moved to the state from Michigan. To begin communicating, e-mail her at lauri at wyomingdemocrats.com.

Post a haiku for the next president

Ruby's Crush on Obama blog has challenged prog-bloggers to write ten positive posts on Barack Obama in the next ten weeks. I've already posted a good number of pro-Obama essays, especially during the Wyoming winter caucuses. I've also taken a few jabs at McCain, which he deserved.

But Aug. 1 begins a new month, a new attitude and a new concept -- Obama haiku:

Barack Obama
wise face on new dollar bills
looks presidential

Obviously a reference to Sen. Obama's comments about those faces on dollar bills not looking like him. A comment that drove McCain crazy.

O.K., here's another:

The rough road of hope
cuts through the Wyoming wilds;
purple becomes us

Hey, Wyoming is solidly red, but tending toward purple. McCain has a 13-point lead over Obama, which is not so much.

One more time:

Boomers blast Barack
"no experience" they say
and half McCain's age

Haiku of hope.

Write one and send it in.

Dem bloggers in Rocky Mtn. News story

Great piece yesterday in Denver's Rocky Mountain News about us bloggers going to the Democratic National Convention Aug. 25-28. The piece focuses on SquareState.com out of Denver.

Aaron Silverstein and John Erhardt entered the blogosphere a few years ago, eager to have their voices heard and to motivate fellow Democrats as President Bush settled into a second term. Their liberal blog, SquareState.net, was one of 55 given credentials to sit with delegations from their state for a front-row seat to what is being billed as a historic convention. SquareState is hardly overwhelmed with traffic, with about 17,000 unique visitors in June. But that's about to change.

"We want to be both a gateway into the convention for our readers as well as eyes inside to bring stories out," said Silverstein, 41, who left a job at the Denver coffee shop Scooter Joe's and is now a staffer at Democrats Work, an organization that promotes community service.

I read SquareState occasionally, and it's amazingly rich and complex. It has a number of correspondents, one of them an Iraq War veteran Rafael Noboa. There's a lot to cover in Colorado, and these bloggers do it with a fine Liberal bent.


As one of those 55 convention bloggers, I'm a bit concerned about my traffic count. The Rocky says that SquareState "is hardly overwhelmed with traffic" with its mere 17,000 visitors in June. Gulp. Hummingbirdminds had quite a bit less that 17,000 visitors in June, even if I count my Uncle Bill the Republican and old college chums. I am a lone wolf (dangerous in Wyoming -- I could get shot) in this field, so it takes some time and effort to cover all the news that I see fit to print. But maybe that's the way a prog-blog in Wyoming should be. I do have to point out that I too joined the world of blogs in 2005 after Bush was elected for the second time. Although I jumped right into blogging against the Iraq War, it took me a little longer to broaden my horizons. I now regularly pick on Wyoming's own Dr. Evil, Dick Cheney.

In the article, I do like what Democracy for New Mexico blogger Barbara Wold says about newspapers. She said that "she relies on the 'mainstream' media," which we bloggers in the know refer to (usually disdainfully) as MSM.

"How could we function without them?" Wold asked. "Personally, I'm sorry to see newspapers struggling. That's our material."

The New Mexico blog, which has raised around $5,000 for Democrats in the past couple of years, is not afraid to blast Democrats and has not been pressured by party officials, Wold said.

As a former print newspaper reporter, I too rely on many online newspapers for my material, usually as a jumping-off point for my Liberal nattering. I read the online version of the Casper Star-Tribune -- a great web site, by the way. I read the print version of the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, hoping to find some good stuff to launch my morning blog. Its web site is lousy. There's the usual scan of the top-notch New York Times web site and a perusal of the Billings Gazette in Montana, which covers Wyoming. This takes time, of course, and sometimes makes me late for work.

I also have to say that I haven't been pressured by party officials. This isn't the Pravda of the Soviet era, although I sometimes get a bit of a samizdat rush. I've been active with the Laramie County Democrats since, as a newbie, I walked into the 2004 county convention and was immediately made a delegate to the state convention because the Dems were short of warm bodies. I've served as secretary to the party, and also attended many boring meetings in the past four years. But "boring" is a word best left to teens. There's a lot of grunt work to be done before you can attain glory as a blogger at the Democratic National Convention.

Read the full text of the RMN article at http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jul/30/bloggers-gaining-more-acceptance-dnc/

Laramie County needs election judges

Here's a follow-up on the July 27 post about the need for election workers all over the U.S.


Laramie County desperately needs election judges. There will be training next week for the rapidly approaching Aug. 19 primary and for the Nov. 4 general election. Judges get paid, so it's worth your while to take a day off from work to perform this act of engaged citizenry. You will learn a lot too.

To sign up, go to http://www.laramiecountyclerk.com/index.asp

Wyo. Republicans puzzled by bad economy

Can four supposedly serious candidates for Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat gather to talk about the nation’s economic troubles and not once mention the Iraq War?

They can if they’re Republicans. Monday’s Casper Star-Tribune featured a long story about the Republican candidates’ forum Sunday in Cheyenne.

See if you can find any mention of the billions and billions and billions of dollars we have sunk into Iraq in the past five years. We’re in trouble because we’re wasting our treasure on Iraq. Iraq, Iraq, Iraq. Don’t these dinosaurs know this?

Here’s an excerpt from the story:

The Republican candidates for Wyoming's lone U.S. House have vastly different views on how to solve the nation's economic troubles -- and who is to blame for the slowdown.

"We didn't stick with sound business practices, and all of a sudden it all came tumbling down around our ears," said candidate Bill Winney, who blames the mortgage meltdown and higher fuel prices for much of the economic trouble.

Former state Treasurer Cynthia Lummis said out-of-control spending, the mortgage crisis, national debt and the balance of trade all played a role in the downturn. But the biggest factor, she said, was the decision long ago to purchase the nation's fuel abroad, while foregoing opportunities to develop natural resources at home.

See any mention of the Iraq quagmire yet? And who has been in charge of the U.S. Government the past eight years, a time when our only energy policy was "buy more oil?"

Keep reading....

Mark Gordon, a rancher and businessman from Buffalo, said the economic exuberance of the last decade pushed the nation off course economically.

He said the question now is whether taxpayers should be required to "backstop" the poor judgment of some consumers and lenders. He said they should not.

Michael Holland, a physician from Green River, said the root of today's economic challenges can be pinned on bad lending and investment practices, which he said are largely controlled by a group of private bankers who have their own interests in mind.Congress is also to blame for delegating the power to regulate money to groups like the Federal Reserve. The nation needs to return to fundamentals of good finance, Holland said, and Congress needs to take back the power to regulate the financial system. The Fed should be eliminated, he said.

"It's time to chase the money changers out of the temple," Holland said.

Mr. Holland, maybe it’s time to chase the war profiteers out of the temple. Start with Dick Cheney and his Halliburton pals. Maybe then we can bring some stability to our economy.

Democrats are having a picnic Aug. 2 -- and you're invited

You're invited to a "Meet the Candidates Picnic" on Saturday, Aug. 2, 3:30-7 p.m. at the shelter by the Municipal Pool in Lions Park in Cheyenne. Sponsor is the Laramie County Democratic Grassroots Coalition. Members (you know who you are) are asked to bring a salad, side dish or dessert. The LCDGC asks each person attending the picnic for a $10 donation to go into the Dem campaign war chest as we draw near to the Aug. 19 primary election and (less than 100 days from now) the general election. Candidates for city, county and legislative offices will be on hand to answer your questions.

FMI: 307-635-3464.

Carter's ads hit the tube (and YouTube)

Nick Carter has a series of campaign ads running on TV. But you don't have to wait for those annoying breaks during your favorite show to watch them. Due to the miracle of the Internets, you can plug in at http://nickforsenate.com/index.php?page=videos&vid=18.

Carter is challenging Republican Sen. John Barrasso on a number of issues. In the ad I saw this morning, the subject of "pork" came up in relation to Barrasso's support of the latest farm bill. The bill passed, but is considered a failure because it didn't address subsidies to corporate farmers. So the ad juxtaposes the head of Barrasso with that of a pig -- or porker, if you prefer.

One man's pork-barrel spending is another man's necessity. But the Republican-controlled House and Senate from 2000-2006 were very piggish indeed, at least when it came to shoveling taxpayer funds to defense contractors, oil and gas companies, and the very rich (through tax cuts). I look forward to Carter's ads on those subjects.

Uncle Sam wants you -- at the polls

The Associated Press reports that the Federal Election Assistance Commission wants to recruit "2 million poll workers for the November election to help handle what could be a record turnout for the presidential election."

"We have seen historically high voter turnout during the primaries and continued high registration rates this year," Rosemary Rodriguez, chairman of the Election Assistance Commission, said Thursday.

"Election officials throughout the nation anticipate high voter turnout to continue in the general election," said Rodriguez, Denver's former clerk.

"Preparation for high turnout includes extra ballots and voting machines, but most important, we must have as many poll workers, including bilingual poll workers, as possible to prevent long lines."

To volunteer as poll workers of election judges at a Wyoming precinct, contact your county clerk. The Laramie County Clerk is Debbye Lathrop and you can get more info at http://www.laramiecountyclerk.com/index.asp. I've been a poll worker and an election judge. I was paid for my judging capabilities, and even paid for the training session that preceded the 2006 primaries and general election. This is a great way to understand the election system in all its glory and inglory.


I especially encourage young people to volunteer as poll workers, as we could use a little lowering of the average age. Right now, I'd say that it hovers somewhere around 70, with me being on the lower end of the scale and almost everyone else on the higher end.


Who wants to be around a lot of old people, you might say. Well, we can impart some hard-earned wisdom. Also, the snacks at the precinct on election day are beyond the usual doughnuts and rotgut coffee you might expect. I hate to be sexist, but many of the women volunteers actually bake coffee cakes and strudels and lunchtime casseroles (it's a long day at the polls). So, there are some benefits....


As Democrats, we need to be at the polls to make sure that all election proceedings are conducted legally. We've all heard about the voter suppression tactics practiced by Republicans. Don't let them get away with it!

Meanwhile, over at the Pepsi Center...

The Democratic National Convention Committee announced this today:

Marking one month until the start of the 2008 Democratic National Convention, members of the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian tribes of Colorado performed a Native American blessing today outside the Pepsi Center, where Democrats will gavel open the Party's Convention on August 25th in Denver.

"Colorado has a rich Native American heritage, and the Democratic National Convention is an opportunity to showcase that heritage for all the world to see," said Colorado Lieutenant Governor Barbara O'Brien. "Both the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian tribes can trace ancestral roots in this region that long pre-date Colorado's statehood. Native Americans have deep roots in the culture of this state --in its past, present and future."

Today's blessing ceremony included the burning of sage, chants, songs and prayers. A feather was used to "smudge" the smoke around the place of blessing. Native American leaders prayed both for delegates and for citizens across the country whose lives will be impacted by work accomplished during the Convention.

"With all that goes into planning a Convention, there is tremendous value in spiritual grounding in the home stretch. Our Native American brothers and sisters have a deep understanding of spirituality and its place in our lives," said DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry. "The rich Native American traditions of the West are an important part of our country's history and will be an important part of this historic Convention -- set to open right here in just one month's time."

"As a Native American and an active Democrat, I see two important facets of my life coming together," said Frank LaMere, Chair of the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) Native American Caucus. "In one month, there will be talk of Democrats, Republicans, politics and polls. However, I offer that the Creator cares most about heart, commitment, and those who will give voice and care for the people, and who will change things in our country."

During the upcoming Convention, the Democratic Party's Native American caucus will meet on Monday, August 25 and Wednesday, August 27 at the Colorado Convention Center.