Tea Party Slim (a.k.a. Snow Bird Slim) returns from Arizona early for Wyoming Republican caucuses

Face it, Tea Party Slim has the best of both worlds. He spends his winters in Arizona and summers in Wyoming.

"I should call you Snow Bird Slim," I said. Slim drove his massive RV back into town last Sunday. He parked the RV in his driveway and he and his wife Nancy were unloading their luggage. His wife looked askance at me; she did not like Slim consorting with Liberals.

"You're just jealous of us retirees," Slim said to me. "Foot loose and fancy free."

"You're early," I said. "Usually you're not back until April."

Slim hefted a suitcase in each hand. "Caucuses," he said.

"Caucuses?"

"The Republican caucuses. The party is holding them early this year. We wanted to be back to cast our votes."

Slim and I have been neighbors for years. He's hardcore conservative. I'm reliably liberal. We'd never been shy about sharing our views. Our exchanges have sharpened over the two years since the Tea Party emerged from the primordial slime. He'd been gone since Halloween. I missed the big lug.

"Who are you voting for?" I asked.

He glowered. "None of your business."

"C'mon, Slim. I'll tell you who I'm voting for on the Dem side."

"No choice," he said. "You're stuck with Obama."

"Our caucuses will be boring. Not like last time. They were held this time four years ago. We had to rent the Civic Center to hold the crowds."

Slim harrumphed. "Every lily-livered, weak-kneed liberal within 50 miles crawled out from beneath their rocks for that one."

I was a bit nonplussed by Slim's words. "They arrived in droves, Slim. A few did have weak knees, but not sure about their livers."

Slim disappeared inside with his suitcases. When he reappeared, he carried two beers. "Thirsty work," he said. He handed me a beer. It was a sunny pre-spring day in Cheyenne. We drank in silence, at least for a few minutes.

"Rick Santorum has been stepping in it," I said.

"What do you mean?

"You know, all of his crazy talk about denying birth control to women."

"Churches shouldn't have to pay for birth control."

"It's not about religion," I said. "It's about health care."

"It's about religious taxpayers being asked to pay for birth control for sex-crazed feminists."

I almost choked on my suds. "Too much Rush Limbaugh, Slim."

"Rush is right," he said. "He told that college girl where to get off."

"If I'm not mistaken, both of your daughters are college graduates."

"What's that have to do with anything?"

"How would you like it if Rush called one of them a slut and a prostitute?"

"Neither of them would have testified before Congress about birth control. They're good girls. Religious."

"It's a fact that 98 percent of Catholics practice some form of birth control."

"We're not Catholics."

"Most people practice some sort of birth control. They deserve to have insurance to cover the costs."

"Fooey," he said. "I don't want to pay for a liberal feminist's birth control."

"Most people pay for their own birth control," I said. "Don't they deserve to have a choice in the free-market of health care coverage? Don't you Republicans believe in free markets? Don't you rail against Obamacare because it's that darn federal gubment interfering in our personal lives?"

Slim sipped his beer. "On Tuesday, I'm voting for Rick Santorum."

"I thought so," I said. "Next month, I'm voting for President Obama."

"I thought so," summarized Slim.

Sh'Bang featured tonight at "Fridays in the Hynds" in downtown Cheyenne

The “Fridays in the Hynds” concert series continues tonight with music by Sh’Bang. This public event features local/regional musicians performing in an open house setting with a social atmosphere in downtown Cheyenne's Hynds Building. The initial series runs for five consecutive Fridays in March 2012, 5:30-8:30 p.m. 

Four years after: In the afterglow of the 2008 Wyoming caucuses, all things seemed possible

On this day four years ago, I mused about the possibilities that presented themselves to Wyoming Democrats. We were all aglow following record turnouts at county caucuses. None of us expected the eventual presidential candidate to win Wyoming, but we were hopeful that Jackson’s Gary Trauner could clinch the state’s lone U.S. House seat. He had come within 1,000 votes of unseating wildly unpopular Republican Barbara Cubin in 2006. As it turned out, John McCain enjoyed his second-largest vote margin in Wyoming, coming in right behind Oklahoma and just ahead of Idaho and Utah. Trauner was trounced by newcomer Cynthia Lummis, who continues to be a party-line Republican. 

On March 9, 2008, we were slightly optimistic that red Wyoming would morph into a shade of purple.

The message is clear. It takes a well-organized and well-funded campaign to win an election. Democrats in Wyoming have been down so long it looks like up to us. Many had just given up. It took a lot of effort to get them out of their lethargy – but they did come out. Almost 8,700 votes were cast statewide. In the 2004 county conventions, less that 700 votes were cast. The 2008 numbers are 12 times those of 2004. Some of those reflect people who switched parties, a Republican or Independent registering as a Dem and who will probably switch back before November. But most of those voters were either new registrants or newly-motivated Dems or people so fed up with the Republican Party that they switched and won’t go back. I know several of those in Cheyenne.

Read the rest of my March 9, 2008, post at http://hummingbirdminds.blogspot.com/2008/03/dems-been-down-so-long-it-looks-like-up.html

Four years after: Dems emerge from hiding for historic 2008 caucus in Cheyenne

Big crowd of Laramie County Democrats cheer their faves during the 2008 caucus in Cheyenne.

Four years ago today, lines were around the block at the Cheyenne Civic Center for the 2008 Democratic Party caucuses in Laramie County. There were Dems in line I've never seen, and I thought I'd seen them all. The party had to rent the concert hall to accommodate caucus-goers who, four years earlier, had plenty of elbow room in the drafty basement of the American Legion hall.

Even a Denver-based Fox News reporter and cameraman were there to record the event for the nation. When their presence was announced, a chorus of boos rang out in the hall.

Those were the days, my friends.

Read my posts from that day here and here.

"Ghosts of the Atlas" screens March 10 at (where else?) the Historic Atlas Theatre

Is the Atlas Theatre haunted?

Four years after: Barack Obama's 2008 Laramie rally was one for the record books

From my blog post four years ago tonight:

Some 10,000 people packed into the Arena-Auditorium tonight at the University of Wyoming in Laramie to greet Sen. Barack Obama. The crowd was jazzed to be at what might be the largest political rally ever held in the state. College and high school students were huddled near the stage. Their elders were huddled in their fold-out seats, most recently used by Pokes' b-ball fans.

To read the entire post, go to http://hummingbirdminds.blogspot.com/2008/03/barack-obama-stages-huge-laramie-rally.html

Music on the wintry streets of Cheyenne

Homemade music video by hometown musician Reboot the Robot. Filmed in downtown Cheyenne. The city never looked so big-city gritty (and cold). Hummingbirdminds likes the song. Good job, R the R!

Take part March 11 in the filming of a Democratic Party music video

This announcement comes from Wendy Soto of the Democratic Grassroots Coalition:

Be A Part of A Professionally Produced Music Video

Enthusiastic Audience Needed for an adaptation of WOODY GUTHRIE’S “UNION MAID”

To Celebrate Our Great Democratic Party

Arrive at 2 p.m. for Refreshments & Instruction

Filming Begins at 3 p.m.

Sunday March 11

Atlas Theatre

211 W. 16th St.

Downtown Cheyenne

Four years after: Wyoming Democrats get cranked up for candidate rallies and a statewide caucus

Return with us to those halcyon days of yore (March 2008) as Wyoming Democrats prepare for their largest-ever caucuses on March 8.

On this day four years ago, I wrote about the upcoming Wyoming appearances of Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Former President Bill Clinton held a rally for his wife Hillary on March 6 in Riverton that was attended by an SRO crowd of 2,000. Big crowds were expected for a March 7 Clinton rally in Cheyenne and a March 7 rally by Barack Obama in Laramie.

My wife Chris attended the Cheyenne event and I joined thousands of my closest friends at a packed UW Arena-Auditorium Friday evening in Laramie.

Read more at http://hummingbirdminds.blogspot.com/2008/03/stand-for-change-in-laramie-friday.html

No drug tests for Wyoming welfare recipients or for legislators

The Wyoming Senate, showing more sense and sensitivity that the Wyoming House, defeated a bill yesterday that would have mandated drug tests for some welfare recipients.

The vote was 17-13. Democrats led the charge to defeat this so-called "punish the poor" bill (so-called my me) and were joined by moderate Republicans. All the votes in support of the bill were cast by Tea Party Republicans.

Sen. Kit Jennings (Tea Party-Casper), co-sponsor of the bill, supported the House-originated bill and the Senate's amended version, which stipulated random drug tests for adults instead of drug tests for all welfare recipients. In the Casper Star-Tribune, he said that 

it would have provided an answer to the many constituents he hears from who ask why they have to get drug-tested for their jobs but welfare recipients get a pass.

No word from Jennings about why it's a good idea for state government to get into the drug-testing biz.

But Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, said the bill would do more harm than good. He said the most likely result is that a small number of people would choose not to apply for the benefits because of the testing. 

“This is a program that is designed to help children,” he said. “The outcome of this randomized experiment is going to be that 1 or 2 percent won’t show up and their kids will probably go hungry.” 

Sen. John Hastert, D-Green River, said there were constitutional problems with the bill since the state has no probable cause or reasonable suspicion that the people it is testing are drug users. 

“By singling out this specific program, there is a sense of discrimination,” he said. “Why not drug test other forms of public assistance that we have? Like should we require drug testing for any type of subsidy?”

As the bill was debated in the House, Rep. Jim Byrd (D-Cheyenne) tried to attach an amendment mandating drug tests for legislators. It failed, but it was one heck of a good idea.

Next year, when ultra-conservatives bring up other punish the poor bills, it should be mandated that legislators also comply with drug tests. There must be some mood-altering substance responsible for the addled behavior of Tea Party Republicans.

Read more at http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2012/03/06/news/01top_03-06-12.txt

Four years after: Word comes about Barack Obama speeches in Casper and Laramie

2008 button for Barack Obama's visit to Laramie

On this day in Wyoming four years ago...

Barack Obama's campaign announced that he would speak in Casper and Laramie on Friday, March 7. The basketball arena was reserved for the Friday evening speech at UW in Laramie. It ended up being a good choice -- the place was SRO that Friday. Read more at http://hummingbirdminds.blogspot.com/2012/03/jim-coppoc-leads-poetry-workshop-at.html

Meanwhile, Democratic Party leaders were grousing about the continuing battles in the primaries and caucuses. I warned them to back off and let the process play out in those areas of the country (Wyoming, for instance) that the DNC doesn't seem to care about. Read it at http://hummingbirdminds.blogspot.com/2008/03/back-off-man-im-political-scientist.html

On-again, off-again funding for UW performing arts building now off-again

The Wyoming Legislature is changing its mind about taking $30 million in temporary funding from one-time highway funds. On Tuesday, the money came out of the highway funding bill. Said Senate President Phil Nicholas:

"All we're doing is Band-Aiding [highways] for two years, and then we're losing some enormously important opportunities.

These opportunities included funding a new engineering building and the extensive renovation of thew performing arts building.

On Thursday, the Senate took back the money.

It's getting tough to keep up. Try to keep track at http://legisweb.state.wy.us

Four years after: WY finds out that former President Bill Clinton will stump for Hillary in Wyoming

Wyoming was all atwitter four years ago this week when news came via MSNBC that former President Bill Clinton was coming to Wyoming to stump for Hillary Clinton in Riverton, Rock Springs and Laramie. Read all about it at http://hummingbirdminds.blogspot.com/2008/03/bill-clinton-coming-to-wyoming.html

LCCC chorus brings to life the music of South Africa and African-American spirituals

My daughter Annie sings in the LCCC Collegiate Chorus. This was her first performance. Here she's shown (center) with proud Dad and Mom.

Nancy Cornish (front) is the director of the vocal music program at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne. On Sunday, she directed the Collegiate and  Kantorel choruses in a program at King of Glory Lutheran Church featuring the music of South Africa and African-American spirituals. It was a great show. 

Jim Coppoc leads poetry workshop at Cheyenne library

Performance poet and musician Jim Coppoc of Ames, Iowa, leads a writing workshop on Sunday at the Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne. Jim is in town to judge the Wyoming Poetry Out Loud competition Monday, 7 p.m., at the Atlas Theatre. 

REMINDER: Cheyenne Little Theatre Players' Mardi Gras Bash is tonight at the Atlas

Grassroots filmmaking bringing classic novel by Montana's James Welch to the screen

"Winter in the Blood" directors Andrew and Alex Smith answer questions with documentary filmmaker Tracy Rector, left, at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival at the Wilma Theatre Saturday evening in Missoula. Rector's documentary "Visionary Insight" showed the behind-the-scenes story of the Smith brothers grass-roots film. Tribune photo by Michael Beall.

These grass-roots filmmakers in Montana show us how it’s done in the Rocky Mountain West. From a successful $67,000 Kickstarter campaign to donated food to volunteer sweat equity, the Smith Brothers found new and interesting ways to make a home-grown film based on James Welch’s classic novel, “Winter in the Blood.” Read the details in this excellent Great Falls Tribune story by Michael Beall. I read about it first on the 4&20 Blackbirds blog. Thanks for the tip, Lizard! 

WY ACLU: "Religious Freedom or an Assault on Women's Health Care?"

From the The Republican War on Women Facebook page. 

Methinks it's the latter. So does the Wyoming ACLU. To read the grisly details, go to http://acluwyomingchapter.blogspot.com/2012/03/religious-freedom-or-assault-on-womens.html

Four years after: Getting out the vote in Wyoming for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton

Four years ago, Obama supporters in Wyoming were brimming with hope. We also were making scads of phone calls to Democratic voters, urging them to get out to the March 8 county caucuses.

In my March 3, 2008, blog post, I regaled my readers with tales of our split household. My wife Chris, whose feminist roots go back to the Equal Rights Amendment and Patricia Schroeder's Colorado campaigns, was a Hillary Clinton supporter. I had migrated from Dennis Kucinich to John Edwards (remember him?) to Barack Obama. Obama operatives had parachuted into enemy territory on a dark January 2008 night. We now worked with them on an aggressive ground game.

Chris and I fought very little over the use of our home phone. We reached an agreement that divided time and space and responsibility, much like the agreement between Barack and Hillary that gave the former the White House and the latter the rest of the world.

Step back in time with me at http://hummingbirdminds.blogspot.com/2008/03/phoning-cheyenne-for-barack-and-hillary.html

Republican war on women -- illustrated version

From Daily Kos