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

Don't miss Wyoming's Equality State Bookfest 9/18-9/20 in Casper

Wyoming boasts two successful statewide book festivals. Not bad for the least populated state in the nation. During odd years, the Wyoming Book Festival lights up Cheyenne. During even years, the Equality State Book Festival brings thousands of readers to events throughout Casper.

The 2008 Equality State Bookfest kicks off this Thursday with writing workshops, readings, history presentations and school visits by writers. The Wyoming Arts Council's creative writing fellowship winners will read with Colorado fiction writer Laura Pritchett at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Casper College Library. Jack Gantos, author of the "Rotten Ralph" series of children's books, will offer some tips (and a taste of his wild humor) on becoming a children's book author at 4 p.m. in Casper College's Wold Physical Science Center. The University of Wyoming's top-notch creative writing faculty offers workshops on Thursday and Friday. That includes fiction writer Alyson Hagy, nonfiction writer Beth Loffreda, and poets David Romtvedt and H.L. Hix. Bookfest co-director Laurie Lye tells me that there's still room in some of these workshops. Register now at http://www.equalitystatebookfest.org!

Friday's highlight will be Alexandra Fuller's 7:30 p.m. talk about her new book, "The Legend of Colton H. Bryant," a 2008 Book Sense selection. This nonfiction account of one young man from Wyoming and his tragic death in the oil patch has generated a flurry of controversy. It also takes the reader inside a dangerous occupation, one that's claimed a record number of workers' lives in the state this year.

Friday offers a continuation of the writing workshops and tips on oral history projects from Nebraska's Twyla Hansen at the National Historic Trails Center on the ridge above Casper. The evening features a banquet with keynote speaker Gary Ferguson of Montana. A poetry slam follows at the Metro Coffee Company.

Saturday is the big day, with a book fair at the Nicolaysen Art Museum downtown, a trout-fishing panel with national expert authors, and an array of panels on poetry, publishing, and "stories of the West." Laramie's Mark Jenkins will be there. A real treat, since he spends most of his time climbing mountains in Chile and kayaking Africans rivers -- and then writing about it.

One bit of friendly advice: don't miss the bookfest in Casper Sept. 18-20. If you have any questions, ask me, as I'm on the planning committee -- and have been from the beginning.

Supercomputer still set for Cheyenne

Jared Miller reports today in the Casper Star-Tribune that plans for a "major climate-modeling supercomputer in Cheyenne" are back on track.

After months of delay, and speculation that the project might be stuck in federal bureaucratic gridlock, the National Science Foundation acknowledged on Sept. 5 that it had approved the next stage of the work, which will focus on computer design.

"There have been milestones along the way, but this more recent one has everyone smiling a bit more, just because it is a critical step to the rest of the process," said Randy Bruns, chief executive officer for Cheyenne LEADS, the city’s economic development arm.

Wyoming officials have since early 2007 been singing the praises of the supercomputer, which is expected to be one of the largest in the world once complete.

Local and state officials predict it will raise the profile of the University of Wyoming, whose scientists will have access to a portion of the computing capacity. Some also expect the supercomputer to help establish Cheyenne as a hub for technology somewhat like the National Center for Atmospheric Research supercomputer did for Boulder, Colo., and could help diversify the economy in southeastern Wyoming.

The computer is expected to cost $60 million to build, and $530 million over its 20-year lifetime, according to the most recent estimates.The state Legislature contributed $20 million to the project in 2007.

The supercomputer is slated for construction on a 25-acre portion of land owned by Cheyenne LEADS just west of town.

Cheyenne Mayor Jack Spiker said the National Science Foundation announcement is a "huge confidence builder for the community and the entire state." Spiker said he envisions the supercomputer as an economic driver that will attract businesses to Cheyenne, and as a destination for tourists intrigued by one of the largest computers in the world. He noted that the visitor's center attached to a similar supercomputer in Boulder, Colo., reported 50,000 visitors last year.

This is good news for Cheyenne. It will diversify the economy and bring a shot of high-tech to a city known more for government offices, the Air Force base and its refinery and chemical plant that for supercomputing. Many of the jobs brought to the county since I moved here 17 years ago have been in the retail sector, where low-wage part-time work is the rule. The Wal-Mart Distribution Center, close to where the big computer will be built, has brought some decent-paying jobs with it. Unfortunately, many of its workers and managers have elected to live 45 miles south in Fort Collins, Colo., location of major high-tech facilities (H-P, Intel, etc.), a lively downtown, not to mention the best micro-brewery in the Rockies -- New Belgium. Techies love their craft beers.

The brainiacs who will run the new computer may or may not live in the area. It would be great if they did. While support staff can be hired from Cheyenne, our repository of supercomputer engineers is not large -- if it exists at all. Imports from bigger metro areas will expect a lively arts and culture scene. NCAR in Boulder, Colo., has attracted a cluster of high-tech businesses. But Boulder is also the home of the biggest university in the state (but not the best -- CSU gets that honor), another university (if you count hippy-dippy Naropa), and a very lively cultural scene. The Pearl Street Mall draws retro-hippies and Republican businessmen alike. It boasts a high percentage of college grads in a state known for the high education level of its citizenry.

To Cheyenne's credit, we have a very good symphony, an active local theatre company, the "2008 Public Library of the Year" library, Depot Square downtown, an expanding Botanic Gardens and all the activities surrounding July's Cheyenne Frontier Days. Our Greenway is one of the best I've seen anywhere. We have a new wind farm east of town slated to provide some of the city's power, and an up-and-coming reputation for water recycling and reclamation. Let's not forget the mountains, notably the Vedauwoo Rec Area with its great rock climbing and boulder jumping.

It's a great family town. From what I hear, it's not great if you're young and single. I haven't been in that demographic cohort for three decades. But that's what I hear.

I welcome the climate-modeling supercomputer. In the short-term, it won't change much. But we're all in it for the long haul.

I want a dinosaur just like the one great-great-great-great-great-grandpa had

Now that we know that Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, believes that dinosaurs and humans coexisted and that global warming is a myth, it's time to take a look at the presidential candidates' views on science.

ScienceDebate2008 has been advocating a long time for a presidential debate on scientific topics. That's not going to happen. However, the organization has tracked the scientific views of the two candidates and now lists them side-by-side at http://www.sciencedebate2008.com/www/index.php?id=42.

I admit openly that I haven't read the entire list. So far, I don't see anywhere that McCain admits that his forebears in what is now Arizona had a pet Stegosaurus named Benny. But a look at his answers can reveal how far McCain has gone to kowtow to the Religious Right's view of life, the universe, and everything.

McCain's lies: 51 and still counting

So many lies. So difficult to track them all.

Until now.

As a public service, the Democratic National Committee has launched a "Count the Lies" page on its McCainPedia site. It spells out the whoppers emanating from the campaign of Mr. Maverick and Mr. Straight Talker. These have been tracked by independent nonpartisan fact-checkers.

The real story behind Palin's earmarks

From Congressional Quarterly:

CQ Politics blogger David Nather claims Sarah Palin's image as a fighter for earmark reform is central to the McCain campaign's narrative. Nather notes that while Palin doesn't claim she hasn't asked for earmarks, she leaves an impression that she's every bit as passionate a fighter as McCain against pork barrel projects.

However, thanks to the Web site of Sen. Ted Stevens, (R-Alaska), it's clear that the campaign narrative distorts her record. Palin submitted 31 earmark requests this year alone, totaling approximately $197 million.

In a memo e-mailed to reporters yesterday afternoon, the McCain campaign said Palin’s requests were a significant reduction from the record of the previous Alaska governor, Republican Frank Murkowski, whom Palin unseated in 2006. According to the campaign, Murkowski’s final request asked for $350 million in earmarks, according to the campaign.

Read the full story at: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docid=news-000002947712.

Chattanooga goes green on electric buses

CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO electric buses are part of green initiatives in the city. The buses have been used since 1992 and run on big batteries. Travelers and conventioneers (such as me) take the buses from hotels to the aquarium and North Shore areas. Bookstores, too, such as Rock Point Books on Broad Street. A great store with staff people who know books.

McCain touts Bush healthcare plan

This comes from the DNC:

The Tulsa World reports that President Bush will conduct a business roundtable in Oklahoma City today to promote his failed plan for health savings accounts before heading off to a private closed door fundraiser for John McCain's campaign. [Tulsa World, 9/12/08: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080910_16_A4_hHepla243517]

As part of his record of voting with President Bush more than 90 percent of the time, John McCain endorsed the Bush plan for health savings accounts even though the Wall Street Journal said was "dead-on-arrival in Congress in early 2007." This plan is a radical new scheme to tax health insurance benefits for the first time in history, provide more power to insurance companies, and give families a tax credit that covers only a fraction of average health insurance costs.

"It should surprise no one that President Bush is raising money for the candidate who is promising more of the same failed Bush policies on everything from health care to the economy," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. "While millions of Americans have lost their health insurance in the Bush-McCain era, John McCain says we're better off than we were eight years ago and that the fundamentals of our economy are strong. No wonder he's promising a warmed over version of the failed Bush plan that won't do anything to help Americans find health care."