I've known John and Bill for decades and told them I am a member of the "spectator caucus". I told each to their face at a political event that we were robbed of an intelligent Gov. debate in 2006 and I am looking for a candidate who gives us that intelligent debate this year.

A famous columnist (T. Friedman?) said we need to get away from taking ideas off the table because they are "politically impossible".

I think it was EJ Dionne who named the Sen. Majority Leader Lyndon Baines Reid for the health care bill.

Just now on Facebook, one of my friends I have known and admired for over 3 decades was quoting Merkley saying we should move forward, be glad something passed, and work on fixing things that need to be fixed (Senate rules, electing more progressives) instead of complaining about what did not pass.

Some people lambaste Dean and others "of the left" for being out on the fringe.

I loved that time on Sunday TV when Dean and Axelrod were arguing health care. It was civil and intelligent.

My resolution is to insist on the sorts of things which made the Democratic Party strong in previous decades: intelligent debate where no one is required to take sides and may accept parts of both/ many arguments (some of Axelrod, some of Dean, for instance) because the clash of ideas can often produce a better result. To not take ideas off the table just because some consultant thinks it is risky. To applaud those who show courage even if their caucus position is something other than what they are talking about. And to reward those who treat voters as potential customers, not people incapable of thinking for themselves and thus must have "message" inflicted upon them.

There are lots of bright Democrats, let's hear their ideas and not force them into ideological straight jackets.

Looks like OLCV made a couple of good endorsements here in Marion County.

http://www.olcv.org/blog/two-early-endorsements-marion-county

That people would be more civil and respectful to one another about political issues/disagreements, especially on blogs.

You guys are kidding me, right? I'll happily track this thread on ThinkOregon as another tribute to Progressive Oregonians. You wanna know want we're focused on: getting over 200,000 of your fellow Oregonians back to work; finding one-in-five Oregonians full-time employment; getting 650,000 folks who are on food stamps their next meal; halting the exodus of 21,000 high-tech jobs which have left the state since 2001... and the list goes on.

As for our "world class city" economists around the world laugh at us. From NYC to right here in Oregon, its "Portland, we have a problem"

Progressive Oregon, you're my BFF. Keep it up. We're going to deliver a change that we can rely on.

http://bit.ly/6KlQEP

,The only resolution: Work towards maintaining all the liberties this country was originated and built with while fighting government promoted social engineering, including the efforts of special interest groups and zealot bureaucrats that want to dictate our everyday movements and lifestyles thereby taking away or limiting freedom of choice. .

I would like to see resolutions condemning Obama for:

1. Extending the Patriot Act provisions that violate the civil rights of all American citizens.

2. Escalating the illegal war in Afghanistan and killing innocent women and children in Yemen.

3. Joining with the ACLU to condemn President Obama for allowing torture policies to continue by creating impunity.

Alas, it will never happen because nobody has the balls to do it, when they would indeed if there was a Republican president.

Not to waste the time I have been on politics. Trying to convince techno apes that filling the world with bananas isn't probably the best use of their skills, seems to only get any consideration when they're sated on bananas. When the apes outnumber the bananas, that never happens, and all you can do is wait for a die off.

Are we there yet?

a brief month where I thought I’d achieved Zen

If you ever do, that won't be what you'll be thinking about. Few are capable of setting aside the desire and maintenance of material and social possessions long enough to get close. Too bad you can't get a five minute sample, because I think most would say, "Yuck. Why would I want that!"

Jason, a number tried to give you sympathy and comfort on the Madame's post , but it kept getting deleted as off topic.

Posted by: ska music | Dec 29, 2009 1:16:19 AM

i do not care politic alot

Meanwhile the link spammers slide right on by. Hmmm. Can't imagine why.

Zarathustra - Nietszche or Pazhdo?

Resolution: Keep the "The Emperor's New Clothes" in mind whenever confused about the words and actions of the lame poser progressive wannabes that have fought to dominate the political space in Oregon, on the West Coast, and nationally, but who demonstrate they don't even have a clue what the progressive tradition (or at least the honorable parts) is about.

Personal: Be Civil. Be Helpful. Be Grateful.

Local: Be Informed. Be Involved.

Actually, I think both sets of resolutions should apply to just about everything. So I'm leaving it at that. (:

I resolve not to vote major party ever again! Knew it was a mistake this time.

<img src="http://a3.twimg.com/profile_images/237928287/2701247217_cd0df7bfb9_bigger.jpg">

Re-introduce the term "general strike" to discussions of political tactics.

"The gut truth is that if 66/67 fail, there is no doubt jobs will be lost - teaching, law enforcement and other public safety* positions will be cut. NO DOUBT

The bottom line is that w/out 66/67, Oregonians are at risk of losing over a billion dollars in services that we all need (1.2 billion if full Federal matching funds are figured in)."

Blame this on the legistlature that increased spending by 9.5% and then want to tax the economy to cover it ( gross income tax is a tax on the economy). Bad spending habits is all we have to blame. There was plenty of money if it were spent properly. The fact that measure 66 and 67 are even on the ballot will damage Oregon's future, passing them will do even worse. A small gross reciepts tax will grown into a death sentence for many companies. No one seems to understand that anti-business means anti-job and a tax on businesses means a tax on jobs. Its not smart economics. Oregon is dead last on the happiness index for jobs and housing affordability because of these types of policies. Do not feed the addicts in Salem. Vote no on 66 and 67 tell them they can't grow spending in down years.

Too bad "Join Bernie Sanders in the Socialist Party" isn't one of them for more people. Problem with this country is that there's not much of a political spectrum. You have the Democrats (conservative) and the Republicans (just short of Hitler conservative), and nothing to counter that influence.

"Blame it on the recession--and the federal government sending more money to Oregon for unemployment,medicaid and food stamps. And to cover kids who didn't previously have health insurance.

Thank you fiscal conservatives...your Wall Street hijinks really did a number on us.

That's where the budget increase comes from."

Carla, its very basic. If the economy slows down there is less revenue for government. You cannot grow government when no no else can grow. Government must respond in kind to economic contractions. There is no other way around it. If you tax gross reciepts you are in fact taxing wholesale transactions which translates to a tax on the economy we all pay for. There is this naive idea that business won't cut expenses somewhere to cover this loss. When they cut those expenses it will mean money lost in other sectors. You cannot tax your way out of a recession. There is also a ceiling to how much you can tax before you see a long term decline in revnenue. If that weren't the case, you could simply tax 100% of everyones income and everything would be dandy. There is a point of dimished returns.

"getting over 200,000 of your fellow Oregonians back to work; finding one-in-five Oregonians full-time employment; getting 650,000 folks who are on food stamps their next meal; halting the exodus of 21,000 high-tech jobs which have left the state since 2001... and the list goes on."

The Beatles had a song titled REVOLUTION with the perfect line to comment on that quote:

"We'd all love to see your plan".

If Measure 30's election result really was a private sector job creation Nirvanna, wouldn't we have been seeing the job creation statistics all fall?

Could it be those job creation statistics don't exist and it is all hype and rhetoric?

Having worked in retail, I don't see how laying off public employees brings more customers into stores and restaurants.

I was once a product demonstrator, and one weekend worked demonstrating competition products to Shop Vac (what would the general term for those be?) in a big box home improvement type store.

One of the staff walked by and said he would love to buy one but did not earn enough money for such a purchase--only management worked full time hours, all others worked part time.

Somehow, I suspect those preaching to us the value of working for large corporations have not encountered such realities themselves and don't want the rest of us talking about them.

Right on Sue!

So much has changed over the decades----if you watch Mad Men, that world was very close to what went on when I was in high school (grad. 1964).

For that matter, How much has happened in the last century. I work with high school students and some of them are startled to hear about my grandfathers. One became a lawyer, the other graduated 8th grade, became an apprentice, and worked as a machinist.

Back in the 1980s there was a grand old lady of the Democratic Party (she was roughly Reagan's age) who would have appreciated Posted by: Jason | Dec 28, 2009 10:14:50 PM

In her life she had known the Kennedy brothers at one point, had lived in different places, and had great institutional memory. But she wasn't the type to yell at anyone she disagreed with.

She had a different view, If you are somewhere and you see someone you strongly disagree with, go up to them and in a friendly voice say "Hi! How are things going with you" -- it will drive them nuts because that is not what they will expect.

Decide what your goal is--expressing anger, winning an argument, winning support, or what? How often do people support someone who yelled at them and told them they are wrong?

And Galen, are you admitting that the business lobby and the anti-taxers made a mistake in collecting the signatures to put 66 & 67 on the ballot?

One might get that impression from reading this that you wrote

"The fact that measure 66 and 67 are even on the ballot will damage Oregon's future, passing them will do even worse"

Sure, I agree with Carla. a whole revampingof Oregon's tax and revenue system to include lower personal income taxes and a balanced sales tax that exempts basic food, shelter and medicine.

I'm also going to try and be less snarky and disagreeable while maintaining a skeptical eye on centralized land use and having to sit in my vehicle and allow someone else to pump my fuel.

"And Galen, are you admitting that the business lobby and the anti-taxers made a mistake in collecting the signatures to put 66 & 67 on the ballot?"

You know what I intended to say there, buy yes I can see how one could read it in your interpretation.

Also Kurt if we have both a sales tax and income tax we will be screwed as they will both go through the ceiling. Pick one or another and cap it. Washington nor Nevada for example have income taxes. We can survive just fine with one or the other, but not both.

Galen, sorry man but Washington is looking at some serious tax hikes. They to are led by fiscally irresponsible politicians who have spent everything and then some. A three pronged revenue stream with close controls from the electorate are better than what either state has now.

I am happy both Democrats running for Gov. in 2010 are far superior to the current one who became the first Democrat I didn't vote for for Governor

“Problem with this country is that there's not much of a political spectrum. You have the Democrats (conservative) and the Republicans (just short of Hitler conservative), and nothing to counter that influence.”

And Progressives no matter what the party affiliation, just short of totalitarian dictators, degrading democracy and implementing socialism at every turn.

Resolutions: Keep the pressure on Democrats from local to national level. We need more and better Democrats at all levels of government.

We have just begun to fight!

torridjoe: Welcome to the club, even if belatedly.

Most DP elites hate progressives far more than they hate the Reich, and this truth is posted here regularly.

The toilet half-full DP crowd should coalesce with the "moderate" RPers and form a new Democrat-Republican Party. The rest of us should form alliances with those whose hearts, minds and consciences resemble our own.

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift," Martin Luther King said 42 years ago, "is approaching spiritual death."

The rest of us should form alliances with those whose hearts, minds and consciences resemble our own.

<h2>There are non-human based parties, then?</h2>