GA Dem Jim Martin launches runoff campaign for US Senate against Saxby Chambliss

Written by: publius on Nov 5, 2008 5:43 PM EST

Linked to groups: Macon - Bibb County DFA, Georgians for Clean Renewable Energy DFA, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew

Dear Publius, We now know that there will be a runoff on December 2nd between Saxby Chambliss and me. With your continued support, I am confident that we will prevail. America has elected Barack Obama President, and now is the time for all of us to help him succeed. In the Senate, I'll do what's best for Georgia, what's best for our country, and what's best for the middle class folks who've been ignored the past eight years.  I think that starts with helping Barack Obama succeed, not undercutting him for partisan advantage or to protect special interests. And that's the difference in this runoff election. I will do everything I can to help Barack Obama change Washington and get our economy moving again. Saxby Chambliss will do just the opposite. This runoff will be over in the blink of an eye. We can return this Senate seat to someone who will follow in the traditions of Russell, Nunn, and Cleland, rather than someone who, for the past six years, has been a rubber stamp for George Bush and Dick Cheney. But we will only be able to do so with the support of friends like you. Please click here to make a contribution to our runoff campaign today. Your contribution of $500, $250, $100, $50, or whatever you can give, will make a real difference. Last night, America spoke. And last night, Georgia spoke as well - a majority voted against sending Saxby Chambliss back to Washington. In 27 days, we can make that a reality. Together, we can make a real difference. Yes we can. Sincerely, P.S. Speed is critical - we are hiring additional organizers and launching our field campaign as we speak. Please click here to make your contribution today!

Discuss

VP Al Gore lays out plan for unified, RE powered, smart grid for all to plug into

Written by: publius on Oct 29, 2008 10:19 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Macon - Bibb County DFA, Georgians for Clean Renewable Energy DFA, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew

http://www.wecansolveit.org/

In  a  20 minute  web cast  this evening, Al Gore cited the oft quoted solar electric postulate that existing solar electric photo voltaic and concentrating thermal technologies could power the entire US with 100 sq miles of collectors in the desert southwest.

Citing efficiency and waste reduction as the highest priority, Mr. Gore then indicated renewable (RE) energy could meet demand.

He indicated this southwestern solar resource and the wind resources of the mountain regions and Dakotas  would be enough -

IF:
 
Automobile fleet was converted to electric to serve as a giant distributed battery connected (when parked) to -
a nationwide, unified smart grid  buried underground to move western RE generation (and any other RE generation) throughout the nation.

Said unified smart grid could be implemented for $ 400 billion.  Indicated that business losses from unreliable power on existing grids add up to $120 billion per year.  Therefore, reliability improvements from unified smart grid pay off the 400 b in less than 4 years.

State rate payers ought to consider these compelling options before being on the hook for "bailing out" those planned utility company nuclear and coal plants which are headed toward the "ash can of history."

Discuss

Its Going to Pass - Time to Move from Recklessness to Responsibility

Written by: publius on Sep 29, 2008 10:30 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Georgians for Clean Renewable Energy DFA, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew, Macon - Bibb County DFA

Obviously, Congressional leadership and much of the rank and file have been convinced that there is a real collapse and panic in waiting.   One might say that  the biggest faith based program of all time  has been an investment policy that moved individuals and institutions to hand over their money and financial security for Wall Street to dump into its nebulous global finance creations.

Now that the miracle work promised by the laying on of hands by the full faith and credit of The United States of America is about to commence, let there by light on a new investment policy in America.  Keep capital at home for reality based enterprise that puts Americans to work on rebuilding decaying infrastructure and building the foundations of a sustainable economy.  Time to plant the seed corn that Wall Street and its global capitalists have been glutinously feasting on with the blessings provided by the disastrous Reagan Bush tax policies.  

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/29/AR2008092900623.html?hpid=topnews

"If we do this and it works right, it's most likely that people will never appreciate how close we came to the brink. So there's not much political upside to this," said Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), the lead negotiator for Senate Republicans. But lawmakers are ready to support the bill, Gregg said, because they know "we are facing a crisis of proportions that are almost incomprehensible."

Meanwhile, Democrats meeting nearby in the basement of the Capitol also heard a rallying cry from their leaders, who won support from some surprising corners. Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.), who represents a conservative-leaning district and is a frequent GOP target, told his colleagues that passing the legislation is more important than winning reelection.

"I am willing to give up my seat over this," Marshall said, according to one attendee.

Congressman Marshall, with your voting record, I was not aware that any such issue could exist. 

Given the nation's reckless tax, budgetary, energy, trade, and imperial military policies that have made the daily functioning of government and business dependent on foreign creditors, it isn't really a stretch  to  concede  that Paulson and Bernanke were not crying wolf even as they were asking for the blank check.

It should be acknowledged that this bill isn't a blank check.  There are several layers of oversight in the legislation.  Paulson has been reported as planning to spend about $ 50 billion per month in this rescue.  That could add up to $ 200 billion by January 20.  This bill and the financial malpractice that birthed it have made a change of the party in power at White House even more imperative.  November 4, 2008 looms.  

Congress, Hold on to that $ 700 Billion for a while!

Written by: publius on Sep 21, 2008 10:17 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Georgians for Clean Renewable Energy DFA, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew, Macon - Bibb County DFA

1. Capital can be put to much better use than whatever it is Wall Street does with it:

"Finance set the terms of corporate behavior over the past quarter-century,
and not in ways that bolstered the economy.
By its actions-- elevating shareholder value over the interests of other
corporate stakeholders, focusing on short-term investments rather than patient capital,
pressuring corporations to offshore jobs and cut wages and benefits -- Wall Street plainly preferred to fund production abroad and consumption at home." *

2. This is a rerun of the Reagan tax cut/national debt binge in the 80's:
Postmortem of October 1987

"What might have been is lost forever. The jobs that never opened up, the goods that were never made and enjoyed, the services that were never performed - these were forestalled or aborted by the speculating. 
Their ultimate loss or nullity is what Wall Street cost the nation, and the world. . . .
. . .the "supply side" tax cuts of 1981-82 were mistakenly supposed to stimulate savings and investment. . .These confused policies gave a trillion dollars of American money to people who couldn't use it; these people entrusted it to Wall Street; and Wall Street flushed it down the drain." **

(Note: Point No. 8 worth a look at)

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Written by: Jim Nichols on Aug 26, 2008 11:37 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Georgia for Democracy, Blogs United, Jonesboro DFA, Morrow DFA, Peachtree City DFA, Stockbridge Progressives, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew, Blog For America

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Green jobs, health care, government

Written by: Jim Nichols on Aug 26, 2008 11:31 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Georgia for Democracy, Jonesboro DFA, Morrow DFA, Peachtree City DFA, Stockbridge Progressives, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew, Blog For America, Blogs United

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Lunch with Howard Dean in Georgia Today

Written by: publius on Jul 26, 2008 5:55 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Macon - Bibb County DFA, Georgians for Clean Renewable Energy DFA, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew

It was my good fortune to have lunch today with DFA founder Howard Dean.  Chairman Dean was in town during Democratic Party Georgia (DPG) Committee meeting.  The DPG was meeting to elect its members of the Democratic National Committee.

Barack Obama's  successful  foreign affairs trip was discussed around the lunch table.  Chmn Dean expressed how significant it was that this candidate for the American Presidency could move thousands of Europeans to wave American flags.  Obviously, neither G W Bush nor John McCain could inspire such a display.

Howard Dean appeared very fit and is very energetic in his mission.  He admitted that he copied some well worn Republican National Committee tactics, such as purchasing and mining consumer data for targeting likely supporters.  He said that he had not expected the DNC to have a decisive impact on federal elections before 2012 but credited the mostly twenty-something DNC staffers for sleeping at their desks and swinging some seats (House and Senate) to the Democrats in 2006.

It is significant that DPG and the DNC are together in Central Georgia for an official event.  Chmn Dean recognized that the south and the Democratic party have changed a lot in the past 40 years.  He recognized that the national party had "not been showing up here for 30 years." 

As a native Georgian, I know that estrangement suited past state and local party officials  just fine.  But the DPG is at the bottom now, I hope that Dean's visit is a sign  that current state leadership recognizes that America's national challenges are  also our southern region's challenges as well.  And, that unity with the DNC and productive influence upon DC Democrats represent the best route for  rebuilding  the state party and serving Georgia's citizenry.

Chmn Dean recognized there are some areas of disagreement between traditional Democratic platform positions and some traditional southern voters but that -

Treating People Fairly, Respecting Hard Work, and Believing Americans Can Best Make Decisions About Their Own Personal Lives Without  Government  Interference -

are values that the Democratic Party and  the southern populace share.

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possible Republican shenanigans here in GA

Written by: Jim Nichols on Jul 15, 2008 12:39 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Blogs United, Jonesboro DFA, Morrow DFA, Peachtree City DFA, Stockbridge Progressives, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew

Appears Republican Secretary of State Karen Handel here in GA pulled some shenanigans this week in the state wide Public Service Commission Democratic primary.  Executive Director of State Party contacted me today to follow up with the Henry County Board of elections (I'm chairman of county party here in Henry--a suburb of Atlanta) which I just did an hour ago...
 
posted more on this issue here: http://politicalautomaton.blogspot.com/2008/07/election-day-blogging.html 
 
I will post a follow up after the smoke clears so that Republicans in GA are exposed to national press/voters.  I still don't know whats really going on--as I was not contacted by the board of elections here in Henry in regards to this issue (one would think that would be protocol?)

Jim

Georgia Primary Senate and House Endorsements

Written by: publius on Jul 13, 2008 7:15 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Macon - Bibb County DFA, Georgians for Clean Renewable Energy DFA, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew

Hometown newspaper declined this offering so I share it with DFA. 

Anyone so inclined can sample the local editors' preferences at:

http://www.macon.com/letters/

July 9, 2008

Letters
The Telegraph

The Editors,

The Telegraph came close on its Senate race endorsement but missed the opportunity support Rand Knight as the best choice.  The editorial briefly mentioned Knight's
"idea that we can develop fuel for our vehicles from algae."

The October 2007 edition of National Geographic presented a great survey of biofuels development -

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/10/biofuels/biofuels-text

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If its Pay as You Go for the small assets then it ought to be Pay as You Go for the big liabilities

Written by: publius on Jun 25, 2008 11:35 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Georgians for Clean Renewable Energy DFA, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew, Macon - Bibb County DFA

The credits ought to be paid for with taxes on fossil fuels.

But then, so should the military expenditures dedicated to keeping troops in the vicinity of the Persian Gulf be charged directly to us at the motor fuel pumps.   

If the Blue Dog Dems in the House of Reps insist on pay as you go for $ 6 billion in RE tax credits,  but  continue to acquiesce to the Republicans in funding  Iraq at $ 200 billion every few months on credit, then they are are not wisely and responsibly exercising their legislative power. There are small deficits and there are HUMONGOUS DEFICITS.

Ronald

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/25/AR2008062502886.html?hpid=topnews

A Republican senator from Nevada, home to the highest foreclosure rate in the nation, yesterday blocked an ambitious plan to help troubled borrowers save their homes, saying he will not permit the measure to go forward unless the Senate adds tax breaks to encourage the production of renewable energy.

. . .
Ensign said he would not back down from his demand to tack on more than $6 billion in tax breaks for producers of renewable energy, such as solar and wind power. The measure is popular with both parties -- Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) is a co-sponsor. But Senate Democrats oppose adding it to the housing bill because it is not accompanied by tax increases to make up for the lost revenue. Such an addition would ruin efforts to forge a compromise on the housing bill with the House, where 218 Democrats, a majority of the chamber, have signed a pledge to reject measures that increase the deficit.

. . .

But Ensign said the nation also has an energy crisis, and he questioned whether Democrats would kill the housing bill because it contains renewable-energy provisions -- "something they say they believe in.