Drinking Liberally®

The New York Times takes a National Geographic-style look at the lives of four US senators who share a bathroom and boxes of cereal together.

Taking Power, Sharing Cereal
By MARK LEIBOVICH

SOME of the most powerful Democrats in America are split over a most incendiary household issue: rodents.

“I once had to pick up a mouse by the tail that Durbin refused to pick up,” complained Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, referring to his roommate Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois.

This characterization is not fair to Mr. Durbin, interjected another tenant in the Capitol Hill row house, Representative Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts. For starters, it overlooks Mr. Durbin’s gift for killing rats. “He will kill them with his bare hands,” Mr. Delahunt marveled.

“Oh, will you stop with the rats,” said the annoyed fourth roommate, Representative George Miller of California. He owns the house and is sensitive to any suggestion that he harbors pestilence. It’s dicey enough that he harbors politicians.

Continue reading "At Home with George Miller, Richard J. Durbin, Charles E. Schumer and Bill Delahunt"

Posted by evoque at 03:50 PM | Comments (0)

Although Bush doesn't go live until 9 PM EST, the drinking will commence at 7 PM per our usual practice. Topics of note include:

• Obama's exploratory committee
• Hillary's Saturday smash announcement
• Bill Richardson throws his hat into the Presidential ring
• Insight Magazine's poorly-orchestrated attempt at Swiftboating Obama and Hillary at the same time.

Pencils and paper will be provided as the party game for the evening will be State of the Union Bingo.

Posted by evoque at 01:29 PM | Comments (0)

Wonkette has a catchier title ("Free Republic Gives up & Dies"), but the right-wing fringe collective known as Free Republic is worthy of a visit or two. Check out this gem in one of their many election-aftermath threads.

I have been a consistent advocate, since September 15, 2001, for doing what is necessary.

Here's what is necessary:

1. Raise and Army and Marine Corps of 85-90 divisions, with appropriate sea power to support deployment to Asia.
2. Invade and conquer Arabia and Pakistan.
3. Declare them as unorganized territories under American protection.
4. Install American governors in their former capitals, and flood them with missionaries and teachers.
5. Wait 50 years.

Obviously, someone slept through their history classes, because colonization worked splendidly for Portugal, the Dutch, and the English.

Congratulations to the Democrats for regaining the House, and it looks like Tester and Webb will be the tipping points for the Senate.

Posted by evoque at 10:52 AM | Comments (0)

Like wings, beer, and some good old-fashioned political discourse? Join the gang at Buffalo Wild Wings tomorrow starting at 8 PM. This should give folks enough time to trickle in after, of course, casting their vote. We've got free WiFi there as well, so bring your laptops so you can follow the action.

Posted by evoque at 03:38 PM | Comments (1)

In a desperate last-minute move, the NRCC are freely admitting to what is the GOP's dirtiest trick so far this election. It's simple. The RNC places an automated phone call to a voter's phone, pretending to have a message from the Democratic candidate. If the caller hangs up the phone before the message is finished, they are automatically redialed over and over. The call then reads off several incredibly negative things about the Democratic candidate.

Martha Child, an independent who generally votes for Democrats, said she received five calls from the National Republican Congressional Committee in two days despite having her number listed on a federal do-not-call list. Under state law, delivering prerecorded political messages to numbers on any federal do-not-call list is punishable by a fine of $5,000 per call.

Jim Kennedy, an election law attorney in the attorney general's office, said it doesn't matter where a group is located or who is making the calls -- if they are being made to New Hampshire residents, they are illegal.

It is estimated that more than 200,000 of the calls were made.

One of the calls features a woman who opens by saying "Hello. I'm calling with information about Paul Hodes." She goes on to criticize his position on rolling back some of the recent federal tax cuts and ends by saying the call was paid for by the National Republican Congressional Committee, according to a tape recording of the call released by the state Democratic Party.

While political calls are exempt from the Do Not Call list, New Hampshire passed its own law declaring pre-recorded political messages to be violations of the do not call registry. So at $5,000 per call, and with over 200,000 calls made, the New Hampshire AG could slap fines in excess of $100,000,000 on the NRCC.

UPDATE: Daily Kos is currently tabulating information on this concerted effort by the NRCC to harass and suppress voters.

Posted by evoque at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)

When Jonathan and I first heard about Jesus Camp, the documentary that examines evangelical indoctrination in the social context of today, we joked that America had finally gotten its own madrassas. Premiering at the Kentucky Theatre tomorrow and running until Wednesday, October 25, the movie has been greeted by a storm of criticism from the religious right and high praise from film critics.

A growing number of Evangelical Christians believe there is a revival underway in America whereby Christian youth must take up the leadership of the conservative Christian movement.

JESUS CAMP, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (The Boys of Baraka), follows Levi, Rachael, Tory and a number of other young children to Pastor Becky Fischer's Kids on Fire summer camp in Devil's Lake, North Dakota, where kids as young as 6 years-old are taught to become dedicated Christian soldiers in God's army. The film follows these children at camp as they hone their prophetic gifts and are schooled in how to take back America for Christ. The film is a first-ever look into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America's political future.

The tentative plan is for us to catch a Saturday afternoon showing, so please drop us a line if you're interested in coming out to see it with us. I would suggest going out for lunch beforehand, but I have a feeling this movie is going to make me sick.

Posted by evoque at 05:14 PM | Comments (0)

The Kentucky Theatre is currently showing The War Tapes, the critically-acclaimed documentary shot firsthand by soldiers from the New Hampshire National Guard during their year in Iraq. With a 98% rating on the Tomatometer, it's been hailed as one of the most powerful, honest films about the war.

Candid, eye-opening footage gives viewers a close-up -- and educational -- look at the experiences of American soldiers in Iraq, a viewpoint not normally seen.

Straight from the front lines in Iraq, THE WAR TAPES is the first war movie filmed by soldiers themselves.

Funnier, spicier, and more gut wrenching than news reports, this is Operation Iraqi Freedom as filmed by Sergeant Steve Pink, Sergeant Zack Bazzi and Specialist Mike Moriarty. Steve is a wisecracking carpenter who aspires to be a writer. Zack is a Lebanese-American university student who loves to travel and is fluent in Arabic. Mike is a father who seeks honor and redemption. Each leaves a woman behind – a girlfriend, a mother and a wife.

Through their candid footage, these men open their hearts and take us on an unforgettable journey, capturing camaraderie and humor along with the brutal and terrifying experiences they face. These soldiers got the story that 2,700 embedded reporters never could.

Having already seen the film, I was struck by how well it used its 90 minutes to encompass a year in the lives of the soldiers and the loved ones waiting for them back home. Even more poignant was the fact that the refiners' fire that was their tour of duty seemed to only purify the political beliefs the soldiers left the States with, as evinced in the film's last minutes. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose indeed.

For dates and times, please see the Kentucky Theatre calendar. And if you see it, please tell us what you thought of it at our next meeting!

Posted by evoque at 02:35 PM | Comments (2)

The folks at the Kentucky Equality Federation alerted us to Representative Lee's sneak attack on domestic partnerships and same-sex benefits policies.

Representative Stan Lee (R-Fayette) couldn't wait for the legislature to reconvene in January before filing his first anti-gay bill. Representative Lee's first attack against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community for the upcoming 2007 Legislative Session is to "prohibit public higher education institutions from providing health benefits for a domestic partner of a university or college employee."

But before all Kentucky university presidents are tarred with the same brush, it must be noted that the administrations at Northern Kentucky University, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Louisville have taken a courageous stand to pursue domestic partnership benefits and rights for their faculty and staff. As Drs. Lee Todd, James Ramsey, and James Vortruba can exert a great deal of influence with the Governor as well as the leadership of Kentucky's House and Senate, their efforts on behalf of all Kentuckians must be duly noted.

If you want to send an e-mail to each Kentucky university president, Governor Fletcher, and the chairs of Kentucky's Republican and Democratic Party, KEF have put together a form with a sample message.

Posted by evoque at 06:02 PM | Comments (0)

The folks at GreenLex.org would like you to know that TERRA (the Transylvania Environmental Rights & Responsibilities Alliance) are hosting a free showing of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" at the Kentucky Theatre this Wednesday, followed by a panel discussion led by Congressman Ben Chandler; Deputy Secretary of the EPPC, John Clay; Dr. James Wagner, Professor of Biology, Transylvania University; and Dr. Alan Bartley, Professor of Economics, Transylvania University.

Posted by evoque at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)

Us! From left to right, Chad, Mary, Kelley, Marie, John, Rob, Joe. Elle is taking the picture...

Posted by farls0 at 11:34 PM | Comments (2)