emptywheel: Health Care on the Road to Neo-Feudalism

by: William Allen Simpson

Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 08:44:51 AM EST

More essential reading, from our own contributor emeritus.

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/12/15/health-care-on-the-road-to-neo-feudalism/

emptywheel: Crazy Pete Hoekstra Chases Jobs from Michigan

by: William Allen Simpson

Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 08:36:41 AM EST

Essential reading, from our own contributor emeritus.

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/12/15/crazy-pete-hoekstra-throws-hissy-fit-chases-jobs-from-michigan/

Fireblog, uh, doggers, on NYT frontpage re Libby livebloggery

by: David Boyle

Thu Feb 15, 2007 at 19:52:55 PM EST

  Not only Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake but also DKos Plame pundit and famous Michigan blogger Marcy [empty]Wheel(er) and relevant others made the New York Times front page today, see today's NYT, For Liberal Bloggers, Libby Trial Is Fun and Fodder,

"The perjury trial of I. Lewis Libby Jr., former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, has drawn every major news organization in the country to the federal courthouse in Washington. But none has fielded a bigger team - or was more openly crushed by the defense decision this week not to put Mr. Cheney and Mr. Libby on the stand - than Firedoglake.com.
  Even the Web-savvy may ask, Fire dog what? A collective of liberal bloggers, fueled by online donations and a fanatical devotion to the intricacies of the Libby case, Firedoglake has offered intensive trial coverage, using some six contributors in rotation. They include a former prosecutor, a current defense lawyer, a Ph.D. business consultant and a movie producer, all of whom lodge at a Washington apartment rented for the duration of the trial. ...

  (more fiery blogging below)

After action report on Wheeler booksigning

by: David Boyle

Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 20:38:52 PM EST

Wheeler shows with right hand how her book will grip and crush Bush administration

  Speaking of women academics: as noted elsewhere on this site, Marcy Wheeler did a booksigning on Thursday for her new book "Anatomy of Deceit: How the Bush Administration Used the Media to Sell the War and Smear a Critic", at Kerrytown Concert House.

  She related various anecdotes about the dopiness of the "Main Stream Media" press (of course, the press have been pretty obseqious to the Bush administration); about the vagueness of "off the record" vis-a-vis her liveblogging the Scooter Libby trial; about how she got into all this from wondering about issues such as First Amendment protection for journalists who are little but shills for the government; etc. Of course, she also spoke about the need for citizen journalism, and transparency as a way to accountable government.
  I asked her if she had a title for the next book, e.g., "The name is Bond. Deborah Bond" (Bond is the name of an FBI agent who has testified); there may not be a next book or a title, I found from her, but one can always hope.

Wheeler does hand thing, no symbolism this time (?)

  Then we all repaired off to the Aut Bar nearby, though I saw little drunken revelry. Relatively civilized.

Wheeler shows football block she uses against Bush thugs in courtroom

  Enjoy your Sunday! Read often!

Washtenaw Cty. Dem. convention today

by: David Boyle

Sat Feb 10, 2007 at 22:22:16 PM EST

  Besides some announcements and delegate elections (Mich. Dem. Party convention coming up in 2 weeks, etc.), the main focus was on passing resolutions, or not passing them.

  About 10 or so were up, and just about all were passed, including ones for: an investigation of the Bush administration's intelligence failure and Iraq war; for federal action to end the violence in Darfur; TWO resolutions "Condemning Abuses by the Bush Administration" (one guy gallantly withdrew his version in favor of the other one); allowing felons who served their sentence to serve on juries; that the essence of American patriotism is to honor the Constitution; for universal health care; for election reform (hand count audits etc.); redeploying troops from Iraq; and...
  I had two, both very short, and submitted just yesterday,

"1. Resolved, that the State of Michigan should adopt legislation like Illinois, New Jersey, California, and other states ensuring that the state has no direct or indirect investments in Sudan until the genocide in Darfur has ended.

2. Resolved, that the State of Michigan, through the Governor, should make an official apology to the victims of slavery or of legal (per se) or other (de facto) racial segregation by state law, private covenants, or other means of segregation."

  Due to the latish appearance of mine, they had to be voted on even to be considered...and the latter one failed by 2 votes even to be considered. The Darfur one did pass, fortunately; who knows, up the chain it might be merged with the other Darfur resolution, or not. (No point in petitioning the federal government to do something about Sudan if our own state hands aren't even clean.)

  ...All the above stuff to the best of my memory, sorry for any errors.

  Thanks to the folks who put this on. (Including Marcy Wheeler, whose book "Anatomy of Deceit" was on sale there, and who also introduced the resolution--the one that passed--re "Condemning Bush Abuses" above...how she does get around!)