Feingold at Take Back America

Watch Senator Russ Feingold's speech June 14th at the Take Back America Conference in Washington, DC. Yeah, that's the speech he gave right before shaking hands with me. :)
You can probably hear me chanting "Run, Russ, Run!" from the front row. He got quite an extended ovation - only the tail end of it is heard on this video before he speaks. Click here to watch it!

Feingold goes to Iowa... and LISTENS.....

Senator Feingold has been seen in Iowa and New Hampshire, lately - a good sign! Check out this wonderful eyewitness description of the Senator's most recent visit to that early-primary-state-across-the-border (from Wisconsin). The word on the street is this: other candidate wannabees come to speechify, but Senator Feingold puts LISTENING first. Click here for the whole story.

To watch the senator's podcast from Iowa, click here.

Avedon Shooting Me!

Richard Avedon was such a fabulous talent and a wonderfully energetic, fun guy. I instantly adored him when I ended up in his New York Studio on Sunday, August 26th, 2004, the day of the "Millon Billionaire March" staged by the Billioaires for Bush, with whom I'd been peforming satirical songs in NYC during election season.

You can see me on the right hand side of the group, standing behind Melody, who is seated on the floor in the red dress. I'm wearing shades and a floppy black hat with white trim, holding a faux martini (water with an olive), and I have a white shawl dangling from my shoulder. My shawl didn't make it into the photo, but I did, just leaning into the shot, about to sip my drink. Avedon's finished photograph can be seen online at http://www.andrearosengallery.com/exhibitions/2005_1_richard-avedon/
or, of course, in the Nov 1, 2004 issue of the New Yorker. What a blast it was to meet him, and an honor to be part of his art. I am broken-hearted to think that we lost him just one month later. Richard, we miss you!

Feingold Speaks His Mind Again

I just love the way Senator Feingold always points out that Bush's Iraq debacle is DISTRACTING us from and WEAKENING us in the real struggle against terrorism.
Here's a statement from his senate website today:

Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold On the GAO Report Criticizing the President’s Iraq Strategy July 13, 2006 Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold released this statement today following the release of a Government Accountability Office report entitled, “Rebuilding Iraq: More Comprehensive National Strategy Needed to Help Achieve U.S. Goals and Overcome Challenges.” “The report released by the Government Accountability Office criticizing the President’s Iraq strategy is another red flag that we need to change course in Iraq. Suggesting that the Administration’s strategy for Iraq isn’t really a strategy at all, the GAO report says that the Administration has not been straightforward with Congress regarding the costs of the Iraq war and that it has failed to identify the resources for, or costs of, our indefinite military presence in Iraq. The report clearly calls for measurable benchmarks for success in Iraq and accountability for U.S. taxpayer dollars being used there. Unfortunately, the Administration continues to ignore mounting calls to change its Iraq policy, which has been both a distraction from the larger global fight against terrorist networks and a drain on our nation’s resources.” A copy of the report can be obtained at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06953t.pdf.

RUSS DENOUNCES "STEALTH" PAYRAISE

Those rich folks in Congress are getting richer - on the sly. Check out Senator Feingold's most recent diary post on Daily KOS. You'll find it here.
The senator ponts out that congress gets a back door pay raise automatically, every year. He wants to make them vote on it (Feingold himself does not accept a pay raise except on years when he is reelected.) Tell your Congressperson and Senator to change this system, so that they must go on record and vote publicly for any pay raise!

(Photo: Senator Fiengold at judiciary committee hearings)

Iraq as "Occupation" NOT "War"

George Lakoff has written a very interesting article explaining why Democrats have fallen into the Republican's language trap, reinforcing the idea of Iraq as a "war" and part of the war on terror. Lakoff stresses the need for reframing Iraq as the "occupation" that it really is. He gives a compelling explanation, and it is a quick read. Find it on the Rockridge Institute website here.

Please See "An Inconvenient Truth"!

I have just returned from the Garman Opera House in Bellefonte, PA, a locally-owned, independent theatre that is showing Al Gore's film, "An Inconvenient Truth". As I bought my popcorn, I watched the shocked, sobered faces of those filing out of the earlier showing, and I could see that it was going to be an impressive and unnerving film. It did not disappoint. Please see this movie. If you don't know already, please learn about the speed at which we are rocketing toward global disaster. Unprecedented catastrophies will occur in the next 50 years if we don't hit the streets and raise hell and elect leaders who are not owned by Big Oil. To learn more or find a theatre that is currently showing the film, click here.