The Roll Out: Field Hands in Wisconsin on October 23; Illinois and Indiana Next

This Badger (BA Communication Arts '81) will be there with you in spirit, Al!

I'll give some thought about venues for your spring tour in the Sacramento area and pass those on to Chris.

And I still owe you my thoughts on the question, what next?

If I weren't so focused on Prop 8 at home and turning NV blue I would be on a plane to Madison.

Enjoy your stay!

Oh wow, this is amazing. I'm a bit too far away to help organize any of the upcoming events, but perhaps I'll at least be able to attend the Nov 6 Chicago event if I have the money.

It's very encouraging to see that you're taking this so seriously so soon (not that I doubted you) - like you mentioned to me, "people respond to competence," and this is competence and then some. I think we can all be proud to be Field Hands right now.

Reading Jason's desire to attend the November 6 event "if I have the money," I'll appeal to Chicago area Field Hands to offer lodging to those from out of town (and maybe we'll scratch up a bus fare scholarship fund before the date for organizers like him: he's been doing a great job in E. Lansing, Michigan and is exactly the kind of organizer we want with us in Chicago on that day).

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/17737181/detail.html

Democrat for US Senate (Wisconsin 2012)

Look forward to reading all about it and the big push to election day.

Just watched the clip that Christi posted from the white tie dinner.  Holy crap, Obama laid some good ones out there.  It's funny how a different environment and the shield of comedy allowed him to say some things he hasn't said to date.  Kind of reminded me of Stephen Colbert at the Press deal the other year when he nailed Bush.  McCain did fine and had the audience laughing but there was no where near the level of subtle political jabs that Obama delivered  - flawlessly.

http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=199273

And Letterman was awsome.  I've only seen the abbreviated clips so far but for Dave to be the first one to bring up G. Gordon Liddy was priceless.  I read on Kos that they actually went to a commercial because McCain was so pissed at first and he only recovered after the break and gave his answer.  It's shocking that he wouldn't be ready for this question.  I mean, he somehow thinks he's personally exempt from the same standards he's applying to Obama??  Dave was so not impressed.  And there were plenty more of those really wierd facial expressions.  Has he always been like this?  It's a serious question because I don't recall that he was.

This all sounds really awesome, Al! I just e-mailed Chris, maybe you'll stop by the University of Idaho? Our journalism program here could badly use some words of wisdom from you. And this journalism major would never forget it if she got to hear you speak.

Good luck at those venues, and we look forward to any and all interviews we can listen to!

after him and we all know what a big beer drinker he is. LOL.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/africa/7674202.stm

I want him to visit Kenya and also that cute 'Obama' place in Japan,  where everyone was rooting for him in primaries.

amk

 California never gets a visit from Al. I am not connected to any universities, only took one year of music at a community colllege a very long time ago. I hope some young(er) CA or NV fieldhand can organize a visit for next year.

Edit: I will guess Florida as the state your on your way to for the duration??

Obama 52 McCain 46

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/missouri/election_2008_missouri_presidential_election

I'll be there! Anyone in the Madison area, more help is needed putting up fliers and acitvating our local networks. I know that everyone is busy with GOTV, but I think with a little coordination we can get the word out. Email me (kurt.squire -at - gmail.com) or from the Wisconsin Field Hands page for more info!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/17/75750/288/277/633316

First Day Early Voting in NC 99,255 votes cast on first day.

Breakdown on vote by race:

Black 35.7%
White 61.0%
Asian 0.5%
Native American 0.3%
Other* 2.5%

Breakdown by Party:

2008
Unaffiliated 15.40%
Republican   20.15%
Libertarian   0.04%
Democratic   64.41%

I think community organizing will be a key instrument in achieving universal health care. Community organizers will ensure that the debacle of 1994 won't be repeated, by campaigning for it and countering conservative arguments against it, influencing public opinion and Congress.

Hi Al,

So happy that you are going to be in the neighborhood!! I am all for hosting  you or any other Field Hand in Chicago around Nov.4th --just email me at mc9cain@aol.com.  My place is a nice large two bedroom highrise condo in downtown Chicago . The election party, as you know,  is being planned for Grant Park and I will definitely be going to it.  This weekend I will be on the Field Hands website to hopefully get some other things coordinated with rikyrah and other Chicago Field Hands.

Unfortunately I will be attending training Thursday night next week for poll watching in Indiana so I won't be able to see you in Madison.  Hope to see many of you soon!

They say msm (faux, msnbc) is pushing this. Would love to hear your opinions.

amk

 Check this out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lj22msr1y8

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/hendrikhertzberg/2008/10/voter-fraud-fra.html

amk

Amk - You should know me better than that. Let them freak out. If they weren't freaking about this, they'd find something else. It's not rational and you should ignore them too rather than spreading word about them here.

Seems Al is so busy he missed an important question Lisa Ballard asked on the last post - so I'll ask it again for her:

"And Al, what is your dream guitar?"

I'm too excited about The Organizing of the President to say anything except THANKS to Christi for embedding that Al Smith dinner video of President Obama - just so fabulous - and heartwarming to watch him.  That One has That Smile!!!!!!

amk

Thank you for taking the 'rap on the knuckles' from Al for all of us!!! Don't worry about deleting it ;-)  We all have those moments.  I had one when I read the Drudge stuff on Gallop last night - and then thank Dog I went to Nate Silver commenting on it and got to laugh at myself!!

As a co-publisher you can always go back to your own comments and edit them. I have had to do it a couple of times. Just hit edit on the post you want to change.

http://www.iftheworldcouldvote.com/results

amk

Some nice reporting on the Loundon county Obama and McCain campaign offices here:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/17/104849/19/193/632375

Do the good people of Delaware have someone in line to take Joe Biden's place?

Tien Le - That his son Beau Biden, state attorney general currently serving in Iraq, is a very likely appointment by the Democratic governor Ruth Ann Minner. I haven't researched how that would logistically work: a currently serving member of the military in the senate, but somehow I think red tape will be cut to make it happen.

Letterman called McCain out on his association with G. Gordon Liddy, and asked if he had attended a fundraiser at Liddy's house (he did) and McCain literally could not or would not speak, so Letterman went to a commercial.  When they returned, McCain made the "He's paid his debt" defense.

And last night on Google, the number 1 search term was "Gordon Liddy."

Thanks, Dave!

Thanks for reposting question Suzy.  Also, Al, any chance a mystery destination could be greater NYC?

Lisa - I would so love to be in NYC right now while the rats that invaded and destroyed my little hometown, pushing all us natives out or to the sides, are fleeing the Wall Street ship, but, alas, that's not where the story will be prior to November 4.

And thanks for asking about the dream guitar, but I'm afraid it's way "above my pay grade" and even that of a plumber that makes a quarter million a year.

Not your typical guitar, but defintely doable (is that a word?). When do we get to find out where the story is shaping up in the ground war?

Ok-Ladies & Gents, it is time to get in gear and figure out how to get Al his dream guitar

Appearing on Lee Rayburn's show on Madison's  Air America affiliate, and streaming at 92.1 The Mic at 6:45 AM, Central time. I imagine it'll run 15 minutes, teasing the event that evening.

Democrat for US Senate (Wisconsin 2012)

I just watched the clip of Letterman from Andrew Sullivan's site.  He really drilled McCain - it was great to watch.  He's asked the toughest questions (well maybe the View did too) that I've heard asked so far.  And, you also get the sense that he's not just asking to make "news" or to be entertaining but that he personally is very concerned about this election.  And McCain was lying through his teeth for the entire segment.  Absolutely.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/letterman-on-pa.html

KD

sorry I can't make it, but if you need help try ex-Mayor Paul Soglin a kindred spirit. Madison is a great community. just get out before winter when your eye-balls freeze.

Launching this project is very encouraging.

I got one of those targeted mailing Ayers flyers from a friend today, so we're going to have to make sure we keep talking to our neighbors right up to the 5th.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/17/gop-pamphlet-ayers-is-ter_n_135...

 Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 10/14-15. Likely voters. MoE 4% (9/16-17 results)

Voted this morning at the early voting site in North Raleigh.  For some of the sites (including this one), Wake County took out some decent-sized retail space in the local malls.

At any given time, my guess is there were about 200 people in line.  Inside there were probably 30 voters at a time, so the line moved quickly.  We finished voting about 45 minutes after we got there.  I would say they are turning about 300 voters per hour at that site.  It was very well run.

I only saw one shirt or button related to either candidate, which was an Obama one.  I suspect people didn't want to risk being turned away.  The paper today had a guide regarding voting, though, which explained you could wear your campaign stuff as long as you don't do any electioneering.

I didn't see any  electioneering going on anyway, which is very different from my usual polling site.  In NC, you can do your campaign work within 50 feet of the door.  I've always hated this, and prefer the 1000 foot rule we had when I lived in Wisconsin.  In the case of the early voting site, the signs were restricted to the other side of the building, which probably contributed to the low-noise wait in line.

I can't say for sure what the makeup of the line was in terms of Obama versus McCain.  My feel was that it was a more pro-Obama crowd.  Plenty of Obama stickers in the parking lot, and I saw only one McCain.  But this part of town is a fairly strong one for McCain in general.  My own precinct (a pretty large one) is strongly Republican in these elections, but the Obama campaign thinks it is pretty evenly split this year.

NC law allows you to register and vote at the same time during early voting, so even if you aren't registered yet get out there and vote!

Not that this is a problem among the Field Hands  :)

Research 2000: Obama 49 McCain 45

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/101708/met_345150145.shtml

Survey USA: McCain 49 Obama 47

http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=45bb3f2c-2191-49e1-9d67-a326956b75ca&c=42

Forgot to mention in my last that we have received in the last two days flyers that match three of the four Robo Calls that have been mentioned so far.  Today's had a very flattering mug shot of Mr Ayers.  We haven't received any of the calls yet.  My wife is just hoping that one of the pollsters calls us so she can give them an earful.

For all McCain's complaints about Obama opting out of public financing, he's just upset because it maintains something like parity.  Ol' John knows where all the loopholes are in the financing laws.  Obama is funding his entire campaign.  But all the stuff on the ground in the states for the McCain campaign is paid by the RNC or the state GOP with soft money.  Probably not the commercials, but yard signs, mailers, etc, come from GOP coffers, not the McCain campaign.

Hey Al, would you settle for a nice Taylor acoustic with a built-in pickup?  I have a couple of friends with those and they are really sweet to play.  Of course, the price tag probably isn't too far from the schmoozy steel guitar you linked to...

My favorite coaster in the house is the circular cutout from a Taylor guitar, which they give away at the factory in San Diego.

I don't have the link on this but saw it written up yesterday. The Chicago Trib has given notice it will be discontinuing AP subscription. It's a two year notice but this is a welcome development.

From what I can tell, it was because of rising fees and not because of piss poor "journalism" from the likes of Ron Fournrove.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...

Considering Trib owner Sam Zell makes Rupert Murdoch look like Edward R. Murrow, I worry Zell will find some even worse service than AP.  We'll see...

Hey Al, unfortunately, I know you have to go where the stories are right now -- maybe NYC after the election sometime.  Was up at the Mamaroneck Obama / Oppenheimer office on Boston Post Road today writing letters to PA women -- they're going to be sick of hearing from us (New Yorkers) when this is all over.  Office was hopping when I got there.   Will get names and numbers when I go next week.

Meanwhile, don't be giv'n up so quick on that there guitar, man!

Fieldhands, maybe the day after the Election (Nov 5th) would be a great day to come together and rally to make Al's guitar dream a reality?  What do you think?  Stay tuned.  Start saving! 

Click on "guitar" link in Al's post @12:30.

Tribune endorses Obama:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-chicago-tribune-endorseme...

Looks like Obama will be in town Thursday afternoon.

http://www.madison.com/wsj/topstories/309995

Democrat for US Senate (Wisconsin 2012)

Ben - We're on it!

We're assembling a pamphleting team to distribute the above flyer to all the thousands that will be on line waiting to get through the metal detectors on Thursday.

Anybody who can volunteer in that effort, please contact me: narconews@gmail.com

with the crowd on Martin Luther King Drive, but, while it's wide, MLK is only 2 blocks long, won't hold more than 8,000-10,000. Much of the Capitol grounds is under construction.

Democrat for US Senate (Wisconsin 2012)

Al, maybe you can get that local radio station to carry you on air so all of your fans can listen live.  I so wish I could be there...

Renee

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=44067390844

Democrat for US Senate (Wisconsin 2012)

I hope to make it to Madison this week. Is any registration needed?

NLinStPaul - No advance registration but try to get there a little early to make sure you get a seat. And make sure to introduce yourself to me before or after the event.