Washington, #3 on Forbes Best For Business List

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Washington State has moved to #3 in Forbes list of "Best States For Business".

Table: The Best States For Business

According to Forbes, Washington ranks #6 in "Regulatory Environment" and #2 in "Growth Prospects" and falls in the middle of the pack on "Business Costs".

What I find puzzling is that Republican candidates continue to drone on and on about how they'd "fix things" to make Washington more business friendly.

When Republicans candidates like Dino Rossi and, our local Republican operative to the Legislature, Doug Ericksen claim Washington's business climate is bad, they are just plain insulting the intelligence of the voters.

UPDATE:

*For Immediate Release*

Release Date: Thursday, July 31

CORRECTION: Gregoire campaign issues apology for television ad

Washington state moves from 5th to 3rd in Forbes business ranking

WASHINGTON STATE – People for Chris Gregoire, the re-election campaign for Gov. Gregoire, would like to clarify a statement in their first television ad. The ad states, “we’re one of the top five states to do business.”

Today, Forbes updated their annual rankings and Washington is now ranked as the third best state to do business (http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/30/virginia-georgia-utah-biz-cz_kb_0731beststates_table.html). The commercials currently on the air do not reflect the change, but will be corrected.

“We apologize to anyone who was misled into believing that Washington is the fifth best place to do business when, in fact, we are ranked third,” said Aaron Toso, press secretary for the Gregoire campaign.

According to the measurements used by Forbes magazine, Washington was ranked as the second best state for both our work force and growth prospects. Our state is also rated as having the sixth best regulatory environment and the seventh best state for the overall economic climate.

Even as George Bush has caused a national economic downturn, under Gov. Gregoire’s leadership, Washington state has been moving up in the rankings. Last year Washington state moved from 12th to fifth overall. “One of Washington's big strengths is reduced red tape,” is what Forbes noted as a major factor for the jump in ranking.

Now Washington state has been ranked:

Third best state to do business – Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/30/virginia-georgia-utah-biz-cz_kb_0731beststates_table.html)
Fourth best state for starting a business – Fortune Small Business (http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fsb/0711/gallery.Top10BestStates.fsb/4.html)
Top three best managed states – Pew Institute (http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/gpp_report_card.aspx)
Third greenest in “America’s Greenest States” – Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/2007/10/16/environment-energy-vermont-biz-beltway-cx_bw_mm_1017greenstates_2.html)

For more information on Gov. Chris Gregoire and her campaign, please visit www.ChrisGregoire.com.

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"Top Two Primary" Nominee, There Can Be Only One

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With the new rules of the "Top Two Primary", political party's have to hold nominating conventions to select their candidates. Washington Democrats at the State Legislative District level held conventions a while back, but the word hasn't really gotten around very well.

The 40th Legislative District Democrats has sent out a new press release to let everyone know who their candidate is.

For Immediate Release (TIME SENSITIVE):

Contacts:
Tom Pasma (Mount Vernon), 40th Legislative District Chair – (360) 766-5300
Roni Beall (Bellingham), 40th Legislative District Vice-Chair – (510) 435-4747

40th Legislative District Democrats encourage local voters to support Kevin Ranker for Senate

There is confusion about which candidate the Democratic Party is supporting this year in the Senate race to fill the 40th Legislative District seat currently held by Senator Harriet Spanel.

The clear and simple answer is Kevin Ranker. He is not only our sole nominee, but is also our sole endorsee. Given the new "Top Two Primary", 40th Legislative District Democrats went through a required nomination process and a rigorous and inclusive, open, endorsement process last spring soon after Senator Harriet Spanel announced her pending retirement. After hearing presentations and questioning five democratic candidates, the Democratic Precinct Committee Officers from 40th District from Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan Counties voted 54% for Kevin Ranker to be the Democratic Party's sole official nominee on their first ballot. The other four candidates split the remaining votes 20%, 16%, 10%, and 0.

Next a broader "endorsement" process took place. All active members of the 40th Legislative District Democrats were invited to attend forums and endorsement meetings in their respective parts of the district to hear all five candidates speak and answer questions. This process allowed for the possibility that each candidate might be "endorsed". The membership was advised that they could endorse as many candidates as they wished to, and that every candidate who received votes by more than 50% of those present would receive the party's endorsement. Once again the results were clear. Kevin Ranker received a decisive 74% of the vote. No other candidate received greater than 48%. Accordingly, Kevin Ranker received the sole endorsement of the 40th Legislative District.

It is noteworthy that Mr. Ranker won the party nomination despite there being more than twice as many Whatcom and Skagit PCOs at the nominating convention as there were PCOs from the San Juan Islands; and that he won the sole party endorsement despite the fact that the membership had the option to endorse two or more candidates.

40th Legislative District Democrats encourage voters to support Kevin Ranker for Senate. With 15 years experience as a community development expert, director of conservation organizations, and as a San Juan County Council member, Kevin Ranker will protect what's best about our region, while working to get results on the issues that matter to our communities and impact our quality of life. Washington Conservation Voters, Washington Education Association, SEIU 925, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, many other organizations and hundreds of individuals have also endorsed Kevin Ranker.

40th Legislative District Democrats nominated and endorsed Kevin Ranker for Senate because when Kevin speaks, we understand his depth of knowledge and commitment to our issues, and we have come to know that he is uniquely qualified to hit the ground running. Voters need to know that Kevin Ranker is our clear choice. Learn more about Kevin's background, position on issues, and his other endorsements by visiting his website: KevinRanker.com.

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More Pioneer Days......

Saturday was a FULL day...i started at the Ferndale Farmer's Market....then to our booth at the park ....then to main st for the parade....back to the booth and on to the Friendship Community Garden....it was so much fun and the crowd was the largest i've seen in the 4 years i have been involved in a booth....










Mark Flanders,running for Washington State Representative-Position One -42nd LD , shakes the hand of a woman who was very pleased to see him.

Kelli Linville and Ellen Ware stopped by after the parade and it was fun to visit with them.

Mark Flanders stopped by the Friendship Community Garden on his way home.

an enthusiastic Obama supporter stopped by for a sticker

the Ferndale City Council and Mayor Jensen had a booth and were available to visit with folks

all photos.....

and for Fun!!!!! this video of the Ferndale HS Marching Band.....as they stopped right in front of me, i was treated to the most amazing drumming....
and of course Mayor Gary Jensen hurrying to catch up...

113th Annual Oldsettlers Picnic and Grand Parade

We have been having big fun meeting and greeting from our booth at the Whatcom County Oldsettlers Association 113th Annual Oldsettlers Picnic and Grand Parade.
here are a few photos.......


more to come........

McCain Incompetence, How Much Will The MSM Cover Up?

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CBS edited out (another) McCain screw-up. McCain tried to make time run backward, falsely claimed that the "Surge" was the cause of the "Anbar Awakening" when in reality the "Awakening" began months before the Bush Administration cooked up their "Surge" scheme.

The jed report has the detail and video:

And when McCain isn't displaying his confusion about military strategy and foreign policy, he's shilling for Big Oil.

McCain endorses 'big oil'' predictions to push offshore drilling
David Edwards and Nick Juliano
Published: Tuesday July 22, 2008

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain is relying on the projections of oil company executives to push his coastal drilling plan that would enrich those same executives -- who by the way aren't already exploiting every opportunity they have to drill where they're already allowed to.

At a campaign stop in New Hampshire Tuesday, McCain said Congress must allow offshore drilling for oil and natural gas simply because the possibility to drill there exists. He dismissed suggestions that offshore drilling would have negligible effects on lowering the price of gasoline. ...
... One of the biggest oil companies, ExxonMobil, is seemingly less concerned about finding new domestic oil now than they were in 1981, at least if their spending priorities are to be believed. As of last year, the company, which formed in a 1999 merger, was spending 60 percent as much looking for oil than Exxon and Mobil did in 1981. The same company has been turning out record profits for the last several years, as gas prices have soared.
(full article)

McCain doesn't advocate the action that really would break the speculation spiral and bring gas prices down, increasing supply by opening the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. That's a move that would help ordinary Americans so McCain, like Bush, isn't interested.

WA-02 Larsen Campaign Rollin' In Dough

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The latest FEC filings are in and the Everett Heralds Jerry Cornfield reports that WA-02 Congressman Rick Larsen (D) is doin' fine with his re-election campaign beginning July with $614,532 on hand, while his challenger(?) Rick Bart has zip... zilch... zero in his campaign coffers.


I reckon former county Sheriff Bart has had a fair amount of trouble corrallin' that posse he was braggin' he'd swear in to unseat Larsen.

So looks like it's "Whoopee ti yi yo, get along, little doggie. It's your misfortune and none of my own."

Mark Flanders in Ferndale

We had a nice barbeque and folks had a chance to meet and greet with Mark. The highlight of the Q&A was the young fella with some questions about our northern border.

Senator Murray Says Tap Strategic Petroleum Reserve

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Senator Murray Delivers the Democratic Radio Address

Senator Murray Delivers the Democratic Radio Address

"Good morning, this is United States Senator Patty Murray.

Last Sunday I pulled into the gas station near my home in Washington State and paid $4.45 per gallon.

Just a year ago, who could have imagined $4.45 for gas? Now, sadly, prices like this are a reality for families all across America.

We all know that there’s no simple solution to this crisis. America needs a long-term energy plan that reduces our dependence on oil by investing in alternative fuels -- but there are reasonable steps we can take to reduce oil prices now.

Recently, you’ve probably heard about drilling for more oil, and as long as it is done responsibly, that’s something Democrats support.

Oil companies already lease 68 million acres of federal land, which could nearly double U.S. production. They just aren’t using it.

That oil won’t drill itself. We believe it’s time for the oil companies to use that land – and to make sure that it stays in America – instead of shipping it to the highest bidder overseas.

Democrats also think it is time to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Right now we have more than 700 million barrels of oil sitting underground in Texas and Louisiana that can be used in times of emergency.

When President Bush’s father tapped into the oil reserve in 1991, prices went down immediately.

I don’t know what President Bush thinks, but four and half dollar a gallon gas is an emergency for America’s families. When was the last time the President filled his own tank?

In addition, Democrats believe we must rein in Wall Street and traders who are unfairly driving up oil prices.

With regard for nothing but their own profits, some traders are bidding up oil prices by buying huge quantities of oil just to resell at an even higher price.

You see, these traders never plan on actually using the oil they buy. They just keep buying it to inflate the price so that they can make more and more money when they turn around and sell it. The problem is, families like yours and mine are stuck paying the bill.

For nearly eight years now, the Bush Administration has turned a blind eye and let these questionable practices continue with virtually no oversight.

Some experts say that this kind of trading accounts for 20 to 30 percent or more of what we pay at the pump.

Nothing is certain in the oil markets, but experts agree the steps I’ve talked about should help to bring oil prices down and help families make ends meet.

We hope that President Bush and Senate Republicans will join us to reduce energy prices in the short term.

In 2001, when President Bush took office, gas was $1.46 a gallon. Today, in my state, it’s more than triple that. Clearly there’s something wrong with these tired policies.

But there’s a major difference between Democrats and Republicans on energy: Bush-McCain Republicans haven’t come up with anything more than drill, drill, drill.

Even John McCain recently admitted that his offshore drilling proposal has mainly “psychological” benefits.

Our families don’t need to “feel better” about spending $4 dollars and a half per gallon. American families need real action that gets real results.

That’s why we need to get serious about investing in the clean, renewable fuels that can power our cars, homes and offices in the future.

Wind, solar, and geothermal power are becoming more affordable every day.

And everyday, American scientists, innovators and venture capitalists are researching new technologies that could one day end our addiction to oil forever.

We should fast track their efforts by making new investments and keeping their taxes low. Democrats have repeatedly tried to provide tax credits for alternative energy, but each time, Republicans have said no.

We’ve tried things the Republican way for nearly eight years now. Unfortunately all we’re hearing from them now are gimmicks and tired old ideas – the status quo.

With record gas prices and our economy spiraling deeper into recession, Democrats think it’s long past time for a bold new direction. We hope that you do, too.

This is Senator Patty Murray from Washington state. Thanks for listening, and have a great weekend."

Hightower on Populism and Blogging - Dean on 50 State Strategy

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Bill Scher of Liberal Oasis interviews Jim Hightower at Netroots Nation.

Jim Hightower talks about how bloggers are helping turn Texas progressive, and how Democrats need to unleash their inner populist. (July 18, 2008)

The 50 State Strategy is going strong. This years election isn't just about a new President, our country functions (or doesn't) because of elected official at all levels of government. DNC Chair Howard Dean hasn't forgotten about all those 'down-ticket' races.

David Shuster talks to Howard Dean about the Democrat's fifty state strategy this year and some of the negative ads out from Republicans. (July 16, 2008)

Iraq Wants U.S. Troops Out

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'AS SOON AS POSSIBLE'
Iraq Leader Maliki Supports Obama's Withdrawal Plans

In an interview with SPIEGEL, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Barack Obama's 16 timeframe for a withdrawal from Iraq is the right one. more...

More Dirty Politics From WA-GOP

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Statement on Republican attack on Michelle Obama

WASHINGTON STATE – Gov. Chris Gregoire’s statement on Republican attack ad on Michelle Obama.

“I was proud to welcome Michelle Obama, who clearly loves our country deeply, here to Washington state this morning. These shameless attacks by the state Republican Party have no place in our politics. If John McCain is serious about running a “respectful” campaign on the issues, he and Republican leaders like Dino Rossi will denounce this tasteless attack ad and tell the state Republican Party to pull the plug on it immediately. After eight years of the most divisive, fear-driven politics this country has ever seen, I agree with Senator Obama that it’s time to turn the page and bring Americans together.”

–Gov. Chris Gregoire


For more information on Gov. Chris Gregoire and her campaign, please visit www.ChrisGregoire.com.

####

And who's the star of the state Republican Party attack ad? Why none other than election fraud, perjurer and chair of the King county Republicans, Lori Soleto. What a telling choice of character to face the camera and claim to be proud to be an American. Trust to the Washington Republican Party to pick someone who's idea of patriotism is rigging elections.

Lori Sotelo submitted challenges to 1,944 registered voters in King County. Ms. Sotelo is the Senior Vice Chair of the King County Republican Party and heads their “Voter Registration Integrity Project”. Challenged voters began receiving notice of their challenged status via mail on Thursday, November 3, 2005, providing little time to correct errors.

• Hundreds of the challenged voters were in fact legally registered at their physical address, and were challenged wrongly.
• Possibly hundreds were registered, while not at their physical address, still in accordance with existing election law. These include the homeless, and others with non-traditional addresses.
• 535 were marked “inactive”, meaning they were voters who no longer voted, and were slated by King County Records and Elections for removal from the rolls.
• Ms. Sotelo altered the official challenge form, creating a new category of challenge specifically for her purposes.
• Ms. Sotelo did not perform any research herself, as acknowledged by Washington State Republican Party Chair Chris Vance in the Seattle Times.
• Ms. Sotelo does not personally know any challenged voters, nor has she made any attempt to contact them prior to challenging their voter registration.
• Ms. Sotelo acknowledged in recent challenge hearings that she made no attempt to verify accuracy of information during the VRIP’s match.
• Ms. Sotelo remains unable to provide evidence of any voter’s actual residence, as required by current election law in the event of a challenge.

Ms. Sotelo signed each of the 1,944 voter challenges “under penalty of perjury”. The documents require the signer to declare, by signing, that under penalty of perjury they have “personal knowledge” that the challenged voter does not, in fact, have the legal right to vote at their registered address.

Ms. Sotelo did not on October 26, nor does she now, have personal knowledge of the actual address nor voting eligibility of any of the 1,944 voters she has challenged. Because of her actions, many legally registered voters were too intimidated or frustrated to vote, cheating our democratic system.

Big Lies From Big Oil Lackeys

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There's an ever growing list of corrupt immoral sociopathic politicians and former politicians who are lying about the supposed safety of drilling for oil.

Officials spread false 'not a drop spilled after Katrina' talking point in support of offshore oil drilling

Nick Langewis Published: Wednesday July 16, 2008

Former Senator turned energy lobbyist Trent Lott (R-MS) falsely claimed, during a Tuesday MSNBC appearance in support of drilling for oil offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, that Hurricane Katrina didn't cause oil spills. ...

... Oil spills, in fact, numbered over 100 in the hurricane's aftermath, plaguing New Orleans and nearby areas and also contaminating the Mississippi River. The Coast Guard, MSNBC itself reported in September of 2005, estimated that 7 million gallons of oil, between 44 separate facilities around southeastern Louisiana, had been spilled as a result of the storm. ...

...(full story)

And guess what... the Newtster is on the take too.

Nothing Newt under the sun
Gingrich's 'grassroots' drilling campaign is funded by Big Oil, report says
Posted by Kate Sheppard at 3:30 PM on 15 Jul 2008

Some facts from Naomi Klein:

Oil Price Shock: Give Us the Arctic or Never Drive Again

Iraq isn't the only country in the midst of an oil-related stickup. The Bush Administration is busily using a related crisis--the soaring price of fuel--to revive its dream of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). And of drilling offshore. And in the rock-solid shale of the Green River Basin. "Congress must face a hard reality," said George W. Bush on June 18. "Unless members are willing to accept gas prices at today's painful levels--or even higher--our nation must produce more oil."

This is the President as Extortionist in Chief, with gas nozzle pointed to the head of his hostage--which happens to be the entire country. Give me ANWR, or everyone has to spend their summer vacations in the backyard. A final stickup from the cowboy President. ...

And stickup is right! Bush could authorize the release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and gas prices would begin going down, but he's not about to do that, because he's only interested in handing over more of America's resources to his Disaster Capitalist pals... knowing full well that they'll pay him lavishly after he leaves office.

Bush Has The Magic, But Won't Use It

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Today at his press conference:

Bush acknowledged it could take years before opening the Continental Shelf to oil drilling would result in increased U.S. production. But, he said, at least it would put the nation on the right track toward reducing its reliance on imported oil.

"There is no short term solution," Bush said. "The president doesn't have a magic wand. You can't just say, 'Low gas."

Guess what, with a 28% approval rating, Bush may not have The magic but went it comes to gas prices the President DOES have a magic wand! It's called the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the President has the power to release oil from the reserve.

Presidents have done it in the past and gasoline prices have dropped within days.

As a matter of fact, Bush released oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve after Hurricane Katrina and the price of gas dropped by 12% within a month.

So the truth is; Bush has that magic, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, wand tucked away and isn't using it. He's interested in locking up off-shore oil leases for his Big-Oil buddies and he's willing to screw-over average Americans with higher than necessary gas prices to get Congress to approve those oil-leases.

Don't be a sucker: it's George Bush not Congress who could bring down gasoline prices right away.


Today's Suggested Reading:
Eight Reasons to Release Oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Flanders Campaign in Ferndale, Next Saturday

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Mark Flanders (D), candidate for the State Legislature, will be holding a campaign event in Ferndale, next Saturday. Mark's gathering will be in Pioneer Park, a public park, and open to regular folks.

Committee to Elect Mark Flanders
P.O. Box 1765, Bellingham, WA 98227-1765
phone 360-201-6599
email info@markflanders.us
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Mark Flanders, State House Candidate, To Hold Ferndale Campaign Event

Mark Flanders, Democratic Candidate for the State Legislature's 42ndDistrict, Position One, is hosting a "Meet the Candidate Barbeque -Picnic" Saturday, July 19th at 5:30 pm in Ferndale's Pioneer Park.

Everyone interested in getting to know the candidate is invited to "Bring some food, bring some friends, or just bring yourself."

Mark Flanders says he is working to unseat the long-time Republican incumbent. "High gas prices, the housing market collapse, the energy crisis scandal, an unwise war paid for on borrowed money and the declining value of the dollar are no longer just evening news items.They are having a direct, negative impact on our State and our local communities. The incumbent fully embraces the worst of the Republican policies and at some point stopped representing the people of Whatcom County and started representing the GOP agenda", Flanders said.

Flanders believes that achieving our priorities will take time and a balance of resources. Flanders said, "We need to fully fund public education, because the cost of NOT funding education is staggering. We need transportation money to sustain our roads and support public transit. Currently we get only 50 cents on the dollar from the gas tax, even though my opponent sits on the transportation committee. Adopting green energy and transportation options will free us of our dependence on oil. We have already begun to develop new alternative technologies right here in Whatcom County. We must support our farmers and keep our industrial jobs, while working to keep a clean environment and restore our fisheries. We need to plan for growth in such a way that the Whatcom County 50 or 100 years from now is as wonderful a place as it is today."

# # #

Just for fun....Bellingham Bloggers Fest II a success

12:28:50 am, by Sam Taylor , 203 word

Bellingham Bloggers Fest II a success

Our blogger fests seem to be much quicker than other blog fests in how often we have them. We’ve had two this summer, so far. I can see another one happening.

This blog fest was, again, at a Bellingham Bells baseball game. Democrats and Republicans met and watched America’s past time together. Jpeg of Washington Outsiders was able to meet TripleP of the Parkenfarker Group.

And we had a pleasant surprise of former Bellingham City Council candidate Damon Gray showing up. Damon is now on Bellingham’s Greenway Advisory Committee, though he told me tonight that since his appointment a few weeks ago by Mayor Dan Pike that he’s only had kind of an introduction meeting.

Thanks to you all for showing up. CitizenSteve was called a “fuddy duddy” for not showing up, by the way. TripleP even brought his wife. I brought mine, too. It’s nice that we have a community here, where, though I report the news, you all can spend time chatting with me in other environs save for this blog. We had conservative and liberal together tonight. There was no fighting. All smiles. Except when the Bells lost.

And that’s what makes this blog special. Thanks, as always, for participating.
read more here...

a few photos and short videos at the game.....

War Crimes

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The IRC (Red Cross) has found that the Bush Administration has committed war crimes.

There are apologists for the Bush Administration who try to cloud the issue, but there is really no legal doubt that the Bush Administration has violate the Geneva Conventions by abusing and torturing prisoners.

Countdown: War Crimes Prosecutions Possible
Rachel reports on the possibility of the Bush administration being prosecuted for war crimes. Jonathan Turley weighs in.

For those with slow internet connections, Raw Story also has the story:
Red Cross finds Bush administration guilty of war crimes

DNCC Wants To Know Why You're A Democrat

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This sounds like a fun thing to do; make a YouTube video about why you're a Democrat (in 2008)... and maybe win a trip to the Convention in Denver.

Voters Answer: 'Why Are You A Democrat In 2008?' On YouTube For A Chance To Attend And Premiere Video At The Democratic National Convention
July 11, 2008

Online Video Program Offers Opportunity to Attend Denver Convention, Join Barack Obama on Campaign Trail as Member of Press Pool

DENVER – In keeping with its commitment to bring more people into the democratic process than ever before, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today announced the launch of a national online video contest with YouTube – inviting Americans to respond to the question: "Why are you a Democrat in 2008?"

The winner of the 2008 Convention Video Program with YouTube, the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos, will attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August and see his or her winning video played before thousands of delegates, elected officials and other Convention guests. YouTube will also send the winner on the campaign trail for a day, where as a member of the traveling press pool, the winner will record a video documenting the daily activities of the Democratic nominee.

Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, announced the program today in a video posted to the Convention's YouTube channel: youtube.com/demconvention.

...(more)

Robert Kennedy Jr.'s recent visit to Bellingham

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video can be seen at the Bellingham TV Channel 10 site.......

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Presentation: What is clean water worth to you?
Presentation in Bellingham on June 26, 2008 hosted by ReSources for Sustainable Communities, with video production supported by the City of Bellingham and the Angel Fund of the Whatcom Community Foundation.
http://www.cob.org/video/rfk20080707.wmv

Kelli Linville's Kickoff on Monday

I wanted to catch up with a few photos from the kickoff held at The Blue Horse Gallery on Monday. I had to leave for a meeting before audio but it was a great event and I had many nice conversations with many of Kelli's supporters.

Mark Flanders Kick-off reception in Bellingham

Flanders Campaign Bham Kick-off Reception
Tue Jul 8 5:30pm – 7:30pm Blue Horse Gallery (301 W. Holly, at Bay St.)

This is the kickoff event for Mark Flanders' campaign in Bellingham. Come and meet the candidate and mingle & network with allies from Bellingham and Whatcom County. This is where we can make positive Change a local reality. We look forward to seeing you there! For more information, visit http://www.markflanders.us/ or email us at info@markflanders or call 360-201-6599.

Mark Flanders is running for WA State Representative for the 42nd Legislative District.
The turnout for the kick-off was great, Marks stump speech was inspiring and the snacks were real tasty.


Hue Beatty (running for State Senate in the 40th LD) introduced Mark . Ken Henderson, also running for the State Senate was also there to support Mark.


Mark on Mark......

Bush Digs Us A Deeper Hole

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G8 Leaders Dig Into Environmental Issues

The G8 declaration only pledges to consider a goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century and only if China and India go along. That's definitely not the binding commitment other G8 leaders wanted. President Bush's no action approach won out, again.

Clearly, the Bush Administration is dedicated to not doing anything about man-made global warming, even if it kills us all. And here's a little more evidence:

Jul 8, 9:54 AM EDT
Cheney reportedly wanted cuts in climate testimony

By H. JOSEF HEBERT Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Dick Cheney's office pushed for major deletions in congressional testimony on the public health consequences of climate change, fearing the presentation by a leading health official might make it harder to avoid regulating greenhouse gases, a former EPA officials maintains.

When six pages were cut from testimony on climate change and public health by the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last October, the White House insisted the changes were made because of reservations raised by White House advisers about the accuracy of the science.

But Jason K. Burnett, until last month the senior adviser on climate change to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson, says that Cheney's office was deeply involved in getting nearly half of the CDC's original draft testimony removed. ...(full article)

It's The Economy...

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You know the economy is in the toilet when top Treasury officials can't think of something optimistic to say.

Washington Sketch: Economic Anxiety Disorder
The Wall Street Journal
Video By Akira Hakuta

The Wall Street Journal's Dana Milbank delivers a priceless performance in his sketch of Assistant Treasury Secretary Philip Swagel's briefing on the US economy.

4th of July

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"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."
-Mark Twain

All Politics Are Local

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Rapidly rising prices for fuel and food are putting more and more Americans under extreme economic pressure. Having enough to eat is a real issue for many.

Ferndale's Friendship Community Garden is a local project that aims to make a difference by giving people the opportunity to grow some food.

The Community Garden is located on city property that would otherwise lay fallow. The materials to construct garden beds, a shed and gazebo were donated. All of the labor involved in preparing the Garden was volunteered.

Room to grow: Community garden brings goodness

by Erik Burge
for the Record-Journal

A cool wet spring might have slowed the growing season, but it hasn’t put a damper on progress at Friendship Community Garden.

“We’ve harvested 25 pounds of salad and two pounds of peas so far,” said Andrea Traner, Community Garden Coordinator. “Not huge production, but better than nothing. It’s just great to see people pull their radishes and take their lettuce home.”

Garden sponsors, donors, participants and community members, along with mayor Gary Jensen as host, officially dedicated the garden yesterday afternoon.

...(full article)

Ferndale Friendship Community Garden
Dedication ceremony

More pictures and video at the Friendship Community Garden blog

Hunger In America

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The price of hunger
ANP: Hunger is a growing crisis in US, stagnant economy and rising fuel price cause cost of food to soar

"JAMES P. MCGOVERN, CONGRESSMAN (D-MA): Hunger is a political
condition. That is absolutely the best way to characterize it. We have the
resources, we have the infrastructure, we have everything to end hunger except
the political will."