Nerditorial: Stay Classy, Tony Larson

WaPo: Conservative Groups Far Outspending Liberal Groups

When you compare the two lists of groups -- which you can see after the jump -- the disparity is almost comical. As you can see from the lists, the undisclosed cash flowing from the right goes far beyond what's coming from Karl Rove's groups or the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Around a dozen conservative groups with very anodyne names have also kicked in big six- and seven-figure sums.

Read it here.

Nerditorial: It Ain't Over Until Lenny Kravitz Sings...

Whatcom Democrats have issued an op-ed that was picked up by Sam Taylor of the Herald.

It seems every time I turn on the news or open a newspaper, I hear that Democrats are going to lose. “You know, this year is their year . . .the pendulum swings back and we had our turn . . . the other side is really motivated.” The pundits and prognosticators in the media seem to only know one story, “Red Wave Sweeping the Country.”


You know what? I don’t buy it. I don’t buy it for a moment.


I don’t buy it on the National level. A Gallup poll just out in the last couple of days shows Democrats and Republicans TIED in the generic polls. I see approval ratings of our president and our Democratic representatives still towering over the crumbled remains of the Republican brand. I see the conservatives at war with themselves, battling the conspiracy-crazed elements of their own party for the ability to pick their nominees, while the Dems, for once, calmly support solid candidates.


I don’t buy it on a State level. Kentucky, home of some of the most conservative minded voters you can find, has the progressive Democrat tied in his race for the senate. Alaska is poised to redeem itself for Palin and elect its 2nd Democratic senator in as many cycles. Our own Patty Murray is up 5 points in the last poll out. Yes, we Democrats are going to lose some seats (Goodbye, Blanche Lincoln) but we are holding our own in many many other races.


I REALLY don’t buy it on a local level. Last year on the County level, the Republicans poured thousands and thousands of corporate dollars in an attempt to drown our candidates, writing huge checks in the dead of night, and the best they could do was hold us to a draw. There is one more thing that is crystal clear about the local level.


They’ve got nothing on our candidates.


These Tea Party folks haven’t got anything to compare with Pat Jerns’ working a crowd, or Al Jensen speaking from the heart about his time behind the badge. They can’t stand up to Kelli Linville slicing and dicing their arguments with the sweetest batch of kindness you ever saw. They don’t even come close to Jeff Morris following through on building jobs in the 40th, or Kris Lytton’s passion for reforming our public schools. They can’t even grasp the expertise that Jean Melious brings to the table as an expert on land use and protecting our county.


Our opponents candidates know this. They know that empty promises and vague slogans wilt in the face of good ideas, solid policy and a true passion for public service. Is it any wonder they are running away from debates and public forums?


The conservative foot soldiers think this election is in the bag. They think the fix is in. Lets show them that we aren’t buying it. Let’s show them that, this isn’t over. Lets show them what Democrats can do.


This time in 2008, John McCain was leading Barack Obama in the polls. But you know what happened? We rolled up our sleeves and got to work. We called, we knocked, we wrote letters, we kicked butt. We made 2008 a historic year, and in 2010, we will do it again.
We welcome your time and energy volunteering to move our country foward. You can contact the Whatcom Democrats office at (360) 647-7661 or online at whatcomdemocrats.com.


The time is now. This year, the Democrats are a force to be reckoned with.

Val Kilmer considers New Mexico Governor's seat in 2010

Val Kilmer is considering a run for the governor's seat in 2010, when Democrat Bill Richardson's second term ends.

"I'm just looking for ways to be contributive," Kilmer told The Associated Press on Thursday. "And if that ends up being where I can make a substantial contribution, then I'll run."

But there's no formal decision yet.

Val Kilmer Fuels Reports of Political Run
Val Kilmer to Follow Schwarzenegger into Politics
Val Kilmer Tipped to Become New Mexico Governor
Kilmer Considers Politics

Mayorial Race in London is a contest of Personalities

Conservative Boris Johnson is running for Mayor of London, England. The outspoken conservative is currently leading liberal incumbent Ken Livingstone in the polls.

Johnson asks voters, "do you like buses?" as he leaps up on a wall in Richmond, England. "Isn't it great to see so many police here?"

No doubt about it. Johnson has energy and charisma and he's someone that Londoner's believe can deliver change - but will he actually deliver change? He's a small government conservative who wants to yank free bus passes from delinquent teenagers and has promised to get tough on street crime that has killed over 40 young people during the last 16 months.

Apparently, British voters have a history of not liking powerful politicians and Livingstone may be in danger of being removed from office because of his forceful personality. "It's not about policy," says Peter Kellner, director of YouGov, "Livingstone can still win if he gets back to a debate about what's best for London." But if it's a referendum on Livingstone's character, he'll lose it."

All this, despite the fact that Livingstone has made London less congested, more harmonious and perhaps more financially successful during his 8 year tenure as Mayor. Livingstone has presided over London during a prosperous period where the skyline grew and the city was awarded the 2012 Olympic games. Livingstone is also well thought of for his leadership during the July 7th attacks.

Meanwhile, Johnson launches into yet another rant about scrapping government committees, street improvement projects and stopping people from drinking on subways in a "bad" way. Some experts claim that there are broader factors at play, Livingstone has labeled Johnson an eccentric with little administrative experience other than picking out a restaurant to take his staff to lunch.

But Johnson has a rhetoric that the public likes, experience, or no experience - and a backlog of "off the cuff" remarks that would make even the most tolerant voter cringe.

It will be interesting to see who comes out on top during the upcoming election. Livingstone, who has a proven track record, or Johnson, the challenger with a catalog of inflamatory rhetoric.