With Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies?

Evan Bayh is organizing a Blue Dog caucus in the Senate.

Matthew Yglesias explains further...

With Republicans out of power, the GOP can’t really block progressive change in exchange for large sums of special interest money. That creates an important market niche for Democrats willing to do the work. It was a good racket for the House Blue Dogs in 2007-2008 and there’s no reason it couldn’t work for Senate analogues over the next couple of years.

Matt Stoller has a list of Conservative Democrats that might join a Blue Dog caucus that include Sens. Mark Pryor (Ark.), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Mary Landrieu (La.), Ben Nelson (Neb.), Jim Webb (Va.), and Sen.-elect Mark Warner (Va.).

Stoller goes on to explain that this just shows that the 60 vote threshold meant nothing...

This shows that the 60 vote threshold argument was nonsense, power is concentrated in the hands of conservative Democrats and a few Republicans, and that's how these guys wanted it.

A perfect example that electing better Democrats is just as important as electing more Democrats.

Tuesday's Highlights from the Democratic National Convention

The media was all over last night's convention speeches for not attacking Bush and McCain enough. Tonight, that's is not the case...

Janet Napolitano, Governor of Arizona (YouTube video)...

Barry Goldwater ran for president, and he lost. Mo Udall ran for president, and he lost. Bruce Babbit ran for president, and he lost. For this next election, that's one Arizona political tradition I'd like to see continue.

Kathleen Sebelius, Governor of Kansas...

John McCain's version: There's no place like home...or a home...or a home...or a home...or a home...

Sen. Bob Casey, Pennsylvania (YouTube video)...

John McCain calls himself a maverick, but he votes with George Bush more than 90% of the time...that's not a maverick, that's a sidekick.

and...

The Bush-McCain Republicans inherited the strongest economy in history and drove it into a ditch. They cut taxes on the wealthiest of us and passed on the pain to the least of us. They ran up the debt, gave huge subsidies to big oil companies, and now they’re asking for four more years.

How about four more months?

Mark Warner, former Governor of Virginia and Senate candidate...

People always ask me, "What's your biggest criticism of President Bush?" I'm sure you all have your own. Here's mine: It's not just the policy differences. It's the fact that this president never tapped into our greatest resources - the character and resolve of the American people. He never asked us to step up.

Think about it: After September 11, if there was a call from the President to get us off foreign oil, to stop funding the very terrorists who had just attacked us, every American would have said, "How can I do my part?" This administration failed to believe in what we can achieve as a nation, when all of us work together.

and Warner does a great summing up what this election is about...

This election isn't about liberal versus conservative. It's not about left versus right. It's about the future versus the past.

Ted Strickland, Governor of Ohio, made a great baseball analogy...

You know, it was once said of the first George Bush that he was born on third base and thought he'd hit a triple. Well, with the 22 million new jobs and the budget surplus Bill Clinton left behind, George W. Bush came into office on third base--and then he stole second. And John McCain cheered him every step of the way.

Brian Schweitzer, Governor of Montana, is really hitting McCain hard on being in the pocket of Big Oil and against renewable energy (and having a great time while is at it)...

After eight years of a White House waiting hand and foot on big oil, John McCain offers more of the same. At a time of skyrocketing fuel prices, when American families are struggling to keep their gas tanks full, John McCain voted 25 times against renewable and alternative energy. Against clean biofuels. Against solar power. Against wind energy.

This not only hurts America's energy independence, it could cost American families more than a hundred thousand jobs. At a time when America should be working harder than ever to develop new, clean sources, John McCain wants more of the same and has taken more than a million dollars in campaign donations from the oil and gas industry. Now he wants to give the oil companies another 4 billion dollars in tax breaks. Four billion in tax breaks for big oil?

That's a lot of change, but it's not the change we need.

In Montana, we're investing in wind farms and we're drilling in the Bakken formation, one of the most promising oil fields in America. We're pursuing coal gasification with carbon sequestration and we're promoting greater energy efficiency in homes and offices.

Even leaders in the oil industry know that Senator McCain has it wrong. We simply can't drill our way to energy independence, even if you drilled in all of John McCain's backyards, including the ones he can't even remember.

Hillary Clinton caps off a fantastic night with a fantastic speech that stressed the need to elect Barack Obama. She nailed McCain with this line...

It makes a lot of sense that next week John McCain and George Bush will be together in the Twin Cities, because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart.

Predicting Biden

Barack Obama is supposed to announce his VP candidate this evening or tomorrow morning by text message to supporters. There will be an event in Springfield, Illinois tomorrow afternoon with Obama and the Vice President candidate.

I am predicting that the choice will be Joe Biden. Biden is known to talk a lot and, except for a comment midweek that he's not the guy, he has been pretty quiet the past couple weeks. Biden is coming off a trip to Georgia where he talked to leaders in the region about the conflict with Russia. Biden best quality in my opinion is that he isn't afraid to throw elbows and go on the attack.

Bayh and Kaine's names have been put out there before Obama made campaign stops in their respective states and the buzz wasn't always positive. I think that was basically a test run and the campaign has decided against those two. Another reason that going against Kaine is that Obama just spent two days campaigning in Virginia, a key battleground state, so it wouldn't make sense to announce your naming the Governor of Virginia VP at an event in another state.

I wouldn't be surprised if Hillary Clinton gets the nod. This diary at Open Left makes the case that Obama will name Hillary Clinton that makes a lot of sense.

If, in June, Clinton told you she should be your VP and you were seriously considering it, what would you do? You would probably tell her that the only way it could happen is if you wholeheartedly endorse me, make it clear you have gotten over the joint ticket idea, have those under your influence (such as the "Vote Both" folks) drop all of their efforts on HRC's behalf. You'd say, I can't look weak by picking you, like I was forced by circumstance. It must look like a choice I made that I didn't have to make but I did because I'm such a big person and I care about the country and I care about victory.

There are three candidates that I would most like to see be named vice president. I would love for Obama to name Kathleen Sebelius, who was campaigning in Iowa yesterday, is still a choice, but there hasn't been much buzz about her lately. And Tom Harkin is pushing for Chris Dodd, which I think would be a great choice. Finally, I have been a little surprised that Bill Richardson hasn't been mentioned as much. I think he would bring a lot to the table.

Then it could be a complete dark horse candidate like Tom Daschle, John Kerry, Mark Warner, or Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer (one of the battleground states Obama is visiting after the announcement is Montana).

Now it's just time to sit back with my cell phone in hand and wait for the announcement.

Vice Presidential Candidates

Political Insider says vice presidential candidates rarely are named from people who have been running for president.

With many presidential candidates being touted as possible vice presidential nominees should they lose their party's primary, such as Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), it is important to note that history is not on their side. Since 1932, of the 28 vice presidential nominees who were running for the office for the first time, just five of them were previously candidates for president that year: John Edwards (D) in 2004, George H.W. Bush (R) in 1980, Lyndon Johnson (D) in 1960, Estes Kefauver (D) in 1956, and John Garner (D) in 1932.

I think Richardson or Obama would be ideal VP candidates. However, If we are looking outside the field of presidential candidates you can look at people that almost ran for president like former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, former Virginia Governor Mark Warner, Senator Evan Bayh (D-Indiana), and Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin). Some others could be Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, and first term Senator Jim Webb (D-Virginia).

Mark Warner's Crashing the Harkin Steak Fry

The Harkin Steak Fry is this Sunday and the main speaker is Barak Obama. The main program also includes Tom Vilsack, Chet Culver, and other candidates running for office in Iowa. Mark Warner decided to attend the event, so he will be speaking at a pre-program. Warner has a full schedule of events on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Here they are...

Sunday
Senator Tom Harkin's Steak Fry
1:00pm-4:00pm
Warren County Fairgrounds
Hwy 92 West

Indianola, IA

Election Day Count Down Party
5:30pm-7:30pm
Zimm’s Restaurant
3124 Ingersoll Ave.
Des Moines, IA

Monday
Speech to the Greater Des Moines Partnership
7:30am -9:00am
Des Moines Club
666 Grand Avenue, 33rd Floor
Des Moines, IA
Cost: $25 for Partnership Members, $30 for Non-members

Event for the Wapello County Democrats
12:00pm-1:30pm
Fox and Sac Room
Hotel Ottumwa
107 E Second Street
Ottumwa, IA

Lee County Democrats
Office Opening
4:00pm-5:00pm
703 Avenue G
Ft. Madison, IA

Des Moines County Democratic Steak Fry
5:30pm- 7:30pm
Port of Burlington
200 Front Street
Burlington, IA
Suggested Ticket Price: $15

Tuesday
Breakfast for State Rep. Nate Reichert
8:00am-9:30am
Maid-Rite Diner (South)
1033 Hershey Ave.
Muscatine, IA 52761
Suggested Contribution: $25

Event for the Johnson CountyLegislative Delegation
12:00-1:30pm
Iowa River Power Co Restaurant
501 1st Ave.
Coralville, IA
Suggested Contribution: $25

Warner changes tune on Iraq, says we should withdrawl troops

From the Des Moines Register...

Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner said in Iowa Monday that the United States should begin to withdraw troops from Iraq, which represents a shift for the Democrat who is taking steps toward a run for president in 2008.

But Warner, who kicked off a two-day trip through the leadoff caucus state, stopped short of embracing a timeline to have troops out of Iraq, unlike Sens. Joe Biden and Russ Feingold, who are also in Iowa this week.

Warner's statement that "we've got to find a way out of Iraq" marks a departure from the wait-and-see stance he articulated this summer, when he said withdrawal should be an option. The statement also coincides with growing support among Americans to bring the troops home, which recent polls show a majority of Americans favor.

Warner will be in Ames and Des Moines today.

Noon Story County Democrats - Win in 2006!
Lucullan's Restaurant
400 Main St.
Ames, Iowa

3:00 Meet and Greet for Sec of State Candidate Michael Mauro
The Plaza
300 Walnut Ave
Des Moines, IA

Here's an article from the Sioux City Journal about Warner's stop their on Monday.