PCCI is Throwing a Party for Ed Fallon in Des Moines on Wednesday Night

Got this email yesterday and thought I'd pass along the info...

COME JOIN ED FALLON AT AN APPRECIATION PARTY

When: Wednesday, July 9 from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Where: Raccoon River Park, Shelters A & B, 2500 Grand Avenue, West Des Moines

FOOD AND DRINK PROVIDED (donated by PCCI)

Pork & boca sandwiches
Salads
Desserts
Lemonade & ice tea

ENTERTAINMENT

Tiffany Cox & Veelas of the Moonlit Forest Belly Dancing Troupe (family friendly)
Mikiel Williams - New Orleans-style Jazz Musician
BeJae Fleming - Blues Singer
Exit 113 - 70s Hits, Blues, R & B and Rock
Ed Fallon - Accordionist

APPRECIATION EXPRESSED

To . . . Ed Fallon for his progressive stand on issues, for running for the office of U.S. Congressman in Iowa's Third District, for conducting a clean campaign based on issues, and for refusing donations from political action committees (PACs) and paid lobbyists.

To . . . campaign manager Lynn Heuss and all the Fallon for Congress staff and volunteers.

FREE-WILL DONATIONS ACCEPTED to help offset the campaign's debt. Suggested donation is $50 (or more, if possible), but donations of any size are appreciated. PLEASE COME EVEN IF A DONATION IS NOT POSSIBLE AT THIS TIME.

Polls Show an Obama/Edwards Ticket Blows Out McCain

Paul Rosenberg at Open Left takes a look at a possible Obama/Edwards ticket and says they would blow out McCain.

It looks like Edwards gives Obama a bump in the upper midwest states and in the southeast.

Electoral College: Obama 309, McCain 145, Toss-up 84
National popular vote: Obama 49.9%-42.2% McCain

I'd be happy, really happy, if Obama chose Edwards as VP. However, I think the reason Edwards gives Obama the biggest bump of all possible VP candidates is because Edwards has the highest name recognition of all of them not named Clinton.

Why FISA Matters

The Senate will be voting on the FISA capitulation bill today.

Glenn Greenwald explains what Congress is about to do and why FISA matters to everyone.

They are taking away from the judiciary the power to adjudicate allegations of lawbreaking. They are creating a two-tiered system of justice in which our most powerful corporations can break the law with impunity and government officials remain immune from consequences. And they are, in unity, spewing rank propaganda to the commoners -- who continue to be subjected to the harsh punishment for violations of the law and one of the world's most merciless justice systems -- in order to convince them that granting license to our political and corporate elites to break the law is necessary for their own Good and for their Safety.

If you feel strongly about this please call Sen. Harkin at (202) 224-3254 and Sen. Grassley at (202) 224-3744 this morning.

Tell them to vote no on any FISA bill that has telecom immunity in it and remind them they took the oath to protect the constitution and not to protect the telecom companies.

Investing in Infrastructure

On the plane ride out to Portland, I listened to a podcast about future transportation options in Ohio. They discussed expanding passenger rail, freight rail, bike trails, as well as roads.

One thing they mentioned really stuck out and shows the glaring need for investment in our infrastructure.

China and India spend about 9% of their GDP on infrastructure needs while the US spends about 1%.

That just demonstrates why we lack public transit and our roads and bridges are deteriorating.

John McCain Hates Me

4th of July Holiday Homework

I am vacation this week in Portland, Oregon, but I am still planning on doing some blogging.

Here are some stories that are worth reading...

• Jesse Helms died. Here is a transcript of one of his campaign ads in 1950...

White people, wake up before it is too late. Do you want Negroes working beside you, your wife and your daughters, in your mills and factories? Frank Graham favors mingling of the races.

Hopefully, we can say that with Helms' passing away that it is an end of an era.

• The Democratic Strategist takes a look at the two brands of patriotism...

If conservatives tend to see patriotism as an inheritance from a glorious past, liberals often see it as the promise of a future that redeems the past.

• Over at Daily Kos, mcjoan takes a look at the Declaration of Independence and the FISA bill that the Senate will vote on next week. Included is this quote from former Sen. Frank Church from back in the 1970's...

Crisis makes it tempting to ignore the wise restraints that make men free. But each time we do so, each time the means we use are wrong, our inner strength, the strength which makes us free, is lessened.

• Speaking of FISA, Glenn Greenwald thinks Obama's current stance is worthless.
• Things are looking good for Democrats this year.

In 2004, the Democrats began the year with a 2.3 percentage point edge over the GOP. That grew to 4.0 points by March before moving in the Republican direction for the rest of the year. By Election Day in 2004, the edge for Democrats was a mere 1.6 percentage points.

In 2006, the Democrats began the year with just a 1.6 percentage point advantage. That grew to 6.1 percentage points by November.

Polls done last month show Democrats with a 9.5% advantage.

This American Land

What is this land America so many travel there
I'm going now while I'm still young my darling meet me there
Wish me luck my lovely I'll send for you when I can
And we'll make our home in the American land

Over there all the woman wear silk and satin to their knees
And children dear, the sweets, I hear, are growing on the trees
Gold comes rushing out the rivers straight into your hands
When you make your home in the American Land

There's diamonds in the sidewalk the's gutters lined in song
Dear I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who will make his home in the American Land

I docked at Ellis Island in a city of light and spires
She met me in the valley of red-hot steel and fire
We made the steel that built the cities with our sweat and two hands
And we made our home in the American Land

There's diamonds in the sidewalk the's gutters lined in song
Dear I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who will make his home in the American Land

The McNicholas, the Posalski's, the Smiths, Zerillis, too
The Blacks, the Irish, Italians, the Germans and the Jews
Come across the water a thousand miles from home
With nothin in their bellies but the fire down below

They died building the railroads worked to bones and skin
They died in the fields and factories names scattered in the wind
They died to get here a hundred years ago they're still dyin now
The hands that built the country were always trying to keep down

There's diamonds in the sidewalk the gutters lined in song
Dear I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who will make his home in the American Land
Who will make his home in the American Land
Who will make his home in the American Land

Straight Talk On The Economy?

The Grinch Stole Christmas, Steve King Denies Children Health Care

Steve King thinks one his biggest accomplishment in Congress has been helping to block legislation that would expand health care insurance to children.

In an interview with the Sioux City Journal, Steve King cites his effort to block Democratic legislation in the last two years as one of his major accomplishments.

“That very well may be the best contribution that I have made in the 110th Congress, is slowing down, sometimes stopping Democratic-sponsored bills,” King said.

King specifically cites his efforts to derail the expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), known locally as the Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa (HAWK-I) program. King was the lone member of Iowa’s congressional delegation to stand with President Bush in opposition to this popular, bipartisan legislation.

“I do believe if you took me out of the equation, there would have been a different funding result,” King said.

At least King has saved Christmas by passing a bill saying that Christmas and Christians are important, the lone bill that King has sponsored that has been signed into law.

Early Childhood Education is the key to Leaving No Child Behind

Matthew Yglesias has a great post that looks at the supposedly poor education systems in urban areas in the US.

His conclusion is one that I see everyday teaching here in Iowa...

All across the United States we have a problem with kids from disadvantaged backgrounds doing poorly in school. We also see kids from disadvantaged backgrounds overrepresented in urban school systems. Consequently, average results from city school systems tend to be below average. But when you use appropriate demographic controls you see that there's huge city-to-city variation and also a huge amount being determined by the demographics.

From my experience, socio-economic status has a huge effect on how well a students does in school, as well as how prepared students are when they enter school. This is why early childhood education is so vital.

The goals of No Child Left Behind are admirable. However, currently, many students who enter school are already left behind because they have not had the exposure to the kinds of activities that encourage the development of language and reading skills.

In 2006, the Iowa legislature expanded early childhood education throughout the state. Research shows that children's brains develop rapidly at this age and it just makes sense that we utilize this time in a child's life to build a foundation for early literacy skills, as well as getting students "school ready."

Expanding community nursing programs that help parents with parenting skills and emphasizing reading and language development in the home is another step that could help children who come from low socio-economic status. A nurse could make home visits once a month and provide patient education to parents and the child. Classes could be offered to teach skills parents need to help their children learn basic early literacy skills and develop language skills.

There is a huge window in the development of a child's brain in the first 5 years of a child's life. It only makes sense that as a society we structure education programs to get the full advantage of this rapid growth. We will see a huge return later in the child's life for this investment.

Feingold Says Thank You for Action on FISA

From True Majority...

Do you speak insurance?