Students filibuster Frist...Campus Center

The student center at Princeton University is named after Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.* And for more than 3 continuous days students have been "filibustering" outside the center to protest Frist's plans to kill senators' right to filibuster judicial nominations. Click here to see the filibuster webcam. Daily Princetonian story here.

*Class of '74. Please accept our apologies.

Who do you trust?

In his news conference last night the president continued to push for overall cuts in social security benefits, yet proposed "a Social Security system in the future where benefits for low-income workers will grow faster than benefits for people who are better off." Fuckin' communist. (WP)

Yup, everyone's talking about "Bush's big gamble" but it seems like typical Bush strategy to me: just say the thing that people want to hear, and then do whatever you want. In other words, just lie, or contort the truth to the point that you might as well be lying. Classic example: "I have sent you Clear Skies legislation that mandates a 70-percent cut in air pollution from power plants over the next 15 years." Ballsy! (State of the Union 2003)

Why does this strategy work? Good, normal people, and most of us are, have a hard time processing the fundamental contradiction of the guy they elected president lying to their faces. It's just not done. Bush's lies produce a cognitive dissonance that can only be resolved in one of two ways: either people must admit to themselves that they were wrong to trust him, that they just got completely screwed, or they must just trust him blindly and discount evidence that he is lying. It's way easier to do the second, and totally understandable. What will people do this time?

Protecting corporations from bloggers

This is interesting in light of the PR drone traffic I've been seeing on this and other blogs (see related post: Technorati on patrol).

"Blogger Relations Practice Launched By Internet Pioneers
Issue Dynamics Public Affairs Firm Expands Role, Helps Clients
Maximize Public Perception in Blogosphere

Issue Dynamics, Inc., pioneers in blogging and Internet
services since 1993, has launched a formal Blogger Relations Practice...with the right message and the right messenger, the blogosphere can work more effectively - and be less costly - than traditional media for getting messages out to the public and to decision makers."

Available services include "a robust blog monitoring service" and "predictive intelligence on critical regulatory and legislative developments to enable the better development of tactical advances or responses on the issues." (IDI press release)

No way.

"Herd of Buffalo Disrupts Traffic in Md.: PIKESVILLE, Md. -- A herd of buffalo somehow got loose and wandered around an upscale neighborhood Tuesday, disrupting traffic and alarming homeowners before officers managed to corral them in a tennis court." (AP via WP--yes, there is video and yes it is hilarious)

I'm afraid I have to call "bullshit" on this one. Appropriately enough. Can anyone confirm this story?

[Confirmed!--MW]

The Dept. of Homeland Security is not holding any bake sales

Rush Limbaugh recently (and oh so falsely) claimed that federal spending on environmental programs equals federal spending on defense/homeland security. (Media Matters) Heh. If wishes were horses. As Media Matters points out, "The federal government spends at least 14 times as much on defense and homeland security as it does on the environment, according to the White House budget office."

I would make some Oxycontin joke here but some of us consider it bad form to resort to ad hominem attacks on our adversaries.

Donkeys just aren't menacing

First there was the Reagan "bear in the woods" ad (1984). Then there was the Bush "wolves" ad (2004). Finally, though, the Left has come up with an answer to all this right-wing animal iconography: the MoveOn.org "elephants trampling Congress" ad. (NYT)

Dust off your "Darwin fish" car plaque

FishBowlDC notes the following correction, published in the kids' section of the WP on Friday:

"In the April 10 edition about Wind Waves, Tsunamis and Tides, it incorrectly stated that the sun orbits Earth."

Who's writing this stuff, the Kansas Board of Education? Which, in case you were wondering, is once again debating whether/how evolution should be taught in the state. (Kansas City Star) It's great to know that some of the people who could be spending their time closing the science education gap between America and the rest of the industrialized world instead have to spend it testifying about vestigial male nipples.

Our wonks are wonkier than your wonks

I knew it; Boston totally has Washington envy. (NYT)

If trees could scream

Dark clouds pass over the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as Bush visits Knoxville, talks up "Clear Skies" bill on Earth Day (WP).

House-passed energy bill is just bad enough, perhaps

The bad news is that today the House passed a nasty, polluter-subsidizing energy bill (WP, NPR). The good news is that it is a bill that will be tricky to pass through the Senate, because it contains some highly controversial provisions. One in particular would exempt the makers of a toxic gasoline additive, MTBE, from certain types of lawsuits that are usually filed when MTBE pollutes groundwater.

The MTBE thing is hilarious to me, and here's why:

a) The House can only pass an energy bill containing the MTBE liability waiver. This is because Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), the driving force behind the bill, has to include it to satisfy certain interests within his district, which is home to tons of oil refineries.

b) Yet the Senate is less likely to pass any bill that contains the MTBE provision. Some senators who would ordinarily be pro-energy-bill just hate it. Rightly so, because it would screw over communities whose drinking water has been contaminated by a potential carcinogen.

When special interests work at counter-purposes, sometimes everyone else wins.

News flash: Rove not a fan of U.S. media

Karl Rove on the media: "Reporters now see their role less as discovering facts and fair-mindedly reporting the truth and more as being put on the earth to afflict the comfortable, to be a constant thorn of those in power, whether they are Republican or Democrat." (WP)

And that's why the comfortable and those in power are always bitching about the media. But that's sort of the point of a free press, dontcha think? Unfortunately our leaders have proven that they need afflicting--otherwise known as "accountability."

Technorati on patrol

The Nuclear Energy Institute's PR stooges* are hard at work, as evidenced by this comment that just got added to this blog. The author's e-mail address indicates he is an NEI employee.

So, non-bloggers may or may not be aware that there are a variety of search engines, such as Technorati, that people use to check up on references to corporations and other business interests made specifically in blogs and other new media. PR people troll these search engines for their company's name and then post generic comments in response to blog posts to help shape public opinion.

We enviros should be doing this too, actually--get our interns checking up on what the bloggers are saying about our issues, and then posting comments that contain our message.

*For lack of a better word. Sorry, guys, I call 'em like I see 'em.

Byrd v. Capito?

A while back I noted that ultra-socially-conservative groups and their allies within the GOP had their sights set on Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), pledging to unseat this Senate fixture if he attempted to block conservative Supreme Court nominations.

Well, Mr. Byrd, true to form, is raising hell over Majority Leader Bill Frist's plan to eliminate the filibuster in order to confirm right-wing freako judges. And orneriness has consequences. Our West Virginia correspondent reports that the Republicans may be planning to put some serious resources into running Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) against Byrd when he comes up for reelection in '06.

Now, it seems as unlikely to me as ever that anyone could defeat Byrd. Not even Capito, who has a little genealogical capital as the daughter of 3-term WV governor (and convicted felon) Arch Moore. My housemate has a theory that all this hubbub is intended to scare the Dems into dropping lots of money on the Byrd '06 race. But why would they bother? Such a mystery.

Missing the bridge to the 21st century

Bush does not use e-mail (WP). He says it's for reasons of privacy, but we all know the real reason..and it's understandable; those internets can be a little overwhelming sometimes.

I just can't stop writing about nukes

This morning I heard a radio spot from the Nuclear Energy Institute about how nuclear power is the clean, affordable solution to our nation's energy problems. Interesting given the recently ramped-up media attention on nukes. I guess NEI is running a little PR blitz in anticipation of a renewed push for a federal energy bill, which will likely include provisions friendly to the nuclear power industry.

On a related note, you might want to check out this article in today's Post about Rep. Joe Barton (R-Southern Company) (okay, R-TX), the House's driving force behind dirty energy policies.

Odd headline juxtaposition o' the day

I think that this will be a regular feature in which we'll gain insight into the subconscious minds of the Washington Post's online editors. To get us started, here are three headlines you'll find right next to each other on the WP online edition front page today:

"Surrogate mother to deliver quintuplets in Arizona"
"Twin car bombs kill at least 18 in Baghdad"
"The tabloids [sic] first trimester"

Loving nature

A couple of things I will say for Norwegians:

1) They are very comfortable with their bodies.
2) They care deeply about the environment.

And when you put the two together, this is what you get. (via Wonkette)

Deep-pocketed DC voting rights supporters

Whoa. As of 7 this morning the effort to rename RFK Stadium's baseball venue "Taxation Without Representation Field" is already up to $48,000 in pledges, just short of the $51,000 goal. Go to TaxationWithoutRepresentationStadium.com to find out more or pledge.

Nukes are not green

In Saturday's NYT, columnist Nicholas Kristof argues that we should emphasize nuclear power as a safe, clean, "green" alternative to the fossil fuel power which is contributing to global warming and public health problems. As often happens, the well-meaning Kristof gets it completely wrong by glossing over serious problems with his argument. Fossil fuels have to go, but more nuclear would take us from bad to worse.

First, nuclear energy is not cost-effective, as he claims it is, once you factor in the immense cost of adequately insuring a plant that could sicken or kill millions and leave entire areas unliveable for thousands of years. That's why the nuke industry is fighting hard to limit its liability and make taxpayers shoulder the cleanup costs if something goes wrong, as A New America notes.

Second, the consequences of a serious nuclear accident could be so dire that it's just not worth it, even if the risk of such an accident is small (but non-zero). Kids are still being born with terrible birth defects, and cancer rates are still elevated as far away as Sweden, as a result of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Finally, there's the problem of waste. A new GAO study, the WP reports, has found that too many nuclear plants just don't know what happened to their spent fuel, or exactly where it is. Yeah, that's cool. And if you find it, where will you put it? Yucca Mountain??

If you can't beat 'em, slap your name all over 'em

"In an effort to bring democracy to our nation's capital, a group of DC-based activists announced that it had raised $20,000 in pledges to purchase the naming rights for RFK Stadium and rename it 'Taxation Without Representation Field at RFK Stadium.' The effort, launched just one week ago at www.TaxationWithoutRepresentationStadium.com, announced a new, stepped up goal of $51,000 by April 14th, the home opener for the Nationals." You can learn more and contribute here.

I'll leave it to you to decide whether this is the best use of $51,000 raised for DC voting rights, but it would definitely be hilarious to listen to baseball commentators say things like, "It's a beautiful day here at Taxation Without Representation Field here in Washington, DC." Lots of opportunity for color commentary.

Dirty work delegated

Sen. Rick Santorum plays flying monkey to Majority Leader Bill Frist's Wicked Witch of the West.

Apparently Santorum was tasked with reassuring conservative activist groups that Frist is committed to "going nuclear" on the filibuster rule for judicial nominations ... even as some industry interests balk at the nuclear option, which could hold up all sorts of other, more important dirty business they want to do in Congress this spring. (The Hill)

The big question about the Republican Party these days is, who wins out when the ideological constituency and the economic constituency disagree? Where is the soul of the party truly located--in Lynchburg, Virginia or on K Street? Only time will tell.

Because nuclear energy wasn't scary enough yet

"Three and a half years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the government has failed to address the risk that a passenger plane flying at high speed could be deliberately crashed into a commercial nuclear plant, setting off fires and dispersing large amounts of radiation, a long-awaited report by the National Academy of Sciences has concluded." (WP)

But fear not--"We do believe that the possibility of a successful attack using commercial aircraft is very small," says the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Hmm. As small, or smaller than the possibility of a successful attack on a New York skyscraper using commercial aircraft?

How 'bout this one--we phase out nuclear energy, and not only do we not have to deal with Blinky the three-eyed fish, but the terrorists have one less thing to fly a plane at.

Sure sucks to be the fall guy

"Counsel to GOP Senator Wrote Memo On Schiavo; Martinez Aide Who Cited Upside For Party Resigns" (WP)

The thing about mystery memo writers is that they say what everyone else is only thinking... My tip? This type of thing is best communicated face-to-face in a darkened parking garage.

Keep the faith, Rep. Waxman

As promised, Congress is once again getting the ball rolling on federal energy legislation. So far GOP-backed energy bills have tanked*, but it looks like now the friends of the fossil fuel industry are banking on gains in the Senate to get their expensive and polluting wish list passed. An energy bill passed through the House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday, and committee chair Joe Barton (R-TX) is shooting for a final House vote next week.

Eep. Nonetheless, it's always inspiring to see House Democrats--some of the most beleaguered people in Washington--do the best they can with the tools they've got. For example, Henry Waxman (D-CA) offered an (unsuccessful) amendment to the bill which would have required the government to figure out how to cut U.S. oil demand by 1 million barrels a day by 2013. (Reuters)

*Well, "tanked" is perhaps too strong a word. But we got the job done.

Alright, Microsoft, you win...this time

So, yesterday I started a 24-hour trial run using Mozilla's Thunderbird e-mail client (and Sunbird, their stand-alone calendar app). I love love love Mozilla's free Firefox web browser, but unfortunately I can't recommend Thunderbird or Sunbird, at least not the most current versions. Here's why:

• Thunderbird runs slowly overall. For example, on my usually-speedy laptop, approximately 2.5 seconds transpire between my click on "new contact" and the appearance of the new contact entry window.
• Freezes up after computer reawakens from suspend or low power mode. This is occasionally true of Firefox as well, but less of a pain in the ass to relaunch in that case.
• Asks too many damn questions.
  
• Sends e-mails individually and immediately when you click "send" after writing the e-mail. In Outlook, the e-mails queue up in the outbox until you hit "send/receive," which I like.
  
• No drag-n-drop feature as in Outlook, which allows you to drag e-mails into your calendar or into your task list. This feature is a necessity without which I cannot live happily.
• The Sunbird calendar does not let you drag appointments around willy-nilly as in Outlook, either. You have to open the appointment and type in the new start and end times. An especially bad thing for those of us who use Outlook's calendar to block out our daily schedules, which often shift around throughout the course of the day.

Letters: More to ICC bill than bonds

[Editor's note: The Post passed on this LTE from a smart-growth-advocate friend of mine, yet here it is on the WWW. Witness blogocracy in action. --MW]

Dear Editor:

"House Votes to Increase Bond Funding for Connector," March 29, leaves out a few important points about the bill that was passed. The bill calls for $265 million to be withdrawn from the state's General Fund to pay for the ICC over the next five years. Under the Ehrlich administration many programs have seen steep budget cuts in the last three years. Locking in $265 million for the ICC means more difficulty funding important programs like Thorton, school construction, medicaid, other transportation needs, and much more.

The real question is how the ICC became the state's number one priority. It is incredible that the Post continues to perpetuate the myth that an ICC "would help relieve Capital Beltway tie-ups." It is widely accepted that the ICC would have no impact on Beltway congestion. The Maryland State Highway Administration's own study affirms this. The study also states, "I-270 and I-95 are north-south oriented freeways and therefore demand in the future is not expected to be helped by an ICC," (Page IV-50 of ICC DEIS).

It's time to lay to rest the myth that the ICC will ease regional traffic congestion. Using the $2.4 billion funding package the House passed Tuesday Maryland could fund a comprehensive transportation improvement program that would serve far more people, far more effectively than building the ICC. Let's get our priorities straight. Our region needs good transportation solutions, not ICC political games.

Brian Henry
Audubon Naturalist Society
Chevy Chase, MD

Ballsy White House speechwriters

President Bush on the death of the Pope: "Throughout the West, John Paul's witness reminded us of our obligation to build a culture of life in which the strong protect the weak."

I have a hard time not losing it when I hear Bush say things like this. Say what you will about the Catholic Church, but at least it's consistent when it comes to this culture of life stuff.

Fortunately we still have Sister Prejean.

Meet the White Guys--I mean, Press

Women, especially minority women, are underrepresented in TV punditry, finds a new FAIR study. (WP) It confirms what we've always believed to be true: in the world of TV journalism, Donna Brazile is a one-woman demographic group.

Cherry blossom cam

Visual check of blossom status here.

Opiate of the masses: keep it legal

In this column, David Morris, a community sustainability activist, takes on...organized religion as a whole, decrying it as superstitious thinking and arguing, basically, that we should get rid of it. This column bothers me for tons of reasons, but here are a couple:

1. Morris completely mischaracterizes a huge proportion of the faithful--the people who have a grounding in reason and science and whose progressive values are actually inspired and guided by their religious beliefs. It's simply false to claim unequivocally, as Morris does, that "modern religions do not practice tolerance." And also sort of oxymoronic coming from someone who is intolerant of organized religion--it's like somebody saying, "I hate all bigots." For every person who uses religious conviction to justify oppression and irrationality, there is at least one other person who uses religious conviction to justify liberation and reason.

2. Even if you're thinking such things, and God knows* I have on occasion, now is not a very useful time to publish columns about them. The way for progressive groups to build relationships with people of faith is not to call the things they live and die for "superstitions." We people of reason (who, it may surprise Mr. Morris, are often people of faith as well) currently have our hands full simply defending our rights against the pro-theocracy types. We need to organize people where they're at right now. Let's worry about dismantling something that has been embedded in humanity for tens of thousands of years sometime later, hmm?

*hah hah, you've been a great audience, I'll be here all week.

Framing is the new black

Steve at A New America responds here to my assertion that framing is not as clutch as some in the environmental movement think it is. I like his thoughts on how we need to rethink our overall approach. I also like his healthy fear and awareness of the right-wing master plan. But I still have problems with the framing craze. I'm not sure: are we trying to come up with new, better ways to talk about our core values? Or are we trying to better articulate what those core values are in the first place? This is not at all clear. My second, bigger problem is that the framing craze assumes that the general American public can't tell up from down without *special messaging*, which I know for a fact is untrue.

Maybe it would be better if people didn't think of us as "a movement" with "a message" at all. Then we wouldn't get this dynamic wherein reporters write, "the Bush administration did X. Environmentalists [emphasis mine] said X was a bad idea because of Y."

What they should ideally be writing is, "Fishermen said X was a bad idea because of Y. Mothers said X was a bad idea because of Z." And so on. We've set up an artificial division between "environmentalists" and other types of people. Our purpose is far broader than that of most special interest groups. Seriously, it's not difficult to explain this stuff. Just don't say the words "ecosystem" or "risk assessment," which make people's eyes glaze over, and you're all good. Say, "Doctors know that the smog from that power plant can cause asthma in your kids. We should make it emit less smog." Or, "We all know that it's hard to hunt grouse when the forests where they live have been cut. Let's make sure that this land gets protected so we can keep hunting grouse." Just say all the reasons why hurting the environment in a particular way is bad for the people you're talking to. Not hard.

Waxing philosophical

It think that in our society today there is a refusal to accept the transience and natural progression of human life. This refusal is evident in the Schindlers' inability to accept the death of their daughter, which in my un-medical opinion happened back in 1990 when her consciousness shut down. It is also evident in the culture of eternal youth and life. The wrinkles and grey hair that once signified age and wisdom are blasted out of existence with Botox and dye. People's lives are extended through extraordinary means, and any suggestion that it might be better to end life rather than live, artificially, in pain is met with criticism--even when that suggestion comes from the suffering people themselves.

People today seem incredibly reluctant to age at all, incredibly reluctant to admit that there is a natural course of human life which can only culminate in death. What they don't understand is that life is precious precisely because it is ephemeral and because it comes in stages. There is something beautiful about the way a healthy human society fits together--small children, just discovering the world; young people; older people, who have the knowledge and experience to guide their families through the often rocky path of life. Most of us will occupy each of these different roles, in their time, during our lives.

We're all going to die sooner or later--what better motivation to get off of our asses and do spectacular things?