Money, Money, Money.

Check this out...

Who's Donating to Whom?

http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/

This is the COOLEST mash-up EVAH.

Marries the FEC donor-list with your next-door neighbors.

Hours of fun and games. Plus check out your in-laws, friends and work buds.

Oh, the joy you'll have calling people on their hypocrisies and picking fights at the Memorial Day picnic instead of, well, honoring Memorial Day. But heck -- that's what family is for.

Have fun!

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Toxic Holidays

Fisher Price flip track crane: not safe for play

David Goldstein brings us this dispatch from the holiday shopping trenches, where GNB's favorite Congressional hopeful from Seattle, Darcy Burner, has been making a point that should give every parent pause:

Darcy Burner held a series of local events over the weekend where families could bring toys and other children’s products for free lead testing. Well, the results are in, and of the 479 items tested, 56 tested positive for lead, 47 above the 40 parts per million maximum recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Nine additional items tested positive for cadmium, another toxic element.

Surprised? Well you shouldn’t be. Ten percent of items tested positive for excessive lead levels, pretty much exactly what Burner and Essco Safety Check expected heading into the tests. And chances are, about ten percent of the toys and household items your children handle every day would test positive as well. Lax standards, loosened regulation, nearly nonexistent testing and a mad rush toward globalization have put all our children at unnecessary risk.

In a press release announcing the disturbing results (and apparently ignored by our local media,) Burner lays the blame squarely where it belongs:

“This administration needs to get its priorities straight. Recent news reports have revealed that the Consumer Products Safety Commission currently has only one staffer in the entire country tasked with testing toys, while the current director and her predecessor have traveled on nearly 30 junkets paid for by toy companies and other consumer products manufacturers,” Burner said. “This is truly a scandal. Children are being put at risk while our leading regulators are hobnobbing in resort locales with industry lobbyists and so far nothing is being done about it.”

So, how dangerous are these toys? Many of the items tested contained lead far above safe levels:

A red plastic roof piece from a Lincoln Logs set tested at 1488 parts per million for lead (or 37 times the AAP standard). A small plastic Fisher Price Sesame Street Bert figure tested at 5346 ppm (or 133 times the standard). A Tinkerbell pink rolling backpack tested at 533 ppm for lead, while a Cinderella princess backpack tested at 474 ppm. A Winnie the Pooh placemat contained 985 ppm.

The highest lead level was found was in a Fisher Price Flip Track crane from a plastic train set that was owned by Burner’s own 5 year-old son, which tested at 10,600 ppm, or 265 times the AAP standard.

Cooler-style lunchboxes and soft coolers tended to have high levels of lead or cadmium, as did all of the children’s character placemats tested, including Dora, Spiderman and Winnie the Pooh. Chinese manufacturers tend to add lead and cadmium to vinyl (PVC) to increase durability, and while the CPSC argues such products are safe because the vinyl tends not to deteriorate during normal use, any parent who sees the wear and tear their own child puts on their lunchbox knows otherwise.

So what can you do about it? I suppose you could write to the CPSC and ask them to adopt tougher standards. Or you could help enact real change, and elect better Democrats like Darcy Burner to Congress.

You can send Darcy holiday greetings and money love here. We need people in Washington who won't look the other way when there turns out to be poison in the globaloney.

And, in the meantime, we've got six shopping days left to find something other than plastic toys to give the kids we love for Christmas. My niece is getting books (I've topped off her Berke Breathed and Dr. Seuss collections), stuffed animals, and a pair of hand-knit slippers. If you've got other suggestions for creating a joyful plastic-free non-toxic Christmas for the under-10 set, share 'em with the rest of us in the comments.

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Every Damn Thing You Need To Know About Republicans

Darcy for Congress: Part 4

Earlier this week I was listening to Aaron Sorkin and Tommie Schlamme give the commentary on the Pilot episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

In speaking of casting Steven Weber to play the network executive, they said the one thing you can never act is smart. You have to be smart already. From the moment they saw Steven audition, the part was his. He was so smart, so powerful, so obviously right for the part, no one else had a shot.

All week long I've been coming back to how with Republicans, acting smart, acting patriotic, acting moral, acting as if they give a damn for people -- being seen to appear as if this or that were true, that is what truly matters to Republicans... Appearances.

Real intelligence, authentic patriotism, genuine morality, and above all, truly taking care of people such that at the end of the day or the week, at the end of the month or the year, people are left saying reflexively, "Yeah. I've been taken care of. These people really took care of me."... it's not them. They can't even fake it. Like an actor can't act smart.

Republicans not only aren't interested in the genuine article, they're actively opposed.

Why?

Because the genuine article shows the Republicans up as no different than either the thieves, or the two who passed by the man who lay dying by the side of the road in the parable so long ago:

The Bible

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO
ST LUKE

CHAPTER 10

Jesus calls, empowers, and instructs the seventy—They preach and heal—Those who receive his disciples receive Christ—The Father is revealed by the Son—Jesus gives the parable of the good Samaritan.

25 ¶ And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit ^aeternal life?

26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy ^aheart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt ^alive.

29 But he, willing to ^ajustify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my ^bneighbour?

30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and ^awounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

33 But a certain ^aSamaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had ^bcompassion on him,

34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took ^acare of him.

35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the ^ahost, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Remember as you read the Parable of the Good Samaritan it is also about race and class, not just helping those in need. The guy who helped was of a race and class which was despised and hated and lower working class to poor. None the less, he helped anyway, even though he could have had the crap beaten out of him just for daring to help anyone. From our perspective, the risk he took is as if a disabled black vet in his thirties at 59th St and Columbus Circle just outside the entrance to the subway -- that's the south-west corner of Central Park, for those of you who don't know the city -- dared after dark to help a rich white twenty-something lying half-naked on the ground just inside the park boundary. The odds of New York's finest accusing him of making the assault (or worse), rather than doing what he could to help her...

Now ask yourself if Dave Reichert -- absent a camera trained on him -- would stop and take care of someone at risk to his own reputation. Question answers itself.

Darcy Burner is the real deal.

She is thoughtful, careful, considerate, and takes care of people.

All you have to do is watch the video and compare how she answers the question, with how Dave Reichert is rude and arrogant.

Beyond the issue of Congressman Reichert's believing it's fine for a pharmacist to not sell birth control pills -- not emergency contraception; birth control -- to a woman, simply because the pharmacist opposes birth control, just watch how rude Dave Reichert is. From interrupting, to forgetting the question (demonstrating he either isn't listening or that he's trying to dominate), and then instead of explaining himself and his answer to the people who elected him, he just says "No."

Reichert's answer belongs to someone who simply doesn't think, isn't smart, whose morality is all about looking good to a particular base group so that they'll vote for him, un-grounded in any genuine religious or moral conviction of his own. He is a man who clearly doesn't give a damn who he leaves dying by the side of the road, just so long as he gets his.

In short, he is a George Bush Republican.

I was privileged to interview Darcy a few months ago:

Darcy Burner

There are five basic principles that form the basis for every political decision I'll make:

1. Government should treat everyone fairly.
2. Hard work should be rewarded.
3. Government should stay out of people's private lives.
4. We should keep our promises.
5. We should take care of our children, and leave them a better world than the one we found.

That's not the only way to slice it, of course, but it's one way, and that's how I slice it.

At some basic level, though, I think it comes down to what my father told me over and over again when I was growing up: "You're no better than them, and they're no better than you." The founding principle of our democracy is the idea that all persons are created equal*. And the fight at the moment comes down to whether that's actually true.

The other side believes, deep down, that a wealthy CEO is a *better person* than the woman who cleans my office at night.

I do not.

* I know, I know, women still don't have a guarantee of equality under our Constitution, and it was initially only white male landowners. But while we have lagged in execution, that principle has been our guide, and we make progress when we move closer to that ideal.

*smiles*

This is what I'm talking about.

We have to elect better, smarter Democrats.

She's one.

Please join with me this Holiday season by spreading a little cheer Darcy's way. She's really that good.

Thank you.

Previous Darcy posts:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
  

How to Reach Darcy:

• Darcy Burner for Congress
• Help elect Darcy Burner to Congress by contributing. (Please add $0.13.)
• Feel free to send me an email letting me know.

Thanks again.

And if you missed it in our last Darcy post (Part 3), make sure you watch her campaign video with music by the Squirrel Nut Zippers & Rickie Lee Jones.

Note: Edited at noon to fix my not paying attention to the bible verse when I modernized who was who. Thanks to the readers who pointed this out.

There's more...

Have You Had Enough?

Darcy for Congress: Part 3

Music by the Squirrel Nut Zippers & Rickie Lee Jones.

Previous Darcy posts:

• Part 1
• Part 2

How to Reach Darcy:

• Darcy Burner for Congress
• Help elect Darcy Burner to Congress by contributing. (Please add $0.13.)
• Feel free to send me an email letting me know.

This is how we take back our country.

The WA-08 is a vulnerable seat. Dave Reichert is a liar to his district, a bad person who takes credit for the accomplishments of others, a key enabler of George Bush, and a chicken-hawk supporter of the Iraq war.

Darcy is a good candidate and will be a strong, smart leader in Congress.

Please take a moment and make a contribution.

Thanks.

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All Politics Is Local

Darcy for Congress: Part 2

Labor Day. The traditional start of election season.

No doubt there will be a number of "traditional" starts of election season between now and November a year from now. The New Hampshire primary. Iowa. Super Tuesday and the conventions. But Labor Day (or more accurately, the day after Labor Day) is when people return from their summer vacation and settle down to fall campaigning.

The Group News Blog doesn't endorse candidates. Which isn't to say I don't have people I like, Sara has people she likes, Lower Manhattanite and Hubris Sonic have candidates they're for also. As individuals. Not as a publication, not as the editorial "we."

I'm for Darcy Burner for Congress in the Washington Eighth District as I said earlier. She's smart, talented, and gets things done. Darcy listens carefully, then acts on what she hears. Not only is this rare in anyone, it's almost non-existent in a member of Congress. Not to mention she'll be the member of Congress from Microsoft. Smart, talented, competent, and she listens. Damn.

Darcy has the support of near everyone in the liberal blogosphere. This Call to Action video is a week plus out of date, but just watch:

Firedoglake

The most astounding thing about Blue America endorsing Darcy Burner is that we’re just getting around to it now. Darcy is the quintessential Blue America candidate and we missed her last year. Let’s make up for it this year and go the extra mile in helping her get elected in 2008!

She nearly made it last year when she first challenged rubber stamp Republican Dave Reichert in an upscale suburban Seattle district, WA-08, and drew 122,021 votes to his 129,362– an incredible accomplishment.

There were three big differences between last year and the current election cycle and all three work in Darcy’s favor. First of all, last year was her first run and the voters didn’t know who she was, although nearly 49% of them voted for her by the end of the campaign. Her name recognition now is super high.

Second, in 2006 voters weren’t sure how they felt about Iraq; they are now — and guess who’s got a 100% perfect Cheney voting record. If you said “Dave Reichert,” give yourself a pat on the back. Since being elected to Congress Reichert participated in 17 roll calls about Iraq, the latest being Thursday’s vote to stay the course. He could have just as well given Cheney his proxy and gone to play golf. 17 roll calls in a distinctly anti-war district and 17 votes for endless war.

And the third difference between the last cycle year has to do with the voting patterns of the district. Far more people come out to vote during a presidential year and Bush only took 47% of the vote in 2000 and 48% in 2004. It’s by far the most prosperous district in Washington and it leans in a decidedly progressive and Democratic direction. A presidential year will help Darcy beat Reichert.

Although Darcy and Reichert spent approximately the same amount of money in 2006 — $3 million — Rove funneled another $3 or 4 million into the race. In his infamous powerpoint presentation to the GSA in March, Rove emphasized that bolstering Reichert against Darcy must be a top priority for all loyal Bushies. Last year the Republicans made 585,000 calls into the district, the most of anywhere in the country and the aim was to suppress Democratic turnout and to encourage Republicans.

In the last few days of the campaign Rove operatives were calling every household in the district telling voters that Darcy was about to be indicted as a felon, that Darcy was suppressing minority voters and that Darcy was an investor in Big Oil. It was all smear and lies; typical Rovian tactics.

Darcy sounds sweet, hip and disarming. But her mind is razor sharp and she’s one of those Big Picture Democrats the country is crying out for. She’s had backing from Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, both of Washington’s senators, Emily’s list, labor unions and the DCCC and this year she will get her message out much more effectively than before when the institutional players had no idea who she was at first.

The blogosphere fund-raising last week raised $100K for Darcy. This is real political power.

When Alex Alben ran in 2004 for the same district (WA-08), I was his Director of Internet Strategy. We came in second in the primary to Dave Ross, a local radio personality whom the state Dem party chair went out and persuaded to run at the last moment. Grrr. Name recognition won out, but Ross had no organization to speak of and got trounced in the general election. Here's the thing. Alben's campaign didn't inspire personal loyalty. Oh, I liked Alex personally well enough. And most of the people I worked with. But his key advisors kept changing the game plan and they screwed with my pay. I'm still owed close to a grand I'll never see and that's on top of working many more hours than my contract called for.

Darcy's staff is personally loyal. When I want to carefully assess someone, be they a politician, a doctor, a pilot, I talk to the people they surround themselves with -- campaign staff, consultants and volunteers, nurses, therapists and the office manager, flight engineers, flight attendants, mechanics and ground crew. Want to know who a person really is? Talk to the people who work with them in "subordinate" positions.

Darcy Burner is the real deal. Her staff are cooly professional, trustworthy and loyal. Her volunteers are enthusastic yet realistic about what she's up against. She inspires support both inside Washington, in the blogosphere, and at the top levels of the Democratic party.

Darcy faces a massively incompetent very well funded asshole who makes shit up and ill serves everyone except the very rich and even they are in question. About the only person truly served by Sophomore Congressman Dave Reichert is...George Bush.

Dave Reichert's claim to fame is a serial killer caught while he was sheriff. What he doesn't mention is how he's taking credit for other people's work. Reichert's one promise to the 8th district was to get all the radios in Washington to work together. For a former sheriff that's a promise which makes sense. After almost four years in office, all the radios don't work together. Why? Because Reichert gave it up to the White House in order to fund tax cuts for the rich. The House and the Senate were ready to pass the bill. But the White House wanted more tax cuts, so Reichert broke the only promise he actually ever made his district and rolled over for Rove and the political operation. I don't actually know if it got him a photo op. Don't care.

Reichert's voted for the Iraq war every vote. Time to stop him.

Help elect Darcy Burner to Congress by contributing. Please add 13 cents to your total (to let them know it comes from GNB.) Feel free to send me an email letting me know.

Thank you.

There's more...

For Your Consideration, Puget Sound Version

Darcy for Congress: Part 1

Darcy Burner is running in Washington's 8th Congressional District. Please vote for her (if you live there) or consider making a contribution.

Running out the door right now so I don't have time to tell you in detail the fifty different reasons why Darcy is worth your time and money. For more, go read Dave's Darcy and the Sheriff.

Darcy's opponent is the idiot former Sheriff Reichert whom President Bush flew into town last week and partied with after the death of Officer Germaine Casey in New Mexico. Don't let the assholes win.

Elect Darcy Burner to Congress.

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