B.A.D. 2009

Okay, I've been missing in action, well, it seems like forever. But when I recieved an e-mail from Jon Swift this past Saturday, I resolved to actually post something. And then I forgot. Yes, I'm lame. But today I did post his message at the Independent Bloggers' Alliance. And I tweeted a link to that.

Unfortunately, I'm not able to fulfill the mission of finding new blogs to link to, as I still need to finish getting ready for tonight's class. Would really love to NOT teach tonight, but A) the class meets only once a week, so missing a class is a big deal and B) I'm pretty sure "dark night of the soul" is not an appropriate malady to cite when calling in sick.

But hopefully this small effort helps even a little bit to raise awareness.

One more thought--while this blog has been defunct or in stasis or something for ages, it still seems to show up when one does a web search about blogroll amnesty. So--and I'm just tossing this thought out there--if any of the supporters of Blogroll Amnesty Day as a celebration of smaller blogs would like to crosspost your B.A.D. offererings here, feel free to shoot me an e-mail at ohiorenee(at)gmail.com, and I can add you as a contributor.

"Gate-crashing" Markos to write for Newsweek

Via Huffington Post

Score one for the Netroots! Newsweek has just announced that Markos Moulitsas, namesake and founder of the Daily Kos website, will be a contributor for the mag's 2008 election coverage.

I wish I could think of something to say, but I seem to have sprained some sort of irony-related muscle.

Washington Post Op-ed by Markos and Susan G

I just found out via Firedoglake that Markos and Susan G penned an op-ed for the Washington Post. They do make some good points.

But, if anyone feels so inclined, this would appear to be a good opportunity to write to the WaPo addressing the extent to which Markos speaks for the "left" or the "netroots".

The Washington Post
1150 15 St. NW
Washington, DC 20071

and by e-mail at:
letters@washpost.com

THIS is what I hate about politics...

Apparently (according to a front page post on Booman Tribune) Harold Ford is going to face off against Markos "The Great and Powerful Kos" Moulitsas on Meet the Press this Sunday. I'm guessing the idear for this match-up came about as a result of this statement made by Harold Ford on Fox News.

I would have gone to Daily Kos and told them, I think they’re wrong the way you go about practicing your politics. If you’re serious about winning the war and bringing the country together, get another message and another set of tactics…

Which tactics would those be, Harold? The ones where you cozy up to and make kissy faces with the people who will never be on your side no matter how "moderate" and reasonable you try to come across? The tactics where you buy, hook, line, and sinker, Bill O'Reilly's "spin" that Daily Kos is/are the "bad Democrats", because you think you can play that to your advantage? And that perceived advantage is so valuable to you that you can't possibly do the minimal, cursory research it would take to learn that "Daily Kos" is not as monolithic as you suggest.

Harold, do you seriously think that the way to "bring the country together" is to paint a Snidely Whiplash mustache on a segment of the Democratic party, and then celebrate that you and the Republicans now have a common foe? That's just freakin' sad.

I won't be rooting for Markos either. As far as I've been able to discern, his only core value is winning. Period. That, and I think he's an arrogant ass.

This is, of course, not the only thing I hate about politics, but it's a pretty good example of the petty pointlessness of it. And all this energy and air time is being directed toward something other than making things better for people. (Pssst! Millennium Development Goals, people!)

So I won't be watching Meet the Press. I'll be in church listening to my daughter sing with the choir. And I should probably spend some time in quiet contemplation, because I really don't know what's next. Part of me would like to tune out all of politics as Somebody Else's Problem. But I don't know that I could ever do that. A few years ago, I promised Someone that I would work to help "heal the world", and I meant it. I guess I need to connect with some other people who feel the same way, and start working together on one little part of the world that needs fixing.

More bannings etc.

I haven't kept this blog up to date. Too busy working to "put food on my family", and doing the "save the world" stuff when I can. But in my peripheral vision, I've been aware that Blogmart is still the antithesis of what I thought I was signing on for when I started to become more politically active. But high profile individuals still frequently choose that blog as their soapbox for "netroots outreach".

Long story short, I will, to the extent that I can find the time, continue to post relevant links here.

Two Peace Activists Banned From Daily Kos by shergald
Memo to DKos: Time to End the Blogosphere's Stoning by liberalamerican
My Initial Response to Being Banned By Markos Moulitsas from Daily Kos by: Maryscott O'Connor
BREAKING: Markos Upholds Ban on MSOC by: Maryscott O'Connor
Through A Glass, Darkly by: Maryscott O'Connor