Odd. Barack Obama has shown him self to be well within the current view points of Democratic Senators - and I ain't talking Bayh, the Nelsons, Conrad, Pryor or .. [edited] one of the more conservative Democratic Senators, Jim Webb as the markers for where Obama ends up in the political spectrum. [Webb is not a liberal, folks.]

Every thing Obama has done to [gasp!] "shift his position" has still placed him well within the group of Harkin, Feingold, Leahy, Levin, Schumer, Cantwell, Reed, Democratic centrists all .. and yet some people here appear to be egregiously disappointed ..

Every move Barack makes is being scrutinized, torn apart and attacked. I am flummoxed by the viciousness of the attacks being made. I'm scratching my head wondering if I entered a parallel universe.

As most every one here knows, I'm way off to the left. Bernie Sanders, and the House CPC is my idea of where the country should be headed. Sometimes, even they are too 'conservative' for me.

So why am I not screaming bloody murder that 'Obama has abandoned me'?

Yes; The Hillary wars are over (and I certainly don't want to fight them anymore)! She should be repsected, for what's she's accomplished. But the speculation in the media, and by so many Hillary supporters, continues to push the meme (while many of us in net-roots continue to pull our hair out) that HRC would make Obama's best Vice President. I think it's over.

Well,even the informed citizens of the State of NY (which I am one), in the latest Rasmussen Poll says no to this!

Nearly one out of four voters (23%) in New York would like to see Hillary Clinton go away, and a plurality of unaffiliated voters would prefer she stay in the Senate than serve as Barack Obama's running mate.The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the Empire State found that 29% of all New Yorker voters think Clinton should become Barack Obama's running mate while 37% think she should remain a senator.

Half of New York Republicans (50%) would like to see the former Presidential hopeful go away. Among New York Democrats, 42% would like to see Clinton as Obama’s running mate and 42% think she should stay in Senate. A plurality of unaffiliated voters want the former First Lady to remain a senator.

My name is Adam Sullivan. Until recently, I was just another citizen of New York’s 8th Congressional District. Now I am running for Congress as a challenger to Jerrold Nadler for nomination in CD8 by the Democratic Party. And I need your help.

You may legitimately ask why I would challenge Congressman Nadler, a representative with a long liberal voting record. While this is true, Nadler has failed us all where it matters most.

The issue—Impeachment

Some months ago, I joined a pro-impeachment group with the intent of encouraging my congressman to co-sponsor the Articles of Impeachment introduced in the House by Dennis Kucinich of Ohio.

The Political Newsline took a look to see who still has debt from the presidential primary and who is free and clear.

Democrats

   * Clinton        $22,523,860
   * Kucinich       $1,177,644
   * Biden          $1,170,869
   * Dodd           $386,991
   * Edwards        $354,719
   * Richardson     $285,418
   * Gravel         $136,565

Republicans

   * Romney         $44,600,000
   * Giuliani       $3,124,113
   * Hunter         $222,447
   * Huckabee       $121,109
   * Thompson       $83,648
   * Paul           $0  
   * Tancredo       $0

As Kos recently pointed out, a number of old stale Democrats were responsible for the passage of FISA, and he proposed mounting a slate of netroots challengers to take them on in the 2010 primaries. Yesterday I made the case for Kos taking on Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-08) in her San Francisco district, personally.

Here, in the Washington, D.C. metro area, Rep. Steny Hoyer (MD-05) has been taking up space in Congress since 1981.  In the heavily Democratic fifth district of Maryland, it is unlikely that a GOP challenger can dislodge him.  Any effort to remove FISA Champion Hoyer from Congress will depend on the strength of a Democratic primary challenger.

In November, following the general election, will be an effort to recruit a suitable challenger for Mr. Hoyer, one with a robust familiarity with the digital environment and other emerging tech, who can appeal to Progressive, Libertarian, and Constitutionalist sentiments alike. An 'Agent of Change' - from the netroots to Congress.

Please add your input and participation in such an effort. (more)

Yesterday my stepson, Justus, started a conversation here on Daily Kos and since I’m the candidate he referenced, I thought I’d chime in.

Montana has been in the national spotlight many times recently.  First the election of Jon Tester who (along with Jim Webb) swayed the United States Senate, then this year because of the June 3rd Presidential Primary.  With these two Democratic victories in the big sky state, the question remains, does Montana truly remain a red state, or are some cracks forming through which new candidates might get an opportunity to make change?

Yesterday, Master Kos charted a course to the Promised Land, laying down a gauntlet to the Establishment in an inspiring diary entitled "2010 will be primary season".  He advocated planning now to launch primary challenges against incumbent Democrats in the House who were unable to distinguish the Constitutional issues behind the FISA 'Compromise'.

After Sen. Dodd's awesome speech the other night on FISA, CSPAN-2 covered a hearing by some congressional committee which touched on the Universal Service Fund, Net Neutrality, and other wonky arcana having to do with telecommunications, the internet, and our digital environment. Watching the old guys on the committee (and a 'mature' woman I didnt recognize) struggling to understand the technological issues involved (she said to a witness "I'm sure my 14 year old would understand what you're saying better than I do..."), I realized just where the FISA problem really derives from.

Kos is absolutely right.  There needs to be a slate of strong, netrooted primary challengers in 2010, from Speaker Pelosi on down, and I believe that he needs to be one of them...

Below the fold, "The Case for Kos":

Since the start of Barack's campaign, and especially during the primary season, I have been moved to write some poetry about/to him.  Just thought it would be interesting to share a few here (with dates).

Better late than never folks.  I finally posted some video from my camera phone that I've had since April.  I decided to play cameraman and tried to capture most of the events in Center City, Philadelphia that day.  I was still kind of giddy from the crazy march that broke out when Obama gave a speech in Philly.  I also had a feeling that the local media would not do the coverage any justice.    Here's around 50 shaky shots of the wonderful spirit on that day.  I promise to be ready with a real video camera when Barack comes back in the General Election.

I did my best to explain what was going on, be sure to expand the descriptions in each video  It's helps take the pain away from the shakiness.

The greatest explanations come from a response to a response.

Noam, Michael and Eve inhabit one of my favorite blogs on the presidential race.

Are you upset with the House FISA vote?  Do you want to send a message to the Bushdogs?  Then the Democratic Party Primary for the Georgia 12th Congressional District is right down your alley.

Bushdog John Barrow is facing a real threat from progressive democrat Regina Thomas, http://reginathomas4congress.com/... .  Thomas has served 4 years in the Georgia House and is a veteran, 8 year Georgia State Senator.  This district appears to be competitive http://firedoglake.com/... and the Barrow campaign is feeling the fear.

Barack Obama is supporting John "Bushdog" Barrow and has cut a campaign commercial for him.  What better way to send both Obama and the Bushdogs a message of our unhappiness over FISA than to primary Barrow.  

No one ever said that politics was a schoolyard game, but the recent political climate and partisan polarization has made the election cycle more brutal than a high school contest. Just ask Barack Obama about his experience of unfounded rumors and personal attacks brought upon him by his rivals on both sides of the political spectrum. The attacks became so bad that the Democratic Presidential Nominee had to establish a website to combat attacks against his religion, heritage, and even his wife. Anyone who thought the locker room rumors were vile enough never had a spin with national politics.....

Since anti-privacy Senators and Congresspeople like spying on us so much, why don't we spy on them? Find out what dirt they got (plenty) and put it all over the Internets. They said invading anyone's privacy at will was okay, so let's go for it!

There should be a camera wielding progressive across the street of their house, at the airport stall when they hop a flight to the next lobbyist junket. They won't be able to call their hooker, or lobbyist buddy in peace. No more golf trips without some 'hippie punk' and a camera phone and a smirk, keeping a steady eye on them.

While we are waiting for the May fundraising amounts to be released by the Obama campaign, I thought it would be worthwhile to explore one aspect of Obama's decision to forego public financing.

At the end of April, Obama had already raised a staggering $272 million in this campaign (largely through over 1.5 million small donations).

The folks over at The Hill are already speculating that Obama could raise $100 million in June alone and attract 2.5-3 million new donors.

At this pace, Obama could raise and invest as much as 1/2 billion dollars on his campaign.

With these amazing resources, Obama's campaign has begun planning to run ads during the Olympics that would be broadcast on NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, USA Network, Oxygen and Telemundo.

First off: I am a huge HUGE Obama supporter.  I post this not to scare you but to inform you on what I believe is coming and how we can stop it

People love to say this.  "I told you so!".   Everyone loves to believe they know more than everyone else, and never more so than when they’ve been over ruled.
Some Clinton backers and especially the PUMAs would love nothing more than to see Obama falter.  
A small a group as it may be, with the right amplification and timing, this group of "disaffected Democrats" could cast enough doubt to skew polls for a week or more.  

So as the Boy Scouts say "BE PREPARED"
Prepare yourself below

There have been many reasons advanced by Senator Clinton's supporters for why her campaign failed. These have ranged from rampant misogyny to a full-blown conspiracy by party insiders to deny her a chance at the Presidency. I don't, however, believe that to be the case. There were reasons, after all, for the polls that reflected an ever deepening lack of trust amongst voters for Senator Clinton. These are based not in any conspiracy or problem with the media, but in her own inflexibility to respond to a political situation that was not what she expected and, in attempting to answer a fundamentally different approach with old style politics, her eventual loss of support and the nomination. These ideas are evidenced by her approach and handling of the Michigan/Florida issue and by the changes that were evident in her campaign as time went along.

Senator Clinton's approach to Michigan and Florida is a mini-study of a campaign in crisis, and a microcosm of what eventually pulled her presidential bid down from the heights where it started. For a quality candidate with all the curriculum vitae necessary to compete with anyone, the fall was dizzying.

Following Hillary's concession to Obama, I had a discussion with other kossacks about her offer to fundraise for Obama.  I felt that her enthusiasm to fundraise for Obama was extended also because she would be able to keep a share to help settle her own debt.

It had been my impression that it is possible and customary for those raising the cash to take a percentage for themselves.

My assumption was disputed with the argument that money raised for a candidate must only go directly to that candidate.  

Well, an article about Rudy Guiliani fundraising for McCain on Talking Points Memo answers the question (TPM in turn quotes New York Times):

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/...

http://www.nytimes.com/...