Politics

Politics

There are 1,051 posts filed in Politics (this is page 91 of 106).

The big chair

I attended my first Raleigh CAC meeting (as opposed to the East CAC ones that I lead). I sat at the City Council table for the first time and the meeting was televised on RTN channel 11.

The meeting was dull for the most part. Up until the end, that is, which came after the meeting stopped its scheduled airing on cable. That’s when some longtime CAC chairs unloaded about the perceived lack of cooperation they have been getting from the city’s community services department. Though I was missing half of the televised presidential debate I couldn’t pull myself away from the fireworks.

Yet another unexpectedly-exciting first meeting I’ve attended!

John Drescher is an idiot

The N&O’s new editor John Drescher is an idiot. In today’s column, he labels both Dole and Hagan as “dodgers,” claiming Dole and Hagan sidestepped important issues.

Drescher claims Dole dodged the whole Outlying Landing Field issue until the rest of the state had made up its mind.

That’s absolutely true. Dole was asleep at the switch.

Drescher also claims Hagan dodged whether she would support the recent bailout bill.

That’s a whopper, Johnny.
Continue reading →

Carter was right

Some right-wing group sent us mail trying to tie Kay Hagan’s energy polices to Jimmy Carter’s. I found it highly amusing. Just think where this country would be now if we had heeded Carter’s call to invest in renewable energy. We might have kicked our petroleum habit for good.

If this is Kay Hagan’s policy I want more of it!

Webcaster bill passes Senate!

The Senate voted Tuesday to pass HR. 7084, the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008! GovTrack.Us says the bill passed the Senate by “Unanimous Consent.”

Should the President sign it into law, the act law will allow internet radio stations such as Pandora to negotiate rates with music rights holders.

I’ve heard (and purchased) more new music since I found Pandora than I have in years. Thanks to everyone who called on behalf of the bill!

VP debate

Just watched the Vice Presidential Debate. Both candidates fared largely how I expected. I did cringe every time Palin said “nucular.” That drives me nuts.

I also thought Palin frequently sounded a lot like the weathergirl she once was. On some of her answers I couldn’t help but think of the way newscasters sometimes talk to fill in the time. Like when they jump quickly from one sentence to another without enough pause.

Will this sway anyone one way or another? Only time will tell.

Internet radio needs your help!

Tim Westergren, founder and CEO of Pandora, needs your help. Please call Senators Burr and Dole today and urge them to support the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008 so that great online music sources such as Pandora can continue to thrive. It might not hurt to remind them that their pal Jesse Helms supported Internet radio.

I just called and I hope you will, too. Below is Tim’s email:

Hi, it’s Tim from Pandora;

Today, thanks to the extraordinary support of many Pandora listeners, we took a giant step forward when the House of Representatives supported Pandora and Internet radio and passed the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008. Now we need your help so that the Senate will pass it also – and quickly… The finish line is in sight!

After a yearlong negotiation, Pandora, SoundExchange and the RIAA are finally optimistic about reaching an agreement on royalties that would save Pandora and Internet radio. The legislation would give us the extra time we need to finalize the deal.
Continue reading →

Time for a history lesson, Joe?

Yeah, I know I’m a Democrat, but I gotta admit that Joe Biden said something really dumb in an interview with Katie Couric the other day:

When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the princes of greed. He said, “look, here’s what happened.”

Roosevelt on television in 1929. Um, yeah. Joe obviously wasn’t paying attention in college.