Politics
Ensign Comes Out Swinging
Ensign was the topic of conversation every where I went this weekend. It’s been my thinking since his initial refusal to resign that:
Ensign won’t resign. To resign would be admitting wrong doing and he can’t afford to do that now. Ensign would rather weather a Senate Ethics Committee investigation than resign and go away [...]
Ensign’s Cozy Relationship With The Hampton Family
So now the nation knows that Ensign had an affair with Cynthia Hampton, wife of Douglas Hampton–both former employees of Ensign at some point during the already infamous affair. But Brandon Hampton, the son of Douglas and Cynthia Brandon, was also employed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is headed up by Senator [...]
Should Senator Ensign Resign over Extra-marital Affair?
You might not believe this, but I don’t think we should stop automatically be calling for Senator Ensign to resign. Our knee jerk reaction to politicians caught with their hand in the adultery cookie jar should not be to call for their resignation. But for conservatives who find themselves defending Senator Ensign’s right to [...]
Nevada Senator Ensign to Acknowledge Extra-marital Affair
The Fix (Washington Post political blog) is reporting that Nevada Senator John Ensign is about to acknowledge an extra-marital affair in a press conference later today–a sure bet that he’s trying to clear the air for a presidential run or that someone else was about to go public with the news:
Ensign, a member of the [...]
Thom Hartmann at Washoe Democrats’ Jefferson Jackson Brunch
If you haven’t already, buy your tickets to the Washoe Democrats’ Jefferson Jackson Brunch because radio show host and author Thom Hartmann is the special guest. The event is on Sunday, June 28th at 11:00am at the Reno Ballroom on Fourth Street.
I don’t know if you listen to the Thom Hartmann show on KJFK, [...]
SB372 Nevada Clean Air Act Hearing Wednesday
If you voted for the Nevada Clean Air Act in 2006, you need to call your assemblyman on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and tell them that you expect your original vote to count.
The act that took effect in 2007, banned smoking in any indoor space where minors may be present and where food is [...]
Stop Fake Reform
See, I am an equal opportunity critic. Change Congress launched the Stop Fake Reform campaign today asking the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to ban PAC and lobbyist contributions 365 days a year, not just when it’s convenient. They need 5,000 signatures so give them one. I did. I [...]
Who Doesn’t Like the Nevada Clean Air Act? Your State Legislature.
Remember back in 2006 when the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act (Question 5) passed in Washoe County by a solid margin? The act that took effect in 2007, banned smoking in any indoor space where minors may be present and where food is served.
Guess what your state senators have been up to? Gutting the Nevada [...]
Teabagging and A Farewell
I tried to submit this as a comment on Amanda Williams’ latest and last editorial on the Reno News & Review site but there was an Amazon-like “glitch” and the comment was never submitted. So I am posting it below with a few minor adjustments.
I’m sorry to see that Amanda, like most teabaggers, doesn’t actually [...]
Call Senator Ensign and Demand Accountability on S.482!
I don’t care what party you belong, the best way to clean up Washington D.C. and keep our lawmakers honest is to have easy access to their campaign finances. And the more accessible that information is, the better. That’s where Senate bill S.482 comes in. It’s a no brainer really. S.482 requires [...]
TransparencyCamp Take Aways for Non-profits
Cross posted at Frogloop.com
“We have brought the techies and the policy wonks together, and they aren’t that different.” Greg Elin, Sunlight Foundation.
After returning from The Sunlight Foundation’s TransparencyCamp last week, I described the vibe this way:
There were so many moments at TransparencyCamp when I felt I was in the presence [...]
On Socialism
Sometimes, I feel like all I can do is hope people change as they experience more. In the case of Amanda Williams, the Reno News & Review’s latest conservative columnist, I certainly hope that will be the case. But I would like to offer her a technical point and direct her to some research [...]
SEIU Thanks Harry Reid
TransparencyCamp 2009: The Space Race Isn’t Over After All
I think I’ve finally had enough time to absorb all of the people, projects, thoughts, and feelings I experienced while attending the Sunlight Foundation’s TransparencyCamp last weekend, but I still don’t know that I’ve found a good way to describe the spirit of the event, but I’m going to try. Oddly, what keeps running [...]
Diigo Provides A New Communication Channel for Government Transparency and Policy
Some of you already know what a big fan I am of Diigo.com. Perhaps it’s because I’ve always been a literary person or perhaps it’s because I’ve been working in online research of decades, but for me, Diigo is a revolutionary tool. If you’re like me, you bookmark hundreds of websites/pages that you want [...]
