Be A Card Carrying Liberal

(this will be at the top throughout the day. New content below.)

My friends at Living Liberally have anointed me as your own personal Santa Claus (or, in the original Dutch, De Goede Sint). They've created The Liberal Card, which offers discounts to lots of national progressive-friendly businesses as well as retailers in nine cities, with more to follow. You can see the full list at their website. It's a new enterprise, but an important one. I believe in voting with your pocketbook, and making progressive politics a cultural and economic force as well as a political one. There's not only a satisfaction that comes with getting 10% off your morning coffee, but in knowing that you're helping support businesses that believe in progressive causes. Maybe this will bring some more out of the woodwork when they see the consumers they can attract. Plus, unlike this oversized novelty version, the card will actually fit in your wallet!



So, for the first 10 people who email their names and mailing addresses to 2009-at-theliberalcard-dot-org and put "DDAY" in the email, they'll get a free Liberal Card (regular price is $25). If you don't get in the first ten, don't worry: the DDAY promo code will get you $5 off the card.

Don't say I never got you anything!

...also, if you're in the LA area, our Drinking Liberally chapter is having their Holiday Party tomorrow. John Amato of the great Crooks and Liars is playing Santa at that event, offering two free drinks and free food to everyone who walks through the door. We're also asking you to bring non-perishables for a local food bank (food banks are experiencing major demand spikes this year).

That's at Trip Santa Monica, 2101 Lincoln (at Grant), Santa Monica, CA, and it starts Wednesday night, Dec. 17 at around 7.

Card Carrying Liberal

I'm in some good company at around :22.



(this is a Living Liberally project to use "The Liberal Card" as a discount card for local businesses. Great idea, BTW)

E minus-6: Scheduling and Tsunami Tuesday Watch Party

I should probably fold this into what Brian wrote above, but just a little housekeeping and what's in store for tomorrow, in what should be a very entertaining day in the Golden State. I'll be at this Barack Obama event tomorrow:

Los Angeles Town Hall Meeting
Los Angeles Trade Technical College
400 West Washington Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Doors Open: 8:30 AM

And from there, I'll be heading to the Kodak Theater for the first Clinton/Obama, mano-a-mano debate, at 5pm local time. I'll be trying to grab as many interviews beforehand and will be inside the "spin room" afterwards (I prefer "lying den," but I'm old-fashioned).

Then, Friday morning, Ted Kennedy will be out in LA stumping for Barack. I should be able to make that one as well.

But what I really wanted to let you know about is our Drinking Liberally Tsunami Tuesday watch party, at our new location:

Nocturnal Bar
2101 Lincoln (@ Grant)
Santa Monica, CA 90404
6pm-????

We had a tremendous turnout for our Iowa caucus watch party, and this time we're partnering with the local MoveOn.org chapter, so it should be outstanding. Come one come all!

I'll have a lot more for y'all tomorrow.

(NOTE: E minus-6 would be SoS Debra Bowen's term for 6 days left until the election)

The Continuing Back And Forth Saga of Bill Richardson

He still adopts right-wing tax frames, he's still an erratic campaigner, but he managed to get off this funny line...

"The President has been allowed to spy on Americans without a warrant, and our U.S. Senate is letting it continue," Richardson said. "You know something is wrong when the New England Patriots face stiffer penalties for spying on innocent Americans than Dick Cheney and George Bush."

... and he did show up at our Drinking Liberaly National Conference event last night in Des Moines. The DL chapter here is really remarkable, and because it's Des Moines, where big offices are already up and running, staffers for all the campaigns routinely show up (except for, I guess, Hillary Clinton). And one of them came through and got Richardson to make it last night. "I'm proud to be a progressive, and I'm proud to wear this (Drinking Liberally) button. And now, I have to leave," he said in brief remarks.

Headed to the Harkin Steak Fry today, which should be interesting. Harkin has promised to remain neutral in the Presidential race, unlike Wes Clark, who endorsed Hillary Clinton yesterday. I remember the rumor that Clark only got in the race in 2004 to split the antiwar vote and stop Howard Dean at the behest of the Clintons. So I'm not too surprised. Hardcore Clarkies, apparently, are crestfallen, though.