In Kirkland, WA, on Saturday, Markos Moulitsas, founder of Daily Kos hosted an afternoon reception followed by a townhall event in Seattle for Darcy Burner who is seeking a congressional seat in Washington's first district.

In a first for Moulitsas, he explained to the crowd "If like me, you think Congress is broken, that we have a lot of work to do to pull it out of the mess it is in, one vote is not enough. This is the one race in the entire country right now where I can look at a candidate and say "She is going to give us more than one vote." She is going to be able to corral people, bring them together and help build a movement that moves not just the party forward...but the country forward. That is why I am here, and that is why I wholeheartedly support Darcy Burner."

Ms. Burner has been a featured "chat" guest here at CrooksandLiars for Blue America. If you're so inclined, you can donate to Darcy Burner's campaign on her Blue America page.

Right wing talk radio host, Bill Cunningham, is a well known name in Cincinnati and nationally. His show on 700 WLW is heard by an estimated 200,000 listeners daily. He also hosts a weekly, syndicated show, "Live on Sunday Night, it's Bill Cunningham", which is carried by 300 stations nationally and is a regular guest on Hannity.

In 2008, Cunningham made big waves during a campaign rally for John McCain when he constantly referred to Barack Obama as "Barack Hussein Obama". That eventually lead to John McCain having to apologize for what Cunningham was saying.

Cunningham admits being a Republican, which made his endorsement of John Kasich, the Republican running for Ohio Governor against incumbent Ted Strickland, no surprise in 2010. Now Cunningham is having a serious case of buyer's remorse and on his show yesterday, Cunningham said he would lead a "peasant uprising" against the Governor if he doesn't start changing his politics.

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Jesus' General has more on this very special endorsement.

Open thread below...

Sarah Palin has placed her lipstick-red kiss of death on Carly Fiorina in her latest Facebook post:

Please consider that Carly is the conservative who has the potential to beat California’s liberal senator, Barbara Boxer, in November. I’m a huge proponent of contested primaries, so I’m glad to see the contest in California’s GOP, but I support Carly as she fights through a tough primary against a liberal member of the GOP who seems to bear almost no difference to Boxer, one of the most leftwing members of the Senate.

Palin's endorsement tells more about Palin than it does Fiorina. Fiorina nearly destroyed Hewlett-Packard during her tenure, and walked away with millions in stock and cash while thousands lost their jobs. HP has yet to recover from her evildoing there. Yet Palin endorses her not because of Fiorina's politics, but because she "has the potential to beat" Barbara Boxer. This is Sarah Palin at her most basic level: win at any cost, no matter what damage is done along the way.

It's also clear that Palin intends to use gender as the new wedge in politics. There's no question in my mind that Palin's politics are as far-right fringe as they can be, which would make Chuck Devore the logical candidate from an ideological standpoint. If Fiorina were a man, I'd bet Palin wouldn't make any endorsement here at all.

Palin's endorsement is great news for Democrats. It further marginalizes Campbell, who could possibly be a more difficult candidate for Boxer. If Fiorina wins the primary, Boxer will have a far easier time than she would with Campbell.

Go Sarah, go! Maybe she'll even come out and campaign for Carly. That ought to be interesting, given that she's not even selling out small stadiums in the heartland.

Update: It seems that Palin's constituents are a bit aggravated over her decision. Earlier today her original Facebook announcement was updated to include this extra justification:

Carly has been endorsed by the National Right to Life, the California Pro-Life Council, and the Susan B. Anthony List. She is pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, pro-military, and pro-strict border security and against amnesty. She is against Obamacare and will vote to repeal it and prevent the government takeover of private companies and industries. Carly is also a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. Like me, she is a member of the NRA, has a 100% NRA rating, and she and her husband are gun owners. She is pro-energy development and believes as I do in an all-of-the-above approach to energy independence. She is against cap and tax. And most importantly, Carly is the only conservative in the race who can beat Barbara Boxer. That’s no RINO. That’s a winner.

Hmmm. NRA ratings haven't been released yet, and Carly Fiorina hasn't held elective office for them to even rate her. Worse yet, Fiorina supported cap and trade legislation before she opposed it.

Just days after praising Arizona's draconian immigration law as a "good tool" and 24 hours after calling on President Obama to immediately "dispatch of 3,000 National Guard troops to our border," John McCain Saturday admitted he's not sure his state's crackdown is even legal. Which means that the man who was for comprehensive immigration reform before he was against before he was for it and then against again now isn't sure what he believes.

Rolling out his 10-point plan for border security at an Arizona town hall meeting, McCain suggested he may have suffered from a case of premature endorsement last week. As the Arizona Daily Star reported:

Although McCain had sounded a note of support for the bill, calling it a "good tool" for law enforcement, he stopped short of fully endorsing the measure. "I haven't had a chance to look at all the aspects, but I do understand why the Legislature would act," he said. Even though it wasn't clear to him "whether all of it is legal or not," he said state lawmakers "acted out of frustration because the federal government didn't do its job."

That hedging a far cry from McCain's sound and fury last week.

Hard-pressed on his right flank by J.D. Hayworth, John McCain last Monday broke his silence on the new law. He endorsed the measure as a "good tool" because, among other things, "drivers of cars with illegals in them that are intentionally causing accidents on the freeways."

Then at a Phoenix press conference Friday, McCain defended his state's harsh DWH ("doing things while Hispanic") law which President Obama deemed "misguided":

"If the president doesn't like what the Arizona Legislature and governor may be doing, then I call on the president to immediately call for the dispatch of 3,000 National Guard troops to our border and mandate that 3,000 additional Border Patrol [officers] be sent to our border as well...And that way, then the state of Arizona will not have to enact legislation which they have to do because of the federal government's failure to carry out its responsibilities, which is to secure the borders."

Of course, back in September 2006, John McCain praised his colleagues who "rejected the argument for an 'enforcement first' strategy that focuses on border security only, an ineffective and ill-advised approach." McCain the went from co-sponsoring comprehensive reform legislation with Ted Kennedy in 2007 to telling Republican primary voters in January 2008 he would not vote for his own proposal because "The people want the borders secured first." But with the GOP nomination in hand, McCain told Hispanic voters in July 2008 to trust him because, "I remain committed to fair, practical and comprehensive immigration reform."

Alas, that was then and this is now. As Dana Bash of CNN described John McCain's latest contortionist act:

"He used to be [in favor of comprehensive immigration reform], but not any more. In fact, if you look over the years, he has had various positions dealing with this. And it really depended on what election battle he was in at the time."

I'm not surprised that Harman won the California Democratic Party endorsement Sunday because she's a very wealthy incumbent who has hand-picked many delegates to help keep her power when it counts. I'm saddened by it, but it shows how the game works and how hard it is to fight an incumbent. It doesn't matter if that person supported George Bush and got caught up in a national scandal about Bush's warrantless wire-tapping, or her role in trying to corrupt the media in the process. I was at the convention Saturday, but not Sunday.

d-day:

OK, so we’re on to the endorsement for Jane Harman. And this is a crackup. CDP Chair John Burton has kind of lost control of the thing. More in a minute.

Here’s the deal. Burton rushed the question on the endorsement to the floor, asked for whether there would be speakers on behalf of Winograd and Harman, and didn’t hear that there were. Then he called the question and nobody knew what the question was. Then he got hot and yelled at people who didn’t understand. He called the question again, but then Winograd and her supporters asked to speak again. Burton chided them for not getting their act together but allowed them to speak.

John Burton really isn’t interested in the party business stuff and it shows.

John Burton made an absolute mess of this important floor vote. Did they stack the deck against Winograd? From what I'm hearing, there's no way they could have counted those votes in the time frame allotted.

I was sitting at a table during yesterday's lunch at the convention and was talking to some really nice people. Arianna was waiting to give the keynote speech (she did very well), but Diane Watson was introduced first and she got a standing ovation. She's retiring after many years in the House.

I told some delegates that there's a big problem between the local Democratic Party infrastructure and the netroots across the country, but especially in California. Many in the state party seem pretty devoid of any interest or knowledge in using the Internet and the many local bloggers to their advantage. California is loaded with us DFH's.

As I was making my point to the table, John Burton stood up and introduced Arianna Huffington and to my disbelief he said that he never touches a computer or goes on the Internet. Now, it's certainly not his job to do this, but come on. In a time when computers, the Internet and the blogosphere have been changing politics, how can the head of the California Democratic Party be so out of touch? I turned to the table and said, "You see what I mean?" They all nodded in agreement. After Arianna's great speech, he told the audience that her speech might change his mind and force him to sit in front of a computer. I'm paraphrasing, but you get the point. This disconnect between the party and the real world is starting to have dire consequences.

Winograd's team did a good job of getting enough signatures to thwart an automatic endorsement from the CDP, forcing a floor vote at the convention.

I talked to Marci and she was really upset at how this all shook out. Burton seemed to try and ram through the endorsement of the Bush Dog-like Harman. Marci gave me this quote:

I was pleased to see so many delegates, perhaps the majority of the floor, we'll never really know, stand up to block the endorsement of a Blue Dog that worked to reelect George Bush and foreclose on as many homes as possible.

Yes, she did get impressive numbers and Harman is going to have her hands full with the Winograd campaign. Don't be shy and help support Marci over Blue Dog Harman. The way Burton handled the Harman/Winograd situation was abominable. However, even with his hackery, I think with the blogosphere's support, Marci can still win.

Digby writes about the floor vote and says:

This is really all inter-party kabuki and doesn't mean much. The fact that Winograd even got a floor vote is a testament to Harman's weakness. She is after all, a very powerful incumbent and nationally known figure in the party. They always hang together against grassroots threats.

What matters is the primary vote. LA Progressive puts it this way:

Harman vs. Winograd is the quintessential battle of opposites; conservative vs. progressive, corporate donations vs. grassroots donations, power broker vs. people power, special interests vs. people’s interests, war vs. infrastructure, war vs. jobs, war vs. education, war vs. housing, war vs. health, war vs. the environment, and on…

This contest means the difference between reelecting an entrenched incumbent politician who supports militarism and corporatocracy or electing an inspired organizer and educator who’s dedicated her life to the local community and the community at large.

Lila Garrett, radio host, progressive icon and convention delegate summed it up for me this way:

“Winograd vs. Harman is not just another ho-hum congressional election. It’s a battle to define the Democratic Party. If it is represented by a permanent war economy fed by a policy of permanent war, secret government, authoritarian rule – that’s Harman. If it’s a party whose first priorities are peace, universal education, healthcare, employment and dignity – that’s Winograd.

They [Harman and Winograd] are polar opposites. Let the Democratic party be defined by this election. Then let those of us who care what our party stands for decide whether to remain Democrats or move on. It has come to that.”

I'm a believer in staying and fighting rather than "moving on" to quixotic, third party politics, but I agree with the rest. If Winograd wins this race it will send shockwaves through the Democratic establishment. Harman is considered untouchable, but as was demonstrated by the floor vote at the convention, she's on the run.

Harman is one of the wealthiest members of Congress. She can flood the zone with her own cash if need be. Winograd, on the other hand, is dependent on contributions from like-minded individuals who would like to have some representation in Congress that answers to the people rather than corporations, defense contractors and lobbyists.

You can donate a couple of bucks here to support her effort.

I've heard from some delegates that John Burton is doing a very good job fixing many of the problems the CDP has faced after he took over the party so that's really good to hear. They know the nuts and bolts of the party apparatus.

Robert Cruickshank has a great post up on Calitics about the CDC called:

A Movement - and a Party - In Search of Leadership

On a related note, Jerry Brown is the nominee for Governor and I haven't seen much if any outreach to the bloggers or advertising to get his message out on TV, have you?

Brown did challenge Whitman to a debate that she refused so they are now going after her hard on it with an action called: Demand Meg Join The Debate

We'll see how that winds up, but so far the word is that it's a very tight race right now.

Early polls show Brown in a statistical dead heat with Republican Meg Whitman, the billionaire former eBay CEO.

I do know one thing. If the Brown campaign doesn't get their act together soon, we'll be following up the horrendous Arnold years with Meg Whitman as Governor. I shudder at the thought.

(corrected from an earlier draft)

You know, the Villagers are so uniformly self-centered and oblivious to larger reality that it's too much like shooting fish in a barrel to go after them -- too easy and not quite sporting.

But the bed-wetting Richard Cohen takes it to higher levels than almost anyone else:

There is almost nothing the Obama administration does regarding terrorism that makes me feel safer.

Because it's all about you, isn't it, Richard?

Whether it is guaranteeing captured terrorists that they will not be waterboarded, reciting terrorists their rights, or the legally meandering and confusing rule that some terrorists will be tried in military tribunals and some in civilian courts, what is missing is a firm recognition that what comes first is not the message sent to America's critics but the message sent to Americans themselves. When, oh when, will this administration wake up?

What, you mean the concept that we all have equal rights under the law? Yes, I can see where that idea might cause some problems.

[...] No doubt George Bush soiled America's image abroad with what looked liked vigilante justice and Dick Cheney's hearty endorsement of ugly interrogation measures. But more is at stake here than America's image abroad -- namely the security and peace of mind of Americans in America. Bush stands condemned by the facts for Sept. 11 -- his watch, his responsibility -- and in all likelihood he bent over backward to ensure that nothing like those attacks would happen again.

The Obama administration, on the other hand, seems to have bent over backward to prove to the world it is not the Bush administration and will, almost no matter what, ensure that everyone gets the benefit of American civil liberties.

As one of those who have been watching as Obama rubberstamps numerous Bush terrorism policies, I can only shake my head. Can it be that Cohen simply doesn't know how to read?

But the paramount civil liberty is a sense of security and this, sad to say, has eroded under Barack Obama. Repeatedly, the administration has shown poor judgment. Abdulmutallab's silence is a scream that something is wrong.

Really? Really, "the paramount civil liberty is a sense of security"? Your sense of security? I'm sitting here looking at the Bill of Rights and yeah, they do talk about security, all right - but not the way you mean:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures...

Maybe you should go back and read the rest, you pathetic excuse for an American. Or remember the words of Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

Despite Bernie Sanders' commonsense arguments, Bernanke squeaked through. Well, good luck with that, I guess. I find what comfort I can in Paul Krugman's prediction that if Bernanke wasn't approved, they'd end up giving in to the Republicans and picking someone who's even worse:

WASHINGTON — The Senate gave Ben S. Bernanke a second four-year term as the head of the Federal Reserve on Thursday after critics excoriated the central bank’s conduct in the years leading up to the financial crisis.

The 70-to-30 vote was the weakest endorsement ever extended to a chairman in the Fed’s 96-year history.

The confirmation was a victory for President Obama, who had called Mr. Bernanke an architect of the recovery, but also signaled the extent to which the Fed, once little known to the public, has become the object of outrage over high unemployment and bank bailouts.

Oh what fun: Jon Stewart rips into Glenn Beck for his manifest lack of ethics in promoting gold as an investment on his program.

YahooNews's Brett Michael Dykes explained it in some detail:

For some time Beck critics have cried foul over his relationship with Goldline International, a precious metals vendor that features the TV and radio host's endorsement prominently on their website. Critics charge that Beck is guilty of misleading his audience by often advising them to purchase gold in advance of the potential collapse of the value of the dollar on the world currency market, without disclosing that he is in fact a "paid spokesman" for Goldline. Beck's on-air promotion of gold, which includes advising viewers to construct "fruit cellars" and to rely on a "three G system" of "God, Gold, and Guns" in the event of America's collapse, dates back to his time as a host for CNN Headline News.

Glenn Beck also regularly talks up gold on his nationally syndicated radio show, where he often endorses Goldline during live commercial segments. Additionally, Beck has had the company's CEO on as a guest. Advertisements for Goldline are also featured prominently on Beck's own website, where he recently promoted gold in an audio clip warning of an apocalyptic future:

When the system eventually collapses, and the government comes with guns and confiscates, you know, everything in your home and all your possessions, and then you fight off the raving mad cannibalistic crowds that Ted Turner talked about, don't come crying to me. I told you: get gold.

And as James Rainey explained at the LA Times, he may be leading a lot of people down a financial garden path:

Beck, true to form, has not been subtle in making his pitch. He has appealed to listeners to "think like a German Jew" during the period of Nazi ascendance. "I think people are running out of options," he said, "of something that could be worth something at all."

The alternative? Gold. Beck touts his personal investments in the metal and, though he has offered cautionary notes, he leaves no doubt about his bottom line.

"If you have been watching for any length of time and you still haven't looked into buying gold, what's wrong with you?" Beck asks on a video on his personal website. Those not following his advice, he adds, are "nuts."

Buying gold during economic hard times is not, to be sure, a new concept. In the current recession, it's a strategy that has been embraced by many mainstream investors.

My colleague Tom Petruno has written of how some economic wizards -- including David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital, predictor of last year's financial swoon -- have replaced some of the cash in their portfolios with gold.

But even some of those who have been making lots of money selling gold concede that the appeal goes beyond mere reason. Peter Epstein, president of Merit Financial Services, told Politico that his firm had advertised on CNN but that the gold message resonated more with Fox's viewers "because it's the angry white man audience -- it's the conservative audience. . . . They are distrustful of the government, of the regime."

That sort of thinking might not lead to the soundest decisions, some gold professionals told me.

"When people buy into the fear and flock into one thing, it's only a matter of time before it turns," said Matt Zeman, a metals trader at Chicago-based LaSalle Futures Group. Indeed, since last week's high of $1,218, gold had dropped Tuesday to $1,143, Zeman noted, adding: "I think the wheels could really come off the gold bandwagon."

Actually, Beck is promoting Ron Paul's extremist brand of libertarianism by promoting the "gold standard." It's been a sucker play for the Far Far Right for many years, and now it's being promoted by a mainstream news entity.

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Marco Rubio, the ultra Limbaugh conservative who's running for the Senate against the very popular Charlie Crist doesn't like my idea of postponing the August recess if a health-care bill is stalled. He tweeted that he hopes for just the opposite.

marcorubio: Has a congressional recess ever been more needed than now? Every day hoping time runs out on bad policy in D.C.

Thanks for the endorsement Marco. The country needs help and you want Congress to play in a sandbox for August. He's a Club for Growth republican who is having problems raising money. Howie Klein called him the anti-Amato in an email to me and he has more info on Marco "Ricky" Rubio.