Yes, I'm pimping my new blog. Democratic Badass of the Week: Al Franken.

[backscatter712]

I know, this is somewhat old news, but I just got back from Christmas with my folks, and decided my personal blog needs more viewers. Still, let me know what you think.

Democratic Badass of the Week: Al Franken

Since I went to the trouble of writing about Democratic Milquetoasts, I figured I’d better write about their opposites.

This week’s award of Democratic Badass of the Week goes to Al Franken!!!

Nope, I see no signs of Stuart Smalley behavior in Minnesota. Al stood up and delivered a well-earned black eye to Norm Coleman and Minnesota Republicans. Chances are he’s going to win, as of this writing (though Coleman could still pull it off, though it looks increasingly unlikely, knock on wood…) Even if Al doesn’t win, he’s shown enough fight to earn some respect.

Al Franken did not have an easy fight. When the election judges finished their counts on November 4th, he was behind by only 571 votes - well within the margin for a mandatory recount. Norm Coleman didn’t take long to start publicly demanding that Franken concede, and to start insinuating that a refusal to concede meant he was a “poor sport” among many other things.

[bridgit]

1. It seems like forever ago, but Franken was making sound like he wasn't going to contest...

I was all :wtf: I'm glad he's fighting as hard as he is fuck them!! republicans are done! They can't just *have it* anymore.

[backscatter712]

2. It's definitely a good object lesson for Democrats.

When you fight, sometimes you win. Enough to make it worth fighting. Even if you fight and lose, if you at least show you've put up a good fight, at least you get a little respect.

[bridgit]

3. True...

:thumbsup:

[Dinger]

4. K & R; I Love It!

Keep up the good work backscatter!

[Danascot]

5. "Linux, Politics and Geekery"

Pretty funny, that.

Good luck with your blog. Let us know when you post something tasty.

... and best wishes for Franken in the New Year.

[backscatter712]

6. I have another article in the works...

I still have to proofread it (as fast I write, I always end up with a few embarrassing typos and grammatical errors in my writing, so I've got to go over my posts and proofread them,) but I'm writing an article on proper application of Fitts's Law to your GNOME Desktop.

I'll post that in the Computer Help and Support Group when I declare it fit for public consumption.

I'm also planning on putting Google Adsense ads on my blog - assuming I can get enough readers, I can get some decent pizza money that way. I have to make sure I can show Google that I've got real content on my site and that I'm not splogging.

[backscatter712]

8. OK, that article's finished...

Have Fitts's with your Linux GNOME Desktop

[backscatter712]

7. Oh, while you're reading my blog, check out...

Democratic Milquetoast of the Week: Barack Obama

I was originally anticipating giving the first award of this dubious honor to someone like Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi or Alan Colmes. After all, Reid oozes wimpiness, and I anticipate he’ll be earning this honor on a regular basis. As it turns out, fate has demanded a different recipient.

Barack Obama is officially my first Democratic Milquetost of the Week!!! I’m really disappointed in you, Barack. I know that even the pros screw up from time to time, and maybe you got thrown off because you’re moving into a new job and have to learn a new set of tricks, but really, you’re off your game.

I imagine that you already know what this is about: the choice of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration.

[Cha]

9. Great, backscatter! Franken is a badass Dem.

Rolling Stone's Dec 11th(Spears on Front) issue has the best article about him and the Recount.

<snip>

.."Here's where things start to sound a little less like Florida in 2000 and a little more like Grant Park in 2008. In the eight years since the Supreme Court handed the presidency to George Bush, there has been very little humor anywhere, on either side of the hottest political battles: Whether it was the launch of the war in Iraq, or the opening night of Fahrenheit 9/11, or the trial of Scooter Libby, the operating vibe has always been earnest, bitter anger. When it came to Blue against Red, you just didn't joke about how much you hated the other side; you were just too pissed off to laugh about What They Did to This Country"

<snips>

"I try to goad Franken into saying something nasty about his opponent, but he won't go there. He only gets really animated when he mentions that his post-election schedule now allows him to have a proper dinner. "Last night, for instance, I had cauliflower," he says. "And zucchini. And lamb chops." Then, as I'm in the middle of asking the next question, he interrupts me as though remembering something important. "I said zucchini, right?"

On the Republican side, meanwhile, the far less cheery Coleman hasn't gone for any of this post-Obama bipartisan feel-good bullshit, and no wonder — having lost a humiliating gubernatorial race to wrestler Jesse Ventura 10 years ago, he now sits on the verge of becoming the first politician in American history to lose a major office to two different TV entertainers.

This nightmare scenario pushed the incumbent into full-blown war mode the instant a recount appeared inevitable. His immediate strategy was to attack the perfectly normal and legal recount process as illegitimate and "suspicious," in particular implying that Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie is a left-wing radical bent on delivering the race to Franken. Republicans even went so far as to issue a press release accusing Ritchie of receiving support from the Communist Party of America."


<interesting article>
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/24603798/the_last_recount

[mzmolly]

10. Very nice!

A kick for you and Al :kick: