As a regular reader of MyDD, I'd like to put up a general request to see more diversity on the front page as we move into the next political cycle.  This topic came up a while back and I thought it led to a valuable discussion on many levels.  Now that the  most recent elections are behind us, and new ones are not quite upon us, I thought this would be a good time to revisit the topic.

I include a few suggestions after the fold, and call on the rest of the readership to add their ideas.  

As Republicans repeat "taxes, taxes, John Kerry, taxes, taxes, terrorism" in an attempt to distract the publc, Democrats working on campaigns may want to email this Hurst article to their lists and print out copies to keep by the phone banks.  

"BLOODY" is a heartbreaking, but increadibly powerful frame of the one issue most important to American voters.

According to the NYT,  New York City Boss Michael Bloomberg--a corporatist Republican who has convinced many people he's a Liberal--is sending his army of paid campaign workers to pump up the Lieberman campaign in Connecticut:

In his battle for re-election to the United States Senate without the backing of the Democratic Party, Joseph I. Lieberman is deploying a secret weapon in the race's closing days: a sophisticated operation to identify and turn out voters, courtesy of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

The Bloomberg group includes several top-level operatives who played key roles in the mayor's decisive re-election last year or who are in the administration, and have taken leaves from their jobs to work on Mr. Lieberman's campaign.

Fifty years from now, when historians write about the social problem of sexual predators in early 21st Century America, they will put a photo of Cardinal Bernard Law next to a photo of Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.

These are men who had the chance to protect our children,  but chose to protect a predator instead.

They did more than just fail as leaders--they endangered our families.

This week, Don Rumsfeld accused Americans of appeasing fascists in the Middle East--in the same way that the Europeans appeased Hitler in the 1930s.   It was classic Rummy on the campaign stump:  Criticize our policy?   Atomic bombs will fall on your head...er...you are encouraging the terrorists...er...appeasing Hitler...er...tell us we're wrong and you will all die, Die, DIE!!

Then, as is usual practice for the Bush Administration,  after accusing the American public of endangering the nation--Rumsfeld's aides immediately denied that he said anything of the sort.  In response, Democratic leader Harry Reid issued a statement calling Rumsfeld's comments reckless.

But how should Progressives reframe this?  They can change the frame from 'Nazis' to Republican fear of being held accountable for what they have done.  But the word 'accountable' and 'accountability' or so unwieldy, so technocratic.  It is much better to respond to Rumsfeld's outlandish Nazi comments by saying something along these lines:

• Rumsfeld is campaigning again
• Rumsfeld is afraid Democrats are about to regain control of Congress
• Rumseld is worried he will soon have to answer for what he has done
• Nothing scares Rumsfeld more that the fear of facing the American people
• Facing the prospect of answering to the American people, Rumsfeld will accuse us of more and more outlandish crimes
• Rumsfeld is lashing out like a cornered thief
• The more he senses he might have to answer for his crimes, the more he will accuse his accusers

Rumsfeld's campaign against Americans is a sign that he is looking up the road and sees himself sitting at a table in front of a Congressional committee chaired by Democrats.  And the more he senses that reality about to drop on him, the more he will up the ante in the PR war to cast Americans as treasonous turncoats.

And Progressives should keep turning up the heat.

News breaking out of Virginia is that Senator George Allen called a person a 'macaca' while on the campaign trail.  The person was dark skinned and, as it happens, working for Jim Webb's campaign.

There has been some question as to what this word 'macaca' means, so I took some time to fire off some searches on Google.

In the remainder of this post I will list key findings under headings of the search terms plugged into google.

'Macaca' or 'macaque' is a nasty racial epithet alright.  It is often used by American white supremacists to describe black people.  In Belgium, it is a racial slur for 'dirty arab.'   Could this be George Allen's Mel Gibson moment?

WARNING:  This findings in this post contain language that many readers may find offensive.

The more I read about the Lamont campaign in the press, the more I realize that Big Media and DC insiders do not yet get what is happening. 

Look at any newspaper or watch any TV report about the race, and one would think voters in Connecticut were turning out for a ballot resolution on Iraq.  They are not.

What is happening in Connecticut--really happening?  Ned Lamont has come to embody the 3 Ps of Progressive politics:  Principle, Protection, and Participation.

And win or lose the primary (he will win!)--Progressive politics has taken off.  And there is no turning back.

As Connecticut Senate hopeful Ned Lamont began a campaign stop, yesterday, at Ted's in Meriden, CT--home of the original famous steamed burgers--the spotlight was suddenly stolen out from under him by an unruly group of Joe Lieberman supporters who had slipped into the diner incognito for just such a sneak attack.

Oh no, America!  Just when we thought Ned Lamont had made it safe again for the people to participate in government, Joe Lieberman sends in---the Hamburglars!!!

That's right, folks.  Joe Lieberman's latest madcapped attempt to stop the people of Connecticut from participating in politics is not to debate Ned Lamont, not to tell the people of Connecticut why he ignores them--but to hamburgle the election.

What do the Hamburglars do?  They do everything they can to steal the election from the people of Connecticut and give it to the incumbent.

What can supporters of Ned Lamont do to stop the Hamburglars?

Here is a 3-step plan to quickly turn Lieberman's Hamburglars into an asset for the Lamont campaign.