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Feb
20
[update w/fantastic pics] ‘Roots News: photos from lunar eclipse in Northern Ohio
Filed Under 'Roots News, Environment, Ohio | Comments Off
Over on the right-hand sidebar is a Flickr set of pictures we took this evening through our telescope and up through a skylight. Not bad! But the real thing, with the naked eye, was even better.
Now – if I can just figure out how to change my blog URL on my Flickr account that I set up ages ago so I could post a few pics in here…
Update: Tony Sweet has fantastic photos of the eclipse on his photography blog. I think he’s in Maryland. Check out his main photography page. Gorgeous! I love discovering this kind of thing totally by accident (his blog came up under a google alert I had for “wide open” “blog”!).
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:49 pm February 20th, 2008 in 'Roots News, Environment, Ohio | Comments Off
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Feb
20
Attn Clinton, Obama: Fighting Foreclosure and Abandonment Forum” as important if not more important than debate
Filed Under 'Roots News, Announcements, Barack Obama, Campaigning, Cleveland+, Economy, Government, Hillary Clinton, Media, Ohio, Politics, Primary, WH2008 | Comments Off
I absolutely mean that. Because if you want to see where the rubber meets the road, in a city that’s labeled and lambasted as being so wretched by so many different measures (none which I really like or believe in anyway), and if you want to win the support and votes and hopes of these people we call Ohioans, you get yourself here:
The morning after next week’s Democratic Presidential debate at CSU, Cleveland City Council is asking the Presidential candidates to send senior policy staffers to City Hall for a “Fighting Foreclosure and Abandonment Forum”.
The event, set for 10 am to 1 am next Thursday in City Council Chambers, offers the candidates’ program-writers (and media in town for the debate) an unprecedented first-hand picture of the Foreclosure Crisis in Cuyahoga County, the many ways in which the local community is fighting back, and a comprehensive set of proposals for Federal action to make that fight easier.
…
The Forum is being pitched to national as well as local media, and a live end-to-end webcast is planned. Of course bloggers are very welcome. Wifi access is available in the Council Chambers.
I’m working with Council and the Foreclosure Strategy Group to help organize community testimony and promote Web coverage. Feel free to contact me with any ideas or questions.
Many thanks to Bill Callahan.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:27 pm February 20th, 2008 in 'Roots News, Announcements, Barack Obama, Campaigning, Cleveland+, Economy, Government, Hillary Clinton, Media, Ohio, Politics, Primary, WH2008 | Comments Off
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Feb
20
Clinton, Obama surrogates to do Israel Project/Cleveland Jewish News event
Filed Under Announcements, Barack Obama, Campaigning, Cleveland+, Elections, Hillary Clinton, Jewish, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Ohio, Politics, Primary, WH2008 | 1 Comment
From the inbox:
The Israel Project and the Cleveland Jewish News
Cordially Invite you to a
Presidential Candidates ForumDATE: Sunday, March 2, 2008
TIME: 3:30 – 5:00 pm
PLACE: Beachwood High School Auditorium
25100 Fairmount Blvd.
Beachwood, OHFind out answers to your questions about the candidates’ positions on:
Israel, the threat of Iran and other issues of concern to the Jewish community.Senior-level representatives of the four leading candidates have been invited to participate:
The Honorable Adam Schiff,
United States House of Representatives
for Senator Barack ObamaThe Honorable Debbie Wasserman Schultz,
United States House of Representatives
for Senator Hillary ClintonGovernor Mike Huckabee*
Senator John McCain*
(* not yet confirmed)
Moderator: CJN Editor Cynthia Dettelbach, audience questions will be included.No campaign literature, signage or active campaigning by audience members will be permitted.
Registration is requested.
Questions? Please contact Sarah Marcus at 202-857-6617or sarahm@theisraelproject.org.The Israel Project (TIP) is an international non-profit organization that does not rate nor endorses any candidate. TIP simply supplies information as a public service.
About the surrogates:
Rep. Wasserman Schultz (for Clinton) has been recognized by numerous publications for her work in Congress. Campaigns and Elections Magazine named her one of “Five Women to Watch in Congress.” Congressional Quarterly called her “a rising star in House Democratic ranks.” For two consecutive years, The Forward Newspaper named her as one of the “Forward Fifty” (fifty most influential members of the Jewish Community). Florida International Magazine named her one of the 100 most influential Floridians. South Florida Business Journal named her one of the “Top 20 Business Leaders in South Florida.” Roll Call newspaper identified her as one of six members of the House of Representatives worth watching. Politico newspaper identified her as one of “Six Women in the House Worth Watching.”
Rep. Schiff (for Obama) has focused on bolstering national security, strengthening our communities, and introducing a “Kids First” agenda of initiatives to improve education, safety, and health care for our kids. Rep. Schiff has been a leader on national security efforts and has pushed for a broader strategy that emphasizes diplomacy, intelligence reform, and efforts to improve our nation’s ability to stabilize countries to prevent future failed states from becoming havens for terrorists. He has pressed for the adoption of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission recommendations, cosponsoring a measure that implements the recommendations, which passed the House this year.
The Israel Project is an international non-profit organization devoted to educating the press and the public about Israel while promoting security, freedom and peace. The Israel Project provides journalists, leaders and opinion-makers accurate information about Israel. The Israel Project is not related to any government or government agency.
Board of Advisors: Sen. Evan Bayh (IN), Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), Sen. Saxby Chambliss (GA), Sen. Tom Coburn (OK), Sen. Norm Coleman (MN), Sen. Susan Collins (ME), Sen. Judd Gregg (NH), Sen. Joe Lieberman (CT), Sen. Ben Nelson (NE), Sen. Gordon Smith (OR), Sen. Arlen Specter (PA), Sen. Ron Wyden (OR), Rep. Rob Andrews (NJ), Rep. Shelley Berkley (NV), Rep. Tom Davis (VA), Rep. Eliot Engel (NY), Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ), Rep. Jon Porter (NV), Rep. John Sarbanes (MD), Rep. Jim Saxton (NJ), Rep. Brad Sherman (CA), Rep. Joe Wilson (SC), Actor and Director Ron Silver.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:24 pm February 20th, 2008 in Announcements, Barack Obama, Campaigning, Cleveland+, Elections, Hillary Clinton, Jewish, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Ohio, Politics, Primary, WH2008 | 1 Comment
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Feb
20
Bad American is good predictor on Clinton, Obama primary results
Filed Under Barack Obama, Elections, Hillary Clinton, Ohio, Politics, Predictions, Primary, WH2008 | 8 Comments
Not that others haven’t been accurate, but this is still pretty good:
So let’s check my predictions vs. reality:
Hawaii — predicted: Obama 70-30; actual: Obama 76-24
Wisconsin — predicted: Obama 55-45; actual: Obama 58-41
I have to say, even I am surprised as Obama outperformed my calculations.
On this night of astronomical eclipses, can his prognostication successes eclipse Hillary Clintons?
Here, as they stand, are my REVISED predictions for March 4:
Texas primary – previous: Clinton, 52-48; today: 50-49 Obama
Ohio primary – previous: 50-50 split,today: 50-49 Obama
Vermont primary – previous: Obama 60-40; let it stand
Rhode Island primary – previous: Obama 55-45; today: Obama 58-42
Anyone else have predictions, put them in the comments. I still have to decide who I’m voting for, lol.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:08 pm February 20th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Elections, Hillary Clinton, Ohio, Politics, Predictions, Primary, WH2008 | 8 Comments
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Feb
20
Barack Obama on campaign spending limits
Filed Under Barack Obama, Campaigning, Politics, WH2008 | Comments Off
In 2007, shortly after I became a candidate for president, I asked the Federal Election Commission to clear any regulatory obstacles to a publicly funded general election in 2008 with real spending limits. The commission did that. But this cannot happen without the agreement of the parties’ eventual nominees. As I have said, I will aggressively pursue such an agreement if I am my party’s nominee.
…
I propose a meaningful agreement in good faith that results in real spending limits. The candidates will have to commit to discouraging cheating by their supporters; to refusing fundraising help to outside groups; and to limiting their own parties to legal forms of involvement. And the agreement may have to address the amounts that Senator McCain, the presumptive nominee of his party, will spend for the general election while the Democratic primary contest continues.
…
We can have such an agreement this year, and it could hold up. I am committed to seeking such an agreement
if that commitment is matched by Senator McCain. When the time comes, we will talk and our commitment will be tested. I will pass that test, and I hope that the Republican nominee passes his.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:08 pm February 20th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Campaigning, Politics, WH2008 | Comments Off
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Feb
20
Michele Obama Cleveland visit details
Filed Under Barack Obama, Campaigning, Ohio, Politics, Primary, WH2008 | Comments Off
From the inbox:
COMMUNITY GATHERING WITH MICHELLE OBAMA
DATE: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21
TIME: Doors Open: 11:30 AM
PLACE:
Cleveland State University
University Center
2121 Euclid Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44115
PARKING: Parking in that area is limited so take public transportation if you can or come early. Nearby stops are located at Euclid and E 21st or Euclid and E 22nd.
The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but an RSVP is encouraged. Seating is limited and admission is on a first come, first-served basis. To RSVP, please visit www.barackobama.com.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:30 pm February 20th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Campaigning, Ohio, Politics, Primary, WH2008 | Comments Off
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Feb
20
Review: OH-10 City Club Democratic Primary Debate, w/audio, video links
Filed Under Barbara Anne Ferris, Blogging, Campaigning, Cleveland+, Congress, Debates, Dennis Kucinich, Jim Trakas, Joe Cimperman, Media, Ohio, Politics, Predictions, Primary, Rosemary Palmer, Tom O'Grady | 9 Comments
I have to say that I’m surprised that, even with a completely packed room at the Crowne Plaza, not a single blog post (the Plain Dealer’s Openers, where anything having to do with OH-10 seems to be categorized under “Kucinich” – there isn’t a category for any other 10th district candidate, or “OH-10″ either, doesn’t count), other than my live-blog of the debate and Jeff Coryell’s start of a live-blog of it, seems to have popped up as a result of the debate yesterday with Joe Cimperman, Barbara Ann Ferris, Dennis Kucinich, Tom O’Grady and Rosemary Palmer.
Political Science 216 reviews it here (well, he reviews Dan Moulthrop‘s sexy quotient, Cimperman’s stick-to-itness, Kucinich’s response to a COSE volunteer and Elizabeth Kucinich’s hair).
Here’s WCPN’s audio and here’s the PD’s video.
[Here's some pre-primary attention given to the candidates, a great first-person constituent endorsement of Dennis Kucinich (and an excellent comment thread at Brewed Fresh Daily that was started by a reference to that post) and Shannon Okey's thoughts on Palmer and Ferris. I did some searching to try and find other blog input on the candidates but found next to nothing. My search skills aren't all that all the time. If you've been covering the race, please leave a comment. Political Science 216 has some posts too.]
Of course, like Joe Cimperman, I don’t live in the district, but unlike Joe Cimperman, I don’t plan on moving into the district, even if I were to run and win the OH-10 election. So, maybe it’s just my inner neophyte, but I think the primary is fascinating – regardless of how absolutely certain the Plain Dealer folks continue to be about it being a two-person (I refuse to say two-man as this Openers piece does, Molly – come on) race. (Did anyone else watch the after-debate on Channel 3 with Mark Naymik, Tom Beres and and former Cleveland City Councilman, Bill Patmon? OMG, Mark – smile once in a while – you looked so unhappy to be there – well, maybe you were – okay – another time.)
So what did I think?
Winners:
Me: for staying home and live-blogging it. That room was packed. And I have no idea if it was wifi’d or could have accommodated my heating pad.
Barbara Ann Ferris: You know, I heard her on WCPN last week and I thought she did a great job, I really did. I’ve never met her, never seen her before. I’ve read a few things about her, nothing stellar, just always about being an afterthought. But listening to her and watching her yesterday and last week, I could not help but wonder why she hasn’t gotten farther. Has she only had her sights on the congressional seat and the mayor’s office? Why not some other political position? I thought she sounded knowledgeable, committed, coherent, serious, humorous, quick. What is it that people find that she lacks? Is she just running in the wrong place at the wrong time? I thought she was a very, very likeable and impressive candidate.
Dennis Kucinich: I thought he did very well, really. Especially in response to Dan Moulthrop’s final question about what the candidates have learned from the criticisms leveled at them by their opponents. The humility factor! I love that kind of thing. Dennis also stuck to the questions. He knew exactly why he was there and what he had to say and focus on in order to make an impression (mostly positive or at least the one he needs to make to have people vote for him, unless you don’t like what he is saying, and some people don’t, of course). I have to also believe that, like Hillary Clinton, his favorables and unfavorables just do not change a lot. People are going to have to have been really unhappy with him for a really long time to want to change. We just are not huge change people around here – some folks are, and some folks talk a lot about it, but when push comes to optical scan elliptical shade-in your choice moment? Change? Not so much. At least, that’s my sense of people in the 10th, from what I’ve read and heard.
Losers:
Cimperman: Obviously, this is a very subjective blog and blog post, but Cimperman’s performance simply did not turn me on. I felt lectured to. I know he was trying to stick to his message and others – the media in particular – seem to be impressed by that. But what is so impressive about that? Frankly, I find it a little insulting – I didn’t need to hear it every, single, time. I got the message – I think everyone got the message: you work as hard or harder than Kucinich. You will continue to work hard. And you will be there, in contrast to asserting that Kucinich isn’t there (in Congress) enough to adequately represent the residents of the 10th district.
But here’s my problem with this, Joe: we know you work hard. That is the one thing I’ve always read about and heard about you. So it’s the last thing I really need to have re-emphasized. I want to be told something I don’t know about you that would make me really believe not only that Kucinich needs to be replaced but that you are the person to replace him.
To be fair, all the candidates have to meet that burden, but none of them did. And maybe, in the current political climate, it’s a threshold that simply won’t be met when it comes to Kucinich. Why not? Because look around Ohio – what has gotten incumbents kicked out? Very serious hanky-panky with money, corruption, lying. No one accuses Kucinich of any of that – and, unless I’m missing it, I’ve never read anything to indicate that he has any serious issues when it comes to integrity or moral values and being hypocritical (which is really what’s undone so many incumbents over the last few years).
So around here, the threshold requires more than the obvious: when you run for president, you can’t focus on your district as much. When you’re a Democrat in a Republican-led congress, you can’t get many bills passed. Remember how often we heard about that in the 2006 campaigns? And it’s a red herring of an argument to say, look how few bills he got passed. It may sound good when you say it to the mirror, but most voters are smart enough to know that that’s not what makes a representative worth their vote.
Anyway – I think Joe has the tries-too-hard bug. That’s going to serve him well in the right race, perhaps when Dennis does move on or, if, like Capri Cafaro, Joe decides to run in another district (although Capri lost twice – in the 14th in the general election in 2004, and the 13th to Betty Sutton in the Dem primary in May 2006) or runs for another political office. As Tom O’Grady pointed out, Cimperman has been only a politician since he graduated from college so there’s a good bet he’ll be staying in politics, which is probably a good place for him.
O’Grady: This man is a likeable, bright, well-intentioned person who sounds as though he’s accomplished quite a bit as Mayor of North Olmstead. But, I confess, the opening statement anecdote about the Father who told him that we should ask to be blessed with foolishness? While I agree – since I feel very blessed with the kind of foolishness O’Grady went on to describe (the foolishness to keep going even when people are telling you that you are, you know, being foolish in your pursuit), as an opening statement with this crowd – even with Dennis Kucinich there, whom many people feel is overly blessed with foolishness given his runs at the U.S. presidency, I just felt that he could have used his time better.
Is his candidacy foolish? I can’t answer that. But I’ve seen people question his candidacy as one of being a plant. Unless people are willing to name names, O’Grady just does not seem like the kind of person who would go for running as a plant. That’s just my instinct, so I could be wrong. But even so, so what if he is a plant? He’s not going to win this race because again, he isn’t able to meet that threshold of convincing the district’s voters that Kucinich needs to be replaced and that he is the person to replace Kucinich. The fears about him splitting the vote and thereby preventing anyone else from beating Kucinich fall on deaf ears with me. We live in a democracy and a political system that allows even plants to run. If you want to weed out the root of how that happens, change the system. I don’t like it, I wouldn’t vote for a person if I believed that they were in fact in there just to draw away votes but I also am unlikely to vote for someone who simply isn’t a strong candidate on the merits anyway.
Which brings me to what I found most lacking: O’Grady said some good stuff, but still, he seemed the least impassioned to me. I bet his mayor role is exactly what suits him best right now. And his city is lucky to have him. But think about the Ohio Democratic congressional reps we currently have: their appetite to be there is very, very obvious, with maybe one or two exceptions.
While I’m trying to have it both ways – be hungry and show but don’t be so hungry that it seems over the top, what can I say? That’s what, as a I voter, I get to do.
Palmer: Well, this is very tough for me to write. I really want to like Rosemary Palmer and I think many people feel that way. But she’s just not been performing well, either on WCPN last week just before Barbara Ferris or yesterday. It was obvious that she’s under the weather, but still – she just seemed disconnected. Like Cimperman, she stayed focused on her message, but she really didn’t seem to fan out enough, to show a command of a broad range of facts, information and relevant plans for when she gets to Congress. I would not sink into the trap others do and call her a one-issue candidate. I believe that she cares deeply about this country and the district and is bright and thoughtful and certainly motivated beyond what most of us should hope we ever will feel, due to the death of her son in Iraq. In that sense, she’s a great role model – she’s doing something about something that happened to her.
But in the end, it’s just not enough. She appeared, to me, to be the least convincing of all the candidates when it comes to the “tell us why he needs to go and why you’re the one to replace him” threshold. On the one hand, like having the late Tom Lantos, a Holocaust survivor, be in charge of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, it would be great to have the parent of a soldier who died in Iraq be involved in issues related to the war. But on the other hand, I’m not sure she’s the one who would be able to do that most effectively. She makes a good point that Kucinich’s refusal to move off of his position related to ending the Iraq involvement makes Ohio have one less player at the table, but, again, with the Democrats in control of the House right now and most likely in the foreseeable future, I’m not sure how her presence would improve the situation. In this sense, Kucinich’s relative extreme position can have value, whereas the going along position? Maybe not as much.
The audience, women in the audience and/or City Club question-takers: Okay – I’m unleashing here: NINE QUESTIONS WERE ASKED AND ONLY ONE CAME FROM A WOMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What is WITH that? Did no other women raise hands? Did no other women have decent questions? Were there THAT few women in the audience? What is going on here, City Club? Someone needs to check that out because that is just flat-out wrong.
Here are the topics of the nine questions:
1. Iraq – we are there – my question is: Do we have an ethical and moral obligation to maintain a military presence there until they can govern themselves?
2. Port Authority has meeting tonight – in District 10, will you support federal money to build a gravel dock on Whiskey Island?
3. I threw up watching news reports of what’s going on in slaughterhouses. You have a responsbility here – what will you do?
4. For Cimperman: You said you’ve brought 5,000 jobs and companies to area. Can you give examples? [the only question from a woman]
5. Question for Kucinich: how can you expect businesses to relocate to OH-10 when your record is antagonistic toward business?
6. Question to Cimperman: question about Steelyard Commons and whether those jobs are included in Cimperman’s quote that he’s create 5000 jobs, from a Mr. Gallo [Cimperman calls him by his name]
7. When are we going to see more money for alternatives to the street life – what are you going to do for the young people?
8. Questioner says that he was met with hostility from DK’s office – we’re not welcome so we don’t go – how are you going to get jobs (man is a volunteer with COSE)?
9. What action will you take in addressing the payday loan crisis?
All relevant questions, mostly focused on economic-related topics, but nothing stellar. Nothing on the crime rate, elections and voting, poverty, environment, health care (though the candidates brought this topic in several times), taxes, social security, Medicaid, higher education (other than the kids and streets question, civil liberties or numerous other areas that could have been probed. Would allowing women to ask the questions have changed that? Eh – maybe, maybe not. But that’s really not the point. It would have been nice to see more diversity, that’s all. But of course, who can most easily get to and pay for an event such as the debate?
Oh – last whine: how many of the people at the event live in the 10th? Any guesses? I don’t actually know, but I’d like to. Just for fun.
Conclusion: Thanks go to the City Club, WCPN, WEWS and WKYC for providing so many ways for people to hear and see the Democratic candidates for the 10th congressional district race. And boos to any constituent who doesn’t use those resources to learn about the candidates, even as minimally as you get a chance to with these resources.
My prediction, like that of many others, is that Dennis Kucinich is going to win the primary and beat Republican candidate Jim Trakas (who is running in a GOP primary against Jason Werner, though Jim’s campaign site doesn’t seem to be populated yet??). And if that’s what the voters of the 10th want, then, there you go.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:39 am February 20th, 2008 in Barbara Anne Ferris, Blogging, Campaigning, Cleveland+, Congress, Debates, Dennis Kucinich, Jim Trakas, Joe Cimperman, Media, Ohio, Politics, Predictions, Primary, Rosemary Palmer, Tom O'Grady | 9 Comments
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Feb
20
Florida Rep. Wexler (D) in Ohio for Obama, Fairmount Temple, 2/24
Filed Under Announcements, Barack Obama, Ohio, Politics, WH2008 | Comments Off
From the inbox:
Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL)
for a discussion on the Israel and Middle East policy of
Senator Barack Obama
DATE: Sunday, February 24, 2008
TIME: 3:30 PM
PLACE: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple
Brickner Auditorium
23737 Fairmount Blvd.
Beachwood, Ohio 44122TO RSVP OR FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: MIDDLE EAST POLICY ADVISOR, ERIC LYNN AT ELYNN@BARACKOBAMA.COM
Anshe Chesed Fairmont Temple is not endorsing any candidate for elected office.
Paid for by Obama for America.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:27 am February 20th, 2008 in Announcements, Barack Obama, Ohio, Politics, WH2008 | Comments Off
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