This last week was the 6th anniversary of Bush's Mission Accomplished speech about Iraq. Meanwhile US soldiers are still dying in both Afghanistan and Iraq, the Taliban are slowly taking over more and more of BOTH Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Osama bin Laden is still free. I never was quite sure what mission Bush thought he'd accomplished. Other than miserable failure.

Swine flu continues to be the big news story. And it will continue to be, I think, but I still say that with modern amentities like clean water, indoor heating and fever reducing medicine, this won't be as bad as past pandemics, at least in the US. Remember to wash you hands a lot! I want to also direct people's attention to this: UW Virologist Puts Swine Flu in Perspective.

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Wednesday night, California's progressive group blog, calitics, is throwing two blograisers to raise money for some great CA candidates as well as the calitics state and federal PACs, which will go toward funding the online and offline activism crucial to expanding our majorities next year. This is going to be a quarterly tradition here in California, both to maximize the end of quarter fundraising potential but also to build the offline bonds that are already thriving online. It's Drinking Liberally with bloggers and money! and hopefully will serve as a model for progressive statewide group blogs everywhere. Not in CA? There's still time to organize  one in your state this week, just follow these easy steps:

First, get yourself a trusty ActBlue Page, which serves as promotional and fundraising tool all in one.

For tomorrow's events, the honor system will be in full effect, no checking names at the door, so please do come on by and be sure to give few bucks HERE before midnight Saturday.

Then pick some great local candidates to support.

The calitics blograisers will be raising money for Lt. Col. Charlie Brown in his fight to unseat Rep. John Doolittle in CA-04, Jerry McNerney to maintain his seat in CA-11 and a great progressive assemblyman, Mark Leno, who is running for state senate.

Then, of course, find a cool bar to gather for some drinks and merriment (and perhaps a wee bit of talking politics).

Here's where you'll find us Wednesday night (7pm - whenever):

S.F.:

Zeitgeist
199 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

L.A. (in association with Drinking Liberally):

The Cock And Bull
2947 Lincoln Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405

And finally, if you can, get a great celebrity guest.

Calitics is thrilled to welcome Digby, straight off her brilliant Take Back America speech, as co-host of the Los Angeles event. Come out and thank her in person!

Update [2007-6-27 15:20:35 by Todd Beeton]:Brave New Films' Robert Greenwald will be at the San Francisco event!

Hopefully we'll see you Wednesday (I'll be in L.A.) Be sure to throw some money HERE by Saturday and if you're a part of another statewide community, what are you waiting for? Get your blograiser on!

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NOTE: The initial inspiration for Jerry McNerney to advocate this action was a Daily Kos diary titled "Will he still love me?" by testvet6778; this is also cross-posted on Calitics... - Eden w/ McNerney for Congress

Today is Memorial Day, a time to recognize and honor the men and women who have given their lives in service to our nation for over two centuries, from the American Revolution to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While this day is always a solemn national event, I know many Americans are feeling a profound sense of pain on this particular Memorial Day. The thoughts and feelings you have expressed to me about how to support our troops in this time of war -- in-person at my "Congress At Your Corner" events, by phone, through email, or in the hundreds of comments on my blog -- is a reflection of that deep sentiment.

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Hey MyDD

Democracy for America is powered by the grassroots. Over half a million DFA members on the ground in all 50 states drive campaigns up and down the ballot, in and out of the Democratic Party, and on and off the web.  You know as well as I do how important each of our roles is and how powerful we are when we work together.

The DFA Grassroots All-Star endorsement is reserved for the candidate that brings our entire community together. This is the reason it generates so much volunteer support, money, and media buzz. Why it jumpstarts the winner's campaign and adds credibility.  That's why it helped win Congressman Jerry McNerney, 2006 DFA Grassroots All-Star, his seat in Congress last November.  

Now, we need to unite behind a candidate again.

Three great candidates have a chance to win the 2007 DFA Grassroots All-Star endorsement.  Your vote will decide who wins.

Vote Right Now 

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Editor's note from the Massa for Congress blog team: Eric Massa will not be live-blogging today.  He is on the road taking his son to freshman orientation.

It has been said the eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.  The broader quote could have been written today:

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty--power is ever stealing from the many to the few.... The hand entrusted with power becomes ... the necessary enemy of the people. Only by continual oversight can the democrat in office be prevented from hardening into a despot: only by unintermitted Agitation can a people be kept sufficiently awake to principle not to let liberty be smothered in material prosperity.

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