It's time to begin referring to the Republican Party by more accurate terminology. For example, as the White Nativist bloc of a former British colony. People who claim against all sense and reason that they're the only "real" representatives of their migrant-saturated current homeland, while glossing over both their cruelty and fear with a dreamy sentimentality.

That might sound harsh, but seems far more polite than pointing out that they've become the storm drain catchment for every batsh_t, nihilistic bigot left orphan by the dissolution of the American Independent Party.

Given that, one thing was certain as far back as the point in the Democratic primary when it was clear that either Clinton or Obama was going to be the nominee: we were going to see peaks of wingnuttery this cycle that would make us alternately cringe, gape, and boggle. Oh, the optimism.

But they've learned some lessons since the last time they got their guano on. For one thing, you do not want this guy to be the main face of your party while you're doing it ...

Way better to transmit your not-too-subtle message about how citizenship is only for (virginal or married) straight, White, rural, conservative, Bible-believing* Christian through the mouth of some sexy Puritan. And listen to them go, laying down the law about who gets to be a real American:

Not that all your spokespeople can be expensively styled women. At some point, you run out. Then your motivating principles still have to pass the old White guy test. It goes a little something like this: if an unremarkable old White guy says in public what your core following believes in private, does it make him sound like your favorite uncle or like some dubious, overcoated stranger pitching the candy in his pockets?

Eventually, people like this pick up on your message. A message that, as voting patterns can attest, has already gotten through loud and clear to everyone offended by the demonization of US citizens who are non-White and non-Christian:

But having partially plumbed their lunacy, a question remains: When your voting majority and much of your leadership consists of those xenophobic White people who believe the government shouldn't meddle in personal matters like mass transit, civil liberties, municipal water supplies, universal childhood education and bridge repair, can your party be called a coalition anymore?

They invited the crazy in themselves, they drove away anyone who thought "f___ you, and the horse you rode in on" was a bad political platform, they're going to have to make it stop. The hard part is wanting to, and I hope they manage it. Because they're as American as anyone else, and they're making the rest of us look bad.

Until then, they really need a longtimeout.

* Seriously, wtf does "Bible-believing" mean in the context of talking about people who identify as Christian? Is there some sect of Christianity I haven't heard of that rejects the Bible as a fraud? If someone insisted on calling themselves a Koran-believing Muslim, or a Veda-believing Hindu, I think you'd look at them kind of funny. And they'd deserve it.

There's more...

The next addition to the Blue Majority page is a candidate returning from 2006: Eric Massa, who is running against Shotgun Randy Kuhl in the NY-29.. Please, give to Eric Massa today.

Eric is a true netroots favorite, evidenced by the tags NY-29 and Eric Massa being the most common tags for a congressional race and congressional candidate respectively, on MyDD. Eric is extremely energetic and hard working, as I have seen upclose in my visits to the district on several occasions. His energy rubs off on his grassroots supporters, who were able to close off a corporate Democratic primary challenger this past summer through relentless blog pressure, securing the support of virtually every local precinct captain in the district (including two family members of mine who joined the silent revolution in Update New York), and lots of small-donor, in-district fundraising. Now, he is set to take on Randy Kuhl who, separate occasions, has threatened both his ex-wife and his constituents with firearms, even though he claims he was just joking about the later. But he seriously doesn't like his constituents:

That is, he doesn't like his constituents unless they are Republican donors trying to build new bowling alleys in the district.

This is the "reddest" district in New York, which Bush won with about 56% of the vote in 2004. However, is it turning blue, like the rest of New York state. But Eric Massa is not your typical red-district Democrat who will let you down. As a progressive, he will fight for you, pledging to oppose FISA and watered-down withdrawal from Iraq, something few Democrats from a district this "red" have done. After losing by only 4% in 2006 despite no help from national committees, Massa is well poised to take the seat in 2008.

Support Eric Massa for Congress on Blue Majority. He is another example of more and better Democrats.

Crossposted from dKos

Friends,

It has been an absolute whirlwind week for our campaign over the last 10 days and there are a number of things I'd like to touch on today. In the last 10 days, our momentum has grown exponentially. Today, I'd like to take the time to review four major developments in our race.

YearlyKos

First - I want to thank all of you for another wonderful experience at the Yearly Kos convention last week in Chicago. I apologize for not posting last Sunday as I usually do, however I was on an airplane flying back to Western NY at the time. During the convention I was scheduled to speak at the Future Leaders panel with a number of netroots candidates. However on Saturday morning at 7 am I received an urgent call from one of my staffers. Apparently Arianna Huffington had just broken her ankle and as such was unable to make it to the "Left behind by the Right" panel (If you're reading this, I hope you're feeling better Arianna). As such, I was asked to step in since I too am a former Republican.

There's more...

Crossposted from DKos

Last week, we saw a new low from the Bush White House. It no longer matters if you risk our national security for political purposes so long as you've played enough golf with the President (by the way my opponent was rated as the Most Improved Golfer in Congress in 2005 and can brag about having the same handicap as Rick Santorum and Tom DeLay). Of course, I am speaking of the Presidential commutation of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's 30 month prison sentence for lying to the FBI. This is wrong on so many levels I hardly know where to begin, but first let me say this - Our nation was founded on the principle that NOBODY is above the law... especially in cases where National Security is at risk. Had history been written a little differently, could ever you imagine President Washington commuting a sentence for Benedict Arnold?

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Early last month, I announced my New Bill of Rights. This Declaration is my way of expanding upon the Rights listed in FDR's 1944 State of the Union message to Congress, which I have touched upon in some of my more recent DailyKos Diaries. I know that the way forward for the Democratic Party is to stand with the people against President Bush and the Rubberstamp Republicans, who taken the side of Corporatists rather than the American family. Together, I know we can make this world a better place.

This is the sixth in a ten part series where we will discuss some of the most important issues facing the American people today. I want to hear your opinions and thoughts on each and every one of these topics. Our campaign has had over 40 house parties over the last month which has made it difficult for me to be available every Sunday for liveblogging, but I am very happy to be back with you today from 3-6 pm eastern time.

There's more...