Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

The Senator from California, Barbara Boxer!

And

The House Democratic Leader, Representative Nancy Pelosi!

Are now BOTH scheduled to speak at Yearlykos.

Barbara Boxer has long stood for the things Kossacks care most about.  Who can forget:

In the voting booth, everyone is equal.

So now it seems to me that under the Constitution of the United States, which guarantees the right to vote, we must ask:

Why did voters in Ohio wait hours in the rain to vote? Why were voters at Kenyan College, for example, made to wait in line until nearly 4 a.m. to vote because there were only two machines for 1300 voters?

Why did poor and predominantly African-American communities have disproportionately long waits?

Why in Franklin County did election officials only use 2,798 machines when they said they needed 5,000? Why did they hold back 68 machines in warehouses? Why were 42 of those machines in predominantly African-American districts?

Why did, in Columbus area alone, an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 voters leave polling places, out of frustration, without having voted? How many more never bothered to vote after they heard about this?

Barbara Boxer stood up for the equal right to vote when no one else in the Senate would.

Nancy Pelosi, likewise, is a hero of the blogosphere.  Who could forget this groundbreaker:

Pelosi: 'Medicare Prescription Drug Bill is Evidence of Culture of Corruption and Cronyism'

Thursday, December 8, 2005

Contact: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. - House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi offered a privileged resolution on the House floor today regarding the impact of the Republican Congress' culture of corruption upon America's seniors. The resolution failed by a party-line vote of 219 to 188. Below is Pelosi's statement and the text of the privileged resolution:

"Across the country, seniors are trying to navigate the complicated and confusing Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit; it is complicated and confusing because it was written to meet the needs of drug companies and private insurers, not the needs of Medicare beneficiaries.

"Today Democrats tried to hold Republicans responsible for the culture of corruption and cronyism that led to this sham of a bill. Instead, Republicans have rejected calls to give beneficiaries an additional six months to choose a plan, and remove the prohibition so the government can negotiate for lower prices. Democrats believe that our seniors deserve better, that is why we are going to keep working for a real Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit."

Yes, Congresswoman Pelosi coined the phrase culture of corruption.  And a very effective phrase it's been!

Fifty percent said Democrats came closer than Republicans to sharing their moral values, compared with 37 percent who said Republicans shared their values. A majority said Republican members of Congress were more likely to be financially corrupt than Democratic members of Congress, suggesting that Democrats may be making headway in their efforts to portray Republicans as having created a "culture of corruption" in Washington.

So, for those of you who haven't registered for YearlyKos yet, I'll repeat, Senator Barbara Boxer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will be speaking and mingling with rank and file Kossacks and Bloggers.  What more do want?  The second coming of Frankling Delano Roosevelt???  We got the House Leader!  The Senate Leader!  Maryscott O'Connor!  And much much more.  Quite simply, this is going to be the greatest mix of progressive icons and bizarre blog-addicted bloviators to ever come together.  It's going to be a conference for the ages, like the 1787 Constitutional Convention, only without the powdered wigs.

This is something you're going to tell your grandkids about (right after you tell them about that long extinct phenomena known as "glaciers").  It's simply something you cannot afford to miss!

Not only can you not afford to miss this.  You can't afford to wait!  The time to register for YearlyKos is NOW!  After Monday, May 15, our super low rate at the Riviera hotel expires.  So, if you don't lock it in now, your hotel price may go up.  In addition, if you plan on flying, airplane rates to Las Vegas will go up as we get closer to the event.  So register; you are going to have one heck of a good time.

Still not convinced?  Check out the full, most up-to-date YearlyKos agenda -- here.

Oh yeah, and expect another big YearlyKos announcement. . . tomorrow!

Yeaaaaarrrgggghhh!!!

(Note: the "Yeaarrgh" link has nada to do with tomorrow's YearlyKos announcement.  I just really really like Ozzy  )