Tracey Denton, Al Benninghoff

Events

Downtown Forum: Candidates for Assembly & State Senate - DFNYC & MYD
Generation Obama Reception

Tracey Denton

Hello Tracey. It was so good to see you again after long. Quite an event you put together. Sorry I could not stay the entire time. I would very much have liked to. I had to leave at 2:30 to be some place at 3:00: the Columbus Circle Whole Foods.

I landed on NYC, DFNYC landed on me. A Deaniac is about to take over the White House so soon after Dean's floundering. Who could have thought?

I was impressed to see you were capturing the event on video. I hope you put the video out on Google Video for the world to see. It has confounded me for years now as to why the progressive organizations in the progressive capital of the world don't realize that they have a global audience out there for them. All events need to be videoblogged.

Just between you and me I have to admit that I have always been slightly uncomfortable around Dan Jacoby. He has always come across to me as someone who might once have been friends with Al Capone.

I like strong women. I have a thing for strong women. I think strong women are going to change the world. But they are going to have to, they will take over first.

Give me your friendship: I am going to do wonderful things for the women of the world. And I encourage you to invest in the round one of my startup. When I first made the offer, you could have come in at 2K. Now the minimum is 5K. Yes, my startup is doing well. Will grow your mo like crazy. I doubt you will come across a better investment opportunity for the rest of your life.

Kudos for the ornate venue for the event. It felt like I was in Europe somewhere. I have never been there, but you get ideas online.

Hello is to Howard Dean next time you see him.

Tracey Denton Of DFNYC

Al Benninghoff

Al. It is hard for anyone to fill Kristina Hoke's shoes, but I think you are doing a good job.

From you I learned for the first time that Dan Berger of DL21C had orchestrated an online campaign a month ago to get people to unfriend me on Facebook. That guy is out of his depth. I don't give a fuck about Charlie Rangel, do you? I am for a new, positive black identity. Barack is my kind of a black guy. Well, DL21C has 600 members on Facebook, I personally have 1200 friends on Facebook.

Thanks for saying I was welcome to come to all MYD events. I would like to come to as many as I can, time permitting. I have been to many when Kristina was running the show.

On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 1:10 PM, Paramendra Bhagat wrote:
> http://democracyforum.blogspot.com/2008/05/jewish-angst.html
>
> Dan Berger. I am busy forging a progressive coalition in the city that
> will go all the way to the White House. You don't want to work for
> Charlie Rangel forever. You want to work for me in a few years. For
> now give me a conversation, will you? How about Sunday?
>
> Let's do the progressive thing. Let's talk.
>

Polarization

DFNYC and MYD coming together is massive polarization in the city's progressive community. This is what DL21C gets for treating me like I were Salman Rushdie.

Caputo: Some Untold Details

Half the time I have not known if she was talking to me or reading my face.

"You should run." I just found a guy who thinks I should run for office.

"We just met." She said that after I stopped walking behind her as if to say, I need to go now.

"I don't give out my number" might have been her way of saying, you look pissed that I did not give you my number over email.

"I have not liked you before." That might have been to say Paramendra Bhagat has not liked me before. For the first time I am feeling like he really really likes me.

I said, well, I am emailing you because I thought you were looking great yesterday. She did write back a little later. She said to not send personal emails to her work email address. I asked if she had another email address. She sent me her AOL email address immediately.

I said you owe me a conversation. "What is your number?" she asked. She was reading my mind again. Your saying you want to talk to me is really you asking me for my number.

"Don't touch me!" was the I-am-going-to-become-Condi-Rice threat. That was in response to an email I had sent her that she misunderstood as me saying, please don't hit on me.

In The News

Obama expects more scrutiny of McCain MSNBC
Kennedy awaiting test results at Boston hospital The Associated Press
Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Makes Waves Washington Post
How Google's Friend Connect works guardian.co.uk
Obama-Clinton: Curb your enthusiasm? Baltimore Sun
Hillary Clinton remains in race but turns fire away from Barack Obama Times Online
Clinton plugs away as time grows short in race Reuters

Kennedy Remains Hospitalized After Seizure ABC News
Bush lectures Arab world on political reform, women's rights The Associated Press
Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Makes Waves Washington Post
Gay-marriage ruling splits faith leaders San Jose Mercury News
Obama, Clinton hone critique of McCain San Jose Mercury News
What should Obama do about the Clintons? Toronto Star
As Clinton chances wane, old slights come due Boston Globe
Obama's next challenge Los Angeles Times
GOP struggles to reinvent without losing itself The bad news has come from Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi -- a string of unexpected Republican defeats in congressional elections that have prompted GOP leaders to say, with candor unusual in politics, that the party is facing an outright catastrophe this November. ...... "if we were a dog food, they would take us off the shelf" ...... McCain's approach -- tough on taxes, but receptive to immigrants and committed to easing global warming -- could help paint the GOP in new colors, more attractive to independent voters, Latinos and women. Some GOP leaders now say that by embracing McCain and his policy platform, Republicans would instantly "rebrand" and reinvigorate their party. ...... a Mississippi House seat once considered among the party's safest.
Will Obama claim a cultural war victory? Chicago Tribune
Top reasons Clinton should not get on dream ticket Chicago Tribune
Clinton soldiers on at Kentucky distillery Seattle Times
Clinton Tells Haters to Take a Hike FOXNews
Clinton Takes on 'Those People on TV' ABC News

Hillary Is All The Rage

Obama's nomination all but officially sealed up, her 20 million dollar loan barking loud, this woman Hillary Clinton looks all fired up and ready to go: she is on on all cylinders. Somebody tell her to slow down a bit. The end is near. And she might want to take a week off before she jumps onto the Obama bandwagon.

Hillary has come a long way as a person, and she has brought the women of America and the women of the world a long way with her. My favorite story about Hillary is she shows up in this remote village in India as First Lady and gets surrounded by the local women who tell her, you have no idea what it means to us that you are here.

Hillary is a complete woman. She has worked, she has raised a family. Some would say she has managed to raise a husband. As First Lady of Arkansas back in the 1980s she once said, "If I were to not kick Bill Clinton's ass every morning, he would not amount to anything."

We Can Put Hillary On The Ticket, But What Are We Going To Do With Bill Clinton?

Events

Downtown Forum: Candidates for Assembly & State Senate - DFNYC & MYD
Generation Obama Reception

In The News

Analysis: Obama reacts fast to Bush on diplomacy The Associated Press 2004, when Republicans portrayed John Kerry as irresolute and weak on national security. ....... Obama, appearing unusually feisty and at times sarcastic, led the countercharge himself. ....... replaces strategy and analysis and smart policy with bombast, exaggerations and fear-mongering ...... Swiftboat became part of the political vernacular. ..... "We have heard this foolish delusion before," Bush said. "As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is — the false comfort of appeasement.'"
Same-sex marriage ruling also a victory for SF mayor San Jose Mercury News
With Zimbabwe Presidential Run-Off Date Set, Tough Campaign Looms Voice of America
For Obama, Demographics May Be Key to the White House Forbes some rumors just don’t die—because he’s Muslim. ...... about 55% of whites born in 1943 or later reported that they had at least some black friends. The corresponding figures for those born between 1927 and 1942, and for those born between 1911 and 1926: 50% and 40%, respectively. The same studies found similar differences between cohorts in favoring or opposing desegregation. ......... today, about 95% of Americans tell pollsters that they would vote for a qualified black presidential candidate.
Clinton's 'Classy' Exit Strategy Newsweek She's letting go, and allowing--even encouraging--the general election to begin.
Obama Accuses Bush, McCain of Launching Divisive Attacks Voice of America
Clinton not entitled to veep spot Seattle Post Intelligencer In identity politics, ritualized indignation about imagined affronts is highly choreographed and hence predictable. ..... The female candidate is like all other candidates. This is what equality looks like -- life as an equal opportunity dispenser of disappointments. ...... Clinton has been carrying categories of voters that Obama has had trouble attracting.
A few reasons why Hillary Clinton still runs Los Angeles Times Clinton's grassroots supporters don't want her to quit ..... Women are so used to being told, 'No, you can't do that.' Sometimes it just takes the strength to keep doing it." ...... Both speeches were upbeat, high-energy affairs, tinged with optimism and no hints of resignation
Why Hillary Clinton will fight on CNN Hiroo Onoda was a second lieutenant in World War II who didn't surrender until 1974. ...... he carried on his war alone in the jungles of the Philippines for nearly thirty years after the rest of the world knew it was over.
Obama Should Run With Beaten, Unbowed Clinton: Margaret Carlson Bloomberg She's not nearly as grating as she used to be. ...... I'm able to resist the urge to see if there's something burning in the oven when she comes on television. ...... Now she's found a new identity with the anti-trade, beer-and-shot crowd, more coal miner's daughter than coal mine owner, after trying on unapologetic warrior chief, sensitive girl, and path-breaking change agent, sometimes all in a week. ....... The woman reveling in the election-night returns this week seemed closer to the real thing than any Hillary we have seen. ...... She's tried on Mrs. Bubba, and it works not only in Pennsylvania and West Virginia but with Bill; she hasn't been the center of his attention this much in a long time. ..... Confidantes say she dreads going back to the Senate