SetADeadline - Check the Map
Yesterday’s round of radio talk show appearances brought more co-sponsors for JK’s bill at setadeadline.com.
Here’s a map of the 30,000+ co-signers of JK’s bill. We didn’t place dots in cities with less than 10 responses. If we had, the entire country would be covered.
And here’s a little something extra…
For those of you who like to see JK’s leadership acknowledged, here’s a must-read item from Donna Brazile in RollCall today: Why John Kerry’s Presidential Primary Endorsement Matters.
32 Comments
New comments for this entry are closed.
Wow. Love the map, and was very intrigued by the Brazille article. It’s almost like everyone held everything in (their praise for the good senator) until they knew he wouldn’t threaten “their” candidate. I think what Ms. Brazille said was dead on. This is going to be a very interesting year with early 2008 being doubly so.
Nice map! I love the visual representation of how many people from all across the country are checking in and putting their names up on the setadeadline.com site. Impressive stuff.
Also, Sen. Kerry is presiding over a hearing this morning at the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. It’s on helping to solve the Health Care problems for small biz.
http://sbc.senate.gov/
Nice map.
But I have to say I am unimpressed by the Brazile article. Where was Donna Brazile when it mattered? I remember too much of her years of inaction and unhelpful TV commentary to take this article seriously. The only light I see in this article is to note the way in which Beltway journalists and strategists kow-tow to power. Perhaps this article is evidence that Sen. Kerry is seen as someone with power. (Beachmom’s opposite take is also a reasonable point of view).
I really really really really hope that Sen. Kerry waits a VERY long time—at LEAST until next January—to make an endorsement in this grotequely premature and grotesquely-hyper, money-clogged and (to use the kindest word I can) circus-like race. There is no need at all to rush a decision; and there is power in waiting.
Very cool map. Yeah, people across the country want this war to end. Enough is enough.
Donna Brazile finds her voice to praise John Kerry after years of subtle digs. Glad she did, I can’t help but feel that the article should have been illustrated with a banner: Help us John Kerry.
This country needed John Kerry in 2004 and since then. He is the Demcratic Party’s standard-bearer.
Great map - but can it be made clickable? That would be really cool.
I disagree on the Brazile article. She’s had her knives out for Sen. Kerry as long as I’ve been paying attention. I think the overt message is fine - but there are some not-so-subtle digs in there that just seem wrong to me.
And if Sen. Kerry has all this going for him - which I think he does - then why wasn’t she out there telling everyone that he’s the one for 2008? Instead, she was with a bunch of other Dems trying to knock him out so that someone they liked better (more malleable once in office, perhaps?) could take the stage. Now she wants Sen. Kerry to “mentor” one of these less experienced candidates?
I’m sorry, I think it would be better for our party and our country if Ms. Brazile’s calls were left unanswered and her advice considered highly suspect.
Awesome! The map is great. Hopefully, many senators will co-sponsor the bill.
As for Donna Brazille’s article, I am not surprised. I think many people recognize all that she says, but, in the middle of a presidential campaign, people hesitate to say nice things about a potential candidate because they are afraid it will be taken as an endorsement of the candidate.
Now that Senator Kerry has decided to spend his time focusing on advancing his ideas, we should hear a lot more compliments on him from the Inside-The-Beltway crowd.
Tay,
Thanks for the reminder of the hearing.
Unfortunately I am only getting audio, no video on the stream. :-(
Anyway, maybe one day we’ll have liveblogging of hearings like this? (Or is that just too wonky?) I wish I could do it right now but I really have to work, sigh.
MH—I see your points, but, in light of how the media treated Kerry after he bowed out of the race (remember the manufactured “tears” on the Senate floor and the Leibovich article in the NYT), I guess I’m looking forward to a perestroika for the Senator. I think we’ve already seen that with the LTEs from Sen. Byrd and former Sen. Eagleton in defense of the Senator, and now with Brazille (who for better or worse, is a talking head on TV), this will mean that Kerry may have an easier time getting his issues a real airing. So I understand the history isn’t good, but I’m going to take this fairly positive article as a good sign for things to come.
MH,
You’re correct about the subtle digs, and that’s an excellent question: why wasn’t she out there telling everyone that he’s the one for 2008?
Because they’re all a bunch of saboteurs. Think about this from the article:
That runs counter to the crap being spewed by Terribly McAwful.
I think her article tacitly admits how much power Kerry has - today - with democrats across the country - an admission that comes way too late, but must be sweet to hear anyway.
She also admits here - though again, not explicitly - that some of those brilliant political operatives who worked for Kerry in 2004 might feel personal loyalty to Kerry that is not necessarioly tranferrable to anyone else. They could even prefer to sit this one out, at least for now. The comment made in the Globe last week by one of Kerry’s fundraisers came to mind:
The Donna Brazile op-ed is interesting. While I would have preferred if she would have avoided some of the little barbs included as assumed conventional wisdom, she is honest about the success of the 2004 campaign and unlike many other official Democrats.
Her expertise is not in foreign or domestic policies and, if stories that she and Rove are friends are true, she has no standing on assessing character or integrity. She is a skilled enough political operative to have been Al Gore’s campaign manager.
Here, she gives the Kerry campaign credit both for being very successful at raising money and grassroots politics. Senator Kerry was an awesome candidate, but his campaign team deserves a huge amount of credit for easily winning the nomination without the support of the media. Brazile is admitting that they ran a very good campaign - unlike the garbage spewed by McAuliffe, Carville and Begala.
It is also interesting that she credits Senator Kerry with knowing how to deal with swiftboating and suggests that taking advice from him could help Senator Clinton. After two years of hearing how only the Clintons know how to fight back is good news and concedes that 2004 wasn’t as easy as 1992.
She does hint at the value of the email list which Senator Kerry has used to influence people, get people involved and to raise money. It’s not clear that she understands that the value of that list is because of the trust and respect that many of us have for Senator Kerry.
In 2006, what I liked about all of Senator Kerry’s email requests - for money or action - is that he always respected us enough to make clear, solid concise cases for why we should do what he was asking.
There is no politician that I have ever trusted as much as I trust Senator Kerry. Although it is possible that I could disagree, it will only be after carefully considering every point he makes. There is no other politician I would say that of.
Is there a zoom-able version of the map at setadeadline.com? If so, where is it? If not, can you ask someone at setadeadline to do that?
You can’t really see the black peg, nor any real geographical detail in the version posted here, nor can you expand it: clicking on the map here just gets you to the home page of setadeadline (great! but still not a link to an expandable map)
Wow, THANKS, Donna, for the endorsement of John Kerry’s endorsement. I’m glad somebody else will benefit from JK’s labor, regardless of what I may think of him.
Sigh.
At least the map is awesome.
This is really a great map. But as mbk asked; is there a zoomable version of it someplace?
The point made in the original post also should not be missed; if the less than 10 signee bubbles were added to the map, it would be filled completely. There is work to be done promoting setadeadline.com.
As to the Donna Brazile article; I’m with MH. This is a case of too little, too late. Brazile’s ‘praise’ looks more like a thinly disguised call for JK to release his backers and campaign people to a more deserving candidate.
It’s a case of taking someone down, and then asking him to give you his valuables because he won’t need them anymore.
About that small biz/health care hearing….
Link to Sen. Kerry’s opening statement:
http://sbc.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=269218
I’d like to see more here about his proposals.
I thought I had received an email alert about S-CHIP funding being cut in Bush’s budget proposal (alluded to in Sen. Kerry’s opening statement today), but I just spent a few minutes looking and can’t find that email now. (Too many alerts coming in these days, sigh).
Anyway, we certainly want to be sure S-CHIP funding isn’t cut! Time to contact congresscritters, I guess.
Great map, as others here it would be great to zoom in and see exactly where all the signees are coming from, but WOW, it is looking good.
It’s a case of taking someone down, and then asking him to give you his valuables because he won’t need them anymore.
Posted by Kerstin | February 13, 2007 12:32 PM
I’m with you Kerstin on the Brazille article.
Sorry, but I agree with MH, and others, who find it disingenuous, more faintly praising than should be. Implying there were reasons other than his experience and team for him not to run. The gifts he could bring, are better served by others.
Did I mention she is always disingenuous, and disrespectful to Kerry? Maybe not being hired for the campaign affected her opinion.
A more subtle Heyjohn, saying he owes more.
Tay—I would like more info about small business and health care when you have it. (I was at work and couldn’t listen.)
I hope Sen. Kerry will support a bill like Rep. Conyers HR 676. (Hope I got the number correct!)
Senator Kerry, as a family who survives via a small business—I think HR 676 is the best thing small businesses need.
Especially because we’re now at the point where big businesses are using slave labor overseas while their CEO’s remain here to buy their influence in Congress. The small business is fighting on both fronts for their own survival.
HR 676 is a common-sense way to get every American covered and to help small business owners too!
Great map though. I think it puts to end the myth that only North Easterners want the war to end. Also, I see signs across the media that the smear, ‘Cut and run’ or “Support our troops by shutting up!” isn’t working anymore.
Today’s news: 68% want us out of Iraq. Imagine how many more would say the same if they only heard the truth!
Little by little, the media is catching up to the Amerian people. They sniff out lost profits.
At any rate, I hope Senator Kerry sees this article by Ray McGovern, a man who is extremely wise to the administration’s antics, and will take it to heart.
Senator Kerry, Ray McGovern wouldn’t steer you wrong, but everyone else in the depts are there basically under duress and just trying to hold onto their jobs by the skin of their teeth.
So… Don’t believe a word they say on Iran and please stop that action before it’s too late!
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/02/12/wake_up_the_next_war_is_coming.php
Hmmmm. Interesting op-ed by Donna Brazile. I think this exchange that took place yesterday between Sen. Kerry and Imus says it all:
Imus: “Now that you’ve decided that you’re are not going to run - is everybody being nicer to you?”
JK: “Yes”
Imus: “They are?”
JK: “Sure. Absolutely. That’s the ways of Washington.”
Senator Kerry knows the game. I’m sure he expected to receive this kind of “love” as soon as he decided not to run in ‘08. Still, as a Kerry supporter, it would have been nice if Ms. Brazile (and others) could have let this type of praise flow more freely during the ‘04 campaign. Sigh.
Love the map btw. It’s a great illustration of how well the setadeadline.com effort is going so far!
That map needs to be seen by the general public. Many people are still intimidated by Bushco and believe that they are alone when it comes to wanting to set a deadline for the disaster.
As to Donna Brazille: I am hardly impressed that she repeats what so many people already know. It is sad for me that she sees him mostly as a cash cow for the dems.
I have no idea why she would start a sentence that way if she truly respects him. It seems she is embarrassed to say anything positive about him.
I have to admit that I have wondered before about the apparent gap between Ms. Brazile’s resume and her perceived level of self-promotion, but it’s good to see her making nice about the Senator anyway.
I read his opening statement to his committee hearing today. Thanks for posting it. I can unhesitatingly say that Senator Kerry is focused on the health care needs of small business employees. He recognizes all too well we have a broken system and realizes that change is necessary. His comments about electronic health records demonstrates an unusual breath of understanding in this very complicated issue. I am relieved that he is leading the way on this. I could not trust anybody else.
Although John Kerry would have made an outstanding President, we have also been desperately needing leadership in the Senate and Congress.
Not just getting votes together, but leading by example, and helping remind the American people just how potentially (at their very best) awesome, inspiring, and moral these democratic institutions could be.
I feel like Senator Kerry was probably, like many people, slow to realize that this group of Bush Jr. Republicans weren’t just a rival political party, but a dangerous collection of anti-Constitutional thugs who would do any amount of damage to the nation if it would further their bizarre and obsessively greedy goals.
Now once again I am beginning to feel like Senator Kerry “gets it”.
Senator, we are out here, we had your back as much as we could in your previous campaign.
Elected officials should remember that the grassroots are willing to go out of their way for the right cause and there are enough of us good people to maybe, just maybe, outweigh the crazy, crazy, dangerous people currently at the top.
Donna Brazelle- cold and calculating as ever, even when purring like a panther trying to pay a compliment or two to Senator Kerry and drooling at the prospect of Senator Kerry’s 3 million plus e-mail list possibly helping the “so hot, they could melt butter” candidates. She does seem honest though, when she mentions Senator Kerry ” has stature in a party still trying to define itself” and ” the man has something to offer his party and is still willing to serve his country.” Considering these nice comments, I would think that Senator Kerry is now liberated enough to continue to dangle the red meat he has to offer the party for a time and make sure that his support is given to the candidate that best represents his ideals,positions and morals. In that way, this country, and us as individuals, would still be able to benefit from his wisdom and guidance.
The map of support for “set a deadline” indicates that there is wide support throughout the country for Senator Kerry’s bill. This is certainly good news. I also think the petition and the bill would be able to gain additional support if we could some how get the word out -outside the blogs- and the petition to people who don’t have computers or access to the internet.
Keep up the good work of spreading the message of setting a deadline-everyone. You all rock!
I was wondering if it was possible if the PR group could have the setadeadline.com ad posted at non-political, diverse websites. The reason is that people get their news from the major three cable networks. As wisteria said, the map indicates there is lots of support for this bill, but it would be helpful that more are informed about the push to get out of Iraq rather than buying into the “Democrats don’t have a plan” spin.
I echo the sentiments of others, Donna Brazille is three, actually seven years too late. I will never forget how she screwed up Gore’s campaign and organization in 2000, and now that Kerry isn’t running she wants him to groom and choreograph the political American Idol candidates while they are stealing his ideas. Go figure.
Please don’t take this the wrong way.
As impressive as the map appears, it is deceptive. The U.S map is especially small while the pins are quite large. Even though there are many geographical areas that support ending this disaster, as safely and quickly as possibe, that map implies that there is nobody who hasn’t registered with setadeadline.com. In order to get a better idea of regional support for ending the war, the map needs to be larger.
I think oncall has a good point - it’s really cool to see who’s signed so far, but it might be even better to find out how much work we have left to do in, say, North Dakota.
Senator Kerry, whatever you do don’t endorse any of the candidates in the primaries and don’t believe the so called kindness of your fellow dems.
Brazille is hacks who as other have said above blew Gore’s campaign and who has not hesitated to stab you in the back for the last 6 years.
As for the folks treating you nice of course they want the email list and Brazille and her cronies want it to.
But if all the dem candidates running in 08 are so much better than you then they shouldn’t need your list right?
You were the same person in October, December so why be nice to you now? They should have been respectful all along.
Let them get their own email list and while they are at it Obama, Edwards and Hillary need to stop stealing your ideas and acting like they are their own.
Of course the media vultures are only to willing to help the others co-opt your ideas.
The NY Times had an article saying that you’re like the walking dead around the senate. I noticed some folks are writing in and letting them have it.
No matter if you run for senate or president the media, GOP and DC Dems will try to stop you.
Yes, I’ve sworn off politics and the dem party but dang it I can’t help but defend you still.
You don’t owe the dems anything so please don’t endorse anyone. By 08 a majority of this country will be so sick of both parties’ candidates they will hopefully tune the whole bunch out.
You have a race to run so concentrate on that. The rest of the 08 contenders can look out for themselves and if they can’t oh well.
So, I’m watching a replay of Scarborough this morning, and Arianna Huffington said the best Iraq war speech in the House debate the other day was from Congressman Patrick Murphy who said that half the names on the Vietnam Memorial in DC are there because our leaders did not end the Vietnam war when they knew it was lost. Then Scarborough asked if it wasn’t immoral to continue to allow our troops to fight and die for a war that can’t be won.
Sigh. Some days you just want to give up, then you remember that you can’t.
I agree with both Huffington and Scarborough. I caught some of Congressman Murphy’s floor speech. It was good, and it’s heartening to hear those familiar words repeated, even without proper attribution.
OK, now Joe’s doing a bit on American Idol. Somehow he never fails to disappoint.
To GV,
It is amazing how many of Senator Kerry’s words end up being taken verbatim by others without attribution. Although it would be nice if he got the credit, the important thing is that he was saying brave strong things in extremely compelling ways.
The sad thing is that from the Faneuil Hall speeches and others made in the last two years, a 2008 run would have been incredible. The good thing is that the words and the intelligence behind them stand even when repeated by others - so, when these people repeat his words, they spread his ideas - and that is for the good.
Here, I think many people know that Kerry used those words first - because it was such a dramatic physical image of the magnitude of the loss due to a selfish desire not to admit failure while others paid the price. Even for those who don’t know they were Senator Kerry’s words, the brave young veteran whose 1971 words were echoed in those words was Senator Kerry - and that is known by every marginally political person.
Senator Kerry worked hard to help get Congressman Murphy elected. I assume he would have no problem with Murphy using one of the strongest sentences against continuing a bad policy that I have ever heard. Though maybe emailing Ms Huffington links to several Kerry speeches using it - I think starting in April 2006 would be a good idea, though something tells me she probably knows.