Wampum

We've been involved in the People for the American Way / Working Assets campaign to get Mainers to contact Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to support the historic rule of the Senate of unlimited debate and minority rights. We haven't seen any evidence that Wampum's coverage of two (soon to be 4) of the specifically unqualified, previously rejected and re-submitted nominees has made it into the mainstream critical theory of the "left", which still seems exclusively focused on theory and ideology rather than personal incapacity and prior specific instances of poor judgement, though surveys show that messaging around specific flaws in a nominee is the most effective way to wage an anti-nomination fight. However, we are invited to a partner briefing here in Portland today, in lieu of the (cancelled) Portland edition of the multi-media-markets press conferences.

Here is the PFAW Foundation press release:

PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY FOUNDATION TO UNVEIL FILIBUSTER AD CAMPAIGN

Washington, DC - People For the American Way Foundation will launch a multimillion-dollar national advertising and grassroots campaign Wednesday urging senators to preserve the 200-year-old Senate rule known as the filibuster, a key check and balance on overwhelming power in our
constitutional system.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is threatening to detonate the "nuclear option" and eliminate the filibuster for judicial nominations when Congress returns from its spring break. The campaign will include local and national television spots, along with online and print ads targeted to senators whose votes will be key.

Filibuster Ad Campaign News Conference
WHEN: Wednesday, March 30, 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: Zenger Room, National Press Club

People For the American Way Foundation President Ralph G. Neas will moderate the news conference. A list of participants will be announced Tuesday.

I'll post a follow-up later. Oh. There is a conservation outfit that is messaging that William Meyers doesn't like the environment. That conservation outfit went out of their way not to mention his role in putting a open pit cynaide heap leach mine, and a lot of water to deliver the cyanide to the heap, in an ecologically and culturally significant area -- to Indians. I like the fact that they are messaging specifics to their base, I just wish their base required their leadership to include Indians when circling up the environmental leadership wagons. More on that if you missed it here and here.

Update: Before noon I was a superhero, washing dishes and such. Afternoon and I'm a slightly constrained puddle. Flu is such a gas.