Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

MoveOn Blunders Again

by BooMan
Thu Aug 7th, 2008 at 05:49:10 PM EST

No doubt the majority of the blogosphere will fault Michael Skelly for telling MoveOn.org to get lost rather than blaming MoveOn.org for failing to do their freaking homework...again.

Businessman Michael Skelly (D) is a well-funded long shot against Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) in the incumbent’s Houston-area district. The district voted 64 percent for President Bush in 2004, and the ads could do more harm than good by linking the challenger to the liberal group.
MoveOn bought ads in Culberson’s and five other districts. The spots focus on opposition to offshore drilling for oil.
Skelly, who has called for lifting the ban on offshore drilling, says in the release that it is “time for MoveOn to move out of Texas.”
“MoveOn’s opposition to drilling is 100 percent wrong, and so is John Culberson’s opposition to investment in renewable energy,” Skelly said. “We need a balanced solution to our energy challenges that includes both drilling for domestic oil and investment in renewables. We have to do it all.”
A spokesman for MoveOn did not immediately comment.

Here's a shocker. A Democratic candidate for Congress from Texas is in favor of offshore drilling and wants nothing to do with an organization that is best known for suggesting the commanding general in Iraq is a traitor. But did MoveOn.org do any basic research into Mr. Skelly's position on offshore drilling or his opinion of their organization before spending their members' money on advertisements in his district? No.

Whoever is making the executive decisions at MoveOn.org...they are rank amateurs that are diminishing the brand and making too many embarrassing and costly mistakes. But I'm just supposed to shut up and cheer for the home team.

MoveOn Blunders Again | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: MoveOn Blunders Again (none / 1)

Actually, I agree with you on this one.

The leadership at MoveOn, which is completely closed from members so far as i can tell, needs to get with the program a bit. they're making themselves obsolete.

John Mccain Called his wife WHAT??

by brendan on Thu Aug 7th, 2008 at 06:06:19 PM EST

Re: MoveOn Blunders Again (none / 1)

they're making themselves radioactive. All these members and this is what they do for them?

by BooMan on Thu Aug 7th, 2008 at 06:32:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: MoveOn Blunders Again (none / 1)

It's true that MoveOn has made a few screw-ups recently, but they represent my views better than the Democratic party, so in my opinion they've got a lot of leeway in what they do. If I could I would change my party affiliation from "Democratic" to "MoveOn" because I really don't have any use for most Democrats, other than they're opposing republicans in their respective elections...but even that isn't good enough in some cases.

by KansasVoter on Thu Aug 7th, 2008 at 06:12:42 PM EST

Re: MoveOn Blunders Again (4.00 / 1)

Absolutely. It's beyond me how anybody who cheers for Dems can accuse MoveOn or pretty much anybody else of incompetence or amateurism. It isn't MoveOn that's creating a neck-and-neck race against an incoherent demented old fool.

Bush is "the first President to admit to an impeachable offense." --Former Nixon counsel John Dean

by DaveW on Fri Aug 8th, 2008 at 12:11:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: MoveOn Blunders Again (none / 0)

Kansas voter alos makes a point.
which reminds me:

ACCOUNTABILITY NOW

John Mccain Called his wife WHAT??

by brendan on Thu Aug 7th, 2008 at 06:34:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: MoveOn Blunders Again (none / 0)

I winced at the unfunny and out-of-touch "I've got hope" ad to air on MTV & Comedy Central (it preaches to the choir and reenforces the notion that Obama's all hope talk and no real substance)... but this Texas mistake is just over the top. Are there any more reasonable orgs out there doing progressive ads?

by eeblet (bethbudwig at g mail) on Thu Aug 7th, 2008 at 06:51:35 PM EST

Re: MoveOn Blunders Again (none / 1)

It reminds me of a comment about a congressman that I once worked for: "He doesn't listen to anyone - he talks to himself, he answers himself, and sometimes he gives himself bad advice." Sounds like the good folks at MoveOn have the same issue.

The Underground Railroad

by Oscar In Louisville on Thu Aug 7th, 2008 at 09:30:36 PM EST

Re: MoveOn Blunders Again (none / 0)

Um, MoveOn didn't accuse Petraeus of being a traitor. It asked if he would betray us. And he did. Boo, I hope we'll see an equally contemptuous editorial about your beloved blogosphere's achievement in electing a whole new generation of DINOs. Little bad judgement there, mebby?

As to the TX thing, gotta admit I don't much care. As far as I'm concerned it's time for Texas to move out of America.

Bush is "the first President to admit to an impeachable offense." --Former Nixon counsel John Dean

by DaveW on Fri Aug 8th, 2008 at 12:16:12 PM EST

so much to like (none / 0)

and so much to dislike in a single post.

"You can lead a horticulture but you can't make her think." -- Dorothy Parker, who must've known Jeff Gannon's grandmother

by PDiddie (pdiddie@gmaildotcom) on Fri Aug 8th, 2008 at 04:05:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: MoveOn Blunders Again (none / 1)

"As far as I'm concerned it's time for Texas to move out of America."

I hate this crap.

by eeblet (bethbudwig at g mail) on Fri Aug 8th, 2008 at 05:32:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I live in CD-07 (none / 0)

and I RSVP'd for the MoveOn event yesterday at Culberson's office, to deliver petitions and speak with staff about how 'drill now' doesn't solve anything (but was unable to attend due to a late work conflict).

I also spoke with a Skelly campaign representative earlier today (whom I will not identify) who expressed regret over the "MoveOn should move out of Texas" crack.

As a reminder, Michael Skelly is a wind energy company executive who supports drilling in the OCS and ANWR as part of a comprehensive energy policy that includes everything on the table to solve our country's foreign oil dependence.

When I pointed out that I understood the political calculation -- that a Democrat in a R+13 district had to make some efforts to distance himself from liberal freaks and DFHs like me in order to try to convince some Republicans and Republican-leaning voters in a district heavily populated with oil company employees, some of whom have donated heavily to Skelly's campaign in addition to Culberson's -- I was told that political calculations were never part of the discussion.

I found that statement not to be very credible.

I was planning on doing some grassroots work in this campaign, but I'm rethinking that now.

"You can lead a horticulture but you can't make her think." -- Dorothy Parker, who must've known Jeff Gannon's grandmother

by PDiddie (pdiddie@gmaildotcom) on Fri Aug 8th, 2008 at 04:03:27 PM EST

MoveOn Blunders Again | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Go to: [ Booman Tribune Homepage : Top of page : Top of comments ]

. Home
. About
. Contact
. Advertise
. FAQ
. Search

Username:
Password:

. Make a new account
. Reset password

Proud member of

The Liberal Blog Network

a FeedBurner Network

Advertise in The Liberal Blog Network

Subscribe to this network

Gift Cards * New Arrivals

NOTE: Overstock bests Amazon's prices and is "blue."

THE BOOKS WITH "BUZZ":
______________

Learn the real story behind the WMD in Iraq:

The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism
by Ron Suskind

Read Barack Obama's vision for America:

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
by Barack Obama

DaveW recommends:

I Am a Strange Loop
by Douglas Hofstadter

Need some laughs?

I Am America (and So Can You!)
by Stephen Colbert

rae recommends:

Dark Ages America: The Final Phase of Empire
by Morris Berman.

On BooMan’s shelf:

The End of Iraq: How American Incompetence Created a War Without End
by Peter W. Galbraith

This looks interesting:

Adventure Divas
by Holly Morris

Here’s a good one from
Elizabeth Gilbert:

Eat Pray Love
by Elizabeth Gilbert

"Crash" * Best Motion Picture, Academy Awards * Only $11.79 at Overstock * 2006 SAG Winner, Best Ensemble

Check out
Powell's new section:
NEW FAVORITES
Selected new arrivals at 30% off

Recommended by Indianadem and ejmw:
The Conscience of a Liberal
by Paul Wellstone

From northcountry’s bookshelf:

The New Golden Age:
The Coming Revolution Against
Political Corruption and Economic Chaos by Ravi Batra

A novel about contractors in Iraq from the woman that runs The Spy That Billed Me:

Outsourced: A Novel
from RJ Hillhouse.

Download Sleeper Cell on iTunes

(Better than "24") Download Weeds on iTunes

(Hilarious 1/2-hour adult comedy starring Mary-Louise Parker) Download Late Nite with Conan O'Brien on iTunes

Download South Park on iTunes

James Hunter - People Gonna Talk:

Great Deals
----- * ^ * -----

Find mystery novels by Nancy Pickard ("Kansas")

Challenging Empire: How People, Governments, and the UN Defy US Power by Phyllis Bennis (interviewed on DN!)

Featured by Keith Olbermann, New (Powell's Sale): Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower by William Blum (whose other books merit serious consideration)

"Explosive" State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration
by James Risen

The book the CIA doesn't want you to read: Jawbreaker: The Attack on Bin Laden and Al Qaeda: A Personal Account by the CIA's Key Field Commander
Larry Johnson's review

BT's all-time best seller:

PERMACULTURE:
A Designers' Manual
$79.95 * Sale: $59.95

Unequal Sisters: A Multicultural Reader in U.S. Women's History (Third Edition)

The Undercover Economist: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor And Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car!

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
by Timothy Egan

Green Press Initiative
----- * ^ * -----

Journalistas: 100 Years of the Best Writing and Reporting by Women Journalists by Eleanor Mills * NYT review

Bury Me Standing: the Gypsies & Their Journey

1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus

Brokeback Mountain
by Annie Proulx
----- * ^ * -----
Check out Powell's
"At The Movies"

Imperial Ambitions: Conversations on the Post-9/11 World by Noam Chomsky (Power & Terror: Post 9-11 Talks)

The Price of Privilege:

How Parental Pressure and
Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of
Disconnected and Unhappy Kids
by Madeline Levine

Save 35-70% on
name brand clothing,
footwear, and outdoor gear
at SierraTradingPost.com
:

We listened to PEN American Center's "State of Emergency" and found 1940s books by Curzio Malaparte only at Alibris. (Selection (MP3) excerpted from "The Skin.")

Banned Books * Are you a fan of Film Noir, Art House, Documentaries or Hong Kong Action? * Searching for a long-lost children's book or a first printing of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue on vinyl? Find it at Alibris!

:
:

Booman Tribune Homepage
admin@boomantribune.com
powered by Scoop

More blogs about Blogs at Technorati.