Things were booming in Central Pennsylvania, as I like to say "Coal was King", and my Dad had worked his way from dozer operator to foreman. He had a company truck and gas and was making about $35,000 a year (1980 $s). The house we lived in was paid for as far as I can recall, we vacationed at Disney World, spent the summers and Easter in Benson and Wrightsville, and Christmas was spectacular.

We had a tradition that started in those years of going out to a nearby tree farm, walking through the woods and rows of trees looking for just the right one. We even got to the point where we could afford those big, beautiful, blue spruce trees and still to this day I consider THAT a Christmas tree. My mom was nuts about Christmas, we had tinsel on the tree, every ornament we'd ever made, garland up the banister, the stockings were hung with care, a Santa outside upon whose plastic list my mom had written the names of every kid in our town - you get the picture.  Christmas was magic, pure magic, the whole season. The cookies, the pies, the cakes, the turkey, ham, nutbread with cream cheese. Uh, it was awesome.

Until we stole that Christmas tree.

Today's 50-state blog roundup is brought to you by the letters B, N, and C - BlueNC. Major, major hat-tip to Betsy, who really did all the work. If you aren't reading your state's blog, you should be, because "all politics is local" should be more than a motto. This is an interesting week, the Presidential Primary is heating up in the early states (see below), while Virginia holds a special election next Tuesday. At the same time state legislatures seem to be trying and sneak in some iffy legislation before the holiday season.  Enjoy!

p.s. It's my birthday this weekend, I'll keep celebrating until I turn 40.

Advertise on the 50 State Blog Network.

I, as much as anyone, have come out blasting the DSCC, the Democratic candidates, and anyone else who went looking for a new candidate just because Jim Neal was gay. That said, Hagan might very well make a great candidate. I would suggest that no one discount her because of when she came into the race or how. Anyone, except me that is. Because, for me, this race is about the heart of the Democratic Party in North Carolina and it is a gut check moment for Democrats around the country.  At stake is this.

1. The DSCC fails to bring in any of its top-tier candidates (Mike Easley, Roy Cooper, Beverly Perdue, Richard Moore).
   
2. Bloggers put on a press to Draft Brad Miller, who we feel would be a progressive dream, a netroots hero for all of us to cheer and back. He declines.
   
3. The DSCC/NC powers-to-be/bloggers decide that state Rep. Grier Martin is our man, until he says no. In the process of his deliberations, state Sen. Kay Hagan backs out gracefully.
   
4. We have no one, and then up to the plate steps Democratic fundraiser extraordinare Jim Neal.  Bloggers rejoice, the mainstream Dems, not so much.
   
5. We find out why, Jim is gay, proudly so.
   
6. Hagan is suddenly back in the race following many harried phone calls from current Democratic candidates worried that Jim's being the nominee will hurt their changes at being elected, after all, he's gay{shhhhh}.
   

That is where we stand folks, we have two candidates, one who came of his own free will and one who has apparently been lured by the DSCC at the bequest of the local power brokers out of fear that he's not mainstream enough.  That in itself is not reason enough to support Jim Neal, this is:

Greetings Kossacks!

With the MLK weekend behind us, Where are the candidates? brings you a roundup of where your Democratic Presidential candidates were campaigning and what they were saying.

Where are the candidates is impartial and does not offer political analysis, just day-to-day updates on where the campaigns are visiting in this big, beautiful country.  So far, we have two campaigns that are emailing or calling us with updates and another one or two that are considering joining the service.  If you have any connections, please let them know about Where are the candidates.  The recap starts below the fold.

Welcome to the latest edition of Pizza for Progressives.  No matter the income, Pizza for Progressives provides each of us with a way to make a donation, whether it be $5 or $100.  The campaign season has started in earnest, whether we are fans of the 24/7/365 season or not.  Senator Edwards has held off on raising money for the last two years and is now playing catch-up with other candidates.  


While he will be crossing the country for campaign rallies and fundraising events, we here on the blogosphere can do our part, and indeed we have already begun, with almost $500,000 raised online already!

Any of you North Carolinians that would like to chat with Mrs. Edwards should stop on by and say hello.  Of course, folks from around the globe are welcome to pop in as well.  Just sign up for an account and say "Howdy".  We're a state-wide forum, so there will only be a dozen or so people on at a time.  

Wipe your shoes, have a seat, and grab a cup of coffee.  Then, come on back over here to discuss how it went when it was all done.  I'll be around.

What was the social issue that drove Bill Clinton into office and then drove the wingnuts into nuttiness?  

Universal Health Care.

It's the liberal, progressive issue that no one has been willing to talk about since then. It's taboo.  It's scary.  It is not at all CENTRIST or an issue of TRIANGULATION.   Indeed, Hillary Clinton, once the hero of UHC is now AGAINST the idea.  So, who is the 800 Pound Gorilla that is bringing this issue to the forefront again?  Who is it that is mentioning the uninsured at every event as a moral issue that America has to face?  


In other words, who is it that is running a truly Progressive campaign?

Some of you might have heard about the Bruegger's Bottomless Mug promo. A lot of people are using it as a holiday gift for coffee/bagel addicts. You pay $99 now, and then you get all the coffee you can drink, all year long in 2007. Sounds great. The reason they can pull it off is that coffee really costs next to nothing to produce, especially when you buy one "make" in bulk as Bruegger's does. So, Bruegger's could probably give away a few hundred coffees, before they start to lose money. Which is why they do it, they make money and they draw you in for a bagel.

But, I want you to imagine an alternative scenario.

Originally Posted at BlueNC, crossposted elsewhere

When the Republican led Senate and House passed the Budget Reconciliation Act of 2005, they did so without the support of one Democrat, and with a number of Republican defections.  Why?  The reason is simple, the budget gives more tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy while at the same time seriously putting in peril the very lives of millions of Americans.  The Budget Reconciliation Act should go down in history as the Republican End of Medicaid Act.  Hopefully, this destruction of Medicaid will play a major role in the 06 elections, but I'm not sure it will.  Once again, the Republicans have been crafty.  They have changed the rules on Medicaid in a way that will do serious harm to disabled children, the blind, the elderly, and the less fortunate in our society - but they have done so in a way that will not hurt them until AFTER the midterm election.  

To help clarify this situation and what will be happening down the road, we at BlueNC have asked State Rep. Verla Insko to provide us some facts on the new Medicaid cuts and regulations.  Rep. Insko has just filed to run for her sixth term in the 56th NC House district, representing most of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and one Orange County Precinct.  Rep. Insko is eminently qualified to answer questions on potential Medicaid cuts, as she Vice-Chairs the Appropriations Committee; Chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse; is a member of the Health, Environment and Natural Resources Committee; and, serves on the Joint Legislative Oversight Committees on Education and Health, where she Chairs the Access Subcommittee of the House Select Committee on Health Care.

There is a new report out showing that teflon now counts as a carcinogen.  An independent scientific review panel has advised the EPA that perfluorooctanoic acid and its salts are potential human carcinogens, a much stronger conclusion than the EPA's.  The EPA reported that there was only suggestive evidence that teflon was related to cancer based on animal models.

response and more after the break