I just got an e-mail from True Majority. They're organizing candlelight vigils all around the country for tonight.

Stop by the website and check if something is close by to you. Most of these things look like they'll go down at around 6 or 7 pm, local time.

Grab a candle and cup to shield your flame from the wind and get out there and

"Say No" to escalating the War.

"Say No" to the McCain Doctrine.

"LABOR UNIONS are more than just 'the folks who brought you the weekend,' as the bumper stickers say. A union contract may be the best bulwark against the widening income gap afflicting America even as worker productivity climbs."

-- Boston Globe Editorial September 4, 2006

On Monday I was able to attend the annual NH AFL-CIO Labor Day breakfast held at the Chateau Restaurant in Manchester, NH. It was quite a large turn out, I'd say 500 and maybe more. Most of the people that I talked to were happy to be there to see Edwards, represent their crew and have a great time. And most of them were concerned about the possible Verizon sale that could affect thousands of jobs in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

The story that I heard over and over is that unions are getting weaker because their numbers continue to decline. NH-erites that I spoke to on Monday were fairly upbeat and positive about their local union, but union participation among American workers has steadily declined in the past 30 years. So why fewer unions and union members? Well may you ask...

Cross-posted at DailyKos

Cross-posted at DailyKos

I've been getting more and more into this citizen journalism thing all summer at OAC blog. I think this is more than just a new kind of blogging for me. I think the next presidential election cycle will witness a whole new kind of emerging media. We're seeing glimpses of it now, but in 2008 this new YouTube people-powered journalism could take off. The new media will be the kind that uses websites like this and sites like YouTube to deliver Citizen Generated Content, stuff that we make and not the campaigns.

A reporter at the Gnomedex conference in Seattle last June asked the room, "Blogs were the big story the last time around, what will the story be next time around?"

Video: What's Next? (2:34)

Follow me below the fold to discuss how we become the story next time around.

Cross-posted at dailykos: Guerrilla Vlogger: Lamont and Edwards in New Haven

Yesterday I drove from my home in Mass. to attend the Lamont-Edwards event held on the Yale campus in New Haven, CT. It was amazing. I was granted unprecedented access to both Edwards and Lamont. I taped the speech, the blogger meet and greet and I even did a few little man in the street type interviews.

About 250 showed up to see the remarks by Ned Lamont and John Edwards. They weren't disappointed if you couldn't be there, I hope you'll watch the vids and get a good sense of how things went yesterday. There were definitely some surprises.

And Elizabeth is fine, she's also a huge Lamont fan.

cross-posted at daily kos: Vlog: Patriotism for something more than War

On Friday I flew from Boston to Des Moines to vlog an Edwards speech in Waukee, Iowa. I'm quickly getting addicted to the thrill of citizen journalism. Edwards is known for his domestic policy orientation, but on this Friday night Edwards chose to focus his remarks on America's role in the world.

Edwards is clearly talking about how his anti-poverty crusade, based on a new sense of American patriotism and moral values, are an essential ingredient to our foreign policy. His thinking on American leadership in the world is inextricably linked to his strong belief in community, patriotism and morality that we need to demonstrate through our actions here at home and abroad.

Follow me below the fold for the video of Edwards and the interviews I did on a warm and breezy Friday night in a small Iowa town when all of us in the school gym were thinking about the world outside, far outside.

Last Friday I flew from Boston to Pittsburgh to vlog a Wakeup Wal-Mart rally attended by John Edwards. I've recently started with the citizen journalist thing at OAC blog and I encourage anyone reading to consider doing the same for a cause they feel strongly about.

The tools available for free on the internet are too good to pass up these days. Bill Moyers once said that the most important thing a journalist can do is tell the little stories about ordinary people in the cacophony that is the news. Well guys, you don't have to wait for Mr. Moyers to knock on your door anymore. Now you can do the door knocking and tell the story that you think is important yourself.

I call it Guerrilla Vlogging because I'm just an ordinary person that blogs on the side. Follow me below the fold for the video and the interviews with the attendees that I did in Pittsburgh. I know it's not "gorilla".

John Edwards announced today the winners in the contest that he ran over at One America Committee for campaign fundraisers that he will headline for House candidates this fall.

The winners are:


Patty Wetterling (MN-06)









and


Nick Lampson (TX-22), running in Tom Delay's old seat.

Even the enemy admits: "Edwards a threat to Hillary!" Much has been made of the new schedule recommendations to the DNC from last weekend all over the blogosphere. They benefit Edwards to a surprising degree, but NRO has officially launched a new meme. I know, I know - NRO friend or foe? However, the analysis by Ryan Lizza is pretty consistent with what we've been saying here this week. The article is also behind a firewall, so you won't read it unless you pay for it. The sacrifices I make for the cause...

Edwards is the anti-Hillary of 2008. Although the article states that we get one of these anti-Hillary designees every six months or so, the Edwards "ascendancy" is for real and I think Edwards deserves the laurel - or laurels, whatever.

Follow me below the fold to discuss the NRO story.