Lawrence

Hi folks. We'll be back at Free State tonight. I won't be there the next couple of weeks due to other obligations. I don't know if there will be an email next week. Ask for us at the front desk. Let me know if I should call ahead for you all.

The Democratic Convention is going on, check out how the lobby money is changing directions between this year and prior years:

Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (lead sponsor)
2008: 59% Dems, 41% Reps
2006: 48% Dems, 48% Reps
2004: 39% Dems, 61% Reps
2002: 32% Dems, 68% Reps

National Association of Chain Drug Stores
2008: 66% Dems, 34% Reps
2006: 24% Dems, 75% Reps
2004: 22% Dems, 78% Reps
2002: 40% Dems, 60% Reps

ClearChannel
2008: 54% Dems, 46% Reps
2006: 40% Dems, 60% Reps
2004: 38% Dems, 62% Reps
2002: 38% Dems, 62% Reps

Federation of American Hospitals
2008: 54% Dems, 46% Reps
2006: 35% Dems, 64% Reps
2004: 40% Dems, 60% Reps
2002: 31% Dems, 69% Reps

Duke Energy
2008: 39% Dems, 61% Reps
2006: 26% Dems, 74% Reps
2004: 24% Dems, 76% Reps
2002: 30% Dems, 70% Reps

National Association of Home Builders
2008: 45% Dems, 55% Reps
2006: 45% Dems, 55% Reps
2004: 33% Dems, 67% Reps
2002: 38% Dems, 62% Reps

US Chamber of Commerce
2008: 39% Dems, 61% Reps
2006: 18% Dems, 82% Reps
2004: 24% Dems, 76% Reps
2002: 10% Dems, 90% Reps

American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (Coal industry front group)

Lockheed Martin
2008: 57% Dems, 43% Reps
2006: 42% Dems, 58% Reps
2004: 41% Dems, 59% Reps
2002: 39% Dems, 61% Reps

Daimler
2008: 48% Dems, 52% Reps
2006: 35% Dems, 65% Reps
2004: 32% Dems, 68% Reps
2002: 41% Dems, 59% Reps

AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
2008: 45% Dems, 55% Reps
2006: 28% Dems, 72% Reps
2004: 30% Dems, 70% Reps
2002: 30% Dems, 70% Reps

Amgen
2008: 45% Dems, 55% Reps
2006: 34% Dems, 65% Reps
2004: 27% Dems, 73% Reps
2002: 25% Dems, 74% Reps

Verisign
2008: 47% Dems, 53% Reps
2006: 21% Dems, 79% Reps
2004: 37% Dems, 63% Reps
2002: 55% Dems, 45% Reps

Courtesy www.dailykos.com, posted Monday 8/25 at 9:05 a.m.

Hi Folks. We thought we'd try out a different venue tonight. One of the issues is noise and another is it is tough to find a place open that serves food after 9. Vermont Street BBQ is staying open later these days, and the first meetings of the group were there (until we found out they closed at 9!). So, let's try it out and discuss venues. And politics.

See you there. Ask for us at the front desk.

8 to 10. They are at 728 Mass. I'll try and call and warn them we will be there.

Hi Folks. We will be at Free State Tonight. Ask for us at the front desk. The students are back and it will be busy there tonight.

In the meantime, did you hear that McSame's speech on the situation in Georgia had a lot of content that was lifted from Wikipedia?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/politicalinsider/2008/08/did-mccain-plagariz...

A Wikipedia editor emailed Political Wire to point out some similarities between Sen. John McCain's speech today on the crisis in Georgia and the Wikipedia article on the country Georgia. Given the closeness of the words and sentence structure, most would consider parts of McCain's speech to be derived directly from Wikipedia.

See you tonight.

Phil

Hi Folks. We will be at Free State tonight from 8 until 10. Ask for us at the front desk.

Guess who said this?

"In little more than two decades we’ve gone from a position of energy independence to one in which almost half the oil we use comes from foreign countries, at prices that are going through the roof. Our excessive dependence on OPEC has already taken a tremendous toll on our economy and our people. . . .

This intolerable dependence on foreign oil threatens our economic independence and the very security of our nation. The energy crisis is real. It is worldwide. It is a clear and present danger to our nation. These are facts and we simply must face them. . . .

To give us energy security, I am asking for the most massive peacetime commitment of funds and resources in our nation’s history to develop America’s own alternative sources of fuel –from coal, from oil shale, from plant products for gasohol, from unconventional gas, from the sun. . ."

Jimmy Carter said it! Crooks and Liars details the similarities between this speech and Obama's recent speech on how to get immediate gas savings for consumers and how the Republicans laughed then and mocked now the idea of conservation and keeping your car tuned up.

Read it here:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/08/02/the-grasshopper-and-the-ant/#mo...

See you tonight!