Living Liberally Blog

A leak in the Gulf that's taken 100 days to plug
spilled away our country's faith in off-shore drilling,
spreading new concerns & new ideas about energy policy.

A leak in the media about Afghanistan
may be even harder for the military to plug,
& as it gushes new evidence about the war
may spread new concerns & ideas about our mission.

Meanwhile, an economy that continues to leak jobs
won't be plugged by half-measures or deficit-mongering.
Can the Obama Administration stop that leak
before it gushes away our faith in our President?

We can stamp & fume and damn the leaks.
Or we can respond, work & dam the leaks.

Either way, a little leak can lead to big change.

There will be no leaks coming from our liberal libation
as we share ideas, hopes, frustrations & insights
with fellow like-minded lefties over a a drink or two
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

Nearly two years after the titans of Wall Street
brought our economy careening & crashing,
Washington actually passed financial reform.

It should've been inevitable but was near impossible
as the sluggish centrists & sellouts of the Senate
seemed to serve Wall Street over Main Street
& as the industry of excess lobbied for its life.

And while there's no doubt the financial industry
will find ways to evade any authority,
to grab with greed & rebel against regulation,
for this moment, at least, we made it happen.

The people won.

In the face of new measure, will Wall Street reform?
Or with new exotic investments, will it simply re-form?

That may be up to us.
Passing reform is one step.
Now let's make it stick.

Come out tonight to toast the new reforms
& share ideas on strengthening them
as you share a drink or two & a night of fun
with your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

The Senate must have been watching the World Cup
& taking notes on how to do business.

Soccer players constantly run, run, run --
& Senators are constantly running for re-election
while running away from any tough choices..

The athletes play as much defense as offense
& the Senators are often in defensive mode,
obstructing reforms, deflecting progress.

And in both soccer matches & the Senate,
not a whole lot is accomplished,
so everyone's ecstatic when one goal is achieved.

Yet, soccer starts are beloved around the world...
while Senators are distrusted in all corners of the country.
That's because soccer players are doing their damn jobs.

Why can't the Senate learn that tip from the World Cup?

Now, if only we could drown our Inhofe
with some in-Senate vuvuzelas...

World Cup may be over, but refill your cup
with liberal libations as we discuss & debate
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

If you're at all familiar with what we do here at Living Liberally, this excerpt from Matt Lambash's Weekly Standard coverstory (that's right, the conservative magazine) should not surprise you:

As [Living Liberally founder Justin] Krebs writes, Drinking Liberally “has never been about drinking .  .  . it’s about progressive politics in a social setting.” It’s about all of us being “in this together.” It’s not just about “how you vote on Election Day.” It’s about “how you vote with your wallet every day.” It’s not just about “what you chant at a rally, but what you laugh at or rock out to on your iPod.” It’s about saying “it’s about” a lot, and then saying something real meaningful afterwards. Like this: “Living like a liberal is never just about making politics personal, but about making personal politics public.” It’s about alliteration.

As Lambash puts in plain terms, the goal of Living Liberally as a whole has been empower our every day activities by giving the more purpose and meaning. Indeed, despite the mocking tone this article takes, that's the task laid before readers of Krebs' new book, 538 Ways to Live, Work and Play Like a Liberal.

Luckily for us, Lambash decides to celebrate America's independence this past 4th of July weekend by summoning the bravery to put himself to the test. As a born again Liberal, he sheds his conservative garb and gives in to his most vulnerable "liberal tendencies, all of which are on Krebs’s list," before attempting to make at least some of the changes prescribed by each of the sections of Justin's book. And if you can wade through all the cliche, sarcasm and derision crammed between the margins, you may even discover Lambash inadvertantly celebrating some aspects of the Liberal lifestyle and enjoying a little liberal-living in spite of himself.

But the burning question remains: will our conservative protagonist survive this epic transformation? Check out this 'playful' piece at the Weekly Standard to get a glimpse for yourself. Then, grab a copy of Kreb's book 538 Ways to Live, Work and Play Like a Liberal to see what changes can be made in your own life.

You can help Justin promote 538 Ways by contributing to his book tour, here.

A record heat-wave brings brown-outs & black-outs
& reminds us that DC hasn't touched energy reform
even after the open wound in the Gulf
opened an opportunity to reconsider energy policy.

As the temperature rises, so do tempers
of Americans angry at the Wall Street racket,
yet the Senate keeps cooling down reform efforts
with a watered down bill that still hasn't passed.

We're sunstroked as the thermometer tops 100,
& we're burnt & broke from unemployment at 10%,
yet we'll keep sweating as House conservatives
block an extension of unemployment benefits.

The heat was on to deal with serious issues --
& Senate Republicans simply said "No."

Then everyone went on vacation.

I don't blame them for escaping the DC heat.
But if they can't take the heat of doing their job
maybe they should stay out of the kitchen for good.
Or maybe voters should keep them out this November.

Beat the heat with cool drinks & warm company
as you refresh yourself with conversation & community
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

By Bec Zajac

Okay, I’m going to admit it--my dirty little secret, something I’ve been struggling with for a long time that I just can’t hide anymore: I like romantic comedies. I really do. I see them early. I see them often. I get excited when I hear there’s a new one coming out. And when Sandra Bullock won an Academy Award, goddamnit, I even cried a little!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to defend all that’s problematic about films in the “romcom genre”. And believe me, I know there’s a lot: they reinforce gender stereotypes, they promote hetero-normative paradigms, they idolize marriage; and, yes, I agree, every time J-Lo does another movie, a baby angel loses its wings.

But even with all its problems, for some reason, the romantic comedy keeps drawing me back in. Even though, after seeing one I tread a fine line between feeling warm and fuzzy inside, and seething with rage and self-hatred, I keep taking that chance. So lately, I’ve asked myself: Why? Why the hell do I keep seeing these terrible, sexist movies over and over again?

More After the Jump....

We find ourselves so dependent on oil
that even after disaster strikes in the gulf,
drilling goes on, behavior doesn't change
& the country's addiction continues.

Our nation's capital is so thick with lobbyists
that even when we're passing financial reforms,
they're the ones re-writing the legislation.

Our elected reps are so reliant on money
that Big Donors such as the defense industry
keep their contracts flowing for oversea wars.
despite Big Voters' wish to change course.

And despite the Tea Party rhetoric,
our Founders weren't starting a revolution
against immigrants or for corporate rights.

They were looking to create a vibrant democracy,
independent of the corrupting influences
of foreign powers, corporate interests & monarchy.

Our elected leaders & Supreme Court Justices
could use a history lesson this 4th of July.

Too bad Texas is rewriting history books
& there's no money for teachers anyway...

Yet around the country, the spirit is alive
as we celebrate a happy Independence Day.

Toast our country's birthday & talk national news
as you raise your spirits, your voice & a pint
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

We've bullied BP, held hearings, pointed fingers,
tried caps, called for moratoriums, made promises...
but oil keeps gushing...drilling projects continue...
& for nobody in the Gulf, is real relief immediate.

The Administration says the economy is recovering,
but as local & state programs are slashed,
as benefits lapse & the safety net frays,
regular Americans aren't feeling any relief.

And as violence spikes & strategy falters,
neither the Afghan people nor American forces
see in this conflict any sign of relief.

But after his ill-considered comments,
General McChrystal was relieved of command.

It's great that President Obama relieved him.
Now let's get real relief for the rest of us.

Find relief from the heat & respite from the week
as you share ideas, pitchers & an eve of engagement
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

As the BP disaster continues unabated,
criticism of the President gets louder and louder:
he should have done more from the beginning,
he shouldn't have trusted the Big Oil companies.

The people of the Gulf want more government action.
BP wants the government to take more responsibility.
The American people grow tired of federal agencies
that aren't able to take over where industry fails.

Even conservative pundits argue the President
should make this a "moon landing" like moment
to galvanize the Nation for a shared purpose.

Everyone agrees: America needs Big Government.

This disaster really has changed the country.

Now, if only Obama & the Dems would seize the moment
& articulate that government isn't the "problem"
but is our tool to pursue common goals.
But that's as likely as BP caring about the Earth....

Take a step away from cable news, blogs & tweets
& join a face-to-face, pint-to-pint gathering
of of left-minded liberal libation-lifters
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

BP has "Beyond Phucked" our Gulf Coast
yet Rand Paul says we shouldn't blame corporations
& others stand in the way of Democratic efforts
to deal with the liability cap that incentivizes bad behavior.

The Republicans claim Dems are too close to Wall Street
while the GOP chooses a banking lobbyist for NY Governor
& Big Biz execs for Gov and Senate in California.

Meanwhile, despite the "outrage" at the bailouts
& The Tea Party furor against bankers,
how many conservatives are helping Congress
pass a modest package of financial reforms?

They're the "law-and-order, 3-strikes-you're-out" party
yet while the GOP supports capital & corporal punishment,
they just can't get behind corporate punishment.

We all have sympathy for some bad behavior.
In this case, the bad actors happens to be donors as well.

Share your thoughts on what BP should stand for
& your reactions to primaries over a prime pitcher or two
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.