From Digby, writing at Salon:

What a difference a decade makes. On Tuesday night, the Democratic presidential candidates not only openly identified themselves as progressives, they embraced gun control, support for Planned Parenthood, criminal justice reform, LGBT and immigrant rights, and a long, impressive list of progressive economic reforms. The moderators even asked if the candidates considered themselves to be capitalists, a question so startling it would have drawn gasps from the audience in the not too distant past. Instead of rushing to defend their all-American capitalist bona fides as they once would have done, Bernie Sanders matter of factly said he didn't consider himself a "casino capitalist," and Hillary Clinton said she hope to save capitalism from itself. These comments from front-running Democratic candidates would have once been the headlines in the morning papers. Instead, it pretty much passed unnoticed. Indeed, it appears that even the word "socialism" is once again respectable, a development which would have caused the political establishment to collectively call for the fainting couch just a few years ago.

[...]

From the perspective of the progressive base, having Democratic presidential candidates debate on this field is a breath of fresh air. For decades they've been cast as silly naifs obsessively concerned with foolish issues of economic fairness and social equality.  And now the two frontrunners for the Democratic presidential nomination were not extolling their "moderate" credentials or parroting conservative tropes with a slightly liberal twist.  The argument on that stage the other night was over the best way to define, explain and achieve progressive goals. It appears that the left has finally managed to stop the rightward momentum of American politics and that the big ship may be turning around. And none too soon.

Discuss.

As a bicyclist I would like to point out that "bike paths" or "multi-use" paths are not built for cyclists, they are built for drivers, to get those pesky bicycles out of the way.

I have to use such paths now and they suck.  They are poorly maintained, and they mix pedestrians, toddlers, dogs on leash, and bicyclists who are actually trying to get somewhere and ride between 20 and 25 mph, depending on wind direction.  Not a good combination.  Now and then a two-year old walking ahead of the stroller veers across the path without warning.  Or people have those retractable dog leashes that are invisible to cyclists stretched across the path while the dog roots around unseen in the bushes.  Or pedestrians walk four abreast.

A byproduct of Google's effort is fantastic OCR (optical character recognition) software that google makes available for google docs.  It's how I convert local municipal documents (like meeting minutes) into searchable text.  I wouldn't have to if the jerks in charge weren't deliberately reducing our ability to monitor and catalog their actions by publish this type of document as jpg images embedded in pdf documents - instead of as the cutable/copyable/editable text which the pdfs originally comprised.

How does one turn a perfectly useful pdf into unuseable, barely readable jpg images embedded in a pdf?  Easy. Use a scanner set to output pdfs.

The Republicans control 31 state legislations and 31 Governorships. The Republicans have drawn up the districts in states so that it they will control the House until at least 2022 and the change will only occur if the Dems can find a way to win back the state legislations. They also control voting laws and are structuring their state systems to make it harder or impossible for Democratic voters to vote.

A president, if they use their office wisely, has a better platform than a Senator to put forth their ideas before the citizens of this country. Bernie will be selling good ideas that actually are wanted and needed by the vast majority of the people in this country. Much better and easier to sell than warmed over moderate Republican ideas IMO.

I am not dismissing the importance of the courts but I'm not sure that a Democratic president will even  be able to maintain the status quo in the Supreme Court. I am doubtful that any real liberal replacement for the liberal judges will get through the advise and consent process. As for the Federal courts evidently Obama did not understand the importance of the federal court system when he had the majority in both houses of Congress. Not all of these vacancies are the result of the Republicans in the Senate.

Vacancies in the Federal Judiciary
114th Congress
Last updated on10/16/2015
Total Vacancies:67
Total Nominees Pending:29

All of this, is not to say that a Democratic president is not preferable to a Republican one but to paraphrase Mark Twain

I apologize for my comment regarding (none / 0) (#193)
by MO Blue on Sat Oct 17, 2015 at 09:40:59 AM CDT
the debate. Somehow I missed the fact that Lessig has announced he was running.

Donald Trump and Ben Carson are both threatening to boycott the next Republican presidential debate if CNBC, who is hosting the event, and the Republican National Committee do not change the stated format of the event.

"Neither Mr. Trump or Dr. Carson will participate in your debate if it is longer than 120 minutes including commercials and does not include opening and closing statements," the letter, obtained exclusively by NBC News and signed by both candidates, reads.

LINK

Maybe they could bill the network, then I am sure at least the doctor would show up.

Are we really at the point were people seeking the Presidency can't be bothered for more than 2 hours every month with trying to convince the public why they should vote for them.  JFChrist

NBC Should Say:

So sorry gentlemen to have burdened you with having to deal with debates in your quest for presidency, looks like we will have 8 participants.

I've been accused of being a moderate. I plead guilty.

They are clearly intent on pushing the boundaries of basic cable.   I am totally down with that.   But I watch the show because in spite if its frequent silliness,  silliness that is presented so beautifully and artfully that the silliness ceases to be the point, it is occaisionally transcendent.   Every so often there is a moment that just blows the doors off.  There was such a moment in this weeks extended episode.  

After a cringeworthy sex scene bathed in blood - which is the scene being twittered about - there is a moment of pillow talk between Lady Gaga and the boy toy.  This is the transcendent part.   The boy toy, after finding out she is over 100 yeas old and some of the ground rules of vampirism in this context - "what about stakes and silver bullets, do they kill us?"   "B!tch please, of course the do.  You are only immortal if you are smart" , asks what her favorite era was.

She says the late 70s.  And then she describes them complete with flash back footage to the balcony of the Saint.  She, in a couple of sentences, explains how anyone gay or who lived in the gay scene feels about surviving that era.   It was a remarkable moment.  The kind where you wipe the tear and say "what the f@ck just happened?"

I can't believe no one is polling.

Are they embargoed for some strange reason?

US tank enters ruined Afghan hospital putting 'war crime' evidence at risk

That was then.  They have lost the popular vote in 5 of the last 6 elections.  2016 will make 6 out of the last 7.

Plus they can't even pick a speaker of the House.  IMO we are seeing a party implode.   This has been predicted for years.   But it does not happen fast.   I have admitted I thought it would happen for the last three presidential election cycles.  IMO we are seeing it happen.   If Trump is the nominee, I and have decided I think he may well be, he will lose.  Spectacularly.  That is going to trigger an actual autopsy.   The party will be very different in 2020.

I hope I'm right too.

:)