Blog For Arizona

GOP Goes Nuts Over Giffords Talking with Constituents About Impeachment of Bush/Cheney

Upon learning that Rep. Giffords sent her Chief of Staff, Maura Policelli to meet with DFA/Tucson about impeachment, the Pima County GOP issued a press release which stated:

"Gabby Giffords' Chief of Staff Maura Policelli tonight will be the special guest at a meeting of the Tucson chapter of Democracy for America, a far left-wing activist group bent on seeing that President Bush and Vice President Cheney are impeached.

"'There are real problems facing southern Arizona like border security, healthcare and education,' Pima County Republican Party Chair Judi White said. 'It's hard to believe that Congresswoman Giffords would dispatch her top aide to such a frivolous event.'

"According to the agenda posted on the group's Web site, Policelli will participate in a discussion over topics relating to impeachment, including H. RES. 799, a resolution calling for the impeachment of the Vice President introduced by Congressman Dennis Kucinich."

Yet at the meeting with Policelli, the Congresswoman's Chief of Staff told the crowd that Giffords agreed with the view that this Administration is out of control, and further that Giffords would be in favor hearings in the House Judiciary Committee to determine if acts of Bush Administration officials might constitute impeachable offenses. Giffords did vote to refer articles of impeachment to the Judiciary Committee for further consideration. Policelli indicated that the Congresswoman takes her oath of office to uphold and defend the Constitution quite seriously. Video of the conversation between Policelli and constituents favoring impeachment will be available online soon.

DFA/Tucson leaders were very pleased by the common ground they found with Giffords' Chief of Staff and the Congresswoman's views, and are excited to continue working with Rep. Giffords to hold the Administration to account according to Dr. Ray Graap and Dick Kaiser, two of the organizers of the impeachment movement in Tucson. They are looking forward to Gifford's response to their letter suggesting that she sign on to Rep. Wexler's petition to begin just such an inquiry.

As to criticism from the GOP of Giffords for sending her staff to meet with community leaders on the issue of impeachment, such rhetoric is certainly not unexpected from a party so badly out-of-touch with Pima County's voters. But Chairwoman Judy White's characterization of citizens who are insisting that impeachment be considered by the Congress as the sole means of countering this Administration's abuses of power as "far left-wing" and "frivolous" is deeply undercut by the caliber and ideological disposition of those who are leading advocates of impeachment inquiries nationally. Serious legal professionals such as the American Lawyers Defending the Constitution support enforcing the rule of law through impeachment inquiries. Prominent conservative legal experts, such as Reagan Administration Justice Department official Bruce Fein, strongly support impeachment from a principled, conservative constitutionalist viewpoint. Apparently, these upstanding citizens are all frivolous and far left-wing in White's estimation. No wonder the GOP keeps losing ground in Pima County.

The Pima County GOP's characterization of use of Founder's cure for an over-reaching Executive as a marginal, left-wing issue only illustrates how out-of-touch with even their own electorate they have become. A swiftly growing minority of their own party members are alarmed by the Bush Administration's abuses of our civil rights and the rule of law, and many are becoming reconciled to position that impeachment is the only way to restore the balance of power in the federal government before what looks likely to be a Democratic President takes power in 2009. Nationally, a strong and growing minority of self-identified Conservatives (33%) and Very Conservatives (28%), and self-identified Republicans (23%), would support impeachment for wiretapping of Americans' telecommunications without a warrant according to Zogby polling. Apparently, a quarter of her own party members are frivolous far left-wingers according to White.

Members of DFA/Tucson would surely welcome (considering that they tried to invite representatives of an anti-impeachment viewpoint to their recent forum, and found no takers) an opportunity to discuss the impeachment issue with leaders of the Republican Party rather than merely engaging the shallow rhetoric and divisive politics that has led the current Administration so badly astray and relegated their party to minority status nationally, and near irrelevance locally.

 

Derek Tidball at Drinking Liberally Tucson

Derek Tidball, a veteran of the Afghan war and a self-described 'defense contractor' out of Ft. Huachuca, is running as an independent for the CD 8 seat against Giffords and Bee. He's got a heck of a hump to haul with with voters. We'll see what he's got to offer while we share a few beers. Bring your questions. Should be an interesting visit.

It all happens at Drinking Liberally this Thursday starting at 6pm at the Shanty on 4th Avenue and 9th Street (by the now perpetually under construction 4th Ave. underpass).

Cheers.

Drinking Liberally Welcomes Councilman Steve Leal

This Thursday, starting at 6pm, Drinking Liberally will be hosting Tucson Councilman Steve Leal at our weekly meeting at the Shanty on 4th Avenue.

Steve is a Tucson institution. Come meet him, have a beer with him, ask him questions and learn more about city politics in an evening that most people will learn in their lifetimes.

Cheers!

Signup to receive weekly email notifications of Drinking Liberally events.

Surfing the Tsunami Tuesday with Drinking Liberally

Come join Drinking Liberally as we watch the historic returns of the Feb. 5th primaries in 21 states for the Democrats, 22 for the GOP, including our own Arizona.

We will be gathering at the Nimbus Brewery and Taphouse starting at 6pm. Nimbus is on 44th Street off of Palo Verde. It's very easily to find, even if it's not easy to see from a major street. Just take the first left after coming down off the Palo Verde overpass if you are coming from the north; that's 44th.

Nimbus is a tasty micro-brewer, so there is some very nice beer on tap, and they are providing appetizers at half-off for the evening, so chow on down.

The nimbus people have lots of big tellies to which we'll have the remotes and a wi-fi signal, so bring your lap-tops to pull down the latest returns or update your blogs in real-time. I will probably be live-blogging for KJZZ's 'Here and Now' show that evening myself.

We'll be in the loft, but if you can't find us just ask for Drinking Liberally.

SOTU-long Bush!

This year will be Resident Bush's last State of the Union address. It will be a pack of utter lies, deep self-delusion, and Olympian hubris - should be hilarious.

Tim Bee's Big Surprise

Tim Bee stunned the Arizona political scene with a completely unexpected announcement that he is challenging Gabby Giffords for the CD 8 Congressional seat.

Seriously, though, Tim made it official -- he's in. I know, I was there. And, no, I didn't get tazed, Bro.

It was the kind of non-news news event one expects in the kabuki dance of American politics. But there were a few interesting bits.

Much more after the flip...

ACLUtv Screening

Freedom of speech is a given in America, right? Not if you're Muslim hip-hop poet Amir Sulaiman, who spoke his mind on national television, and then found the FBI on his doorstep. Or groups of protesters at the Democratic and Republican national conventions who were relegated to "free speech" zones far from the politicians with whom they disagreed.

This episode of The ACLU Freedom Files tells the stories of everyday Americans who were exercising their right to free speech and dissent, only to be harassed or arrested.

SEE THE TRAILER AT
     http://www.aclu.tv/episodes/dissent

"Dissent" will be shown by the ACLU-AZ S Arizona Chapter at:
Mission Branch Library
      3770 S Mission Rd, Tucson
      Saturday September 8 at 2pm
Everyone is welcome!

An Appeal from Drinking Liberally

UPDATE 8/27 @ 11PM: Thank you! We have met our goal and the PA system has been ordered. Thanks to the astute online shopping savvy of one of our members, we were actually able to obtain the system we wanted for a bit less than estimated: just over $140. The excess funds will be applied toward batteries for the mic, a new batch of Drinking Liberally buttons, and postage for Tasha's thank you notes to our guests. Here's the receipt for the system's purchase. Thank you for your enthusiastic response!

UPDATE 8/27 @ 2PM: We have nearly reached our goal of $165! Due to very generous $50 donation we have shot up to $145. We need just 20 dollars more to reach our goal, so won't you help us reach our goal with even a small donation right now? Note: New BforAZ posts continue to appear below this notice.

UPDATE 8/26 @ 8PM: Due to the generous donations of several members, we are now just over half-way to our goal of $165, having collected $40 at our last meeting and $50 via online donations, we are now up to $90 in the kitty. Please donate now and help us meet our goal!

We hosts of Drinking Liberally have decided that we need to invest in a public address system for use at our weekly meetings. Between ambient sounds, the size of the patio at the Shanty, nearby traffic and trains, the often limited vocal volume of some of our presenters, and the growing size of our meetings, it is sometimes hard for everyone to hear what speakers are saying.

We would like to purchase a portable wireless system that will allow us to place the amp and speaker unobtrusively and allow the speaker to move and hand about the mic without worrying about the wire.

These systems generally retail for about $200. When I announced our need at the last meeting, those present responded generously and we raised $40 toward our goal on the spot. We have a tip jar set up to send us money via PayPal on our website, please use this tool to send us a small (or a large) donation today.

Please consider making a small investment now that will pay off in weeks and months to come in the form of a more pleasant and informative Drinking Liberally experience. If every Tucson member reading this blog takes it upon him- or herself to donate even the mere $2 suggested tip amount, we'll quickly and easily meet and exceed our fund-raising goal for this project. That's less than the cost of a single pint of beer! Less than the tip you would likely give the server to bring you a pint of beer!

Please help the Tucson chapter with a donation now.

Thanks for everything you do to make Drinking Liberally an enjoyable experience for all involved!

Mike, Tasha, & Shasta
Your Tucson Drinking Liberally Hosts

Rove's Retirement Party Fundraiser 8/29

I gotta say, I love what the Pima party is doing here. Good fun with a purpose; a strategy after my own heart:

Rest In Peace: Jesse Latas

The memorial service for Jesse will be at 9:00 Friday (8/3) morning at Adair Avalon Chapel, 8090 N. Northern Avenue, Tucson, http://www.adairfuneralhomes.com/Finding_Us.html.

Graveside services will be at 1:00 Friday (8/3) afternoon at the Southern Arizona Veterans' Cemetery, 1300 Buffalo Soldier Trail, Sierra Vista, AZ, http://www.azdvs.gov/veteranscemetery.htm

Memorials may be sent to any of the following organizations:

 Make a Wish, http://www.wish.org/

 The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/hm_lls

 No More Victims, http://www.nomorevictims.org/

Gabrielle Giffords at Drinking Liberally on 7/5/7

I gotta say I was somewhat surprised when Gabbi's office contacted us for a date at Drinking Liberally. I had just tore into her over her vote on the Iraq supplementals that kept the troops in Iraq until at least September. I sent her a letter which I published here outlining my objection and visited her office to talk to staffers about my concerns. So, don't let it be said that Gabbi can't take criticism and meet it head-on.

In case you didn't know, Drinking Liberally with Gabbi will take place on Thursday July 5th starting promptly at 6pm at the Shanty on 4th Avenue and 9th Street at the underpass. The Congresswoman is expected at about 6:30. We'll hear from the Congresswoman and have a chance to pose questions, talk to her one-on-one, and get her drunk and get her to introduce a bill giving each of us a billion-dollar no-bid contract to study the effect of mouse farts on global warming. Should be lots of fun.

One of my state representatives, Steve Farley, will also be in the house on the 5th. Hopefully, he'll also come back later in the summer, as well. Last week, the 28th, we had a drop-in from state representative for LD 29 Tom Prezelski, who entertained the crowd with tales of his derring-do up at the state lege. We encourage our elected officials to schedule, so that our members can plan to attend, but we are always happy to see them anyhow.

Drinking Liberally Tucson now on Facebook

Drinking Liberally Tucson is trying out Facebook to help build community and foster greater participation by members. We have started a group on Facebook, and Drinking Liberally events will now be posted there as well.

If you don't have a Facebook account I encourage you to try it; it's free and it isn't just for college students anymore, it's a serious networking tool, with a good dollop of fun still mixed in that is missing from more buttoned-up tools like Linked In.

What to do on 7/7/7

Live Earth is coming: find a local event near you.

So far, there are several events planned in Phoenix and one in Tucson (which is free). Sign up. Volunteer to to help out. Not only is it going to be good fun with lots of great music, but it's a chance to meet others in your community concerned about the global environment.

I'll be there. I hope you will be, too.

DFA Presents Bob Bowman

“Take Back America!”
Dr. Bob Bowman
Brings his Patriot Tour to Tucson
Wednesday May 9th, 2007 at 7:00pm
Northwest Neighborhood Center
2160 N 6th Ave, Tucson, AZ
(One block south of Grant Rd on 6th Ave. Next to Mansfield Park)
This Event is Free and open to all.

Dr. Robert M. Bowman, Lt. Col., USAF, ret. is President of the Institute for Space and Security Studies. His Ph.D. is in Aeronautics and Nuclear Engineering from Caltech. He ran for President in the Reform Party in 2000 and was the Democratic candidate for the US Congress from the 15th Congressional District of Florida in 2006 (running on a "9/11 Truth" platform). He has lectured at the National War College, the United Nations, Congressional Caucuses, the Academies of Science of six nations, and the House of Lords. He is one of the country's foremost authorities on national security.

“We need a government that follows the Constitution, honors the truth, and serves the people. No more undeclared wars of aggression. No more spying on the American people. No more jailing of dissidents. No more exporting of jobs. No more NAFTA. No more government lies, and cover-ups. No more corporate welfare. No more health plans written by insurance companies and pharmaceutical manufacturers. No more energy policies written by Exxon and Enron. No more trillions in debt. Most importantly, no more using our sons and daughters to kill for the oil companies. Let’s “Take Back America!!”

Reading Liberally 4/16

Reading Liberally meets Monday 4/16 at 7pm. 

Drinking Liberally regulars Gloria and Andre have kindly offered to host. Soup will be served starting at 6:30pm. Please feel free to bring munchies and/or beverages of your choice, both with and without alcohol. 

The book, if you haven't read it yet, is Ghost Planes by Stephen Grey. If you don't want to read the whole book, but want to join us for the discussion, here's a link to some information about the book: http://www.ghostplane.net/

Gloria and Andre are at 4100 N Tortolita Rd. (Map it) Take Oracle north to Wetmore, turn west, Wetmore becomes Ruthrauff and then becomes Camino del Cerro after I-10.  Several miles on Camino del Cerro, past Silverbell, past Camino de Oeste to Tortolita Rd. Turn south on Tortolita Rd, continue 1 mile to the dead end sign. The house is on the left, 2 purple stucco walls mark the driveway. If you get lost call 743-3253.
See you there!

DFA Peace Forum

Drinking Liberally 3/29

Drinking Liberally will be happening again this Thursday, as it does every Thursday, starting at 6pm (you can drop in later, we're generally there for at least 2-3 hours) at the Shanty on 4th Ave. (401 E. 9th Street).

This week, we are joined by Mohur Sidhwa, the 1st Vice Chair of the Pima Democratic Party and Chairperson of Legislative District 28. Mohur is going to share with us the latest party news, and join us in conversation about the future direction for our local party. Please come and share you views and concerns with her.

We are rolling out a new, and partly unfinished, website for the local Tucson chapter of Drinking Liberally today. Please stop in and give us your feedback. There are still some unfinished bits, but the main thing missing is a survey we are working on to get some systematic feedback on how to improve your Drinking Liberally experience. We will be sending out an email over our email list when it is ready, and posting it on the site.

Drinking Liberally 3/22

It's time for another weekly Drinking Liberally. Liberals will be meeting at the Shanty at 6pm (see the right-hand side bar) for drinks and discussion.

This week, our special guest is Dan Patterson, a well-known local activist who is exploring the possibility of running for the Democratic nomination for Mayor of Tucson. Come on down and meet Dan and let him hear your concerns and hopes for Tucson.

Dan will be speaking at 6pm and again at 8:45pm.

Full disclosure: Dan has asked me to be on his exploratory committee and I have agreed.

An Election Integrity Event

Steven Freeman has the real facts about the 2004 election; he is award winning author, election integrity activist and will be presenting and having a book signing in Tucson at 6:30 pm this Friday, Feb. 23rd at the Plumbers and Steamfitters Union Hall. For those in Tucson, please stop by and meet Steven and bring your questions. If you are in the Phoenix area, consider driving down. I am sure we will still be going at 9pm.

You can find out more about the event and about Mr. Freeman's book: 

Was The 2004 Presidential Election Stolen? by clicking on the AuditAZ website: http://auditaz.blogspot.com/2007/02/lecture-discussion-book-signing-friday.html.

In addition, we just learned that Paul Lehto will be joining Steven so we are getting a double treat. Paul is an attorney with the Election Defense Alliance. http://www.electiondefensealliance.org/paul_lehto

You can RSVP for the event by responding to this email or clicking on the listed event http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=18291 ...or just show up. We have the capacity for 250 people and would love if we could get a full house.

Be sure to check out http://auditaz.us website regularly, as we have 16 bills currently in the Arizona Legislature that have to do with election issues. We will be advocating for some bills and opposing
others.

Lecture: Nuclear Power, American Security and Global Warming

Russell Lowes will be speaking about nuclear power this weekend. Russell is a Drinking Liberally regular and I encourage you to attend if you want to learn more about why restarting the nuclear industry in America is not a solution to our energy and greenhouse gas emissions problems.

Talk:  "Nuclear Power is a Threat to the U.S. Economy and can only
Compound Global Warming"

Speaker:  Russell Lowes, author of Energy Options for the Southwest,
Part I, Nuclear and Coal Power

When/Where:  2 pm Saturday, February 17, 2007 at Pima Meeting House, 931
N. 5th Ave., Tucson, south of Speedway a block and a half

Russell Lowes is author of "Energy Options. . ." about the dis-economy
of Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station near Phoenix.  His book was the
basis for canceling two additional planned reactors at Palo Verde.

The program is sponsored by the Women's International League for Peace
and Freedom

The program is FREE.  The public is invited.

For further information, call 791-9535

Drinking Liberally 1/11

It's time for Drinking Liberally once again. Like every Thursday liberals will gather to gab at the Shanty on 4th Avenue and 9th Street (401 E. 9th Street) starting at 6pm.

This week, our special guest is Chairman of the Pima County Board of Supervisors Richard Elias. Mr. Elias will share with us the upcoming agenda and challenges facing Pima County government.

Next week, our scheduled guest is Tucson City Councilperson Karin Uhlich.

We look forward to seeing you at Drinking Liberally. Please bring a friend, the best way to grow Drinking Liberally is by word of mouth from happy liberals. If you can, please bring finger food to share with the group.

Keep your ear to the ground and your calendar open for the Drinking Liberally SOTU Address on Tuesday, Jan. 23rd. We will be taking over a local watering hole with a big screen TV, lots of things to throw at said screen, enough ethanol to get us through the ordeal, and most importantly, fellow liberals with whom you can share the pain and confirm your continuing sanity in this penultimate year of the Bush Fiasco.

Drinking Liberally 1/04

Happy New Year!

Liberals will be doing the Drinking Liberally thing this Thursday at the Shanty on 4th Avenue starting at 6pm.

This week, our special guest is the Minority Leader of the Arizona House, Phil Lopes. Phil will be joining us to discuss the upcoming session of the Arizona House and what we Democrats can do with our newly won political capital, and what you can do to help support progressive goals in Arizona.

Next week, Chairman of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, Richard Elias will be in house to discuss what's happening in our county government.

Let's start out 2007 with a bang! Please bring finger foods that can be eaten without utensils, but more importantly, bring a friend as well. The best way for Drinking Liberally to grow is through your good word of mouth. Please, help us spread democracy one pint at a time in southern Arizona.

Drinking Liberally 12/28

Happy New Year! (Well, almost...)

As 2007, the penultimate year of the Bush Debacle, creeps up on us, Liberals will be gathering at the Shanty on 4th Avenue this Thursday evening starting at 6pm to begin the process of drinking away the memories of Auld Lang Syne.

This week, in the tradition of Time Magazine, our special guest is... YOU! Isn't that clever? It's all of you! I don't know how to make a CRT into a mirror or I would insert one here. Really, you've made this a great year for Drinking Liberally. Tasha and I have had a great time, and we hope you have, too. Thanks to all of you for showing up and creating a new and fun community here in Tucson that we can all enjoy.

Next week, our first guest of the year will be Minority Leader of the Arizona House of Representatives Phil Lopes. Phil has been so supportive of Drinking Liberally we're going to consider him a honorary Co-Host. Phil will be with us to explain Democratic strategy and policy initiatives in the coming legislative session with our newly improved minority position.

We have great guests lined up for the rest of January as well, including Pima County Supervisor Chairman Richard Elias and Tucson city councilperson Karin Uhlich, so mark your calendars every Thursday at 6pm for Drinking Liberally.

Take a cup o' kindness dear!

Drinking Liberally 12/21

It is once again time for liberals to gather in good cheer and fellowship at the Shanty on 4th Avenue starting at 6pm this Thursday.

This week our special guest really is May George. No mistake about it this time. May is a Fulbright scholar from Baghdad, Iraq. She has been here in the States since 2004, though her family still reside in Iraq. She'll be sharing her personal experiences of the war in Iraq, as well as those of her friends and family. May speaks Arabic, Aramaic, and English and is a Chaldean Catholic, not a Muslim. We can learn a lot from May, and hope you'll come down and give her a warm reception.

Speaking of warm, this week we are having a mulled wine tasting. So if you previously wrote to me to pledge a bottle of wine, please bring it this week. Probably it will be too cold for the patio this week so most likely we'll be inside. Also, please bring finger food that can easily be eaten without utensils.

Drinking Liberally 12/14

It's time once again for liberals to wander down to the old watering hole. You can see these wonders of nature this Thursday at the Shanty on 4th Avenue starting at 6pm. This once wary and skittish species have begun to throw off their camouflage and socialize openly with their own kind once again. They have even been spotted mixing unabashedly with elephants and (what would the mascot for independents be -- house cats?) other critters.

UPDATE: I'm an idiot. I screwed up the scheduling. May will be with us NEXT week, the 21st.

This Next week our special guest is May George. May is a Fulbright scholar from Baghdad, Iraq. She has been here since 2004, though her family still reside in Iraq. She'll be sharing her personal experiences of the war in Iraq, as well as those of her friends and family. May speaks Arabic, Aramaic, and English and is a Chaldean Catholic, not a Muslim. We can learn a lot from May, and hope you'll come down and give her a warm reception.

Next week, we do not yet have any special guest scheduled, but I can tell you that we are having a mulled wine tasting in celebration of the season. Ho Ho Ho. If you would like to kick in a bottle of red for the tasting, please contact me at TUCSON at DRINKINGLIBERALLY dot ORG.

Looking out to January, we have scheduled Pima County Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard Elias to come down and speak with us on January 11th.

Drinking Liberally 12/7

Drinking Liberally will be happening this Thursday starting at 6pm at the Shanty on 4th Avenue at the underpass. This week we will either be on the patio or inside the bar, depending on whether it's just cold out or damn cold out. Dress warmly, but wear layers, is my advice.

As with last week, we are experimenting with potluck this week, so you are encouraged to bring finger foods which don't require any utensils to eat. Thanks to those members who stepped up and delivered mucho yummy comestibles last week.

This week, our special guest is Jeremy Palmer, a PhD candidate from the UA's Near Eastern Studies speakers' bureau. Jeremy is an Arabic language expert. Jeremy is going to share with us his experiences in the Middle East, especially Syria and Jordan.

Reading Liberally was postponed to December 13th for the DFA Tucson Iraq War forum, so you have an extra week to sink your teeth into Rifkin's 'One Percent Doctrine'. For details see my earlier post regarding the postponement.

Iraq War Forum Tonight

Link: Harper's Index for August 2006.

"Ratio of the estimated U.S. cost of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol to the cost of the Iraq war so far: 1:1"

Don't forget. Tonight at 7pm is the DFA Tucson Iraq war forum at the Northwest Neighborhood Center. Be there.

Reading Liberally postponed until 12/13

This month only we are pushing back Reading Liberally from the first Wednesday of the month to the second Wednesday, Dec 13th. DFA Tucson is putting on a great forum on the Iraq war on the evening of the first Wednesday, Dec. 6th, and we don't want anyone to miss either event. In January, Reading Liberally will return to its regular schedule of the first Wednesday of the month.

We will be discussing Ron Suskind's book 'The One Percent Doctrine' on December 13th at 7pm. We will meet at the home of Drinking Liberally regulars Steve and Marianna. They live at 9940 E. Lucille Drive (map). They can be reached by phone at triple seven three-thousand if you have questions or get lost. You are encouraged to bring something in the way of a snack, dessert, or alcohol.

Finding the place isn't too hard, but Steve gives the following directions, "From Golf Links, go east past Harrison, turn right at next light (Bonanza) and go 3 blocks to Falcon Point Drive (the entrance of Falcon Point Subdivision) and make a left. It will be dark, so go slowly or you could miss it. When you turn into Falcon Point Subdivision, make an immediate left on Giovanna, go past mailbox and it turns into Lucille. Our house on the right corner as soon as you bend right. If you are coming from Houghton, go south to Golf Links, make right on Golf Links and then left on Bonanza."

Drinking Liberally 11/30 & Green Drinks 11/29

UPDATE: Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll will be joining us this evening for a liberal dose of conversation.

After a week's hiatus to accommodate everyone's Thanksgiving turkey-induced comas, Drinking Liberally is back to make your holiday season a little more merry. We will be meeting this week on Thursday at the Shanty on 4th Avenue starting at 6pm, as usual. All the info you need is on the right hand side bar of this blog.

For a while, we are trying a new approach concerning food at Drinking Liberally: potluck! Please bring food for the group if you can. Much appreciated are finger foods that go well with beer and don't suffer spoilage and don't need anything in the way of serving utensils.

Recently, we hosted City Manager Mike Hein, who gave us all a crash education on city government and proved to be a heck of a fun guy and real sport, answering our questions for over 2 hours. He claims to be a simple guy, but it's obvious to me that Mike is a very smart fella.

If you have in mind public figures you would like to see at Drinking Liberally, drop us a line.

Many of you might be interested in our 'sister organization' of sorts, Green Drinks of Tucson. Green Drinks is a networking and discussion group for those working in and interested in the environmental field. Green Drinks meets once a month on the last Wednesday of the month at La Cocina at Old Town Artisans square. Their next meeting is tomorrow, Wednesday the 29th, at 6pm.

Please consider joining their mailing list if you are interested in attending.

DFA Tucson Iraq War Forum Dec. 6th

DFA Tucson
PRESENTS

IRAQ: What Next?

Wednesday December 6^th , 2006
at 7:00pm

Northwest Neighborhood Center

2160 N 6th Ave , Tucson, AZ 

(One block south of Grant Rd on 6 ^th Ave. Next to Mansfield Park)

Click here for Map

 

A Panel Discussion followed by Questions and Answers.

This Event is Free and open to all.  Please invite others to attend.

Why did the Bush administration invade?

Dr. Richard Eaton

Professor, Dept. of History, The University of Arizona. He has had a long term interest in the Middle East, South Asia, and geopolitics and the global policies of the U.S. He has lived in the Middle East and India and has traveled extensively.

What is the real situation in Iraq?

Dr. Leila Hudson

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Near Eastern Studies, The University of Arizona . She is fluent in Arabic and monitors U.S. and Arab Media. She has lived and worked in Syria periodically since the 1980s and is familiar with the perspective of the people in the region.

How can this conflict be resolved?

Ambassador David Dunford

Former U.S. Ambassador to Oman from 1992 to 1995. Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1988 to 1992. He served on the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad as Senior Ministerial Laision to Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs between April and June of 2003.

Forum Moderator

Dr. Charles Smith

Professor, Dept of Near Eastern Studies, The University of Arizona Specialist in modern Middle East history. The sixth edition of his book "Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict" will appear in December.

Drinking Liberally 11/16

Liberals will be found drinking and talking at the Shanty on 4th Ave. again this Thursday evening, beginning at 6pm.

This week our special guest will be Mike Hein, Tucson's City Manager. I'm sure many of you haven't yet met the fellow who now runs our fair city. In our City Manager-centric, civil-service-oriented city charter, the Manager has a great deal of influence over the daily administration of the city. Take this chance to come and meet with Mike in person.

Last week, we had some good fun. We had a champaign toast to the new Democratic majority, and a whole lot of other toasts following that one. We met some new friends, reconnected with some old ones, and even had some friends down from Phoenix who made the trip just to be with us at this happy time. If some folks will drive 4 hours to come to Drinking Liberally, what are you waiting for, a written invitation? Come on down. You won't be sorry you did.

Reading Liberally Books Through May

Reading Liberally is the book club for discussion of current books on issues of politics, current events, and government.

Reading Liberally meets here in Tucson on the first Wednesday of every month at 7 pm. The location is changed monthly at this point, though it may settle upon a permanent location at some point, so check the calendar for each month's location or join the Drinking Liberally Tucson mailing list to be sure you get the location announcement.

We strongly encourage participants to have read the book; the discussion is more rewarding if everyone starts with the same knowledge. However, don't let that keep you away if you sincerely want to learn about the book through our discussion.

Reading Liberally's mission is to make a book discussion meetings as fun and engaging as Drinking Liberally. We try to meet in locations were we can have a glass of wine or beer and a nosh with our discussion. Often it is best to meeting in members' homes, building community and friendships as we explore these books. Always free-wheeling and fun-loving, but also engaging the issues and ideas in each book with a degree of intellectual rigor, we aim to make learning about these books both a great time and well worth your investment of time spent reading and attending.

Suggestions for meeting locations and books can be posted to the Drinking Liberally Tucson message board or emailed to the Hosts at Tucson AT DrinkingLiberally DOT Org.

Here are the books we have slated for the next several months:

Dec. 6th, 2006

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Jan. 3rd, 2007

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Feb. 7th, 2007

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Mar. 7th, 2007

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Apr. 4th , 2007

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May 2nd, 2007

Drinking Liberally 11/9 Post-Mid-Term Edition

You are invited to the Post-Mid-Term Edition of Drinking Liberally!

We have plenty of reason to celebrate the Democratic takeover of the primary branch of government in our nation's capitol. It's time to talk about what we want a Democratic Congress to accomplish.

Come on down to the Shanty on 4th Avenue this Thursday evening, 11/9, starting at 6pm, to share the somewhat unaccustomed feeling of hope and optimism with your fellow liberals.

We have no special guest this week, and I dare say we don't really need one; there is a Democratic majority in the House! And the Senate!

Next week, Mike Hein, Tucson's City Manager will be our special guest.

If you haven't done so yet, please join our mailing list and feel free to share your ideas for Drinking Liberally at our message board. Drinking Liberally Tucson's schedule is permanently posted on the right sidebar of this blog. Inquiries from public figures interested in scheduling attendance as our special guest are always welcome at Tucson AT DrinkingLiberally DOT Org, as are questions and requests from our members.

Drinking Liberally Poll Party at the Trident

Drinking Liberally is having a Poll Party in Tucson at the Trident Saloon on election eve. Starting at 7 pm as the polls close, liberals will be gathering at the Trident at 2033 E. Speedway to bask in the glow of multiple big screen satellite TVs, access the many tubes of the internets via our newfangled wireless laptops, and soak up libations and food from the Trident's great menu (served until midnight).

You're welcome to stop by even if you've never been to a Drinking Liberally event. Drop-ins by party hoppers are also welcome and encouraged.

We certainly understand if you want to partake of the heady stench of victory at the Party's party at the Doubletree, or at the HQ of one of our fine Democratic candidates, but if you want a relaxed, well-informed, comfortable cockpit from which to savor the nation-wide Democratic demolition of the GOP majority as it happens, Drinking Liberally is the place to be on election night. Plus, there will be no speeches that we can't either change the channel on, or throw food at.

Drinking Liberally 11/2 and Poll Party 11/7

It's that time once again. Liberals will be drinking at The Shanty on 4th Ave by the underpass starting at 6pm this Thursday. This week we will be competing for liberals' affections with Bill Clinton, who is in town for a rally for Jim Pederson at the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center at Reid Park at 6:30 pm. I won't be hurt if you decide to go there first - hell, I might go myself. But we'll still be there for you when Bill is done feeling your pain, so feel free to drop in later - we always go until well after 9 pm. It takes a little while to drink liberally, you know.

Last week, we hosted Tucson City Councilwoman Nina Trasoff, who said she had a great time and will be dropping in on us from time to time from now on. We look forward to it. That's one classy lady.

Next week, we don't yet have anyone scheduled, so drop by our bulletin board and make a suggestion, or email TUCSON at DRINKINGLIBERALLY dot ORG.

November 16th, DL will be hosting Tucson City Manager Mike Hein.

Please join our low-volume announcement-only mailing list, if you haven't already. Not all DL events and info are posted to this blog. To make sure you have all the latest information, you must join the mailing list.

In response to popular demand, Drinking Liberally will be hosting a Poll Watching party on election eve. In need of big screen satellite televisions, wireless internet access, and food service until midnight to sustain us through the long night, we will be holding the party at the Trident Saloon at 2033 E. Speedway (east of Campbell near the Buffalo Exchange). The party starts at 7 pm when the polls close, and continues until they kick us out.

Drinking Liberally 10/26

Drinking Liberally will be meeting as usual at The Shanty on 4th Ave and 9th St, beginning at 6pm, this Thursday Oct. 26th.

This week, our special guest is Tucson City Council Member Nina Trasoff. Please come and join Nina for conversation about the future of Tucson.

Last week, we hosted City Council Member Carol West. We had a great conversation about growth, water, environmental protection and many other topics.

Next week we don't yet have any special guest scheduled, if you have someone in mind, let us know by writing to Tucson AT DrinkingLiberally DOT Org.

Tucson's liberal book club, Reading Liberally will be meeting on November 1st. The book under discussion is "The Broken Branch" by Ornstein and Mann. Write to the address above for meeting details.

Drinking Liberally 10/19

It's time for Liberals to gather, share a beer or two and talk as citizens about the world and its follies. We will be meeting at the Shanty on 4th Ave and 9th St this Thursday evening starting at 6pm.

This week, our guest is former Democratic Councilwoman, now Independent Councilwoman for Ward 2, Carol West. Bring your questions about city policy and politics and converse with Carol.

Last week we screened "Iraq for Sale". We had at least 50 people in attendance and raised over $120 dollars for Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Next week, our special guest will be Democratic Councilwoman for Ward 6, Nina Trasoff.

Reading Liberally, our liberal book club, will be meeting Nov. 1st at the home of two of our members. We are reading "The Broken Branch" by Mann and Ornstein. Get your copy today and write to Tucson AT DrinkingLiberally DOT org for more information on the meeting.

The calendar for future meetings and our message board are located on the sidebar of this blog. All future events are subject to change and we welcome suggestions for future guests and events.

Drinking Liberally 10/12: Free Screening of "Iraq for Sale" by Robert Greewald

UPDATE 10/13: We raised $122 for Iraq Veterans Against the War, and found ourselves thoroughly shocked by the greed and mendacity revealed in this film. Many thanks to all who attended and contributed so generously. And many thanks to the owner and staff at The Shanty for letting us tear up their patio, accomodating our needs so well, and being so attentive and hard-working.

Here is a trailer of the movie:

The movie will be screened at The Shanty on 4th Avenue and 9th Street. Screening will begin at full dark, likely about 7pm. Admission is free, but bring your cash, because we will be collecting donations for Iraq Veterans Against the War. And, of course, you'll want to buy lots of beer (it will soften the blow of the unvarnished truth). Sandwiches will be provided courtesy of The Shanty, in addition to popcorn, but you are encouraged by the management to potluck your snacks and bring enough to share, like the well-socialized liberals you are.

There is high demand to see this film, so if you can, bring some lawn chairs, you might need them.

J. No Gets Busy on the Munster

Link: KUAT TV | Election 2006: Governor's Race.

Drinking Liberally 10/5

This week at Drinking Liberally, (Thursday, Oct. 5th, starting at 6pm at The Shanty on 4th Ave and 9th Str at the underpass) our special guest is Dr. Tom Volgy, former Mayor of Tucson and former Democratic candidate for Congress. Dr. Volgy is also a professor of political science with specialty in international affairs at the University of Arizona. There will be plenty of interesting topics to speak to Dr. Volgy about, so come down and say "Hi" to Tom.

UPDATE: Lena Seradnik , Democratic nominee for State Representative in LD 26, will also be joining us tonight (Oct. 5th) to talk about her candidacy and the issues facing Arizona.

Last week, we had special guests Dave Ewoldt (an expert on sustainable development from the fledging group Sustainable Tucson), and Mark Manoil (Democratic candidate for Az Corporation Commission). We had a great discussion of sustainable development and energy policy. Dr. Chat (former Democratic candidate for Congress in CD 2) and Paul Eckerstrom (former Chair of the Pima Democratic party) dropped in, as did House Majority Leader Phil Lopes, though he had to leave early for another meeting.

Of course, the most important person at Drinking Liberally is you. Special Guests come because they want to speak with you, one-on-one, as citizens. That's no exageration or flattery, either. Consistently, the feedback I get is that most of our special guests love the informal conversational atmosphere and the exchange of ideas. I've loosened up in the past couple months about public addresses at Drinking Liberally (I used to forbid them - if candidates want to politick it had to be retail), but I still don't let candidates come in, speechify, then pull a fade. You want to speak, you've got to stick around and speak to people over a delightful beverage.

Next week, we are screening Robert Greenwald's newest film "Iraq for Sale". The meeting will start at 6 as usual, but the film will start at full dark, which we expect to be at 7pm or shortly thereafter.

Future weeks' schedules can be found on the sidebar by clicking on the Google Calendar button. All future meeting's guests and events are subject to change without notice. So don't blame me.

Drinking Liberally 9/28

Drinking Liberally will be held at the regular moonbat time and the regular moonbat station. For the unititiated, that is this Thursday at The Shanty on 4th Ave. and the underpass, begining at 6pm.

This week, our special guests include Dave Ewoldt, an expert and consultant on sustainable development, and Mark Manoil, Democratic candidate for AZ Corporation Commission. Both guests will be speaking and leading discussion on sustainable city developement and energy. We will also be joined by Dr. Chat, former Democratic Candidate for Congress in AZ's CD 2, who is now assisting several Democratic candidates, including Mark Manoil, with their campaigns.

Last week, we had a great session of Drinking Liberally with several fresh faces along with many DL regulars. We had some great conversations and made some great new friends.

Next week, Tom Volgy, former Mayor of Tucson, former Congressional candidate, and current PolSci Professor at UofA will be joining us, along with his wife, to share his experienced viewpoint on domestic and international affairs.

The following week, we are screening Robert Greenwald's new film 'Iraq for Sale'. The film will start as soon as it gets dark enough to project (which is around 7pm). The RSVP system for the film is full, but Drinking Liberally regulars shouldn't worry, I reserved space for you.

I've added a Google Calendar button to the Drinking Liberally section of the right sidebar, so DLers can check out what is scheduled for future meetings. We generally don't plan more than a month or two in advance, and all schedules are subject to change without notice (politicians are a little flakey about keeping their appointments). If you have suggestions for special guests or events, drop a comment here, post to our bulletin board, or send an email to TUCSON at DRINKINGLIBERALLY dot ORG and let us know.

The inaugural meeting of Reading Liberally is getting closer: Oct. 4th at the Speedway/Wilmot Bookmans. We will be discussing "Conservatives Without Conscience" by John W. Dean. I will posting a resource guide on the book this week in preparation for the discussion.

For your amusement:

The Arizona 9/11 memorial is strting to bubble up into a national story, stoked by paranoid right wing bloggers. Now the story is on Michelle Malkin's Hot Air (which generally means that the fascists are going to sink their teeth into it), and Gov. Napolitano has commented on the 'contoversy'. We in the reality-based community would do well to push back on this nuttiness.

For those who haven't yet seen it, this week's political theater is provided by Bill Clinton, vigorously defending his legacy on anti-terrorism. You can hardly find this video on the social networks, because FOX's legal team has swung into action, sending out cease and desist letters like junk mail. Seems almost like they want to be able to ridicule him on their network as being overly-emotional or incompetent, but not let people see the whole interview easily. Instead, FOX has put a link to the first few minutes of the interview on their front page, but the remaining 3/4 of interview is buried in separate clips at the bottom of the video page. You have to scroll down to find them, or sit through an additional 30 seconds of ads for each clip on the roll-over. It is obvious that FOX is trying to limit access to the entire interview in context and pushing only the part in which they feel Clinton's counter-attack is weakest. It's a masterful demonstration of how to do a digital lynching under the guise of a business case.

The always honest and brave Olbermann takes his swipe at the blame-Clintonistas. He may be the best thing on TV.

Drinking Liberally 9/21

This week, Drinking Liberally will be held at the usual time and place: The Shanty on 4th Ave starting at 6pm. There are no special events or guests scheduled this week, just good conversation, good times, and good beer with like-minded liberals.

Last week, we had a Drinking Liberally beer tasting. We tasted about 10 great beers of various styles. Thanks to Bill and Tom and all crew at the Shanty for putting on this FREE event (you read that right, FREE BEER, and you missed it). After that, conversation was a little boozy, but just as fun as ever.

Next week, we have a special guest, Dave Ewoldt, who is a consultant on economic and ecological sustainability. He will be leading a discussion about civic sustainability. He is a part of Sustainable Tucson, a fledgling organization which is attempting to establish a framework for sustainable developement in Tucson much along the lines of Sustainable Seattle. UPDATE: Mark Manoil, Democrat for AZ Corporation Commission will also be joining us to discuss energy sustainability.

The following week, we have special guest Tom Volgy, former Mayor of Tucson, candidate for Congress, and University of Arizona professor of international affairs.

Now is the time to get your copy of John W. Dean's book "Conservatives without Conscience" for our Oct 4th meeting of Reading Liberally at the Speedway and Wilmot location of Bookman's Used Books. Bring your extra liberal books for a bookswap and to sell or trade to Bookman's.

Cheers.

Tucson Screening of "The Ground Truth"

            A one-time-only screening of the acclaimed documentary about the sacrifices of men and women at war in Iraq is scheduled at 1pm this Sunday, September 17.

The Ground Truth directed by Patricia Foulkrod, made a powerful impression at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

Admission is free, but donations will be accepted for Vets 4 Vets, a Tucson-based nonprofit group that gives veterans an opportunity to share their stories with others.

For more information, check the web site of the Loft.

Drinking Liberally 9/14

This week, we will be drinking a bit more liberally than usual at Drinking Liberally. We are hosting a free beer tasting, courtesty of our venue The Shanty. Come on down to The Shanty on 4th Ave. and 9th street by the underpass starting at 6pm to try a number of tasty varieties of beer for free. It's a perfect way to drown those sorrows if your candidate lost in the primary (or if you are a candidate who lost in the primary) and a great way to celebrate your well-deserved victory if you or your candidate got the nod from Arizona's Democrats.

We haven't scheduled any special guests this week, because, heck, we've got free beer! I mean, jeez, what more do you people want?

Last week, we had both Democratic candidates for Superintendant of Public Instruction, Jason Williams, who prevailed in Tuesday's vote, and Slade Mead. We had some great discussions with both candidates and an informal debate between the candidates. They are both terrific guys, and we look forward to them both making a huge positive impact on Arizona's public school system, not the least of which will be working together to defeat Tom Horne.

We are launching a new book club called Reading Liberally, of course, the inaugural meeting of which will be on Wednesday, October 4th at 7:30pm at Bookmans on Speedway and Wilmot. The first book we will discuss will be John W. Dean's "Conservatives Without Conscience."

If you wish to suggest a future book title for Reading Liberally, or make suggestions for special guests or topics of conversation at future Drinking Liberally meetings, please visit our bulletin board. To remain updated with the latest information at Drinking Liberally activities, and to allow us to track the size of our membership, please sign up for our low-volume, announcement only mailing list. You will generally only receive one email a week, so don't worry about getting spammed.

Next week, Sept. 21st, at Drinking Liberally will feature City Councilperson Carol West. All future dates are subject to change. Check here each week for the final word on special guests and events.

Drinking Liberally 9/7

It is time once again for Liberals to attend that institute of higher citizenship we call Drinking Liberally. As usual we will be meeting on Thursday evening starting at 6pm at The Shanty in downtown Tucson at 4th Avenue and 9th Street at the underpass.

This week, we are hosting two special guests, Democratic candidates for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instuction, Slade Mead and Jason Williams. Both men are hoping to get the nod from Arizona Democrats to take on incumbent disaster area, Tom Horne.

If you are an educator, or have kids in our public schools, or concerned about public education, I strongly urge you to come. This may be the last opportunity you will have to see both men at the same time and have a chance to speak with them at length and leisure about your concerns before having to decide between these two fine candidates in the primary election.

Last week, we hosted Congressional candidate Jeff Latas and Sallete Latas filled in for her hubby until he arrived somewhere around 8:30. When Jeff arrived, he brought his campaign manager Ross Lampert along. Francine Shacter, another Congressional candidate and a regular at Drinking Liberally, and one of it main attractions, IMO, was in the house. Congressional candidate Alex Rodriguez and his campaign manager, also decided to drop in and have a beer with us. You never know who will show up to Drinking Liberally, and we encourage elected officials and candidates to drop in and chat with their constituents and voters.

But, of course, what's most important is that citizens show up. Drinking Liberally is about active and informed citizenship, talking about what's important to you with your fellow citizens, and having a good time - the elected officials are just frosting, you folks are the cake.

We are launching a new book club called Reading Liberally, of course, the inaugural meeting of which will be on Wednesday, October 4th at 7:30pm at Bookmans on Speedway and Wilmot. The first book we will discuss will be John W. Dean's "Conservatives Without Conscience." It's an excellent read, and you should get started on it soon. We have not set a schedule for regular meetings yet, but expect that we will have a Reading Liberally every 4-8 weeks.

If you wish to suggest a future book title for Reading Liberally, or make suggestions for special guests or topics of conversation at future Drinking Liberally meetings, please visit our bulletin board. To remain updated with the latest information at Drinking Liberally activities, and to allow us to track the size of our membership, please sign up for our low-volume, announcement only mailing list. You will generally only receive one email a week, so don't worry about getting spammed.

Future weeks at Drinking Liberally will feature the following events and guests (subject to change):

• Sept. 14th - Free Beer Tasting (courtesy of the Shanty)
• Sept. 21st - City Councilperson Carol West
• Sept. 28th - Open (Nina Trasoff has been rescheduled)
• Oct. 5th - Screening of Robert Greenwald's new film "Iraq for Sale" and discussion with former Tucson Mayor and Professor of International Affairs Tom Volgy
• Oct. 12th - City Councilperson Nina Trasoff

Now, one of my favorite people, Al Franken, brings you "Supply Side Jesus!":

Next, Franken talks about a topic of some importance to us at Drinking Liberally: what to do if you get drunk and have to drive (this is humor, folks, not real advice...):

Mabuhay!

Nuclear Energy Forum, Sat. Sept. 2nd, 2pm

Nuclear Power: An Economic Threat to the United States

What: 
A Talk on the costs of nuclear power by Russell Lowes at the Common Sense Forum.

When:
Saturday, September 2, 2006 – The talk begins at 2 p.m.
Refreshments with coffee (made with CAP Ambassador Blend) and society available at 1:30 PM, forum from 2:00 PM to 4:30 p.m., with talk starting at 2.

Where: 
Tucson's Main Library on Stone and Alameda Street –
Free Parking under the Library on Alameda, west of Stone.
In the large conference room on lower level 1 of the main Tucson Pima Public Library.

Summary:
The largest electric utility in Arizona, Arizona Public Service Company, is talking about ordering two more nuclear reactors its nuclear plant west of Phoenix. Already the largest atomic energy plant in the United States, this would make it the largest in the world.

The Bush Administration is pushing to revive the nuclear program, to the tune of hundreds of more reactors.

There is much talk of a renaissance in the American nuclear power business. Most opposition is based on security, safety and waste issues. But does nuclear power make economic sense? Russell Lowes will share his discoveries about the Palo Verde reactors, and updated economic feasibility.

Russell Lowes is the primary author of the book, "Energy Options for the Southwest, Part I, Nuclear and Coal Power," released in 1979. This book covered the economics of the Palo Verde plant west of Phoenix and was used as the main document in California to vote down a buying into two additional reactors, that subsequently were canceled.

Russell is also a regular at the Tucson meeting of Drinking Liberally. If you wish to do some background research prior to, or instead of attending the forum, Russell suggests the work of Charles Komanoff, whom Russell considers the foremost expert on nuclear power economics since the 1970s.

A very recent work on the risks of using nuclear energy to combat global warming is "Insurmountable Risks" by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, a summary of which (PDF) is avaialable online. A good resource for the movement to abolish energy and weapon uses of nuclear energy is the Nuclear Policy Research Institute.

 

Drinking Liberally 8/31

It's time for Liberals to Drink at The Shanty, on 4th Ave. and 9th St., in downtown Tucson, starting a 6pm.

This week our Special Guest is Congressonal Candidate for CD 8 Jeff Latas. Jeff will be joining us about 8pm due to other commitments.

Our new book club, Reading Liberally will be meeting, Wednesday, Oct. 4th at 7:30 pm at the Bookman's on Speedway and Wilmot. The book we will discuss is John W. Dean's "Conservatives Without Conscience."

Drinking Liberally Special Guests and Events in future weeks include:

• Sept 7th - Slade Mead and Jason Williams, Democratic candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Sept. 14th - Free Beer Tasting (courtesy of the Shanty)
• Sept. 21st - City Councilperson Carol West
• Sept. 28th - City Councilperson Nina Trasoff
• Oct. 5th - Screening of Robert Greenwald's new film "Iraq for Sale" and discussion with former Tucson Mayor and Professor of International Affairs Tom Volgy

If you have ideas for new guests and/events or want to suggest a book for Reading Liberally, please drop in at our bulletin board. To get regular updates on Drinking Liberally events in Tucson, please sign up for our low-volume announcement email list.

A parting thought, not apropos to anything in particular, except recent news here in Arizona, on theocracy. If you want to see the future of a theocratic America, you need look no further than Colorado City, Arizona. As one commentator puts it, theocracy is always accompanied by massive corruption and human rights abuses. The FLDS is the closest thing to the Taliban in America; the next closest, and far more powerful, is the fundamentalist and charasmatic Christian evangeical movements. Certainly, these theocrats, who hold disturbing levels of influence in our Federal government are proving that corruption and human rights abuses are not limited to secretive and insulated sects.

Even as Warren Jeffs, the leader of the Fundmentalist LDS, has been apprehended and will soon be brought to trial in Arizona and Utah, an extraordinary new documentary film about the FLDS, "Banking on Heaven" has been realeased. Here's the trailer:

Aboud / Downing Debate Next Monday

Southern Arizona Stonewall Democrats will host a debate between State Senate Democratic primary opponents is the controversial LD 28 race.

From the Press Release:

Monday night we will have our monthly meeting at Colors on Speedway starting at 6:30.

Appetizers will be served and there will be a cash bar.

In addition to our regular agenda, SASD will host a short debate between Paula Aboud and Ted Downing regarding the recent mailer. Since this will be a "short" 20 minute debate, we ask you please be on time. Please read the following to familiarize yourself with the process and ground rules.

Regular meeting starts at 6:30

Debate starts at 7:30 PM

20 minute debate (topic is the recent mailer)

1) Paula 4 minutes on her "recent mailer".
2) Ted 4 minutes on his response to "recent mailer"
3) Paula 2 minutes rebuttal.
4) Ted 2 minutes response.
5) 8 minutes total for Q/A from audience. QUESTIONS only, not statements of
opinion.

Questions can be directed to either or both candidates. 1 minute response.

If the question is only directed to one, the other has the option to make a 1 minute max comment after the answer (i.e. equal time).

Both candidates promptly leave and we conduct business.

Drinking Liberally 8/17

It is time once again for liberals to gather at the Shanty in downtown Tucson for drink, companionship, and civilized conversation. The event will be catered courtesy of the Shanty.

This Thursday
Starting at 6pm
The Shanty
401 E. 9th Street (4th Ave. and 9th St.)
At the underpass

This week, our special guest is Representative Phil Lopes, the Minority Leader of the Arizona House of Representatives. Come learn from Phil how the Democrats have worked to foil the worst excesses of the right wing over the last several sessions.

Last week, we were host to Senator Paula Aboud, who is locked in a primary battle with Representative Ted Downing for the Senate seat she was appointed to when Gabby Giffords resigned earlier this year. We also had Representative Jonathan Paton, a Republican State Representative, who, though hardly a liberal, proved to be open minded and a man of good will and humor. Jon is headed off to Iraq on a voluntary tour of duty as an intelligence officer at the end of this month. We will be having him back to tell us about his experiences when (may Providence watch over him) he gets back.

We will be discussing further the formation of a new book club, Reading Liberally, likely to be held every 4 - 6 weeks at the the Wilmot Bookmans. If you are interested in participating come on down to Drinking Liberally, post your ideas at our forum on the topic, or contact Tasha Nelson, our Drinking Liberally co-host, at Tasha AT Email DOT Arizona DOT Edu.

Cheers! See you there!

Drinking Liberally 8/10

It is time, once again, for Liberals to be Drinking. Tucson Liberals will be gathering at downtown beer garden The Shanty, at 4th Avenue and 9th Street at the underpass. Festivities begin at 6pm.

This week, I'm hoping that Jonathan Paton, state representative for LD 30, will be coming to Drinking Liberally. Mr. Paton is a Republican and is deplying to Iraq at the end of this month. I haven't gotten confirmation that he will be available yet, but I'm hoping that he will have time to drop in.

UPDATE: I spoke with Jonathon this morning, and he's definitely coming. Let's give him a good liberal welcome.

Last week we had no scheduled guests, but we had some interesting drop-ins. Steve Farley, the former Tucson City Council candidate and transportation activist who is running for one of the two Democratic nomination for state legislature in LD 28 (where the Democratic primary victory guarantees election) against Dr. Matt Heinz, Ted Prezelski, and incumbent Dave Bradley. (You guys are welcome to drop in, too, you know.) A couple staffers from the Weiss campaign and former Pima County Democratic Party Chairman (and likely primary challenger for Pima County Attorney) Paul Eckerstrom, stopped in for a visit.

This week we plan to discuss forming a Reading Liberally book club to be headed by our lovely co-host Tasha Nelson, and the possibility of attending a screening at The Loft of the new war film made by soldiers "The War Tapes" this Friday which is followed by a Q&A session with one of the filmmakers.

I'll leave you all with the latest commercial from Patty Weiss' campaign. I have to say, it is a good bio/campaign introduction. The Weiss campaign demonstrated that they understand the blogosphere by releasing the video direct to YouTube, rather than just streaming it off their own servers. Freeing their content wasn't an afterthought, it was automatic. That's smart media-friendly practice - though I expect nothing less from a former journalist's campaign.