There are reasons nobody is trying to build a community center where you live.

Perhaps I’m treading on already trod ground, but the I have to wonder how much of the controversy over the not exactly Ground Zero, not exactly Mosque is really just another proxy battle of misunderstanding between urban Americans and suburban/rural types. The distance of a few blocks is too far to walk on a 100 degree day during my lunch hour, and I love walking. It is also billions of dollars away. If I really want a morning cup of coffee, I’ll go to the coffee shop next door, not 2 1/2 blocks away. For suburbanites, however, this is only a bit further than the distance between the garage and the mail box, and certainly isn’t worth an unfathomable amount of money.

Again, I have no idea how important this actually is, and I’m sure many other issues(Islamophobia, for instance) play a more central role to the objections, but I hope that this weekend, when Glenn Beck acolytes descend on the city I live in, a few of them decide to wander away from the monuments and into the city itself (although I don’t expect many will). When they do, I hope they comment on the distance they’ve walked, and how many building they’ve passed, the differences in architecture, how many Au Bon Pains they’ve inevitably seen, and realize that distance is relative.

ConDems?

The insanity that has been the last week of British politics looks to be coming to an end. Somehow a coalition made up of the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives will be ruling Britain(at the pleasure of the Queen, of course.) The Tories did go further than I imagined they would to make this deal happen, a referendum on AV and several cabinet posts to name a few. It seems Nick Clegg will be deputy PM, with other Senior Lib-Dems, including Danny Alexander and Vince Cable, in important roles.

Yet, I’m unclear as to how this will actually work. The opposition at Prime Minister’s Questions will be short Lib-Dems, I’d imagine, also how will they conduct a campaign against the Tories next election?

It also seems this is going to give Labour an unexpected second wind, as they can regroup and present themselves as the true opposition for the next few years when the ConDem government comes to a close.

Wait, people can vote in a monarchy?

So, I’ll be out for the next several hours, but will leave thoughts later. Exit polls seem to indicate a drop in Lib-Dem seats. I don’t buy this, uniform swings, postal votes, etc… They may not be getting the gains many hoped for, but I can’t believe they’re not gonna pick up a few. Anyway, you should be following 538′s liveblog and listening to BBC Radio 4. Or just pick up a paper tomorrow. Either way.

“Sweating like Vegas Elvis on a squash court” or Liveblogging the Brits part 2.

In the last week, Nick Clegg, of the Liberal Democrats, went from leader of the third party to the leader of the tied for first(for the first time in 104 years!!!)party, to being unfairly demonized by the Daily Mail party. Shock.
Any, in about two minutes Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg slug it out over foreign policy. Perhaps there will be a tea break in about half and hour. We’re just not quite sure.

3:00- Brown starts it out. Nothing to write, nothing.
3:02- Cameron wants to help families. Great foreign policy talking point. Just great.
3:04- Clegg sounds nervous. Goes for Iraq. And wants Britain to lead in Europe.
3:05- Starting audience questions. No advantage to Europe? Cameron is looking very confident.
Clegg is correct in his analysis of Europe, I fear the public don’t like this answer, however. Brown mentions America! Twice! Good man.
3:10- Cameron is attempting to distance himself and lump the Lib-Dems and Labour together.
3:13- BAM!!! Clegg brings up the fact that the Tories have joined together with European ‘nutters.’ “I’m afraid David is anti- European and Nick is anti-American…” Really Gordon?
3:15- New Question- Would be participate in a new multi-lateral military mission? With this question context is everything. ‘It depends” is the only answer any of them should give.
3:18- Brown is taking quite a hawish point of view. Emulating Blair only works when you’re talking about pre-2003 Blair.
3:20- The way Brown says Detroit is amusing. Like
Dee-trot.
3:21- I hate to admit it, but thus far, Cameron is do very well.
3.25- Onto Trident. This sounds a bit like Star Wars. The defense system, nerds.
3:26- New question, what are you doing to tackle climate change? To quote Barack Obama, “We Can’t Solve Global Warming Because I Fucking Changed Light Bulbs In My House”
3:29- Brown is super on point on this topic. The awful weather of Scotland is great weather of renewable energy sources.
3:31- Cameron just talked about a “Green New Deal.” Don’t bastardize FDR to score political points you don’t even believe in, posh boy.
3:34- Brown keeps calling Clegg anti-American. Clegg did graduate work in Minnesota and then lived in New York. Gordon looks uncomfortable outside of Kirkcaldy.
3:36- New question, will you tell off the pope?
3:38- Clegg starts out his answer by stating, “I’m not a man of faith…” and then going on to talk about his wife’s Catholicism. Things that would not happen in America.
3:40- Cameron is super uncomfortable with this topic. Brown, the son of a Presbyterian minister, knows how to answer this best.
3:43- New question, how do you restore faith in political system? I thought this was a foreign affairs debate.
3:46- So bored.
3:47- Clegg seems to be flirting with the woman who just questioned him. Awesome.
3:59- Cameron just said it was wrong to be frightening people in an election campaign, much like his own party has been doing the last 2 days.
4:05-New question about coalition government- Cameron doesn’t think a hung parliament is “good for Britain.” One thing we do know, It’s not good for David Cameron.
4:20 Daily Mail fodder!
4:26- Final pitches. Brown- It’s like he’s reading off of a class outline.
Cameron- Brown is desperate. Also, if you don’t vote Tory I’m done in politics.
Clegg- Different, shape the world, etc, etc, etc…

Cameron and Brown certainly had better performances this time than last, Clegg started rocky but got better quickly. The polls should be interesting.

Well, this is something.

Not to harp on British politics, but it is indeed historic for Britain and holds many important implications for America when the Liberal Democrats top a poll for the first time in 104 years. (Caveat- The Lib-Dems are an 80′s merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party, nonetheless….) The idea behind the Lib-Dems is one that has reached its place in history at an important moment. I’ve said to people for some time that Barack Obama’s politics, when translating American politics and policy in British politics and policy, fall well within the realm of the Liberal Democratic ideas. Personal freedom and free markets with a global outlook and a government that understands that it sometimes has to help and care for the less fortunate. I can only hope this is not a temporary bounce.

Also, I’ll never link to the Daily Mail again. Just saying.

Clegg Wins!

The British are known to be a smart set. Indeed it is true.

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/id/222463

Liveblogging the first ever British debate (except for, basically, every week in Parliament)

3.35- Clegg opens. Fairness, greedy bankers, etc…Also, the background looks like a children’s show set from the 1980′s. The Early 1980′s.
3.36- Brown and Cameron spoke. Yawn.
3.38- This seems like a Senatorial debate in the States.
NO CHEF’S FROM OUTSIDE THE EU!!!!, Really Gordon? Really? That is where you go, the food makers? Have you tried finding good Mexican food in Britain? It’s impossible, because of THE LACK OF FUCKING IMMIGRATION FROM OUTSIDE THE EU.
3.48- Cameron just talked about robbers burning down a house. Yikes.
4.31- Totally stopped watching.
4.32- Clegg doesn’t like bureaucrats. Really taking the difficult stands.
4.35- Brown seems to be answering questions the most clearly.
4.37- Cameron and Clegg are calling for ‘complete review’ of military spending, which seems sensible. Clegg takes aim at Trident. Wow, “the world has moved on, and you two need to move with it.” Awesome.
4.43- Cameron loves the NHS. Hear that, American conservatives.

My last thought is that this debate is much like the one in the West Wing where they can interact and question each others numbers and motives. That said, none of these guys are either Jed Bartlett or Matt Santos. Still, I wish we had this model in American elections.

Also, David Cameron thinks he is Barack Obama. David Cameron is not Barack Obama.

At the very end, after they all shook hands, Cameron and Clegg just stood there. Brown went straight for the audience, shaking hands and laughing.

I’m sorta disgusted.

I was fed up with the actions and rhetoric of the left when Bush was in office, despite sharing many of their concerns. I’m fed up with the current tactics of the right, and share none of their concerns. And yes, sadly, I’m still fed up with the left. I’m having trouble understanding how we move forward from such insanity. President Obama answered the question quite diplomatically this morning, as he often does. Noting that there is a divide in the ‘tea party’* movement between the truly insane(birthers, etc…) and the more rational(deficit hawks, etc…) he thinks that there are inroads to be made to the latter, but admits the former are a lost cause. I happen to agree, if only because folks that are so susceptible to such obvious ridiculousness generally wed themselves to their insane ideas. Fortunately, generally large numbers of people do not buy into the insanity. Unfortunately, this time many have.

In light of this, how do Democrats move forward? Simultaneously relating to the increasingly violent factions of the far right and the more moderate voices doubtlessly require two separate messages and responses, yet what should either response look like? I hold out hope that more rational elements of all political persuasions will prevail when policy works as intended. When needed provisions of the health-care reform bill go into effect and formerly suspicious people see the actual good the bill provides and Stalin does not rise form the grave, hand in hand with Mussolini, and take control of the country, the wingnuts who have been arguing that would happen will look as foolish as their arguments actually are. However, we have an election in November, likely before many effects of HCR are noticed by the larger population, and majorities to defend in both houses. So what’s next? Other than not acting like wingnuts(seriously, people on the left…stop doing stupid shit…it’s not cute or helpful, it just makes you look as insane as the hordes of tax protesters who threaten violence.)

* I really, really, hate this name/term as it is undefined and sounds terribly juvenile, which, in all fairness, perhaps fits the situation quite well.

Best. Week. Ever.

With the awesomeness surrounding the passage of healthcare reform, new DOT policy should not be overlooked.

Increased commitment to and investment in bicycle facilities and walking networks can help meet goals for cleaner, healthier air; less congested roadways; and more livable, safe, cost-efficient communities. Walking and bicycling provide low-cost mobility options that place fewer demands on local roads and highways. DOT recognizes that safe and convenient walking and bicycling facilities may look different depending on the context — appropriate facilities in a rural community may be different from a dense, urban area. However, regardless of regional, climate, and population density differences, it is important that pedestrian and bicycle facilities be integrated into transportation systems. While DOT leads the effort to provide safe and convenient accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists, success will ultimately depend on transportation agencies across the country embracing and implementing this policy.

This is an overt shift from past federal transportation policy that provided little to no provision for bikes and pedestrian safety. Or existence. Or really anything besides cars. I am curious to see how they try to implement, or even recommend, good transportation strategies in the middle of suburbia, other than a walkway from the megamall to the Walmart, but enough about the sad state of post-WW2 ‘planning.’ The policy shift is unsurprising, given that we have the first president from an urban area in nearly 50 years, and from an area of Chicago that is highly walkable.

This seems about right.

Due to the weather in D.C. today, I’ve taken Beach House off of iTunes for a little while to listen to Husker Du’s ‘Standing in the Rain.’ I recommend you do the same.

Seal the Deal!

I spent much of the morning watching “Washington Journal” on C-SPAN. Nutters are pisssssed. That said, most of the anger seems to be about the ‘process’ and the ‘back room deals.’ Now, I’ve seen no formal analysis , but based on what I know thus far, most deals were over policy and did not happen more than usual. I have to assume that people complaining about ‘process’ are new to watching legislation happen and either (a) don’t like our system or (b) don’t understand what is happening. Either way, fuck it, we have healthcare and that should be all that matters.

Morning Constitutional – Friday, 19 March 2010

Happy Friday, everyone. John Stewart is Glenn Beck, upsets apparently abound and if you needed any more, here’s your morning constitutional:

Who knew that a move from ‘This Week’ to ‘Good Morning America’ was a promotion?

Rep. Steve Cohen with a touching tribute to Alex Chilton.

“Oh, I keep the beer in the other fridge.”

Nate Silver counts to 216.

Tony Judt on Obama, the EU and Transatlanticism.

Finally, this is perfect for a beautiful day.

Walking around the Garden of Eden moaning about the lack of mobile reception

While PM Gordon Brown has yet to officially call a general election in Britain, it is widely assumed that it will happen 56 days from today when the English local elections are scheduled. For two years, the consensus has been that a Tory victory is inevitable. After the failed experiment that was the Iraq War, a faltering economy and a falling pound, fortunes have slightly turned for Labour in the run-up to the Gordon Brown’s first contest as leader. While even now few think Labour will garner enough seats to maintain an outright electoral majority, there is an increasingly possibility for a hung Parliament, lending a modicum of power to the third-party Liberal Democrats (who are likely to lose seats in the general). I’ll talk the importance of this in later posts, especially given the the prospective overhaul of the entire electoral system.

Policy implications aside, the interesting aspect of the past few months in British politics is the rapidly changing narrative. While the Tories never really consistently polled much above 40% (Labour received 43.2% in 1997, for example, and have inherent advantages as the seats are slightly gerrymandered in their favor) they still were ahead by 12-20 points for much of the last two years. Yet, approaching the election they keep slipping, Labour gaining and the Lib Dems staying rather constant. Specifics aside, as we look forward toward November, and the expectation of a massive Democratic loss here in America, it is important to take such wild swings of public opinion into consideration. The narrative of September, October, November is not the narrative of January, February and March, it never has been.

and I don’t like Star Wars

Photo by Flickr user wolfsavard courtesy of Creative Commons license.

Every year, when the weather is just warm enough to ditch the jacket and sweater for a few hours in the middle of the day, I get nostalgic for bicycling. I was never a competitive biker, or even particularly good at it, but I love it. It has been a few years since I lived in a bike-friendly city, but D.C. looks promising. This post was going to lament the lack of bike lanes in the city, but today the Post reported that L, I , additional bits of 15th and parts of Pennsylvania Ave. are getting them. This is a step in the right direction, although it was disheartening to read further that “the District has 45 miles of bike lanes on its 1,200 miles of streets.” Still, more is better, and although D.C. seems to have amazing trails extending out of the city, the increasing number inside is a reason for celebration. D.C. is not yet Portland, or even Chicago, and I can’t imagine why there are not more places to lock up your bike around the city. But, if there is an increase from 45 miles to 80 miles, then it is possible that one day D.C. will have 500, or even 1,200 miles of bike lanes.