It is going to take a lot of hard work to restore all of our constitutional rights and roll back the abuses of power of the Bush administration over the last eight years.

Attending the Obama Listening Platform meetings and asking that these rights be restored is a good first step. The Get FISA Right group has created two fliers (one that covers constitutional rights in general, and one that covers only FISA) with 3 simple bullet points to be added to the party platform. Take these bullet points to their local platform meetings and ask that our party restore our constitutional rights.

Simple instructions and links to fliers after the jump...

Last week wind energy executive Michael Skelly (D, TX-7) announced that he has $1 million cash on hand and was ready to give incumbent John Culberson (R) a real fight for Western Harris County.

This week Skelly released his first TV ad.

Take the jump, and watch this 30 second ad.

Lots of people thought that Michael Skelly (D) would be a long shot against incumbent John Culberson (R) for the 7th Congressional district of Texas. He started with little name recognition but quickly made national news by out-fundraising the incumbent fairly early in the race.

Skelly has even more good news to report today... More after the jump...

First of all, we are asking everyone to contact their Senators and hold them accountable if they voted for yesterday's FISA bill (or thank them if they voted against it). We've put up an online tool that allows you to do that (with a pre-filled or customized message) with just a zip code and a couple of clicks of the mouse. Please do that now:

Be sure that you: send an email to your Senators holding them accountable for yesterday's FISA vote.

Also, I have written a chronological history of the MyBO FISA group, along with a where it is now. For those who read my first post about the group, you know I was highly critical. But the group has changed rapidly, and I think it will become a positive, progressive force in politics. I hope that we can engage in a new discussion of how the group should move forward to continue this fight.

I've been reading with dismay the messages on the newest, fastest-growing MyBO group, SenatorObama-PleaseVoteAgainstFISA. Many (not all) of those people are really taking things too far. They are withdrawing all support from Obama and even asking for refunds for all previous donations made to the Obama campaign.

I am appalled. Who in their right mind would rather see a President McCain who would strengthen and expand spying programs and invade more and more of our privacy. There are many ways to put pressure on Obama, but threatening to put in office someone who is much, much worse on the very issue you are upset about... well, that's just stupidity.

Here's to making McCain spend money and spread his resources thin trying to protect his "safe" states...

Last week the McCain campaign acknowledged that McCain could lose in his home state, Arizona, in November. Remarkably, the McCain campaign has yet to open an office in Arizona. (the campaign headquarters is in Virginia outside of Washington, DC.) In fact, there is almost no McCain campaign activity here, no real meetings, no organizing events, little coordination for volunteers. Last month, McCain was forced to move an Phoenix fundraiser from a reception hall to a private residence because so few people were showing up. This month's polls put McCain up by only 11 points. In his home district he leads by a mere 5 points, within the margin of error.

Take the jump to see the great work that Obama volunteers are doing in McCain's home state of Arizona...

The McCain campaign's election strategy briefing, published on his website this morning, reveals that the campaign has accepted a remarkable fact: McCain and his advisers have lumped Arizona, the Republican Party presumptive nominee's home state, among what it is considering swing states. In other words, McCain feels he could lose Arizona to Obama, an admission that squares with recent surprising polling data.

In Arizona, and particularly among his home district residents, Sen. John McCain's popularity compared to Sen. Barack Obama's is declining fairly rapidly, according to the most recent poll.

With the primaries behind us, attention is quickly turning to the possibility of a map-changing election in November. The long, intense primary created a formidable Democratic machine. Notably, the Obama campaign now has local presence even in Republican strongholds. Dean has invested heavily in operations in all 50 states, and the Obama campaign will be the first in a generation to deploy and maintain staff in every single one of them. The money is certainly there. Obama has already broken fundraising records, and Democratic fundraisers are projecting that Obama may raise another $100 million in June.

A roundup of Obama and Congressional races in the West after the jump...

P.S. If you are an Obama volunteer, take the time to find out who's running in your district, and give a little time to your Congressional candidate, too!

In observing the myriad articles, blogs, interviews, and commentaries on Clinton's concession-endorsement speech yesterday, it strikes me that she could have stood on her head while pledging her undying love for Obama, and the reactions still would have been the same. I could have written this piece the night before. Nothing changed yesterday except that Clinton kept her word and made the concession and endorsement that she had promised.

Pundits, analysts, politicos, and ordinary Americans watched Clinton's speech and then read into it what they already believed about Clinton, what they expected from Clinton. In short, Clinton's speech was a Rorschach test.

Take the jump... you know you want to (and there's a nice action to take at the bottom of the diary).

I live here, in John McCain's roundhouse, in the Maverick's back yard, the home state of the Republican Party's presumptive nominee. I signed up at the McCain's website a month or so ago to see how the campaign was gearing up for the general election. I filled out an online form to be contacted for local happenings. I sent an email letting them know that I'd like to know what's happening.

I received a grand total of zero emails in response.

Last Tuesday, Bush and McCain hosted a local fundraiser on the same day that Michelle Obama hosted a local fundraiser. The McCain campaign rented a reception room about a block away from the reception room rented by the Obama campaign. Although the Obama fundraiser was sold out, McCain had to move his to a more "intimate setting" -- with the president of the United States in tow.

Just how bad is McCain's campaign in his home state? McCain's Arizona nonhappenings after the jump...

NOTE: I tried to post this earlier today but the video did not work correctly. Now it's been uploaded to YouTube, so I'm re-posting. Also cross-posted at Huffington Post

One of my fellow Arizonans made a beautiful video (which I've embedded after the jump) entitled, I Cried Today. The first part is a poem and then supporters say why it important to them to elect Barack Obama.

From the video maker:

On April 7th my mother sent me an email Forward and the subject line was, "Today I Cried." I remember thinking, "What in the world made my mother cry?" So I opened the email to find a poem (see below). The poem so moved me that I immediately adopted it into a script and began the process of putting together a shoot.

These people are not actors; they are ordinary Obama supporters. Oh, how I wish you could have been there to feel the energy and love in the room the day we taped.

If it does not make you cry, or at least tear up, then you don't have a soul, or a heart, or ok, ok, maybe you're just not the crying type, but I promise you, I cried.

Take the jump, it is worth your while.

Cross-posted at Huffington Post.

Last week, at an Obama fundraiser, attendees were oo'ing and ah'ing over a custom Barack Obama collectible wristwatch. The words "It's time for change" printed on the face, along with a photo of Obama. It had been given to one of the attendees by a friend whose watches, including three Obama watches, have been accepted into the permanent collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

This year, when Jack Goldenberg heard Obama speak, it reminded him of John Kennedy's inaugural speech. Goldenberg said he knew at that moment that Obama was a special candidate, appearing at a time when this country needs change. After eight years of George Bush, the "Vote for Change" slogan of the Obama campaign seemed too timely. Thus, the idea was born, "time for change" timepieces.

UPDATE: PLEASE RECOMMEND THE MOTHERSHIP DIARY, IT IS FALLING OFF REC LIST!

UPDATE II: #5 Live-blogging thread is now up. Time to move!

Do not recommend this diary! Instead, recommend the Mothership Diary (here), which will point to whichever live blogging diary is current throughout the day.

This Diary is a Live-Blogging continuation of:

SlinkerWinks RBC Room #1 Live

Cross-posted at MyDD.

The rumors of the demise of Clinton's Florida-Michigan demands for 100% seating have been greatly exaggerated.

Earlier, the Clinton campaign said, on a conference call, that Florida and Michigan did, indeed break the rules. This spread across the Internet (including the Great Orange Satan) like wildfire. Obama supporters began a premature celebration believing that Clinton conceded the sanctions.

Well, not so fast. The fact that Clinton understands rules were broken does not mean she thinks the rule breakers should be punished. In fact, the Clinton campaign also published a letter today that reiterates their argument that 100% of the delegates should be seated.

Cross-posted at HuffingtonPost.

Tuesday, George Bush and Michelle Obama each traversed McCain's home state of Arizona to raise money for the presidential election. Bush headlined fundraisers for John McCain in Phoenix, and Michelle Obama headlined fundraisers for her husband in Tuscon and Phoenix.

Even in Arizona, the heart of McCain country, President Bush and Senator McCain were unable to draw enough supporters to fill the reception/banquet room they had rented at the downtown convention center. The two part Bush-McCain event was combined into a single event in a more intimate setting in a private home. Local news reported that the McCain campaign was worried that the hoards of protesters picketing his fundraiser would outnumber his guests. Wednesday, Bush and McCain held a similar fundraiser in Utah that was also moved to a smaller location due to lack of interest.

More after the jump...

According to several articles this morning, Obama has begun the process of shortlisting and vetting VP candidates. According to Democratic officials, James Johnson, who vetted VP candidates for Mondale and Kerry is in charge of shortlisting and vetting. Tom Daschle is also helping with this effort.

According to the New York Times,

With the Democratic National Convention only three months away, Senator Barack Obama has asked a tight circle of advisers to begin conducting a confidential search for prospective running mates.

More after the jump.

Cross-posted at Huffington Post.

A lot is being said right now to the effect of, "What took him so long?" Some people are criticizing John Edwards for not endorsing sooner. I happen to think that today is the perfect day for Edwards to endorse, not so much because we were trounced in West Virginia yesterday, but because of the current state of the race and because of past statements made by John Edwards and his top advisers.

Join me after the jump if you're interested in why this timing will help Obama wrap this up and scoot Hillary Clinton toward the door...

I just read an article written by Joe Trippi in Campaigns and Elections Magazine about what he wishes he had said to John Edwards when Edwards asked Trippi whether or not he should stay in the race.

I have mixed emotions after reading the article. I'm surprised, encouraged, and saddened. Follow me after the jump for more...