I’ve mentioned the Department of Energy’s Alaska report to many DL’ers, but I often forget just how much we’ll save if we were to drill for oil off the Alaskan North Slope.

In 10 years time we will shave off $0.75 per barrel of crude oil, assuming current oil prices (nearly $100.00 as of this writing).

This also assumes a number of other very optimistic conditions. This bears repeating over and over, folks.  It’s not just about keeping Alaskan habitat from being destroyed and wildlife displaced, but also about helping people understand that a vote for McCain is not a vote for saving money at the pump or making us safer. Our dependence on foreign oil can only be remedied by reducing our dependence on oil period.

Here’s the Anchorage Daily News’ take on it, if you don’t want to sift through the massive amounts of information in the link above.

Palin’s RNC speech was entertaining if nothing else.  McCain’s, not so much.  At least not without the drinks. This would have really made the night:

The Salt Lake Film Center is hosting the Documentary Uncounted at the Fort Douglas Post Theater Tonight. The film starts at 7:00 PM.

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In 2009, America will try to begin to forget George W. Bush and his legacy: A legacy of Imperial Presidency, war of aggression and torture. We, as Americans, cannot let this happen. As much as we would like to forget these past seven years, it is important we remember not only the despicable acts that were committed in our name, but the way the events were allowed to take place.

This has been a holocaust for the United States Constitution. Not to compare the loss of life and human suffering to the atrocities perpetrated under Nazi Germany, but the spirit and the letter of Our United States most sacrosanct document has been eviscerated.

From the Orwellian named Patriot Act that provisions the arbitrary suspension of the most basic of democratic principals habeas corpus, to the politicization of the Justice Department and warrantless wiretapping on its own citizens, the administration of President George W. Bush has usurped the power of the United States Government and consolidated it in the Executive Branch. It has done this (and planned to do this from its inception) with a model called the Unitary Executive (or Imperial Presidency)

This model distorts or ignores the primary function of the Constitution: the separation of powers. All the Founding Fathers (especially George Washington) were adamant in the distribution of power away from a central authority. So much so that the first documents of American Government, the Articles of Confederation, did not have a president or figure head. We were sick of King George.

In fact, Article I of the Constitution does not lay out the powers and responsibilities of the President, but of Congress. Unfortunately, the Congress of the United States decided to be the Executive’s lap dog following the crisis of September 11, 2001. By systematically calling anyone and everyone Unpatriotic and Anti-American who questioned the necessity or wisdom of any part of any action the administration wished to take, the Bush administration brushed aside all opposition to its policies.

Some great local bloggers have the opportunity to attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver, and you can help them get there by donating liberally to the cause. This is a rare opportunity, and I’m happy to see these guys going. The paypal link is in the body of the message below, but also here.

Also, the Utah Amicus is holding a kickoff party on Wednesday, so if you’ve got ideas of what they should focus on while at the DNC, show up and let them know – and throw a little moola their way to boot.
What: The Utah Amicus DNC Bloggers Kick Off Party
When: August 20 at 7 p.m. (MDT).
Where: 7119 West 8050 South, West Jordan
Press Release: JMBell.org

This is pretty old, but I hadn’t seen it before. While they don’t mention Drinking Liberally by name, it’s very clearly Katrina and Justin (wearing the bottle logo shirts), a couple of our national Living Liberally leaders.

I never posted about the FISA bill – but now I wish I had.  I guess I just thought that our leaders would make the right decision (how naive).  But they didn’t.  Today the “compromise” FISA bill passed the Senate, putting a nail in the coffin of a little thing we like the call the 4th amendment.  

I don’t know what to say here; I’m just seething.  I can only defer to other, better bloggers on this issue.

Actually, I will say I’m very disappointed in the presidential candidate I’ve heretofore supported, Barack Obama.  Some reports say he voted in favor of the bill, but the senate.gov website says he didn’t vote.  Whether he voted in favor or he didn’t vote at all is not so important.  This bill was important enough that the vote should not have been missed, and voted down.  There should be NO compromise – the fourth amendment is very clear and the fact that a former law professor would have supported such a breach in a document so integral to our nation’s democracy is beyond the pale.  

As our friends in Colorado point out, it’s not a time to wallow, it’s a time to exercise what we have left of the 1st Amendment.  

Well, it’s official.  Drinking Liberally now has a chapter in all 50 states, just in time for the 5th birthday festivities.

Five years is a big milestone, and Drinking Liberally (and Living Liberally) have gotten a fair amount of media attention for it.  

Our very own chapter here in Salt Lake has even been mentioned in two national publications!

On Politico

And in the New York Times Sunday edition.  I didn’t talk to the reporter, Courtney, but Heather did and said they had a wonderful conversation.  Even though it was a brief mention in both, it’s still very cool.  We hope that you’ll join us on June 6th at our party/fundraiser for a toast to our media mentions!

Here’s the text of the NY Times article:

Nationally, Drinking Liberally has been around for 5 years, and our national leaders are celebrating in NYC, just as we’ll be celebrating on June 6th.  Since they hired a full time employee (Justin Krebs, co-founder of Drinking Librerally), Drinking Liberally and the parent organization Living Liberally has become a force with which to be reckoned.  You can read regular posts on the influential blog Open Left; Living Liberally will be providing the fun and entertainment at the Netroots Nation convention (formerly called YearlyKos), which isthe convention for progressive activists; and we’re coming up on having chapters in all 50 states.  

It’s this 50-state strategy of theirs that grabbed the attention of Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean.  You might recall Gov. Dean had a 50-state strategy of his own.  For Living Liberally’s birthday celebration, Howard Dean created a congratulations video, noting that Living Liberally now plays a national part in the progressive movement and that we’re part of a change that is taking over the Democratic party and our country.  Check it out:

From Mother Jones Magazine and Brave New Films

No thanks, I don’t like Parsley.