The View has hired two people for the two co-hosting vacancies, Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepard. I like Whoopi but I cannot stand Sherri. I used to love her until she started making asinine comments about how Al Gore wouldn't have been any better than GWB and she doesn't believe in evolution because she believes in Jesus. Seriously?

I received a press release in my email noting that Obama's Western Political Director is visiting Boise next week. In case you didn't know, there are some in Idaho who have started a campaign to bring Obama to Idaho. Best of luck to Boise/Idaho in this endeavor. It's hard to get Obama to Nevada for an open event that is free and doesn't require money or the promise of big money, but I do hope they get him up there. You never know with these politicians!

I had lunch today with someone who is very involved with Democratic politics in the area and state. He said he didn't know Nevada/Vegas politics could be so cutthroat. This was the same observation I had when, on saturday, during the Clark County Democratic Party elections, someone had negative campaign flyers up about a Democrat running. County elections for the Democratic Party-wow.

The worst I had seen from the Bannock County Dems was when a Democrat was wanting to run in a city council race against another Democrat and people told her not to because people would be mad at her. I wasn't close to the situation but apparently she was treated pretty badly by people and heaven forbid a woman should challenge a man in a race! We need more women in politics, especially in Idaho. People shouldn't be discouraged from running because they aren't part of the good ole' boys club and their entry might create some healthy and much needed competition.

Randy Stapilus, of Ridenbaugh Press, has written about my blog again here. For those of you who don't know, Mr. Stapilus provides the best analysis and commentary of politics in the pacific northwest, which includes Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Any mention of my blog by Mr. Stapilus is an honor.

I appreciate being recognized and it always provides motivation to continue the blog. Since I am under contract for work I have to be careful to avoid being dooced. But I still have some freedom with what I can write.

Lately I have been noticing how hard it is to get volunteers. I have been thinking that maybe I am a horrible field organizer and the problem is with me. But after speaking with several other people, including organizers with other campaigns, they say difficulties with organizing here comes with the turf. I think I could drive up to Idaho Falls right now and generate more interest in the campaign I work on then I can here, and Clark County has around 1.2 million people.

This isn't to say people in this area are lazy, apathetic, or close-minded, they just live in an area that caters to tourists and people who live here for short periods of time before leaving again. And I think there are other aspects that are unique to Vegas that make it harder to find volunteers...

Though Las Vegas has many people who aren't native to the area, I still sense some distrust and initial distance that is exhibited with "outsiders." This is especially clear with all of the campaigns going on (all Democratic presidential candidates have a presence here with the exception of Gravel, plus several issue campaigns, such as global warming, kids campaign, AARP campaign, One , health care, and more I am sure). These campaigns bring in a lot of outsiders, including many from the 702 area code (D.C.) and boy do people in Nevada dislike the D.C. folks coming in. Sound familiar, Idahoans?

Of course they can't be too hostile, because what would Vegas be without outsiders (candidates certainly couldn't run campaigns with just Nevadans), but numerous times I have heard about those "Californians," and it makes me smile and remember the Idahoans who would always whine about Californians taking over the state.

Being here has presented a few opportunities to talk about Idaho. I got to talk about Senator Frank Church to one guy, educate a lady about Boise (she described it as some kind of backwards redneck area), talk about Bill Sali, and talk about lovely Bannock County and how the Democrats won 12 out of 13 local races.

It's great to be an Idahoan who lives in Vegas.

Lewiston Morning Tribune letter to editor

Saturday, July 21, 2007
He just doodled

On July 17, I sat in the U.S. Senate gallery, watching as senators stayed up all night and debated whether we should bring our troops home from Iraq.

Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, sat all alone. As other senators debated this life-or-death issue of war, Craig looked down and doodled on a small piece of paper the size of a coffee coaster.
He did this for at least a half hour, probably more, meticulously drawing some four-sided object and switching pens from time to time.

It seems to me that a senator from Idaho should have been engaged by the debate, using every waking minute to think about Lewiston resident Luke Wullenwaber and others among the 27 Idaho residents who have died in Iraq.

But Craig doodled away, oblivious to the realities of this war.
Craig then voted against ending the war. Adding insult to injury, Craig voted earlier against a Democratic plan to give troops one year at home for every year in Iraq.

As Craig comes up for re-election in 2008, I'm curious. Is someone who doodles against the troops the best person to represent Idaho in the U.S. Senate?

Adam Green
Washington, D.C.

"There once was a man named Vitter/Who vowed that he wasn’t a quitter/But with stories of women/And all of his sinnin’/He knows his career’s in the -- oh, never mind."

-- Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind, do not matter, and those who matter do not mind." - Dr. Seuss

By Marci A. Hamilton

MARCI A. HAMILTON is a law professor at Yeshiva University and author of the forthcoming book "How to Deliver Us From Evil: What America Must Do to Protect Its Children." hamilton02 at aol dot com

July 19, 2007

WITHOUT question, the bravest souls involved in Los Angeles' $660-million clergy abuse settlement are the victims who came forward to sue the archdiocese. By now they have traversed more levels of Dante's inferno than anyone should have to experience.

But another heroic group has gone largely unrecognized — the Legislature. It is only because that body passed historic childhood sexual abuse legislation in 2002 that these lawsuits and settlement happened. That law created a one-year "window" into the legal system for claims that had been shut down by overly short statutes of limitations — as little as three years for some victims.

Indeed, in 2003, any California childhood sexual abuse victim could go to the courthouse and find that the statute-of-limitations lock had been taken off the courtroom door. And in they went — about 850 Catholic clergy abuse victims and 150 others who sued churches, the Boy Scouts and other institutions for employing known molesters. Even as the U.S. Supreme Court struck down California's window for criminal prosecutions, the window has been held open for civil lawsuits.

In the Boston Archdiocese scandal, victims faced "charitable immunity" laws that limited the amount of financial damages they could recover. Expired statutes of limitations also weakened their cases, and as a result, they received much less compensation per victim. With the statute of limitations set aside, California plaintiffs came to the justice system with much more powerful claims.

The window law is the sole reason California dioceses and members of the church hierarchy, such as L.A.'s Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, were forced to face the prospect of truth-revealing trials and substantial damages. Once other California diocese settlements came in — and showed that plaintiffs had increased legal bargaining power — victims were able to demand release of church personnel files. The church has resisted releasing such files, but lawsuits filed under the window law revealed the identities of many perpetrators and their institutional enablers.

California's window legislation has a beneficial ripple effect across the country as well. Last week, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, in John Doe vs. Archdiocese of Milwaukee, for the first time permitted a clergy abuse case to go forward, and it is highly likely that facts from a California case involving Father Siegfried Widera made a big difference. Widera had been transferred back and forth between Wisconsin and Southern California, and his California victims had laid out their horrific stories in court. The church hierarchy knew Widera was a convicted serial child molester and hid that fact from parishioners in both states.

California may be starting a trend toward unlocking courthouse doors for childhood sexual abuse victims. Just last week, Delaware became the first state to follow suit with a window law of its own. Its Child Victims Act creates a two-year window to file suits and abolishes the civil statutes of limitations on sexual abuse cases going forward. The New York Assembly has passed similar legislation, hearings have been held by the District of Columbia City Council, and the introduction of window bills is likely in a number of states this fall.

The beneficiaries of such bills extend well beyond clergy abuse victims, and the statistics are sobering. Multiple studies have concluded that at least 20% of boys and 25% of girls have been sexually abused — the majority by family or family acquaintances. There is a crying need to give these victims a shot at justice. One incest victim told me that she didn't come to terms with her abuse until her 40s, and when she did, she told her father she was going to sue him. His response? Don't be silly — I have the benefit of the statute of limitations. This is a woman who deserves the California-type window, and there are millions like her across the country.

It is shameful that most states have had such short statutes of limitations on childhood sexual abuse. Even though states, including California, have been lengthening those limits, that doesn't help past victims whose claims have expired. These victims have been foreclosed from justice while predators enjoy a system that protects their interests first and foremost. California has shown the rest of the country a more heroic and noble path to follow.

Link here.

There are 1,400 precincts here. I am not sure if that is just Vegas or Clark County.

Nevada is having their first presidential caucus January 19th, 2008. I went to a local Democratic club meeting last night and we had a maucus (mockus?). It was interesting.

I was approached last night by another campaign to do birddogging for them. I gave a speech and they said I was perfect for what they were wanting in a birddog. I am not sure if that is a compliment or not!


I went to Drinking Liberally tonight and had someone ask me about Frank Church. He was also very curious about Idaho, both the growth and politics. It's nice to talk about home.


HOWEVER, I highly doubt I will ever return to Idaho. Recent events and emails have only confirmed that Idaho is not for me, both as a Democrat, abuse victim, and other things. I still have all of my belongings in storage in Pocatello, and depending on my next gig, I might be moving that from Idaho to Seattle in September, or leave my things in storage until I have time to move it all out.


With this in mind, I will still be in the loop somewhat on Idaho happenings. I will still keep a close eye on what is going on there, however, I would be completely understanding if anyone feels as though I should be removed from any Idaho blog links.

I am gonna publish this before this shitty internet connection at my place goes out AGAIN!

Thank you, Rep. Ruchti. I can only imagine my blog is being emailed around to various Democrats in the state who read what I have written and then curse me!

I honestly wish I didn't have to write about this issue and I wish I didn't have so many people contacting me urging me to continue writing about it. If you think this is only my battle to fight, you are wrong. If you think I am smart enough to write everything that has been on my blog about this issue, you are wrong, but thank you for thinking that! Oh there are men and women behind the curtain who know much more than I could ever dream of, who keep in contact with people who I would never think of. But no, I am not a puppet, I am a conduit for other voices who know more than I know and who have sources I don't have.

I guess I am not as willing as other people to overlook half-assed admissions (and blaming someone else, see Paul Steed) and give that person the benefit of the doubt. After all, we are who we keep company with and Rep. Ruchti has spent a lot of time with a certain law firm in Salt Lake City that has spent millions and millions of dollars and many hours trying to ruin people's lives by scaring them into silence.

Ah yes, I remember the voice mails they left on people's phones who I hadn't spoken with in years. Telling these past friends and acquittance's that I was sexually abused and now suing the Church, that was lovely, let me tell you. They even called a cousin of mine and didn't realize she was my cousin, not until she told them, that is. They tried to drive my family apart and I should probably stop there, but trust me when I say those people are dirty and there isn't anything good about what they do. If you think I just told you the worst of it, you are wrong.

Keeping Kirton McConkie in the loop might sound real nice, Ruchti, but these people are pigs and take innocent victims into the mud to wrestle. They also tried to make nice with my ex step-father, a convicted child molester who pled guilty to three counts of child molestation. They tried to make nice and were successful. They loved to hang out in the courtroom before court started and after it ended for the day. They seemed to be good buddies.

Carry a bucket of shit and it will get on you.

That would be the explanation people have been giving me as to why two Republican state senators, as well as other people involved, would create a lie, with great detail and interesting additions, that states that Rep. Ruchti let a law firm help draft legislation to protect Rep. Ruchti's religion.

Why lie about this? Why Ruchti? Why lie at all? It is just some conspiracy and there is no other information to add? Who has the motivation to lie? Ruchti about being a lackey of his religion and giving them extra special treatment or the two Senators who maybe didn't like Ruchti and just decided to create some elaborate story and not even go very public with it?

Paul Steed and Ruchti have admitted to working with one of the lawyers from this law firm on the issue of child abuse, so Jorgensen and Clark took that information, which I don't think was common knowledge, and ran with it? I actually know the lawyer they worked with and he is a real piece of work. I'll leave it at that.

And for those of you who are griping about my complaints (AKA, telling me to shut up and be happy with what was done), please read through my blog posts about the issue. I made it easy with labels (hint: House Bill 125 and try sexual abuse) and I would prefer to not repeat myself nor tell you things you can easily find on your own. Also please don't critique my legal interpretations, they aren't mine, they belong to someone who knows what the hell he is talking about.

Lastly, please read the CDA article about the issue. I think a lot of you just popped on here to comment about this and haven't spent any time reading my blog and you certainly have no idea what my role has been in regards to this issue, both in the last several months and the last several years. I think I know a few things about the multitude of issues, organizations, and people involved in this, far more than you might think I do.

It just came to me, this metaphor I have, but I think a lot of Ruchti's role in this was he that was the guy carrying the bucket overflowing with shit. He maybe tried really hard to walk slowly and not spill it on him, but it is overflowing and it flowed right onto his shoes. Points if you can guess what/who the shit and bucket are. But maybe he knew exactly what he was carrying and he was naive to think that even though he was carrying shit, he could wash it right off because he would get some good publicity out of this. Only Ruchti knows and I am not counting on an honest answer from him.

Rob is his name. This is his blog. I don't think he'll mind me mentioning this, as he has gone public in a big way, but Rob is another victim of abuse that was ignored by the LDS Church. He left home one day to go babysitting. A happy little boy who lit up the room with his smile, he returned home in white pants that were now red with blood. From the Seattle Weekly article:

"A lawsuit Robert recently filed against the Utah-based Mormon church in Washington federal court alleges that Joe violated him in an apartment room, a swimming pool, a steam bath at Sand Point Naval Air Station (the Scoutmaster was in the Navy), and a Motel 6 in Issaquah. That last locale was the setting for the most sadistic attack, according to the language of the suit: '[Joe] used physical violence against Rinde, sodomizing him and forcing Rinde to orally copulate [him]. [Joe] then took a wire coat hanger and forced it into Rinde's urethra causing him to hemorrhage and causing chronic and irreparable injury to his penis and urogenital system.'"

This is just one reason why we cannot be silent about this epidemic. An epidemic made worse by religions and organizations who refuse to do what they are legally, morally, and/or ethically required to do.

Rob survived the unimagineable, why should we expect and let any other child go through the same thing? Why should we allow our elected officials to treat their religion any better than the other religions? Tell me, Rep. Ruchti.

Having spent the last two weeks being completely immersed in Nevada and Nevada politics, you learn some things pretty quickly. When people tell you about the independent/libertarian nature of voters in the West, they are RIGHT, even in a swing state such as Nevada.

I guess I was surprised about how libertarian Nevada was and is because when I think of Nevada I think of Las Vegas and Reno, two populated areas, and neglect the rest of the state which is, from what I have been told, just as conservative as rural Idaho. WOW!

Let's get back to Las Vegas. Lots of progressive/Democratic organizations out here. Two Drinking Liberally chapters, 2 Democracy for America chapters, National Organization for Women chapter in Southern Nevada and of course there is the state chapter, lots of national groups with local contacts/chapers, such as MoveOn, American's United for Change, no College Dems groups here, but Young Dems, the county has a young professional Dems group, different Democratic clubs for the different parts of the area (Red Rock, Henderson, Paradise, etc), and much more. Most nights of the week I am usually at some type of progressive organizational meeting. It's great and refreshing!

So it is very nice to be in a liberal area, but not so great when you look past Vegas, except that means that the Democratic Party has a lot of room for growth in the West and that is exciting!

This spring, Sen. Jorgensen (Hayden Lake), who was a sponsor of House Bill 125 on the Senate side, threatened to pull his support when he discovered that the LDS church, through Ruchti, had changed the language of the bill to allow for a "carve out" for the LDS church.

I have previously written about House Bill 125 and the possible ramifications of it. Despite my party loyalty, I place the protection, safety, and innocence of children before my loyalty to Democrats and the Democratic Party always.

I have been saddened with the knowledge that one of the bill co-sponsors, a Democrat, allowed a law firm to help draft the bill with language that will possibly remove the Mormon Church and Boy Scouts from legal accountability and liability for their actions in protecting child rapists and molesters. Yes, it is sick, but a Democrat has actively been working to protect organizations that HARBOR child rapists and molesters, while getting paid with our tax dollars.

This morning, when I checked my email, I found a link to an article where this same Democrat is found stating that House Bill 125 is targeting employers/employees not volunteers, but we knew that already, and the bill isn't intended to help victims sue the Boy Scouts and/or Mormon Church, but he didn't say it in those words exactly. It's as if he believes that volunteers are incapable of raping little boys and girls. Yet, many other religions have paid clergy, so they can be sued, just not the Mormon Church. I emailed this Democrat my concerns and that is what he conveyed to me-why punish the good volunteers by opening up a legal avenue to sue the bad ones? That shows a surprising lack of confidence in our justice system, which I know isn't perfect, but are widespread lawsuits against innocent volunteers an epidemic?

A few weeks ago, on a blog that is the best in the state, Red State Rebels, people were singing this same Democrat's praises. And yes, this person has always been kind to me and has been a good Democrat, for the most part. It was said that he is a "superstar." Well, I have to disagree. Despite his political potential, I refuse to label a protector of child rapists a superstar, even if they have the capability of being a Senator one day.

I will no longer mince my words about what this Democrat, and the Republican co-sponsor, did. They have created additional barriers for survivors of child abuse to pursue justice against their abusers and those that protected their abusers. They have opened up ways for victims to sue religions that have paid clergy, organizations that have employees, including some in the Boy Scouts, but they have provided protection for two organizations that both co-sponsors are connected to. Shame on them.

"I tried to avoid this war. I took him through the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers."

-- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, quoted by the Sunday Times of London, saying he spent 2 1/2 hours urging President Bush to not to invade Iraq.


"The White House is in panic mode."

-- A senior Bush administration official, to ABC News, about recent defections by Republican senators on President Bush's Iraq policy.

Found the ward that I am in, a single adult ward. Wow, it is a huge ward. Introduced myself to a member of the bishopric-pretty sure not the bishop since he introduced himself as "Brother" so and so and not "Bishop" so and so.

He was really nice but his niceness disappeared a little when he asked me what my job was in Las Vegas. I KISS (keep it simple stupid) with people, especially at Church, because I really have no desire to engage in debates with people at Church, but he kept pressing for information.

He remarked, "so you want everyone out of Iraq." Uh, yes, don't we all? Even those supportive of the war would prefer that our troops are home instead of in a country engaged in a civil war! Even my so non-political mom said it was a pretty dumbass remark.

Saturday I attended an event for Nevada Veterans who are Democrats. What an awesome group! It was said that while Republicans controlled the White House, House and Senate, $116 billion was cut from the Veteran's Administration, but since Democrats have taken control of the House and Senate, Democrats have restored $81 billion of that! That's my party, the party that supports the troops by funding them and not just through putting some yellow ribbon on their car.

I haven't really gotten into the gambling here. First of all, I only know how to play blackjack and not even well enough to gamble money on it. Second of all, I am broke. I do play the penny and nickel slots, but that is basically throwing money away so I keep it cheap. But last night I did win $6.41 on the penny slots!

It's still hot as hell here and you really have to keep drinking water throughout the day or you are in big trouble. I have taken some pictures which I will post later...

No group as of yet...key word being yet...

"War I hate with all its mocking panoply. It is a grim and living testimony that Satan, the father of lies, the enemy of God, lives. War is Earth's greatest cause of human misery. It is the destroyer of life, the promoter of hate, the waster of treasure. It is man's costliest folly, his most tragic misadventure. Gordon B. Hinckley

Today I heard a story about someone who is working to end the war, an activist. She went to a woman's house in Minnesota to speak to this woman about volunteering to work to end the war.

When she walked in the door, she noticed a young woman there. This young woman was on leave from Iraq and was this woman's daughter or niece (not sure which). When the young woman saw this activist, she ran to her, hugged her and cried. She said that when she was in Iraq, at night, her and her fellow soldiers she was serving with would wonder what the American people were doing to end the war.

She thanked the activist for her work.

Too often we hear the stories of how our soldiers feel that those who don't support the war aren't supporting the troops. I have often thought that these stories aren't commonplace and many soldiers are dismayed by the war they have been commanded to fight.

Let us not forget the soldiers who pray everyday for this horrible war to end. Let us not forget prayers which express gratitude for the work peace activists are doing. Let us pray that these prayers aren't asking God what the American people are doing to end this unjust, reckless, and immoral war.

Are you supporting the troops?

Yes, a severe heat wave. The only good thing about arriving here in the midst of it is that when temperatures hover around the 100 degree mark, I will collapse to my knees and thank God for being merciful! The lowest I saw it yesterday was in the low 90's, at close to 1am.

Officially started work today. When I finally got into my car today at about 3:30pm, my steering wheel was so hot I practically burned the skin off my hands! Up until then I was riding around with my boss.

The campaign is sending me a cell phone to use, which is great news because I feared having to increase my minutes to compensate for the amount of phone calling I will do with this job.

I told my mom about a protest tomorrow and how I was supposed to go for my job. Her text message response, "Did you ever think you would be getting paid to go to those?" My response was basically no, it's a dream come true.

My sister has a blog. It isn't political, but even I can enjoy a non-political blog, can't I? Check it out.

Got in a little bit ago. Found my house for the next two months. My roommate is super nice and the place is really sweet. I shall write more later...if this wireless signal keeps working...

It is 3:27am and I haven't left yet. I am about to take a quick shower, pack up the bathroom, kitchen, and call my friend Liz so she can say goodbye to me. Goodbye's suck. I will try to post later today when I arrive in Vegas if I can get an internet connection.