Regular readers of my blog will remember my trip across the country 11 months ago. I drove from Maryland to Seattle over a period of 10 days or so, with about 60 hours of drive time. It was long, tiresome, but amazing! The definite highlight of the trip was seeing some of my besties (Diana and Chris) in Yellowstone. They are devoted friends who drove from Pocatello to Yellowstone to spend a few days with me.

I fell in love with Yellowstone and saw most of it (I just missed the northwestern part). I drove around the entire park about 1 1/2 times. It is beautiful and I will never forget falling asleep in the tent, with the mesh top and seeing that many stars. I am serious, you cannot even imagine how many stars you see. After I spent some very productive time in Yellowstone, I vowed to return. And by the time I return, it will have been about a year since I last saw it-I am hooked!

This time, instead of camping at the campsite nearest the western entrance from Idaho, we (a few friends and I) are hoping to stay near the lake. We are going to add in some hiking and I cannot wait to eat some of that bison chili I had there last year!

After Yellowstone, we will head to Glacier National Park in Montana. I have only seen pictures but it looks INCREDIBLE (go here for some pics).

On this 4th of July holiday our country celebrates, we celebrate our freedom and our country, but I also celebrate the beauty of our country. I've been to almost every state (still missing Oklahoma, North Dakota, and Alaska) and I can attest to the fact that every state is beautiful; some more than others. lol.

I encourage you to get out and explore this country because life is short and we should make each day count.

And if you have any suggestions for Yellowstone and Glacier, post in the comments!

Ok, so I was hoping for snow, a lot of it, but it's now gotten to the point of ridiculousness! I have been snowed in since Thursday and could very well be snowed in until Christmas or later. I live on a hill and a sidehill. The hill is plenty covered with snow, but I think my SUV could navigate it, but the sidehill is a death trap. It hasn't been plowed and the snow is very deep and slick. So, to get out of my parking garage, I would have to either go up the sidehill or down. sigh.

My kitties arrived from Oregon on Friday and thank goodness my brother has an Xterra and drove from Federal Way to come and get me and take me to the airport. I made him stop by the grocery store so I could get some groceries and firewood (duraflame), but jeepers, had I known the hell that is my sidehill would be this bad and continue to be this bad, I would've stocked up more!

Last Christmas I spent it alone in Rhode Island. How ironic if, after moving across the country from DC to Seattle, I would spend this Christmas alone because there is no way I could make the 26 mile trek down I-5 to my parents house? Now, if my main hill is driveable and if I-5 is fine, I'm sure my brother or step-dad will come get me and my pets and bring us to Federal Way, so I highly doubt I will truly be alone, but this whole experience has made me grateful for the City of Rexburg, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Concord, and every other town and city in Idaho and New Hampshire for the way they handle the snow.

I can't blame the City of Seattle too much. The amount of snow we get is unpredictable and it would be hard to justify the expense of several more snow plows. I do think these storms we've been having have provided the City with information and hopefully new ideas for tackling storms in the future, namely, plowing the roads.

Seattle is very hilly and the City lacks the resources to tackle all the sidehills in Seattle and trust me when I say, there are hills everywhere, but there is always room for improvement. It seems as though they have done a good job with setting up temporary shelters for the homeless and heating stations in case the power goes out and you're cold. But heating stations don't help if you can't get there!

So, my fingers are crossed for some rain to wash away the snow and/or some sun to melt it away, so I can finish my Christmas shopping, go buy some kitten supplies, and return to some semblence of normalcy.

I am totally feeling at home with all the snow in Seattle! I've never lived in a big city during winter and it is just awesome looking out my windows and seeing the snow amidst the cityscape.

I had a physical therapy appointment this afternoon and thought it best to cancel. It isn't as though I am scared to drive in it (I am, a little), but other drivers here generally have very little experience driving in it. Also, the City of Seattle, and other areas in Western Washington, just aren't prepared for weather like this. Had this snowstorm happened in Idaho or New Hampshire, the roads would be consistently plowed, salt and/or red rock put down, and the sidewalks cleared. Not here. I live on Queen Anne, which is on a hill and no roads have been plowed.

Living in New Hampshire and Idaho, I loved to venture out in my car, even in several feet of snow, and just defy logic. Here, I don't wish to defy logic and drive in it (until tomorrow to go get my kittens from the airport) and it looks like a lot of other people feel the same way. It's the traffic jam time and I-5 in Seattle has no traffic. I know this because I can see I-5 from my condo (well part of I-5, obviously). So maybe I have underestimated Seattle drivers?

Having lived in Idaho for 7 years, I thought I had become used to living in one of the reddest states out there. I still miss the hunger of Democrats in Utah and Idaho and it is something I wish all Democrats had and it was awesome to see the Howard Dean 50 state strategy working from the front lines. But since I left Idaho and lived in Vegas (swing state), New Hampshire (swing state, but getting bluer by the day) and now Maryland (BLUE state), I'm not quite sure I could ever return to a Utah or Idaho again. A red state that votes for a Democratic governor, or Senator or Congressman or woman, sure, but a red state that is a Utah or Idaho, no, I don't think so (though Utah does have a Democratic Congressman).

I suppose this makes me part of the problem, but I'm just being honest. There is something wrong with a system and state when good and decent people who would be wonderful servents to the people can't win because the letter behind their name is a (D) and not an (R). Indeed, I would say the same thing goes for ultra blue states where corrupt Democrats can win again and again, but a good Republican doesn't stand a chance.

This all makes me think about JRE and how he should be our nominee, not Hillary or Barack. I can't help but feel we maybe let this election go because we are going to nominate someone who can't beat John McCain and the GOP. I thought Barack was pretty electable and then the media shit all over themselves with this blown out of proportion Reverend Wright story. Geez. Give me a break. We've got people dying from hunger, dying in an immoral war, and the media puts some of Wright's words on repeat to scare all the white folks. When did poverty, global warming, a recession, and war become non-stories???

And I know this may shock some of you, but not everyone has the white experience growing up and not everyone feels that this country is without blame or fault for everything ever done in its name or by its people. Some people are angry about their experiences growing up and RIGHTFULLY so. This is a country with some freedoms still left, including some freedom of speech, so if you don't like what Reverend Wright is saying, don't attend his Church. It's as simple as that.

I thought that Hillary possessed the strength and will to defeat McCain and the GOP, but now I'm wondering if her negatives will always be high and maybe people just won't be able to pull the lever for a woman who is as divisive as politicians come.

Will our nominee have what it takes to win in November? We can't afford another Republican administration, especially a McCain one which offers very few differences with the Bush Administration who has driven us into wars, further and further into a healthcare crisis, more people into poverty, and farther away from truly combatting global warming, as well as another recession, not to mention the largest terrorist attack on American soil.

No thanks, John McCain, we don't want the aforementioned (maybe an exception with global warming, since McCain thinks global warming is real) and war with Iran, 100 years in Iraq, a President who has admitted he doesn't know much about the economy. No, we don't want a third Bush term.

In the next several weeks, I will make my last visit to Idaho to cut off the last significant ties I have to the state, aside from dear friends and professors. I might make it back to Idaho for a visit or two, but I will never live in the State of Idaho again. It's a state that just isn't for me. This post isn't meant to disparage the state or anyone who chooses to live there, I just can't live there. Not after what I've seen and experienced.

A tinge of jealously swept over me as I read some accounts of the Frank Church Banquet in Boise until I realized I got to go to lunch with Paul Begala a few weeks ago. A longing to be in Boise this past weekend existed until I realized I've met Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, and Dennis Kucinich multiple times. I missed Boise until I realized I work in Washington D.C. and get to work in my Mecca and travel for work and see states I would never have seen without this job.

It was several months ago when I texted a friend in Idaho about how I was angry about something some of the Idaho Dems were doing when she responded with, "You're on to bigger and better things." There is nothing small and/or unimportant about working for Democrats in the reddest of red states, but this bird couldn't fly until she left the confining skies of Idaho.

I will forever be indebt to what many Idaho Democrats have done for me, meant to me, and taught me. Jim Hansen taught me to never give up, always be proud of being a Liberal, and smile as often as you can. Alan Anderson taught me to hold your head up high, even in the face of defeat because tasting defeat is better than tasting nothing at all. Jana Jones taught me that even when people in your own party aren't loyal to you, always be loyal to them.

It was the Bonneville County Democrats and the Bannock County Democrats which gave me my first tastes of volunteerism that gave me my craving for campaign work. It was the Idaho State University College Democrats that gave me an opportunity to be a leader. Some of my dearest friends are in the College Dems at ISU and I love them dearly. They are people who I didn't give a fair shake to at first, but slowly, ever so slowly, I came to love them and appreciate their uniqueness.

I am moving on to different things, some say bigger and better, but I will never forget where I came from.

It seems like just yesterday that many of us in Idaho experienced political heartbreak. Political heartbreak in Idaho is certainly something we are used to, but each time it happens, it isn't any easier than the time before. But still, we had cause to celebrate. Democrats took control of the US House AND US Senate.

However, as happy as I was for the individual Democrats in other states who worked their asses off to win their respective races, I was devastated that people I personally knew and respected had lost in Idaho. Idaho voters elected a man barely qualified to be a janitor in a school as Superintendent of Public Instruction in Idaho (the ENTIRE STATE school system), only because he had an (R) after his name. Idaho voters elected a total loon as one of our Congressional representatives and Idaho voters didn't elect one of the finest men in this country.

As I mentioned above, voters elected a man who completely embarrasses the state of Idaho (but not as much as Larry Craig has). His opponent, Larry Grant, was an appealing Democrat who offered a message that spoke to Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. He only lost by a few percentage points but this loss has caused a lot of drama in the political world in Idaho.

Anonymous sources have claimed that Grant dropped the ball, so to speak. He didn't take good advice, he made bad decisions, he did this, he did that, he didn't do this, he didn't do that. I've remained an observer of this, mostly because Larry Grant ran for an office in the other congressional district, not the one I lived in. But with Grant recently posting a response on New West, I can't help but put in my two cents.

I know that Grant's campaign had flaws. Every campaign has flaws. First time campaigners make mistake after mistake-it just comes with the territory. But I do think what has happened is a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking. If Grant's campaign was as bad as it sounds, then it's pretty miraculous he came so close to winning. I happen to believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle of the two sides we are being presented with. I do wish to commend Larry Grant on facing the firing squad (see the comments to his article on New West) on New West. A lot of people would avoid exposing themselves like that.

Larry Grant is running for the same seat again but faces a tough primary with two formidable opponents, Rand Lewis and Walt Minnick. Without all of the drama surrounding the last election, I highly doubt two prime opponents would have entered the race, but you just never know. So....may the best man win and let's get the popcorn popped to see this exciting primary in Idaho!!!

Technically only one in Boise right now (an out of stater at that). I guess they are interviewing to find another 1-2 people. They are interviewing a friend of mine who has experience organizing for a position in southeastern Idaho, I assume. I must say I was a little surprised a candidate is choosing to put paid staff on the ground...this early...that is a Democrat...

This is all information I heard from a source outside of the Obama campaign, fyi. Haven't received confirmation yet, nor have I tried to get any.

UPDATE: It was confirmed to me by the Boise staffer that this is true and they are looking to hire another one. Not sure if he is an out of stater but his cell phone has the prefix of (509)...so I would imagine he is!

Having spent the last 3 weeks across the country in New Hampshire, I've decided that I could stay out here for a while. As different as the east and New England are from the west, New Hampshire has a lot of similarities to Idaho that make it endearing and help me forget just how far away from Idaho that I am (around 43 hours of driving, 54 to Seattle).

Still, staying in New England past the time when my current job ends isn't a foregone conclusion.

So Larry Craig isn't going to resign. Someone should look into this because I think the Idaho Democratic Party paid Craig some big bucks to not resign! Talk about a gift to LaRocco and Democrats in general. I mean really, does Craig not care about Republicans or the Republican Party at all?

My page hits/views is not where I would like it to be. Not that I blame anyone who gets annoyed with my sometimes infrequent blogging. I think leaving Idaho also caused me to lose some readers. I am still listed under leftyblogs as being an Idaho blog, though that isn't entirely accurate. I haven't cut very many Idaho ties and my interest in local politics is still very strong, but I understand why some Idaho readers have left. I am hesitant to list this blog under any other state because when I do blog about local politics, it will be about Idaho and sometimes New Hampshire.

On a different note, let me tell you how I have been struggling with whether or not I want to publicly, as just a blogger, endorse a presidential candidate. I think many of you know who my #1 choice is, but I still love all of the others and want to be able to write about the 2008 race without appearing too biased, though I admit some bias.

So for now, I will not endorse and I will come up with some way(s) to increase my page hits/views!

for eight years and then Vegas this past summer is moving to Ames, Iowa this week. I am sticking with the current campaign I am on and headed to Iowa to organize there. I will be there for approximately 4 months and then I will be....?

This wasn't the original plan as I accepted a job with a presidential campaign but decided to stick with this current campaign and told the other campaign no thanks after I had given them a yes a few weeks ago. Ahhhh life, so unexpected, so crazy, and doesn't it make perfect sense that I am moving to the state that people can't separate from Idaho? Seriously, how many times have I told someone that I live in Idaho and their reply, "oh, Iowa?"

of my summer job and of Larry Craig's political career. What is next? No comment. But some of you who think you know may not actually know what my next step will be. And for Larry Craig, hopefully he resigns, as his Republican colleagues in the House AND Senate are calling on him to do.

I spent today entering data in, faxing in receipts and other things, and packing up my office. Now I am home packing up my room and moving my belongings to a common room so I can drive back to Idaho tonight. I am so excited to see my friends and to be in a cooler climate. But I am also excited for a little vacation. I need it. And I also have a lot to think about and decide upon in the next 2 days.

It will be strange to be homeless, as I most certainly will be the next week or so, but it feels the most strange not working to end this reckless War in Iraq. I loved the campaign, the message, the people, and even my bosses. I didn't quite realize how much I would learn about people and myself. I have a lot of growing to do, life lessons to learn, patience to acquire, skills to gain, and much much more, but I know that I am continuing to grow and mature each and every day.

Expect a wrap up of our big event last night, some pictures, and maybe an announcement in the next few days. Until then, wish me safe travels and good luck as one more liberal returns to Idaho to enjoy the destruction of another Republican's career! Congrats, Larry Craig, this is what happens when you live a lie and vote against equal rights.

In one week I hope to be back in Idaho for a few days seeing my friends and getting some things out of storage. It is bittersweet because it is the first time in 7 years, with the exception of one year, that I will not be starting school somewhere and being back in Pocatello, a place I lived in for 4 years will be a constant reminder of that fact. Even thinking about not going to Idaho State University and not taking any classes and not seeing familiar faces this year hurts...

The campaign, well the summer portion of it, ends in a few days and we have been busy phone banking to help crowd build for our ginormous (gigantic and enormous combined!) town hall on August 28th. Emails are going out to people from John Kerry, Harry Reid, MoveOn.org, TrueMajority.com, Working Assets, USAction, and more. I am excited for the event and so excited to be done and have a few days off before I start my new campaign job...

Speaking of my new job, I am very excited. The next campaign I am working on is very structured and I know that will be a nice change from this campaign. I still have a lot to learn and I know this next campaign will teach me the science of campaign work as well as lots of other skills that will help me perfect my skill. I feel like this next job is a very smart move on my part and the candidate is a remarkable person that will make a fantastic President of the United States and I will get free medical and dental insurance, which is huge not just because we live in the richest country in the world with almost 50 million uninsured folks, but I have been one of them for the last year and a half and it will be wonderful to go to the Dr. when I am sick and not rely on someone else's antibiotics. :)

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!

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!

Gonzales is going to be in Boise tomorrow. United Action for Idaho is planning an event to welcome him to Idaho. I hope everyone that is able to attends this event. I think it is important we show our support for Gonzales at this time.

I don't think he will ever resign and Bush certainly won't ask him. What a shame.

Watching C-SPAN right now and I love Rep. Tim Ryan. If you haven't seen this clip, which isn't anything recent, you should. He speaks with a fire and passion that is too often missing from our representatives.

This afternoon, I was privileged to sit with some of Bannock County's finest Democrats and the new Executive Director of the Idaho Democratic Party, John Foster. Although I couldn't stay for very long, I was excited to meet him and hear some of his thoughts.

But first, John wanted to hear about Bannock County. Those of you who live in this area won't be surprised to hear that the biggest topic around town is the future of the hospital. Two of the three Bannock County Commissioners are Democrats and are taking a beating in the media, but that also includes the Republican Commissioner. This is important to the state Democratic party as we don't want to just win legislative and statewide races, we want to win county, city council and school board races. What happens with the hospital fiasco will play a huge role in who wins county races in Bannock County and could have a trickle up effect on other races as well.

John Foster brings a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of respect for the internet and the role it can and should play in politics. I am hoping that one of the things that is looked at is the Idaho Democratic Party website. Come on, it is an embarrassment! It is being updated more frequently, but I hope the whole thing is overhauled. I really liked John Kerry's presidential website that had links for certain communities/populations. I think the Idaho Democratic Party should look at something like that.

Sections for women, college students, college Democrats, minority groups, senior citizens, etc... would be something I would like to see. Under each section, the party could post plans/goals that are targeted for each group. It could post what the party/elected officials have done that is specific to each group. We are always accused of not having a plan, but we can change that perception. It could also provide useful links and information that people in those communities would benefit from. The college Democrats section could provide a space for various College Democrats across the state to gather and communicate with each other. Maybe each section could have a blog and people from different populations could blog under their section(s).

There could be a section where people can go to find out what our Republican legislature has done. Like a one-stop shop for all of the things Republicans have done that are ridiculous-it would certainly be a big shop!

The future of the party looks brighter with John Foster and I know he will bring some much needed change and enthusiasm. We have an awesome staff in Boise and I expect great things!

I am excited to meet the Executive Director of the Idaho Democratic Party, John Foster. He will be in Pocatello tomorrow afternoon and I hope to hear some of his ideas related to the party, the state, etc...

He actually emailed me this evening about my minority outreach post and sounds really receptive to the idea. Can I just say that so far, I am so impressed with him, I can't even express it in words?!?

I have a phone interview tomorrow at 1:30, so I will only be able to spend a little bit of time with him, but I appreciate the time he will be spending here in town.

I also emailed Larry LaRocco last week and am awaiting a response. Larry, if you are out there, drop me an email!

I just created a demand for John Edwards to come to Pocatello. John Edwards coming to Pocatello would be a dream come true.

Here is the link,

Please visit the link and sign up to demand that John Edwards come to Idaho State University!

This weekend at the retreat I attended, I had the chance to have an interesting conversation. I was discussing my issues with the Idaho Democratic Party and the other person mentioned one issue he has and that is the lack of minority outreach.

Before I discuss this further, let me preface it by saying that the staff with the Idaho Democratic Party are smart and hardworking. There is no doubt about that. They have been asked to accomplish nearly impossible things and I think they are doing a good job. However, there is an aspect that needs to be worked on. This is an aspect that the State Party shouldn't shoulder on their own. Every county party should have a minority outreach plan and committee.

I find it incredibly humorous that candidates, local parties, and others think they can walk onto a Native American reservation once or twice a year and expect a decent voter turnout. Or, have a voter registration event and quit after only a few people register-I've been guilty of this myself. While every voter outreach should be about establishing relationships, this is far more true in regards to minority populations, especially Native Americans.

I don't claim to be an expert in any aspect related to minority outreach, but I hope the State Party and county parties will take the time and effort to reach out to the disenfranchised and not just during an election season. If there is any hope to win races beyond Ada, Blaine, and Bannock County, that hopes resides in minority outreach and voter turnout.