MargeBLOG

The Last Post

2009-04-18T12:23:00.002-04:00

All good things must come to an end. And so it is with MargeBLOG. Quite the experience. I'm sure it will appear somewhere in my memoirs. But it's time to say "Adieu."

I've decided to go back to blogging, but politics will not be part of the mix. Instead I'm turning to the aging of the Baby Boom generation, a topic on which I believe I am a friggin' expert.

So keep the faith. We changed the world again. Now it's our responsibility. Ciao!

IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER

2008-01-09T12:58:00.000-05:00

Ok, here is what I think.

First of all, am I thrilled by Hillary's win in NH. Short answer -- YES!

But it's more complicated than that.

I previously discussed the "oh she made a mistake in a debate and now she's toast" phenomenon.

Well, this a.m. I finally got to see the "tears" video. I hadn't wanted to watch it because I was upset about Iowa and didn't need any more bad news.

THERE WERENT ANY TEARS!!!!

And if there had been, so what?

What there was was an authentic person asking an authentic question in only (ok start to take your shots) A WAY THAT ONE WOMAN WOULD ASK ANOTHER WOMAN. The question was "How are YOU doing?" Not the campaign not the nation but you as a person. How is this affecting you?

And after steeling yourself for all the "when did you stop beating your dog Buddy" questions, you're taken aback that someone just cares about you as a person. Not a candidate. Just you.

It struck a chord and she got choked up. Good for her. And then she talked about why this election was so important to her as a CITIZEN.

Having said all that, I am now going to say that I think it's GREAT that both Obama and Clinton have had experiences in this process which took them down a couple of pegs. To be a good president, you need humility. They both have had to look in the mirror and say OK, so I'm human.

And this turn of events also means that the February primaries will mean something and engage people. All to the good. We get a great candidate out of it for the Democrats no matter what.

And that's the truth.

WHAT CAN I SAY?

2008-01-07T13:47:00.000-05:00

One of my friends (the only person still reading this blog) said "Congratulations! You predicted HRC's demise."

Well, I was being ironic when I "predicted" it, especially because I am a Clinton supporter. But there was some prescience there.

I like Barack Obama and will support him strongly if he is the nominee.

And I can't say that I like the way HRC is handling her Iowa setback. And yes, part of it is the process.

But I still think she'd make the best President. Hopefully whoever gets the nomination will have the support of the ENTIRE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND INDEPENDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY to make it a successful Presidency. Lord knows we need it.

WHAT DO YOU SAY.....?

2007-10-31T20:46:00.000-04:00

about a blogger who doesn't blog for.....six months?

Many things, but keep them to yourselves.

I was debating between writing about silly/funny things and serious/political things, and then I watched the news tonight.

Hillary Clinton MADE A MISTAKE in a debate last night.

And, apparently, that fact alone, PROBABLY DOOMS HER CAMPAIGN FROM NOW ON.

Hey WHAT?

what you need to know is that I have gone from being a Mark Warner for President person to a Draft Al Gore person to a Barack Obama person to a Hillary person. SO it's not like I had a knee jerk opinion.

Many things brought me to supporting Clinton and I won't go into all of them now -- I'm too tired -- but a small part of it was how much the Republicans demonized her and how people would say "I'd support Hillary, but....no one else will...." or words to that effect. Self-fulfilling prophecy.

The media look at one stumble and it's a FREE FOR ALL! Why do we put up with this stuff?

It's Halloween....maybe the entire political process is just plain frightening.

STUFF THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT

2007-05-02T03:48:00.000-04:00

I'm not even sure if the title of this post is grammatical or not. What the hell -- it's 4 in the morning.

Now certain things go without saying. I do not care that baby Dannielynn (or however the hell you spell the poor kid's name) is "home" in the U.S. Apparently we're supposed to have one hour specials on that so we can be sure to peer over her shoulder for the rest of her life.

No, I'm going to talk about something even more politically uncorrect. And I apologize in advance if someone who reads this is offended (which sort of goes against the principles of being "P.U." but then why not.)

Almost every day before, during and after the VT shootings, 32 people died in some city in Iraq. We don't even notice any more.

And then of course, there's Darfur.

When I pointed this out, someone said "Well, if you send your kid into the army, you expect that s/he will be in harm's way. but not when you send them to college."

True enough. But Iraqi parents send their kids to school, their spouses to work, their cousins to the grocery store. And they never come home.

In Darfur it's worse than that.

We won't get into a discussion of whether people who blow other people up in Iraq are patriots or madmen. It defies description. I don't understand it. We come from a people who started a revolution. Would we have blown up the British if we'd had the means? I don't know. The best we did was the Swamp Fox.

On a slightly less gruesome, but still puzzling note, we have now had two weeks of discussion of FDA oversight of tainted animal feed.

Tens of thousands of kids go hungry in this country alone every day, not to mention the millions around the world. Are we outraged?

What proportion of pets have health insurance? Hey, don't go all PEDA on me -- we ran in the Berkshire Humane Race with Moe and Duncan on Saturday. But the reality is that we watch kids living in conditions that would make a PEDA activist blanch and we don't do a darn thing. Maybe we should adopt some of their tactics and chain ourselves to schools and daycare centers until there's adequate funding and oversight.

We've now seen at least two if not three generations of kids stumble through failing inner city schools where violence competes with learning on a daily basis. Where's the outrage?

Just a thought.

DON IMUS ET AL

2007-04-12T04:17:00.000-04:00

I don't think you can HAVE a blog and not comment on Don Imus.

I guess I'm proud to say that I don't listen. Lots of my good friends are now telling me their reasons for listening. They don't wash.

He's been spewing this stuff for a while and everyone just went "wink, wink, nod, nod." It ain't OK.

The people at work in the lunchroom will tell you that I have been ranting about stuff like this for a long time. People will complain about how there's nothing on TV except stuff about Anna Nicole Smith's baby. I said, yes there is if you watch the Jim Lehrer show. So please don't tell me that you can't get away from Anna Nicole or OJ or Don. As Nancy Reagan would say "Just say NO!"

Every time we give this trash currency by discussing it at work, or not turning off the radio or TV, we give the media what it wants. An excuse to say "We're not responsible for this. It's what our readers/listeners/viewers want. We're just responding to public demand." We will leave the issue of whether they have any moral responsibility not to cater to this crud to another day. Today we're looking at our own responsibility for the ccntinuing stream of blather, innuendo and out and out racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, Muslim-bashing and everything else that passes for "news/entertainment" (we can't seem to distinguish between the two....) in this country.

IF we wonder why the tenor of civil discourse has become so degraded, we have only to look at the covers of People, Us Weekly and the tabloids. It's so much easier to worry about who's broken up with whom than whether we should be in Iraq or whether we're killing the planet. I know that stuff's boring, but trust me, you won't be bored when you have to stand in line at the Washington Zoo to see the last polar bear on the planet.

There are lots of ways to relax and enjoy life. But listening to trash talk and lowering the overall intelligence quotient of the American public don't qualify.

TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE AMERICAN WAY

2007-03-31T10:25:00.000-04:00

Frankly, I can't believe that one of the "real" pundits out there didn't use this as a headline. Because doesn't that say it ALL?

I am one of those people old enough to remember when you were brought up to respect your country and even believe that George Washington threw a dollar across the Potomac. The cherry tree we were a little sketchy about but we got the point.

So if there's SOMETHING that defines the "American Way" it's JUSTICE. Rule of law. All those things that make us go teary when we see the Stars and Stripes. And the role of the Justice Department and the Attorney General is to help us get to the TRUTH on a national level. S/He is the lawyer for the country. When you hire an attorney, you expect to be told the truth. That's what you're paying them for.

So now we have this bozo who either is totally disconnected from what's going on (I don't think so...they guy has a degree from Harvard. He didn't just fall off the turnip truck) or is trying to make us all believe that the business of choosing US Attorneys is totally outside his purview. GIVE ME A BREAK.

During Watergate, one of the things we learned was that a working, functional Justice Department is one of the last bulwarks of liberty. Remember the Saturday Night Massacre? They eventually knocked off the good guys, but not before the good guys made sure that everyone knew what was going on. And Judge Sirica and the grand jury that named RMN an "unindicted coconspirator" was the beginning of the end.

So where will we get a Judge Sirica this time? How long will we have to let this travesty play out in the courts before someone admits that the emperor is buck naked?
Where is Martha Mitchell when you need her?

WHERE OH WHERE.....

2007-03-17T14:32:00.000-04:00

have I been? This blog only has about three readers, five on a good day, but 2/3 of the regulars have pointed out to me that it's been almost a month since I posted. Excuses, excuses, but here are some....

a. I was away two weekends. Once in CA to celebrate Betsy's birthday (oh yeah, I already told you about that....) and then to Madeira Beach to spend time with the Abuisis and the Bakers. Missed one storm while we were in FL so that was good and also had a roaring good time, but...

b. that is all of the good news.

c. One of my best friends, Marge McPherson, died suddenly at the end of February. She was only 60 and we are all shocked. What do you say about a 25 year friendship that managed to survive across a 1500 mile divide for almost half the time? Our kids were the exact same age, and we spent literally thousands of hours together as families, as moms with kids, as friends. She was the shoulder I would cry on. I can't imagine a world without her. I am so glad that she and Mike were at David and Jenny's wedding, because even though I had very little time with any individual person, lots of my friends met her and spent time with her that weekend and so it helps them understand how wonderful she was. My sister in law Hilary remembered that she had been at Betsy's graduation from Wesleyan.....

d. The state of politics in the State has made me so sad that I just want to crawl into a hole. I know the vernal equinox period is bad for the "blues" but the press treatment of our wonderful governor has been the most atrocious thing I have ever seen. And, having caused great harm, not only is no one sorry, but they ask the most UNBELIEVABLE questions about sensitive personal information. Yes, he's the governor, but every family deserves a "zone of privacy" I think we all decided to call it? The Boston Globe and their brothers and sisters have no respect for that zone and it makes me ill. Congratulations to Liz Morningstar who I think is just one of the best things going in MA politics. When God closes a window, She opens a door. So I am glad that I got to meet Liz last week at the Kitchen Cabinet meeting and hope that I will be able to work with her in the coming months.

And there's a foot of snow outside. And it's March. Now is everyone happy?

e. Supposedly 70% of the registered voters in this country are paying some attention to the race already. I see this as a sign that everyone wishes we had a parliamentary form of government and could call for new elections. I suppose another part is that this race has more "star power" in it than traditional races. Even though I am a Barack person, many of us secretly hope for a "GOBAMA" ticket...Al and Barack. Twenty months is a lifetime in politics. who knows?

f. The Worcester Telegram didn't endorse my candidate in the State Rep. race. They do say that the person they endorsed will be independent of the "usual suspects" however. We'll see.

g. I am also thinking of my new friend Mary Pat Akers. She is an incredible human being. Talk about profiles in courage.

h. Russ Carpenter turned 75 last week! Unbelievable. We had a very intimate dinner party for him last night (four of us!) which was great fun and proved that you can whip up a gourmet meal in 90 minutes. OK, so I had to use Duncan Hines cake mix. But the frosting was put on with love.....

i. Take time today to tell someone that's important to you that you think they're special. The opportunities are NOT unlimited.

JIM O'DAY FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE

2007-02-18T16:08:00.000-05:00

In four weeks, there's going to be a special election for an open seat in the State House of Representatives.

No, I'm not hallucinating, remembering the good ole days....In fact maybe these ARE the good ole days. But there have been two resignations from the House by people who joined the Patrick Administration and one of those elections will be held March 20th. No Republicans even FILED for the seat (which is a whole other discussion....) so March 20th is the deciding vote.

This district was represented by Jim Leary, who is now chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Tim Murray. It encompasses part of Worcester and West Boylston. Jim O'Day is a DSS Social Worker who has never run for elected office before. But he's being supported by the Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts. He was a delegate for Deval Patrick and Tim Murray at the last convention.

So why is this important?

Because Governor Patrick hasn't been in office more than about six weeks and already the wags are sharpening their knives. "Gotcha Politics" is rearing it's ugly head. I'd like to support someone who is willing to give the Governor's ideas an honest hearing and an intelligent debate. I think Jim O'Day is someone who can do that.

I've offered to make voter ID calls for Jim, and go to Worcester (work schedule permitting) on March 20th. I'm also trying to encourage people out in my neck of the woods to consider sending him a small donation ($25 or whatever people can afford.) I'll be collecting checks for "Committee to Elect Jim O'Day" in a mailbox that's now just called Margie Ware P O Box 976 North Adams MA 01247 and sending them to Jim as soon as possible. With only four weeks to go, resources are important. So I hope you'll join me in supporting someone who has been working in the vineyards of human services for a number of years and now wants to take that perspective to the Great and General Court.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

2007-02-08T19:44:00.000-05:00

Hey, things could be worse. We could live in New York State.

You see, they had this comptroller....Now, since I work in the Family Caregiver field, I should have felt sorry for Alan Hevesi. His wife was ill so he had state employees take her places.

Other family caregivers hire someone, take time off work or even take leaves of absence from their jobs. Alan had to do the third choice, but it wasn't HIS choice.

But what was really weird was that, because the Republicans didn't put up anyone decent to oppose him, when the feces hit the airconditioner, they didn't have a credible candidate to oppose him. Warning to MA Republicans. Not that we have any officeholders that would warrant abandonment....

So now, Alan H having been re-elected and then smartly resigned, they needed a new comptroller. Their new gov, like our new gov, came into office vowing to run state government another way. So he asked the legislature to promise that they'd pick a candidate from an independent screening panel.

Guess what? The panel DIDNT NAME ONE MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE AS A POTENTIAL COMPTROLLER. So what did the Legislature do? Name one of their own. He once balanced his own checkbook which I'm sure qualifies him to be Comptroller of NYState.

In the case of both MA and NY, there have been many years of R governors, and the Legislature has gotten used to giving the Gov the finger when they want to. Now there are new sheriffs in both towns, but there hasn't been any noticeable change in the attitude toward the collective corner offices.

But what do I know? Off to sunny CA where of course, there's a R governor and a Democratic Legislature. But I'm only staying for four days, so I doubt I'll be reforming their system over the weekend. But I will be sitting in the green room at the Jimmy Kimmel show and having high tea at the Biltmore.

Eat your hearts out.

BET YOU MISSED ME!!!!

2007-01-30T04:18:00.000-05:00

The rumor that I am hiding under the covers not speaking to anyone is simply not true. Sometimes you don't blog because you're globetrotting and getting used to a new computer program.

Took two trips to DC in almost as many weeks and in addition to learning lots about the state of US healthcare (don't ask.....although who would have known that an economist like Uwe Reinhardt could be such a stitch and still teach you so much???!!!) and seeing Barack Obama (would the newspapers and TV stations PUHLEEZE stop calling him Osama? And spell check doesn't catch it people!)got a few good nights sleeps in. No offense to my dogs but there sometimes is just not enough room in a kingsized bed for all four of us.

And after viruses pretty much ground my computer to a halt, Dan the Man wiped it clean and we're starting all over and not putting on AOL software and seeing if that makes a difference. And I run virus programs all the time now. Welcome to the 21st century MJW.

Of course along with the AOL went all my "bookmarks" to everyone else's blogs, so I'll have to reconstruct all that and see what the world is thinking and saying. And we're off to sunny (maybe...who knows?) CA next weekend to celebrate Ms. Ware's birthday. And I don't care what they say about Peyton Manning....I'm routing for DA BEARS.

WHAT CAN YOU SAY AT A TIME LIKE THIS?

2007-01-09T16:22:00.000-05:00

The answer to the old joke is "Anything but that!" I am considering having a stiff upper lip surgically implanted so that it won't even have to become second nature.

For those of you who do not read the Statehouse news, Dan Bosley is staying in the Great and General Court. This is truly great news for North Berkshire because literally his shoes would have been impossible to fill. I couldn't even claim that I was as funny as he was, although I was going to run on the proposition that I was the funniest candidate (ok guys, no cheap shots.....I'm feeling fragile!)

So anyway, as I said to the people who were supposed to be meeting at 71 Main Street tomorrow at 10AM, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." The Lord also haveth an interesting sense of humor. I guess renting Jane Swift's old P.O. Box DIDNT bring me luck. She probably could have told me that!

I guess that means I have to move all that junk out of 71 Main Street and put it back in my front hall. And just as I was getting used to the lack of clutter (in the front hall, that is....) We're having a sale on old envelopes and stickers.

Anyone who has pull with Governor Patrick can let him know that I'm back in the job market again. Normally I wouldn't say that in public, but I guess it's pretty obvious to my employers now that I was looking for new opportunities. As I said to someone "I feel like the kid who keeps trying to run away from home and keeps being pulled back halfway up the sidewalk."

So tonight it's bourbon manhattans, leg of lamb and lots of laughs. I won't make Drinking Liberally, but I'll be drinking liberally.

Peace. And a reminder that when the last client you talked to was someone battling leukemia and looking at a bone marrow transplant, life is a bit more complicated that whether or not you get to run for office. My week in Florida is back on as is my trip to the South of France in June. YAHOO!

A NEW CENTURY

2007-01-06T05:25:00.000-05:00

Actually, that's a play on words because I just noticed that my last post was number one hundred. But having attended the swearing in of Governor Deval Patrick, I feel like we ARE in a new century in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Thursday was a day to "keep hope alive" as the Almighty cooperated and gave us a mild day on which to stand outside and witness history. The best decision I made was to show up at the Old South Meeting House and get a seat at the prayer service that preceded the inauguration. The procession of clergy, highlighted by a Native American in full dress feathers, was spectacular, and included virtually every faith tradition you could imagine. Peter Gomes, Harvard chaplain, and recent Republican, gave the main remarks which were punctuated with humor, hope and inspiration. The music was nothing less than spectacular.

Getting to the Statehouse grounds one hour ahead of time proved to be timely enough to be within a few hundred feet of the podium. And it is not too much to say that while Deval was giving his Inaugural address, the clouds parted and the sun came out! I am NOT MAKING THIS UP! And inspirational he was. I will not go into detail about his speech -- you can read it on the internet -- but his announcement that he was changing state government, and that an 80+ year old frail elder had not walked down and back six flights of stairs for us to just give her same old, same old, was the highlight of the day.

Ben Downing was up on the platform in a blue shirt and red tie and looking every inch the Senator. When someone in the crowd (who must have been a State Government groupie and/or employee) said she couldn't remember the name of the new Senator from the Berkshires, I told her it was Ben Downing. "He's a great guy," I said. "He beat me in a primary." One of the people listening said "If his opponent says that, he must be a great guy!" (Note to pol-watchers: Chris Hodgkins and his lovely wife were seen at the Inaugural Ball. Rumors that he has left the state are obviously not true.)

We saw more of Dorchester Avenue than we had planned while trying to find Amrhein's in South Boston, but we had a great dinner with the O'Brien clan and ran into State Rep. Smitty Pignatelli and State Senator Jack Hart so it was obviously the place to see and be seen. Except for the big do, which was $100/person, but TO WHICH I WAS ACTUALLY INVITED. Next time, when I can take it as a business expense.

Yes, everything they said about it being too crowded and having to wait in lines to get upstairs (we'd been upstairs and went downstairs to get a seat -- bad move but necessary with aging backs....) but we did see Deval, Diane, Tim and Tammy up on stage dancing and the best line of the evening was "Someone told me that this was the most integrated event they'd ever attended." (Pause for effect) "Well, get used to it!" Hee Haw! The African-American community in the Commonwealth was out in force, celebrating an amazing experience that many probably didn't think that they would see in their lifetimes. It was a sight to behold and hopefully will lead to lots more dialogue, partying and collaborations on behalf of the Commonwealth over the next decades.

And so to bed. And while getting into town proved a bit elusive, your humble servant deserves some credit for navigating herself and her spouse back to Andrew Square from the Convention Center with nary a wrong turn. See, I AM learning.....

IF THIS IS TRUE, I'M IN TROUBLE

2007-01-03T03:47:00.000-05:00

Housework reduces risk of breast cancer
Posted: Jan 1st 2007 10:14AM by Jonathon Morgan
Filed under: Alternative Therapies, General Health, Women's Health

A new study of more than 200,000 women suggests that doing household chores like dusting, mopping and vacuuming was significantly more cancer protective than playings sports, or having a physical job.

While it's long been known that physical exercise lowers the risk of breast cancer -- most likely due to the resultant hormonal and metabolic changes -- housework is the only physical activity that's been shown to have positive effects on both pre- and post-menopausal woman.

This isn't to say that there's something inherently cancer protective about the act of mopping itself, but rather that moderate physical activity, like housework, may be more effective in reducing a woman's risk of breast cancer than more rigorous, but less frequent exercise.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2006-12-22T04:09:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to get into the whole PC thing. I celebrate Christmas and some of my friends don't and if I'm looking at you I'll wish you the appropriate thing but on my blog we're an all-inclusive kind of group so Happy December Solstice Celebration of Your Choice and I look forward to hearing what you're thinking in 2007.

There has been an OUTCRY from people all over the country to want to support our latest endeavor, at attempt at representing the citizens of the First Berkshire District. We won't know when the special election is until January, and everyone's chomping at the bit to go out in a blizzard and collect signatures but you'll just have to wait. Eat and drink as much as possible for the next two weeks because life will be VERY busy. Bob and I are perfecting soup recipes so that volunteers will stay warm during winter canvassing parties. Yes, you are allowed to make calls from inside your house. Not to worry.

And for those looking for an address to send their best wishes to, it is:

THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT MARGARET WARE P O BOX 976 NORTH ADAMS MA 01247

This was once the P. O. Box of a famous politician so we will see what it's karma holds. Many thanks to the wonderful people at the North Adams P. O. who made opening a P.O. Box such a great experience! I'll never think of the number 616 again without howling with laughter.

The Ware clan is off to Alexandria VA for the holidays. First married Christmas for David and Jenny, and if Jenny's surprise party for her mom is any indication, we will be wined and dined in glorious fashion and a good time will be had by all. We are going "light" on Christmas this year. Some years it's been a joke in the family, but this year we are contributing to CHABHA, appreciating the work Annie has done around the house to make it more liveable and acknowledging that a year in which you run for office is going to be a year when you've already bought yourself all the presents you could use -- things like radio spots and billboards and campaign managers and office space.

It was quite a ride. We're ready to gun the engine again. But starting today at noon, we're taking a deep breath, saying our prayers that we get to and from Virginia safely, and that all our family and friends have a wonderful break from the hustle and bustle of real life.

Peace.

A SECOND CHANCE

2006-12-19T14:02:00.000-05:00

One of my friends observed yesterday, "One doesn't often get a second chance in life. You may be one of the exceptions."

We'll see.

Yes, I am running for Dan Bosley's seat. The first call from a reporter, the amazing Carrie Saldo, came at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, before I'd even told anyone in my office.
But I had had the opportunity to have a good night's sleep.

And my family even wants me to do it. In fact my son couldn't figure out why I wasn't on the phone to the news media at 10PM on Sunday.

But one of the biggest inspirations was a woman named Deborah Blumer. She died of a heart attack a number of weeks ago. A State Representative from Framingham, she used her position to work for prison reform and a variety of other very unsexy issues in an effort to make the Commonwealth a better place to live and work. I had heard of her, knew she was a "good guy" but didn't know much past that.

As I read about her work, I realized that there are a lot of really good people doing good things, and yet most of them never get recognized. WE realize how terrific Dan is, but the average voter in other parts of the state has probably never heard of him. He's smart, thoughtful, wise and has a great sense of humor to boot. You don't often find that.

The good people on Beacon Hill need allies. Dan will still be there for them, but in another capacity. I want to attempt to have an opportunity to augment their efforts and buckle down to the work that needs to get done, in partnership with someone who will be a most exciting Governor.

And thank you to those who want to sign on early. The Post Office Box number will be forthcoming shortly.

I have a campaign manager, a campaign office, a seasoned corps of volunteers and the first planning meeting scheduled. Now I need the faith, trust and support of the citizens of the First Berkshire District. That's a tall order. I hope I deserve it.

Happy Holidays to one and all!

CONGRATULATIONS DAN BOSLEY!!!!

2006-12-17T22:22:00.000-05:00

Western MA, and especially North Berkshire, is very lucky that this bright and capable public service will be steering the economic revitalization of the Commonwealth.

We all KNEW DP was smart......

Oh, and I guess there will be a special election, do ya think?

EXCUUUUUSE ME!

2006-12-15T07:17:00.000-05:00

The name of the book I'm writing is "Don't Get Me Started" and I have the feeling that I'm about to get started....

One almost doesn't know where to begin.

The people who are holding a death watch over Senator Johnson, caring more about who's in charge than whether the man recovers? There's a message from the Universe or a Supreme Being when a country that is divided right down the middle has governance hanging by a brain vessel. We're supposed to get along people. I have now put a moratorium on gloating over the election. We're all in this together.

And then there is the Brouhaha over the inaugural balls. George Bachrach has got it EXACTLY RIGHT in the Globe today. Talk about focusing on the negative and same old same old from the press. Republicans can have inaugural balls and we can't? Do they sell their tickets over the internet for anyone and everyone to come? GIVE ME A BREAK. I'm so mad I could spit.

A MONTH'S VACATION.....

2006-12-02T11:39:00.000-05:00

from blogging, the only kind of vacation I'll get for a while. But you have to admit that it's my blog and I shouldn't feel COMPELLED to write. Besides, my life now is pretty mundane, not that this blog started out as the story of my life. It's original intent was to comment on the political situation. But then I became a candidate, and I was, shall we say, "constrained."

Then, having been defeated, I was, shall we say, "chastened," and it was hard to be honest about all the conflicting emotions swirling around in my brain. But then my team won, and I was, shall we say, "exhuberant." But then it was time for back to work and Medicare D and all the other mundane parts of life.

So the fast forward is that we had an awesome party for the campaign volunteers on November 17th, with lots to celebrate given that the Democrats took everything that wasn't nailed down, both statewide and nationally. (My apologies to my daughter-in-law....I try to keep my glee hidden from the family at times...)Mom came up for Thanksgiving, which at age 91 3/4 is quite the accomplishment, and we had a wonderful time and my friend Bill surprised me with a birthday party on November 20 since my aging process was going to be lost in the shuffle of returning Mom to Philadelphia.

And so I thought the excitement was over. At my age, you can't take too much. And I have a rotten cold so I'm not making a lot of extra effort.

So what to my wondering eyes did appear, but a call from Leary, who said "get on your gear. We need some Selectmen to fill out our list, so come gallop to Boston and help Local Government Transist."

Now, if someone left YOU a message out of the blue asking you to be on a Transition Team Working Group, would you think it was a hoax or what? I returned his call with a page, so the poor guy sees a number pop up and calls and says "To whom am I speaking?" Understandable since he probably had 130 outstanding calls. After saying yes, I then wondered if this was real. But the next day, sure enough, come emails from Mayor Menino's office and today a Fedex package from the Mass Municipal Association. My employers are being very supportive of my great good fortune -- Councils on Aging are part of local government -- and I am a very fortunate person.

So I will say THIS about THAT. The swirlings and postings going around in the Patrickspere this week and last have been quite intense. Especially about education, both higher ed and K-12, but also about openess in government in general. The cynics among us would say "This is exactly what happens when you let the grassroots loose...." (I think that's a mixed metaphor, but I have a cold, so I have a good excuse for not being up to my usual literary standards....)

At the risk of hearing "easy for you to say" I will opine that while no process is perfect, this governor has probably gone farther than anyone else in history in trying to keep everyone in the tent. I think he is well aware of the failures of the first Dukakis administration (and I adore Michael D) when we were just a bit too holier than thou (Michael was also a relatively young man) and we eschewed relationships. Having diverse opinions and connected people involved in not necessarily a bad thing. Just because you aren't a true believer doesn't mean you don't have sound observations to make on complex issues.

And at the risk of being called a right wing nutcase, I think that Deval and Tim and everyone in the Commonwealth who is working to make this the very best kind of society that we can imagine, needs our thoughts and prayers and moral support. I have said repeatedly that my worst fear is, having put DP on a pedestal, the human impulse is to knock him off if he doesn't turn water into wine in one hundred days.

As those of us in healthcare know, change is difficult. It takes dialogue, discussion, dissension and disagreement. But at the end of the day, listening to a variety of views can actually lead to consensus. Who knew?

Peace.

IN MY WILDEST DREAMS....

2006-11-09T05:13:00.000-05:00

I never thought we'd be looking at a Democratic Senate.

It's a great day for America.

I hope John Olver will start smiling.

I fear that the people for whom "it's never enough" will start carping before anyone in authority has time to accomplish anything. I hope I'm wrong.

The Deval Patrick organization has an opportunity to change the face of Masschusetts politics. That is not a pun -- it's a challenge. Let's see if we can live up to his ideals.

Confidential to T O'B: One of the benefits of losing an election is that one can say semi-publicly what others only say behind closed doors. Campaigns take the measure of a person. My life's work has been to assist those without a voice, those who were confused, frustrated, or simply in need of straight talk. I'll continue to be that person. I'll send you the book.

OK SO WE'LL TRY THIS AGAIN....

2006-11-05T17:24:00.000-05:00

I mean, when you have people BEGGING you to post on your blog, don't you have to meet the public's expectations?

What prompted me to write is a friend's question this afternoon. "Do you think gas prices are going to rise on Wednesday?" An EXCELLENT QUESTION! Here was my answer -- clever I think, but then I'm my own best audience:

yes, but it will depend on who wins how much they rise.....if the R's win both houses, they jump 20cents...if D's win House they jump 10 cents .... if D's win both houses they only jump a nickel and start giving away silverware and glassware again.

I say this as someone who still has a few pieces of silverware and glassware from the 70's....of course that was before the '74 gas crisis. Even and odd....lines down the block....I feel like the Devil in "Damn Yankees" singing "Those Were the Good Old Days..."

We did a standout for Ben Downing in Williamstown late this morning and got a good reception. The talk of course was about politics and someone said that the only bad thing about the election being over on Tuesday was that the '08 election starts in with a vengeance. Ben said he'd already been invited to a fundraiser for someone running for Boston City Council in '07. It never stops. Usually I like that but right now I guess I'm a bit weary. But here's the question....

Who are "we" supporting for Prexy in '08?

Someone has posited that Webb was only put up against Allen to ruin his WH chances. Well, they did a damn good job because the guy's toast, whether he ekes this out or not. Kerry's toast, whether you like it or not. Warner dropped out. He was my putative favorite. I am not a Hillary supporter for complex reasons. So where does that leave me.

Al Gore or Barack Obama.

Make fun of me. That's the truth.

MY POSTS WONT POST

2006-11-02T04:43:00.000-05:00

You're going to have to send me an email to hear all my thoughts about life.....

RAINY OCTOBER MORNING

2006-10-20T07:25:00.000-04:00

It seems I have not posted to this blog for way too long. Was it the auto accident where I was rear-ended that took away whatever courage I had? Ennui? Lack of sleep (although sometimes that CONTRIBUTES to blogging, mais non?)

The news on the political front makes you wonder who put the crazy pills in the water. I could comment ON AND ON AND ON about the Foley scandal. I lived in both an "OJ-Free" zone and a "Monica-free" zone during the last two big scandals. Didn't want to know or hear about them. But this one I read all the articles, and this is why.

Here is a person heading the caucus on "Missing and Exploited Children" and he goes and exploits children. Because he was exploited himself. And this is a gay man with a partner who lives the ultimate "don't ask, don't tell" existence. Talk about self-loathing. And then there are all the other people in national Republican politics who apparently don't see any contradiction between they're being gay and working for people who refer to "sodomites" and "bestiality." I mean, I know that there's something to be said for keeping your personal life and work life separate, but last time I looked we were also putting a premium on living an authentic, integrated life, where your values from one arena carried into the other (assuming you had worthwhile values!)

It is also the first weekend of the Williamstown Film Festival. I have to admit I'm not feeling terribly social these days, so I may not make as many events as I have in the past. If there's one thing a political campaign does for you, it's taking the fun out of being in public. I now love solitude, long walks on the beach, sleep and playing computer games. And writing my book. Next weekend lots of friends are joining us, so I'm saving up my sociability for their arrival.

My new focus is TRUST. After venturing out into the wider world, one learns who can be trusted and who can't. It's a worthwhile endeavor and a hard-won lesson. I have always been too trusting. On the one hand, one doesn't want to wall oneself off from the world. But probably a little dose of reality every decade or so is useful.

SPEAKING OF TRUST....I almost forgot to commemorate the anniversary of the Saturday Night Massacre. Ah, those were the good old days, when Rosemary Woods was stretching over the desk showing us how little gremlins could have erased the tapes....Do we have a need for the government almost to come to a halt every quarter century to wake people up?

And so it goes.....

RETURN TO NORMALCY

2006-09-25T05:36:00.000-04:00

You know, when I was in high school, we made fun of Warren G Harding making up the word "normalcy" rather than using "normality." And now you see "normalcy" everywhere. Standards are falling, but we didn't need a grammarian to tell us that, did we?

You know life is weird when cleaning the bathroom gives you a kick! I have literally done no housework for six months (some would say I haven't done any for 35 years....)and the effects are startling. My apologies to anyone who stayed with us during that period.

So Saturday saw me scrubbing the bathroom and having the best ole time. Now, once that was done, I have to admit that my concentration waned and I never did tackle the refrigerator or anything more than 1/2 the kitchen counter and the coffeemaker. But hey, we don't want to make too quick a transition here. I might get the "bends."

The classic question is "How ARE you?" I think people are waiting for PTSS to set in. Well, maybe I'm in denial, but I'm FINE. I did my best. I have to admit that finally looking at the vote totals from all the communities was a little disconcerting. In some cases, I knew I had never gotten traction in a community, for a variety of reasons. But in other cases, I worked my butt off and didn't see the success I expected.

And then there's my hometown. God bless them every one.

And then there is the GREAT CITY OF NORTH ADAMS. Which is really a tribute to the Abuisi family. God love 'em.

So this a.m. I go back to work. Lots of seniors to help and lots of caregivers to nurture. I think I will have enough on my plate for the next few months.

And my book proposal just went off to the agent.....

STANDING ON THE PRECIPICE

2006-09-19T04:17:00.000-04:00

Three hours until the polls open; 16 until they close. A hell of a ride.

I spent yesterday watching other people work their tails off for me. I just obsessed and listened to rumors and tried to explain the rumors. All for NAUGHT.

THE BIG NEWS OF THE DAY IS THAT I WAS ENDORSED BY THE NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT in an editorial that I wish I'd written myself.

Chicken Marbella for dinner cooked by Chef Sammons and then I crashed.

We head off at 6:45 for a latte and a tour of the polls.

I have received so many calls and notes telling me that we ran a good race. It means everything to me.

I certainly have the most incredible volunteer corps ever assembled in Berkshire County politics.

Thank you to ALL of you.

WE LOVE THE SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN

2006-09-13T10:19:00.000-04:00

There's a phrase somewhere, perhaps Biblical, about not being a prophet in your own country.

Well, that's how I'm feeling this a.m. about the ENDORSEMENT OF THE SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN. Here is an editorial board that read the press releases, watched the Channel 57 debate, listened to the competition and says that my nine years as a Selectman will serve the people of the First Senate District well. It's as objective view as you can get. They didn't have a dog in the fight and they just looked at the landscape.

To say I'm honored is an understatement. It will certainly be important in the 16 towns outside Berkshire County that have a greater readership of the Republican. And I hope it's an indication to undecided Berkshire County voters that there is a prophet in their midst.

This was great news because yesterday started off with one of the usual idiot letters. I need to shrug stuff like that off better. I am improving, but the lies and misrepresentations "frost my cookies" as one of my friends said last night. But that beginning of the day was MORE than compensated for by a wonderful coffee at the home of my friend Margie Metzger who brought a diverse and interesting group of undecided voters together for a lively discussion. We got some converts and we talked serious issues. Food for the soul.

There are so many good, thoughtful people out there who DO want good government, intelligent choices and an end to cronyism. Hopefully enough of them will turn out on Tuesday to make a statement and the need for a fresh voice in the State Senate.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM....

2006-09-06T23:59:00.000-04:00

I achieved a "zen state" about the campaign.

Somewhere in between last night's candidates' forum, which was a bit bizarre, and tonight's, I realized that "jacta alia est" or words to that effect. The die had been cast. I had done everything I could do to try and win. Although there were 13 days to go before the primary, with our radio buy completed we had put the final push on and now could only tweak around the edges, work on GOTV and say our prayers.

As they would say in an Alka Seltzer commercial (OK, so I'm dating myself...) "what a relief it is."

Rumors continue to fly about who's up, who's down, who will be endorsing whom etc. etc. etc. It will continue to be that way until 9/19. But I have given up fretting about it (a possible endorsement of another candidate by someone sort of tangential to the whole process had me in a tizzy last night....today I'm sanguine!) and decided rather to concentrate on the fact that I'm proud of me and this whole damn campaign. People have worked hard. We've focused on issues of importance. We've built a wonderful volunteer network of caring and supportive people who believe in good government. We've had fun and we've made friends. We've given people hope that things can change for the better in the political arena.

This achievement has not been without cost. One of our volunteers dropped dead of a heart attack. Another suffered a subdural hematoma. Three volunteers had offspring who had serious medical problems. Three others had parents in similar situations -- one has already died. It was as if we had been cursed.

But what it's really taught us is that winning isn't everything. It's about doing the right thing, remembering that friends, family, health, sickness etc. are all more important. So the tragedies have given us perspective and understanding. And this campaign really IS a family.

There are, of course, more tales to be told. About the weird forum last night. About the WONDERFUL WEDDING of our son David and his bride Jenny Hansen Ware. About how I collected enough campaign donations at the wedding to finally get Betsy's radio spots on the air. We've done a lot with a little. But it's a good metaphor for government.

But we'll save some of these stories for the next installment. I'm exhausted and ready for sleep. There's a lot to be said for "1/2 the calorie Cookie Dough Hagen Daas" and a Jack Daniels Manhattan as the perfect end to the perfect day.

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

2006-08-28T07:36:00.000-04:00

I think that I might have set a new record for mileage this weekend. The itinerary included Cummington multiple times, Gill (WHERE you say? It's not even in "the district!), Pittsfield, Ashfield. Sunday was unfortunately a WASHOUT....the people who ran the Ethnic Fair in Pittsfield really did a good job of keeping people's spirits up and ignoring the water dripping down!

But the real find of the weekend, besides the fact that there were so many WONDERFUL people at the Cummington Fair, was the OLD CREAMERY GROCERY in Cummington. You have NOT LIVED until you have eaten there! Wild rice salad to die for. Terrific gazpacho. Thai peanut chili (which I believe was vegetarian....) AWESOME! Nice people. Great atmosphere. A MUST STOP!

And then there's Elmer's. What is NOT to like about Elmer's. Got to go back Sunday a.m. and have a quick cup of coffee before church. "How's the campaign going?" the owner asked. IS THAT WONDERFUL? Even on a rainy morning, Elmer's was warm and cozy.

Customer Service. One key to a Western MA economy we can all be proud of.

Off to try on my Mother of the Groom dress. Yes, I do have to marry my firstborn off this weekend. Talk about living parallel lives.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

2006-08-27T07:27:00.000-04:00

How to fit this all in when I'm about to hit the road for another fun-filled day on the campaign trail? Three separate trips yesterday to Cummington, for the amazing Cummington Fair, where we have a booth RIGHT BY THE ENTRANCE! Location, location, location!

But truly the best part of yesterday was attending the Grand Opening of "Rotary Park," a handicapped-accessible playground on Springside Avenue in Pittsfield. Seeing the kids (and the adults!) enjoy the park and remembering WHY we're going through this foolishness -- to actually help people and make their lives better -- was truly inspirational and it gave me a renewed commitment to hold my head high and keep working 24/7 to accomplish the goals of this campaign.

Which sometimes can be difficult, when one of the purveyors of Conventional Wisdom grins at you and says "Of course, Opponent X is going to win." "No he's not." I shot back. "I am." If the scene of this exchange were the holding tank of reporters outside a national debate, it would be called "spinning." In this case, it's just the truth. The individuals who are supporting me are very rarely in conversation with the people who spin the Conventional Wisdom.

I liked this note I received from someone whose view of the world and opinion I respect: "And then of course there's just the self fulfilling prophecy aspect of political cowardice (or self-preservation instinct if that's more charitable). Why do you think the polls in so many contests show a high percentage of undecided right up until election day? I maintain that it is not voters evaluating candidates, but sheep waiting to back the apparent winner."

So as they say, if all the people who think I'm the superior candidate would simply have the courage to say "She's the superior candidate. I'm voting for her," then I'd win. Which I will. Because somewhere out there are 7500 people who know what's good for them.

COUNTDOWN

2006-08-21T07:40:00.000-04:00

With less than a month to go in the campaign, things are heating up in what, I guess, are predictable ways. We had an exciting but busy weekend. Our friend Molly Heslip got married, and we either fit the wedding and reception into the campaign or vice versa, I'm not sure. But it entailed driving to Otis for the quilt festival on Saturday a.m. and then BACK to Williamstown for the wedding and then to Stockbridge for the reception, a quick jaunt to Tanglewood to soothe our souls and then overnight in Great Barrington.

Where my husband locked the keys in the car. Since it is a new car, he hadn't taken the spare keys out of the little packet in the glove compartment. I am now very grateful to the GBPD for rescuing us in time to make church in Sheffield at 10AM.

WONDERFUL day in Sheffield. We have two amazing volunteers who literally took us everywhere and introduced us to everyone. And if you're into chicken, the American Legion barbeque MAY just be the winner in the competition. Although I'd really have to be eating the Grace Church Dalton chicken AND the Sheffield chicken side by side to do them justice. Three of four major Senate candidates were there and three of four Southern Berkshire Register of Deeds candidates also attended. We were stepping all over one another greeting people. I told the Legion they probably should charge us extra!

I returned home to discover that rumors are abounding. This one is that I'm dropping out of the race. GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!! While I have my suspicions about who circulates these rumors (I in fact heard that ANOTHER candidate was dropping out...so now I know how that got started!) I have to learn that it is apparently all par for the course and part of the background noise of a campaign. I AM NOT ONLY NOT DROPPING OUT, I AM INCREASINGLY CONFIDENT THAT I'M GOING TO WIN! I am receiving support in unexpected places and realizing that our campaign is cutting through the fog of "same old same old." We're connecting with people and they're realizing that there is a person who, like Deval Patrick, represents the hope that things can change for the better.

Back to the trail. Oh yeah, and somewhere in there we're going to get my kid married off. Pass the rehearsal dinner place cards, please.

SIZE DOES MATTER....

2006-08-12T09:13:00.000-04:00

at least when it comes to lawn signs.

We finally got tired of hearing every single person on the planet say "Your ideas on healthcare, divestiture from companies doing business in Sudan and affordable housing are great! But now, about your lawn signs....they're too small...."

So now we have new lawn signs. I hope everyone appreciates that we spent hard-raised campaign dollars on customer service.

Campaign dollars. Don't get me started. Another entry for the real story after the election.

This was the week of debates/forums. We had one in Great Barrington on Tuesday, one in North Adams on Thursday and taped two public TV Channel 57 shows on Friday. I keep trying to promote the idea of saving gas by all of us riding around together but it still hasn't caught on. On the other hand, we all have other commitments. Ben and Nate were off to Bertucci's while I had to get back to Pittsfield right away.
Stopped at the Organic Market, Clover's, on the way north and had a "to die for" natural tuna sandwich and also ran into a friend who took some "Dear Friend" cards so that was all to the good! This will definitely be a stop in the future. Excellent food.

Oh, sorry, I know you want to know how I did in all these forums/debates. I was great, thank you very much. In one of the articles, you could even LEARN that I said cogent things. Another one was the usual "everyone was pleasant." One frustration on Thursday was that the Transcript reporter left before it got interesting.

We are also not going to talk about endorsements. That will go into the "after the campaign" blog. Suffice it to say that no woman I know will be joining N.O.W. (not that they've been out here recruiting; their closest chapter is in Springfield.)

And of course I forgot to tell everyone that I am now AN OFFICIAL FULL-TIME CANDIDATE (with a little time off every once in a while to be the mother of the groom.) Wednesday was my first day of focus and although we're poverty-stricken, we do appreciate having only one schedule per day.

And a note to some of the other bloggers out there. I guess some of you have nothing better to do than to sit around in your pajamas and take pot shots at other campaigns. I think that's sad. Constructive problem-solving is what this country needs. For your information, I DO have time to blog and will as a Senator (women have been multitasking for generations) and I come from poor but humble beginnings -- a one parent family and a large college scholarship. I live in a house with one full bathroom. Middle class. Get over it.

BALANCED....FAIR?

2006-07-28T07:24:00.000-04:00

There was a candidate forum last night, and in all modesty I must admit that I was great. I nailed it. We took an unbiased poll over drinks after the event, and two of my best friends, my campaign chair and my husband all agreed that I was terrific.

So I jump out of bed this a.m. and without even going downstairs to read the paper, I look at the website. NOTHING. OK, so the article will be in tomorrow. Full of vim and vigor, we decide to take the dogs to the track. My husband opens the paper. The article is there. And it is balanced. All the candidates got almost the same amount of ink, whether credible or not. All the candidates had a quote about the same length whether it was insightful or not. But the flavor of the evening was completely lost.

Now, all of us who are running have lots of observations about the coverage. "Was your announcement above the fold or below the fold?" "Did your press release make the first page of the Berkshire section or was it inside?" We look for nuance and hidden support/opposition/meaning in every word and placement. So one way you can look at the "fair and balanced" approach is that they're being nice to everyone.

But for those of us who did well, nothing in the article indicated that some candidates were more credible than others, some were more polished than others, some more animated (or too animated) than others. You had to be there. Or, maybe you virtually had to be there. I haven't talked to anyone who watched it on live PCTV. Will the broadcast give the flavor and the nuance or will it be some third version? I remember feeling as a Selectman that people who ONLY saw us on TV had a different opinion than people who were in the room.

The best barometers for me are the people who approach you after the forum and say "You have MY vote!" or "Where do I go to volunteer?" Bless you all. It really is one vote at a time.....

THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS!

2006-07-16T08:53:00.000-04:00

This campaigning thing sure continues to defy description!

On the one hand, I had two INCREDIBLE things happen this week. Jesse Mermell, the Executive Director of the Mass Women's Political Caucus, came all the way from Boston to Pittsfield to join me for a press conference. We got good press and a good time was had by all. The only downer was that it wasn't on the steps of City Hall; rain rain go away. So we moved it to headquarters. A number of friends travelled a great distance to be there which was MOST wonderful.

Friday night we opened the North Adams office. SEVENTY people showed up from all sorts of communities.....it was a smashing success, in large part due to Jeanne Driscoll's amazing organizational skills. Wonderful food and a great time was had by all.

Life being what it is, the same day that I'm getting great press and opening and campaign office and speaking (in my role as Elder Services staff member) at Congregation Beth Israel, I'm also being excoriated by the unhappiest resident of Williamstown. Now, everyone in Williamstown knows he's a most unhappy fella who takes his life's problems out on others. But the rest of Berkshire County MAY not know this, although they certainly do if they are the kind of person who reads the Letters to the Editor. He's been doing this for 20 years. He has yet to meet a person or cause he really likes in the long-term. He has dumped on the Youth Center, the 4th of July Parade, the Town Report, motherhood and apple pie.

But all of this goes with the territory.

And have I mentioned the "M" word? I am supposed to be dialing for dollars. I will do almost ANYTHING to put this task off. Even clean the bathroom. I have to begin to learn to suck it up and JUST DO IT! My campaign manager keeps asking me if I have a rich uncle fred who I can borrow tens of thousands from. Uncle Fred, are you listening?

Big week coming up including Jon Sussman's wedding. I'll use the occasion to get advice from former OH State Senator Priscilla Mead, aunt of the groom. But we have both been warned that going off into a corner during the reception and talking about politics is considered VERY declasse.....not to mention that I finally got the info to the printer for the rehearsal dinner for David and Jenny's wedding.

Life in the fast lane....oh, I guess I won't tell you about the woman who almost ended my life on Route 8 Friday night. She almost changed the face of politics in Berkshire County forever. You know who you are brown car!

THERE ARE GOOD DAYS....

2006-07-09T09:07:00.000-04:00

in campaigning, and there are bad days. Yesterday was a GOOD day! Four towns, four events and lots of nice people.

I started the day in Becket, and had the wonderful opportunity to meet Bob's wife Brenda and also watch my campaign manager, Joe Engwer, reconnect with people he hadn't seen in ten years or more. Especially when he saw one of his old teachers, that was AMAZING! Frankly, I could have stayed in Becket all day. Terrific people, great sense of community, and I promised I'd be part of a dunking contest next year if elected. Excellent pancakes from the volunteer firefighters.

Saw one of my opponents in Becket, none in Goshen, two in Adams, none in Florida. Anytime you see another candidate, your first reaction is "where has he/she BEEN and where is he/she GOING?" Everyone has a strategy of the communities where they think they can make an impact. The "primo" opportunity is a place where you know people who can take you around and introduce you. Not only do they have to know a lot of people, they can't be shy!

Now that I have literature, I can hand it out. I am also discovering that "If you've seen one woman, you've seen them all!" My female opponent had just sent out a big mailing and so half the people I met thought I was her. I told them I was cuter. Perhaps not true, but what does one say? Depending on the person you're meeting, you try to distinguish yourself from whoever they're mixing you up with in some gracious way.

And we're already out of BUTTONS! We've ALMOST given away 500....Bob left some under the seats at the Steeplecats game the other night. We gathered up as many as we can find for the fundraiser tonight and the replacements will be in this coming week. I know some people just take them for souvenirs. Other friends are DILIGENT about wearing them to the grocery store, etc. My friend Ellen says that it's always a way to start a conversation.

One trap that a candidate has to avoid falling into is believing that the people you and your supporters speak to represent the universe. People will say "Oh everyone I talk to is for you!" Well, YEAH...you're wearing a "Ware for State Senate" button and they're for me and so they make a comment. The people who are supporting someone else don't come over!

But there are so many great people out there! And so many stories. At least three people I ran into will (hopefully) be positively affected by the new state health insurance program when it clicks into gear in the fall. Health care and education continue to be the issues that everyone is talking about. Both the fiscal implications and the policies.

Trying to kick back today after a long day yesterday. But not grueling...just energizing and lots of fun. AND IF YOU MISSED THE OLD FASHIONED FUDGE IN GOSHEN, I FEEL SORRY FOR YOU!!!!

AND THE CLOCK STRIKES 12....

2006-07-07T00:03:00.000-04:00

So why the heck am I still up? I'm exhausted! I didn't drink coffee after 12 noon. This whole "pace yourself" thing is pretty difficult I must say...

So I'm sitting here reading other people's blogs and I sez to myself, "Self" I sez, "you haven't written in your blog in a very long time. Why is that?"

"Because I'm pacing myself" sez I. "I need to rest up for the Final Battle."

Fourth of July weekend was lots of fund MAINLY because daughter Betsy and her S.O. Andrew Fippinger (AKA "Fipp") were visiting from the West Coast. Who doesn't like driving to Albania at 11PM to meet a flight that was supposed to arrive at 7:30 PM.

The reason for the trip was so that Betsy could help me buy the MOG dress. (If you don't know who the MOG is, you don't have a kid getting married....) But we got to bed at 2:30 AM and had to be up at 9AM to go to church. We usually aren't that obsessive about church, but it was the first time Betsy had been home in six months, and the priest at our church had never met Fipp. So we all dragged ourselves out of bed and I made strawberry crepes as an inducement to get out of bed. (Maybe we should put the recipe on the campaign website....we already have Peter Marchetti's Italian Cookies and are just about to add "Margie Ware's Campaign Trail Mix." But I digress....

So we did church and then Bean and I booked it to Manchester, VT. PLEASE DO NOT TELL THE RESIDENTS OF SENATE DISTRICT ONE THAT I BOUGHT MY MOG DRESS OUT OF STATE. But one of the "learnings" of the trip was that when you pay women a liveable wage to make you a dress from scratch....GUESS WHAT!? IT AIN'T CHEAP! But I will look gorgeous and now I really DO have to win the election because I need to have places to wear this dress for many years to come. Deval, you better have one Kick Ass Inaugural Ball is all I can say. 'Cause I already have the dress....

Monday I took the day off from work for an attitude adjustment. I was starting to fall into negative thinking patterns, which was not good, especially since almost all the news coming my way has been good. So that's a clue that one needs to kick back. So I hung with Betsy, kissed some babies that belonged to friends of hers and made Margie Ware's Campaign Trail Mix (see above.) And a nice Chicken Marbella for dinner.

Up early (but not early enough it turned out) to get to the Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade. It turns out it takes a LONG TIME to get from the Colonial Theatre to the Senior Center while you're schmoozing and handing out giveaways (pens that say "Margie Ware for Senate" and small bags of "Margie Ware's Campaign Trail Mix" -- see above.) Now I don't want to rat anyone out but the RULES are that candidates who are not elected officials are not supposed to march in the parade. They may campaign before the parade but not interfere with the ability of the viewers to enjoy the spectacle. Why do I know this? Because my campaign chair is the chair of....you guessed it...the Pittsfield 4th of July Parade Committee. So I was a good doobie. As was Ben Downing. As was Matt Kinnaman. I don't believe John Z was there. If you don't see someone's name mentioned, that means that they were NOT good doobies....they "snuck in." And yes, Rinaldo, that means you too. But this is real inside baseball. No one but the other candidates and their "handlers" probably care. But I do have (along with my other good doobie colleauges)the advantage of moral superiority, which might stand me in good stead one of these days.

From the parade to the reading of the Declaration of Independence in the Chapin Rare Books Library on the Williams College campus, which is a family tradition and a wonderful way to celebrate the real meaning of Independence Day. I remember the first year I attended after being elected a Selectman. I had tears in my eyes at the end of the reading because I felt like I was part of a long line of individuals who were trying to preserve democracy.

Off to the airport to say goodbye to the kids much too soon. Yes, sorry, Betsy is six months older than Ben Downing. Back to town for a nap and then on to the Steeple Cats game in North Adams. I missed watching Deval throw out the first pitch at the Dukes game BUT THERE IS A LIMIT TO MY STAMINA! One opponent at the game. Good game. Fun to sit with the K Line group that annouces when there's a strikeout. But since it went 11 innings, I couldn't stay for the fireworks. As luck would have it, it started raining on our way home so the early departure was quite fortuitous.

And so to bed. Had I accomplished anything? Haven't a clue. Did I enjoy myself? Yes, actually. In large part because my wonderful friend Priscilla shepherded me down the parade route and my wonderful husband and friend Ellen Bernstein hung out with me at the game and the hotdogs were good and the Toomajians introduced me to the K Line group so life is good.

More than you wanted to know? Perhaps. But remember, it's MY blog, so I can write about whatever I want. Next time it will be a posting of substance. But we're saving some of the good stuff until next week.....

IMHO

2006-06-24T10:18:00.000-04:00

Everyone, these days, has an opinion.....I spent this last week being interviewed by endorsing groups. It is a bit of an intimidating experience, because there is one of you and nine or a dozen of them sitting around a table asking you the answers to questions where there's probably a "right" answer but you don't know what it is! Or, you know what it is, but everyone they're interviewing is giving the "right" answer so how do you distinguish yourself? I had four of these interviews face to face in Beantown and one by phone. One group has already reported in and, while they thought I was charming, (I mean, who couldn't love me?) they are backing the candidate with a pre-existing voting record. This actually doesn't surprise me. It may happen again. All I can do is show up and give it my best shot. ON THE OTHER HAND, Blog Comments just rated my blog a FIVE STAR!!!!! Top of the Heap! So take THAT all you other blogger candidates (of which there are few.....) Off to buck up my self-esteem and convince the insiders that I can, believe it or not, win. I am going to win. It's just not the conventional wisdom right now.

OH WHAT A NIGHT/DAY!

2006-06-16T03:43:00.000-04:00

In my wildest dreams, I never imagined that my kickoff day could be so much fun! At the beginning of the week, to be perfectly frank, I was beginning to get a knot in my stomach. What if no one showed up? What if it rained all day? I spent Wednesday a.m. getting some advice from two of my most media-savvy friends and they not only gave me good observations about my speech but also put my head into a different psychic space. So hats off first to Judy and Cathy for a job well done! First thing Thursday a.m. I was again putting finishing touches on my remarks.....wonder what the effect is that it now doesn't match what's in the press kits but that's someone else's problem. Get to Spring Street (our first stop) at 8:20 and there doesn't seem to be a soul in sight except the inestimable Joe Engwer. He assures me that numbers of people are sitting over at Tunnel City waiting for the action....and indeed they are. I looked quite cheery in my Senator suit and Kim had brought a red lapel flower with a red white and blue ribbon attached for what Myra would call a "splash of red." We ended up having 40 people on Spring Street and what a wonderful sendoff! The most poignant moment came when my friend Jean Donati said "Nadine would have been SO proud of you!" Nadine Kalt died way to early of lymphoma and was a friend, mentor and Mount Holyoke alum. There were MHC alums around all day and so her presence was felt. I'm not sure the people in each crowd realized how MUCH it meant to me to be able to look out at their faces.....supportive and inspiring. Quick stop at the office for additional editing and on to North Adams Regional Hospital. NARH had been kind enough to let us use the new portico as a backdrop and it was a wonderful event. The most special moment was seeing a dear friend who will be undergoing chemo (at the age of 40 no less....) just emerging from the hospital where she'd had a port put in. She looked gorgeous even though she'd just been through a surgical procedure and it did my heart enormous amounts of good to see her. And one of "my elders" happened to be waiting for her ride home and she grabbed a bunch of buttons to take back to her friends. The stop at an AARP luncheon will be left for the book......lunch at Cafe Reva was delicious -- have you EVER had eggplant fries? They're to die for.....and then on to Stockbridge for a TERRIFIC press conference including Carrie Saldo of WAMC who's been my friend and reporter since her days as a cub on The Transcript. (By the time we got home someone had already heard Carrie's piece on the radio...!) The elders asked great questions and we had a good time. No one believed that my campaign chair, Peter Marchetti, HAD REALLY MADE THE ITALIAN COOKIES WE BROUGHT. They all accused him of stopping at Morningside Bakery. You can imagine how good they were if people thought they were from Morningside, the home of Champagne Cake, the official cake of Elder Services. So we are posting his recipe on the website just to prove he made them! We will also be posting some random photos from the day. And the brochures are in! So when people say "do you have any literature?" (I'm usually deaccessioning my life, so I don't WANT more literature. But some people actually won't take MY WORD for it that I'm wonderful. They want it in print.....) I can actually hand them something! It was hard to pull myself away from Heaton Court but we got up to Pittsfield and did our last press conference right on North Street complete with three of the major league hitters of the Berkshire press corps -- Joel Librizzi, Jack Dew and Larry Kratka. As I said later in my remarks at the party, I've been to dozens of these events......BUT THEYVE NEVER BEEN ABOUT ME! The party at Zucchini's couldn't have been better. The venue had been chosen weeks before Joe joined the campaign. On first hearing the plan, he said "YOU NEVER HAVE YOUR KICKOFF OUTSIDE YOUR HOME BASE!" He said if 50 people showed he'd be thrilled. Try double that number. We had Stockbridge, Mt. Washington, Adams, Pittsfield, Lenox, Lanesborough to name a few and of course a WONDERFUL Williamstown contingent. It will not surprise you that I was in bed by 9PM. Which is why I'm up at 3AM posting to this blog. It was a wonderful moment in time. Would that all my campaign experiences lived up to June 15, 2006! Happy Birthday Uncle Bob...!

STRAW POLLS

2006-06-11T06:31:00.000-04:00

Well, you didn't think I was going to post to this blog and NOT mention the WHEN straw poll, did you? Yes, I won....so I am going to enjoy my 15 minutes of fame. There will be setbacks in this campaign and when they happen I will have needed to enjoy the peak moments to get me through the troughs. (Have I mixed enough metaphors here? ) This time the order of candidate answers was varied so we got fewer "me too" answers. I think the most interesting question was "What have you done in your life to reach out to people who were different from you?" Really makes you stop and think, which hopefully is what these sessions do. If we all just repeat our stump speech, none of us will learn much. People are always asking "How is it going?" I tell them it's going well, and I actually believe what I'm telling them! What I recognize is that I get energy from meeting people and experiencing their participation in the process. There really isn't anything like Democracy to make your heart go pitty pat. I also had my first standout with my friend Alice at a local Post Office. It was fun meeting people and, again, some really good questions. The problem, of course, is I tell people what I think, rather than waffling. And so you can see this funny look come over their faces like "that's not what I wanted you to tell me...." and they wander off. People CLAIM they want to hear it from the horse's mouth. And they probably do. But anymore we don't have a tradition of respecting that on some issues, reasonable people will disagree. Question is: Is there a group of voters out there who are willing to cast their vote for a candidate with integrity, who's willing to listen to differences of opinion and who is willing to be honest about where she's standing at the moment? We'll see.

I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

2006-06-04T21:52:00.000-04:00

I was thinking of doing two posts....one for the Convention and one for my 35th college reunion, but there is a theme that ties them both together. This was a wonderful, if exhausting, weekend, but what a kick! Started off with a telephone interview with Planned Parenthood and then on to a terrific coffee given by Stephanie Beling, MHC '57. Interesting people with good questions and a very supportive feeling in the room. After a dynamite haircut from Susan Burns in Lee, I was off to the Convention. As if I needed to be reminded of how much I love politics, people there kept saying "Margie, aren't you tired?" And at the time I really wasn't. Even though I had schlepped two tons of puzzle books to the convention floor in 110% humidity, the minute I started chatting with the delegation my feet didn't hurt anymore (ok, so I took off my shoes....) and I felt energized. The rumored rules changes didn't materialize but it was interesting to see how many people turned out for Friday night. Special thanks to Rep. Chris Speranzo for the Guinness (sp?) and to Auditor Joe DeNucci for the only food I had all evening. I guess Martha Coakley and Tim Cahill were responsible for the food too, but they had left by the time I got there....or in the case of Martha, we got to connect as she walked out the door with the world's BEST CAMPAIGN MANAGER (other than Joe Engwer...) Dennis Newman. And the amazing Joe Shannon, manager in training. Next day dawned bright and early and breakfast was even more fun because Cam Kerry was staying at our hotel and I got to meet my first lobbyist, who, as it turns out, has mental health as part of her portfolio, a subject in which I am schooled having worked at N Berkshire MH in the 80's. Back over to the Convention hall and things were already hopping. Checking in, signing one's name, making sure that the i's were dotted and the t's were crossed. We had the BEST delegation. Nice people. Many were first time attendees and their enthusiasm and energy did a lot to make the weekend a success. Also saw our former State Rep. Tom Lussier who now lives in DC during the week, fairly close to David Ware and the future Jenny Ware. Mayors Claire Higgins and Michael Bissonnette rounded out the cast of greats and near greats, not to mention Steve Grossman. The moment I knew that the ballots had been certified I booked it out of the DCU Center (sorry Tim Murray....you had my support but I figured you could get that endorsement on the second ballot without me....) into literally POURING rain to South Hadley and the 35th reunion of the Class of 1971. They had put my posters up in Chapin Auditorium (the parade was cancelled for rain) and hopefully SOME of the audience lived in one of the 48 communities in the BHF district. My classmates were great wanting to hear about the convention and the campaign and I returned home with several hundred dollars in contributions from uncommon women...... Two of the people there were friends from freshman year (now called "first year") in college and said "Margie, we always knew this was what you were meant to do." It literally brought tears to my eyes. It's pretty hard to impress people who were classmates of Pulitzer Prize-winner Wendy Wasserstein....we're an amazing group of people....and so their love and support were all the more appreciated. Back home and collapsing. BUSY WEEK this week with a WHEN forum and standouts and parties.

AND THE BEAT GOES ON

2006-05-30T06:48:00.000-04:00

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone....all sorts of activities including the wonderful Riverfest in Williamstown where I went for a raft ride on the Hoosic. Now I've ridden on rafts in Colorado and Wyoming....but I never went on the Hoosic....how dumb is that? I learned a lot from our wonderful guide. The saddest thing was seeing an old town dump from 30 years ago that is now exposed right on the river. It needs to be recapped but the question is, will that be enough? One of the best things about running for office is learning new things, listening to other's opinions and generally trying to keep an open mind. It's hard because the natural inclination is to convince the other person that you're right and that you know everything. And sometimes you're speaking to someone who themselves doesn't have an open mind, and so all you can do is listen. But it behooves one to try and figure out where the wisdom lies.....I am sad to say that today I imposed a new control on this blog. You have to be "registered" to comment. It's not my style, but I came home after a very long day on the campaign trail to find a snide remark awaiting me. I don't mind snide if the person says who he is. Then I can put it in context. But anonymous snide I don't need. This is a difficult enough task, "putting yourself out there" and generally allowing anyone in the world to have an opinion on you, that one doesn't need gratuitous taunts. So sorry everyone. This week is the Democratic State Convention. I've been to tons of them....but never as a candidate.....not sure what to expect in that all the focus will be on governor and lt. gov. but all the Senate candidates will be there trying to grab people's attention too. It should be quite the experience. We will have the famous oval "WARE" window stickers available and a few posters and will generally try to work the crowd. It helped that the Deval Patrick delegates had two meetings this weekend....one in North County and one in Pittsfield. It's a great group of people that I'm proud to be associated with. It always helps to learn people's names and faces before you get to the hubub of the convention floor. For some people this is a first convention so you want to make sure they have fun and feel part of what is going on. It's democracy in action with a large dose of chaos thrown in. I also just noticed that I missed my own "blogiversary." I began this blog last 16 May so happy versary to me. What a difference a year makes.....

INTRIGUE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

2006-05-25T08:10:00.000-04:00

It's one thing to be known as the "Blogger Candidate." It's another to have time to campaign and blog. Which is probably why very few do it! In reading my last post I realized that I had left out THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN MY PRESENT POLITICAL LIFE (with the exception of the undying support of my spouse and offspring....) I HAVE A CAMPAIGN MANAGER!!!! It is even cooler than having a big map of one's senate district. Joe Engwer is, simply put, the answer to a prayer. When you have a campaign manager, you call him/her up and ask them to do something....AND THEY DO IT!!!! Now it works both ways...he calls you up a lot and says "remember to do this" or "you have to take care of that" but that's helpful and it sure beats me bugging my husband when he's getting ready for a trial....I am also profoundly lucky that Joe has a WONDERFUL sense of humor and so he can keep me laughing when I need a chuckle. Which brings us to the intrigue. Of course the first aspect of "rumor, intrigue, innuendo and the usual campaign guff" (I'm not allowed to be salty in my speech/humor now that I'm a candidate....) was that a rumor was going around that I was paying Joe five times as much as I was. I WISH I could pay him that much. He's worth it. But no.....this is the children's crusade where we raise $ on a "just in time" basis....like the rent was due on the headquarters and VOILA! three of my college friends sent me enough scratch to pay for the rent and the security deposit. The more disturbing aspect of intrigue was the report I received last week while I was taking R & R in DC (for my future daughter-in-law's bridal shower....an event which couldn't have been better timed because I needed a break and I was somewhere where no one asked about prescription drug coverage and I didn't have to be a candidate...although I did meet someone at the shower who had a friend in Alford....but I digress.....) was that a "push poll" was being conducted in the District. A push poll is ostensibly a poll to ask voters what candidate they're supporting, but it also contains negative information about many of the other candidates so that the respondent is, perhaps, pushed to make a choice based on "information" received during the question. This poll had negative information on three of us and positive information on a fourth person. One never knows whether there was some third party involved, or the candidate didn't know it was happening or what. But it violates the ethics of the American Assocation of Political Consultants and hopefully it won't happen again. There was some other intrigue that we'll save for the book, but the intrigue is, to be perfectlyhonest, distracting, energy-draining and counterproductive. Hopefully there's just this little flurry and then we can go back to concentrating on a positive message for the voters. And speaking of "campaign trail" my "campaign trail mix" apparently can't be taken into the Convention Center because God forbid someone might eat so much of it that they don't want to purchase overpriced food from the DCU center (you can tell I'm not running for Mayor of Worcester.....) Foiled again!

THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR....

2006-05-18T06:19:00.000-04:00

or that some of us have been waiting for. The first candidate forum. I wouldn't say we went mano e mano since there probably wasn't a dime's worth of difference among our positions, but it was a good crowd (there may have even been two undecideds in the room, you never know...!) and it was a wonderful warmup to what will be a long and winding road to the nomination. Modesty prevents me from telling how well I did but suffice it to say I've been winnowed in. We sat up on a very crowded stage at the American Legion in Dalton and yours truly was literally "on the edge" (if you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!) and also had the distinction of getting to go FIRST for the opening and closing remarks and LAST for the one minute answers to the questions. They didn't rotate the one minute answers, so I was ALWAYS last and so the temptation would have been to say "me, too!" but of course the challenge was to reframe the issue each time with a bit different lens. So while the format wasn't perfect, the mental exercise it provided was probably worth it. The other highlight has been the article on the "Blogger Candidate" coming out in the Valley Advocate. The blogosphere is bouncing it around and talking about it. Andrew Varnon did a wonderful job with the piece and so he wins the award this week for MY NEW BEST FRIEND. And, oh yeah, Medicare D closed the open enrollment period on Monday and we're still standing. In fact, I witnessed an interesting phenomenon yesterday. The phone was QUIET. I sort of didn't know what to do.....and then I remembered that there are other people who actually don't have a phone growing out of their ear at work, and can catch up on long forgotten administrative tasks and can plan ahead. Who'd a thunk it? A new life. It may take me some time to adjust.

COOL MAPS

2006-05-10T20:24:00.000-04:00

Bet you didn't know you could get cool maps at the Secretary of State's office. You might not even know that the S of S has a "Western" office in Springfield. It was actually my second visit. I once was there to file a friend's papers. Now I was filing my own. The experience will be part of the memoirs but suffice it to say that I filed signatures and an ethics statement and supposedly I'm ON THE BALLOT. Now, of course, since I'm the WORKING PERSON'S CANDIDATE (I actually work all day and campaign at night and on weekends....) I had to do this in the midst of attending a conference in Springfield....Efficiency at lunchtime as we say.....I also tried to book myself as the keynote speaker for the conference next year with the title of my speech being "Up From The Trenches" with Senator Margaret Johnson Ware. Well, they wanted someone funny, and I am that....you never know. But let's start at the beginning. Yesterday, I worked all day in Pittsfield and then drove to Lenox for a 5:30 meeting with the Lenox DTC. The only good thing about having it at the same time as a kickoff event for one of my opponents was that at least his supporters weren't there. But hardly anyone else was either although the people who were there were quite wonderful. Then on to Becket. GREAT crowd. Appeared with another opponent. On to Lanesborough Town Meeting. I have to admit I left at 9:30 or so when they were on Article 9 and they had 31 more to go. They were actually going to go faster, but since I'd been up since 5:30 it seemed like the right choice. And then the temperature indicator on my car says its overheating on the way home. Except it wasn't.....but that scared me so I needed to change cars today. But the dogs ran away from my husband at the track, so I was late for the above-referenced conference.....I DONT THINK THE OTHER CANDIDATES HAVE TO PUT UP WITH ALL OF THIS!!!! I literally have to have a "staffer" to tell me if my tag is tucked in at the back of my dress and if I have a run in my stocking. And then someone to tell me where my car keys and cell phones (I have to have two....one for work and one for personal...) are. This is HAHD WUUK as Betsy Ware would have said when she was four.....but I'm LOVING IT!!!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

2006-05-07T08:31:00.000-04:00

Well, it seems I'm going to have to be a LOT more responsible about this blog. Now one of the State Reps says he's reading it and so I have a responsibility to keep everyone posted. So, how about if we start with this: In Plainfield, they DONT know where the bodies are buried. One of the problems of living in an old New England town is that sometimes records are lost or unreadable or not accurate. And it turns out (please don't quote me because this is NOT an area of my expertise!) that the cemetery records in one of the main cemeteries are inaccurate, and so to compensate for that, they've been burying people on the outer reaches of the real estate just so they don't "run into" anyone. Well, the outer reaches are all filled up and we have to have a moratorium. Anyone willing to pay for a sonar detector should contact the cemetary commissioners. Condo conversions are also being considered. Seriously folks, it was a wonderful afternoon. The people of Plainfield are committed to their community and are willing to sit for an almost inestimable amount of time on not very comfortable furniture to make sure the place is run right. They have hardworking volunteers in town government and Thomas Jefferson would have been proud to be a part of their town meeting. But it is true that at this time, they don't know where the bodies are buried.....Meanwhile in Ashfield, you have to have even more stamina than in Plainfield. You start at 10AM, take a lunch break at 1PM and keep going. In both communities, the fate and future of the Mohawk Regional School district was the main topic of discussion. In both towns, the final votes supporting the schools was not particularly close but the debate before the votes was intense, respectful and impassioned. There were at least as many people present in Ashfield as we get in Williamstown (with the exception of the famous waterline meeting that pulled 1,000+) so that's commendable considering that they have a smaller population. The relatively new Mohawk superintendent, Michael Buonocanti (my apologies if my spelling is off -- especially because Mike's brother is STEVE who is a State Senator..!) had to speak to three town meetings in one day, and had just finished six others within the last week or so. The fact that he could still keep his cool in Plainfield is a tribute to his stamina and commitment to his job. There are no easy answers, but I have a much better handle on the school building/funding issues in these communities than I did on Friday. Now Lenox was a whole different story....and yet it wasn't. The selectmen held onto their health insurance by 15 votes.....it is a comment on the place that health insurance plays in all our lives that this was a heated (but again respectful) discussion. A few years ago, the costs and availability of health insurance weren't much on people's radar screens. We now have the "haves" and "have nots" and the costs are exhorbitant. It will be interesting to see what effect the new health insurance reform legislation has on these discussions. Will the cities and towns actually be able to control some of their costs? It is a good thing that people who don't live in a town really can't jump up and participate in someone else's town meeting. I am a former selectman and I do health insurance counseling. I had LOTS of thoughts I could have shared. But I sat quietly in my seat and whispered to my neighbor. But I also learned a tremendous amount. Lenox also passed the CPA that night....it still has to appear on the ballot, but I was pleased to see the discussion. And their effort to allow single family residences to add "in law" apartments is commendable in a community where affordable housing is almost nonexistent. One of the reasons that my family moved to MA is that we loved the idea of the traditional New England town meeting and I have yet to be disappointed when watching this time-honored version of democracy in action. I hope no one ever tries to convert THAT to cyberspace!

GOODBYE TO MARGEPAC

2006-04-28T07:58:00.000-04:00

Well, as it does to many, the days of MargePAC have come to an end. The Office of Campaign and Political Finance gave me "conservative" advice and said that changing the Chair of my PAC from myself to my husband might not cut the mustard. The PAC still had my name on it, and candidates cannot have PACs. So we closed it down yesterday. RIP. Gave the rest of the $ to Deval Patrick so he could get two inches further down the road to victory. It was fun while it lasted. I learned a lot, got wonderful support from good friends and supported terrific candidates. I had three wins and the jury is out on two other candidates (Coakley and Patrick....although I think Martha's closer to the tape than Deval at this point....) I learned to ask people for $, something that will hopefully stand me in good stead in this campaign. As readers know, I have a "thing" about the influence/effect of $ in politics. One of the wonderful things that has happened so far is that I have received unsolicited campaign contributions from people who know how expensive it is to participate in this process. Many of the people were giving the "widow's mite" sums that were far more than their budgets usually allowed. To them and to all my contributors I say "THANK YOU." I will never forget you no matter what the outcome of the election. So we are opening the campaign account today, paying some bills and then starting to solicit and spend dollars. I guess it will have to be a "faith response." I'll have to have faith that "if you build it, they will come." We'll see!!!!

Well, We're Off and Running

2006-04-23T09:46:00.000-04:00

Saturday a.m. was my first experience being in the same room as the other members of the field. One of the things that is true about politics is that people get into it because they want to be loved. It's a bit like junior high. So the first thing I had to learn is that all of the people present are going to talk to all of the candidates -- I talked to all of the candidates -- and so one can't spend one's time wondering if the person who is speaking to one of your opponents loves them more than they love you. They are all assessing, asking questions and also being polite. It is a dance sort of like a mixer....Modesty prevents me from describing in detail how I thought this matchup came off but I felt fine as I left. The backstory will be part of the memoirs. It was a rainy day so that gave me a perfect excuse not to stand outside and get signatures. We are counting them up and we appear to be in good shape but one has awful nightmares about your dog eating the nomination papers or someone spilling coffee on them and invalidating them. So I will drop off more tomorrow to City clerks to get more certified and get one step closer to really being on the ballot.

2006-04-20T22:44:00.000-04:00

I suppose that this was one of (or THE) first day that I took a vacation day for campaign purposes. After 12 hours I'm definitely ready for bed but it was a great day. I had the privilege of appearing on a panel about women running for office. I knew that Rep. Ellen Story would be the moderator, but I had no idea that Rep. Mary Rogeness and Mayor Clare Higgins of Northampton would ALSO be in attendance. The other panelist was Rosemary Sandlin who is running for State Rep. from the Agawam district. She had just suffered a devastating fire at her house and it was amazing that she could even show up! I won't go into the details of the panel discussion but hearing these experienced women talk about what got them started made me realize how many other people had to break the ice before I had the guts to proverbially throw my hat in the ring. And to bring things full circle, a former colleague of mine, Peggy Fallon, was in the audience and I didn't even recognize her. Luckily I'm sure that's not because I'm getting older....I'm sure her hair is different or SOMETHING! I spent the first hour in Amherst being interviewed by a reporter from the Valley Advocate. Interestingly, the whole "blogger as candidate" thing does appeal to a number of people. My friend Sally drove me to and from the event which not only gave me a break from driving but also someone else to gauge reactions, observations, etc. We also made a quick stop in Conway and got some good advice on photo ops! After I got home I headed out solo to the Berkshire County Selectman's Association dinner where I did a bit of working the room but mostly catching up with old friends. And then on to the Second Congregational Church in Pittsfield for a Deval Patrick meeting. They have gotten grassroots down to a science. I only hope I can take some lessons from that campaign and parlay them into helping my own efforts. And, as Ben Jonson would say, "and so to bed...." I'm 'zausted!

Berkshire Hampshire Franklin/Pittsfield Williamstown Stockbridge

2006-04-14T21:09:00.000-04:00

Four weeks as a candidate and I'm still standing... Peter Larkin is out. We won't go into that because it would take an entire blog entry and in reality that will be part of the memoirs no matter how the election goes. And have I learned a lot. I've had lots of lunches and breakfasts with lots of people. Some are straightforward with me (much appreciated....) Some are more indirect verging on obtuse. That's harder for me because I'm a "what you see is what you get" kind of person. Some people are obviously speaking in code and I'm supposed to discern the truth. Very complex and often below the radar but I guess it's a case of "cultural competency" -- I have to learn to live in their territory/world rather than introducing them to mine. The most fun things are the unexpected, serendipitous happenings that may end up shaping my world profoundly. A chance encounter with someone who's impressed by something I say. Being introduced to a dynamic couple in Franklin County who have "been there, done that" and have lots of wisdom. Finding friends who know somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody....Getting a call from a virtual stranger who gives me one of the best ideas of the campaign, gratis. I guess it's no surprise that the biggest obstacle I have to overcome is geography. I do not live in Pittsfield. I work in Pittsfield, but unfortunately, the management won't let me spend the night at the office. It makes me ponder the nature of "belonging" and "community." Are we Western MA or Berkshire County, or North/Central/South County or individual towns/cities? And what does each construct say about our ability to solve problems and work on common solutions? I did get to float my idea about a sci/tech magnet high school in Pittsfield for a group this a.m. and got a few encouraging nods, so that was a plus. The hardest thing is that we are a small community of 160,000 souls. Everyone knows everyone and no one wants to "take sides" or "commit" because they know everyone/owe everyone/love everyone. And some people might pay a price for making a commitment, and who among us is willing to do that over a political race? All I can control is how hard I work, how many people I meet and what ideas I promote. The rest is up to the voters.

SUBSTANCE VS. IMAGE

2006-04-10T23:00:00.000-04:00

In case you didn't realize it, throwing your hat into the ring, when you're a female candidate, is the equivalent of running the gauntlet at a college mixer. OK, so I'm dating myself. No one KNOWS what a college mixer is anymore. Well, in the olden days, when men were men and women were co-eds, those of us who attended women's colleges had to go to mixers to meet the opposite sex. And often, you'd get off a bus in some misbegotten town (I live in one of those towns now and so it's doubly funny!) and in order to get to the facility where the dance was being held you literally had to walk past almost every one of the young men who were attending the event. At the less polite schools, the comments got pretty rough; it is alleged that at one school, if you went to the cafeteria, there would be a number put on your tray by the cashier which indicated the "vote" of the collective dishwashers and scoopers (I guess) about your general outward appearance. Guess what....not much has changed. I want Barney Frank to tell me that he had people telling him not to look rumpled, and Smitty Pignatelli telling me that everyone said he had to gain weight. But somehow I don't think that happened. But it turns out that there is an entire industry devoted to having women candidates "dress for success" and wear "signature pieces of jewelry" not to mention the whole botox/hair color/makeup thing. Now I did hear that General Schwarzkopf and people like that have to use botox because, one the one hand they have to have gravitas and experience, but on the other hand you don't want them to look old and haggard. So they have image consultants. But last time I looked, I wasn't invading Iraq, or even appearing on anything bigger than cable TV so why this is such an issue I really don't know. Suffice it to say that I now have two campaign suits, although I'm trying not to do the total Hillary thing with six black pants suits, and a variety of blouses. And you just might see that signature piece of jewelry. There's not much interest in my ideas on education, workforce development and customer service in government, but ask someone whether I should perm my hair, and you've got a debate going!

RABBIT, RABBIT

2006-04-01T05:37:00.000-05:00

One of the advantages of waking up at 4:30 a.m. is that you can remember to say "Rabbit, Rabbit" as your first spoken words of the month because no one is up at that awful hour to talk to! (Or I suppose I could have called my daughter in LA and see if I could wake her up.....)

And I just realized it's also APRIL FOOLS DAY! I'm not sure that I'm up for either playing any tricks or having any played on me. Life is currently playing enough tricks to last a lifetime. On Friday March 17, when we all heard that our current State Senator, Andrea Nuciforo, Jr., wasn't running for office again, one comment was "It's St. Patrick's Day. Not April Fool's Day. I'm not kidding."

I'm currently off the campaign trail at the moment, playing mom. Hopefully my minions are out collecting signatures at a rapid rate so that when I return, I can simply put my feet up, and smile for the camera and pontificate. HA!

And speaking of cameras, for someone who hates having her picture taken, this will be AGONY. I've already been asked by two media outlets if I have a picture I can email. I do not keep pictures of myself, nor do I send them out. I've been married 35 years. One doesn't need to have a picture posted! But now I'll have to have lots and so my friend Duncan in DC took some pictures yesterday and hopefully ONE of them will come out (you have to take about 100 -- which he did -- the wonders of digital photography -- to get one good one of me....) and I can send it to whoever wants it. But then you have to do the whole brochure thing with probably MORE than one picture. Since our kids are grown and living elsewhere, I suggested to my husband that we have a picture with our two dogs. To show that we're a nukular family. The dogs are underwhelmed by the idea. It means standing still and that's not part of their skill set.

So we "moms" are off to Orange VA today with the bride and groom - to- be to taste food at the Willow Grove Inn and check out B & B's. Hey, it's a job! As I keep telling people. Thank goodness I'm not the mother of the bride. I don't think brides would think it was very funny for your mom to start running for State Senate in the middle of wedding preparations. As it is, my son and future daughter-in-law are being VERY GOOD SPORTS.

Maybe I can get another hour's sleep before we head off. Sleep is an issue these days. I wake up writing speeches, making "call lists" and generally trying to use every moment. But then the body says STOP! and I have to fall asleep. Which I did at 9PM last night. But it means I'm the perfect houseguest. So there are advantages.

All the other candidates have dropped out of the State Senate race because they've seen that there's no possible way to beat me. APRIL FOOLS!

ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER

2006-03-27T22:52:00.000-05:00

Well, I've survived five percent of the campaign, and I'm still running. I suppose that's some kind of accomplishment. I've been written about in the press and probably talked about behind closed doors. I'm privy to the first, not to the second. Going to the different communities and meeting new people is still the most fun thing about the journey. Yesterday afternoon was Windsor, which sits on top of a mountain and offers some of the best food in the universe. In my work with elders, we always compete with one another to see who gets to do a presentation in Windsor, because they always have great lunches....INCLUDING WINE! Of course, at work we can't drink, and when you're a candidate you really can't drink, but it still makes for a very festive atmosphere! But the best part of the event was the fact that people were encouraged to bring their kids to this Sunday afternoon potluck buffet. They were all ages and some played outside, some sat inside, some were literally babes in arms (opportunity to kiss my SECOND baby of the campaign!) But it was a great example of how you can't teach kids about democracy unless they see adults going to meetings, voting, meeting candidates, working for something they believe in. I met a wonderful young woman who, it turns out, goes to Dartmouth, my son's alma mater, so that was very special. I sometimes wonder whether it makes any difference to someone that age, or younger, when they see a woman running for office. At the moment, that's really the only time I think about the gender thing. Mostly I'm driving in my car, planning, strategizing, brainstorming, organizing my thoughts, and it seems pretty irrelevant what my gender is. I'm running for office. I need to go and earn a living from 9 to 5. Time is precious and every contact counts. The funniest reactions I've gotten are from the volunteers in my program. They all ASSUME I'm going to win and write emails like "Gee, we'll miss you at SHINE, but you'll do a great job!" It doesn't seem to occur to them that I could have my head handed to me either in September or November! Which is why one loves to be in campaigns where the volunteers are wide-eyed, enthusiastic true believers. They will be the people to buoy you up when the going gets tough. And we KNOW the going will get tough.

BLOGGERS IN POLITICS

2006-03-22T07:44:00.000-05:00

I just got a nice note from Lynne (Left in Lowell) saying "there should be more bloggers in politics."

What an interesting confluence this is.....I started this blog because there was discussion in the editorial pages (it might have been in the blogosphere, but I was uninitiated at that point) about "women's voices" in the media. A college classmate and I were discussing it and I said "yeah, I should go back to writing op-eds and humor pieces....I'm not in elected office anymore and don't have to worry about people not being comfortable with a 'funny' Selectman." She said "Why don't you start a blog? Your voice will be heard outside the boundaries of Berkshire County."

That was less than a year ago. From that first post or two, I "met" this whole group of people, most of whom I've never laid eyes on, and we have debated, discussed, dissed and diced to our hearts' content. It's been glorious. They're smart, savvy and socially conscious -- my kind of people. In the isolation of a Berkshire winter, they provide warmth and sustenance until the crocuses come up.

Imagine my surprise then, on Monday night, when my husband and I are driving to a campaign event in Charlemont (and I can now tell you that it's pronounced like the ch in "church" not like the Sh sound in Charlemagne or Champagne!) and we hear my good friend Carrie Saldo on WAMC (poor kid started out covering Selectman's meetings in Williamstown for the North Adams Transcript and look where she is now! Berkshire Bureau staff on NPR!) that "while Margaret Ware couldn't be reached for comment, a message on her blog stated, "......"

And then some people actually went and looked at my blog! And friends like Michael DiChiara, filling in a colleague returning from vacation, directed her to my blog. It's awesome!

Now, there is only one drawback to this "bloggers in politics" thing. There will now be a certain professiona patina to my musings and pronouncements. The reality of a political campaign, and life in general, is that everything that is public (and even things you don't THINK are public) are grist for the mill. And voters wonder why their elected officials and candidates waffle! So the goal is to maintain the honesty of this vehicle and its ability to ask tough questions and get feedback without feeling like I have to measure my every word for fear it will be misinterpreted. There has to be a certain measure of goodwill in a campaign. Hopefully the other candidates and I will have it among ourselves. Certainly we hope that the voters cut us some slack. Print and broadcast media -- what thinkest thou?

OFF AND RUNNING

2006-03-18T01:49:00.000-05:00

You may see a change of "voice" in this blog because I'm not a regular person anymore. I'm a candidate.

I'd say "let me be the first to announce my candidacy in the blogosphere" but my friend Bill Densmore scooped me on my own story. He spilled the beans on GreylockNews tonight, having attended a party my husband and his new law partner gave to celebrate their new relationship.

I was sorry to confuse the situation by announcing to the gathered guests that I was running for State Senator, but we have only a few weeks to collect signatures on nomination papers, so one can't be a shrinking violet.

What is this you say? State Senator? Yes, folks, it's true. Our incumbent State Senator, Andrea Nuciforo, announced today that he is not running for re-election. My personal prediction is that the race will attract ten candidates.

It took me thirty seconds to decide.

Unfortunately, that was at 4PM and my husband's party started at 5PM. I called him at 4:45 to let him know his life was about to change. He was very gracious about it....!
I also had to tell my boss I was running and call two friends. So I was late to the party. But candidates are always late, right?

Anyhow, I secured the endorsements of two Republicans and a handful of hometown pals which was very encouraging. Most encouraging was the reaction of my kids, who now live in DC and LA. The primary is a few days after my son's wedding, so we'll have a busy summer.

Politics has been my lifelong passion. It feeds my soul and I have thought a lot about whether I might some day run for higher office. It seemed like a moot point because the higher offices were all held by good friends of mine. ( I should point out that "higher" in this case refers to the fact that I was formerly a Selectman in Williamstown for nine years. ) I enjoyed my time in that role and saw the effects that State decisions had on a small community. I think I have something to contribute from that perspective, as well as from the perspective of a parent, a human services employee, and a concerned citizen.

This will be an interesting race. For the sake of the Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin district, I hope the best person wins.

SPENDING MONEY IN THE RED STATES

2006-03-09T08:34:00.000-05:00

Well, after the 2004 election, I vowed not to spend any $ in a red state. I took a vacation to San Diego (albeit a red part of a blue state!) and licked my wounds.

But of course my son lives in VA, so if we want to go visit, we have to cross the border. After that it's a slippery slope to fun and sun in the winter. First it was a trip to Naples (FL, not Italy...) and Palm Beach. I was visiting Democrats so I thought that that ameliorated things a bit. And besides, I was recovering from advising people on Medicare D, which the R's dreamed up. And my daughter was busy in CA, so I was forced to go to FL....I'm a Democrat and can't afford not to vacation where I don't have friends.

Now we're seeing the Carolinas. And a bit of Georgia. I have yet to see a bumper sticker or lawn sign for a D candidate. If they are Dems, they probably don't advertise it I guess. I did see a Linda Lovelace for Governor as a Republican....could it be the same? Maybe the South is more interesting than I give it credit for.

I can't believe that the entire city of New Orleans didn't decamp to Savannah. What a gorgeous city! And if you want to eat like a queen, go to Alligator Soul. For a real southern experience, there's Mrs. Wilke's, which has twenty dishes on the table family style. Vegetarians could get more than enough to eat! Now we're in Charleston and my husband FINALLY gets to see Ft. Sumter after all these years. He was studying for an antitrust exam the last time we were here and had to eschew tourism.

I'm sure you all want to know how the dogs are doing. Well, in point of fact, they're great. Savannah is a particularly dog-friendly city (drinking fountains with places for dogs and a restaurant on River St. that had out a dog water dish with a slice of lemon!) and Charleston is too. Our friends Virg and Shane live outside the city limits of Asheville in Buncombe (as in "that's pure buncombe") County and they had the run of the hills which pleased them no end. Tomorrow we are on to Richmond, then DC, then home. We have decided not to burn and pillage as we make our way north. We feel it is more appropriate to eat them out of house and home and wear T shirts that say "Free DC" or "1992 Democratic National Convention" as sort of subliminal advertising.

But in the midst of this one observation. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY WHEN YOUNG MEN BURN DOWN CHURCHES AS A "JOKE?" Remember that this happened in "family values" land -- Alabama. I know I will raise the ire of my friends when I say we need to be teaching values and character in the schools but obviously people aren't getting it at home! There was a wonderful op-ed in the USA Today of all things from an AP history teacher at TC Williams H.S. in Alexandria VA (TC is the alma mater of my daughter-in-law to-be, BTW...) about how one of the reasons h.s. students are failing is because many of them have no work ethic. And that parents are enabling this behavior by always agreeing with their kid and not backing up the teacher. It was a bold observation and I commend him for it. And, as a former substitute teacher in a high school NOT in the inner city, I can tell you it resonated with me.

We "progressives" have been remiss about not wanting to speak out about values clarity. Understanding values and ethics is one of the things that keeps a free society free and underpins democracy. It's how you learn it's NOT OK TO STEAL elections.

Or as Fastow said "I thought I was being a team player for Enron." Yeah, right.

REMEMBER THE SCENARIO....

2006-02-04T03:50:00.000-05:00

We need to get Cheney to resign before we can impeach W. While some might think that this a remote possibility, and I suppose it is, I offer exhibit H, or whatever letter we're up to by now ........ WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 — Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff told prosecutors that Mr. Cheney had informed him "in an off sort of curiosity sort of fashion" in mid-June 2003 about the identity of the C.I.A. officer at the heart of the leak case, according to a formerly secret legal opinion, parts of which were made public on Friday." Now, I'm not sure the of the construction of the sentence "in an off sort of curiousity sort of fashion" (perhaps that is part of the newspeak so popular among this Administration?) but I do know that the Dick broke the law.......But are we surprised?

SO LIKE I WAS SAYING....

2006-01-20T05:43:00.000-05:00

I left town right after the Berkshire Brigades dinner and had a WONDERFUL weekend in our Nation's Capital and in the Cradle of Liberty.

Friday night we dined with my son and his fiancee and her mom, the incredible Judy Hansen. Dinner was in Crystal City at Oyamel which, if you haven't been there, is a MUST SEE! Gorgeous sculpture of butterflies hanging from the ceiling because apparently Oyamel is where the Monarchs go to hang out in the winter. Wonderful tapas and a pomegranate margarita to die for.

I'd say it doesn't get any better, but then on Saturday we had our Gourmet Dinner group, six couples who have been breaking bread together for close to 30 years. While there was no crab imperial, there was wonderful salmon/spinach wrapped in phyllo dough and a chocolate cake that made you want to curl up and die. Sunday in PHL there were fried oysters, keeping the seafood theme, and then wonderful Mandarin cuisine complete with dim sum on Monday for Nano's 91st birthday.

So maybe this is why, with all the eating and drinking and lovefesting, I TOTALLY MISSED THE FACT that Arlen Specter went on TV and said the "I" word.

Because like, yeah, when you violate the Constitution, your oath of office and a few Federal statutues in addition, then the remedy, as the good Senator said, is a "political" one.

Now remember, while we're talking the "I" word, we have to figure out a way to get rid of The Dick first. Showing W the door and ushering in TD is not to be wished for.

I'll be in DC again next week. It's the Families USA Health Action 2006 Conference. The way I feed my soul every year. Do you think something ELSE exciting will happen while I'm there?

CATCHING UP

2006-01-19T07:25:00.000-05:00

I'm sure there's some "blogger rule" that you have to post on relevant events within so many minutes/hours/days. Well, as you all know, I am NOT about rules, and so I'm finally getting around to telling you all about the wonderful Berkshire Brigades dinner last Thursday. I also left town the next a.m. (which we may or may not cover in a subsequent post...) so you can forgive me if I actually RELAXED for a change!

Four hundred people in one place in Berkshire County constitutes a riot. Especially on a cold day! But it was a love fest of sorts at the ITAM Lodge as virtually every Democratic candidate with opposition appeared to woo our 2% of the statewide vote (although we can be mightier in a primary.) We were also graced by the presence of Middlesex County DA (and Lee/North Adams native AND Williams College '75) Martha Coakley, who, although she has no primary opposition (I think Phil Johnston actually TOLD people they weren't supposed to run against her!) had to good sense to check in with the hometeam, teh people who knew her "when."

Let's start with Secretary of State, because that was the "unlovefest" part of the evening. I was a Cam Kerry supporter, and am sorry that he is not running. That having been said, I personally do not think that John Bonifaz did himself any good that evening. Too over the top and confrontational given the event. What good he DID do was make Bill Galvin a better candidate. Not known for his exciting presentation, Galvin shot right back and got some adrenalin going. Voting rights and ballot access are important questions -- too important to be shrugged off. So at least now we're talking about it.

As everyone who reads this knows, I have had a hard time with the crop of LG candidates, that is, until Tim Murray officially joined the race. And I was not disappointed Thursday night. He did a great job and gave a good presentation. Second place goes to Andrea Silbert who, while she isn't my candidate for LG, would be a good cabinet choice. And the microphone problems actually HELPED Sam Kelly who dealt with it with grace, ease and aplomb. He's become a better speaker.

Then there were the gubernatorial candidates. The Brigades organizers, while not backing a horse in this race, are politically savvy. If Deval Patrick had spoken first, the room would have cleared and the rest of the candidates would have been speaking to their advance people. As it was, Tom Reilly did a good job (another example of opposition improving someone's candidacy) but when DP concluded the evening with ANOTHER FABULOUS PRESENTATION SAYING NEW THINGS I HAD NEVER HEARD BEFORE the spontaneous standing O was a sight to behold. As Wes Flinn has pointed out, the DP partisans were on the feet when he WENT to the podium. By the time Deval finished, only those recovering from hip replacement surgery had failed to rise to their feet! BELIEVE AGAIN. that's the message.

Well, back to Medicare D.....DONT GET ME STARTED!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2006-01-06T07:48:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not going to tell you how I spent NYE....well, maybe I should. I worked all day from home trying to enroll the last few people in Medicare D....not the last few people who NEEDED enrolling, but the last few people I could get to before 2005 turned into a pumpkin. Then we opened a bottle of Veuve Cliquot that's been sitting around for a while, got a filet and some shrimp, and collapsed.

But realizing that this is the first post of 2006 I wanted to call your attention to Ellen Goodman's TERRIFIC column today in the Boston Globe entitled "Desperate Ex-Housewives." The immediate focus is on a woman who 25 years ago wrote an op-ed in the Times bemoaning all those career women and making the case for staying home. Her 'update" this year tells about being handed her walking papers by hubby on their 40th anniversary and having an income that may make her eligible for food stamps.

Goodman writes that she's an embedded reporter in the mommy wars, and that, having traded depression for stress, would do the same today. You go, girl! It IS stressful trying to earn a living and raise kids, even in a two-income, two-parent household, and my friends who did it, and do it, on their own are even more zonkers. But they know that there's only ONE bossman to worry about, not two. And even in intact marriages, it's easier to find your voice when you at least pay the grocery bill. The way to a man's heart and all that....

I hope that the Gen X & Y 'ers will remember that when they think that a Supreme Court nomination can't have an impact on their lives. It has, and it will and it could.

Happy New Year.

MIND YOUR MANNERS!

2005-12-30T05:42:00.000-05:00

A "tip of the hat" to LG candidate Tim Murray who has the grace to write a personal note after meeting him at Bagels, Too and acknowledge a modest contribution from MargePAC. (For all I know he wrote to everyone there whether they gave or not -- it was a "meet and greet," not a fundraiser....)

But I have been taken aback (my friends tell me this is the measure of my political naivete...) at how little etiquette there is in the world of politics, especially when it comes to fundraising. I was raised to believe that you wrote a thank you note BEFORE you asked someone for more $. I've gotten two kinds -- "Gee, you only gave $250; you haven't reached the max yet!" and "Now that you've given the max, could you find friends and family to hit up?"

Well, see, MargePAC IS my friends and family. People who are NOT themselves big givers (well maybe a couple are) but who are intrigued at the notion of bonding with other small givers to make a statement about special candidates. I still believe in all my special candidates. I just wish they'd stop for a moment and contemplate what this system has become. If someone from out of your district that you don't know takes the time to research your candidacy and throw in more than a few bucks, perhaps you could pause for a split second (or find a volunteer to pause for you....) and acknowledge the compliment.

Or if someone spends a lot of time hitting up acquaintances for a good cause when no one's ever heard of you and talks you up and keeps the buzz going, maybe you could pause and realize that there are all kinds of "capital" in politics, and money is just one form.

And kudos again to Councilors-elect Peter Marchetti and Mike Ward who will be sworn into the Pittsfield City Council on 1/2. I may even trot down to watch on closed circuit!

SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE

2005-12-30T05:26:00.000-05:00

Well, it's that time of year again and we've survived it.

Where to begin? Perhaps with a 35th anniversary dinner at one of the finest restaurants in Manhattan, the Danube? But when your twentysomething daughter and s.o. pick up the check, that really makes you feel old. And loved.

Having our first "split Christmas" where kids went to the homes of their s.o's and we hung at the Crystal City Marriott with Nano. We were fortunate to have Christmas dinner with the ever gracious Hansen clan (David's fiancee's family) and so really had the best of both worlds. We could get up whenever we wanted and not be on other people's schedules. Other "empty nesters" -- Bill and Linda Dickinson -- treated us to breakfast that morning, and we spent Xmas eve night with the wonderful Potomac Zimmerpeople and Boxing Day with the Hilder-Williams family. The 27th was mini-Ware Christmas at David and Jenny's new house.

Please go see "The Family Stone" if you want to see Diane Keaton as MJW. My husband thought it was formulaic, but I was sobbing. I felt like the screenwriter had been shadowing us!

Good things about this year: This blog, MargePAC, my son getting engaged to a wonderful young woman (we managed to keep it to only two political discussions over the holiday gathering which is pretty good!), my daughter being happy in her new L.A. life and another successful year at the Williamstown Film Festival.

Bad things: Every year a few fewer wonderful people are part of our universe. We are aging. Medicare D is aging everyone. Clients are calling me in tears. The "system" is SNAFU. Am I crazy to care more than the government does? My signature on email these days is "Medicare D is the proof that there's no such thing as intelligent design."

Ironic things: Being the County's living expert on something confusing and complex is actually feeding my soul. I am reaping psychic rewards, either at the expense of others or because others appreciate that I have a "clue." Much to think about.

Apparently more people read this blog than I realize. Like in life, most of them have their own private thoughts and don't share them here. Apparently there are only a few of us who are willing to put our opinions "out there" at the risk of ridicule and the potential reward of support. But Nancy Buting Carey was right. It's given me a place for my voice that reaches beyond the Berkshires. I've joined a new "community" of interesting and bold people.

I'm lucky. Life is good. Enjoy. Happy New Year (a holiday we can all agree on.)

WELL MAYBE THE WORLD IS CHANGING....

2005-12-21T22:22:00.000-05:00

I work in human services, and it always amazes me that people there are very apolitical. One would think that if your salary were dependent upon the whim of the legislature, governor, president, etc. you'd want to make darn sure that you knew who was calling the shots. But that doesn't seem to be the case in my workplace.

But today I happened to be up in the financial office, and colleagues there were actually DISCUSSING THE SENATE VOTES ON ANWR AND THE BUDGET CUTS! We are talking 20 and 30 somethings who think George W. is an idiot and are willing to bring it up in the workplace.

Could it be that America is finally "getting it?"

We lost on the budget cuts but we made them break a tie and identify the person (THE DICK) responsible for taking bread out of the mouths of old people and kids. And we beat down ANWR again.

If we lock arms and walk forward together, we CAN change the way that business is done in this country.

MAYOR TIM MURRAY

2005-12-17T10:46:00.000-05:00

On a happier note, I got to meet Mayor Tim Murray of Worcester on Thursday a.m. at Bagels, Too in Pittsfield. It was a lovely event hosted by Register of Deeds and Democratic State Committeewoman Mary O'Brien.

Tim Murray is a real person. That's refreshing. He also appeals to both Patrickites and Reillyphiles so that's good too.

I of course used the opportunity to get on my soapbox about the need for more affordable "assisted-type living" for elders.

MargePAC is supporting Tim Murray for LG. Hope you will too!

JOHN SPENCER R.I.P.

2005-12-17T10:37:00.000-05:00

Am I the only person who's totally bent out of shape over the death of actor John Spencer? I have always had contempt for people who can't separate reality from fiction and who get upset over their soap opera characters. And I literally woke up this morning worrying about what the ticket is going to do now that Leo is gone....

Besides being a little nutso from Medicare D, I suspect that some of my "not too rational" reaction to this is that the "West Wing" world is one that I retreat to when the real world of national politics becomes too much to bear. You close your eyes and think that Jed Barlet IS the Prez and it's all OK. Even better, you can sleep at night because even IF Alan Alda wins the election, it's OK!!! He's not a wingnut (pun intended...that's the nickname for people like me who are obsessed with WW...)

My daughter happens to work in the entertainment industry in LA (I'd say "Hollywood" but that's where she lives...she WORKS in Beverly Hills...) and so some of the "inside baseball" stuff of the TV universe actually becomes part of our family conversation. So I am waiting until 9am her time to commiserate.

Georgie Ann Geyer has a good column this week on "Peace on Earth" pointing out that while John Lennon TALKED a lot about peace, it didn't begin with him. He caused a lot of personal pain for people who cared about him and could be downright nasty.

Let's remember that there are a lot of REAL Leo McGarry's out there. Flawed, wonderful human beings who try to make the world a better place. Let's celebrate and promote them rather than the pretty boys and girls who are into style and not substance (Mitt, are you listening?)

Peace on Earth.

WHERE HAVE YOU GONE JOE DIMAGGIO?

2005-12-03T23:30:00.000-05:00

OK, so I'm not Joe DiMaggio, but one whole reader (that is, 10% of all the people who read this blog) wanted to know why I hadn't posted in almost a month.

Mea culpa. But I gotta tell you, I have been 'zausted.

The last time I posted was the approximate date when the Medicare.gov website finally got it's act together (it was supposed to be up and running 10/13.) That meant we had lost at least three weeks when we could have been giving people good solid answers. So those of us in the elder/disabled health care biz are up to our butts in paperwork, trying to calm down anxiety-ridden Medicare "bennies." It ain't a pretty sight.

And frankly, I've been getting so much traditional press in the local rag and the regional NPR station, not to mention those 30 second cable spots that will run (count 'em) 450 times this winter, that I don't have to do so much self-promotion. NOT THAT ANYONE WOULD EVER START A BLOG FOR THE PURPOSES OF SELF-PROMOTION!!!!

So in the meantime T'giving has come and gone (the best one EVER in our family) and I wake up this evening and realize that Tim Murray has finally made it official (or sort of) that he's running for LG and I'm thrilled.

I don't know what to say about the rest of the world. Bob Woodward has me scratching my head. Jack Murtha has become a hero -- who'd a thunk it? And of course, the R's continue to TRASH and CHARACTER ASSASSINATE anyone who disagrees with them. I have a friend whose handle is "Seeing Red in Ohio" and she has good reasons to see red.....she remembers the day when you could be an honorable person and be an Ohio Republican. In fact, in the old days, the Dems were the crooks! Remember PA? The Scrantons were the clean ones....the PHL machine boys were stealing the taxpayers money.

I will continue to be a Democrat but will always point out if a D is a liar or a crook. Well, sometimes. Other times, one may be taking one's life in one's hands to out some of these people. So we speak behind closed doors. But I do believe in the power of the truth to eventually break out.

For now, rather than outing the crooks, I will continue to support the good people with time, money, and a well-placed word on the internet. But a word of caution:

CANDIDATES: If I send you money, PLEASE don't send me a "could you send more" letter by return mail. Or a "gee, you've given the limit....do you have any friends or family you can recruit?" How about a "Thank you Margie for your part in trying to make good government possible in the Commonwealth." How about a "I'm honored that someone who doesn't even live in my district would take the time to research my candidacy and support me." How about "I'm taken with the idea that you would solicit small individual contributions so that you can set an example of how regular old voters can take back the system."

No, I just get requests for more money.

I'll finish out this election cycle and then do an assessment. Is MargePAC working? Did it make a difference? Did anybody care?

Peace.

MARGEPAC SCORES BIG!!!!

2005-11-09T20:32:00.000-05:00

Let us try to identify November 8, 2005 as the day when the planet shifted on its axis and the forces of good started to recover.

The Dover, PA school board threw out the creationists. (We won't talk about Kansas; they're behind the curve.)

And MARGEPAC scored two victories in the Pittsfield City Council race -- Peter Marchetti came in second among eight contenders for four spots as Councilor at Large and Mike Ward defeated an incumbent to join as the Ward Four councilor.

Together with our victory in the Pat Jehlen race in August, it's a hat trick -- three for three.

MargePAC was also thrilled that Mike Bissonnette is the new mayor of Chicopee (when your opponent is arrested a week before the general election, you don't really NEED MargePAC to help you...) and that Sam Yoon became at at-large City Councilor in the City of Boston. We were interested in that race, but didn't really find a personal connection. Since MargePAC at least wants candidates to understand that importance of this group of small donors throwing their collective hats in the ring, we don't do it unless someone appreciates us. That's all we want....not jobs, not favors, just appreciation of the sacrifice that small donors are making.

So raise a glass to all the "good guys" who joined the ranks of elected public officials last night. Here's hoping that the world is a better place come January 1st.

OBFUSCATION

2005-11-05T05:45:00.000-05:00

Given the state of the world, it's been MUCH more fun to spend time at the Williamstown Film Festival than to worry about Scooter Libby. Actors, writers, producers and directors can transport us to other worlds, albeit many of them sobering, but the material is presented to you in 90 or 100 minutes and you can ponder it and discuss it, and then shelve it until you see it again. Our national disgraces seem not to be that tidy.

So what we have here, it seems to me, is the White House, in the personages of Richard Cheney, Karl Rove and Scooter Libby, being so frightened that the America people MIGHT figure out that they cooked up a pretense for murdering American soldiers and Iraqi civilians, that they started a whispering campaign that included outing a CIA agent.

Knowing that the American people would MUCH rather count the angels dancing on the head of a pin than to stop momentarily polluting the air and consumerizing themselves into oblivion to actually consider the facts and the implications, the three amigos successfully got their puppet re-elected, albeit with some help from the OH Secretary of State (talk about cronyism!) and so now if the truth comes out, who cares? Halliburton has their contracts, Supreme Court justices are being installed and with any luck we can drill some more in Alaska all the while enjoying our tax cuts. From a Republican point of view, IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER!!!!!

So that we shouldn't notice Scooter, Karl, Dick, Harriet, Sammy et al., we have a national crisis on AVIAN FLU!!! (Although I guess we're safe this year, according to Gipper, Jr.)

If this were a movie at the Film Festival, I would be laughing my butt off. As it is, I am in mourning for the concept of a democratic society which has been reduced to wagging the dog. Rest in peace. No one else will.

GEE, MAYBE EVERYONE'S OUT PARTYING....

2005-10-29T00:42:00.000-04:00

But I thought I'd come in tonight and find out that all of America had been talking on the blogosphere about the indictment of Scooter. Myself, I was at the Williamstown Film Festival, but at the parties we made sure we took time to toast the news.

Ironically, we had watched a movie about prison inmates who participate in a program to put on Shakespeare plays "inside." It makes you remember that sending someone to prison is a life-changing event, and for a moment I wondered whether I should be less cavalier about wishing that Scooter, Karl and Dick would end up behind bars.....

But then I said "Nah. F*** the B**tards." They have contempt for democracy. That's about the highest crime and misdemeanor you can commit. Talk about premeditation.

WELL, ONCE AGAIN.....

2005-10-27T23:33:00.000-04:00

Wes Flinn and I will compete to see how effusive we can be about Mike Dukakis' incredible talk at MCLA this evening.

He's the only person (Mike, not Wes....no offense, I'm sure there are many things that Wes knows more about than Mike!) I know whose given a cogent history of Iraq in the 20th century in five minutes and explained why things are so SNAFU....

I was, however, disappointed, that it wasn't SRO. Especially because that size audience is his forte. Michael's commonsense approach to life and learning and his ability to tell it like it is really shines in that venue (and unfortunately a thirty second sound bite never did it justice....) and you can imagine what a wonderful professor he must be.

Probably the most poignant thing about the evening was remembering that there was a time in this Commonwealth where there was someone we could believe in and we worked our butts off in a classic grassroots campaign to change the world.

One of the reasons I'm working for Deval Patrick is that he's the first person in 15 years to come close to Michael's ability to connect with the average voter.

There are many ways in which people give their lives for their country. Mike has certainly given his life for this Commonwealth and this nation and we are all the better for it.

AMERICANS FOR BETTER JUDGMENT

2005-10-27T07:11:00.000-04:00

Apparently there is a new group buying ads on TV against Harriet Miers. Now, I don't have an opinion one way or the other on HM because I know nothing about her except that she seems to adore W and that puts her judgment into question. And when you're a judge, or a Justice, I think you're supposed to have judgment.

But the group that is trashing her nomination is called "Americans for Better Justice."

I am thinking of starting a group called "Americans for Better Judgment." (And let's all remember that the word has only one "e." We law school wives learned this the hard way typing papers for our husbands in the era BEFORE computers or even correctable IBMs....)

But I digress.

We are confronted with the fact that Americans allowed W to be installed in the White House (notice I don't call this "electing" him) twice without a whimper. And to top that all off, apparently the majority of Americans do not believe in evolution, a debate I thought we settled 80 years ago.

And we wonder why they're shipping jobs to India. At least there, they keep religion out of the call center.

So, if you want to join MY version of ABJ, just sign a pledge that you'll never vote for an avowed idiot for President and you'll never substitute hogwash for science. For some people, that will make the dues beyond their reach.

SO EXPLAIN THIS TO ME....

2005-10-25T07:23:00.000-04:00

Why is it OK to impeach the President of the United States over the issue of his reluctance to discuss his sexual peccadillos, but it's NOT OK to indict White House aides and maybe even the VPOTUS over outing a CIA agent?

The chorus of "well, we don't want these indictments to be about technicalities like perjury and obstruction" makes me want to either ROFL or throw up. I'm not sure which.

Any time in the last five years that someone has suggested impeaching Bush (on stupidity if nothing else...) I always pointed out that we only impeached Nixon AFTER we got rid of Agnew. Impeaching Bush to get Cheney was not anything to be wished for.

And then came Plame.

So who's being cast as the Gerald Ford character for this remake?

THERE'S A WARRANT OUT FOR THE ARREST OF TOM DELAY!

2005-10-20T08:07:00.000-04:00

So why don't my email headlines from the NYT say that this a.m.?

This is the biggest news since the crash of the Hindenberg.

Of course, if Cheney resigns, we could be looking at '73-'74 all over again.

Those who ignore history are bound to repeat it.

How many seats DID the D's gain in the '74 elections?

How sweet it is.....

CAMERON KERRY

2005-10-17T04:29:00.000-04:00

You heard it here first. Well, maybe not first....

He was in Pittsfield yesterday. My friend Frank Lloyd had mentioned me to him.

He actually remembered the conversation and the fact that I lived in Williamstown.

If the "personal touch" genes had spread a little further, the world would be a different place.

Anyway, it will be fun working with him.

And my son's middle name is Cameron, so we're almost family.

I ALWAYS LOVE IT WHEN I'M RIGHT...

2005-10-17T04:23:00.000-04:00

And so it kills me that I can't find anything I wrote in this blog in re: Judy Miller. I never felt sorry for her, and all my buddies in the free press were wringing their hands and talking about First Amendment freedoms. I thought she committed treason.

So her lame claims that she can't remember who told her about "Valerie Flame" just don't cut it with me.

She should just admit she was lied to about WMD (a lot of us were suckered in that one...it turned out you couldn't believe Colin Powell for gawd's sake....) and has seen better days as a journalist and get on with her life. Making this into a "cause" cheapens the work of REAL whistleblowers that need protection.

DEVAL PATRICK WOWS THEM IN PITTSFIELD

2005-10-16T13:48:00.000-04:00

I'm sure Wes Flinn, Michael Wilcox and I will all compete to see who can put up a "review" of Deval's speech to the Central Berkshire Labor Council this morning. Read them all with the caveat that we are all involved in his campaign....

But it didn't take a political genius to figure out that, once again, he was a rock star. His message of hope and affirming the American dream really resonated with the audience, people like me who had worked hard to get where they were. Probably the story that affected me most (besides the observation that he showed up at Milton Academy the first day in a windbreaker because the mailing had said that young men should wear jackets to class....) was his recounting of the call home to his grandmother to tell her he had been admitted to Harvard. He was all excited and his grandmother was too. Then she paused and said "Now, just where is that?"

Of course the crowd howled. But then he gently pointed out the lesson. "She wasn't so much interested in or aware of the prestige. She was happy for me because I was going to have the OPPORTUNITY."

God helps those who help themselves, but we all need an opportunity first. Deval's story of the opportunity that the A Better Chance (ABC) program gave him to go to Milton and the opportunity he got to attend Harvard and HLS are the kinds of dreams that we are still trying to create. And his reminder to us that government can be the instrument of that possibility is one of the things his candidacy is about.

As a kid who went to a Seven Sisters school on a half scholarship, and got survivor's benefits from the Social Security system to finish, I can only say, "AMEN."

IT'S MY DOG'S BIRTHDAY

2005-10-15T09:19:00.000-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOE! You are the best dog in the whole wide world (even better than Lucky.....)

THIS IS HOW WE SAVE ENERGY

2005-10-14T08:10:00.000-04:00

OK, OK, OK (as Rebecca Joffe-Halpern would say....) this is how we save money this winter with high energy prices.

For those of us who are mobile, we turn the heat down in the house and walk briskly to the local wi-fi coffee place (in our town it is Tunnel City.) We have internet acccess, cell phone in hand, and we do our work "offsite" and don't drive to work. We have companionship, and the more bodies there, the warmer we are, not to mention the coffee.

Works for me. Are you listening, Human Resources?

BUMPER STICKER IDEA

2005-10-13T06:48:00.000-04:00

"GOD FORGIVE AMERICA"

for the war in Iraq
for our response to Hurricane Katrina
for our inability to eliminate poverty in this richest of nations
for our ability to put in office (I won't say elect) a certified idiot, not once, but twice....

BRAIN DEAD

2005-10-12T05:58:00.000-04:00

This is how dead my brain is. I don't remember what I said in my last post.

I am brain dead because I do "three shows a day" about the new Medicare Rx benefit. My shows are great. Entertaining, informative and focused.

They still all leave the room totally confused. I'm not sure what to do about that. I'm not sure I CAN do anything about that.

So I'm up performing and, in the case of yesterday, driving some significant miles from one small town to another. The upside is the great people you meet in the small towns. And although the foliage is behind schedule, and probably won't have a great peak, there are worse ways to spend your business day than driving around southern Berkshire County looking at incredible views of mountains, fields, leaves and barns.

My weekend did not come out the way I thought it would. I've tried to balance all the pressure at work with taking care of myself, and realizing that a long weekend was in the making had visions of going to to Cape and chilling out. And then I saw I had booked myself for a presentation at a local church on Sunday morning. In that particular case, God works in mysterious ways. Heard a great sermon, reconnected with a friend that I hadn't realized attended that church, and met some wonderful people.

But that , combined with the rain, meant that both the Cape and my second choice, Lake Sunapee, NH were both nixed. But it did mean that I went on the Greylock Ramble Monday a.m. with my faithful dog Moe.

Both of us were a little bit (or a lot) the worse for wear by the time we descended to the parking lot. Covered in mud, tired and aching. We got into the shower together, washed off the mud and went to bed (at 3:30 in the afternoon!) me with a bourbon manhattan, Moe dead to the world at my feet. (He's hardly moved for two days...) For those of you who don't know, Mt. Greylock is the highest peak in MA. The hike was seven miles r/t and the hardest part was that it was extremely wet on the ground so footing was iffy. I think Moe literally pulled me up the mountain. My friends Jen and Lona had brought sandwiches and if it wasn't for them, I would have been carried down in an ambulance. But I was revived by the egg salad and pb&j and schlepped back. As of this morning my musculature is still complaining, but I am capable of doing my schtick out in the community so I must not have suffered too badly.

But what occurred to me as I saw all the rain (and cleaned leaves from gutters at teh end of the street so it wouldn't flood) is WHEN WILL PEOPLE REALIZE THAT WE ARE F---ING UP THE PLANET? Sometimes they barely have time on the local news to give all the disasters that are occurring simultaneously. I suppose I won't blame Pakistan on global warming, but to have that and the tsunami in one year, and Katrina, Rita and Stan to boot, not to mention mudslides in NH, seems like TOO MUCH OF A COINCIDENCE.

And then of course there's the whole issue of "being old enough to remember the gas lines of the '70s." I'm turning off my engine if I'm going to be idle for more than 45 seconds, resisting jackrabbit starts and driving the speed limit (or higher if it gets me to 50 or 55, the ideal speeds.) The young kids don't know this stuff. I've even been known to revert to the time-honored 16 year old's trick of going into neutral at the top of a hill, although I'm not sure if this really has any effect. We were always doing stuff like that when we were teenagers; I'm not sure I've EVER heard a kid say that they were doing something to "save gas." We'd all chip in our spare change to see if we could come up with two bucks to put gas in someone's Beetle. Now that car isn't a symbol of efficiency, it's just an excuse to hit the kid sitting next to you in the car if you see one.

What hath God wrought?

HOW NOW BROWN COW?

2005-10-07T19:02:00.000-04:00

I say that because I'm asking myself the question: "Why haven't I posted to this blog for a while?"

1. I'm so busy at work that I'm dropping dead when I arrive home.

2. The news of the day is, on the one hand, so commentable, and, on the other, so boring.

3. Will anything ever change?

Take Harriet Miers for instance. (I have no idea whether I have either her first OR last names spelled right....AND I DONT EVEN CARE (which is unusual for me.)

I see conservatives are upset. That's good. Liberals are upset. That's bad.

I get third hand emails from female attorneys in TX saying "she's not that bad and I've seen the others that were possible and believe me they were WORSE" and I read op-eds from people I respect saying "gee, we've come so far baby, we're now cronys!" But it's not a compliment. Especially if someone REALLY DID SAY that W was the smartest man she'd ever met.....OH MY GAWD.

I think what really upsets me is that there's no one in my party (which happen to be the Democrats if you are new to this site....) that is cogently, succinctly, articulately saying "THESE PEOPLE (the B administration) are assholes, incompetents, thieves, liars and nincompoops!" How much evidence has to pile up until we find our "voice?"

I admit it's hard to prove someone's an asshole or a nincompoop; I think we have prima facia and every other kind of evidence that they're thieves, liars and incompetents.

I feel like I'm back in 1973 when Rosemary Woods was claiming that little green men erased the 18 1/2 minutes of tape and no one stood up and said "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" I probably have used this as an analogy before, and I know that EVENTUALLY we got rid of the lying son of a bitch, but I'll tell you, it took the biggest g.d. smoking gun you ever saw.....I guess people are on overload, worrying about being outsourced, downsized, dissed and cut to bits, so that there's not enough time to stand up and say "I'm going to speak up, speak out, march, protest, write, call and holler!"

to be continued....

PRESIDENT SUGGESTS WE CONSERVE ENERGY

2005-09-27T07:33:00.000-04:00

DUH!!!! You know, I'm not the kind of person to call other people names (well, maybe I am) but I was brought up that you don't call the POTUS names. (sorry, for some reason I can't use the return key to make a new paragraph, so this will seem run-on...) BUT HE'S A JERK! (Actually, he's an asshole, but I was trying to be nice.) We have needed to conserve energy in this country for at least the last 30 or 40 years. One of my FAVORITE presidential candidates, Paul Tsongas, suggested many years ago that we add a 50 or 75 cent tax to gasoline. Everyone was horrified. Well, right now, we're paying a "tax" that's a lot bigger, but it's not going to fund universal healthcare or education.

Oh, here comes back the ability to write paragraphs. Whoopee!

So for a while, GWB was happy for us to drive as much as we wanted and put $ in his friends' pockets. But eventually his SUV buddies started whining "Gee, W, it's costing me $75 to fill up my vehicle. I could have spent that on cigarettes or half-decent bourbon." So now we all have to conserve.

Some of us have been conserving for a long time. some of us have been carpooling. some of us have been limiting our speed to get the most gas mileage. Some of us even YEARS AGO bought cars that were relatively fuel efficient.

And the minute Prius makes a wagon for my dogs, I'm in line. And like, why DONT they make a wagon? Isn't it obvious that there are more people who want hybrids than there are hybrids available? Whatever happened to supply and demand?

OK, I'm ranting, but I'm tired and cranky and I've been awake half the night worrying about all the things I haven't gotten done. It's election day in Pittsfield. I hope it's stopped raining by the time I have to stand at the polls. VOTE MARCHETTI!!!!

IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY

2005-09-26T22:05:00.000-04:00

or pretty close to it and I remember where I was.

In the Bahamas. I remember this for two reasons:

a. We went on the vacation because we had NOT found a house we wanted to buy. I whined to my husband and he (uncharacteristically) caved in. We bought our present house in 1986, so this was the year before.

b. It was mid-September because I am sorry to say that it was the classic time for mental health issues, and while I was on vacation, a young man that I knew took his own life.

So we went to a Club Med in the Bahamas and a hurricane approached as we were there. My husband's parents were taking care of our kids, and the priest from our church, Sinc Hart, very kindly called my in-laws and asked if they were OK as the hurricane approached the Berkshires and were they worried about us.

The hurricane was named Gloria. I remember THIS clearly because as it approached, we danced at Club Med until the wee hours to the song "GLORIA -- G-L-O-R-I-A -- GLORIA" which was an oldie but goodie.

Notice that it was mid-September and we were on the letter G.

It's now mid to late September and we're on the letter R. Do you get my drift?

And a month ago we were on the letter K. So not only had we gotten pretty far by the end of August, but between end of August and mid-end September, we had gone through seven more letters.

I rest my case.

WHERE TO BEGIN?

2005-09-19T22:15:00.000-04:00

In the midst of all the problems in the world, I suppose I should be embarrassed that I had one of the world's BEST vacations this month. We joined our friends Gerd and Duncan Ritchie in Orleans (no, not NEW Orleans, just Orleans...) and had loads of fun biking, hiking, walking the beach, eating, drinking, drinking, eating and laughing. I never did get any crab imperial or Wellfleet mix, but besides that it was perfect.

However, the reason I'm not embarrassed is that I am about to embark on a major outreach effort in my job, notifying 30,000 Medicare beneficiaries that their lives are going to change. I will be working nights, weekends and any other kind of calendar settings someone can dream up. I'll be on the phone or in public constantly. I will be the recipient of more unfocused anxiety than you can shake a stick at. So the least I can do is feed my soul in preparation.

My soul having been fed, I am also embarking in my private life working on the Affordable Care Today (ACT!) campaign in conjunction with Health Care for All. We are trying to collect 100,000 signatures, so my personal goal for Berkshire County (although if the truth be told my 'catchment area' is the whole Senate district...) is 2,000 signatures since we are 2% of the population of the state (Senate district is 2.5%) I'm trying to get 40 people to get 50 signatures each of registered voters. (I guess it really should be 50 and 50 to account for the whole Senate district...) So I'm going to try my best. If not now, when? If not here, where? If not me, who?

I am hesitant to make any comment on the state of the world, nation or state. I hear so much drivel that it seems virtually impossible that there are so many stupid people out there. So for now I will keep my thoughts to myself and just hunker down and try to make the world a better place. My commitment to this posture will probably last no more than five days, so I'm sure I'll be ranting and raving in this space soon.

But until then, I am going to try to bathe in the memories of the Cape Cod Rail Trail, the Nantucket Whaling Museum, dinner at Chillingsworth's, ice cream at Nauset Beach (September schedule: Open on sunny days 11-4), and more wine and lobster than you can shake a martini at.

Find someone today who needs a kind word. It's the autumnal equinox, and people who struggle with emotional ups and downs find this a very difficult time. I'm going to try NOT to think about the days getting shorter, but how beautiful the leaves will be in October.

JUST IN CASE YOU DON"T THINK I"M ALIVE...

2005-09-05T15:47:00.000-04:00

I've tried to post twice re: the hurricane but to no avail. It just goes into cyberspace. Now everything erudite and pithy that I've said has been said better by others.

via con dios.

mjw

ALPHA/OMEGA

2005-08-30T22:32:00.000-04:00

I feel terrible about putting these two contrasting observations in the same post. And yet it is the essence of life.

The news from the South is devastating. After making jokes like "I hope that the storm doesn't hit Commander's Palace" (our favorite NO restaurant) it now appears that the Big Easy did not dodge a bullet and in fact it and the neighbors in MS have experienced something that the rest of us can only begin to imagine. My favorite charity for this kind of things is Episcopal Relief and Development, but Red Cross, Salvation Army etc. are all good choices.

It also happens that five months after starting my own political action committee, I may have scored a win in my first venture out of the gate. Pat Jehlen appears to have won the Democratic primary for a special election for State Senate in the Somerville area. I feel like my efforts were worthwhile, even though they were a VERY small part of her overall fundraising efforts. Most about that another time....

Isn't that the essence of life? Yin and yang....mundane and ethereal....ridiculous and sublime.

HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR SENSE OF OUTRAGE?

2005-08-28T22:27:00.000-04:00

...when you're sitting on the beach in Eastham?

I know I haven't posted in a VERY long time. But HELLO! Do you think I started this blog so I could have YET SOMETHING ELSE to feel guilty about? I mean, this is like my answering machine at home. I ONLY LISTEN TO THE MESSAGES WHEN I FEEL LIKE IT...ITS NOT FOR THE CALLERS' CONVENIENCE, IT'S FOR MINE! So this blog is for when I want to say something and not like I have an editor breathing down my neck saying "Your column is due!"

That having been said, I want to thank the people who tell me they actually READ this thing. It's a great privilege to be someone that you use your valuable time to check in with. And I want to respect and honor that.

But I did wonder what I should write about seeing as how I was at a cottage pumping my own water and getting back to nature by improvising showers and using dishwater to flush the toilet with. (You think I'm making this up? I'm not.) But it was gorgeous and relaxing and I was privileged to be there. But it does make one ask "How are you going to get revved up enough about something to write about?"

I mean, it's not like you want to hear "How I spent my summer vacation..."

And then Cos (and I'm sorry but I've forgotten the name of his blog) very appropriately pointed out some things about the special state senate election that's being held Tuesday that got my blood going. So it just shows to go ya...

He pointed out that Pat Jehlen, the individual that MargePAC is supporting, is in favor of nonpartisan redistricting and same day registration and a lot of other "clean elections" kind of legislation. I had been getting discouraged because she was not endorsed by the Globe and I thought maybe I had been too hasty in supporting her. But when Cos pointed out these differences with one of her opponents (and perhaps all of them) I revitalized the courage of my convictions.

THE SINGLE MOST EGREGIOUS ASPECT OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM TODAY IS THE FACT THAT POLITICIANS DRAW POLITICAL BOUNDARIES.

Oh, and please, don't start with "but that's the way the people have control. They can vote out the politicians but not the nonpartisan commission." Yeah, and how do I vote out the Billy Bulgers and the Finnerans the the Travs and the Sals? Give me a break. I'm not even saying Trav and Sal are bad people. But why have a special election on 30 August? Give me a BREAK!

Believe it or not, more than the war in Iraq, we should be concentrating on changing the way that electoral districts are drawn in this nation. In other countries, it's nonpartisan. Since ours are drawn for incumbents, not only is there VERY LOW TURNOVER in both the national and state legislature (I'm not expert enough to comment on any other jurisdiction than MA...) but it means that individuals run to the extreme in their party, since the primary is the only place they can potentially be beat. But of course if you're a good party member (and I consider myself to be one) you don't run against a sitting member of your own party unless s/he has done something egregious. And if the district is drawn for them, then the other party doesn't have a chance in hell.

So take that to the extreme. The House of Representatives is made up of M's of C who are extremely liberal or extremely conservative. So there's no compromise, no consensus, no meeting of the minds. And yet the average voter is a moderate on one side or the other.

Until we look this square in the face, we're condemned to decades of deadlock. (Title for a book?) Doesn't make me happy. What about you?

FOOLS RUSH IN....

2005-08-15T22:33:00.000-04:00

and of course in the Fools category, I have my black belt.

So just in case anyone cares, I think the NARAL ad was a BIG MISTAKE.

I know I know, people say "Why can the slimy Republicans demo John McCain and demonize John Kerry and get away with it and we can't play hardball?"

1. Because we're not a party where people of good will sit around and do nothing when they see something unfair (They Are.)

2. Because we don't have the stomach for slime.

Does that make us wusses? Well, if the definition of a wuss is someone who refuses to stoop to the lowest level just because "they did it first" then sign me up. No election is worth selling one's soul for. And, as I said in a previous post, I think we have to accept the fact that Bush called our bluff when he nominated a non-slimeball for the SCOTUS. Doesn't mean he doesn't have to answer questions and produce the work product from his days in the Reagan White House. But what it DOES mean is that all those people who were gearing up for a fight NO MATTER WHO GOT NOMINATED can't turn on a dime.

We need to maintain our focus on lying about WMD, Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, the corruption in Ohio and the overarching question of how we draw national legislative districts in this country. I'm not a lawyer, and I don't play one on TV, but it seems to me that if people are members of a NATIONAL legislature, then it should be up to a nonpartisan, computer-assisted, "intelligent design" to draw the boundaries in all 50 states. Politics should have nothing to do with it. The reason we have come to such a divided Congress and polity is that districts are drawn in the House for safety's sake, meaning very few are competitive to begin with, and most people run to the extreme side of their party's spectrum to maintain their bona fides. There's no premium on nuanced answers or thoughtful bipartisanship.

I wonder how bad things are going to have to get before people throw up their hands and take responsibility for a broken system. Or are we all numb?

Do I REALLY Have to Go Home????

2005-08-07T22:09:00.000-04:00

I just received an email from a close friend asking me if I'd read this month's issue of Harper's. No, I hadn't. Well, he said, any blogger worth her salt, any PAC chair needs to read this.....I told him that sitting in Oak Bluffs, looking out over the water, riding my new bicycle, and reading a Jonathan Kellerman mystery all seemed like lot better ways to spend my time than worrying about the state of the nation.

HERESY!!!!!

But I have learned a couple of things this weekend.

I am now an OFFICIAL MA BLOGGER!!! Lynne from "LeftinLowell.com" included me on her distribution list. This means I have arrived and I will have to find a way of suitably celebrating it. And when I put my URL into an MSN website, some of my postings came up on the search engine. OH MY GAWD!!! I mean, it's one thing to find yourself on the web under "Ware takes job at Elder Services." It's another to have your blog posts pop up. All this "finding yourself at 55 " stuff is getting pretty exciting.

I have also learned that even my old LWV friend Polly, who is now only part time in MA, and the rest of the year in NH hasn't heard of Deval Patrick. Nor had the people I'm staying with, or the other couple who's visiting. We have our work cut out for us people. I DID see a minivan with a big "DevalPatrick.com" bumpersticker and an old Kerry-Edwards sticker in the parking head at the Gay Head cliffs, so we're not totally unknown. But it's an uphill battle.

Also Oak Bluffs should be DP country. What an interesting town. It's the summer hangout of the black upper middle class. Sort of like Washington DC on an island. BUT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT POLITICS. White or black. It's more about where are you going to get your ice cream and do you need a reservation for dinner and who took the sunblock down to the beach. I'm not much of an "you have to get on a boat to get there" person but I have to say I like this town. Once you figure out what ferry you need to get on (not as easy as it sounds; two departure points, two arrival points, can't get there from here, etc. etc.) you can ride your bike off and we happen to be within walking/biking distance of the ferry. It's heaven. And yet the house seems very much in the country. And a view of the water. DOES IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS?

I am not spending much time philosphizing on why I get to spend the weekend here and others are struggling for healthcare. I do that every day and work hard at it. This weekend is about taking care of myself to gird myself for the hard work ahead this summer making sure 30,000 Medicare beneficiaries know what's happening to them. I need to have my karma together in order to get the job done.

The other wonderful thing has been being with old and dear friends. We are having conversations we haven't had in years, and laughing and singing 60's music and camp songs and Broadway songs and hymns and drinking and walking and eating and chilling out. It is Nirvana. We held hands tonight at dinner and sang grace.

We haven't sung this song, but it sums up this glorious weekend. I know Karl Rove is an asshole and that the election was stolen in Ohio and that people are starving in Africa and my daughter's house hasn't sold, but.....

OH THE LORD IS GOOD TO ME
AND SO I THANK THE LORD
FOR GIVING ME THE THINGS I NEED
THE SUN AND THE RAIN AND THE APPLESEED
THE LORD IS GOOD TO ME.

Peace. Keep fighting. But take care of yourselves. We need to be in shape for the work ahead.

ACT BLUE!!!

2005-08-01T23:02:00.000-04:00

I know I'm a little slow on the uptake, so I'm probably the last person in the fundraising world (to which I'm incredibly new....) to discover "Act Blue" (http://actblue.com) --I think!!!

I discovered it because at LITERALLY the eleventhg hour, I decided I wanted to contribute to the "we're the definition of an uphill battle" Paul Hackett campaign in Ohio. I got a $20 to my PAC from a person in OH who shall remain nameless. It was an act of faith on her part, and so I thought the least I could do was match it with $20 to an Ohio candidate and put in my own two cents. So tonight I gave $20.02 to Paul and gave Act Blue a 10% "tip" for being the conduit.

Then I discovered I can have my OWN "Act Blue" account which of course I have named "MargePAC." I realize that this solves one of my problems in terms of setting up 50 PACs. I can have a Federal PAC someday, and keep my MA PAC, but for state candidates in other places I can use ACT BLUE as the vehicle. I commend them for figuring all this out way before I did.

I've put Deval Patrick and Martha Coakley on my "Fundraising List" but the sight says they're not in a position to give to these campaigns yet. Not to worry. I'm sending them money from the PAC, but in the future it will be a way to "advertise" their candidacies to others. And maybe add some interesting races like CT and VA gubernatorial runs.....

This stuff is FUN! What a hobby, and it's cheaper than skiing.....

I WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR CAFTA....

2005-08-01T19:37:00.000-04:00

Yes, this is one of those weeks where I'm probably glad I'm NOT a Member of Congress.

I would have voted for CAFTA. And received the undying animosity of most of my party.

Get over it people. The world is flat. Shit happens. Life changes. We have to compete against everyone in the world. It's not just New England competing against the South for where the textile mills are going to go.

Easy for me to say. I have the kind of job that can't be exported. That is, unless people in India want to talk to elders and explain the Medicare D program to them.

But the reality of life is that unless you work in a service industry that demands that you be present ON SITE (the last time I checked "they" hadn't moved the Grand Canyon or the Empire State Building) then everything is up for grabs. Are you smarter? Do you work for lower wages? Do you need health insurance?

Am I saying I like this? No, not necessarily, although there is a whole philosophical question about whether people in the U.S. deserve to live at a much higher standard than people in developing countries. Do you wonder whether the British felt this way in the 19th century?

I was not an econ major, so I'm sure there are a lot of holes in my argument, but the bottom line is that the more we put money in the pockets of people in other nations, the more they will buy our goods, the less incentive they will have to immigrate and the more there will be some economic "balance of power" around the globe.

I'M NOT SURE MY DEVAL PATRICK FRIENDS....

2005-07-23T20:53:00.000-04:00

want to hear this, but Tom Reilly has become a better campaigner.

And I think it's because of Deval Patrick.

When Reilly spoke to the Democratic State Convention in May, you maybe could have heard a car backfire, but you couldn't have heard a pin drop. He was dry, lawyer-like and generally boring.

DP lit up the room and he was the buzz of the day.

To give TR his due, he's not as dumb as he looks.

He spoke this afternoon to the State Committee and he had actually become a human being. Taking a page out of DP's playbook, he told about being the child of Irish immigrants, growing up in Springfield (lucky for him the meeting was in Pittsfield...) having his dad and two older brothers die when he was a young man and how local cops in the neighborhood took an interest in him and showed him there was an alternative to being a punk.

When he talked about issues, he kept it short and sweet. Public education, especially higher education. Those of us who are UMass alums (Professional MBA '98) cheered when he said he wanted to make our alma mater the equivalent of Ann Arbor or Berkeley. Health care, etc. All those good liberal causes. (Do I think he's going to give the same speech in the red counties? no, I think he'll emphasize being a tough DA but what does one expect?)

He looked fit and trim and relaxed. He looked like a human being. Now, he still wasn't TOTALLY comfortable around the crowd (he's managed by handlers) but it's a far sight better than it was a few months ago.

Am I giving up on DP? Not in the least. But as a member of the State Committee is was reassuring to know that the putative nominee at least can cut the mustard, something I thought he was incapable of just a few short months ago.

Competition, rather than coronation, can be to the benefit of the Party. Let's get in their and talk about issues and see what people are thinking!

I WILL ONLY SAY THIS

2005-07-21T07:27:00.000-04:00

1. We have to admit that GWB outsmarted us in nominating John Roberts. He is a creature of the DC establishment and will be confirmed. Get over it.

2. LET'S MAKE SURE WE KEEP KARL AND SCOOTER ON THE FRONT PAGES! This nomination was timed brilliantly. Let's change the conversation. Or at least let's ask JR what he thinks about WH staff outing a CIA covert agent.

GEE, I LIKE COUNTY FAIRS TOO!!!!

2005-07-15T07:59:00.000-04:00

I know what the problem is. When baby boomers were growing up in the '50s and '60s, the standard catchphrase to motivate people was "In America, ANYONE can be President." The '80s joke was that, in fact, "anyone" was President. This was seen as a way of motivating middle-class tots, albeit white, male middle-class tots, but it was a motivator all the same. After all, we white females could aspire to marry "anyone" who was a potential Presidential candidate, and people of color could dream of someday dream of taking out the trash for "anyone" and being close to the seat of power.

So I give you this blurb from this morning's New York Times:

Pataki Will Test '08 Winds in IowaBy ADAM NAGOURNEYGov. George E. Pataki is headed to Iowa this weekend toexplore whether he should run for president in 2008. QUOTATION OF THE DAY -"We might do a country fair - I just love those. If we're going to be out there and there's one nearby, I want to do one."- GOV. GEORGE E. PATAKI, on a visit to Iowa.

So now that the rules have changed, and women can at least RUN for President (although we all know they can't raise money....) and I'm about as solidly baby boomer middle-class as you can get (pulled myself up by my bootstraps from the wrong side of the tracks in Shaker Heights, went to a Seven Sisters college on a scholarship, raised two perfect children in small town America, etc. etc. etc.) I think I might change my plans for a vacation on the Cape and "test the winds in Iowa."

After all, my friends Terry and Henry live there. I bet that they'd vote for me. And they probably have some friends. And some of their friends are from church, so when those friends hear that I am ALSO an Episcopalian (I know, not so popular as a Presidential religion these days...last Episcopalian was GHWB and look where that got us....) they will flock to my candidacy. Especially when they find out I ACTUALLY GO TO CHURCH AND NOT BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO IMPRESS PEOPLE!

OK, so I've got the Protestant Grinnell intellectuals in my corner. What next? OLD PEOPLE! I know more about Medicare than almost anyone in the U.S., certainly more than George Pataki. Once they hear my jokes -- "what's the best thing about being 104? No peer pressure!" -- I'll have them rolling in the aisles. And did you know that Iowa has one of the, if not THE, oldest populations in the U.S.? AHA!!! This is getting good.

Now, women. In the last election, the Governor's WIFE ended up being key to John Kerry's campaign. Women are the secret weapon obviously. And look at the effect that Debra Winger had! (Or was that Nebraska? I can never keep those Plains States straight. Not to worry. Will have staff to brief me on where I am...)

County Fairs? My brother lives in Geauga County OH. BIG SWING STATE! I went to school there! I've done the Geauga County Fair and the Redwood County Fair in CA and the Helena Stampede (which has actually been VERY favorably compared to the Calgary Stampede -- this is a direct quote from the lady in the tourist info booth in Helena in 1974 -- also the first place I saw an "Impeach Nixon" bumper sticker in the Heartland)in MT. The Governor of MT is considering a run....maybe he'd like to put me on as VP to balance the ticket? I'm not going to dismiss that out of hand. Perish the thought of the sin of hubris...

Gotta go. I have a fundraiser in NH this weekend. Six of my college friends are donating $10 each to pay for my gas to drive to Keene.

IT'S TIME FOR HIM TO GO!

2005-07-13T07:21:00.000-04:00

When I was a delegate to the 1992 Democratic Convention (on behalf of our beloved Paul Tsongas....) one of the "chants" that the delegates were asked to repeat over and over and over again (I believe during an acceptance speech by the VP nominee, Al Gore) was a call for the Bush I administration (which of course we're now considering in a whole new "gee, I guess he wasn't THAT bad....) to be defeated. The chant went "It's time for him to go!"

Well, if anything EVER pertained to Karl Rove, it's that phrase.

Let's put it this way....there was a public poll yesterday on AOL or Netscape or something asking whether KR leaked deliberately or inadvertantly or what. 87% of the respondents thought it was deliberate. You can't get that many people to vote for Motherhood and Apple Pie these days. Second question was "how damaging do you think this is?" Silly me voted with the 17% who answered "somewhat damaging" only because when you have a Teflon president, apparently it takes something more than mass torture, lying and givng out billion dollar contracts to your friends to make a dent. Well, I was definitely in the minority. Over 70% thought it was VERY damaging.

And now, from 1600 Penna Ave we have "silence" or "chose not to comment" or "avoided the question." Yeah, I'd avoid it if I had a felon sitting at my right hand....but that's just me.

SO CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN THIS TO ME.....the Republicans got all bent out of shape during the Clinton scandals about a. something that had nothign to do with the health, welfare and security of the US, and b. discussions of "well, it depends on what you mean by 'is.'"

NOW ITS "WELL IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU DEFINE AS OUTING AN UNDERCOVER CIA AGENT. HE DIDN'T REFER TO HER BY NAME, JUST SAID IT WAS WILSON'S WIFE." Oh yeah, that makes it TOTALLY DIFFERENT. You'd have to have access to highly classified records to know the name of someone's wife. I mean, they shot all the neighbors because they were privy to information that was on deep background.

Like the Downing Street memo, this keeps reverberating with Watergate-like allusions. How is their stance any different from listening to Rosemary Woods describe how she could have inadvertantly erased 18 minutes of recording from a dictaphone tape? It all defies logic, reason and the willing suspension of disbelief.

AND THEN THERE'S RICK SANTORUM. Don't get me started. There is a group of Democrats here in Berkshire County who are hell-bent on getting rid of Rick. When they first proposed their scheme I was frankly underwhelmed. I believed that we had enough people right here in MA (and not all of them Republicans....) to take on and that our efforts should be more targeted.

I will now admit that I'm wrong. The man is a menace and an idiot. It's a matter of national security to hand him his head on a platter. He claims that the Boston priest scandal in the Catholic Church is the result of our liberal lifestyle. Ignoring for a moment, that the priests involved represented a philosophy which said only men could hold power, that homosexuality (at least other people's) was an unnatural act, birth control was an abomination and there was never any possible reason why someone should seek a civil divorce, I can't say that this was the hallmark of a liberal lifestyle.

But what is also the truth is that the highest per capita rate of sexual abuse in American dioceses occurred in Louisville KY. I know this because a dear friend of mine was the attorney for the plaintiffs in that case. So either Louisville is a hotbed of liberalism, or mint juleps are the work of the devil or horses encourage us to, well, ....I'm sorry but this is a family channel.

I need to get to the dentist so I have to calm down. I'd like to thank all my "readers" out there who said "why haven't you written about Karl Rove?" Didn't know I felt so strongly about these jerks. Thanks for asking. Keep the faith.

What is the world coming to?

2005-07-07T23:03:00.000-04:00

I know I "should" write about the bombings in London. They're horrible. Luckily I have heard that my four closest friends, Peter and Amy and David and Gayle are all ok (Gayle is actually in the US visiting her dad...) so that is a great joy. I tried to remember that when I walked in and saw that the puppy had eaten not ONE but THREE couch cushions.

But what I really want to write about is the Judith Miller thing. I'm sorry, and beat me with a wet noodle if I've lost my liberal credentials, but I don't think that she has any right under the constitution to protect someone who "outed" a CIA undercover agent. Those articles endangered Ms. Plame and her associates. I think wrapping yourself in the First Amendment in this case is inappropriate.

OK guys, let 'er rip.....

MAYBE THERE IS A GOD....

2005-07-02T17:01:00.000-04:00

And she's so upset about Sandra Day O'Connor leaving the Supreme Court that she decided to give us a freebie....she decided to tell us that Karl Rove was the rat who outted Valerie Plame. Is truth stranger than fiction? Is it possible we'll be rid of the evil bastard and that everyone who's been too scared to talk so far will finally open up? And that the right wingnuts will go back into their holes?

Don't Tread on Me

2005-07-01T10:01:00.000-04:00

When I woke up this morning, I had forgotten how shocked I had been at a Letter to the Editor in yesterday's Berkshire Eagle. Only now did I remember, and felt compelled to address a letter to the editor. I don't know whether it will be printed, because they have a "30 day" rule, and I may have written more recently than that. Hope not.

A local Pittsfield resident stated that Democrats hate President Bush more than they love their country. I don't know whether to be angry, sad, disgusted or cynical. I guess I'm all of that or more.

When will this hatefulness end? Are we condemned to live in a century, or a country, where civil discourse is a mere remembrance? I weep.

PITHY REMARKS

2005-07-01T07:10:00.000-04:00

Sometimes when someone says it better than you can, you need to point this out to people!

My friend Emily Carey Cronin sent this snippet from Molly Ivins who was one of the speakers at Haverford commencement weekend. ENJOY!

O.K. class of 2005. I would exhort you to go forth and change the world, but I think you've already been trained in that department. And I just want to refine the advice a little bit. Here's one of the things that you are going to have to remember as you attempt to save the world-I've been at it for several decades and so far no big visible effect-what you have to learn to do is have fun while trying to save the world. Now this is real, real important stuff. If you do not have fun while trying to save the world, you will get tired and cynical and burned out and become totally useless to everybody. Consequently, you really need to concentrate on how to make it fun, and in Texas we find that imagination and sometimes beer are quite helpful. In Texas, of course, liberals know how to survive hard times, and I pass along to you certain rules for going through hard times. In the first place, things are not getting worse, things have always been this bad. The long consoling perspective of history is always helpful. You will find that the people who were trying to save the world always thought that things were getting worse. Now, number two, things probably will get worse. That means that these are the good 'ole days, and think what a fool you will feel like in the future if you do not enjoy them now. Third, there is always, since we are the spiritual children of Puritans, the inviting possibility that adversity will improve our characters. I think this is something that needs to be worked on. I'm just going to tell you one story about how I think things should go. A few years back, the Texas legislature took a fit of communism and decided to recognize the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a state holiday. Now, don't panic; they kept confederate heroes day. It was a package deal. Nevertheless, there we were honoring Dr. King and as you can imagine it upset the Ku Klux Klan. They announced that they were coming to have a big rally and march in protest, and it's always a pain in the butt when the Klan comes to town. I realize that in civilized precincts like Haverford such things do not happen. I can tell you that it just makes your Jewish citizens get upset, your Black citizens get upset, skin head kids turn out on the sidewalk to cheer for them, people get into fistfights, everybody is mad at everybody for a good six months. So, if you are like myself, a civil-libertarian, naturally you have to stand up for the right of these blue-bellied nincompoops to spew whatever viscous dribble they want to because it's in the first amendment. This is a stand that will make you about as popular with your neighbors as a whore trying to get into the SMU school of theology. So, several of us gathered mournfully over a pitcher of beer one night and came up with what we thought was a better plan. And we do not have enough cluckers there in Austin to have a good rally; they had to be bused in from Waco and Viddar (?). They got off the buses wearing their little pointy hats on their little pointy heads. They were greeted by several thousand citizens of Austin lining both sides of Congress Avenue, who mooned them as they marched. Made a very nice effect, it was sort of like a wave in a baseball stadium. This is the kind of freedom fighting tactic I recommend to all of you, although I realize that in this part of the country it's a seasonally limited option.

I'M MY OWN PERSON!!!

2005-06-28T20:17:00.000-04:00

This is just a note to let you all know that this blog is NOT sponsored by flowers.com or some other insipid organization. I receive NO FUNDS for the time and effort I put into this magnum opus. In fact, if time is money, I'm donating huge amounts of dough to the cause of truth, justice and the American Way.

As I write this, Himself is "speaking to the nation" about Iraq. Well maybe on the west coast people haven't eaten but talk about upsetting your digestive system! Listening to that nasal twang, those illiterate sentences and then contemplating death, destruction, humiliation and downright stupidity? Not the way I want to end a very tiring day trying to rectify the healthcare system.

The good news though is that my Political Action Committee is "catching on." I arrived at a League of Women Voters "picnic" tonight (where no one was dressed like it was a picnic and they started at 5PM when I was still at work and there was no food left by the time I got there....but I digress....) and one of my friends said "I understand you started a PAC!" Yes, I admitted, I had. Well, she wanted to know, why hadn't SHE been solicited? So I had to describe how I needed to only buy 50 stamps and see how it went so that I didn't use more of the income than was appropriate for expenses! Once I got some contributions I went out on a limb and bought 100 stamps, half of which were for thank you letters! Another woman also wants to make sure she's solicited! So I guess I'm now part of the local buzz!

Keep the faith and let's hope the American people are waking up to what's in front of them. With any luck, the Good Guys will sweep the Congress in 16 months.

SO HOW AM I DOING?

2005-06-21T23:21:00.000-04:00

As we all know, the above quote was from Ed Koch, who was constantly concerned about people's perceptions of him as mayor of the Big Apple.

My ambitions are less, shall we say, ambitious, and actually I'm going to TELL you how I'm doing rather than ask...

I am, of course, referring to my POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE. I know I've been sort of a tease telling people that I was going to tell them how it was going. Well now I fulfill my promise.

In my humble opinion, I'm doing quite well, thank you very much.

I've mailed somewhere between 40 and 50 solicitations and have received about 15 donations. On the one hand, that's an amazing return for "direct mail." On the other hand (and, isn't there ALWAYS an other hand?) given that the first 50 letters went out to close friends and family, the question is WHY IS THE RESPONSE SO LOW. Hey, just kidding. I'm VERY pleased with the response and realize that it is a true leap of faith to say "hey, send me your hard earned money and I'll 'invest it' in candidates of my choosing!"

I have received donations from California, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts and Maine. So we're trying to go from sea to shining sea.

And I made my first contribution to a candidate. My friend Peter Marchetti, whom I met thru the Rhonda Serre campaign, is trying to reclaim his at-large seat on the Pittsfield City Council. Talk about a dysfunctional body. Oh well, it's Peter's choice.

More later....I got to bed at 1:30 on 6/21, got up at 5:30, drove to worcester and was compis mentis, got home nad now it's 11:30. I think I'm crashing.

Margie

Sir, HAVE YOU NO SHAME?

2005-06-18T07:21:00.000-04:00

At some point in high school, we had a film in the auditorium (remember those days?) for history or government that had Joseph Welch, the congressional prosecutor of Joe McCarthy, explaining the ins and outs of the judicial system. And then, if I'm not mistaken, he played the judge in Anatomy of a Murder. He is one of my favorite people.

Obviously his best known line from the McCarthy era was "Sir, have you no shame?" And I think of Joseph Welch and that five word phrase when I look at pictures of Jeb Bush on TV and in the newspapers.

Silly me, I was under the impression that he was the smart one in the family. I sort of felt sorry for him because his parents dissed him when he married a Hispanic woman, and he's been eclipsed by his way more doltish older brother.

Either he has early onset dementia, or he's one of the cruelest people in public life today. Take your pick.

'Nuf said. I haven't had breakfast yet and don't want to ruin my digestion.