Reading Liberally is the book club for discussion of current books on issues of politics, current events, and government. Reading Liberally meets here in Tucson on the first Wednesday of every month at 7 pm. The location is changed monthly at this point, though it may settle upon a permanent location at some point, so … Read more

You are invited to the Post-Mid-Term Edition of Drinking Liberally! We have plenty of reason to celebrate the Democratic takeover of the primary branch of government in our nation’s capitol. It’s time to talk about what we want a Democratic Congress to accomplish. Come on down to the Shanty on 4th Avenue this Thursday evening, … Read more

AZ Rep. Shadegg, re-elected comfortably last night, announced his bid for the Minority Leadership position in the reorganized House. Shadegg ran a dark horse leadership campaign to replace Tom DeLay as Majority Leader, losing to Rep. Boehner. Presumably, Shadegg will seek to re-launch the conservative revolution which swept him into office in 1994, his full … Read more

The headlines today are, of course, Democrats retaking the House, and likely the Senate (the AP has declared Webb the winner in VA, giving Dems the Senate). But equally important, and indicative of the deep political movement yesterday’s election represents, is the less heralded news that Democrats took 9 new state legislative chambers last night, … Read more

Sweet. I have (almost) nothing to say (yeah, right). I am beginning to wonder why Republicans even have blogs. What is there to talk about when you are no longer an oppressed, despised, ridiculed, and powerless minority, lacking any institutional voice, subject to the wicked whims of petty tyrants? Oh, yeah… what completely wicked bastards … Read more

Just a few observations. There is a lot to digest this evening. WE WON!!! Bite it, Bush! We got the House, we likely have the Senate. We elected two new Democratic Congress members for Arizona. We didn’t succeed in ousting Jon Kyl or Dick Renzi. We had some close misses and some narrow victories at … Read more

"People who don’t vote have no line of credit with people who are elected and thus pose no threat to those who act against our interests."          Edelman, Marian Wright Children’s Defense Fund Official (1939-)"Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote."          Nathan, George Jean American editor … Read more