Saturday, August 5, 2006 - 1:04pm

Hello BlueNC friends,
I wanted to let yall know about something that the App Voices blog is covering. Its one of the most important things that have happened in the mountains in a long time.

I did a DKos post on it here, and have posted the rest below...

(Crossposted at the Appalachian Voices' blog)

Things are swingin for Ed in the "serious backroadage" of West Virginia as he makes his trip from The WV capitol of Charleston to Washington DC.

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Saturday, August 5, 2006 - 11:56am

If you've got plans this evening and can't make it up to Larry Kissell's BBQ and Bluegrass fundraiser at the fairgrounds, or Heath Shuler's fundraiser up in the mountains (Gov. Hunt will be at that one), then please -- consider sending both of those great NC Congressional candidates a $5, $10 or $20 donation for their campaign this week. Don't be shy, though. They'll take more than $20 if the current economy has been kind to you and you can afford more than $20. Send $5 if that's what you can do. It ALL matters.

My friends in Johnston County might be asking, "Hey, our Congressman has his own campaign to win, doesn't he?"

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Saturday, August 5, 2006 - 10:39am

Larry Kissell has provided many of us with the inspiration to do more than just hope things will change in Washington. He's inspired us to do what we can to make things change. He's also inspired some pretty well-known people in the music industry to band together to make music. It's pretty heady stuff, but it's true.

You can listen here to "Have you had Enough?", and then read the story below the fold.....

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Saturday, August 5, 2006 - 9:35am

Pic from our very own Momoaizo. I guess the only folks in the country who didn't feel like they were being screwed by big oil this week were the 500 or so who lined up in Biscoe to meet Larry Kissell and pump gas at pre-Robin Hayes prices.

Consider this an open thread....

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James @
Saturday, August 5, 2006 - 8:07am

According to this story in the Winston-Salem Journal, the debate about nucular energy is pretty much over. How else can you interpret the fact that the Secretary of Energy says our government will be providing incentives for new construction of nucular plants?

The nation's top energy official announced a plan yesterday to provide incentives to companies willing to build the first nuclear plants in 30 years, offering $2 billion in federal insurance for the construction of six plants.

"I think it's time for the nation that invented this technology to reassert its leadership," said Samuel Bodman, the secretary of energy.

The United States has 103 nuclear-power plants in 31 states, but utilities have not proposed a new reactor since 1973. High costs and debate over where to store radioactive waste bogged down construction efforts, and a partial meltdown at the Three Mile Island plant in 1979 in Pennsylvania put an end to plans for new reactors. But with energy prices on the rise, supporters of nuclear power have promoted it as a way to generate cheaper electricity without churning out greenhouse gases.

Bodman said that 12 utilities are expected to file papers over the next three years to build 18 reactors. The insurance plan would provide up to $500 million in coverage for the first two plants and up to $250 million for the next four plants.

"This program is crucial, we believe, to reinvigorating the American nuclear-power industry," Bodman told employees of Georgia Power Co. during a visit to Atlanta.

Nuclear Power
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BrianR @
Friday, August 4, 2006 - 11:12am

Hola desde Mexico!

Over at Orange Politics Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton has written an blog post titled, Ethics Moratorium Passes NC House. The jucy bit is Rep. Michael Decker admitting to bribery in Federal Court. Via Original news articles by the N&O.

Also of interest are the comments of Alderman Dan Coleman, "Even our own delegation, for all its vaunted liberalism, has been disappointingly silent."

I APPLAUD loudly both Carrboro officials for speaking up about this! Here is my favorite part from Mayor Chilton,

"The hide-our-heads-in-the-sand strategy adopted by Democrats has been both pathetic and counterproductive. Instead of ejecting Black from the Speaker's office and standing up for clean government, my own party has completely undermined the Democratic Party's national strategy and handed a tremendous campaign issue to North Carolina Republicans - and all this in a year that ought to be a slam dunk for Democrats at all levels (other than Black)."

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Friday, August 4, 2006 - 10:26am

Please don't forget to go to One America Committee to vote for Larry. Voting ends today.

Most of you have heard about Larry Kissell's ingenius idea to sell gas at $1.22/gallon in RANT's great diary from yesterday. The results are in and it was an overwhelming success for many reasons. Yes, over 500 people were served. Yes, the news coverage has been terrific. Yes, the many different points represented by this gesture seem to all have been made quite successfully.

Please follow below the fold...

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James @
Friday, August 4, 2006 - 10:01am

A recommended diary at Daily Kos features the good, hard work of our own Screwy Hoolie in a round-up of GOP candidates with damning ties to Jack Abramoff.

Way to go Screwy!

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Friday, August 4, 2006 - 8:45am

Lance outlined the major provisions of the new commission earlier, but now it is official as Easley signed the bill creating the NC Innocence Commission. The commission is the only one in the nation that allows for appeals outside the current court system, where the bases for review of trial court decisions are very narrow. (article on the law here)

Law
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James @
Friday, August 4, 2006 - 8:27am

If you've never had the chance to wade through the miasma of uber-imperialist ranting that is Frontpage Magazine, today's your lucky day. Because Pope Puppet and education "expert" George Leef has caught the attention of the Radical White with his latest twisted take on one more thing that's "wrong" with higher education. I'll bet ol' George is all a titter today to see his name up in lights along with the Wicked Witch of the West, Ann-the-Man Coulter on the virtual rightwing rag.

I know you have more important things to do - like take a nap or watch some water boil - but if you have just a few minutes, dip your toes into George Leef's treatise for a full frontal view of intellectual dishonesty that only a Pope Puppet could muster.

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