I encourage all Democrats to contact Oregon's Senior Senator, Ron Wyden, to thank him for his commitment to supporting a filibuster on Samuel Alito.

As Chair of the Multnomah County Democrats, I appreciate Senator Wyden for his willingness to take a stand against judges who cannot separate their personal beliefs from their consideration of legal matters.

Thank you, Ron Wyden, for upholding the highest standards for the Supreme Court of the United States.

It's interesting, really, this first week as Chair of the Multnomah County Democrats. Jenny Greenleaf asked me today, with a smile and a laugh — as if to suggest that she knew the answer must be yes, and that she understood I'd have to say no — if I had any regrets. (She and I have commisserated over the past several years about intra-party politics.) I answered no, of course. Later I thought about it more. The one thing I think I should have done differently — the thing I wish I'd done — is to have addressed my fellow candidates and their core group of supporters directly and specifically in my acceptance speech.

Tomorrow morning, on June 28, at 7:20 AM (Pacific time), I'll be on the Thom Hartmann show. We'll be talking about the importance of getting involved in the political process, and taking our local Party forward. Tune in at KPOJ 620 on the AM dial in the northern Willamette valley.

Angered at Democrats for inventing the Internet, House Republicans decided to strike back. In an amazing display of newspeak, Representative Pete Sessions (R-TX-32) titled his bill the "Preserving Innovation in Telecom Act of 2005" (HR 2726). The bill injects a dose of formaldehyde into the telecommunications industry, just as local communities around the country are beginning to innovate. Under HR 2726, communities like Portland would be prohibited from offering city-wide wireless internet connectivity, and rural communities wishing to leap into the information age would be prevented from providing the low-cost broadband services that fuel a digital economy.