Lurching toward Tuesday

For the next few days I will be in warp drive for the election so blogging may be even more irregular than my norm. I volunteer with much hope and no illusion: whatever their shortcomings Harry Mitchell and Jim Pederson will be far superior to J.D. Hayworth(less) and Jon Kyl. Polls show Arizona may be the first state to reject a same-sex marriage amendment. Turning out the vote against hate and discrimination is worth a few phone calls. And if it contributes to getting rid of one or two truly odious politicians, even better.

For what it's worth, I phoned banked for the governor's campaign the other night, calling independent voters . I probably reached about half of the 80 calls I made. Maybe 10 refused or did not support the Janet Napolitano, all the rest did. Some with real enthusiasm. That's hardly a random sample, but the results were satisfying. The governor stopped in and to thanked each of us. She commented on how cold the rooms were. My room (the quiet one so I could hear) was noticeably cold. I just kept moving as much as a telephoner can do.

Friday night I joined the Free Street Band and Billionaires for Bush at the Phoenix First Friday art walk to hoot and holler about the election at 2nd Street and Roosevelt. The Free Street Band is a bagpipe and four or five drummers. I wave a Veterans for Peace flag. The Billionaires demonstrate against Billionaire oppression and limited profits. We all join them singing songs like "George Bush Made My Wallet Grow" and "Home With Big Oil". We make a lot of noise for the passing crowd. Also on Friday night, Code Pink' Staged its Clean Sweep March, complete with brooms, and Arizona Together led a candlelight march in the area. It was a lively night among the art throng. Afterward a middle school theater arts teacher told my partner Maggie, one of the Billionaires, that the Billionaire appearance at the last art walk provoked her students into thinking about issues and using performance to instigate that thought and discussion. Her words were a very nice compliment. Imagine, encouraging a kid to think!

Tomorrow, I invite both of you to check out "About Face" on KPHX , Air America Phoenix. I am one of threle veterans, along with co-hosts Dennis Stout and John Henry, who discuss topical issues affecting active duty military, their families and veterans. Tomorrow's topic is the second show on the ethics of war. We're on at 11:00 am MST. If you're not in signal range, you can stream "About Face" at Air America Phoenix.
You can even call in toll-free. I invite you to do that, too.

On Monday, November 6 at 7:30 the Arizona End the War Coalition will host a candlelight vigil to honor Pat Tillman on his 30th birthday. The vigil is at ASU Main, Student Services Lawn by the corner of Lemon Street and College Avenue. The vigil is inspired by Kevin Tillman's statement in Truthout. Bring a candle if you can attend.

No doubt on Tuesday, I'll volunteer some more after hand carrying my mail-in ballot to my polling place. I would so very much like to see a massive Democratic sweep. Not just because I think a Congress led by a strong opposition is what this country needs desparately after six years of BushCheney (maybe the Democrats can do this) but also, in the spirit of George Allen, I want to enjoy watching fat wingnut heads explode, teeth and all.

I hope Tuesday's results exceed your wildest dreams.