I made a terrible mistake, a few weeks after Katrina, when I registered for an account on Daily Kos.  I don’t mean my signing up for it per se; being here has been a great experience.  I mean the too-casual decision of what handle to use.  I had not realized that my choice of name would be affixed to that account more indelibly than a tattoo, nor that I would hesitate to give up my modest 65K UID for something higher and less "prestigious".  I’ve been threatening to change my name for more than a year, but one thing or another kept getting in the way.  Finally, the time has come.

Over the past few days, I’ve posted one diary explaining why I chose my name, and a series of three containing my entire annotated diary history.  (The latter, linked to below, allows me to refer anyone who may want to review my writing history as Danby to three handy URLs, rather than their having to slog through eleven pages.)  This diary explains why I’m giving up my brand.

Strangely enough, I can best do so by quoting Peppermint Patty.

The conclusion of an incredibly self-indulgent diary series, which had been conceived as a single diary but had to be broken into three parts so it would load.  I repeat most of the introduction below.

When posters have complained about a lack of reader response, about never making the Rec List, and so on, I've sometimes suggested that they take the word "diary" literally.  A traditional diary may one day be published, or may serve as grist for a memoir, but it is foremost written for ourselves, to memorialize our own thoughts.  (We just happen to do so out here in the open.)  If we're lucky and so disposed, a diary may also change others' thinking and perhaps the world.  Regardless, it has value in its being written and being ours.

And so: here is part 3 of an easy-to-read annotated list, from latest to earliest (in proper blog form), of every diary I have written here at Daily Kos as Major Danby.  Thanks to Markos, the CEs, and my friends and readers for helping me generate, publish, refine, defend, and now compile the work described below.  Without you, there would have been nothing.

A continuation of an incredibly self-indulgent diary series that began yesterday, which had been conceived as a single diary but had to be broken into three parts so it would load.  I repeat most of the introduction below.

When posters have complained about a lack of reader response, about never making the Rec List, and so on, I've sometimes suggested that they take the word "diary" literally.  A traditional diary may one day be published, or may serve as grist for a memoir, but it is foremost written for ourselves, to memorialize our own thoughts.  (We just happen to do so out here in the open.)  If we're lucky and so disposed, a diary may also change others' thinking and perhaps the world.  Regardless, it has value in its being written and being ours.

And so: here is part 2 of an easy-to-read annotated list, from latest to earliest (in proper blog form), of every diary I have written here at Daily Kos as Major Danby.  Thanks to Markos, the CEs, and my friends and readers for helping me generate, publish, refine, defend, and now compile the work described below.  Without you, there would have been nothing.

This diary series may be the most self-indulgent thing I've ever seen on this site, so I'm starting it at a quiet hour and asking that people do not recommend it.  (I mean it.  I don't want to spawn imitators.)  Note that I'll soon be traveling, possibly without computer access, so my year here is over and I choose to mark it in this way.

When posters have complained about a lack of reader response, about never making the Rec List, and so on, I've sometimes suggested that they take the word "diary" literally.  A traditional diary may one day be published, or may serve as grist for a memoir, but it is foremost written for ourselves, to memorialize our own thoughts.  (We just happen to do so out here in the open.)  If we're lucky and so disposed, a diary may also change others' thinking and perhaps the world.  Regardless, it has value in its being written and being ours.

And so: here is part 1 of an easy-to-read annotated list, from latest to earliest (in proper blog form), of every diary I have written here at Daily Kos as Major Danby.  Thanks to Markos, the CEs, and my friends and readers for helping me generate, publish, refine, defend, and now compile the work described below.  Without you, there would have been nothing.

Diary not associated with any candidate, campaign, or literary critic.

My favorite novel is Joseph Heller's Catch-22.  When I was looking for a DKos handle, I thought back to its final chapter, which contains a long conversation between Yossarian, the protagonist and anti-hero, and his friendly colleague Major Danby.  Knowing where I stood on the twin spectrums of political ideology and political practice, I felt that Danby's role in that dialogue placed me within our community.

Danby, the Army Air Force squadron's Operations Officer, is an academic by profession.  If people know him, it's usually due to the moment when a mercurial General orders that he be taken out and shot.  The conversation at the end of the novel, however, belongs in a league with the greatest and most insightful sections of novels, such as Ivan Karamazov's "Grand Inquisitor" story.  I'll discuss it at length, going well beyond three paragraphs, because I think it has so much to say to us as activists.

If you haven't read the novel, reading on will spoil it for you.  You've been forewarned.  I strongly suggest you read the novel before this diary.

An old political friend of mine – whom I describe after the jump – has written a book on the 1780s, the decade that led from victory in the Revolutionary War to the enactment of the Constitution.  It’s called Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution; I think it’s brilliant.  Given that it’s by an old friend, you shouldn’t take my word for it; consider instead that it was up for a National Book Award last month and is now ranked #6111 at Amazon.

I have rarely seen a more perfect book for Kosters (aka Kossacks), who are among today’s Unruly Americans.  It focuses on the period between victory in the Revolutionary War and ratification of the Constitution.  It argues that what we love about the Constitution – primarily the Bill of Rights – derives not so much from the political philosophy of the great and familiar Framers of the document, but from the common men of the time who refused to bend to them unless their interests were secured.  On reading it, you will recognize the arguments and passions of their day, which echo into ours.

(More below.)

My wife of six months and I leave for three weeks in the Philippines next week.  I've met her mother, one brother, and two sisters; now I will meet her father, another brother, and her five children -- my stepchildren.  In my life until now, I have only been an uncle -- to, depending on how you consider my relationship to my double cousins, four or twelve.  (I claim all twelve.)

With my wife's two adult children, I expect to be fine.  They're married, starting families, and need my support much more than any guidance.  Her daughter from elementary school effectively never had a father; filling those empty shoes should not be too terrible a task, and at any rate I have years to screw her up fix any mistakes I make.

Between the aforementioned are two middle-teenagers -- both bright, lovely, and spirited girls with whom I have had a decent stepfatherly relationship on the phone and in e-mail thus far, though one that is of course limited by our not yet having met.  And I want some advice, especially from the women here.  Not advice with any problem in particular; none so far exist.  But advice in general, from their virtual aunts, uncles, and cousins here.

Until yesterday I had not diaried on the Presidential nomination race.  I will not be posting, or probably even lurking, during my upcoming three weeks in Asia, so I'm nearing my last chance to weigh in on the nomination races that have so roiled this site.  My handicapping of both races was posted here; this diary is about my preferences among the Democratic candidates.

This diary reflects my thoughts only; it is not associated with any candidate or campaign.

Part 2 of 2

In choosing a candidate in the Democratic Presidential race, I remain where I have been for months.  I like John Edwards.  I like Chris Dodd.  I like Barack Obama.  I like them pretty much in that order.

I do not not like Hillary Clinton, whom I predicted yesterday will be the next President.

Anytime anyone phrases a sentence that awkwardly -- scroll to the end of the linked e.e. cummings poem for a brilliant example -- you know that a jumble of conflicted feelings underlies it.

(more below)

Next week I leave for three weeks in Asia so that my newly conditional-green-carded wife can see her kids and I can finally meet them in person.  (Don't worry, the campaign will be in good hands, but more on that another day.)  I've occasionally commented, but I think have never diaried, on the Presidential nomination race.  I will not be posting, or probably even lurking, while in Asia, so I've realized that I'm nearing my last chance to weigh in on the Democratic races that have so roiled this site.  Many other diarists have taken a whack at giving their takes on the race, so here's mine, written largely for my own amusement and to leave a lasting record of what I thought a month before the Iowa Caucus.

This diary reflects my thoughts only; it is not associated with any candidate or campaign.

Tomorrow, I'm going to give personal feelings on the race and the prospects of various Democratic Presidents; today -- emphasizing that making a prediction does not mean endorsing the outcome -- I make my predictions as to next year's results.

I say: ignore most of the current daily fluctuations in the news, with the exception of Sex on the City.  Hillary will beat Romney in the general election.  Here's why.

(more below)

Imagine that millions hang on your words, that they had the power to confer life or death.

Imagine that your reasoning could change national and world policy, in the fact of bitter opposition from those who oppose you, those who will inevitably know more than you in various areas.

Imagine that there is a path of least resistance.  The resistance comes from your employer's demands, your social circle, those who can mobilize the most faxes and e-mails attacking your writing.

What would you do?  What would you want, if you were an elite political commentator?

Deep down, I think part of what you might want is forgiveness.  You'd want to pretend that none of the above are true, that you can't change (and ruin) people's lives, that's politics is all a game, that morality does not enter into it.

I think that you might cling to others who expressed the same beliefs.

I think that you might find solace in nihilism.

An online-only column in Newsweek today blames Democrats for not taking the purportedly "obvious" position on Iraq: refusing to pass any legislation funding the occupation at all unless Bush caves into their demands.  In the face of compromise or complete defunding, Newsweek asserts, "the public would cheer."

The author makes a point of celebrating his own skepticism that the Republicans would be willing to compromise on Iraq this past September, and certainly few people go broke betting that the GOP will be recalcitrant.  My quarrel with the author is his lack of skepticism in the opposite direction.  "The public would cheer" a refusal to pass any funding legislation?  I'm skeptical -- and the Democratic leadership clearly is as well.  And if that's not true, then the Democrats' best course is not "obvious," and we should refrain from beating them up if they are truly in a "no-win situation."  Rather, we should focus our efforts on convincing the public to the point where they will cheer and on bashing the real cause of the problem: Republicans.

Oh, what the hell.  It's late, I have a diary to burn, and things have been tense here, so I think people can use a little fun tonight.

Markos announced today that he will be writing an election year column for Newsweek, and also that "Newsweek is 'balancing' [him] out with someone that should make heads on our side explode."  But Markos won't tell us who that is.

We had a lot of good guesses in the other item, and now we need a poll.  Who will be the anti-Kos?

 "I got your fair use justification right here, pal!"

Update, noon PST Thursday 11/15:  as of this writing, 17 people got it right: Karl Rove.

This diary not associated with any candidate or campaign.

Were I in the Senate, I would have voted against the nomination of Michael Mukasey to be Attorney General.  I would have put off the vote until after we had passed a resolution making clear the sense of Congress on the illegality of waterboarding.  I would have participated in a filibuster of the nomination until such time as he agreed that waterboarding was illegal and constituted torture.  I would have encouraged others to join me in that filibuster.

But, having lost the vote, I would never turn around and say that with this vote the Senate has condoned torture, as many here have done.  Not only is it wrong, it harms the cause of opposing torture.  It's dramatic, but while this vote is a failure, it is not the abject catastrophe people make it out to be.  But calling it one is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I manage the campaign of Ron Shepston in CA-42.  This post does not address, or otherwise represent, that campaign.  Instead, it's about CA-44, one of our neighboring districts that is also part of the "Triangle of Corruption" represented by Gary Miller (CA-42), Ken Calvert (CA-44), and Jerry Lewis (CA-41).

On Sunday, someone whom I think we can assume was a GOP smear operative (high UID with no previous diary or comment history) posted a troll diary on Daily Kos.  You can read it here.  This was a scurrilous and baseless attack on Bill Hedrick, the candidate who has raised the most money, leaving open the inference that it was posted by a supporter of 2006 nominee Louis Vandenberg.  The diary quickly rose to the top of the Google charts for Bill Hedrick, which suggests that it was part of a Republican Googlebombing strategy.

What did Hedrick and Vanderberg do after this attack?  They showed true class and cooperated in producing a joint statement that appeared today on DKos.

I'm roughly as angry as Kagro X is about the decisions of Sens. Feinstein and Schumer to support Judge Mukasey for Attorney General.  I see two ways to proceed at a time like this: one, either declare defeat and slam the Democrats, or try to figure out a way to mitigate the damage.  What I suggest here is not as good as blocking the nomination, but I think it's better than we'll otherwise get.  I do understand why others would not think that half (or a third) a load is better than none.

Larry Johnson's diary asks that the relevant Senate Committees hold onto the nomination until Judge Mukasey accepts that he opposes waterboarding.  As Glenn Greenwald notes, Mukasey's position on waterboarding is more a symptom of rather than the root of the problem, but I think it may give us some means for improving the situation.

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As most regular readers probably know, I manage the campaign of Ron Shepston (aka CanYouBeAngryAndStillDream) for U.S Congress in CA-42 against ethically challenged incumbent Gary Miller.  I want to post an update on the Santiago Fire, which while 90% contained still threatens Silverado Canyon, especially the east (highest) portion, which is where Ron lives.  I've been almost entirely offline for the past six days with connections problems, so have not been able to post an update until now.

I would normally post campaign material from our Campaign account, but I try to review such material with Ron before I do so.  Since the fire started, I've been posting from this account because I can't confer with Ron.  In fact, except for one conversation, I haven't been able to find my candidate at all.

This is not because he's slacking off.  It is, I'm told, because he's still helping to fight the fire.

(more below)

This is not a campaign diary; I include the CA-42 listing simply because what I have to report does involve the district and because I know that people looking for information about Ron Shepston ("CanYouBeAngryAndStillDream") may look for it using that tag.  I have posted in the Liveblog thread, but again I know that some people have been watching for my diaries on Ron so I am posting separately.  The etiquette of a situation like this is very unclear so I ask for indulgence.

I want to reiterate my liveblog post here, to which I can add that I just spoke to Ron's wife Belinda, who saw Ron yesterday for the first time since Monday.  He is, as thought, working with the firefighting team in Silverado Canyon; the only thing Belinda knew specifically is that he has been clearing brush.  (Obligatory Bush's "ranch" reference omitted.)  But the danger to the 750 homes in the community may come as much or more from trees.

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Many people have contacted me over the past few days asking me whether Ron Shepston (aka CanYouBeAngryAndStillDream), whose campaign for Congress I'm managing, is OK.  Ron lives at the top of Silverado Canyon, in the Silverado 92676 zip code that has taken much damage from the Santiago Canyon fire.  I last spoke to Ron on Monday morning when I was at the airport preparing to fly back from Chicago; I encouraged him to post an update for people who knew he was in the area and might worry.  Since that noon PDT comment, neither I nor anyone from the campaign had heard from him, which is why I haven't been able to reply to questions.

I just spoke to his wife, Belinda.  He's OK.  He dropped Belinda off from the danger area and then went back in.  His friend and neighbor is an ex-fire chief living in the Upper Canyon, and if I understand correctly Ron is involved in efforts to protect the canyon from fire jumping over from Modjeska Canyon.