Matt Ortega

The text messaging campaign that my former employer, It’s OUR Healthcare!, produced last October was nominated for a Golden Dot Award in the Best Mobile/Text Messaging Campaign. We lost to the Obama for America “HOPE” text messaging campaign. (However, we split even in the pledged delegates…)

Former colleague, local blogger and committed activist, Matt Lockshin, was the brains behind the campaign and deserves the most credit in making it as successful as it turned out. Lockshin gave an interview about the campaign — how we did it technologically and the vendors we used.

IOH set up the screen in Sacramento, about 150 feet from the door of the Capitol building. The screen, which Lockshin said was about 9′ by 12′, broadcast in close to real time SMS messages sent from supporters throughout the state of California. Because of the variety of groups represented in the IOH coalition — consumer advocates, senior citizens, labor groups, people of faith, and health advocates — SMS messages from many different perspectives were visible on the screen throughout the day. Smartly, the campaign also provided a live video feed of the screen on IOH’s website, so visitors to the site and press could see the text messages appear on the screen on the web. Video clips of the live feed are available here.

Watch archived clips of the streaming video and view the online-based demonstration here.

In remarks on the House floor this week, Congressman Pete Stark (D-Fremont, Calif.) blasted President Bush for his veto of the SCHIP reauthorization, citing the continued war in Iraq, that sparked a chorus of outrage from Republicans and may land the 18-term congressman in hot water come Monday.

Stark said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj8dGiKHl9w

First of all, I’m just amazed that the Republicans are worried that we can’t pay for insuring an additional 10 million children. They sure don’t care about finding $200 billion to fight the illegal war in Iraq. Where are you going to get that money? You are going to tell us lies like you’re telling us today? Is that how you’re going to fund the war?

You don’t have money to fund the war or children. But you’re going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president’s amusement.

The remarks set off a firestorm of outrage from Republicans. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-West Chester, Ohio) immediately demanded that Rep. Stark apologize for his comments as other Republicans issued statements of rage to the press. If you happen to be a FOX News viewer, you probably have the inflections of Stark’s voice memorized by now.

Republicans weren’t alone, however. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco, Calif.), stopping short of seeking an apology from Rep. Stark, called his comments “inappropriate.”

But as the conservative cable programs find yet another reason not to cover actual news, sources say Republicans are gearing up for a resolution on Monday condemning Rep. Stark’s comments.

Now, I don’t agree with Rep. Stark’s comment, but wasting the time to draft, debate and vote on resolutions condemning what boils down to free speech is, to me, a much more serious transgression. It was dumb when they did it to MoveOn.org and would have been no better to do it to Rush Limbaugh over his “phony soldiers” nonsense.

Plus, didn’t you hear? We’re in a war. Two, in fact. And we’re not winning either of them. Nearly 50 million Americans are without health coverage. And we’ve got bridges and roads collapsing all over the place. New Orleans is still a mess. But hey, let’s forget the First Amendment exists. Then, all of our problems are solved.

What happened to the Party of Eisenhower? It is fascinating how Republicans enjoy parading around as tough on crime and strong on national defense and rail against “political correctness” but become unglued and turn into a bunch of seven-year olds demanding their political enemies “take it back!”

It is the only card the Republicans have to play. A desperate effort to change the story from the GOP’s relentless smearing of a 12-year old kid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blatantly lying about his office’s involvement in the smear campaign, and outright lies about the SCHIP program from cover to cover.

Watching the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies play Game 4 of the National League Divisional Series, this commercial aired between innings. It is the single most absurd commercial ever and you probably know why.