Talk of the Nation's Political Junkie segment today took advantage of Obama's vacation to focus only on Clinton's reasons for continuing her campaign. Matt Bai, filling in for the vacationing pundit, used Clinton's talking points to justify her continued campaign and her "take no prisoners" tactics. The guest, whose name I didn't catch, was an out and out Clinton partisan, and justified Clinton's tactics to counter the meme that women are always expected to give in.

I am trying to write at least one "letter" per day to praise or question something I hear or see on the media as a way of reaching out beyond my circle of friends and Daily Kos. My comment to TOTN is after the break.

I would appreciate comments to make my letters more effective. And does this seem like a useful strategy? Is it something others are doing, too?

This Week in Northern California (TWINC) did a segment today comparing the three non-universal health care proposals currently on the agenda in Sacramento. There was only the briefest and most dismissive mention of Senator Sheila Kuehl's bill, SB 840. It went more or less like this:

I don't think that's going to go anywhere. It's not employer based.

Belva Davis usually runs a fairly tight and balanced program so I wrote a letter (twinc@kqed.org) to complain and to suggest that TWINC do a full half hour on all the health care proposals, using knowledgeable speakers rather than reporters winging it. I hope others here in Northern California will watch the segment and also write a letter. KQED needs to hear from us - this is too important an issue to die from misinformation. My letter, somewhat revised, is below the fold.

I sent this message to NPR today in response to its Super Bowl religious coverage. I'd be interested to know what Kossaks think. The email is below the fold.

Dear NPR: I received an email today from ColorOfChange.org that uses a socially productive racial justice frame for today's Super Bowl contest between two black coaches.  This is not just the affirmative action story NPR aired on Feb 2, nor is it today's story about personal faith and megachurch marketing.

It is, rather, a story about individuals taking action to right a wrong. That frame makes this "first" a much more useful racial justice story for Weekend Edition Sunday (and weekday) listeners than the religion hook NPR used today.

Proposition 89, The Clean Money Initiative, is on the November Ballot in California. Prop 89 establishes public financing for candidates AND for ballot measures.  In both cases, Clean Money ends the current system of legalized bribery that finances candidates and initiatives.

Others have diaried about Clean Money recently here, here,  here, and here.

So what's new in this diary? During a recent spell of insomnia, my son-in-law identified a dozen reasons to fight government corruption by supporting Prop 89. Since I share Kos links every day with him and with my daughter, they hoped I'd share their work and passion here. This is my first diary after years of reading and commenting. I hope you will read it, comment, and most of all, take action with the organization of your choice (links at end) and by sending my son in law's dozen to everyone you know. Look over the fold for 12 reasons to support YES ON 89: