The Firedoglake "Ted Fest" winners--and our hero, Phil Munger, delivering "toobz" to Ted's office

Video recorded by Dennis Zaki

So "Ted Fest" is at it's triumphant conclusion--yet much more triumphant than even it's creator, Phil Munger, could have expected; I don't think anyone believed it would end with an indictment!

Phil and intrepid reporter/videographer, Dennis Zaki, went to Stevens campaign office to deliver all of the poems wrapped up on a "series of toobz." Watch the video.

Oh, and here are the winners:

Haiku:

Ted Stevens glows at midnight.
Son already sunk.
Glaciers calving justice

--- Prairie Sunshine

Limerick:

Of all the congressional critters
Ted sure knows his Toobz and transmitters
His scandals are breakin
His booze, getting taken
And now there’s no wine-ing and bitters.

--- egregious

Short Verse and Ephemera:

Veni, vidi, Veco.

--- Valley Girl

Verse:

There are odd things done in the midnight sun
By the men whom Oil has sold
Their fishy tales meet with hearty gales
from wise heads when they are told
The FBI’s knights have recited some rights
but the queerest they ever had read
was that night by the mouse of a Girdwood house
that belonged to Senator Ted.

--- Darkblack

Overall Winner: - Darkblack!

CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE and way-to-go Phil!!!!

An evening with the Mat Su Democrats

While the Palin Administration was digging itself into a hole down the road (Thanks, Todd Palin!) I was invited to speak about being a credentialed blogger at the Democratic National Convention to the July Mat Su Democrats meeting. I was impressed; there were over 50 friendly, enthusiastic folks there who gave all of us a warm reception. They didn't even let the influx of a bunch of loud bus tourists stop their meeting. We even stopped clapping because it was "annoying the customers." I would have liked to have asked the management to make the tourists stop their incredibly rude stares.

This is a really bad (but the only one I took) picture of my friend and fellow "blogger-in-arms" Phil Munger, whose excellent idea to have a poetry contest about Ted Stevens on national blog Firedoglake called "Ted-fest" also netted him a contributor slot...congratulations!!!! Phil spread his contageous energy addressing the Dems about letters to the editor and then (of course) veering off to his favorite subject, using the Intertoobz wisely and effectively for Progressive issues and campaigning. He also explained the true significance of the poetry contest (millions of non-Alaskans learning about Ted's "issues") and read several of the poems. Here's one by commenter darkblack in the tradition of Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee":

There are odd things done in the midnight sun
By the men whom Oil has sold
Their fishy tales meet with hearty gales
from wise heads when they are told
The FBI’s knights have recited some rights
but the queerest they ever had read
was that night by the mouse of a Girdwood house
that belonged to Senator Ted.

Phil has also posted about this over at Progressive Alaska

Native Veteran and State Delegate Jay Cross with Erick Cordero, candidate for Lyda Green's seat--discussing the race while an audience watches from the wall. Erick spoke very eloquently about why he was running and impressed the crowd with his enthusiasm--especially since he just became a citizen in January.

Dennis Zaki and Shannyn Moore (pictured with Shannyn's boyfriend Kelly) along with me spoke about the Democratic Convention and Progressive media in general. Dennis's website, Alaska Report, is easily the most-read Progressive site in Alaska and possibly the most-read Alaska news site period


The irrepressible Katie Hurley, Chief Clerk to Alaska's Constitutional Convention, chats with her table. When she addressed the group, she reminded us that "Republicans don't know how to party." Woo Hoo!

Firedoglake: Ted-fest Day Two

So Phil kicked it off again and we had more excellent contributions!!!!! CC even logged in and talked about it on her KUDO 1080 show!

Here's a great one by Oilfieldguy:

Ode to Ted

Cranky ol’ Ted builds bridges with fear
Good bills tho’ he stops with a hold
Beholden by lobbyists he holds so Dear

Slaughtering our freedoms Ted has no Peer
‘Tis for our own good we’re told,
Cranky ol’ Ted builds bridges with fear

Donors access granted, citizens to the rear
His attention is purchased with Gold
Beholden by lobbyists he holds so Dear

Plagued by scandal and bribes we hear
He must be beat, he’ll never fold
Cranky ol’ Ted builds bridges with fear

Angry ol’ rhetoric is his only gear
drill, bow, the Ted Stevens mold
Beholden by lobbyists he holds so Dear

A loss for Ted, his eye to tear
Empathy for him has been sold
Cranky ol’ Ted builds bridges with fear
Beholden by lobbyists he holds so Dear

Even one or two were dedicated to our Phil Munger...here's one by Dmac:

phillip posted his dish of ceviche
on his blog, it looked so delish
but now this dish
has a new ’twist’
he cooks ’ted’
in lime juice instead.

Tune in tomorrow!

Liveblogging at national blog Firedog Lake--write a poem about Ted Stevens and win!

Oh, this is truly good!

The idea was started and promoted by our own Phil Munger (who is now a contributor!)

Go HERE and enjoy!

My contribution (for inspiration only):

Ted’s crude reading list
Bigotry makes policy
The press takes a nap

***UPDATE 6:26 AK time***

I love this one!

(to the tune of Patti Smith):

Veco, the night
belongs to us
Veco, the night
belongs to toobers.

***UPDATE 7:05***

Another style by DrBong:

Ted’s hizzle
Ain’t no toobz
What a beeyotch

***UPDATE 745***

Logging off Firedog for the night but please feel free to go and post or just read. There are some GREAT poems!!!!