The other day I heard a recording of the Saddleback Church thing, and I heard Obama pull out perhaps one of the most common phrases in political debates: "And this is a fundamental difference between myself and John McCain." Or something like that.

Candidates always do this in debates.They try to win over the middle and in doing so they sound like there was little difference between them. Which is why they go to such great lengths to point out what difference there is.

We know already that when the right plays to the middle, they are lying. Whatever McCain has said about himself being an average American and on the side of average Americans is bull. Average Americans don't buy $520 shoes and get rewarded for graduating at the bottom of their class. The rest of us work for a living.

What what about Obama? He's not lying. He has no reason to lie. He's almost a metaphor for America - biracial, immigrant father, worked for his success in life, Constitutional scholar, etc. Obama's IN the middle. Which is to say he's not a whole lot of difference from the status quo, aside from all of the major moves to the right over the last 8 years. But what would a candidate who is truly different look like?

You might have heard about the effort to create a Netroots Platform recently. I (along with several others) participated in creating a plank for food & agriculture. The resulting plank (which you can read below the flip) is not comprehensive, but it is a start, and it's also fairly non-controversial (at least, non-controversial among the left). It's something we can all rally behind.

What I'd like to see added to this over time are more protections for children - an expanded fresh fruit & vegetable program, better funding for school lunch programs (particularly farm to school programs and school gardens), less junk in schools, and limits on marketing to children by junk food companies. At any rate - take a look, comment, and if you'd like to get involved in these issues in the future, check out La Vida Locavore (a progressive food blog) and Recipe For America (a site devoted to a liberal food & ag policy platform).

This has been a big news week for me... and not just because Obama decided to beat up on McCain FINALLY and Paris Hilton did something useful for a change.

Here are the big, huge, screaming headlines that have been dominating my world:

Monsanto's Giving Up - I've spent the past year engaged in a fight against Monsanto's rBGH that activists with far more stamina than I have kept up since the early '90s. It seems like we've come to the end: Monsanto's divesting from rBGH. Yay!

USDA Smacks Down Chinese Organics - Yup, there are "organics" in this country from China. That's the bad news. The good news is that the USDA is doing something about it. Pardon me while I die of shock.

Meatpackers Busted for Undocumented Workers - Again... that meatpackers hire and abuse illegals isn't news. The fact that they got busted AND the media covered it... THAT is news.

And MY news... I was published on Alternet!!!!

Jerry Northington, who blogs here as Possum, is running for Congress in Delaware (as you may know). I had a chance to speak with him the other day and I was incredibly impressed. But you don't have to take it to me. Jerry's a vet (and a vet... the Vietnam variety AND the animal doctor variety) so I figured we'd ask a few patients for some opinions:

Do you know how close you came to actually having sewage sludge allowed for organics? Or how 280,000 people who thought this sounded as disgusting as you do got the government to keep sewage sludge and other nastiness out of organics? (And let me tell you... while manure IS a terrific organic fertilizer, the collective #2s of your city are all mixed up with industrial waste and heavy metals and other things that should NOT go on a farm field.)

Put on your tie dyes and get ready to go back with me on a trip to the 60's, where this story starts. OK, I admit it, I wasn't around back then, but the protagonist of this story was. His name is Ronnie Cummins and I met him at Netroots Nation.

After the convention, I asked him if I could interview him about his activism and his organization, Organic Consumers Association. I've been doing a lot of interviews this year, and I can tell you some are miserable to get through, and some are good... but I never expected to spend an entire hour on the phone with Ronnie, in absolute heaven as I listened to his tale of sixties activism leading into his current role at OCA.

A lot of amazing things came out of Netroots Nation this year, but for me one of the best outcomes was a friendship with someone who devoted his entire life to the progressive movement: Ronnie Cummins. If the name doesn't ring a bell, stick with me - I didn't recognize his name either, but I DO recognize the progressive gains we've made with his fingerprints on them.

Ronnie heads up the enormous Organic Consumers Association. I asked if I could interview him for a diary to introduce him to my fellow foodies, but as we spoke it became clear that his interests are much broader than a single issue and his role in our movement is relevant to all progressives, whether or not you consider yourself an organic consumer.

The simplest way I can summarize Ronnie's role in our movement - and explain why I hope everyone here will read his story and help me thank him for his work - is because Ronnie has harnessed the progressive idealism of the 1960s and grown more sophisticated and effective in his activism in the decades that followed, using new tools like the internet as they became available in a way that has occasionally really shocked and even scared the other side.

Update: This doesn't work if you don't rec it, if we're going to have a huge chorus of thank yous in the comments.

I'm the last person on the planet that you'd call mainstream. OK, I have some "mainstream" qualities about me... I have a business degree and a white collar job, and I very occasionally go to Starbucks (sometimes I actually buy coffee instead of just using the bathroom and leaving)... I think that's probably where my similarity to mainstream American culture ends. I have no TV, no X-box, no DVDs. I've never had a Christmas tree. I don't go shopping at the mall if I can avoid it. I speak Chinese. I buy my food directly from farmers I know. I am weird.

But I think my values are pretty normal. So what I'm wondering is: Am I the crazy one, or are they? And by THEY, I mean the Dems in the House and the Senate. Join me over the flip to see what I mean.

I called in sick from work yesterday. I had PCSD. Post Convention Stress Disorder. After walking on air for an entire week, I'm back at home. There's cat puke and diarrhea on the floor. When I walk around, I end up with shredded toilet paper sticking to my feet (thanks to the kitten, who had a grand old time with a roll of TP while I was out). And when I walked into work Monday, my boss welcomed me back to what she called "build hell" (we've got a month to build several specialty clinics into the medical software we work with).

The same kitten who shredded the toilet paper got fixed Wednesday and managed to get her big plastic collar off. I tried putting it back on but there was no way. It's all I can manage to get her pain meds into her mouth. Add to that the laundry, the junk mail, the fridge of rotten produce, the fruit flies, the unpacking, and everything else. Last week was simply magical. Where did it all go?? I think I need to join a PCSD support group.

Yesterday Chris Dodd held a hearing (part 2 of 2) on childhood obesity in the Senate. I was so happy with his first hearing that I gave him ten bucks. There will not be any ten bucks for this second hearing. He included testimony from the American Beverage Association. WTF!

I got a hold of their testimony from the website and it calls for an edible version of the Scotty Show.

So how do we do this? The American Beverage Association's bullshit is thick and bold like in real life, my words are in regular font. Actually - you know what - I'm just going to delete the stuff that's not relevant and give you your bullshit straight up. Karateexplosions, I promise to give you royalties, so long as you accept mojo from my tip jar.

This is the second diary in my "I lost my virginity at NN" series. First of all - git yer minds outta that gutter. It's not what you think. I had several "firsts" at NN that felt like losses of virginity.

In this case, it was my first time talking to a VP, first time stumping a politician AND getting an honest answer, and the first time making national news. Wow! Below you'll find an open letter I wrote to Al Gore, which is posted on http://www.organicconsumers.org too. (If you haven't checked out that site, I recommend it)

No, not THAT way. I can assure you, I'm as much of a virgin as Madonna, but at the convention I had a LOT of first time experiences that FELT like losses of virginity. This diary is the first of a series to chronicle each of those: lobbying the TX state legislature, interviewing a future U.S. senator, and stumping a Vice President.

But first up - the kegger. Which got busted up by the cops. Believe it or not, I never did that in high school and I didn't do it in college. (Cedwyn says: "Aw, my little girl is growing up.") And this time it wasn't your typical kegger. We had a keg of local beer on hand (Live Oak IPA) along with local farm fresh veggies, raw milk, pasture raised eggs, sticky toffee pudding (which should have a warning label of "Warning: INSTANT FOOD ORGASM") that was generously donated by Tracy Claros, and more. Plus, we raised money for the Sustainable Food Center. I don't think the cops knew what to think!

If you're in Austin and you planned to join us to celebrate Austin's local food, please read this. Our room is much smaller than anticipated, so we're going to rearrange our plans a bit. We're moving the time to SATURDAY 5pm-?? and you're welcome to stop by, chat, and grab something to eat and drink at any point during the night.

So far, we've got fresh eggs from Judith's farm, raw milk, pecans, veggies, melon, coffee, and tea. We still have our big shopping trips ahead of us - the liquor store, Whole Foods, and the Saturday farmers' market.

The other bit of party-related news is: the party's in Room 919 at the Residence Inn on 4th St. Hope to see y'all there!

I arrived in Austin Monday night and I've been staying with one of our panelists, Judith McGeary. When I woke up yesterday, I was greeted by this little guy:

Turkey, an hour old

This diary is full of pics of Judith's farm - which she's told you about in her diary a few days ago about how the developers forced her to sell this farm and move to a new one - and about prep for the party we're having Saturday night.

I'm posting regular updates on La Vida Locavore.

Cross-posted on La Vida Locavore

This week, the House held a hearing on the rising cost of food and its impact on child nutrition programs. Rep. Miller (D-CA), kicked it off and then the first witness took the floor: Scott Faber of the Grocery Manufacturer's Association.

Here is a man who represents Archer Daniels Midland, Bumble Bee, Cadbury, Campbell Soup, Cargill, Chicken of the Sea, Chiquita, Coca-Cola, ConAgra, Dannon, Dean Foods, Del Monte, Dial, Dole, Dr. Pepper Snapple, General Mills, Georgia-Pacific, Gerber, Heinz, Hershey, Hormel, Smucker, Johnsonville Sausages, Kellogg, Kikkoman, Kraft, Land O'Lakes, Mars, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Proctor & Gamble, Safeway, Sara Lee, Sargento, Sunny Delight, Target, Unilever, and Welch, just to name a few of his organization's members. I am sorry but I just can't bring myself to believe that any of these companies are motivated by compassion for the poor.

Yet here is their representative, boo-hooing to Congress about the disproportionate burden high food prices places on the poor (oh and did he mention his concern for the environment?) unless Congress goes along with the GMA's agenda.

This past weekend, I was walking home wearing an Obama shirt. Walking because gas costs a million dollars now and I'm trying to do as little as possible to contribute to Exxon's bottom line. As I passed a used bookstore, a man commented on my shirt.

I stopped and chatted with him for a minute and then he said "Yeah... I still don't know who I'm voting for yet."

I said "Are you kidding me? Is there a choice? McCain's such an asshole!"

Idiot: "If it weren't for the war, I'd vote for McCain hands down. The Democrats want to socialize everything. They practically want a national bed time."

The conversation that followed is SO TELLING about everything that's wrong with America, and why we need to win in November to make it right.

Cross posted at La Vida Locavore

... and Other Things You'll Need to Know About Food in Austin

This past year, I was lucky enough to spend six months working in Texas. That's right, I said lucky. Believe it or not, I think I got in touch with my inner Texan. Before landing a job in Dallas, I would have told you that I don't have an inner Texan (or an outer Texan, or any other kind of Texan). But Texas charmed me. I grew to love it.

The people I met in Texas were, by and large, incredibly warm and friendly, and always eager to remind me that George Bush is from Connecticut! I look forward to introducing everyone to the side of Texas that gave us Jim Hightower, Ann Richards, and Molly Ivins - including Austin's local food (yum!) and a great Austin nonprofit called the Sustainable Food Center.

Also in this diary is the info you'll need to know about this year's food panel. So read on... otherwise you'll be so confused when you get to Austin you won't know whether to scratch your watch or wind your butt. (See? I'm learning to speak Texan!)

(Also - if you missed my announcement, I've got a new Scoop blog at La Vida Locavore)

Locavore was the 2007 word of the year (thanks for the correction, A Siegel). And I, for one, am livin' la vida locavore to the best of my overly-lazy ability.

What does it mean to be a locavore (one who eats local food)? A locavore wakes up in the morning, just like anyone else, puts on her hemp clothes and goes off to face the world. No need for a shower - gotta conserve water, you know. Breakfast? The locavore heads outdoors and munches on her lawn. Dandelion greens are healthy, environmentally friendly, and free! Then it's off to the IHOP with the other members of the commune, bringing pictures of dead farm animals to protest those murderers who are eating bacon...

Yeah... not so much. Locavores are mainstream! Locavores appreciate flavor. They want their tomatoes to taste and smell like tomatoes. They don't want their fruit to come with barcodes on it.

Locavores and others who concern themselves with food-related issues make up quite a presence on dKos. There's also a vibrant non-blogger food activist community in practically every part of the country. I am starting a new blog, La Vida Locavore, in hopes of bringing the blog community and the food community closer together.

I'm against the illegal occupation of Iraq, I gave money to Kucinich, and I voted for Edwards in the primaries. Did I mention that I'm a Republican? I said so, so it must be true. Want more proof? I can put a McCain 2008 bumper sticker on my car if that will convince you.

Why don't you believe me? Shouldn't saying something make it true?

OK, well how about this. Cornell University researchers (oh, and a helper from Monsanto) said that injecting cows with Monsanto's recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) is good for the environment. They are lowering cows' carbon "hoofprint." Come on! That's true too! They said so. It must be.