New Haven Independent: Jane & Her Poodles Get The Story

Jane & Her Poodles Get The Story

by Paul Bass | July 4, 2006 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (34)

Hollywood producer Jane Hamsher was sipping iced black tea outside Oolongs Tea Bar in New Haven’s Sherman’s Alley when a call came over the cellphone. Joe Lieberman — the man she’d traveled from the West Coast to watch disintegrate — was about to make a major announcement 40 miles north at the state Capitol.

In no time she was barreling up I-91 at 90 miles an hour, cellphone crackling with updates, poodles trying to push their way to the front seat. This was real time, not reel time. She wasn’t going to miss this story, whatever it turned out to be.

Not after driving here from the West Coast, she wasn’t.

Hamsher (of Natural Born Killers fame) had just arrived in town. The producer and author has become a blogger of late; her Firedoglake site draws up to 80,000 unique visitors a day. Like other national bloggers incensed over the direction of the country under President Bush, Hamsher has taken a deep interest in the Aug. 8 Connecticut Democratic primary between three-term Sen. Lieberman and liberal challenger Ned Lamont, seeing it as a test battle for “the heart and soul of the party.”

Hamsher was leaving Oklahoma, where she spent the last days of her 82 year-old mother’s life with her, when she decided she and her three big black poodles weren’t ready to return home to her homes in Hollywood and the Oregon coast. She had some time before shooting was scheduled to begin on her latest projects. So she drove East to Connecticut with the intention of staying here until the primary and blogging the campaign up close. She also wanted to see the local bloggers whose work she’d been following at sites such as DumpJoe and MyLeftNutmeg ; she has a hunch they might be making history.

There she was outisde Oolongs answering a local reporter’s interview questions, with poodles Kobe and Katie and Lucy tied by their leashes to a grate, when her Razor flip phone rang with the Lieberman news. The blogger universe was buzzing. No one knew what the Lieberman announcement would be. But it felt big; the Lieberman camp had waited until just two hours before the event to let the press know about it. On the slow news day before July 4.

“We have to go,” Hamsher declared. She piled all three big black poodles back into her car along with a local reporter (me) who knew how to get to the Capitol, and stayed in phone contact with a Lamont staff blogger who was also in the area and wanted to follow in a separate car.

Hamsher turned the air conditioner up high but left the radio off; the car was already filled with waves of virtual and real motion. Somewhere around Meriden I realized Hamsher was breaking two Connecticut laws at once: the dashboard needle tugged at the 90 mark, and she was dialing and talking on the celly while steering. I also noticed that the car had air bags. So I said nothing, and resolved, if pressed to testify, to follow Judith Miller’s original example in the Valerie Plame case (the case which incidentally originally inspired Jane Hamsher’s blogging before Lieberman-Lamont caught her interest).

Then I remembered: Fourth of July weekend. Extra state police patrols. Oregon plates. This could mean trouble.
But there was no other way to make the press conference on time.

More calls from bloggers and informants stretching from D.C. to the West Coast. One carried word from a senator’s office.

“He’s taking out petitions!” Hamsher cried. This was going to be a big story. It was worth the trip East. “The poodles have a nose for these things. They said, ‘Mom, get me to Connecticut!’”

As anticipated, Lieberman was indeed going to take out petitions to run as an independent in case he loses the Aug. 8 primary, a remarkable admission of weakness for a three-term incumbent who was once his party’s vice-presidential nominee.

Another call: the AP was going with the story. Hamsher dialed Firedog staffer Christy Hardin Smith in West Virginia and dictated a post. Racing a parallel track along the blogosphere and the Connecticut interstate, she wanted to have the story first.

As she shooed Kobe’s shnoz from the front seat (or was it Katie’s? or Lucy’s?), Hamsher squeezed in some reflections on why she travelled the country to bear witness to the race of the summer.

“It’s all about [Supreme Court Justice Samuel] Alito for me,” she said, referring to Lieberman’s vote to prevent a filibuster and allow the right-wing judge’s confirmation to proceed. “We’re this close” — she took her hand off the wheel to demonstrate just how close with two fingers — “to having another judge who will seal our fate for the next 20 years. We can wind up permanently stacked and unable to swing the pendulum back.

“This is a fight for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party,” she said, the state police headquarters passing in a blur outside her window. “Are we going to rubber-stamp judges like Alito? Or are we going to say that Republican Lite isn’t good enough?”

She also wants to correct the impression of the race created by the national press, Hamsher continued. “I’m trying to provide some counterbalance to the mistaken narratives that are being perpetuated in Time, Newsweek, the Washington Post… and they’re the best. Everything I was reading was buying into this narrative, ‘It’s all about the war.’” Lieberman has repeatedly cast Lamont’s challenge as a single-issue campaign against his support for the Iraq war. Lamont has repeatedly responded that yes, the war is a major difference between them, but so are universal health care, the Bush-Cheney energy bill, gay marriage, free trade, school vouchers, and the Alito nomination, among other issues.

For now Hamsher has an extended-stay motel room in Meriden. She’s hoping to rent a farmhouse in Guilford through the primary; a bunch of her West Coast buddies want to stay with her and the poodles to witness and blog history themselves.

Watching Hamsher work, I got a taste of what this emergent national political blogging is all about. Tidbits, encouragement, mounting outrage and excitement all flowed like adrenaline over the wireless connections between her and the editors of influential national political sites like Eschaton and Crooks and Liars. They’re uninterested in gaining consulting contracts from candidates or becoming operatives. In fact, they raise money for the campaigns through their sites; Hamsher said Firedoglake has raised over $30,000 from small donors for the Lamont campaign. They also keep each other abreast of the latest TV appearances, video availabilities, and gossip. They’re not competing; they link to each other.

They also tap into the Lamont campaign for info. Lamont’s staffers recognized the value of the blogs early. They realized they can’t control them, but they can feed them information and make use of their energy and independent video reporting and commentary. The campaign’s full-time blog coordinator, Tim Tagaris, the young guy who was speeding behind us in his own car up I-91, works the bloggers the way traditional press staffers work the pencil and camera reporters.

“Nobody,” Hamsher declared, more than once, “interfaces with the blogs like the Lamont people.”

The ideas and even the graphics flow up from the netroots to the campaign, not vice-versa as in traditional top-down, consultant-sculpted campaigns. For instance, in anticipation of Lieberman’s independent petition drive, Hamsher had prepared a mock movie poster for “Joe Lieberman in Cut and Run 2006.” She immediately posted it Monday to coincide with Lieberman’s announcement. Other web sites (including this one) picked up on the “Cut and Run” phrase as well as the graphic for their own breaking news coverage. By the end of the day, the Lamont campaign itself would officially use the phrase in its own press release.

This blogging world is also about caffeine. It’s constant energy. Dressed in jeans and a plain white blouse, decidedly unmade up, Hamsher looks more the itinerant blogger than the Hollywood producer with two West Coast homesteads. When she talks about how she broke into writing covering both politics and punk rock for the alternative San Francisco Bay Guardian in the late ’70s, it all makes sense. Blogging, she said, is the “new punk.” Anyone can do it. Anyone can plug in, make some noise, make a difference, and just blast away with an unceasing cascade of crescendoes.

12:43: Hamsher made it to Bushnell Park in record time. The troopers didn’t interfere. She parked, took out the dogs, and headed a block up to the Capitol steps.

She hung back from the pack of reporters during Lieberman’s announcement, observing the scene. She faded into the background, casually meeting people on the fringe. The poodles did kind of stand out, though.

Hamsher chatted up the battery of fresh-faced Lieberman kids called in to hold signs behind the senator. Despite what they told her, Hamsher was convinced they were paid, not volunteers.

After the press conference, she drove to Lamont HQ in Meriden for the challenger’s press conference. Along the way she reviewed the “money quote” from Lieberman’s event (“I have loyalties that are greater than those to my party”), then phoned in another post to Hardin. They highlighted the quote in a box; it would soon show up on other blogs.

Lamont’s press conference wasn’t starting until 3:30. Hamsher had plenty of time. No need to fear the troopers this time.

Lamont’s appearance proved an anticlimax. He sat with his wife Annie on a shaded picnic table bench and downplayed the significance of the day. All that energy, all that outrage, all that determination to take on Lieberman bouncing like pinballs inside Hamsher’s car seemed like some other movie. Lieberman’s press conference had felt like a celebration. Here in Lamontville, not a single sign-carrying supporter, fresh-faced or not, appeared behind or beside Lamont in view of the camera. No cheers. Felt like just another day.

Jane Hamsher stood off to the side as reporters calmly chatted with Lamont.

Perhaps some time she could give the Lamont campaign some cues from Hollywood about visuals and creating a scene of excitement to accompany their news ops, a need every skilled politician from Bill Clinton and George Bush down to Joe Lieberman and John DeStefano and Dan Malloy has long understood. For now, Hamsher had other duties to attend to. She returned to her car, hit the road, and prepared for hours of passionate posts.

Comments

Posted by: johnny7 | July 4, 2006 12:35 PM

What a ditz.

Posted by: Mary | July 4, 2006 1:41 PM

Thanks to both you AND Jane for providing the color and drama to this historic event. I always knew Quizzling Joe had it in him - but now it's official!

Excellent reporting!

Posted by: TeddySanFran | July 4, 2006 3:58 PM

Thanks for this close-up peek, Paul, at poodle-licious blogging in the Nutmeg State. Please ask Jane to continue to drive carefully!

Posted by: John Casper | July 4, 2006 5:22 PM

GREAT ARTICLE.
Thank you for this about a great American patriot, Jane Hamsher!

Posted by: radlib1 | July 4, 2006 6:32 PM

Great article. You really caught the energy and the ethos of Jane Hamsher (and her poodles).

Posted by: nfjanette | July 4, 2006 10:28 PM

Joe Lieberman -- the man she'd traveled from the West Coast to watch disintegrate --

...and the left-wing crowd being pandered to goes wild! Bye bye, objective reporting, hello gleeful word smithing to support the reporter's views...

Posted by: mui | July 5, 2006 10:03 AM

I believe the tenor of the Lamont campaign is 100% appropriate. People are sick to the gills by Lieberman's frenzied antics. I love Jane Hamscher, perhaps more than any other blogger, and I am glad she is capturing the frenzied-Joe freefall aspect of the primary. But let's not say that Lamont and his extremely competent camp, suffer by comparison. Let's not trivialize politics when we have women's rights, universal health care, bringing about affordable prescription drugs, saving social security from the Bush/Joe scheme of privatization, bringing home overextended troops, and bringing peace on earth to the planet at stake. All of these Bush/Joe opposes. And Ned Lamont supports. Ned Lamont will bring new blood to a lobbyist-riddled congress that Joe represents so well. CT doesn't need fireworks to know Ned is a better choice.
Go Jane! & Go Ned!

Posted by: vblaisdell | July 5, 2006 11:20 PM

Following up on your observation of Ned's low key style, tonight my downstairs neighbors' doorbell rang, and I looked out my window after hearing the words "Ned Lamont." The Lamont kid said something I couldn't hear and then started to leave. I hollered out, "Why don't you ring ALL the doorbells?" "Well, they called me," he said. I asked if I could have a lawn sign and a bumper sticker, so he said "Sure." I went downstairs and got the lawn sign, and then he started to drive off. "What about my bumper sticker?" I hollered. He stopped and gave me one. I got the feeling they were too expensive to permit non-requesters to have one. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?!

Posted by: Jessica | July 5, 2006 11:37 PM

"Hamsher chatted up the battery of fresh-faced Lieberman kids called in to hold signs behind the senator. Despite what they told her, Hamsher was convinced they were paid, not volunteers."

And another conspiracy theory hatches.

Posted by: cookie jill | July 5, 2006 11:55 PM

We have met Jane and one of her fuzzballs, Kobe. We LOVE'M!

Thanks for highlighting her escapades back east, but, please....remind them to come back home to The Left Coast. We miss'm already.

Posted by: Boogey_Man | July 6, 2006 12:57 AM

I kinda understand the Lefts feelings re Lieberman. The Right has McCain and the Left has Joe. The difference is that I think Joe takes the stances he does because he is serious in his convictions. McCain is mostly just ego-centric.

How about this idea? The Left and Right call a truce and force the RINO's and the DINO's to leave and form their own squishy third party.

If Joe runs independent and wins how will that effect the organization of the senate? After being treated like a leper by his own party how likely is it that he will side with the Dems in the future. The Left better hope he doesnt win. Hell hath no fury like Joe-mentom scorned.

Posted by: Jane's little voice | July 6, 2006 3:28 AM

"Nobody," Hamsher declared, more than once, "interfaces with the blogs like the Lamont people."

Because it's all about ME!!! And the blogs!!! Lamont for President of the Blogosphere! ME for Superstar! ME ME ME!

Posted by: Stephen Anderson | July 6, 2006 3:58 AM

I consider Jane a good friend, and she is doing what she does because she can, because she is passionate about changing the way politics is done in the country.

There's no pretense, no artifice, just passion and compassion.

Posted by: DaveP. | July 6, 2006 8:53 AM

The dogs are probably smarter.

Posted by: Jon Shell | July 6, 2006 9:13 AM

Nutjob.

Posted by: savant | July 6, 2006 9:45 AM

hahaha

Yes, congrats on posting non-news about a wanna-be mmonbat! LOL

Posted by: alice | July 6, 2006 10:19 AM

"Despite what they told her, Hamsher was convinced they were paid, not volunteers."

just how was she "conviced"? x-ray vision? psychic insight? or: if you want to believe something really, really bad, it becomes The Truth? works for 5-year-olds all the time... also for muslim fanatics...

Posted by: Skyler Pinkengreen | July 6, 2006 10:26 AM

Extended stay hotel? Eww. I 'ld rather go without Grey Poupon.

Posted by: marge | July 6, 2006 10:29 AM

sad, the far left is tearing the democratic party apart with their fanatical extremism and the republicans will win again while we fight among themselves

pretentious hollywood types like hamsher should stay in hollywood and leave local races alone, they embarass the democratic party enough in california

Posted by: Horgus | July 6, 2006 10:50 AM

Waaa Haaa Haaa Haaa:

OK, Ms. Jane has an uncredited role (see imdb.com) in "Natural Born Killers" as the "Female Demon" (did she even have a line?) and is so self absorbed that she wrote a book about it. Her other credits are not much to speak about.

But she stll merits a "of Natural Born Killers fame" referance in this gloriously silly puff piece!

I don't know if I feel sorrier for the poodles or the papers editor.

Posted by: Johan Amedeus Metesky | July 6, 2006 11:08 AM

Driving from the west coast? Ninety mph? Homes in two states?

Hamsher uses more energy than some entire neighborhoods.

How much do you think her AKC standard poodles cost her? She probably spends more on veterinary care and grooming than it would cost to provide medical insurance for one of the domestics working in one of her homes.

I wonder if she pays her gardeners a "living wage".

Just another Hollywood limousine liberal telling the rest of us how to live. She's gotten rich sucking from the teat of American culture and most likely feels guilty for the enormous wealth she has acquired, knowing deep down that she's done very little of worth to acquire that wealth at the same time screaming me me me (as pointed out above). She feels guilty. Not enough to give up the two homes and pay for a family's medical cares, but enough to support lefty politics that will impact the lifestyles of average Americans far more than it will hers.

Real folks don't have the luxury of some time before shooting is scheduled to begin on their latest projects to pop in on a political campaign. They are busy working for a living or trying to find work.

I operate a one-man embroidery shop. If Ms. Hamsher endorses the idea of redistribution of wealth, perhaps she can contract with me to supply logo and promotional apparel for her "latest projects". If you're reading this, Jane, my prices are very competitive, you can see my work @ www.autothreads.com and if you like it, drop me an email.

Posted by: Reality Check | July 6, 2006 1:36 PM

Just another painful reminder...YOU LOST
You LOST Bigtime
You will LOSE again
Al and John are NOT president
Joe has my INDEPENDENT support
Left coast LOSERS do not!
Do I need to remind you again?
You LOST!

Posted by: Left Coast Rightie | July 6, 2006 1:41 PM

Hmmm... I see. Disregard traffic laws, because it's all about you. And your three dogs.

Psycho bitch.

Posted by: B Moe | July 6, 2006 3:08 PM

"Hamsher chatted up the battery of fresh-faced Lieberman kids called in to hold signs behind the senator. Despite what they told her, Hamsher was convinced they were paid, not volunteers."

And that is all that matters to the reality-based.

Posted by: jmeyert4a | July 6, 2006 4:32 PM

"... she reviewed the "money quote" from Lieberman's event ("I have loyalties that are greater than those to my party"), then phoned in another post to Hardin. They highlighted the quote in a box; it would soon show up on other blogs."

And those loyalties might be to whom? God? Country? Family?

Funny, I think that most all Republicans would agree with Joe... and see no dishonor in stating so.

Posted by: bpolhemus | July 6, 2006 4:50 PM

Hamsher dialed Firedog staffer Christy Hardin Smith in West Virginia and dictated a post.

What the...?

I don't have "a staffer" 'cept for me. Who are these people?

Posted by: John Zengerite | July 6, 2006 5:50 PM

Finally, the race is here. The Hard Left is mobilizing, just as they did to great effect in the 2002 mid-terms and the 2004 general.

If you're thinking about voting Ned, remember that you're aligning with this dog-lady. I foresee the dog lady becoming the face of the campaign, much as Al Franken became the face of Walter Mondale's 2002 Senate campaign.

While the NHI may think that this individual's driving habits are endearing, note that the state of Connecticut reported 98 highway fatalities "involved in speed related crashes" in 2004. We don't need outsiders yakking on their cell phones with their dogs in the car driving that fast, putting us all at risk.

Posted by: Jim Jimmity Jimbo | July 6, 2006 8:47 PM

PuhLEEEZE! The nice thing about this wingnut wasting so much energy on liberal politics is that she's unable to devote any time to anything useful. Self-marginalization is the best thing we could hope for such a sad little person, and she's doing a GREAT job of it. Way to go, wingnut!

Posted by: Lovebabz | July 7, 2006 10:22 AM

So much anger and drama at someone who has the right as an American to follow politics both local and federal. Gosh you all are harsh in your small criticisms. But you have the right to your opinions. What I find most interesting in those of you attacking this woman--that it is much more revealing about you the attackers than she,the attacked. How she spends her money, how she goes through life isn't the issue. What have you done lately? I found her commentary to be colorful and thrilling---this is why I love politics and I do love it. You see anybody can get in the game---work on a campaign, support a candidate. I admire anyone who gets off their couch and does something to help make the world a better place. It's easy to get online and shoot off an opinion, but knocking on doors calling folks, raising money...well that is commitment. And afterall isn't this what we want for others in the world. Isn't this what we want for the Iraqi's-- a chance to shape their political futures. It's not about her dogs, her two homes or the fact that she is a hollywood player. She is an american, who cares deeply about her community...the United States of America.

So chill out and be nicer.

Posted by: eyeswideopen | July 7, 2006 3:27 PM

This morning someone posted a comment on firedoglake criticizing Jane driving 90 mph while talking on her cell and included a link to this article. The moderator at the sight posted this man's personal information in retaliation. It looks as if it has been removed as well as all the nasty postings aimed at a person that dared to criticize their goddess (their word not mine).

I have been a loyal reader of FDL but lately it reminds me of a cult. Too bad, it was a good blog but the huge egos have gotten out of control.

Posted by: Miss | July 8, 2006 1:42 PM

Lovebabz--
Thank you so much for writing what you did. The one thing I hate about this kind of forum is that no one can stand behind their words--with made up names and all. So people can say what they want and that stuff isn't of much substance, and often very harsh. So thanks for bringing a little level-headedness to the snowballing of angry criticism and name calling from aparently intelligent and grown-up individuals.

I, too, liked the piece because it was about a single person trying to effect some kind of change. No one's going to make change come about, people, except a great number of individuals. This is one story. If people have problems with Hamsher, then they should go out and try to make their own stories by effecting their own changes, rather than sitting around criticizing the energy of others.

Posted by: f7prez | August 2, 2006 4:59 PM

Aug 9, 2006 is going to be one of the best days of the year. To know that Hampster will be experiencing that total empty feeling as she lies on the floor sobbing uncontrolably when the Lamont LOSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: timmy | August 4, 2006 4:51 PM

Hamsher is a hypocritical racist.

Posted by: Purple Avenger | August 5, 2006 4:48 PM

They highlighted the quote in a box; it would soon show up on other blogs.

Indeed - one should hope he had "loyalties" other than the party. US constitution and his oath of office leap to mind.

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