Revenge of the REGO Nerd: How Al Gore's Foresight May Repay Mark Penn...

... and save the Democratic primary process in 2008.

As many Al Gore fans know, the Vice President fired Mark Penn, Senator Clinton's "chief campaign strategist" - for lack of a better term.

Among the "strategies" - for lack of a better term - that Mark Penn has pursued for the Clinton campaign: keeping the lid on the Clinton Foundation donor lists, which are replete with currently-secret 7 and 8 figure donations.

Enter the REGO Nerd, Al Gore.

REGO, or Reinventing Government, set in motion the process that brought open records laws into the 21st century.

I'll never forget bumping into the Veep on New Year's Day, Y2K. The Y2K countdown clock at the Naval Observatory was amusing. But I digress.

The point is, many documents - such as Form 990s and their associated schedules - are now digitized, thanks to REGO. Moreover, the access points, or information control spigots, are more numerous.

A "low-level" IRS field agent might make an "honest mistake" and provide information that was supposed to be on file for public inspection in the first place.

There may not be a golden statue for that accomplishment, but somehow, I think Al Gore will find a way to celebrate that small step for open government anyway.

- Dave

P.S. On edit, I hope Gore takes special delight in the Treasury appropriations bills that Senator Clinton has backed, never questioning the line items for obscure database upgrades.

similar to RICO.

- Joe

... RICO, or Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, is a heartier soup stock: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sup_01_18_10_I_20_96.html

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sup_01_18_10_I_20_95.html

RICOs tend to be secretive about the source of their money, too.

- Dave

your Internet savvy, I do well to log on to D.U. with out crashing my computer.

- Joe

The best I can do is google. heh

I believe they're are a growing number of us semi-geek types.:hi:

... by his every word and deed where open records are concerned:

Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/index.html

National Archives and Records Administration: http://www.archives.gov/index.html

Patent and Trademark Office: http://www.uspto.gov/

For far-flung Americans unable to get to DC, and/or for the disabled and infirm, these sites have made the national treasure trove far more accessible - and the policy and funding pushes that Gore has made made all the difference.

- Dave

that everything prior to 1896 shouldn't apply when we think of the U.S. anymore because we're living in a new age, that was scary because he was so comfortable with that notion. Of course that was the time of "yellow journalism" leading up to us becoming an empire with the Spanish American War.

I'm not saying we were perfect before then by any stretch of the imagination, with slavery and not having women's suffrage, the taking of the Native American lands, etc. but the greatest gift the United States ever gave to the world was the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. These documents were based on the premise of a free people ruling them selves by reason and that no King, Queen or religious leader was to be over the law, and he was happy to just chuck it all away.

I believe the media's continuous focus on celebrity as of paramount importance in all things considered reflects this yearning of theirs to go back to royal or dictatorial rule. They might believe in bumper sticker slogans such as United we Stand or the Power of Pride, but these words are poison, should we forget what we stand for. I don't know why nations feel they must become an empire and try to dominate the world because it always leads to ruin.

Funny, how some are willing to abandon the heavy lifting necessary to renew that promise.

Of course, I will agree with Sir Winston about democracy's being the worst form of government.

- Dave

Churchill was a wise man.

Here we are at the dawn of the 21st century having already went through two world wars. We're one of only five nations in the United Nations with veto power and the neocons can't stand that much democracy! I believe there is a bible quotation that says "Pride goeth before the fall", or something like that, I think of that every time I see one of those "Power of Pride" bumper stickers.

That's one of my favorite Proverbs: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=pride+fall+haughty+spirit

And Churchill was a pip: http://www.google.com/search?complete=1&hl=en&q=churchill+uneducated+man+quotations

- Dave

"The full text of Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."

I'm out of here, Dave, have a good evening.:toast:

- Joe

from decades of actually READING documents, reports and newspapers.

; )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451

Plot summary: "a group—mostly older men—who, to Montag's astonishment, have memorized entire books, to be preserved orally until books are allowed again. They themselves burn the books they read to prevent them from being discovered; the true books are safely stored in their minds."

- Dave

Unfortunately, I lost that talent. I still have a very good memory, but it is no longer a photographic memory.

:rofl:

- Dave

ever been shook by a 7.8 earthquake?

I actually dropped some words from my vocabulary, too. For over a year I couldn't remember even an everyday word like 'refrigerator' - and my photographic memory was gone - very weird since I had depended on it far too much and never really learned to study. It's still far superior to most, though, so it's not too bad.

... the kind that had multiple flaps, and telling us all about how California was going to fall into the ocean someday, and how the Rockies were going to be beachfront property with a terrific view.

IIRC, Gary Larson did a spoof of that notion - showing a cartoon depicting California still standing after "the big one," as the rest of the U.S. dropped into the ocean.

Every time I'm in California though, I can't help but think of that day in the 2nd grade; now you've gone and caused my inner 2nd grader to say, "Maybe she wasn't so nutty after all."

You realize, of course, that you've opened yourself up to gentle teasing here on DU about that bump to the head?

*grin*

- Dave

And I happen to have a perfectly healthy ego - so teasing doesn't hurt the way people wish it would. PS: Being 9th kid out of 12 isn't for sissies, either, y'know. heh

... so the earthquake wasn't the first time you'd had your bell rung, was it?

:rofl:

For all your many head injuries, you seem darn well-adjusted. It's nice having someone to jog my memory about long-dormant data, too.

You'd be fun to rock next to at the retirement home.

- Dave

Because of my looks I ended up involved with some extremely interesting situations.

Ever imagine sitting in a room listening to conversations between Michael O'Donoghue and Hunter Thompson? Sometimes with William Burroughs? Heheh...thankfully, those memories are intact. Y'know what? Hunter is the one who really turned me on to Kerry and the import of his IranContra work. And then when I became more engaged in the corruption matters, supporting Kerry was a no-brainer. I wanted open government.

BTW - You might like this cartoon from 1991:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=273&topic_id=142689&mesg_id=142694

... you're near Boston, right?

Judging by the Democratic debate schedule and the NH primary calendar, I may be up your way soon.

Smart cartoon ... I still miss Herblock, too, speaking of densely-memed political cartoons.

- Dave

Mi esposo works in a....surprise...newsroom. But...there are a number of Kerry forum folks who do live near there and they would definitely accomodate you with you open arms. You should check in there - there are some top researchers in that forum who would appreciate your work and even help.

... on all counts. What's your take on a certain former NC Senator who's running this go-around?

- Dave

candidate and choice now with more conviction than he ever showed as a 2004 candidate.

... with the core principles of one's upbringing.

Not a bad way to run a candidacy.

- Dave

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2389219&mesg_id=2389219

... under Response 5, titled, 1986.

- Dave

And if "form follows function," Gore is a true nuts-and-bolts architect of open government.

: )

- Dave

and why the security of the election process was left unattended for years by a DNC uninterested in winning those elections.

Gore and Kerry showed in different ways their commitment to open government and that would not do for the powerful elite who needed their secrecy and privilege to continue.

... is the sweet drizzled icing on the cake.

: )

- Dave

... because they're the quiet subversives that propel us forward as a civilization.

Many local librarians organize regular adult education crash courses on how to use the Internet more effectively, access paid databases, vet online sources for accuracy, etc.

I was very fortunate to straddle the time when research required a physical visit to a library, university archive, and/or government office, and the time when this information began to be available online.

Way back when the early Mosaic browser came out, I was still in college: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaic_%28web_browser%29

My pre-college jobs: local newspaper and local library.

My two principal college jobs: the law school library and the college paper.

Several of my college friends ended up calling from their first jobs, when many of them had to learn how to use the tool I'd been raving about.

The best thing to improve your skills: take any interest (e.g., genealogy, knitting, square dancing, whatever) ... and then go ask your local library's research librarian to help you branch out to find new ways to wield the Internet.

: )

- Dave

I've always thought librarians rock :yourock:, that is when they're not in the library.

- Joe

... after the last patron has left, you'd be surprised.

:rofl:

- Dave

Imagine being a subversive for wanting to respect our rights to an open government that is accountable to the people.

THAT is our country today - the patriots want open government and the sheep don't care if it is closed as long as they can play with their Wii and Watch Dancing with the stars.

Progressive librarians often understand - and blend - the best old and new data transfer methods.

- Dave

instead of the ones he kept and fired.

And, 2) is REGO going to apply only to CLINTON and Dems, or to the Shrubs, too?!1

... and REGO will apply to BushCo., too (already is, and will continue to long into the future).

- Dave