The Matthew Shepard Act

For those who are concerned that the change in leadership in Congress hasn't brought change, the passage of the Matthew Shepard act should be a reason for hope. This act honors the memory of Matthew Shepard and provides the protection that was lacking for him, but will now be present for those who need it in the future.

The NH Senate Primary meets the Presidential Primary

Like the presidential campaigns, the Buckey campaign is scurrying around preparing for this evening's presidential debate... Yesterday, we put up some more yard signs and large banners in Hanover to add to our visibility. We'll be holding Buckey signs along with presidential campaign supporters on the Dartmouth Green this afternoon, and Jay will be out shaking hands and meeting people.

Just before the debate, Jay will be addressing the Dartmouth students and community residents gathering in Leede Arena on campus for a huge debate-watching party. We are all very excited about that!

The media has descended on the village of Hanover. There are satellite trucks on the Green and a fleet of RVs behind the Hopkins Center. People with cameras are walking up and down Main Street and around campus. It feels a little like the center of the world! The mood in town is festive.

Debates are a great part of the primary process. Not only are they fun, generating excitement among supporters, they really can be a way to explore differences between candidates and draw attention to the important challenges we face and the best ways to address them. I am really looking forward to the debates that will undoubtedly be a part of our own Senate primary.

For now, I'll enjoy the presidential primary debate in town and hopefully come a little closer to making a decision about which candidate to support...

Campaign Season is Back

The air was cool today, and the sky was blue. Leaves are falling. It's beginning to feel like... campaign season.

Yard signs are coming out. Bumper stickers are on the rise. Over the next few months, we will see candidates around the state and, as the joke suggests, shake hands with each one several times before making up our minds. Indeed, it's true. Many of us have already shaken the hands of presidential candidates (even more than once).

Of course, Jay will be out and about this fall, shaking hands with as many people as possible. Our Senate campaign will be about talking to people and earning votes one at a time (although more at the same time are even better!).

Sitting in this afternoon's meeting of the NHDP State Committee - of which I am a member - and looking at the campaign staff from the presidential campaigns, I was reminded of the 2004 presidential primary, my own political awakening.

I read David McCullough's biography of President Harry Truman during that campaign season, and the Governor even signed the book for me later on. When I got home from the meeting, I dug it out of a box of my books that came home from the office I had at Dartmouth, where I coordinated a fellowship for him after the primary had ended.

Governor Dean's note says:

Karen,
To a great Democrat!
Thanks for all your help!!
Howard Dean

What a great memory - moving and inspiring for me... Happy campaign season to all!

Buckey Statement on Marchand Leaving Senate Race

Lebanon, NH -- In response to news that Portsmouth mayor Steve Marchand will drop out of the Senate race, US Senate candidate Jay Buckey released the following statement:

"It has been a pleasure to get to know and work with Steve on the campaign trail. I have been impressed with his drive and energy. Steve and I have appeared at numerous events together over the course of the summer, and I will miss deliberating the issues with him on the campaign trail over the year to come."

Biographical Information

Jay Buckey, 51, earned a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MD from Cornell University. He flew as a Payload Specialist Astronaut for the Space Shuttle Columbia in April 1998. He also served as a Flight Surgeon in the U.S. Air Force Reserve for eight years. Currently, he’s a professor of medicine at Dartmouth Medical School and an adjunct professor of engineering at Dartmouth’s Thayer School. He and his wife Sarah have three children and live in Hanover, NH. For more information, see buckey08.com.

Words of Wisdom from Martin Luther King, Jr

Thanks to Lucy Edwards for posting this to the Democracy for New Hampshire Leaders List!

Through our scientific and technological genius, we have made of this world a neighborhood and yet we have not had the ethical commitment to make of it a brotherhood. But somehow, and in some way, we have got to do this. We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools. We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the way God's universe is made; this is the way it is structured.

John Donne caught it years ago and placed it in graphic terms: "No man is an island entire of itself. Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main." And he goes on toward the end to say, "Any man's death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind; therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." We must see this, believe this, and live by it if we are to remain awake through a great revolution.

Martin Luther King, Jr. -- Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution

Senate Candidate Jay Buckey Reaffirms Senate Race Commitment

Lebanon, NH – ”My Senate campaign is focused on the war in Iraq, America’s need for a new energy policy, and the crucial economic issues facing our country,” said US Senate candidate Jay Buckey. “It isn’t contingent on whether others get into the race. I’m committed to the campaign and to winning the Senate seat from John Sununu.”

There has been speculation that former governor Jeanne Shaheen might enter the Senate race. “I look forward to a vigorous discussion of the important issues in a primary, and I’d welcome Jeanne Shaheen into the race if she decides to run.”

Jay Buckey is a physician, scientist, and former astronaut who has also served as a Major in the Air Force Reserve. “We face serious challenges -- getting out of Iraq responsibly, solving our energy problem, dealing with terrorism, providing universal health care, and making global trade work for regular people,” Buckey explained. “We need leaders who will address these challenges head on.”

“A dynamic primary season will provide voters with a clear choice for who would be the best possible Senator for New Hampshire,” said Buckey08 Campaign Manager Karen Liot Hill. “I strongly believe that person is Jay Buckey. But I believe even more strongly that the people of New Hampshire should be the ones to make that decision.”

“New Hampshire has a proud tradition of engaged voters,” added Hill, who is also a Lebanon City Councilor. “We look forward to discussing the issues with voters throughout the state in the upcoming year.”

Biographical Information
Jay Buckey, M.D. is a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from New Hampshire. He flew as a payload specialist astronaut on the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1998, and he also served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve for eight years. He is currently a professor of medicine at Dartmouth Medical School. He and his family live in Hanover, NH.

Press Release on Petraeus Hearings

Senate Candidate Jay Buckey Calls for New Energy Policy In Strategic Approach to Iraq

Lebanon, NH – US Senate Candidate Dr. Jay Buckey responded to the Congressional testimony of General David Petraeus today by calling for a strategic approach to Iraq that takes into account one of the root causes for our involvement in the Persian Gulf: our country’s dependence on foreign oil.

"Tactical discussions about troop deployment and withdrawal ignore the strategic context of US involvement in the Persian Gulf,” said Buckey, a Democratic candidate to represent New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate. He noted that the 1980 Carter Doctrine declared access to Persian Gulf Oil a vital national security interest that would be protected with military force if threatened.

“The long-term solution to US involvement in Iraq lies in our energy policy,” said Buckey. “Ending our dependence on foreign oil and developing a New Energy Economy is a vital national security interest that the Bush administration and its supporters, including John Sununu, are simply ignoring.”

Buckey also addressed the tactical issues: “The Bush administration has violated an important principle of military policy by leaving our military leaders with no good options,” he said. “Also, our military force is being stretched far too thin, leaving us vulnerable to growing threats.”

“All decisions are about trade-offs,” Buckey explained. “The Bush administration has decided that continuing a failed occupation in Iraq takes priority over all other national security interests.“

The Anniversary

Today is the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attack. We remember our fellow citizens who died that day. And we are inspired by the heroism of the firefighters, police, and rescue workers, many of whom gave their own lives to help others. Each of us has a role in protecting our country against future attacks; each of us needs to become involved in our country's political system and work to protect the constitutional liberties that others have died for.
As we remember the sacrifices of 9/11 today, we should recall the words of President Lincoln:

"We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Labor Day & Operation Old Glory

Labor Day is indeed a day of labor for a US Senate campaign! We started out the morning at the AFL-CIO breakfast in Manchester, where we spoke with several members of local unions and said hello to Governor Lynch and Senator Chris Dodd. We had to leave just before the festivities began due to a prior commitment to Operation Old Glory.

OOG is a wonderful story of four patriotic women who saw a need and came together to address it. Their mission was to ensure that a flag was flying in every single public school classroom in the state - a project that required more than 4,000 flags! Undaunted, they reached out to the American Legion, which partnered with them to purchase and distribute flags around the state. Presidential candidate Governor Mitt Romney spoke, and representatives from the Clinton, Obama, and McCain campaigns sent representatives. Additionally, Melissa Ogle, Senator Sununu's Community Liaison, presented a flag that had been flown above the US Capitol to the four women who worked so hard on this project. The event took place in Representative's Hall in the State House and was a great success. It concluded, quite appropriately, with apple pie and ice cream - thanks to The Pie Guy from Nashua.

After the event in Concord, we marched in the Milford Parade along with Barack Obama, Chris Dodd, Paul and Peggo Hodes and many other political "rock stars." We walked right behind the enthusiastic Obama group, who kept things upbeat with their own marching band (Yankee Doodle, You're A Grand Old Flag, and many more classics) and chants: "Be a part of something great - Obama 08!" Jay shook hands with several hundred people along the parade route. We really had a great time.

Following the parade festivities, Jay addressed the Amherst Democrats at their first annual Labor Day Barbecue at the picturesque Amherst Country Club. The day concluded where it began - in Manchester, with the City Democrats headed up by Chris Pappas, a very effective organizer. A highlight for me was getting to speak French, my native tongue, with Russell from the Stop Sununu campaign and Michel from the Hillary campaign. Have to love Manchester!

Below are Jay's remarks from Operation Old Glory, a reflection on the meaning of the flag to him... The photo is NASA Photo ID AS11-40-5875

I want to thank Caroline, Marisa, Heidi, and Becky for inviting me here today, and for organizing this great effort. These classroom flags will be important to kids throughout New Hampshire.

But I have to confess that, when I was a kid, the flag that had the greatest impact on me wasn’t red, white, and blue… It was black and white. And it was pretty small, too. About this size.

I saw it back in the summer of 1969. As many of you may remember, this was a tough time for Americans. There were tremendous racial tensions throughout the country, mounting casualties in Vietnam, and fierce debates about the war.

On July 20, 1969, my parents, my sister and I were all sitting in front of our Magnavox t.v. We watched as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the first steps on the moon and planted the American flag in the Sea of Tranquility. Since our t.v. was black and white, the flag’s image was only black and white, too.

But that black and white flag was an inspiring symbol. I realized how lucky I was to be part of a country where people could successfully land a man on the moon.

Even more important, the flag reminded me – and millions of others – that whatever our race… or our religion… whether we were liberals or conservatives, anti-war or pro-war, we were all Americans.

The flag has been an important symbol to me throughout my life. Twenty-nine years after the historic moon landing, I was proud to wear the American flag on my launch/entry suit when our crew flew aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.

To me, the flag symbolized that our spaceflight was a team effort – made possible by our country’s scientific and technological achievements -- and by thousands of Americans working together for a common goal.

When I was in the Air Force reserve, our unit’s flags symbolized our military strength, and the willingness of Americans to defend the freedoms we cherish.

Back when I was an assistant scoutmaster with Troop 45—and I am very pleased to see Troop 45 here today—we all had American flags on our shirts. And there the flag symbolized the love of country that scouting encourages.

But as I was preparing for this event, I wondered – what will the flag symbolize to all the students in New Hampshire classrooms today? When the kids are sitting at their desks, and they look up at that red, white and blue banner – what will they see?

I hope the students will understand that our flag represents America’s love of country, our willingness to defend our freedoms, and our pride in our country’s achievements.

But most of all, I hope they know the power of the ideas that formed this country. The fifty stars and thirteen stripes all sewn together represent the United States.

As the first line of the Constitution says, “We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect Union.”

I hope the students understand that “We the People” includes all Americans – regardless of what we look like, our religious faith, or how much money we have in our wallets.

We are a diverse country, but what the Constitution lays out is how to form unity from our diversity. This doesn’t mean that we’ll agree on everything. But it does mean that we’ll agree to treat each other with respect and follow the Constitution.

Our system of government has been working pretty well for over 200 years. That’s because each generation has shown the next what our flag stands for. And our hope is that these classroom flags will help to educate future generations.

So when kids look up and see the flag, they won’t just see a piece of cloth -- they’ll understand the power behind that flag: The power of the ideas that formed this country… the power of the sacrifice others have made… the power we have when we work together… and the power of liberty and justice for all.

Thank you.

Is Renewable Energy Still Just a Pipe Dream?

"Future technological innovations" are often touted as the solution to the relative cost-ineffectiveness implementation limitations of renewable energy sources in the present. However, beyond this description, such innovations become increasingly vague. Surely engineers in the energy business are working on something, but what exactly is below the radar of much of the American public. While some degree of futurism can be a good thing, we also want to be careful of straying into the realm of cold fusion, or artificial intelligence, or orbiting power generation platforms, or artificially intelligent orbiting platforms. To that end, what follows is a mentioning of some more modest possible future developments in the field of renewable energy, along with related quibbles and cautionary notes.

First up, Chinese developers unveiled a colossal, full-permanent magnetic levitation (maglev) wind turbine at the Wind Power Asia Exhibition held on June 28, 2006 in Beijing, as originally reported in Xinhua News. According to several English-language sources, such as the Worldwatch Institute's Blog, as well as Windtech International and Renewable Energy Access.com, the new turbines may boost energy generating capacity by as much as 20% over traditional wind turbines. This would effectively cut wind farm operational costs by up to 50%. I won't go into technical details here, especially since they are all but absent from the online news releases, but Jeremy Faludi at World Changing offers up an interesting bit of speculation as to possible designs using knowledge of current magnetic bearing designs. However, a word of caution is in order, as all current information on the turbines seems to be quite vague, and any pictures of the new devices are conspicuously absent.

Interestingly enough, another step in the same direction is, or was, being undertaken by an Arizona-based company called Maglev Wind Turbine Technologies (MWTT.) MWTT's proposal was to build single, colossal vertical-axis maglev turbines somewhat resembling large, multistory rotating buildings. The company initially claimed that one such turbine could provide power to over half a million people. However, the company has yet to build even a working prototype, and its once-informative website has seemingly gone underground recently. The company may be all but disbanded, and the only recent mention of it is in a Forbes.com news release announcing a new Chief Consulting Engineer.

On a somewhat more concrete note, in May, 2007 Scientific American ran an article on Carbon Nanotube Nets, a new form of "nanomaterial" which, it is promised, has the potential to spark new advances in flexible and/or transparent electronics. Most interesting to our topic was the mention of nanonets being used to build cheaper solar panels. One company conducting research in this area is Unidym, based in Menlo Park, California. Nanonet products still have a long way to go in terms of cost-effectiveness and efficiency, but the company asserts that it plans to bring nanonet-on-plastic films into commercial production in 2008.

Each new emerging technology or increase in efficiency in the field of renewable energy is cause for hope that we may one day be free of our present oil-regulated existence. Of course each new development also warrants caution, because while progress is being made all of the time, we also must acknowledge that each of these technologies has a long way to go before possibly being included as a significant portion of our energy policy. While we aren't likely to see dramatic change on this front in the next few years, or possibly even the next few decades, an unwillingness to invest the necessary time and resources into advancing these technologies in the present would assure our failure on the path to large-scale implementation of renewable energy alternatives more than any other factor.