Sunday, January 27, 2008
Eleanor Roosevelt speaketh
I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do...
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
Those who attack always do so with greater fervor than those who defend.
I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity.
No man is defeated without until he has first been defeated within.
Friendship with oneself is all important because without it one cannot be friends with anybody else in the world.
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
Those who attack always do so with greater fervor than those who defend.
I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity.
No man is defeated without until he has first been defeated within.
Friendship with oneself is all important because without it one cannot be friends with anybody else in the world.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Davey D speaketh
In case any of you are wondering why the "debates" are so unsatisfying, take a look behind the "Read more!" link to find the text of a column written by Davey D at his blog. The link above goes to his site.
Last Night's Presidential debate Was Wack-Here's Why
By Davey D
So last night after doing a whole lot of hustling and string pulling I got a chance to attend the big presidential debate in South Carolina. The pomp and circumstances surrounding it and leading up to it was a story on to itself. The way it was framed is that it was a debate designed to force the candidates to talk specifically about key issues important to the African American community.
The fact that this debate was taking place on the Martin Luther King holiday in Myrtle Beach, -a place that once upon a time was the site for numerous lynching of black people made this symbolic. The fact that the African American Congressional Whip Congressman James Clyburn who is from South Carolina along with the Congressional Black Caucus Institute was putting this on made this even more symbolic.
Adding to the backdrop of this debate was the ugly squabble and controversy between front runners Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. We heard all sorts of talk ranging from Obama not being Black enough to Martin Luther King not being 'all that' compared to former president Lyndon B Johnson to former President Bill Clinton unfairly maligning Obama which was rubbing a lot of Blacks the wrong way including Clyburn who publicly called for Bill to 'tone it down'.
I attended a number of events including a community gathering for MLK at the House of Blues and a pre-debate dinner at some super fancy Beach and Golf resort and people were excited. Last night was the night that the candidates were gonna get down and really drop some gems and bring crucial attention to our plight and give it a national platform. I spoke to people like Congress people like Jim Clyburn and Barbara Lee of Oakland prior to the debate. They seemed excited that finally key issues resonating with the Black community, like Katrina, Africa HIV Aids, or the prison industrial complex would be spoken about. With Lee, issues like Haiti and Africom were important, but she wasn't so sure that they would come up in the debate although she felt they were important and should.
Clyburn told me that he and the congressional Black Caucus had partnered with CNN and had given them a number of questions to raise up to the candidates. He said that he and others would be listening and watching carefully to make sure that the news outlet didn't sanitize and soften up some of those tough questions. The issue of race was a front and center topic with everyone speculating whether or not Obama would pull the Black vote from Hillary whose husband has strong roots with the political black establishment in the south. Topping off this whole scenario was word that some white supremacist group was going to be marching in Jena, Louisiana on the King Holiday. The bottom-line was it was gonna go down last night.
Getting into the Debate was a Hassle
Now getting a ticket to last night's debate was damn near impossible. Although there were close to 3000 seats at the Palace Theater, this event was like a Mike Tyson prize fight from back in the days. All sorts of celebrities had shown up. I saw Chris Tucker, Dave Chappell, Dr.Cornel West, folks from American idol, folks from Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, former Mayors, ambassadors, NFL players etc. You name them and they seemed to be there. Everybody who was anybody was trying to score a ticket with many left in the cold for this big time event.
CNN was a trip as they made sure to have this on lock. Let me explain. First no cars were allowed anywhere within walking distance. If you did drive your car, parked it half a mile away and walked you were not allowed in. You had to be on one of the buses assigned to transport people. So on our bus we wound up picking up a couple of people who begged to be let on the bus because they were turned away at the door even though they had tickets.
When they came on our bus, the police and secret service boarded our bus to check things out.
If you were press, you were not allowed into the debate hall. They had you sequestered away in some back room where you could view this on TV. So the magic and excitement and the banter that was going on inside the packed palace was lost to many journalist. Many had no idea all the folks who were on hand last night. They couldn't feel the energy and get a true pulse of what was taking place, what came across on TV was not the same as what went down in the debate hall.
If you came in with a wrist band and a ticket, you were not allowed to bring in cell phones, cameras, pdas or anything with metal. They did not want anyone texting or communicating to outside world during the debate. They wouldn't let former SF Mayor Willie Brown come in with his cell phone. Democratic Party chair Howard Dean who was scheduled to speak was jammed up for having a phone and not allowed in. They would not let you in with a box of altoids or even gum. That's how tight it was.
The Secret Service was vigorously enforcing these rules but I later found it all this wasn't over homeland security concerns. It was CNN who put all these restrictions in place. They wanted to have exclusive rights to all this. They didn't want folks interviewing any of the celebrities who were in attendance. They didn't want other media cats like me getting information out before they could put their spin on things. It was really on lock in a big way.
Now, I should've known better. I should've known that something wasn't quite right, but when you're in the middle of all this its hard not to raise your expectations. It's hard to dampen your enthusiasm when you see so many people who are excited about the all the possibilities. The possibility of change and relief from 7 years of Bush was major. The possibility of having key issues that have impacted Black South Carolinians finally coming to the fore front was big. The possibility of having a woman president was resonating with many. The possibility of the 'good ole Clinton years returning was what were getting many in the Democratic-both Black and white excited.
The possibility of this nation having an African American president had gotten everyone amped. As I came across South Carolinians either at the hotels or local restaurants you could see that the pride. The thought of us having Black president means a lot to folks. It runs deep. People feel a sense of hope especially young people. For many this is good news that's been a long time coming.
Lots of Fireworks But No Real Hits
When the debate opened up and Obama and Hillary started exchanging verbal blows everyone was on the edge of their seats. I was seated in the Clinton area so when Obama threw his jabs you could hear people moaning and see folk's eyes rolling or people exchanging smirks while the Barack crowd was enthusiastically cheering. When Hillary hit back you saw the high fives being exchanged and people looking smugly at one another. It was really like a boxing match.
As the evening went on I realized that the candidates had only focused on one topic- the economy and precious time was spent snipping at one another. When we the first break came, I kept asking myself, is anyone gonna talk about Jena, Katrina, police brutality or Africa?
When thing resumed and the candidates were seated homeboy from CNN Joe Johns, could've directed the conversation so the candidates would address more substantive issues, instead he asked the tired question about whether or not Barack felt Bill was the first Black president. It was a ridiculous question which Obama managed to answer well while keeping things light-hearted. He said he would have to check out Bill's dancing abilities before calling him a brother. The other facet to this question is that I feel it will for ever be attached to the legacy of author Toni Morrison. In 2008 more people seem to know her more for making that infamous assertion of Clinton being the first Black president then they do her brilliant works like 'Beloved', 'Bluest Eye' or 'Songs of Solomon'.
Before you knew it the debate ended and folks were ushered out into the cold onto the waiting buses. From the chatter I gathered in the audience, John Edwards left the strongest impression and for many actually hit upon the most issues. Many chuckled at what I described as his attempt to get a vice presidency slot when he suggested that he was the only one on stage who could win the south. Although not stated, the clear implication was that he as a white male could deliver votes from that region which for years has gone to the Republicans.
Obama came back at him and in so many words reminded Edwards that he has gotten more white support then he has.
Lots of Spin for the Lack of Issues
Backstage in the spin room I got see first hand how the Clinton machine works. Everywhere I turned there was some sort of Black congressman or woman or some pundit ready to give anyone from the media key talking points about Hillary. Homegirl was rolling deep and she has a lot of powerful people on her team.
I talked to all sorts of folks including Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs from Ohio, Congressman Meeks from New York, Congresswoman Laura Richardson from Long beach and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee from Texas. Many tried to explain why it was Hillary's night. I kept coming back over and over again by asking them why key issues that many of us talk about on street corners, in barbershops and other social settings wasn't addressed.
I got into a back and forth with Congresswoman Tubbs who led the charge for voter disenfranchisement in 2004. We spoke about what went down and how Black voters were kicked to the curb through shady suppression attempts by the GOP. I asked her if she thought that issue had been resolved. She said 'No'. I then asked her why her candidate Hillary didn't bring that issue up during the debate. She blamed it on the rules set up by CNN. She then went on to talk about legislation that she and Hillary had crated over the years that they attempted to get passed. Again I asked her whether she thought Clinton should've brought that up, after all the voting drama of 2000 and 2004 which got us Bush still haunts many. Again her answer was to basically blame it on the CNN restrictions.
Tubbs went on to talk about she has always brought key issues like police brutality and discrimination to the forefront and that Clinton has addressed many of those issues. I then asked if she could use her influence and friendship with Senator Clinton to hold a separate press conference to address those key issues so those of who care would know that she's really down for us. I was told to check the website and come to some of her rallies and I would definitely hear those things addressed.
This was the typical exchange I had with many people including Congressman Meeks who allowed me to engage him a bit longer. I asked the Queens based congressman about police brutality since the infamous Sean Bell shooting took place in his borough. I explained to him that we both know police misconduct is really big deal with all these young voters of color who are showing up at the polls. With that in mind why wasn't it addressed. He explained that Senator Clinton does care about that issue and has addressed it, but the CNN rules prevented her from bringing up these other issues. I asked Meeks like I asked Tubbs if he would use his influence and get her to addresss that issue outside of the debate. He pointed me to the website and rallies.
As I toured the spin room and listened in on other interviews I kept hearing reporters asking why more issues weren't touched upon and the response from Edward's people to Obama's people to Clinton's people all blaming CNN Debate rules.
Dr Martin Luther King Would Be Pissed
As I took all this in, I reflected on the last question of the night when the candidates were asked who Dr. Martin Luther King would endorse for president. I think Obama answered it correctly when he said King wouldn't have endorsed anyone. He then went on an erroneously suggested that King didn't wanna lock himself behind one candidate and that he was better as an agitator who pushed for change from the outside.
The truth of the matter is this. King wouldn't have endorsed any of those candidates last night because they weren't showing no heart. Oh yes, they had lots of swagger and flava upon that stage but no heart. You see the question that ran through my mind was 'How in the hell are you gonna be the leader of the free world, when you aren't free to speak your mind on CNN?' Media is an industry these candidates in their position as Senators helped regulate.
At anytime during the debate when the candidates chastised moderator Wolf Blitzer for not allowing them to complete their answers, they could've also chastised him for not allowing them to speak on other issues.
Imagine if Obama had interrupted the moderator and said 'Hold on partner let me take a moment and say I think we need to raise other issues like White supremacist marching in Jena on Dr King's birthday. As President, I would make sure that Black people would not have to fear homegrown terrorists.
Imagine if Hillary had said; 'Hold on I just wanna make sure that young and first time voters can rest assured that since the Democrats have the majority in both houses they can rest assured that no one will be messing around with their votes in 2008'. Imagine if she brought that to the forefront?
Imagine if Edwards instead of telling me how he wants to end poverty, how he can win the south and that he launched his campaign from New Orleans, took some time out and said as president he would not allow the horrific scenes we saw the other week of young African men and women getting arrested trying to prevent public housing from being demolished.
Like I said earlier, I think Edwards came closest to bringing up some of those topics that impact the majority of us, but they were limited to short sound-bites and not connected to a larger continuous discussion. I could go on and on with examples. The bottom-line is that none of the things I routinely hear us talking about was addressed in last night's debate. It was mad disappointing.
I caught up with Reverend Yearwood and his folks over from the Hip Hop Caucus and saw that they were just as concerned and angry as I was that such a big opportunity was squandered. I hope they put out some sort of press release denouncing last night's events. We talked at length about how these candidates allowed the issues to be dictated to them by corporate media folks and not the other way around. It wasn't something that Dr King would've allowed post 'I Have a Dream'.
The Dr. King we know who risked his funding and political support by speaking out against the war in 1967 at Riverside Church would've been furious that none of these folks who dared to hold a debate on his holiday and invoke his name didn't live up to his ideals. He would've expected all of them to say with a sense of urgency, "the Hell with your rules-people are dying, people are suffering and we need to address these issues'.
A lot was learned last night. First, the CBC who were partners with CNN ideally should've either removed their names from the mask-head or demanded that those issues get addressed. Second, we need our own networks that are committed to dealing with these issues day in and day out and are not irrevocably compromised like the way many see outlets like BET and Radio One. Third, all of us are gonna have to take up the challenge and keep raising these issues and holding people accountable. Now's not the time to get comfortable. Now's the time to push and demand more. We should also be looking at other candidates. As reverend yearwood pointed out Barack isn't the only Black person running for President. Hillary isn't the only woman. We have Cynthia McKinney who is an African American woman who has been followed in the footsteps of the late Shirley Chisolm in the sense that she is 'Unbought and Unboseed'... and while she may not get all the press attention that the others do within the mainstream, we can get behind someone like her if for any reason to force the mainstream folks to move closer to our issues.
Last Night's Presidential debate Was Wack-Here's Why
By Davey D
So last night after doing a whole lot of hustling and string pulling I got a chance to attend the big presidential debate in South Carolina. The pomp and circumstances surrounding it and leading up to it was a story on to itself. The way it was framed is that it was a debate designed to force the candidates to talk specifically about key issues important to the African American community.
The fact that this debate was taking place on the Martin Luther King holiday in Myrtle Beach, -a place that once upon a time was the site for numerous lynching of black people made this symbolic. The fact that the African American Congressional Whip Congressman James Clyburn who is from South Carolina along with the Congressional Black Caucus Institute was putting this on made this even more symbolic.
Adding to the backdrop of this debate was the ugly squabble and controversy between front runners Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. We heard all sorts of talk ranging from Obama not being Black enough to Martin Luther King not being 'all that' compared to former president Lyndon B Johnson to former President Bill Clinton unfairly maligning Obama which was rubbing a lot of Blacks the wrong way including Clyburn who publicly called for Bill to 'tone it down'.
I attended a number of events including a community gathering for MLK at the House of Blues and a pre-debate dinner at some super fancy Beach and Golf resort and people were excited. Last night was the night that the candidates were gonna get down and really drop some gems and bring crucial attention to our plight and give it a national platform. I spoke to people like Congress people like Jim Clyburn and Barbara Lee of Oakland prior to the debate. They seemed excited that finally key issues resonating with the Black community, like Katrina, Africa HIV Aids, or the prison industrial complex would be spoken about. With Lee, issues like Haiti and Africom were important, but she wasn't so sure that they would come up in the debate although she felt they were important and should.
Clyburn told me that he and the congressional Black Caucus had partnered with CNN and had given them a number of questions to raise up to the candidates. He said that he and others would be listening and watching carefully to make sure that the news outlet didn't sanitize and soften up some of those tough questions. The issue of race was a front and center topic with everyone speculating whether or not Obama would pull the Black vote from Hillary whose husband has strong roots with the political black establishment in the south. Topping off this whole scenario was word that some white supremacist group was going to be marching in Jena, Louisiana on the King Holiday. The bottom-line was it was gonna go down last night.
Getting into the Debate was a Hassle
Now getting a ticket to last night's debate was damn near impossible. Although there were close to 3000 seats at the Palace Theater, this event was like a Mike Tyson prize fight from back in the days. All sorts of celebrities had shown up. I saw Chris Tucker, Dave Chappell, Dr.Cornel West, folks from American idol, folks from Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, former Mayors, ambassadors, NFL players etc. You name them and they seemed to be there. Everybody who was anybody was trying to score a ticket with many left in the cold for this big time event.
CNN was a trip as they made sure to have this on lock. Let me explain. First no cars were allowed anywhere within walking distance. If you did drive your car, parked it half a mile away and walked you were not allowed in. You had to be on one of the buses assigned to transport people. So on our bus we wound up picking up a couple of people who begged to be let on the bus because they were turned away at the door even though they had tickets.
When they came on our bus, the police and secret service boarded our bus to check things out.
If you were press, you were not allowed into the debate hall. They had you sequestered away in some back room where you could view this on TV. So the magic and excitement and the banter that was going on inside the packed palace was lost to many journalist. Many had no idea all the folks who were on hand last night. They couldn't feel the energy and get a true pulse of what was taking place, what came across on TV was not the same as what went down in the debate hall.
If you came in with a wrist band and a ticket, you were not allowed to bring in cell phones, cameras, pdas or anything with metal. They did not want anyone texting or communicating to outside world during the debate. They wouldn't let former SF Mayor Willie Brown come in with his cell phone. Democratic Party chair Howard Dean who was scheduled to speak was jammed up for having a phone and not allowed in. They would not let you in with a box of altoids or even gum. That's how tight it was.
The Secret Service was vigorously enforcing these rules but I later found it all this wasn't over homeland security concerns. It was CNN who put all these restrictions in place. They wanted to have exclusive rights to all this. They didn't want folks interviewing any of the celebrities who were in attendance. They didn't want other media cats like me getting information out before they could put their spin on things. It was really on lock in a big way.
Now, I should've known better. I should've known that something wasn't quite right, but when you're in the middle of all this its hard not to raise your expectations. It's hard to dampen your enthusiasm when you see so many people who are excited about the all the possibilities. The possibility of change and relief from 7 years of Bush was major. The possibility of having key issues that have impacted Black South Carolinians finally coming to the fore front was big. The possibility of having a woman president was resonating with many. The possibility of the 'good ole Clinton years returning was what were getting many in the Democratic-both Black and white excited.
The possibility of this nation having an African American president had gotten everyone amped. As I came across South Carolinians either at the hotels or local restaurants you could see that the pride. The thought of us having Black president means a lot to folks. It runs deep. People feel a sense of hope especially young people. For many this is good news that's been a long time coming.
Lots of Fireworks But No Real Hits
When the debate opened up and Obama and Hillary started exchanging verbal blows everyone was on the edge of their seats. I was seated in the Clinton area so when Obama threw his jabs you could hear people moaning and see folk's eyes rolling or people exchanging smirks while the Barack crowd was enthusiastically cheering. When Hillary hit back you saw the high fives being exchanged and people looking smugly at one another. It was really like a boxing match.
As the evening went on I realized that the candidates had only focused on one topic- the economy and precious time was spent snipping at one another. When we the first break came, I kept asking myself, is anyone gonna talk about Jena, Katrina, police brutality or Africa?
When thing resumed and the candidates were seated homeboy from CNN Joe Johns, could've directed the conversation so the candidates would address more substantive issues, instead he asked the tired question about whether or not Barack felt Bill was the first Black president. It was a ridiculous question which Obama managed to answer well while keeping things light-hearted. He said he would have to check out Bill's dancing abilities before calling him a brother. The other facet to this question is that I feel it will for ever be attached to the legacy of author Toni Morrison. In 2008 more people seem to know her more for making that infamous assertion of Clinton being the first Black president then they do her brilliant works like 'Beloved', 'Bluest Eye' or 'Songs of Solomon'.
Before you knew it the debate ended and folks were ushered out into the cold onto the waiting buses. From the chatter I gathered in the audience, John Edwards left the strongest impression and for many actually hit upon the most issues. Many chuckled at what I described as his attempt to get a vice presidency slot when he suggested that he was the only one on stage who could win the south. Although not stated, the clear implication was that he as a white male could deliver votes from that region which for years has gone to the Republicans.
Obama came back at him and in so many words reminded Edwards that he has gotten more white support then he has.
Lots of Spin for the Lack of Issues
Backstage in the spin room I got see first hand how the Clinton machine works. Everywhere I turned there was some sort of Black congressman or woman or some pundit ready to give anyone from the media key talking points about Hillary. Homegirl was rolling deep and she has a lot of powerful people on her team.
I talked to all sorts of folks including Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs from Ohio, Congressman Meeks from New York, Congresswoman Laura Richardson from Long beach and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee from Texas. Many tried to explain why it was Hillary's night. I kept coming back over and over again by asking them why key issues that many of us talk about on street corners, in barbershops and other social settings wasn't addressed.
I got into a back and forth with Congresswoman Tubbs who led the charge for voter disenfranchisement in 2004. We spoke about what went down and how Black voters were kicked to the curb through shady suppression attempts by the GOP. I asked her if she thought that issue had been resolved. She said 'No'. I then asked her why her candidate Hillary didn't bring that issue up during the debate. She blamed it on the rules set up by CNN. She then went on to talk about legislation that she and Hillary had crated over the years that they attempted to get passed. Again I asked her whether she thought Clinton should've brought that up, after all the voting drama of 2000 and 2004 which got us Bush still haunts many. Again her answer was to basically blame it on the CNN restrictions.
Tubbs went on to talk about she has always brought key issues like police brutality and discrimination to the forefront and that Clinton has addressed many of those issues. I then asked if she could use her influence and friendship with Senator Clinton to hold a separate press conference to address those key issues so those of who care would know that she's really down for us. I was told to check the website and come to some of her rallies and I would definitely hear those things addressed.
This was the typical exchange I had with many people including Congressman Meeks who allowed me to engage him a bit longer. I asked the Queens based congressman about police brutality since the infamous Sean Bell shooting took place in his borough. I explained to him that we both know police misconduct is really big deal with all these young voters of color who are showing up at the polls. With that in mind why wasn't it addressed. He explained that Senator Clinton does care about that issue and has addressed it, but the CNN rules prevented her from bringing up these other issues. I asked Meeks like I asked Tubbs if he would use his influence and get her to addresss that issue outside of the debate. He pointed me to the website and rallies.
As I toured the spin room and listened in on other interviews I kept hearing reporters asking why more issues weren't touched upon and the response from Edward's people to Obama's people to Clinton's people all blaming CNN Debate rules.
Dr Martin Luther King Would Be Pissed
As I took all this in, I reflected on the last question of the night when the candidates were asked who Dr. Martin Luther King would endorse for president. I think Obama answered it correctly when he said King wouldn't have endorsed anyone. He then went on an erroneously suggested that King didn't wanna lock himself behind one candidate and that he was better as an agitator who pushed for change from the outside.
The truth of the matter is this. King wouldn't have endorsed any of those candidates last night because they weren't showing no heart. Oh yes, they had lots of swagger and flava upon that stage but no heart. You see the question that ran through my mind was 'How in the hell are you gonna be the leader of the free world, when you aren't free to speak your mind on CNN?' Media is an industry these candidates in their position as Senators helped regulate.
At anytime during the debate when the candidates chastised moderator Wolf Blitzer for not allowing them to complete their answers, they could've also chastised him for not allowing them to speak on other issues.
Imagine if Obama had interrupted the moderator and said 'Hold on partner let me take a moment and say I think we need to raise other issues like White supremacist marching in Jena on Dr King's birthday. As President, I would make sure that Black people would not have to fear homegrown terrorists.
Imagine if Hillary had said; 'Hold on I just wanna make sure that young and first time voters can rest assured that since the Democrats have the majority in both houses they can rest assured that no one will be messing around with their votes in 2008'. Imagine if she brought that to the forefront?
Imagine if Edwards instead of telling me how he wants to end poverty, how he can win the south and that he launched his campaign from New Orleans, took some time out and said as president he would not allow the horrific scenes we saw the other week of young African men and women getting arrested trying to prevent public housing from being demolished.
Like I said earlier, I think Edwards came closest to bringing up some of those topics that impact the majority of us, but they were limited to short sound-bites and not connected to a larger continuous discussion. I could go on and on with examples. The bottom-line is that none of the things I routinely hear us talking about was addressed in last night's debate. It was mad disappointing.
I caught up with Reverend Yearwood and his folks over from the Hip Hop Caucus and saw that they were just as concerned and angry as I was that such a big opportunity was squandered. I hope they put out some sort of press release denouncing last night's events. We talked at length about how these candidates allowed the issues to be dictated to them by corporate media folks and not the other way around. It wasn't something that Dr King would've allowed post 'I Have a Dream'.
The Dr. King we know who risked his funding and political support by speaking out against the war in 1967 at Riverside Church would've been furious that none of these folks who dared to hold a debate on his holiday and invoke his name didn't live up to his ideals. He would've expected all of them to say with a sense of urgency, "the Hell with your rules-people are dying, people are suffering and we need to address these issues'.
A lot was learned last night. First, the CBC who were partners with CNN ideally should've either removed their names from the mask-head or demanded that those issues get addressed. Second, we need our own networks that are committed to dealing with these issues day in and day out and are not irrevocably compromised like the way many see outlets like BET and Radio One. Third, all of us are gonna have to take up the challenge and keep raising these issues and holding people accountable. Now's not the time to get comfortable. Now's the time to push and demand more. We should also be looking at other candidates. As reverend yearwood pointed out Barack isn't the only Black person running for President. Hillary isn't the only woman. We have Cynthia McKinney who is an African American woman who has been followed in the footsteps of the late Shirley Chisolm in the sense that she is 'Unbought and Unboseed'... and while she may not get all the press attention that the others do within the mainstream, we can get behind someone like her if for any reason to force the mainstream folks to move closer to our issues.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Stolen quote
"...It is your country that you must help, not a political party...Your party exists in order to serve your country, not to create difficulties for another party or the party in power."
Thich Nhat Hanh "Anger: The Wisdom for Cooling the Flames"
Thich Nhat Hanh "Anger: The Wisdom for Cooling the Flames"
Compressed air powers cars, boats, warehouse trams
This video is from a television show in Australia. It shows two sets of tools which provide transportation using compressed air to provide the needed energy. The first tool is a fairly conventional engine, but made of light weight aluminum, where the piston is driven not by exploding gasoline, but by compressed air carried on board in high pressure tanks. That tool is used to power cars and very legitimate looking mini vans. The second uses something like the Wankel Rotary Engine. This tool is amazing, in that it doesn't drive a piston, but uses compressed air to move the drive shaft more directly. The compressed air also provides a cushion some how so that the internal moving parts do not come into contact with one another, making the energy transfer to the wheels much more efficient.
We always need to be looking at the possible negative but hidden dangers. Would the massive demand for the product cause more short tern air pollution because they must be built in the first place? Would the electricity used to compress the air come from nukes, coal, or what? Isn't this still a centralized solution to the problem? Does that matter?
All in all, things like this, if combined with a mind set change which makes owning "stuff" less important, may offer a glimmer of hope for the next century.
Quick run-down
SF Gate has run a piece about the Green Party presidential debates in San Francisco.
Jason Wallace gets a couple of plugs in an article about the race for Congress in IL's 11th district.
Indy Bay covered the SF debate too.
Photos from the debate.
Richard Winger, who publishes the Ballot Access News and lives in San Francisco, reported that Jared Ball more-or-less announced that his campaign would change from a campaign for the party presidential nomination to one of support for Congresswoman McKinney's campaign.
Jason Wallace gets a couple of plugs in an article about the race for Congress in IL's 11th district.
Indy Bay covered the SF debate too.
Photos from the debate.
Richard Winger, who publishes the Ballot Access News and lives in San Francisco, reported that Jared Ball more-or-less announced that his campaign would change from a campaign for the party presidential nomination to one of support for Congresswoman McKinney's campaign.
Follow up on the Gregg Jocoy Show
Well, none of the folks who syndicate radio talk shows has called with a seven figure radio show proposition, or even $5 for a five minute piece, but I still think the show went well. My co-guests and I agreed on most things, which may have flustered the host a bit because I think he thinks we Greens are beyond "out there", as in "Tin foil hats and space aliens out there", and having a former Methodist preacher, psychiatrist and a sociologist agree with a Green may not have been what he expected. And it's not like I had to tone down my rhetoric to meet the others where they were at. They were already in most of the same places I was.
Anyhoo, if you want to listen to the show, you can listen to Charlotte Talks by clicking here. Just look for the "Average Joes" show on January 10th, and hit the Listen button.
Anyhoo, if you want to listen to the show, you can listen to Charlotte Talks by clicking here. Just look for the "Average Joes" show on January 10th, and hit the Listen button.
Green presidential candidates speak out in MN
This was sent to the Charlotte Area Green Party email listserv by Gray Newman.
KAT SWIFT AND JESSE JOHNSON VISIT MINNESOTA
Kat Swift and Jesse Johnson visited Minnesota Jan. 5 for a meeting and forum. In the morning, they attended the state winter membership meeting in St. Paul, where they visited with GPMN members. Johnson and Swift ate lunch with Lydia Howell from community radio station KFAI. In the afternoon they went back to the meeting and each spoke for about 7 minutes. There were about 100 members there, who received the candidates well.
In the evening, Johnson and Swift attended a presidential candidate forum over in Minneapolis. Danene Provencher said a few words about the Draft Nader campaign, Farheen Hakeem spoke on behalf of the Cynthia McKinney campaign, and David Strand updated the audience on the other candidates who were unable to attend.
Both candidates spoke about addressing the excesses of corporate power, and a range of other issues consistent with the Ten Key Values of the Green Party. Johnson called attention to the issue of mountain removal in Appalachia, saying that coal mining is now occurring at a rate of one mountain per hour. Swift said some of her
priorities were repealing NAFTA, pardoning nonviolent drug offenders, a moratorium on the death penalty, and stopping domestic violence.
1.
KFAI Radio Story
2.
Jesse Johnson at MN Green Party Membership Meeting
3.
Kat Swift at MN Green Party Forum
4.
Kat Swift at MN Green Party Membership Meeting
5.
Jesse Johnson at MN Green Party Presidential Candidate Forum
KAT SWIFT AND JESSE JOHNSON VISIT MINNESOTA
Kat Swift and Jesse Johnson visited Minnesota Jan. 5 for a meeting and forum. In the morning, they attended the state winter membership meeting in St. Paul, where they visited with GPMN members. Johnson and Swift ate lunch with Lydia Howell from community radio station KFAI. In the afternoon they went back to the meeting and each spoke for about 7 minutes. There were about 100 members there, who received the candidates well.
In the evening, Johnson and Swift attended a presidential candidate forum over in Minneapolis. Danene Provencher said a few words about the Draft Nader campaign, Farheen Hakeem spoke on behalf of the Cynthia McKinney campaign, and David Strand updated the audience on the other candidates who were unable to attend.
Both candidates spoke about addressing the excesses of corporate power, and a range of other issues consistent with the Ten Key Values of the Green Party. Johnson called attention to the issue of mountain removal in Appalachia, saying that coal mining is now occurring at a rate of one mountain per hour. Swift said some of her
priorities were repealing NAFTA, pardoning nonviolent drug offenders, a moratorium on the death penalty, and stopping domestic violence.
1.
KFAI Radio Story
2.
Jesse Johnson at MN Green Party Membership Meeting
3.
Kat Swift at MN Green Party Forum
4.
Kat Swift at MN Green Party Membership Meeting
5.
Jesse Johnson at MN Green Party Presidential Candidate Forum
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Don Wiviott
He's the Democrat running for Congress against Carol Miller. In his reply to my post about Miller's race, LP wrote that my referring to Wiviott as a corporate Democrat shows an inadequate understanding of his politics at the least, or sometihing along those lines.
I'll confess to not knowing Don Wiviott at all. So I am doing some looking about to see what I can find.
First of all, Wiviott's campaign slogan, "A Democrat who will stand up to Bush" seems kinda stupid as Bush will not be President in just over a year. Maybe I would be more impressed if his slogan was "A Democrat who will stand up against Clinton".
Secondly, he's a land developer in a place where some question the benefits of adding additional load to the environment. Perhaps he's an exceptional land developer, but in my 50 years on this globe I have yet to meet a land developer who is not at least very comfortable with the corporate world and happy to do their bidding.
His website touts his support for better ballot access laws, but before you get all misty eyed, read this:
So...this non-corporate Democrat wants to make it easier for Democrats to get on the ballot, but not a word about fair ballot access for non-corporate parties.
Here's another headline from his site: Energy Bill a Good 'First Step;' More Action Needed
This "Good first step" energy bill gave billions in protection money to the Nuclear Industry, gave continuing tax breaks to fossil fuel companies, and spends our tax dollars on corporate boondoggles like ethanol and "clean coal". With "Good first steps" like this, we don't need any mis-steps!
I don't know...maybe I am unconvinced in part by this passage I found by googling Mr. Wiviott:
Maybe we should take a walk over to the financial reports to see what we can find there.
Perhaps the fact that he has raised over a million dollars for his campaign, while all his Democratic competitors have recorded no donations at all yet. Not the sort of thing one normally sees in a "maverick's" campaign. Admittedly, $800,000 of that came from his own hip pocket, but you are telling me that a millionaire candidate who made his millions in land development is not a corporate Democrat? Maybe, but let's look a bit deeper shall we?
Don Wiviott (D)
ActBlue $48,819
Washington Securities $4,600
Jackalope Retail $2,300
Living Design Group $2,300
McCalla Raymer $2,300
McCune Charitable Foundation $2,300
Tishman Group $2,300
Ventana Gallery $2,300
Wolf Firm $2,300
Coors Brewing $2,000
Barker Maintainence $1,500
Santa Fe Comm Coll /Chief Of $1,300
Wiviott for New Mexico $1,250
Sommer, Udall et al $1,000
$2000 from Coors!...and this union-busting, gay-bashing, Republican funding corporate slime machine is a contributor? No, you're right...he's not a corporate Democrat. He's apparently a corporate Republican pretending to be a corporate Democrat!
But, I wait with baited breath for Wiviott's supporters to clear up any confusion I may have caused here.
Go Carol Miller!
I'll confess to not knowing Don Wiviott at all. So I am doing some looking about to see what I can find.
First of all, Wiviott's campaign slogan, "A Democrat who will stand up to Bush" seems kinda stupid as Bush will not be President in just over a year. Maybe I would be more impressed if his slogan was "A Democrat who will stand up against Clinton".
Secondly, he's a land developer in a place where some question the benefits of adding additional load to the environment. Perhaps he's an exceptional land developer, but in my 50 years on this globe I have yet to meet a land developer who is not at least very comfortable with the corporate world and happy to do their bidding.
His website touts his support for better ballot access laws, but before you get all misty eyed, read this:
Wiviott, a Sante Fe homebuilder and candidate for Congress in the Third District, has been one of the leading voices for change in new laws governing who can be placed on a political party’s primary ballot. Under the new law, parties can only place on their ballots those candidates that receive at least 20 percent of delegates at a pre-primary convention. As Wiviott said last week, the law “runs contrary to the values of New Mexico .”
So...this non-corporate Democrat wants to make it easier for Democrats to get on the ballot, but not a word about fair ballot access for non-corporate parties.
Here's another headline from his site: Energy Bill a Good 'First Step;' More Action Needed
This "Good first step" energy bill gave billions in protection money to the Nuclear Industry, gave continuing tax breaks to fossil fuel companies, and spends our tax dollars on corporate boondoggles like ethanol and "clean coal". With "Good first steps" like this, we don't need any mis-steps!
I don't know...maybe I am unconvinced in part by this passage I found by googling Mr. Wiviott:
Don Wiviott is fine with more residential units but concerned about the Affordable Housing Ordinance. Don will loose $50,000/unit, this is a “Big Issue”. He is reducing the buildings to two instead of three with more residential, 34 units, 16-20 residential. Don asks if City Council will get hung up on number of units?
Maybe we should take a walk over to the financial reports to see what we can find there.
Perhaps the fact that he has raised over a million dollars for his campaign, while all his Democratic competitors have recorded no donations at all yet. Not the sort of thing one normally sees in a "maverick's" campaign. Admittedly, $800,000 of that came from his own hip pocket, but you are telling me that a millionaire candidate who made his millions in land development is not a corporate Democrat? Maybe, but let's look a bit deeper shall we?
Don Wiviott (D)
ActBlue $48,819
Washington Securities $4,600
Jackalope Retail $2,300
Living Design Group $2,300
McCalla Raymer $2,300
McCune Charitable Foundation $2,300
Tishman Group $2,300
Ventana Gallery $2,300
Wolf Firm $2,300
Coors Brewing $2,000
Barker Maintainence $1,500
Santa Fe Comm Coll /Chief Of $1,300
Wiviott for New Mexico $1,250
Sommer, Udall et al $1,000
$2000 from Coors!...and this union-busting, gay-bashing, Republican funding corporate slime machine is a contributor? No, you're right...he's not a corporate Democrat. He's apparently a corporate Republican pretending to be a corporate Democrat!
But, I wait with baited breath for Wiviott's supporters to clear up any confusion I may have caused here.
Go Carol Miller!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Some links
The Wilders have posted a piece about the upcoming Washington DC primary.
Wally Haas discusses IL's primary. In both cases, these are Green Party primaries. I don't care about what those other guys do. ;^}
Hot Indie News reports on a "Debate that matters". Yes, the Green Party debate planned for Monday in San Francisco. This is very good news for we Greens, and I am hoping against hope that C SPAN will cover it live.
Finally, has anyone heard of Lester Brown and the Earth Policy Institute? I am going to read his book when it goes online for free next Wednesday, but I would like to know other's impressions of Brown and his Institute if you have any.
Wally Haas discusses IL's primary. In both cases, these are Green Party primaries. I don't care about what those other guys do. ;^}
Hot Indie News reports on a "Debate that matters". Yes, the Green Party debate planned for Monday in San Francisco. This is very good news for we Greens, and I am hoping against hope that C SPAN will cover it live.
Finally, has anyone heard of Lester Brown and the Earth Policy Institute? I am going to read his book when it goes online for free next Wednesday, but I would like to know other's impressions of Brown and his Institute if you have any.
Blue Man Group Vs Global Warming
This one is cute, but carries an important message. We Greens need to develop media that is as entertaining, educational, and attention getting as this video. Enjoy!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Clara Rojas freed!
Read about this wonderful news here.
Now I hope Ingrid Betancourt will be next, with all hostages released at the same time.
Now I hope Ingrid Betancourt will be next, with all hostages released at the same time.
Wanna know how many delegates your state gets?
at the nominating convention? The rules were just passed by the Green National Committee. They choose the delegate allocation proposal put forward by VA. That formula can be read right over here.
If you want to know what the rules the Credentialing Committee will follow at the convention, those are over this direction.
The GNC has four proposals on their plate, and all of them can be found at this link here...no, not there, here!
If you want to know what the rules the Credentialing Committee will follow at the convention, those are over this direction.
The GNC has four proposals on their plate, and all of them can be found at this link here...no, not there, here!
Some Green stories
The Landmark in central MA has a story about primary voting registration, and points out that you must be registered by January 16th to participate.
The Cabin in AR points out that Faulkner County has a new early voting site, and lists the candidates on AR's primary ballot. Go Arkansas! Go Green!
Jared Ball's presidential campaign has put up some information about the upcoming debate in California.
The Sun Gazette of CT carries a story about Donald J. Wilson seeking the Green Party nomination for Congress in the 5th congressional district.
The Cabin in AR points out that Faulkner County has a new early voting site, and lists the candidates on AR's primary ballot. Go Arkansas! Go Green!
Jared Ball's presidential campaign has put up some information about the upcoming debate in California.
The Sun Gazette of CT carries a story about Donald J. Wilson seeking the Green Party nomination for Congress in the 5th congressional district.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
It's the Gregg Jocoy Show!
Staring, well, actually, it's Charlotte Talks, a local daily talk show on WFAE, an NPR affiliate. The broadcast begins at 9 AM and features four "Average Joe"s tomorrow. The four of us contacted the station and offered to be on the show as "people in the street". As you might imagine, I plan to represent the Green Party and Green Party ideals to the best of my ability.
It is not unusual for someone listening online to call or send in an email, so if you are so inclined, visit WFAE by clicking here. To send them an email, just Click here., but only if it's during the show, which is from 9 to 10 AM east coast time on Thursday, January 10th, 2008.
If you can't listen while we are on air you can click that same WFAE link above and look for the show in archives.
It is not unusual for someone listening online to call or send in an email, so if you are so inclined, visit WFAE by clicking here. To send them an email, just Click here., but only if it's during the show, which is from 9 to 10 AM east coast time on Thursday, January 10th, 2008.
If you can't listen while we are on air you can click that same WFAE link above and look for the show in archives.
Pick and choose your topic
Ballot Access News reports that 3/8ths of Texas U.S. House Races Have Only One Major Party Candidate. If that's not reason enough to build third parties I don't know what is.
A Crunchy Blogger in IL has decided to "Go Green" as in Green Party, not "Let's eat organic compact florescent bulbs."
Craig R. Withers also thinks we Greens are worth a look...I like this trend!
Our friends over at the Babblemur & Akaoni Power Hour! have a pretty good current run down on Green Party presidential contenders.
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports that John Wages Jr, the first elected Green in that state, is running for US Congress.
The Green Party Peace Network has run a piece about a commercial being run at AMC theaters which glorifies the military. Pay to watch a film and get propaganda to boot!
The New Mexico FBIHOP writes that Carol Miller is running for Congress again. Last time through Miller won 17% of the vote, leaving the Democrat out in the cold come election day. Personally, I hope she wins 20% this time, even if it does mean that the congress has one less Corporate Democrat in Washington DC.
The League of Women Voters has announced a debate for this Sunday in an IL Congressional debate which will include the Green nominee. Equal access...what a concept!
The Greenwich Post reports that the Green Party caucus that was planned for earlier this month will happen on January 13th.
Will Yeager sent me some stuff about plans for the Venice, CA Greens. It's hiding behind the "Read more!" link at the bottom of this post.
Green Party of California
Venice Greens
January Meeting
January 10, 2008
7:00 - 9:30 PM
658 Venice Boulevard
Community Room
Extra Space Storage
(enter on Venice Boulevard)
Program:
7:00 Green Potluck
7:30 Venice Greens Orientation
8:00 Meet Dan Factor - Candidate 36th Congressional District
9:00 Green Party Presidential Candidates Roundup
Dan Factor - Congressional Candidate
Dan Factor is a local Venice Criminal Defense Attorney running on the slogan: "Politics Unusual".
Please attend the January 10th meeting of the Venice Greens, if only long enough to meet and greet Dan Factor, the Green Party Candidate for the 36th Congressional District and to sign his nomination papers. 150 signatures of Registered Green Party voters or $1,652 are needed to place Dan Factor on the ballot. Each Green Party registered voter's signature is worth $11.01334 towards the filing fee. Please sign yourself and take a sheet for your friends and neighbors to sign. Take this opportunity to register your friends into the Green Party (over half of all people are not registered voters) and place a pro-peace candidate of the ballot!
Green Party Presidential Candidates Roundup
Hear the latest on the Presidential Campaigns of: Jared Bell, Elaine Brown,Jesse Johnson, Cynthia McKinney, Kent Mesplay, Ralph Nader, and Kat Swift; as they build toward the Green Party National Convention in Chicago in July.
Petitions for:
Amend Three Strikes - = Justice
Treatment of Farm Animals = Humanity
Renewable Energy = Sustainability
California Cannabis Hemp & Heath 2008 = Resource Usage
Currently Circulating California State Initiatives,
Will be available for signature and pick-up for circulation.
Justice, Humanity, Sustainability, & Resource Usag e
Will reach the California Voters if you do your part!
Call (310) 804-9916 for suggestions, questions, directions, or if you would like to sign/circulate nominating petitions and are unable to come to this months Venice Greens meeting.
A Crunchy Blogger in IL has decided to "Go Green" as in Green Party, not "Let's eat organic compact florescent bulbs."
Craig R. Withers also thinks we Greens are worth a look...I like this trend!
Our friends over at the Babblemur & Akaoni Power Hour! have a pretty good current run down on Green Party presidential contenders.
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports that John Wages Jr, the first elected Green in that state, is running for US Congress.
The Green Party Peace Network has run a piece about a commercial being run at AMC theaters which glorifies the military. Pay to watch a film and get propaganda to boot!
The New Mexico FBIHOP writes that Carol Miller is running for Congress again. Last time through Miller won 17% of the vote, leaving the Democrat out in the cold come election day. Personally, I hope she wins 20% this time, even if it does mean that the congress has one less Corporate Democrat in Washington DC.
The League of Women Voters has announced a debate for this Sunday in an IL Congressional debate which will include the Green nominee. Equal access...what a concept!
The Greenwich Post reports that the Green Party caucus that was planned for earlier this month will happen on January 13th.
Will Yeager sent me some stuff about plans for the Venice, CA Greens. It's hiding behind the "Read more!" link at the bottom of this post.
Green Party of California
Venice Greens
January Meeting
January 10, 2008
7:00 - 9:30 PM
658 Venice Boulevard
Community Room
Extra Space Storage
(enter on Venice Boulevard)
Program:
7:00 Green Potluck
7:30 Venice Greens Orientation
8:00 Meet Dan Factor - Candidate 36th Congressional District
9:00 Green Party Presidential Candidates Roundup
Dan Factor - Congressional Candidate
Dan Factor is a local Venice Criminal Defense Attorney running on the slogan: "Politics Unusual".
Please attend the January 10th meeting of the Venice Greens, if only long enough to meet and greet Dan Factor, the Green Party Candidate for the 36th Congressional District and to sign his nomination papers. 150 signatures of Registered Green Party voters or $1,652 are needed to place Dan Factor on the ballot. Each Green Party registered voter's signature is worth $11.01334 towards the filing fee. Please sign yourself and take a sheet for your friends and neighbors to sign. Take this opportunity to register your friends into the Green Party (over half of all people are not registered voters) and place a pro-peace candidate of the ballot!
Green Party Presidential Candidates Roundup
Hear the latest on the Presidential Campaigns of: Jared Bell, Elaine Brown,Jesse Johnson, Cynthia McKinney, Kent Mesplay, Ralph Nader, and Kat Swift; as they build toward the Green Party National Convention in Chicago in July.
Petitions for:
Amend Three Strikes - = Justice
Treatment of Farm Animals = Humanity
Renewable Energy = Sustainability
California Cannabis Hemp & Heath 2008 = Resource Usage
Currently Circulating California State Initiatives,
Will be available for signature and pick-up for circulation.
Justice, Humanity, Sustainability, & Resource Usag e
Will reach the California Voters if you do your part!
Call (310) 804-9916 for suggestions, questions, directions, or if you would like to sign/circulate nominating petitions and are unable to come to this months Venice Greens meeting.
Alaska Greens get new website up and rolling
The website is over here and looks great. I also love the tag line at the site..."Here for good"...how true, and on more than one level!
Sunday, January 06, 2008
3rd post at local TV station website
My third column at WBTV is up now, with the same subject line. The Catch 15 refers to the 15% showing in four national polls that any candidate must meet, and the application of that same rule here in South Carolina, even in races where no polling was done. If you think you might enjoy it, the link is here:
Catch 15
I don't intend to pour these things out at you folks all the time. Right at the moment I have three of the five "Latest blog entries", two of the top five "most read" articles and am the "Top political story".
But, don't get too excited. The first two pieces I wrote has only gotten 133 hits
Catch 15
I don't intend to pour these things out at you folks all the time. Right at the moment I have three of the five "Latest blog entries", two of the top five "most read" articles and am the "Top political story".
But, don't get too excited. The first two pieces I wrote has only gotten 133 hits
And now, for something completely different
First of all, thanks a ton to those of you who visited my new blog at WBTV's website. I hope to post there once a day, so I'll kick something out later tonight.
I'll likely cover the question of the bubble in the housing market. A very interesting conversation, which I am a part of, was started by Steve Loebs and is titled "Collapse of real estate markets". I believe it has signs of a good conversation, the sort we Greens seem to do so poorly sometimes, and yes, I include myself.
Now, to get some links out to you good folks I am going to have to cut way back on the description, but hopefully enough to give you a feel for if it's something you want to click.
Stan Goff has a piece at CounterPunch in which he calls on pretty much everyone to support Ron Paul in the Republican primary.
Ohio Green Dennis Spisak, a candidate for state legislature there, issued a call of support for the Ohio Healthy Families Act. This citizen's initiative was recently certified and will be in November's ballot.
CBS News finally decides to cover Cynthia McKinney's announcement that she's seeking our nomination...of course, only on their website. Video at 11...yeah, right.
Steven Argue looks at all the health care plans of presidential candidates, and finds he agrees with all the Greens...and none of the Republicans, and only two Democrats.
Bill Willers writes an editorial and suggests we all ask presidential candidates when they come to town, "Will you debate the Green and Libertarian in the fall?" Good idea!
The Wilton Bulletin explains that the local Green Party caucus has been postponed until Jan 13th because a second person has sought a chance to run as a Green. Go CT Greens!
El Noticiero de Alvarez Galloso covers the upcoming Green presidential debate.
Indy Bay points out that voting in California's primary, including the Green Primary, begins mail in balloting on Jan. 7th. get ta votin' CA Greens!
More later folks!
I'll likely cover the question of the bubble in the housing market. A very interesting conversation, which I am a part of, was started by Steve Loebs and is titled "Collapse of real estate markets". I believe it has signs of a good conversation, the sort we Greens seem to do so poorly sometimes, and yes, I include myself.
Now, to get some links out to you good folks I am going to have to cut way back on the description, but hopefully enough to give you a feel for if it's something you want to click.
Stan Goff has a piece at CounterPunch in which he calls on pretty much everyone to support Ron Paul in the Republican primary.
Ohio Green Dennis Spisak, a candidate for state legislature there, issued a call of support for the Ohio Healthy Families Act. This citizen's initiative was recently certified and will be in November's ballot.
CBS News finally decides to cover Cynthia McKinney's announcement that she's seeking our nomination...of course, only on their website. Video at 11...yeah, right.
Steven Argue looks at all the health care plans of presidential candidates, and finds he agrees with all the Greens...and none of the Republicans, and only two Democrats.
Bill Willers writes an editorial and suggests we all ask presidential candidates when they come to town, "Will you debate the Green and Libertarian in the fall?" Good idea!
The Wilton Bulletin explains that the local Green Party caucus has been postponed until Jan 13th because a second person has sought a chance to run as a Green. Go CT Greens!
El Noticiero de Alvarez Galloso covers the upcoming Green presidential debate.
Indy Bay points out that voting in California's primary, including the Green Primary, begins mail in balloting on Jan. 7th. get ta votin' CA Greens!
More later folks!
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Trying to get back on track
In addition to blogging here, I also blog occasionally at Green Commons and Chlorophyll. In addition, I have written pieces for American Chronicle and Op Ed News.
Perhaps most importantly to growing the Green Party amongst the voting public, I have posted comments to my local newspaper blog for over a year. They don't grant readers their own blogs, so I am limited to comments and threads that get no real publicity.
But, starting yesterday, I was able to secure a spot as a political blogger at WBTV the most widely viewed TV station in the Charlotte market. The article linked to above is entitled "Stephen Colbert and Ron Paul walk into a bar". I hope that you'll click on it and offer your observations. The more comments I get, the more likely they will spotlight my columns.
Regular blogging here will resume later tonight. No way I can catch up on the back log, so I'll just do my best.
Perhaps most importantly to growing the Green Party amongst the voting public, I have posted comments to my local newspaper blog for over a year. They don't grant readers their own blogs, so I am limited to comments and threads that get no real publicity.
But, starting yesterday, I was able to secure a spot as a political blogger at WBTV the most widely viewed TV station in the Charlotte market. The article linked to above is entitled "Stephen Colbert and Ron Paul walk into a bar". I hope that you'll click on it and offer your observations. The more comments I get, the more likely they will spotlight my columns.
Regular blogging here will resume later tonight. No way I can catch up on the back log, so I'll just do my best.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Stealing from socialists
Over at Socialist Unity there is a good discussion about electoral politics, non-electoral politics, and Elaine Brown's resignation from the Green Party. Personally I think the entire thing is worth a click, but here's a "teaser" for ya.
The recent resignation of Elaine Brown from the United States Green Party makes it necessary to examine how minority parties can achieve progress in circumstances where electoral success is excluded. In the context of the US electoral system, for the Green party to pursue the logic of mainstream electability would be disastrous, but does that mean they cannot achieve anything?
Lewis Carroll and the Caucus Race
This short piece is from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
`What is a Caucus-race?' said Alice; not that she wanted much to know, but the Dodo had paused as if it thought that somebody ought to speak, and no one else seemed inclined to say anything.
`Why,' said the Dodo, `the best way to explain it is to do it.' (And, as you might like to try the thing yourself, some winter day, I will tell you how the Dodo managed it.)
First it marked out a race-course, in a sort of circle, (`the exact shape doesn't matter,' it said,) and then all the party were placed along the course, here and there. There was no `One, two, three, and away,' but they began running when they liked, and left off when they liked, so that it was not easy to know when the race was over. However, when they had been running half an hour or so, and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly called out `The race is over!' and they all crowded round it, panting, and asking, `But who has won?'
