UPDATES 1/19 thru 2/28: I decided to just change the time stamp on it instead of making yet another new one. Y’all let me know when it gets to be too many comments and it’s time to start fresh.
What’s the Readers’ News Open Thread, and why does it exist? I’m glad you asked. As Daniel Surman originally put it:
The moderators here at IPR have noticed an influx of links within the comments which, while relating to the political world, do not necessarily contribute to topical discussion within their respective threads. We understand that the contact account can sometimes receive too much news to get everything up here, or if it does makes its way to the front page it does so with a significant delay.
We will make this thread an open place to share links to any stories you find particularly interesting or newsworthy. Please only post links in other articles which contribute actively to the discussion in that respective thread.
I’d add that you can also send them to [email protected] and CC iprtwo at googlegroups.com
And, yes, I still have a large backlog of stories from the 1/15 Open Thread, and I would still appreciate other IPR writers helping me out with that.
-Paulie
PS: Billboard from the Australian Sex Party:
PPS This one goes out to the Women Of Winter (WOW) from Key of Awesome
RIP
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/28/AR2011022800165.html?nav=most_emailed
Last U.S. World War I veteran Frank W. Buckles dies at 110
02-28-2011 • Washington Post
Frank W. Buckles died Sunday, sadly yet not unexpectedly at age 110, having achieved a singular feat of longevity that left him proud and a bit bemused.
In 1917 and 1918, close to 5 million Americans served in World War I, and Mr. Buckles, a cordial fellow of gentle humor, was the last known survivor. “I knew there’d be only one someday,” he said a few years back. “I didn’t think it would be me.”
@123
Is there a link to a URL with the rest of your documents. It was notable — I covered in Liberty for America — that Green National Committee fund raising totally collapsed last fall. Collapsed? Went to zero for one reporting period.
http://www.freepatriot-press.com/2011/02/splc-recognition.html
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) released their latest “Intelligence Report” on “Patriot” groups. The newest list has grown from 512 in 2009 to 824 in 2010.The newest list has also recognized Free Patriot Press as a “Patriot” group, inclusion on the SPLC list is supposed to be a “scarlet letter”, though I welcome the designation as a “Badge of Honor.”
After last years report, Renea McMasters was able to get an exclusive hidden camera interview with Heidi Beirich, Director of Research for the SPLC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ceGXwSWZdc&playnext=1&list=PLD40F33049581CFF3
Additionally, I stand by my statement made last year, “As far as I’m concerned the SPLC is nothing more than an agency of propaganda.”
@129 Thanks.
I would take SPLC’s designation as a badge of honor; if I was you I’d do a press release.
http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/03/snakes-in-grass.html
“when it gets to be too many comments and it’s time to start fresh.”
It’s about that time.
OK
http://verbellum.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/vipr-the-snake-that-bit-the-constitution/
I believe that the asterisk * designates a militia tie.
J.R., any idea what the asterisks next to some of the group names means? I didn’t find an explanation:
ALABAMA (13)
2nd Alabama Militia, Co. A*
Mobile
Alabama Shoals Badgers*
Tuscumbia
Alarm & Muster: The Modern Day Alarm Riders
Statewide
America Can Be Free
Newton
Confederate States Home Guard*
Statewide
Constitution Party
Montgomery
Free Patriot Press
Birmingham
Jefferson Rangers
Birmingham
John Birch Society
Statewide
Oath Keepers
Statewide
Ordo Militis Gladius*
Robertsdale
THREE%ER
Pinson
We the People
Madison County
ALASKA (10)
Alarm & Muster: The Modern Day Alarm Riders
Statewide
Alaska Citizens Militia*
Delta Junction
Nikiski
Alaska Peacemakers Militia*
Fairbanks
Confederate States Home Guard*
Statewide
Constitution Party (Alaskan Independence Party)
Soldotna
John Birch Society
Statewide
Oath Keepers
Statewide
Second Amendment Task Force
Fairbanks
We the People
Homer
This is in response to the following from the SPLC:
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=269413
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2011/spring/active-patriot-groups-in-the-us
Dear SPLC (Spoof Positive Laugh Center?),
I am mystified by your inflammatory rhetoric and spurious listings. I have spent my life fighting hate, teaching tolerance and seeking justice. You have no corner on truth, certainly none on virtue. While there are dangerous groups out there, I would have to list you right at the top. Your fear mongering, ignorance and slander certainly goes against your stated purpose. How sad that you would undercut the very foundation of our constitutionally based government, freedom of association and liberty. Shame on you for your promotion of smug, self-serving falsehoods. I hope and pray that your funding sources dry up and that the SPLC organization withers on the vine.
Honoring Our Heritage, Pioneering Our Future
J.R. Myers
Chairman, Alaska Constitution Party
“when it gets to be too many comments and it’s time to start fresh.”
It’s about that time.
http://www.freedomsphoenix.com/News/084654-2011-02-26-olbermanns-foknewschannel-to-go-live-tonight.htm?From=News
@122 I know I can do a search myself, but if you send us a link on the full Irish election results, that would help.
@ 123 There seems to be some missing context there.
Oh Look
My God
What a rouges gallery. Not even a mention or sense of regret or shame for their work
in destroying the Green Party.
Oh well. Carry on.
Building. Organizing an opposition to the corporate corruppt, pro-war two party
system. Like we really mean it.
Michael Cavlan RN
Minnesota
I thought that people might not know the origin of the Green Party Rising documents and who supports them. So here is the opening letter from the Green Party Rising website.
Thanks,
Fred Vitale
——————
At the ANM last June in Detroit, Karen Young and John Rensenbrink had a conversation and mutually discovered their grave concerns for the future of the party. When they got home — and with preliminary ideas about needed changes — they began with exploratory calls to leaders around the country.
The calls turned into conference calls and our number increased. We agreed on a name for our project, Green Party Rising. We wanted diversity in our group, we wanted to keep it small enough, and we wanted, as much as possible, that no more than one of us would be from any given state party. Eventually, fifteen members from fourteen different state parties signed on. Our names and states are appended at the end of this post.
There was a face-to-face meeting in Brooklyn on January 8 in which eight of us participated. We shared the results of that meeting with the whole group and got feedback. We came up with a three-part document: 1) Where we want our Green Party to be on our 30th anniversary in 2014; 2) Structural changes in the National Committee and the Steering Committee; and 3) Non-Structural Ideas for Greater Growth. Comments are welcome!
We want to share the three part document with the National Committee and with the state parties. We urge state parties to voice their general support for the document; or if they want changes/additions as a condition for that support, please to let us know. We urge our own respective state parties, and others as well, to join in sponsoring a proposal to the National Committee for the structural changes, as stated in #2, that we are recommending for the NC and the SC.
We realize that other groups and individuals have good ideas in mind for improving the Green Party of the United States. We hope to work side-by-side with any and all so that 2011 will be the year the Green Party of the United States sets forth with renewed vigor and confidence.
Our names in alphabetical order:
Jared Ball, Washington, D.C.
Dee Berry, Missouri
David Cobb, California
George Friday, North Carolina
Greg Gerritt, Rhode Island
Farheen Hakeem, Minnesota
Holly Hart, Iowa
Hillary Kane, Pennsylvania
George Martin, Wisconsin and New Mexico
Scott McLarty, Washington, D.C.
Jason Nabewaniec, New York
John Rensenbrink, Maine
Anita Rios, Ohio
Cliff Thornton, Connecticut
Karen Young, New York
Michael Cavlan says:
February 27, 2011 at 5:45 pm
Got some great Green Party news from Ireland. Perhaps GP Watch could do a story on it.
Comhantas Glas (the Irish Green Party) just lost all six of it’s seats in the Irish Dail. Which is similar to the US Congress. Their partners Fianna Fail fell from 120 seats to just 20.
This is due to Fianna Fail and their junior partners in government, the Irish Greens involvement in a massive bailout to the Bankers in Ireland.
There is always a pricetag for betrayal.
Jaysus.
Back in 2010 when folks were talking ’bout 1860 and 2010 seccession, I got this electronic information but my health did not permit me to jump on it. Sorry
Business & Economics – Sony EBook Samples (powered by Smashwords)
Joseph S. Bayana is the founder of the Institute for the Study of Succession and ….. Inc. P.O. Box 373 Mims, Florida 32754 321-264-7599 [email protected] …
sony-ebook-samples.com/title/view/0/0/1/93/50 – Cached
http://www.lp.org/blogs/staff/libertarian-candidate-doug-burlison-places-first-in-primary
Libertarian Doug Burlison, an incumbent city councilman in Springfield, Missouri, is running for re-election and received 48.6% of the vote in the February 22 primary (the highest of three candidates). Burlison and the second-place candidate will be in a general election on April 5.
Read the announcement in the Springfield News-Leader.
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20110222/NEWS01/110222034/1007/Incumbents-lead-voting-City-Council-primary-election
Got that and passed it on to other IPR writers…I was hoping some other people would post a few before I’d post more, but maybe I’ll post first, we’ll see.
NEWS From BRIDGES For COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL
Robert F. Bridges
614-285-6021
?
NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
?
Bridges confers with Gahanna Councilman McAlister
Columbus City Council candidate Robert Bridges met this morning with Gahanna Councilman John McAlister to discuss issues of mutual interest. Bridges is part of a three-person slate of Libertarian candidates running for Columbus City Council. McAlister, long-time Gahanna councilman, is also a Libertarian and previously ran on the party’s ticket for US Senate.
Bridges sought McAlister’s advice on putting Libertarian values to work as a sitting officeholder. “We talked about how to eliminate government intrusion in our lives,” Bridges said.
The two also discussed the issue of misconduct by towing contractors on the OSU campus. “I have proposed requiring owners or their representatives to sign tow slips rather than allowing the tow companies to act as their representatives,” Bridges explained. “John and I talked about how this can be applied at the city level, and how it stops the state from taking away the rights of property owners.”
The LP is America’s third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace. Read more about Robert’s campaign at
http://www.votebridges.org/default.html
http://www.votebridges.org/News-Releases.html
NEWS From BRIDGES For COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL
Robert F. Bridges
614-285-6021
?
NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
?
Bridges confers with Gahanna Councilman McAlister
Columbus City Council candidate Robert Bridges met this morning with Gahanna Councilman John McAlister to discuss issues of mutual interest. Bridges is part of a three-person slate of Libertarian candidates running for Columbus City Council. McAlister, long-time Gahanna councilman, is also a Libertarian and previously ran on the party’s ticket for US Senate.
Bridges sought McAlister’s advice on putting Libertarian values to work as a sitting officeholder. “We talked about how to eliminate government intrusion in our lives,” Bridges said.
The two also discussed the issue of misconduct by towing contractors on the OSU campus. “I have proposed requiring owners or their representatives to sign tow slips rather than allowing the tow companies to act as their representatives,” Bridges explained. “John and I talked about how this can be applied at the city level, and how it stops the state from taking away the rights of property owners.”
The LP is America’s third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace. Read more about Robert’s campaign at
http://www.votebridges.org/default.html
a wall street hustler sayin’ ‘no’ to a line of snow ??????
and lay off da GOP and Dems, day being just fine folks, quit griping!
JONATHAN J. COOPER, Associated Press – Thursday Feb 24, 2011, 4:52 am ET
SALEM, Ore. – A photo of Representative David Wu wearing a tiger costume and other unusual revelations about his mental health are increasing pressure on the seven-term Oregon Democrat to step down.
Wu said this week that it was “unprofessional and inappropriate” to send pictures of himself wearing a tiger costume to staff members while he was in the middle of a heated campaign last year.
He also acknowledged taking two tablets of a pain killer that were given to him by an unnamed campaign donor.
Seven staff members resigned after the campaign following bizarre behavior that concerned his team at the end of the 2010 campaign.
A crackhead saying “no” to the pipe…
@112-113 It’s like a gutter alcoholic turning down a drink.
Not to mention the vast majority of things the US government does.
In a significant blow in favor of liberty and the sanctity of contracts, President Obama has ordered the Department of Justice not to defend DOMA in court, on the grounds that it is obviously unconstitutional.
Perhaps someday he will notice that universal wiretapping of Americans making phone calls is also unconstitutional.
Thanks – feeling is mutual 🙂
You’re awesome!
We got it, I’ll be posting it shortly.
Tried submitting this to the [email protected] address – just for the sake of thoroughness, I’ll also post a link to it here:
Reid Not Stimulated By Legal Prostitution
Drop me a line if you have any questions about it.
From what I can tell, the cases that I have seen threatened so far would lose in court if they ever went there, but the current owner just does not want the hassle of dealing with it either way.
While some are legit. I know there are going to be a lot of angry people these days, I expect it to get worse. Job situations, losing homes, can’t support families. Etc. Etc. There are going to be cases where people are going to be angry because they may be angry and the ones that are not legit, this blog might be the place to lay it out on for example. Or you might be the guy in person they yell at or whatever other reasons. I am noticing that there are a lot of employers with nazi hiring attitude and for what. Min. Wage.
@ 104 I don’t usually comment to say no comment, but in this case, no comment.
Defamation? Don’t people have a life?
Multiple different lawsuits have been threatened.
From what we were told, most of them had to do with alleged defamation of various people.
should I write PM to you about this or can you say on here? Or?????
The owner got tired of being threatened with lawsuits.
Curious, why is the IPR up for sale?
POTPERRI
• “I’m concerned the president may be suffering from hearing loss.” — U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt of Kansas on President Obama refusing to back off his health care plan.
• “With a $12 trillion-and-growing deficit, we can’t just throw federal funds at projects willy-nilly.” — U.S. Sen. Kit Bond of Missouri, a staunch earmarker.
• “Interestingly, I am not aware of any welfare benefits that have been restored since I left office. The old welfare system must have been as unaffordable as I said it was at the time.” — Former Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt.
• “Political parties…cause more havoc in politics than they are worth. Let’s abolish them.” — MU [Mizzou at Columbia ?????????] political scientist David Webber.
Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/12/25/2542271/the-pols-had-plenty-to-say-in.html#ixzz1EXQux8W8
[Lake: any out reach to professor webber? our kinna guy? Is CUIP / Independent Voter taking notes?]
Is Independent Political Report still for sale?
As far as I know, yes. If you want to submit a bid, see
https://independentpoliticalreport.com/ipr-is-for-sale/
supposedly, and no interest from Independent Voice, I guess that they do not have much of that $1M from Mayor Bloomberg ………..
Is Independent Political Report still for sale?
and ‘View From Abroad’ and not initiated by Mister Lake
Wow! What a week in local and National politics.
In Wisconsin, we have the ongoing Liberal rage over Governor Scott Walker’s decision to remove organized bargaining power on Public Employees for everything except wages in an effort to rein in our out-of-control budget.
Nationally, there is talk of shutting the government down, and of course the usual partisan rhetoric over the budget.
Obama has a plan to cut $1 Trillion from the budget over ten years, and Republicans are screaming that this isn’t nearly enough. Instead, their plan is to cut $60 billion from the budget this year.
You do the math. Something seems funny about theirs.
Suffice it to say, if I were President, I could balance the budget in one year, and cut through all of the rhetorical bullshit along with it.
But I’m not President, so you are stuck with a D or an R for the forseeable future.
David Terry via email:
Amazing that the wave of Middle East uprisings can essentially be traced to the
actions of one brave young man. Outrageous that this man continues to be held in
solitary confinement and deteriorating health in a U.S. government prison. The
author of the piece below explains the connection, and how WikiLeaks
accomplished for democracy, without costing taxpayers a cent, what billions of
dollars and thousands of war casualties could not. Or to look at it another way,
the U.S. government’s penchant for secrecy and control of information cost
thousands of lives and billions of dollars. Just goes to show how important
openness and transparency are as libertarian priorities.
_______________________
Jorjet Harper is an author and artist, and was a founding staff writer for Windy
City Times. She was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in
1998.
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=30461
From Suppression to Expression:
Egypt, Wikileaks, and the Nascent Power of Free Speech
by Jorjet Harper
I spent close to a month in Egypt in 1995. I went there to see the ancient
monuments, and to my surprise I fell in love with the modern people. I enjoyed
the time I spent with almost everyone I met there (granted, I was only able to
speak with people who also spoke English). But it was the first country I’d ever
visited that was clearly a dictatorship.
Posters of Mubarak were hung prominently not only in every post office and
government building but in every bank, every hotel, all over the place like Big
Brother. Traffic cops wielded machine guns. People who were otherwise friendly
and articulate grew nervous when the talk turned to their government, especially
when soldiers and police were nearby.
We visitors could feel quite safe despite the ubiquitous uniformed presence
because the police were there to ‘keep order’. But the Egyptian people
themselves have now been prey to the whims of Mubarak’s enforcers for three
decades. Stories of innocent citizens snatched up in the streets and tortured in
Mubarak’s “sweeps” for terrorists were entirely credible. Dissent was
increasingly labeled as treasonous. Mubarak’s elections were continually rigged.
And it was clear his intention was to create a dynasty with his son following
him into power.
Iron-fisted tactics against the Egyptian citizenry have also included the
ongoing arrest and torture of gays. In the most widely publicized case, the
Queen Boat incident, police raided a gay floating nightclub docked on the Nile
in Cairo in 2001, and made sweeping, arbitrary arrests. Those detained were
corralled into crowded cells in terrible conditions, beaten and tortured,
imprisoned for months without trial, and more than 20 men were eventually
sentenced to prison with hard labor for up to five years for “debauchery.”
The US has glossed over human rights abuses in Egypt for decades because our
political “partner” Mubarak maintained stability in a strategically important
country in a volatile area of the world. Mubarak regrettably has to clamp down
on everyone in order to keep the lid on Muslim fundamentalism, right? Average
citizens just have to accept curtailment of their freedoms in order for the
government to benevolently protect them, right?
You may remember the underlying doctrine that was used to rationalize the US
invasion of Iraq. I’m not talking about the “Weapons of Mass Destruction”
charade, but the Bush think-tank political theory developed by Paul Wolfowitz
that was eventually leaked to the press. It projected the fantasy scenario that
when Saddam Hussein’s regime was toppled, the people would be so grateful to the
US for their liberation that a wave of democracy would then spread to other
autocratic regimes in the Middle East.
Here we are all these years later, still at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, pouring
billions of dollars down that endless quagmire, having caused the deaths of many
thousands of ordinary people and the displacement of many thousands more, and
making ourselves even more hated all over the Arab world.
Yet in the last several weeks, Wikileaks appears to have accomplished exactly
what the Bushies failed to inspire with their rupturous, bloody, costly war:
spontaneous efforts toward democratic freedoms in other autocratic governments
in the Middle East.
Scholars and journalists have credited Wikileaks’ release of US secret
diplomatic cables detailing the abuses of the ruling family in Tunisia as the
spark for the overthrow of Tunisia’s corrupt government. Tom Malinowski,
Washington director of Human Rights Watch, explained that those leaked cables
“showed Tunisians that the rottenness of the regime was obvious not just to them
but to the whole world,” and “boosted the morale of his [Ben Ali’s] opponents
at a pivotal moment.” Anger at government suppression and corruption quickly
spread from tiny Tunisia to cosmopolitan Egypt, and, as of this writing, has
forced government reform in the Kingdom of Jordan. And Wikileaks set these
events in motion, I might add, without costing the US taxpayer a penny in
military spending.
Of course there is the danger that the Egyptian populist revolution could end
very badly, as it did in China, but regardless of what might happen down the
road in the struggle for power in Tunisia and in Egypt, the people’s
justice–wanting relief from oppression, wanting a voice in their own
government, wanting not to be screwed over economically and politically
anymore–is their legitimate right to fight for and achieve.
“I’m siding with the people, not the regime,” Egyptian state-run news agency
Nile TV anchor Shahira Amin told the BBC. Amin quit her job last week to join
the protesters because her agency was forced to report only pro-Mubarak news.
“We were not allowed to report on what was happening in Tahrir Square” she said,
“From day one, we had to follow the rules and they were very strict with us. We
were told to say certain things and to keep certain information from getting
out.” Gagging the press and shutting down free communications are of course
hallmarks of dictatorial regimes. The chain of events that started with
Wikileaks’ release of those diplomatic cables, as unlikely as it seems,
demonstrates yet again that the pen (okay, now it’s the text) is still,
amazingly, mightier than the sword (or submachine gun or guided missile).
The US might now consider basing its actual political dealings here and around
the world on the “transparency” that Obama promised us when he took office, and
replace our own autocratic posture of “we know what’s good for them” with the
bedrock belief that “the truth shall set you free.” Gay people know a thing or
two about the truth setting us free, too–we’ve been taking risks to tell the
truth since before Stonewall–and our society has been transformed for the
better as a result.
The young man who allegedly sent the diplomatic cables to Wikileaks–and
therefore arguably is the single individual responsible for inadvertently
tripping off thi Nascent Power of Free Speech” (Jorjet Harper, Windy City
Times)s massive chain of events in Tunisia-Egypt-Jordan–is 23-year-old gay US
Army soldier Bradley Manning, and tragically, he has not been set free by the
truth. Instead, he’s locked in solitary confinement in a cell in Quantico, in
deteriorating health, with lights on 24 hours a day. Mubarak’s thugs would
surely approve of that. Daniel Ellsberg has called for Manning’s release and
considers him an American hero. When will he get a thank you, much less a medal,
from our country? Not any time soon.
We can only hope that the awe-inspiring struggle for democratic freedoms that we
have been witnessing in Egypt will succeed. However that plays out, the
much-maligned Wikileaks organization has been acting in the best journalistic
tradition: report the truth and let the people decide what to make of it. Will
our government policymakers–mired as they are in spin and smokescreens and a
hideous war–ever actually trust in the free speech they claim to espouse, or
will they keep persecuting truth-tellers and whistle-blowers, crying treason
most foul?
________________________
Jorjet Harper is an author and artist, and was a founding staff writer for Windy
City Times. She was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in
1998.
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=30461
http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/02/huffington-two-party-state-is-failing.html
http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/02/18/new-york-independence-party-faces-legal-woes/
http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/02/17/steve-hill-has-pro-proportional-representation-op-ed-in-new-york-times-concerning-egypt/
http://thirdpartydaily.blogspot.com/2011/02/oklahoma-ballot-access-bill-to-be-heard.html
http://thirdpartydaily.blogspot.com/2011/02/african-americans-increasingly.html
http://thirdpartydaily.blogspot.com/2011/02/independents-surge-in-japan-rocking.html
http://thirdpartydaily.blogspot.com/2011/02/nebraska-bill-limits-who-can-be.html
http://www.greenpartywatch.org/2011/02/18/matt-reichel-interview-windy-city-times/
http://wilderside.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/end-of-the-democratic-leadership-committee-follows-its-success-over-democratic-party-via-south-carolina-green-party/
http://wilderside.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/nj-green-party-hosts-regional-healthcare-and-labor-conference-22711/
http://wilderside.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/green-party-of-suffolk-endorses-march-19th-anti-war-march-and-vigil/
http://wilderside.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/green-party-speaks-out-against-fbi-raids-targeting-peace-activists/
Libertarians Urge Lake Worth to Be “NORML”
Palm Beach Libertarians support the decriminalization of Cannabis
Boca Raton, FL – The Libertarian Party of Palm Beach County (LPPBC) has moved to support the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) in the campaign to decriminalize Cannabis in the City of Lake Worth. This is an important step in supporting the Libertarian platform plank of ending the regrettable “War on people,” the prohibition of cannabis.
Tuesday night at the regular meeting (7:30PM, 3rd Tuesday of every month) at the West Palm Beach Crowne Plaza, NORML speaker Sabrina Koramblyum presented details of the campaign to decriminalize cannabis in the City of Lake Worth. Included in the proposal is the three-pronged approach of convincing Lake Worth city council members of the life-altering harm done to nonviolent offenders by prosecution, the adversarial relationship it creates between law enforcement and peaceful citizenry, and the burden it places on the judicial system and the taxpayer. The LPPBC and its coalition partners also seek to educate the city council on the mounting evidence on the medicinal properties of cannabis. Libertarians encourage Lake Worth City Council to consider the benefits of cannabis decriminalization and its medical use.
Upon passage of the motion to support NORML, Libertarian Party of Palm Beach Chairman John R. Thompson said “Now we have demonstrated our commitment to the people and law enforcement officers of Lake Worth.”
The Libertarian Party encourages people to rethink the failed prohibition of narcotics and the damage it has done to our community. For more information about NORML of South Florida, please contact Sabrina Koramblyum at [email protected].
###
Contact: John R. Thompson
Libertarian Party of Palm Beach County
5970 SW 18th ST #331, Boca Raton, FL 33433
http://www.libertarianpartyofpalmbeachcounty.org
Phone: 561.632-6628
Email: [email protected]
LP.org blog
http://www.lp.org/blogs/staff/republicans-refuse-to-cut-selective-service
http://www.indystar.com/article/20110217/LOCAL0703/102170334/Miller-joins-race-Greenfield-mayor
Selected from Freedom’s Phoenix
Protestors swell to 25,000 at Wisconsin capital — 20 reported dead in Libya as thousands take to streets — Death toll in Yemen mounts as police and protestors clash — Arab capitals braced for violence as unrest spreads — Ex-aide: Colin Powell was ‘manipulated’ by Cheney into justifying Iraq war — Bahrain’s Army Opens Fire With Machine Guns on Protesters — Cutting Defense: Obama, Gates Say No — How the U.S. Government Forged a Surveillance Society — Wisconsin Teacher Protests Prelude To Economic Riots Coming To America? — Is China Trying To Create A New Gold Standard? — The Fed Is Now Creating The Third Bubble In 12 Years
Analysis: The original version of this ad claimed Mayor Mark Funkhouser had increased police spending 27 percent during his time in office.
The claim was incorrect. In 2007-2008, Funkhouser’s first full year as mayor, the City Council budgeted $200.8 million for police.
In 2010-2011, the current budget year, the police are slated to get $206.7 million.
That is roughly a 3 percent increase over four years, not 27 percent.
Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/02/17/2664103/truth-watch-mark-funkhouser-and.html#ixzz1ELGjvPyf
Lake: told ya so, told ya so ………
and on a universal, yet probably unrelated, subject
RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Good news for new moms: Breastfeeding just became tax deductible.
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced last week that it’s going to be providing its own form of breastfeeding help to struggling moms by making breast pumps and related supplies a tax write-off.
These supplies are now considered medical equipment, and any expenses related to them that exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted income can be deducted from your taxes starting with this tax season (tax year 2010).
If you have a flexible spending account, you can now use it to buy breastfeeding supplies as well.
This is an extremely volatile situation. May it be resolved in wisdom and peace.
http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2011/02/17/arrest-warrant-issued-for-fairbanks-militia-leader-schaeffer-cox/
@ 83 interesting concept.
http://operationfreedom.ru/
South Carolina state politician wants the state to develop its own gold and silver-based currency in case the Federal Reserve collapses and hyper-inflation ensues.
“If folks lose faith in the dollar, we need to have some kind of backup,” State Senator Lee Bright told the Spartanburg Herald Journal’s Stephen Largen.
His bill asks a committee to look into the development of a state currency, citing the Constitution and Supreme Court precedents to prove the bill’s legality.
Slate’s Annie Lowrey tracks down similar bills in Georgia and Virginia, and points out that the legislation reflects a larger trend of state politicians wading into monetary policy.
A bill in Georgia would require all debts to the state be paid in pre-1965 gold and silver coins. The Virginia proposal would let the state print its own money.
…… one politician in Utah wants to cut out the middleman entirely and allow the state’s residents to run their very own mints.
FROM THE PENDERGAST LEGECY OF THE MOBBED MIDWEST ……..
http://www.kansascity.com
21 minutes ago
Waiting on the KC [Mo] voters
Yael T. Abouhalkah [and the anti incumbent effort to unset Mayor Mark Funkhouser ………]
It’s a popular arguments these days: No one seems too excited about KC’s mayoral primary.
I think that’s off-base. People may not be passionate about the race, precisely because it includes several very good candidates ……….
School board, mayoral candidates might be knocked from race
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/02/14/Columbus-school-board-mayor-candidates-knocked-from-race.html?sid=101
Award winning film, hilarious and poignant. This film premiered in Columbus a few weeks ago. A must for political junkies of any persuasion. Watch it here…or buy it!!
http://americanmayor.watchime.com/
Today Marks 1,000 days of IPR
I might do a post later
In the meantime, One Thousand Days in Sodom by Venom:
And remember, resistance is victory…
Ike papers show range of concerns
The Associated Press
More News: TOPEKA | Kansas
Newly released documents show President Dwight D. Eisenhower expressed great faith in the capabilities of Earl Warren to serve as U.S. Supreme Court justice.
In fact, the Kansas Republican wrote in October 1953 that he was willing to leave the GOP and form his own party should the U.S. Senate balk at Warren.
The same diary entry shows the president had grave concerns about the implications of U.S. efforts to restore the Shah of Iran to power through covert operations.
The new materials were released from the vaults of the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Ike’s boyhood home of Abilene.
In all, some 300,000 pages of documents still contain potentially sensitive materials and have classified status.
Posted on Sat, Feb. 12, 2011
@ 74 I think the urge has finally passed…
I’m tempted to make that into an article.
Must..resist…temptation…
Mr. Lake
I think you may well form a strategic alliance with the Psycho-Lunatic Asylum Strategy and the Mormon Maoist Shining Path to create a better veterans mental health clinic in or around Barstow, California, governed by a 100-candidate patient-selected and ranked system. That sounds like a totally achievable goal, actually.
“So far, the Republican field looks conventional and flawed,” said Mark McKinnon, who was an adviser to President George W. Bush. “To beat Obama, the GOP is going to have to come up with a ticket that is fresh, exciting, unconventional and free of major flaws.”
Let’s take a look at the Achilles’ heel of some of the best-known candidates:
l Haley Barbour: The Mississippi governor virtually invented lobbying – not exactly the ideal background in a very anti-Washington Republican electorate. And his Southern roots – and the gaffe he committed late last year when he seemed to suggest that the civil rights movement wasn’t a big deal where he grew up – might not play well in the Iowa caucuses or the New Hampshire primary, the first two nominating contests of 2012.
l Mitch Daniels: The Indiana governor drew widespread criticism among the party base when he suggested that the next president would need to call a “truce” on social issues until the country moved beyond its current economic woes. Social conservatives dominate the Iowa caucuses and the South Carolina primary – and they won’t forget Daniels’s truce talk anytime soon.
l John Thune: The senator from South Dakota – like many of his Republican Senate colleagues – voted for the Troubled Assets Relief Program in late 2008. Many conservatives view the vote as a sort of scarlet letter, a massive government bailout that is anathema to their limited-government philosophy.
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l Newt Gingrich: The former House speaker’s appeals to social conservatives in places such as Iowa and South Carolina could be complicated by his very public personal life: He has been married three times.
l Sarah Palin: The former Alaska governor has done next to nothing to build a national political organization or demonstate the ability – or willingness – to grow beyond her committed social conservative base.
l Jon Huntsman: His serving in the Obama administration – albeit as the ambassador to China – won’t go down well with many Republican primary voters who detest the current occupant of the White House. And Huntsman’s public endorsement of cap-and-trade legislation puts him out of step with most in his party.
l Tim Pawlenty: The former Minnesota governor’s biggest problem is a lack of pizazz. Can a candidate who is relatively unknown outside his home state of Minnesota and whose best trait is his “niceness” rise to the top of such a crowded field?
l Mike Huckabee: Huckabee’s record as governor of Arkansas – particularly his decision to commute the sentence of Maurice Clemmons, who went on to murder four police offers in Washington state – is ripe for a deep opposition-research dive. And Huckabee’s record on taxes as governor isn’t likely to look much better in the eyes of many Republicans.
Curt Anderson, a GOP consultant who worked with Romney in 2008 but is now unaligned, argued that the candidates’ pasts won’t win or lose them the nomination.
“The answer to the riddle lies in the future, not the past,” he said. “Who can capture the imagination of Republican primary voters? That is the question.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEW RPUSA: CORPORATE SLAVERS, NO SAFETY……….
Reform Party USA – Action Group Newsletter ~ Vol.9, No.2 [239th Edition]
05 FEBRUARY 2011 ~ PROVIDED TO RPUSA STATE PARTY ORGANIZATIONS & ALLIES
SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS! ? ‘SPIRITUS MONTIUM’ ? JUSTITIA OMNIBUS!
“Reporting what others think…but won’t say publicly!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEW RPUSA: ‘CORPORATE SLAVERS’ WITH NO SAFETY NET!
Any educated person who forced themselves to suffer through Obama’s speech on the “State of the [dis]Union” before the joint Houses of Congress recently will instantly realize that Obama really has become an “Obamanation” since being elected, for he has LIED to us all and has not done anything he promised to do during his campaign or in his first one-hundred-days in office!
Now in his second year, torture continues, domestic-spying continues, kidnapping & imprisonment of domestic & foreign prisoners continues, targeting USA Citizens for killing continues, militarization continues, the unjust wars continue, threats of war on Iran continues, corporate & Wall Street corruption continues, foreclosures continue, “ZOG” continues, threats to destroy the Internet for civilians continues, “privatization” of everything held in Common continues,
DW,
Agreed.
I think that was still some serious irony in that article from Think 3 institute…and I still think it was probably not intentional.
in @67 –
If you ask somebody in the Tea Party movement, “What is freedom?,” they’ll tell you, “Freedom is the absence of the state.”
Bzzt! Wrong. Anarcholibertarians might say that, but I doubt that more than 1 in 20 Tea Partiers would answer in any way that even hinted at the desire for no government. Tea Partiers want *less* government, not *no* government. And unfortunately, a large percentage of Tea Parties want someone else’s booty slashed, not their own (e.g. social security).
ACP included in latest monthly Alaska voter registration tally for first time.
http://www.elections.alaska.gov/statistics/vi_vrs_stats_party_2011.02.03.htm
Probably unintentional irony…
http://think3institute.blogspot.com/2011/02/selling-government-at-super-bowl-thomas.html
02 February 2011
Selling Government at the Super Bowl: Thomas Frank’s brand confusion
I can sympathize with Thomas Frank’s frustration. The author of What’s the Matter with Kansas, now a monthly columnist for Harper’s, took part in a forum for that magazine’s February issue in which he, senior editor Donovan Hohn, and four leading ad creators brainstormed to come up with a theoretical ad, designed to be broadcast during the Super Bowl — the Cannes Film Festival of commercials — to counteract the anti-government attitude that appears to prevail in the country. Here’s Frank’s reasoning:
A big part of our political energies in this country is dedicated to hating government. Knee-jerk anti-statism is the unexamined assumption of our time. The Tea Party movement, rock music, the Chicago school of economics all join together in hating the federal government.
* * *
If you ask somebody in the Tea Party movement, “What is freedom?,” they’ll tell you, “Freedom is the absence of the state.”…So I’m wondering if there isn’t some way that our Super Bowl spot could remind viewers of those other meanings of freedom [i.e. FDR and Norman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms”]. Government has a unique selling proposition: It delivers safety and security, really basic things that should be easy to sell. Liberty itself — that’s what government is all about.
Frank is in familiar territory. He first came to notice as a scholar with The Conquest of Cool, which explained how capitalism managed to make rebellion a marketable commodity by making it a fashion statement, by making every new fad a “rebellion” against some form of conformity, by equating consumption with self-expression. Now he hopes to do something similar, as far as certain people are concerned: use the power of advertising to equate government with freedom. He wants the ad men to stress what he sees as self-evident. “Maybe our goal is to convince people that they are already buying the federal government every day,” he says, “I mean, you go on public transportation and you’re buying it. You go to the post office, you buy it.”
But what exactly does he want to sell to his theoretical viewers? The most interesting parts of the forum are the moments when the ad men raise questions that complicate Frank’s agenda. One chose to research the project by finding a book on government to read. He was alarmed to find just one book on “government” in a pretty big store. Everything else in the “politics” section was about politics, i.e. partisanship. The one exception was The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Government. Hoping to find more objective material, he asked a clerk if there was a “government” section, only to be told that “government is politics.” Another ad man suggests that Frank “separate [government] from politics” by selling it as an “innovation company,” like NASA writ large. Elsewhere, when they consider emphasizing the many services provided by government, they realize that people tend to identify service with the individual who provides the service, not the bureaucracy that employs him. “The problem is, you don’t say ‘The U.S. government brought me my mail today,'” one says, “You say, ‘The mailman brought me my mail.'” Donovan Hohn notes that Americans polled by Gallup identify the word “government” not with “service,” but with “bureaucracy,” a word with few positive connotations. Another ad man adds that people tend to identify government with politicians, a term with even fewer positive connotations. One more compares politicians with car salesmen; Americans want the car and often like it, but they assume the dealer is trying to rip them off.
Frank sounds demoralized near the end of the forum. “Those two things — America and the federal government — became separate,” he laments, “Whereas if you think of the founding fathers, or of Roosevelt’s four freedoms, the government and the culture and the nation were inseparable. In a way what we’re trying to do is reunite this entity, the federal government, with the culture and the nation it governs.” Hohn comes back to the original challenge: “Here we’re trying to associate the word government with freedom.”
The commercials themselves — represented by proposal posters and storyboards — are pretty lame. The best of them compares government to a grade-school class in which the kids get to choose the flavor of ice cream the class will get. The point is that not everyone will get the flavor they want, but everyone gets ice cream!
[..]
Ballot Access News
http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/02/03/california-supreme-court-wont-hear-keyes-v-bowen-on-presidential-qualifications/
California Supreme Court Won’t Hear Keyes v Bowen, on Presidential Qualifications
February 3rd, 2011
On February 2, the California Supreme Court refused to hear Keyes v Bowen, 188724, the case that argued the Secretary of State must investigate whether a presidential candidate meets the qualifications to be president, before listing him or her on the ballot. The case had been brought by Alan Keyes in 2008.
The California Court of Appeals decision in this case will now stand. On October 25, 2010, the Court of Appeals had ruled that if a qualified party certifies a presidential nominee, the Secretary of State must list him or her on the November ballot. The decision says, “Section 6041 gives the Secretary of State some discretion in determining whether to place a name on the primary ballot, but she has no such discretion for the general election ballot…with respect to general elections, section 6901 directs that the Secretary of State must place on the ballot the names of the several political parties’ candidates.” The word “must” is in italics.
The Court of Appeals decision acknowledges that in 1968, California Secretary of State Frank Jordan refused to list the Peace & Freedom Party’s presidential nominee on the November ballot. That candidate was Eldridge Cleaver, and he was only 33 years old at the time. The decision, in effect, says the Secretary of State in 1968 should have listed Cleaver.
Communist Party USA on State of the Union
http://www.cpusa.org/state-of-the-union-and-openings-for-progress/
“With the addition of the Delaware and Ohio chapters this will give the MWP 37 active state chapters out of 50 states.”
Really? When did we get 50 states??? 😉
Goldmassgroup.com
Closet Libertarians in the New Hampshire Legislature?
by: AuMass
Sat Jan 29, 2011 at 05:00:00 AM EST
Rumors have reached our ears that perhaps three dozen of the newly elected Republicans and Democrats in the New Hampshire state legislature are closet libertarians, libertarian in all but name, including their new Speaker of the House. One of them is the former webmaster of your editor’s Presidential campaign, who is certainly a libertarian. An acid test of these rumors will, however, come when the New Hampshire legislature takes up a proposal to ban gay marriage in the state.
Bob Barr blog
Yes! ObamaCare is unconstitutional
5:00 am February 2, 2011, by Bob Barr
On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Roger Vinson issued a 78-page ruling finding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – more commonly known as “ObamaCare” – to be unconstitutional. His ruling goes beyond even that issued in December by Judge Henry Hudson in another suit challenging the law, brought by Virginia’s attorney general.
One has to search long and hard before one finds a federal case declaring an act of Congress unconstitutional because it exceeded the so-called “commerce clause” powers afforded the Congress in Article I of the Constitution. But this latest decision found this to have been precisely the case. This is a welcome decision and one long overdue. We can only hope that Judge Vinson’s sound constitutional analysis is upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court decides this matter, as it almost certainly will in the near future. If it does, the constitutional principle of limited and enumerated federal government powers will have …
Continue reading Yes! ObamaCare is unconstitutional »
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High time for criminal justice reform
5:00 am January 31, 2011, by Bob Barr
Georgia faces a billion-dollar budget deficit. In response, the General Assembly must come up with measures to alleviate the burden placed on Peach State taxpayers. One of the areas ripe for reform – at least if we take seriously recent hints by Gov. Nathan Deal and House Speaker David Ralston – is the state’s criminal justice system.
In discussing this problem recently with Walter Jones of the Morris News Service, Ralston stated that Georgians are “spending a huge amount of money locking people up that have drug problems.” He added, “At some point the people of Georgia have a right to ask if that’s an appropriate way to spend their tax dollars.”
A few days later, the new Governor told legislators Georgia would not tolerate violent offenders, but that opportunities should be afforded to those “who want to change their lives.” He explained that emphasis should be placed on rehabilitation rather than incarceration, noting that addiction is a severe drain …
Continue reading High time for criminal justice reform »
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Government database for cold remedies nearer
5:00 am January 28, 2011, by Bob Barr
Plans to spy on Georgia consumers who purchase cold remedies containing pseudoephedrine and prescription drugs, are closer to becoming a reality. Legislation is expected to be filed shortly to set up a searchable database accessible to law enforcement agencies throughout the state.
Rep. Tom Weldon of Ringgold who plans on filing the legislation in the Georgia House of Representatives, recently complained to a Dalton newspapers that, “[w]e don’t have a searchable database that sheriffs and law enforcement can go in and see who has been buying meth products and who has been buying an excessive amount of pills.”
Weldon claims the legislature will be mindful of the privacy of law-abiding citizens, though he offers no details as to how this will be accomplished. Compiling a large database that essentially treats all users of prescription drugs and cold remedies as if they were criminals, is itself not a project respectful of the privacy of law-abiding citizens. …
Continue reading Government database for cold remedies nearer »
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Another State-of-the-Union Yawn
12:01 am January 26, 2011, by Bob Barr
A little bit of something for everybody; but a really big something for government. This was the essential thrust of this 44th President’s second — and longest, state-of-the-union speech last night. While Barack Obama did not include quite as lengthy a shopping list in his state of the union speech as did his Democratic predecessor, Bill Clinton, his list was long nonetheless.
Even though Obama paid lip service to regulatory reform, community-based education, tax reform, and reform of last year’s health care reform (among many other tid-bits), in virtually every instance, the ultimate solution to which he kept returning was more government spending and increased government prioritization.
If ”clean energy technology” is the wave of the future, it’s because government will dictate it is so.
High-speed rail as a transportation mode of the future? — government will make it so.
Eliminate the billions in government monies now given to “oil companies?” — sure, but turn …
Continue reading Another State-of-the-Union Yawn »
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Budget cutting with a British accent
6:00 am January 24, 2011, by Bob Barr
As things settle into a routine for the new 112th Congress, with the House now under Republican control, the elephant in the room is whether the GOP will have the backbone to break with history, and begin to cut federal spending systemically. Will the Republicans follow the modern US model – in which “cuts” are little more than decreases in increases – or the new model being implemented by David Cameron in the United Kingdom – across-the-board cuts. Unfortunately for many of the tea partiers who had high hopes going into this new congressional season, the early signs point to the American model, not the British.
When Nancy Pelosi assumed the post of Speaker of the House in 2007, she promised Americans there would be “no new deficit spending.” The next four years under her leadership, however, witnessed a spending spree of historic proportions. The nation’s debt grew by an astonishing $5 trillion, and now stands at an astronomical $14 trillion – a …
Continue reading Budget cutting with a British accent »
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Presidential Mis-Quotes – Deliberate or Mistaken?
5:00 am January 21, 2011, by Bob Barr
Is it any wonder many Americans do not know and are not learning of America’s history and civics, when the President of the United States, in a public address, demonstrates that he does not himself know what the official motto of the United States is?
It’s actually quite simple. The motto of the United States is, “In God We Trust.” It’s printed on our currency and appears on many of our coins. Even if this fact had slipped the President’s mind as he was speaking last November to a crowd at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, all he would have had to have done to refresh his memory would have been to pull out a dollar bill. Of course, with the huge White House staff — including a multi-person research and speech-writing team — at his beck and call, one would expect that his staff would have noted the correct motto for his speech in the first place.
What is interesting, however, is that the President might have deliberately mis-cited the motto in order to …
Continue reading Presidential Mis-Quotes – Deliberate or Mistaken? »
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“Atlas Shrugged” comes to the movies
6:00 am January 19, 2011, by Bob Barr
After decades in limbo, Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand’s magnum opus about an increasingly collectivist society and corrupt government that punishes the successful business person and industrialist, and thereby causing the world’s producers to go on strike – is finally headed to the Silver Screen.
Rand’s work, published originally in 1957, and which has enjoyed steady sales ever since, has received increased attention in recent years due in large part to massive government bailouts, mounting government debt, and debates over increased taxes – all issues identified more than half a century ago by Rand as factors in the demise of America’s historic free enterprise system and the progress that accompanied it. Signs with the phrase “Who is John Galt?” – a question appearing throughout Rand’s novel – has become a common theme at tea party rallies across the country as concerned Americans protested Big Government, as exemplified by last year’s federal health …
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Knee-Jerk gun control reaches new low
6:00 am January 17, 2011, by Bob Barr
What is as predictable as a threatened snowstorm bringing Atlanta to a standstill? Answer – gun control advocates taking advantage of every shooting incident as an excuse to further restrict Americans’ Second Amendment rights. The recent shooting incident in Tucson, Arizona — involving a clearly deranged individual who shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a federal judge and several other innocent people – is no exception.
Doctors had barely announced that Rep. Giffords had survived the shooting, than gun-control legislators in the nation’s capitol began trotting out their latest anti-gun schemes. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, Democrat of New York, was in the forefront of this effort. Close behind Ms. McCarthy was her Empire State colleague, Republican Peter King. While most anti-firearms proposals emanating from the Congress are simply ineffective or unworkable; King’s most recent proposal is utterly idiotic.
In response to the Tucson shooting — in which the …
Continue reading Knee-Jerk gun control reaches new low »
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Health care repeal vote postponed
6:00 am January 14, 2011, by Bob Barr
Earlier this week, in an odd reaction to the shooting in Tucson last weekend, Speaker John Boehner cancelled all votes scheduled for the entire week. That action postponed the healthcare repeal vote that had been scheduled this week. In so doing, the Republicans deferred action on a key element of the platform on which many had been elected or reelected two months ago. Presumably, the vote will be scheduled in the near future after the Republicans feel comfortable once again working.
Taking the vote on whether to repeal the healthcare legislation passed last Spring and signed by President Barack Obama – often referred to as “ObamaCare” — is fine; and it sends an important signal that the GOP majority in the House have not yet forgotten their campaign promises. However, it will be a symbolic vote, insofar as the Republicans clearly lack a veto-override majority in the House, and do not yet enjoy sufficient numbers in the Senate to bring the matter to a …
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Taxes to go up for Georgians?
6:00 am January 12, 2011, by Bob Barr
Within days of his inauguration in 2003, Gov. Sonny Perdue proposed a hefty tax hike on Georgians instead of pushing the legislature to make tough choices on spending. Unfortunately, his legacy could be yet another tax hike if the legislature passes recommendations proposed by the so-called “Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness for Georgians.”
We all know the story, legislators are facing another budget shortfall – estimated to be just south of $2 billion. Unlike the previous two years, appropriators this year are not going to be able to rely on stimulus funds to soften the blow of declining tax revenues. And because of excessive spending during good years, budget cuts have been more difficult than they should have been. The long hangover spawned by free-wheeling spending during Georgia’s boom years continues to strengthen its hold on the Peach State.
The proposal released last Friday by the “tax council” calls for eliminating many sales tax exemptions …
Continue reading Taxes to go up for Georgians? »
Modern Whig Party has new website, Modernwhig.info.
“The MWP is proud to announce new state chapters in Oklaoma, Oregon, Mississippi, Florida, and Arizona. These chapters have been organizing since November of 2010. The MWP is also currently working on new chapters in Ohio and Delaware as well. With the addition of the Delaware and Ohio chapters this will give the MWP 37 active state chapters out of 50 states.
For America, Andrew Evans National Chairman Modern Whig Party”
Also on site: Blogtalk including State of the Union response; condolences to Arizona shooting victims.
http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/02/03/copy/dozen-file-petitions-for-city-council.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
01/28/2011
That Hope Which Springs Eternal
by James N. Clymer
Chairman, Constitution Party National Committee
“A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest Clung to the hope which springs eternal in the human breast”
These poignant lines from Casey at the Bat speak to the emotions that those of us who follow and cheer our favorite baseball team have experienced countless times. Philadelphia Phillies fans have a reputation for being among the most fervent in professional sports. They can be churlish and cruel, yet they will be loyal to a fault; they exude emotion and expectation yet understand practicality.
What most people don’t understand is what made them that way. Growing up rooting for a team that a few short years ago became the only team in major professional sports to have lost 10,000 games in its franchise history develops a sports character that a Yankee, braves or Red Sox fan could never understand!
Politics has many parallels with baseball. Those who develop team loyalty see everything through the tinted glasses of their team. So if they are Republican, the GOP can do no wrong and the Democrats can do no right and vice versa.
Take the vitriol heaped on Barack Obama by most Republicans. He evokes more emotion among the so-called Republican Right than any president in my memory. He is described by many as the most leftist president in history.
On the other hand, I’ve attended gatherings on more than one occasion during the Bush presidency where loyalist Republicans declared Bush to be the “most conservative president in our lifetime”, in “the last fifty years” or in “the last hundred years.” I guess you get to pick the absurdity.
Now don’t get me wrong. I believe the current occupant of the oval office is a Constitutional miscreant of immense proportions. He displays greater infidelity to the Constitution than any president since at least FDR. His lack of fidelity started with his refusal to show that he meets the Constitutional qualifications to be president. They are, after all, quite simple. One must be at least 35 years of age, shall have lived at least fourteen years in these United States and shall be a natural born citizen. Why would one spend what has been estimated to exceed a million dollars to keep secret the long form birth certificate that would settle this question once and for all? But I digress.
In fact, George W. Bush showed nearly as much disdain for the Constitution as does Obama. For all the outbursts about Obama trampling on the Constitution and turning us into a socialist state, I wonder what they were smoking while the Republicans controlled the White House and both houses of Congress for four years of the Bush II presidency. Bush’s alleged contemptuous remark that the Constitution is nothing but a “g*d d*mn” piece of paper”, was not merely a blasphemous statement; it exemplified an attitude and a policy.
I challenge anyone to name one major fiscal, individual liberty or foreign relations policy area where there is a significant ideological difference between the practice of Bush II and Obama. Remember, I’m not comparing the degree to which the policy is taken but rather the ideological justification for the policy.
In the cover story of the December 6, 2010 issue of The New American, Charles Scaliger presents a compelling case for how Obama, despite campaign hype to the contrary, continued the war policies of Bush in both Iraq and Afghanistan, continued the course set by Bush in relations with Russia and in calling for an expansion of NATO, along with ever greater accommodations with the United Nations.
In fiscal matters, Republicans have suddenly discovered a verbal commitment to fiscal restraint and constitutional limitations on the power of the federal government, blasting Obama for his socialized medicine capers and stimulus package bailouts. But where were they when Bush was doing the same sorts of things now done by Obama? After all, it was Bush who pushed through the first stimulus package, a $700 billion dollar bank bailout. As soon as Obama got into office, he started pushing for the second one to compound the disaster but it was not significantly less “unconstitutional” or “socialistic” than the one presided over by Bush.
Scaliger notes that overall federal spending has increased about ten percent per year during the first two years of the Obama administration which is about the same annual increases that occurred during the administration of George W. Bush.
Obamacare, the gargantuan intrusion of the federal government into the healthcare decisions of every American citizen, is presented as the proof case for Obama’s desire to lead us into socialism. Without disputing the truth of that intent, let’s look objectively at what Bush did in the federal healthcare arena with his massive overhaul of Medicare at an estimated cost of $7 trillion, called “the greatest expansion of America’s welfare state in forty years” by CBS legal correspondent Jan Crawford Greenburg.
It was George W. Bush who disdained the privacy rights of individuals that the federal government is supposed to protect under the Fourth Amendment by pushing through the Patriot Act and the Department of Homeland Security along with its progeny of new intrusions on the privacy of American citizens. Although candidate Obama decried these violations of the Constitution, once assuming the office of the presidency, he has continued these policies and has authorized even more draconian policies such as installation of new backscatter body imaging machines that electronically undress passengers who merely want to exercise their right to travel. Those who refuse to have the naked features of their bodies viewed by strangers must face an enhanced groping “patdown” that would constitute a felonious sexual assault if done by anyone other than a government agent in a non-medical circumstance.
So Republicans have gained a substantial majority in the House of Representatives. The pundits are buzzing about the opportunities this new crop of Republicans will have and hope again springs eternal that sanity will be restored in Washington. But if the past is prologue, just as there was no joy in Mudville because mighty Casey had struck out, those pinning their hopes on Republican promises will see their hopes dashed once again. There are already emerging signs that the GOP really only wants to be a better caretaker of the welfare state than the Democrats. I have no confidence that it has any intention of derailing the train to socialism.
http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/02/majority-of-independents-open-to-third.html
http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/02/02/michael-chamness-op-ed-in-daily-breeze-on-californias-top-two-systems-problems/
http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/02/02/text-of-congressman-heath-shulers-bill-on-redistricting/
http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/02/02/nashville-libertarians-create-web-page-to-help-activists-lobby-for-a-new-tennessee-ballot-access-law-for-minor-parties/
http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/02/02/new-york-daily-news-report-says-thomas-golisano-is-a-major-backer-of-the-national-popular-vote-plan/
http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/01/31/california-appeals-court-says-candidate-in-southern-california-special-election-may-file-amicus-in-field-v-bowen/
http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/01/31/bill-for-british-referendum-on-vote-systems-makes-headway/
http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/01/31/all-briefs-now-filed-in-8th-circuit-in-north-dakota-ballot-access-case/
http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/01/31/new-york-credico-case-moves-forward/
http://thirdpartydaily.blogspot.com/2011/02/lol-pretendependence-in-chicago-mayoral.html
Idea for “third parties, general” article:
Daryl Northrop says (GPW comments on Roseanne Barr):
January 28, 2011 at 8:59 am
Nader probably did the most for the party, BUT, he has never been a member of the party and has had little to do with the Greens since 2000.
McKinney, while taking principled stands on issues, has such a poisoned self image that she has little value to the party in general. I know that sounds harsh, but that’s reality. Her narrative is already cast in concrete, and the Green Party does not have the money, will, or political expertise to change that. We just need to be realistic about that. McKinney may be able to to great things for the party, just not as our marquee candidate.
We need to cultivate, support, and run home-grown Green Party candidates. It allows us to have more control over the narrative, and build the party under our own terms.
Pose this as general question for all alt parties?
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
For Further Information
Contact: Peg Dunmire
(407) 856-8064 or
Doug Guetzloe
(407) 3121-1781
Republican Party of Florida Lawsuit against TEA Dismissed-TEA Wins 5th Lawsuit in a Row.
Tea Party to seek tens of thousands in attorneys’ fees
(Orlando) Orange-Osceola Circuit Judge Stan Strickland today handed the Republican Party of Florida it’s 5th legal defeat in a row by dismissing one of over a dozen lawsuits filed by the Republican Party in the waning days of last year’s general election.
The Don Henserling vs. Jon Foley lawsuit was filed by attorney’s for the Republican Party to seek a “pure bill of discovery” that would have allowed GOP attorneys’ to conduct what Judge Strickland called a “fishing expedition” by the GOP.
RPOF participated in filling over a dozen lawsuits last year challenging the ballot placement of TEA party nominees on Florida’s general election ballot. Two of the cases were previously dismissed by two Leon County Circuit Judges with two more dismissed, one in Federal Court against the TEA Party political party.
“This is a huge victory for the TEA Party and our candidates,” stated Peg Dunmire, 64, Chairman of the TEA Party (TEA-Florida). “To have to take on the Republican Party of Florida and the Democrats was quite a challenge, one that we met and emerged victorious,” Dunmire concluded.
21 TEA Party nominees collectively received in excess of 300,000 votes in the last election, a feat never accomplished before for a new state party. By comparison, the 32 – year old Libertarian Party – third largest in the nation – gained 24,000 votes for it’s statewide US Senate candidate while the TEA Party nominee for Agriculture Commissioner gained over 200,000 votes.
The TEA Party was represented by TEA Party Founder and former Chairman, Orlando-based attorney Fred O’Neal in all the cases.
The Republican Party of Florida was represented by Tallahassee-based attorney Harry O. Thomas, Senior Partner of the prominent law firm of Radey Thomas Yon & Clark, P.A.
According to sources within the Republican Party of Florida, the RPOF has budgeted over $500,000 to initiate lawsuits against the TEA Party and they may need it just to pay legal fees of the TEA Party attorneys.
This victory allows the TEA Party to seek attorneys’ fees that could total nearly $20,000.
A motion will be filed this week for fees by the TEA Party.
(END)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Groups form Free the Vote Coalition election law reform
CHARLOTTE (Feb. 2) – Free the Vote North Carolina announced yesterday the formation of the Free the Vote Coalition, an alliance of the state’s alternative political parties and several electoral reform groups, who have banded together to enact major ballot access reform this year.
Rep. Stephen LaRoque will file the Electoral Freedom Act of 2011 tomorrow. It will be co-sponsored by fellow Republican Rep. Glen Bradley as well as Democratic Representatives Paul Luebke and Jean Farmer-Butterfield. The bill will dramatically reduce the restrictions placed on new political parties and unaffiliated candidates attempting to get on the ballot.
“The Free the Vote Coalition is a truly non-partisan alliance of alternative political parties and public policy groups joined together in the common cause of the right to vote,” said Jordon Greene, founder and president of Free the Vote NC in announcing formation of the coalition.
In addition to Free the Vote NC, coalition members include the Conservative, Constitution, Green, Libertarian, and the Modern Whig parties, the N.C. Center for Voter Education, NC Common Cause, Democracy NC, and the John Locke Foundation.
“These groups have joined together to work to restore the right of every citizen to vote for the candidate of their choice, a right currently denied by the state’s exploitative, unequal and free speech stifling laws that keep most alternative political parties and unaffiliated candidates off the election ballot,” Greene said.
Greene said that it was very significant that the coalition includes political parties and groups representing all shades and colors of the political spectrum.
“North Carolina has the second most restrictive ballot access laws in the entire nation,” noted Greene. “This scheme is deliberately intended to impede competition to the two major parties by placing unreasonable and unnecessary restrictions on any potential electoral competitors through restrictive signature requirements unparalleled in most other states.”
Key provision of the Electoral Freedom Act of 2011 are:
* Reduce the number of signatures a new political party needs obtain for ballot access to the fixed figure of 10,000.
* Reduce the number of votes a new political party must get in order to remain on the ballot the fixed number 10,000 for any statewide candidate.
* Reduce the number of signatures an unaffiliated candidate for statewide offices needs to obtain to the fixed figure of 10,000.
* Set a fixed number of signatures for unaffiliated candidates to run for U.S. House, the state General Assembly and local office.
For more on the Electoral Freedom Act of 2011, go to Free the Vote NC
.
-30-
For more information:
Brian Irving, press secretary
919.538.4548
Free the Vote North Carolina
PO Box 42858 Charlotte, North Carolina 28215
-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-
Contacts:
Scotty Boman
(313) 247-2052
[email protected]
http://www.ToRunOrNotToRun.org
Scotty Boman announces launch of an exploratory Senatorial committee at GOP Convention
January, 28th 2011
Grand Rapids , MI – College professor and veteran libertarian activist Scotty Boman announced the formation of an exploratory committee for the purpose of testing the waters for a United States Senate run. Boman said, “I believe voters deserve a chance to replace Debbie Stabenow with someone who truly advocates less government and more liberty in all areas. I have yet to see a candidate step forward who offers such a choice. I have decided to test the waters to see if I can be that choice. Today I launch the Scotty Boman Senatorial Exploratory Committee for that purpose. I am taking a serious look at the Republican Primary. Anyone interested in volunteering or contributing may do so at ToRunOrNotToRun.org.”
Boman made the announcement before a group of delegates at the Republican State Convention where he was serving as an alternate. Boman was a Republican State convention delegate in both 2009 and 2010.
Boman ran for United States Senate in 2008, but received less than two percent of the vote. On his website Boman writes, “This committee’s primary purpose is to evaluate the wisdom of this venture, but part of that process will be to look into how I might do things differently.” In 2008 he was the nominee of the Libertarian Party of Michigan, now he is appealing to Republicans.
Scotty Boman was born in Detroit and is a life-long Michigan resident. Boman received an BS in physics and philosophy and an MA in physics from Western Michigan University . He also has a Masters in Teaching from Wayne State University . He is currently serving as a part-time professor at Wayne County Community College District and Macomb Community College . He teaches physics, astronomy and mathematics. He also works as a substitute in suburban school districts.
Scotty Boman has been living on Detroit ’s Eastside for the last eight years.
-END-
U.S. Hands Off the Arab Revolution
Statement by the Freedom Socialist Party
February 2, 2011
Since January 25, the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and Suez have been
occupied by ever-growing crowds of protesters demanding the end to the
despotic 30-year regime of U.S-backed Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. Fed up
with repression, political corruption, high unemployment and rising food
prices, Egyptian students, unemployed youth, workers, and women are
facing down police (in and out of uniform) and trying to win rank-and-file
soldiers to their side. The rebellion that was touched off in Egypt by the
overthrow of the Ben Ali dictatorship in Tunisia is today spilling over into
other Arab nations; among these are Jordan, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon,
Yemen, and Algeria.
As the days pass and the Egyptian rebellion gains steam, it becomes
more and more critical for those outside the Middle East who favor
workingclass freedom to show their support for this inspiring popular
uprising by holding demonstrations and issuing public statements that
demand “Hands off the Arab Revolution!”
This is especially true in the U.S. and Europe since without the support of
imperialism, many of the henchmen ruling Arab countries today would not
last a minute longer. The fact that Egypt is second only to Israel as a
recipient of U.S. military aid — $1.3 billion — tells the whole story in a few
words.
President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who never
condemned the overthrow of democratically elected Honduran president
Manuel Zelaya by military forces tied to the U.S., now hypocritically call for
an “orderly transition” to democracy and a “national dialogue” that will lead
to “free and fair elections.” But it’s much too late for this. Clearly the
Egyptian people are not listening; their dialogue with Mubarak has a life of
its own.
The great challenge facing the Egyptian rebellion is to cast out Mubarak
and his cronies and to replace them with a workers state that will provide
for the poor (half of all Egyptians — 40 million people — live on less than $2
a day). This means rejecting the advances of bourgeois leaders, such as
Mohamed ElBaradei, who put themselves forward to negotiate in the
name of the people. ElBaradei is a Nobel winner and the former top
nuclear inspector for the U.N. who has been living in exile in Vienna for all
of Mubarak’s 30-year reign. He has returned to Egypt since the uprising
began and is proposing to put together a transitional government to rule
until previously scheduled elections in September.
Egyptian workers hold the key to the success of this revolt. Over the last
five years, they have fought difficult union battles in the textile industry and
in the port city of Suez, a major industrial center. They also waged and
won a court battle to overturn Law No. 100 which effectively placed the
unions under state control and prevented fair elections.
On January 30, a group of independent unions announced the formation of
a new alliance — the Federation of Egyptian Trade Unions (FETU) — and
called for a general strike. In its new constitution, they noted that “Labor
struggles paved the way to today’s peoples revolution. That is why
Egyptian workers and employees totally refuse that the governmental
general federation [of unions] represents them and speaks in their name,
because it often denied their rights and claims and even issued the
famous statement on January 27 claiming to oppose every single protest
action during this period.”
In addition to demanding “the right to dignity, freedom and social justice,”
the FETU calls for freeing all detainees arrested after January 25 and
protecting the right to organize as well as immediately instituting
unemployment compensation, a minimum wage tied to inflation, social
security, health care, housing, free education, and pensions. The
federation also urges workers “to create civil committees in order to
defend their workplaces, [other] workers and citizens during these critical
times and to organize protest actions and strikes … to realize [the]
Egyptian people’s claims.”
The situation in Egypt today is extremely fluid and no one knows where it
will end. On January 29, it was reported that Bedouin tribesman had taken
control of two towns in the Sinai Peninsula. These towns are the closest
to the Gaza Strip and right next to the border with Israel. There were
reports that Bedouin tribes had also laid siege to a police station in Suez
while protests there had spread. Ending the Mubarak dictatorship’s control
of this region is key to winning a workers’ revolution.
As the world watches this unfolding revolution, we in the Freedom
Socialist Party will be in our unions and on the streets and the Internet
letting the Obama administration know we stand as workers, as feminists,
as internationalists and socialists with the Arab Revolution.
Mubarak out now!
Free Egypt’s political prisoners!
End U.S. military intervention and aid to the dictators of the Arab world!
All power to the Egyptian working class!
___________________________________________________________
Freedom Socialist Party
http://www.socialism.com/
U.S. Section
4710 University Way NE, #100
Seattle, WA 98105
USA
Australian Section
PO Box 266
Brunswick, VIC 3055
Australia
http://bludgeonandskewer.blogspot.com/2011/01/chuck-donovan-on-real-right-to-travel.html
Chuck Donovan on A Real Right to Travel
Hot outta the in-box, a missive from Libertarian Chuck Donovan!
Sure, the hot buttons last week were Sunday sales and Speaker Ralston’s European vacation but here’s a little bit of info on HB 7.
I ESPECIALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF
A
A REAL RIGHT TO TRAVEL
REAL RIGHT TO TRAVEL
I have spoken many times on how government has forcibly intervened in nearly every aspect of our lives. Nothing represents more completely, the full control of government in our lives, than the issue of public roads.
Every year, tens of thousands of Americans die on our roads. Look at the death toll from more than 15 years of the Viet Nam war, and you will see we kill a greater number every two years on our roads. Only private innovations in vehicle technology and engineering have made it safer for us to drive. Government has done nothing to improve road engineering, signal technology, traffic management, and especially nothing to improve driver licensing, training, or education.
The time has come to find better ways to make ourselves, our families, and our fellow Americans safer on our roads. We have to honestly admit what has not worked and terminate those wasteful programs. Driver licensing has not made us safer. It has not stopped incompetent and dangerous drivers from operating their vehicles next to us on our roads. What licensing has done is to increase the size, scope, and the cost of government. Driver licensing is a failed program and it should be terminated.
As I said in my campaign, I believe Georgia has what it takes to be a leader to the rest of our country and to the world. Eliminating needless and failed bureaucracy will allow us to better use limited fiscal resources in programs that would better serve the safety of our families and our fellow Georgians.
Below is a letter written by Bill Evelyn, Director of the Georgia State Tea Party. I know that Bill has the best interests of his family and fellow citizens at heart, as well as the best interests of our state. I agree with him that this is the kind of legislation we should pass quickly.
Bold action and leadership are necessary to move Georgia during these difficult economic times and the far more challenging times I predict in our near future. HB7 is that kind of bold, forward reaching action.
In liberty,
CHUCK DONOVAN
The mission is liberty,The vision is now.
__________________________________________________________
Subject: HB7 Right to Travel Act
To: The Right and Honorable Georgia General Assembly,
When I was young and pestering my grandfather to allow me to drive his truck, he told me a very interesting story. My grandfather had moved from a farm in Virginia in 1929 to Pennsylvania for work. His farm had failed and he was broke. He managed to get a job driving a commercial dump truck for Samuel McAdam constructing the Pennsylvania Turnpike. He got that job with the experience of driving a vegetable truck to the Richmond Farmers Market. My grandfather taught himself to drive and he drove for 35 accident free years before he was required to get a license or test to get that license. He taught my father to drive in the 1940?s before a license and test was required. My father started teaching me to drive when I was ten. At the age of fourteen he cleared me solo and I drove down the street to a friends farm. On my 16th birthday we drove to the testing station and I earned my license.
You will note that not one bureaucrat had any input on my driving instruction. Both my grandfather and father made the decision to turn over the family car to their son when they were comfortable they could drive safely. Do you honestly think passing HB7 will make the killing lanes of I-285, I-85, and I-75 more unsafe?
Rep. Franklin’s Bill only returns us to a time before the big government people started requiring a license and testing. In the 1930?s and 1940?s you mailed for a license in Georgia, no testing was required until the 1950?s.
If you pass HB7 you can eliminate a huge bureaucracy, free up officers for the beat, and free up real estate to be sold off to the highest bidder. That should help you balance the budget. I really hope that you consider voting YES for HB7.
Bill Evelyn
Director
State of Georgia Tea Party, LLC
Related
http://knappster.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-internet-kill-switch-bill-is.html
It’s baaaaaaaack — and this week’s world events make abundantly clear what it means.
In Egypt, Hosni Mubarak’s regime shut down, as best they could, Internet and cell phone access in order to put a stop to, or at least slow down, a building sentiment for revolution.
In China, the Communist regime censored search results regarding events in Egypt.
The Lieberman/Collins bill is intended to give the US government the same powers — and for the same reasons. Our lords and masters consider accessible, uncensored communications between the serfs a threat.
And they’re right.
Perversely, though, measures like the “Kill Switch” may be just as big a threat.
Right up to the moment the Mubarak regime threw the switch, some Egyptian dissidents were content, or at least willing, to limit themselves to a) spreading the word and b) trying to bring international diplomatic pressure to bear by publicizing the situation.
Shutting down their ability to pursue that strategy made it clear that they were in an “it’s Mubarak or us; no help is coming and we’re going to win or die” situation, and they acted accordingly.
http://wilderside.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/could-internet-e-mail-or-social-media-in-the-us-be-shut-down-weird-coincidence-today/
(excerpt from) Electronista
http://www.electronista.com/articles/11/01/29/blackberry.back.in.egypt.but.down.in.north.america/
Could internet, e-mail, or social media in the US be shut down? (weird coincidence today…)
Posted on January 29, 2011 by kwilder
(excerpt from) Electronista
BlackBerry, phones back up in Egypt, briefly down here (North America)
updated 11:50 am EST, Sat January 29, 2011
RIM faced mixed blessings on Saturday as service came back in Egypt but suffered a temporary North American outage. NBC’s Richard Engel reported (below) that at least some BlackBerry service had come back in Egypt following a total blockade on Friday. Others have noted that phone service appeared to be back up as a whole for Vodafone and other Egyptian carriers…
Simultaneous with the restoration, however, RIM reported an outage of BlackBerry Internet Service across North America. All Canadian and US carriers lost access to the web, BlackBerry Messenger and certain e-mail service on Saturday morning. RIM has since said it fixed the issue. It didn’t explain the causes, but it followed on a Verizon-specific flaw for a week that produced erratic BIS access. BlackBerry service has been more reliable in the past year and didn’t have a directly attributable reason…
Other reports that BlackBerry service was down for some part of today:
* http://www.newsobserver.com
* http://www.premiershipnews.org
(excerpt from)
An article from NY Magazine about the potential for using and internet kill switch in the US
1/28/2011
…But “kill switches” aren’t just the province of contested regimes in the Middle East and Asia. Earlier this week, Senator Joe Lieberman brought back a bill he first introduced last summer that would give President Obama power over privately owned Internet providers and computer systems during a “national cyberemergency.” The revised version of the Lieberman-Collins bill now includes language stipulating that the federal government designation “shall not be subject to judicial review.”…
http://www.darylnorthrop.com/blog/2011/1/28/lesson-from-tunisia-and-egypt.html
Lesson from Tunisia and Egypt
DateFriday, January 28, 2011 at 12:00PM
Even regimes or systems of government that appear absolutely invulnerable to protest and change are not impervious to the will of the people. They often appear to be in complete control, until the moment they collapse.
pass along to Egyptians you may know or others there:
Egypt : To bypass government blocking of website names, use numerical IP addresses:
for twitter “128.242.240.52”
for facebook “69.63.189.34”
for google “72.14.204.99”
As goes Mubarak, so goes Barack?
http://knappster.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-song-for-us-governments-itunes.html
http://douglassreport.com/2011/01/23/tsa-radiation-lies/
More TSA radiation lies
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/28/AR2011012801980.html
WikiLeaks rival launches new secret-spilling site — “leaves reviewing the material up to the publication or advocacy group chosen by the source to receive the information”
OpenLeaks.org
http://openleaks.org/
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/koch-industries-unamused-by-climate-spoof/?smid=tw-nytimesbusiness
Anyone have thoughts on this?
@ 36 Outrageous.
http://FreePete.org
@37 So Idaho should have been the free state?
@polizeros
http://www.socialistwebzine.org/2011/01/jersey-socialist.html
Posted by Socialist WebZine On 10:59 PM
My campaigns have brought me into classrooms and newsrooms, onto picket lines and protests and most importantly face-to-face with voters in New Jersey.
by Greg Pason
The Socialist, Issue 6, 2010 – Electoral action and political campaigns can be positive experiences for local and state organizations, when reasonable goals are set and the emphasis is on outreach and party-building. My experience as a candidate has been mostly positive and I think served the state organization well.
My first campaign as a Party member came in 1994. I was just laid off, and Andrea and I just had our son, Trevor. I was drafted as an independent candidate in New Jersey’s 9th congressional district by members of the Socialist Party and NJ Independents to run against Robert Torricelli, one of the prime supporters of the Cuban embargo. The major issue in that election was health care with the Republicans rallying around their “Contract with America.” I was an organizer for the Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN), a major single-payer healthcare organization in the US, gained support for my campaign from the Grey Panthers and got a major endorsement by the state-wide National Organization for Women. The campaign was an organizing success, I learned the basics of election law and the Party got a boost from the activity. We made new connections. I met and worked with Rev. Lucius Walker for the first time, had my first “sit down” with the Central Labor Council and found out a bit more about the “agreements” between the Democrats and Republicans in my state to divvy up congressional districts. We also had the chance to get Robert Torricelli so mad that he started to attack one of his campaign volunteers. They didn’t call him the “flame” for nothing.
I also got my first taste of “progressives” who sup¬ported the campaign, but just couldn’t vote for anyone but the Democrat (even one as bad as Torricelli). I got a lot of “I support you Greg but we can’t let the Republicans take the House” I think I got about 1.5% of the vote and Torricelli got 65%. The district, like many others, was gerrymandered for the Democrats and the Republican candidate had little support, even from his own party. Though Toricelli was certain to win, the progressive movement rallied behind what they argued was the lesser of two evils.
Since this initial effort, the Socialist Party of New Jersey has run many campaigns under the “Socialist Party USA” banner. We’ve contested state, local and federal campaigns with multiple candidates. From 1995 to 2009 I’ve run for Governor, Senate and Congress.
In 2000, we ran into a different sort of situation. The Nader campaign was happening and the Greens were organizing. Activists were convinced they could organize some sort of big tent of liberals and progressives in the Greens and any sort of campaign by Socialists was “counter productive.” But the Greens didn’t run a radical candidate for US Senate and our campaign picked up some Green support. David McReynolds was the presidential candidate for the SP that year and the Party got pretty good publicity until the Bush v Gore debacle in Florida. I think that set back what had been a growing third party movement for a few years.
In 2002, I once again contented for US Senate and once again we had some conflict with the Greens. Their candidate Ted Glick was the director of the IPPN. an organization, which, to this day, proclaims to support alternative parties. The Greens treated the Glick campaign as they treated the Nader campaign in 2000. Our campaign was seen as counterproductive, but even more so this time. They were convinced Glick could win. Glick did make some strides; he had a very moderate platform, so much so that at least one newspaper editorial board endorsed him. We were also in the odd situation where when we began the campaign the Democrat’s candidate was Robert Torricelli. When we ended the campaign the Democratic candidate was Frank Lautenberg (who just retired from the US Senate after 20 years).
The conflict with the Greens increased as Glick used his position in the IPPN to promote his campaign in their newsletter (an organization the SP, at that time, belonged to) while ours was omitted.
There were some major wins for us in the campaign. The Democrat’s replacement of Torricelli by Lautenberg was challenged by all the parties (other than the Democrats) and went to the US Supreme Court. I was personally listed as a plaintiff in that case and we have our information in the US Supreme Court records. We also took part in one of the major televised debates, with all the candidates. The debate was shown nationally on C-SPAN and covered in magazines like LIFE. Lautenberg won that election. We got about 3,000 votes and Glick got about 25,000. Both of us ended up hundreds of thousands of votes behind.
In this most recent election, I once again had the opportunity to campaign for the Socialist Party, this time against Democrat Jon Corzine and Republican Chris Christie. The media did not cover us as it had in the past, but participation in the campaign put us in touch with thousands of activists and gave us a seat in the anti-budget cut coalition “Take Back Trenton.” The Socialist Party is regularly contacted for radio or news interviews as the “Socialist” response to many issues and through campaigning and activism our state party is seen as a “player” in the political scene. My campaigns have brought me into classrooms and newsrooms, onto picket lines and protests and most importantly face-to-face with voters in New Jersey.
At our most recent Northern NJ Local meeting, we were greeted by a dozen local high school students representing the “Socialist Party USA” in a debate in their class. They were disappointed that we did not have congressional candidates in this election but took part in the discussion and I’m sure will represent us well in the debate. They were reassured that the Party will work to have a solid slate of candidates in the 2011 state-wide elections.
Socialist Party candidates are given the opportunity to represent a democratic socialist political movement. Too often we are lumped with Leninists or authoritarian regimes or ideas. Socialists are rarely given the opportunity to illustrate these important differences and to remind US voters of the long history of the Socialist Party in the United States. We should take advantage of those opportunities. Let’s run.
http://www.lp.org/blogs/randy-eshelman/voters-fail-to-remove-omaha-mayor-from-office
Voters Fail to Remove Omaha Mayor From Office
posted by Randy Eshelman on Jan 26, 2011
Mayor Jim Suttle Narrowly Survives Recall
OMAHA, NE – January 26, 2011-Libertarian Party of Nebraska Communications Director Randy Eshelman issued the following statement:
“Yesterday, Omaha voters exercised their right to fire, or not to fire in this case, their elected CEO. Jim Suttle remained employed as Mayor after months of petitioning, an administration-led court battle, and still-under-investigation anti-recall group efforts.
“The Libertarian Party of Nebraska-endorsed effort was initiated to remove the tax-and-spend, unresponsive Mayor of a metro-area of nearly one million. While we are disappointed with the results, we feel the recall effort bodes well for liberty and should demonstrate to the political machine that the electorate is engaged and paying attention.
“We accept the Mayor’s statement, “[that]…tonight we must begin a time of healing and reconciliation,” as a signal that he has learned from his mistakes and will now reach out to the 49-plus percent of Omahans that voted to remove him.
“We applaud the grassroots effort that initiated the recall and appreciate all the hard work by volunteers.
Latest from James Libertarian Burns for President:
Dear Paul,
Here are 385 words from my friend Rick White and me:
Rick: Jim, what makes you different from others seeking
the LP nomination for President?
Jim: When the Libertarian Party was formed a non-violent
vehicle was given to us to implement libertarianism. The next
step is to determine what is necessary for that vehicle to transport
us to success: That is, what do we need to implement libertarianism?
Rick: What do we need to win at the federal level?
Jim: There are several ways to establish libertarianism at the federal
level, the most straight forward way requires 4 things and we already
have 2 of these things:
1. We need a map: the United States Constitution: Got it.
2. We need a compass: Libertarianism: Got it.
3. We need a vehicle: a Libertarian President.
4. We need friends: 34 Libertarian United States Senators.
The map of the constitution shows that all laws of the United States
are enforced through the office of the President. Neither the Congress
nor the Courts have the authority to arrest people. Without the power
to arrest people the Congress and Courts cannot enforce unconstitutional
or unjust laws.
The compass of libertarianism will lead us in the proper direction even
when interpretations of the Constitution might take us in the wrong
direction. For example: tariffs imposed on people. Tariffs are
anti-libertarian. Tariffs take money and inflict regulations on people
who wish to trade with other people. A major reason we have the
degree of prosperity in the United States that we have is because of
the fact that we have free trade within the United States. A Libertarian
President will find constitutional ways to stop anti-libertarian things
imposed on individuals such as tariffs. The politicians and bureaucrats
in Washington DC should be required to follow just Libertarian law.
The vehicle of the Presidency can halt unconstitutional, anti-libertarian
and unjust laws, regulations, orders, and/or controls from being imposed on
the people at the national level and in so doing allow libertarianism to
prevail.
Friends are needed to protect the President. When a Libertarian President
refuses to enforce anti-libertarian edicts of Congress, the House could
impeach and the Senate could remove the Libertarian President from
office. But, with the thirty-four Senators, the President will not be
removed, anti-libertarian laws will not be enforced and no law will
be passed over the veto of the President.
Jim Burns
http://www.jimburnsforpresident.com/
PO Box 1139
Beatty, NV 89003
541-261-4163
702-722-9494
PS: My friend Rick and I agree on many things but not everything. I recommend that you check him out, it is worth the trip. See some of Ricks’ stuff: http://www.google.com/search?q=%22L.+Reichard+White%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t
Florida Tea Party response to the state of the union
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2011/01/turner_convicte.html
By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff
A federal judge today sentenced Chuck Turner to three years behind bars for accepting a $1,000 bribe, a stinging rebuke to the former Boston city councilor.
US District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock rejected an appeal for leniency by defense attorneys, who had asked that the 70-year-old civil rights crusader receive probation and be spared prison because of his more than four decades of service as a community activist and elected official.
Woodlock’s stiff sentence came at the urging of prosecutors, who accused Turner of lying on the witness stand and making a mockery of public office and the criminal justice system. They had sought a prison term of 33 to 41 months.
After a jury convicted him in October of attempted extortion and three counts of providing false statements to FBI agents, Turner maintained his innocence and blamed his conviction on a government conspiracy to discredit elected officials of African-American descent.
Today, Woodlock called Turner’s testimony during the trial “ludicrous and surreal.”
“The defendant perjured himself at trial,” he said. “He stated things he knew were not true. … No one forced him to testify.”
US Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz said after the sentencing that she had been offended by Turner comparing himself to certain other civil rights icons.
“Mr. Turner is no Rosa Parks; he’s a convicted felon,” Ortiz said outside the courtroom, where Turner’s supporters gathered to cheer him.
Turner remained defiant after the sentencing, calling the case an example of “prosecutors gone wild.”
“What happened today was as much a miscarriage of justice as the conviction and the arraignment,” he said. “I’m innocent, and I didn’t lie on the stand.”
He was ordered to report to serve his sentence, which also includes three years of probation, on March 25. His attorneys asked for a stay, pending an appeal, and Woodlock said he was considering the request.
The sentence marked a humiliating end to a promising public career that began in Boston in 1966, when Turner worked as a community organizer with South End residents fighting gentrification and for better public housing for the poor.
Turner, a member of the Green-Rainbow Party, first won election to the City Council in 1999 representing District 7, which includes Roxbury, Lower Roxbury, and parts of the Fenway, South End, and Dorchester.
Turner was often combative on the council, casting lone votes in protest. But he earned the respect of his colleagues as a politician who stood by his word and worked vigorously for his constituents. Turner easily won re-election to five terms.
The sentencing ended a spectacle of rallies and fiery speeches that began more than two years ago, when FBI agents swooped into Boston City Hall in a dawn raid on a chilly Friday in November 2008. FBI agents found Turner at 7 a.m. in his City Hall office, where he sometimes spent the night.
The corruption sting also netted former State Senator Dianne Wilkerson, who is also African-American and like Turner represented a district that included much of Boston’s black community. Wilkerson pleaded guilty to repeatedly accepting bribes totaling $23,500 and earlier this month Woodlock sentenced her to 3 1/2 years in prison.
Both cases hinged on Ronald Wilburn, a businessman who was paid by the FBI to go undercover and covertly record payoffs he made to Turner and Wilkerson for help obtaining a liquor license for a Roxbury nightclub.
Wilburn and others in the black community have expressed anger that the only elected officials arrested in the case were black. However, a white business executive was later charged and pleaded guilty.
After Turner’s arrest, the City Council initiated an independent investigation, setting the stage to throw him out of office. Months later, the council dropped the probe and let the criminal justice system run its course.
While the trial approached, Turner remained in power, voting on ordinances, calling for hearings, and winning reelection in 2009, when he beat back a challenge by 20 percentage points, or 1,877 votes, despite the federal indictment hanging over his head.
A month after a jury convicted Turner, the City Council kicked him out of office by a vote of 11-1. A judge has yet to issue a decision in the civil lawsuit Turner filed accusing the Council of overstepping its authority, but he will no longer be able to regain his seat. State law automatically removes an elected official from office when they are sentenced to prison, although Turner could still recoup almost two months of back pay.
A preliminary special election to fill his seat will go forward on Feb. 15, followed by a final election a month later.
Pirate Party US:
YouTube pulls original user’s video due to “Copyright Infringement”
News Article By: Justin, FSP Founder & Editor
Last week, YouTube.com had pulled down a video that had 13 million views in 48 hours. This action not only showed us how YouTube favors their partners, and how we need to reform Copyright laws. This video was all over the internet and the news. The video was of a homeless man who has a great voice. He speaks with his radio voice in the video (on the right). People have called his voice “The Golden Voice”. In 48 hours, along with 13 million views, the man in the video, Ted Williams, was hired as an announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers, a NBA team. We are glad he has been given a second chance, and can use his voice.
However, in that 48 hours, the original video uploaded, the one with 13,000,000 views, has been pulled off of YouTube. Why?
After that video exploded on the internet, news organizations, like the Associated Press (AP), had re-uploaded to their channels, and claimed that the video with 13 million views was “copyright infringement.”
Copyright laws were originally made to protect people’s creations. Now, it is doing the exact opposite. It is not promoting creativity, but limiting those who are creative. It is time YouTube stops censoring, and Copyright laws and policies need to be reformed.
[Submitted by justinwacnj]
http://wilderside.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/parole-is-sustained-for-lori-berenson/
http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/01/it-is-time-to-remove-corporatist.html
Excerpt
Smaller districts would also end the two-party deadlock. Orange County, Calif., might elect a Libertarian, while Cambridge, Mass., might pick a candidate from the Green Party. Moreover, with additional House members we’d likely see more citizen-legislators and fewer lifers.
I’ll be posting these at some point today unless one of our other writers does first, which would be nice…
From Lee Wrights:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
War is not moral
“Some explanations of a crime are not explanations: they’re part of the crime.” (Olavo de Carvalho)
BURNET, Texas (Jan. 25) –Every American who has ever worn a uniform should be offended and outraged by the claim by former President George H.W. Bush that the 1991 Iraq war was morally justified, said R. Lee Wrights, a libertarian activist, writer and potential 2012 Libertarian presidential nominee.
“I am outraged by the cavalier attitude about war and death this remark implies, an attitude apparently shared by his son,” said Wrights, an Air Force veteran. “Acts of immorality are inevitable in any war, even a justified war of self-defense. Therefore, no war is moral, and certainly not a war to defend or prop up oppressive governments.”
Bush and other key members of his foreign policy team spoke at a gathering at Texas A&M University marking the 20th anniversary of the first invasion of Iraq which began on Jan. 17, 1991.
In response to a question about the view that economics and oil were the real reason for going to war, Bush said, “I think (economics) was vitally important, but I don’t think that was the whole message by a longshot. It was the immorality of a big country – with the fourth-largest army in the world – taking over a member state of the U.N., just brutally taking it over.”
James Baker, secretary of state under Bush, added that it was “appropriate to use all the arguments” in favor of the war because, “We were doing the right thing.”
Wrights stated in a phone conference that he was flabbergasted at those statements. “If it’s immoral for a big country to take over a smaller country, then how can he justify the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan,” Wrights asks. “But I shouldn’t have been surprised, since this is the same president who directed the U.S. military to invade a small country in Central America (Panama) in an action called Operation Just Cause.”
“Claiming they were ‘doing the right thing’ and citing moral justification is a tactic every tyrant, dictator and aggressor in history has used to vindicate their evil,” observed Wrights. “It is disgraceful, but not surprising, to hear similar arguments from American leaders.”
“War is never about morality or doing the right thing. It is always about power and control,” Wrights said. “In 1991, one autocratic state invaded another autocratic Muslim state. What should the United States have done? Nothing.”
“Libertarians believe it is never moral to use force, fraud or coercion to achieve political, social or economic goals,” Wrights explains. “Unfortunately, the politicians who run governments don’t think the same way. They are more than willing to use force, and sacrifice other people’s lives to achieve their goal of power.”
Wrights concluded by restating one of the themes of his campaign, “You do not teach people it is wrong to kill people by killing people. You only perpetuate war and sentence our children to death on battlefields far from home. There is nothing moral about sending someone else’s loved one to fight for something in which you believe. I want to bring those loved ones home.”
Wrights, a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party, is considering seeking the presidential nomination because he believes the Libertarian message in 2012 should be a loud, clear and unequivocal call to stop all war. He has pledged that 10 percent of all donations to his campaign will be spent for ballot access so that the stop all war message can be heard in all 50 states.
The 52-year old writer and political activist was born in Winston Salem, N.C. and now lives in Texas. He is the co-founder and editor of the free speech online magazine Liberty For All.
-30-
Contact:
Brian Irving
Press Secretary
WRIGHTS 2012 EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE
http://www.wrights2012.com
919.538.4548
From Darryl Perry:
In November, I reported
on the petition filed by William M. Windsor with the Supreme Court. The petition asked the Court to answer the following questions:
1. Will the Supreme Court declare that the Constitution and its amendments may be voided by federal judges?
2. Should federal judges be stopped from committing illegal and corrupt acts to obstruct justice and inflict bias on litigants?
3. Will the Supreme Court be afraid to disclose the corruption in the federal courts?
However, the Supreme Court denied his petition. Though Mr. Windsor has attempted to make people believe that the Supreme Court issued a ruling
. This is certainly not the first time the Supreme Court has refused to hear cases involving whether or not the federal government is to abide by the document that was written to restrain it, nor is it the first time a branch of the federal government has refused to answer a petition for redress.
In the past the Supreme Court has refused to hear cases brought by Bob Schulz and We The Foundation, thus upholding the lower court ruling that while you have a Constitutionally protected right to petition the government for a redress of grievance, the government is not obligated to answer.
Mr. Windsor writes, “My charges have been totally ignored by the United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and Congress. I do not believe there is a shred of decency, honesty, or Constitutional rights in our federal courts. In my opinion, we now live in a police state. Judges are free to do absolutely anything they want. Our laws are meaningless. Your life savings can be stolen by a federal judge, and they have no risk in violating every law in the books.” Mr. Windsor seems optimistic that this action of the Supreme Court is the act that pushed the US into a “police state” and made “laws meaningless.” Since at least 2001, with passage of the PATRIOT Act which suspended most of the Bill of Rights, the USA has been operating as a police state and the “laws” have been meaningless for years. Additionally, federal judges as well as elected officials at every level of government have “sovereign immunity” which means they can literally steal your possessions without repercussion as long as they’re able to accuse you of a “crime” or convince others that such theft was for the “common good.”
The Supreme Court did not “rule” the Constitution to be void, though the federal government has only followed the document on rare occasions in the previous 150 years. Lysander Spooner was correct when he said, “But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain – that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist.”
—
In Peace, Freedom, Love & Liberty,
Darryl W. Perry
Chair Boston Tea Party National Committee
http://BostonTea.us
Owner/Managing Editor Free Patriot Press
http://FreePatriot-Press.com
2016 candidate for President of the United States of America
http://dwp2016.org
Darryl W. Perry is an Activist, Author, Poet & Statesman. Darryl writes a weekly article for the Mountaineer Jeffersonian and has appeared on various alternative media talking about his books, political career and goals. Darryl is the Chairman of the Boston Tea Party National Committee and Owner/Managing Editor of Free Patriot Press.
To schedule an interview with Darryl please send an email to [email protected] or call 202 709 4377
From: Carla Howell and Michael Cloud / Small Government News
Date: Tue, Jan 25, 2011 at 10:14 AM
Subject: 3.8 Trillion-Dollar Obama budget way too high? Republican budget: $3.7 Trillion
To: travellingcircus at gmail.com
$3.8 Trillion Obama budget way too high?
Republican budget: $3.7 Trillion
Second Open Letter to the 242 Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives
From Michael Cloud and Carla Howell
The Center For Small Government
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Honorable Republican Representatives,
Last year, you campaigned against President Obama’s reckless, irresponsible, ‘socialist’ budget of $3.8 Trillion.
You promised voters to roll back federal spending. To reduce the deficit. To get the federal government on the path to solvency and fiscal sanity.
We elected you to do just that.
What are you giving us? A federal budget of $3.7 Trillion. A $1.2 Trillion Deficit – which increases the national debt to over $15.3 Trillion.
Speaker John Boehner is working on a Republican budget that will reduce total federal spending this year to $3.74 Trillion.
The Conservative Republican Study Committee Representatives are calling for a budget that will reduce total federal spending to $3.7 Trillion.
Your ‘frugal, budget-cutting, conservative’ reforms cut federal spending between 1.7% and 2.6%*. That’s it? That’s your idea of serious budget cuts?
Obama’s $3.8 Trillion in federal spending is ‘socialist’, but your $3.7 Trillion federal budget is conservative?
The Tea Party Test: How much is your federal budget? Write that number next to last year’s total federal government spending of $3.8 Trillion. If it’s not a lot lower, you fail.
Cutting a mere $38 Billion from last year’s budget is only a 1% reduction. Chump change.
You need to make spending cuts for this year’s budget in multiples of $38 billion – not fractions of $38 billion.
This is the political Honeymoon for your 242 member Republican Majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
This is your time of maximum goodwill and the strongest support from those who elected you.
This year, give us a first Republican budget that’s 5% to 15% lower than last year’s federal spending.
Next year, make your second Republican House budget another 5% to 15% lower.
Two steps toward balancing the federal budget.
Two steps toward keeping faith with Tea Party supporters and sympathizers, fiscal conservatives, libertarians, and independents. Toward attracting more like-minded supporters – and voters for 2012.
Two steps that just might jump start the American economy, revitalize small businesses, and trigger a 2012 hiring boom.
Much Lower Federal Spending Is Possible,
Carla Howell and Michael Cloud signatures
Carla Howell Michael Cloud
Publishers, Small Government News
Center For Small Government
Sponsors of Massachusetts Ballot Initiatives:
2010: Roll Back the Sales Tax to 3% (RollBackTaxes.com
)
2008 and 2002: End the State Income Tax
* Republican Study Committee Proposes Federal Spending Cuts
;
Republican Conservatives Call for Deeper Budget Cuts
http://calibertarianalliance.com/2011/01/24/new-republicans-same-old-militarism/
New Republicans, Same Old Militarism
January 24th, 2011
“As the 112th Congress gets under way, a key question remains about where tea-party influence will push the Republican caucus on foreign policy — toward a more restrained stance on overseas commitments and Pentagon spending, or in the familiar trajectory of fiscally calamitous military adventures.”
“Since the tea party took off last year, pundits have predicted that its anti-spending zealots would eventually target the Pentagon. Neoconservatives are clearly nervous about that prospect. Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham have lamented the rise of an “isolationist” wing of their party, and a slew of Wall Street Journal and National Review op-eds have warned tea partyers away from defense spending. Meanwhile, antiwar pundits have heralded every dovish murmur from the right.”
“But the evidence that the new Republicans will challenge defense spending is slight.”
Full analysis by Benjamin Friedman of The Cato Institute @ http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=12727
Looks like the LP candidates will probably make it.
Mark Noble has been vigilant in petitioning. They are over the hump, and have another week to get extras.
No idea how well the Green candidates are doing.
How’s that coming along?
Two Bob’s: Long time friend Bob Fitrakis (Green) and next door neighbor Bob Bridges (Libertarian)
http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/01/24/copy/hopefuls-face-city-hurdle.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
DEANNA BELLANDI, Associated Press – 7 minutes ago
CHICAGO – An Illinois appellate court on Monday threw White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel off the ballot for Chicago mayor because he didn’t live in the city in the year before the election.
The decision put Emanuel’s candidacy into doubt a month before the election. Emanuel had been considered the front-runner and had raised more money than any of the other candidates.
The court voted 2-1 to overturn a lower-court ruling that would have kept his name on the Feb. 22 ballot.
[ For complete coverage of politics and policy, go to Yahoo! Politics ]
A lawyer for Emanuel says they plan to appeal the matter to the Illinois Supreme Court.
Those challenging Emanuel’s candidacy have argued that the Democrat doesn’t meet the one-year residency requirement because he rented out his Chicago home and moved his family to Washington to work for President Barack Obama for nearly two years.
Emanuel has said he always intended to return to Chicago and was only living in Washington at the request of the president.
Emanuel is one of several candidates vying to replace Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who didn’t seek a seventh term. Emanuel moved back to Chicago in October after he quit working for Obama to campaign full-time.
[a] I am not a fan
[b] but, college students, of any age
[c] but, military duty
[d] but, civil work, including AmCorps and Vista
[e] but, reigious missions
FYI —– not necessarily an unbridled endorsement
http://www.StopSecretHolds.com
The vote could be in less than a week — we simply can’t afford to wait, because this may be our last chance for a long time.
It’s a new year, a new Senate, with a new opportunity to work together and compromise.
But with secret holds, one senator can bring everything to a halt and fewer good bills will be passed. We simply can’t allow these political games to stop us from getting our work done.
Join us to insist stopping secret holds is included in the new Senate rules.
Thank you for your help on this crucial issue.
Sincerely, Claire McCaskill, U.S. Senator
Post Script. In this time of too much politics and too little progress, do we really want to let senators with an axe-to-grind unilaterally stop anything they disagree with, in secret, and with no accountability?
If you agree the answer is “no,” join me and 19,000 others in our call to stop secret holds ………..
http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=173952&catid=40
http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2011/01/20/vigil-at-white-house-to-close-guantanamo-jan-20-and-jan-21-2011/
http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2011/01/21/democrats-and-republicans-slouching-toward-patriot-act-reauthorization/
http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2011/01/21/bill-against-american-citizenship-has-little-border-support/
http://calibertarianalliance.com/2011/01/20/communist-monopoly-teaches-downside-of-socialist-life/
Der Spiegel reports:
“A Polish research institute has developed a board game to teach young people about life under Communism. In the game, which is inspired by Monopoly, players must wait in endless lines at stores for scarce goods. For added realism, they have to put up with people cutting in line and products running out — unless they have a “colleague in the government” card.”
“There are no glamorous avenues for sale, nor can players erect hotels, charge rent or make pots of money. In fact, a new Polish board game inspired by the classic Monopoly is all about communism rather than capitalism.”
“The goal of the game, which will officially be launched on Feb. 5, is to show how hard and frustrating it was for an average person to simply do their shopping under the Communist regime in Poland. The game has been developed by the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), a Warsaw-based research institute that commemorates the suffering of the Polish people during the Nazi and Communist eras.”
Full story by Jill Petzinger from Der Spiegel weekly @ http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,740587,00.html
Last night (01/20/11), J.R. Myers, Acting Chairman of the Alaska Constitution Party was unanimously approved to fill a vacancy in CES Seat B at the regular monthly meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Joint Operations Board for the Central Emergency Emergency Service Area Board of Directors in Soldotna. The CES Board oversees Fire & EMT services in the central Kenai Peninsula. He becomes the first member of the ACP to serve in an official local government capacity in Alaska.
http://www.borough.kenai.ak.us/AssemblyClerk/Assembly/Service%20Areas/Central%20Emergency%20Service%20Area%20Board.pdf
http://www.cesfire.org/
New official Alaska Ballot requirements posted:
http://www.elections.alaska.gov/pi_rp.php
Recognized Political Parties In Alaska
A recognized political party is an organized group of voters whose candidate for governor received at least three percent of the total votes cast in the preceding general election or whose number of registered voters is equal to at least three percent of the total votes cast for governor.
If the race for governor was not on the ballot, the race for United States Senator is used to calculate the three percent. If neither the race for governor nor the race for United States Senator appeared on the ballot, the race for United States Representative is used to calculate for three percent.
The 2010 General Election included the governor’s race. Therefore, political parties will maintain their status if their candidate received three percent of the total votes cast for Governor or if they have registered voters equal in number to at least three percent of the total votes cast for Governor (7,686 until the 2012 General Election).
References: AS 15.60.008; AS 15.60.010(24) and (25); 6 AAC 25.140
There were an extended list of causes.
What were they? And is it going to be rescheduled?
The 2011 LSLA State Chairs (LSLA) Conference has been canceled.
There were an extended list of causes. It appears this is going to be another crowded issue of Liberty for America.
Dear Legislator,
The proposed “Top-Two” Nonpartisan Blanket Primary Election system is wrong for Alaska. It is unacceptable in that it will lead to a “One-Party” state and further political corruption. I would suggest that you contact the various political parties in Alaska before proceeding with any election system changes. There are many options; eliminating publicly funded primaries and nomination of candidates at party conventions, proportional representation and/or fusion voting. I would be happy to dialogue with you regarding these issues. Please read the following article and comments found at Ballot Access News. Stop HB 77 now!
Peace & Blessings,
J.R.Myers
Chairman
Alaska Constitution Party
BILL: HB 77 SHORT TITLE: NONPARTISAN BLANKET PRIMARY ELECTION
BILL VERSION:
CURRENT STATUS: (H) STA STATUS DATE: 01/18/11
THEN JUD
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) GRUENBERG, CISSNA, KAWASAKI
TITLE: “An Act establishing a top two nonpartisan blanket primary election system for elective state executive and state and national legislative offices; changing appointment procedures relating to precinct watchers and members of precinct election boards, election district absentee and questioned ballot counting boards, and the Alaska Public Offices Commission; requiring certain written notices to appear in election pamphlets and polling places; relating to declarations of candidacy and letters of intent; and amending the definition of ‘political party.'”
http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/01/14/inventor-of-top-two-election-system-is-released-from-federal-prison/#comments
kw, sure, anyone who has a sub-title “DISPATCHES FROM THE NUT FARM” is asking us to NOT take her seriously, it appears.
http://thirdpartydaily.blogspot.com/2011/01/chuck-baldwin-may-run-for-governor-of.html
Re: Roseanne Barr
What is truly needed is a nonviolent approach. It is the only method that truly achieves its goals.
The Green Party has nonviolence as a pillar and value.
The Libertarians believe that we should not initiate force.
Roseanne Barr has some great ideas. But, selling books with gun-waving on the cover, and holding up photos of guillotines are not what this country needs.
So having registered, I went to the statechairsconference.com web pages to confirm how large a check I was supposed to write, and I found
2011 LSLA Conference in Seattle, WA CANCELLED
I have no further information at this time.