Progressive Democrat Issue 169

This coming week is a big primary in California. This week I highlight some of the progressives running in that primary and I hope my California readers will consider helping them out. Focusing on these kinds of local elections is so critical, yet so neglected. In California this week we have the chance to elect the next generation of progressive politicians.

This last week was the week when John McCain's campaign took a serious blow. Bob Barr, a Republican who is about as conservative as they get but who got fed up with Bush's war and invasion of civil liberties, has been nominated as the Libertarian Candidate for President. This potentially will hurt McCain big time...but we shall see.

In Brooklyn, NY, my friend Devin Cohen's candidacy for a judicial seat heats up as he receives two local endorsements (the Independent Neighborhood Democrats and the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats). Judicial elections are also critically important yet neglected elections. Devin is receiving endorsements from local politicians as well, like Assemblywoman Joan Millman and State Senator Velmanette Montgomery and several local District Leaders. Meanwhile, I have spent some time looking into his opponent's (Roger Adler's) record and I am astonished that he seems to be a latent right winger, if his donations and actions are to believed. How can we trust a supposed Democrat whose main donations are to right wingers (Republicans and the Conservative Party) and whose legal work includes an amicus brief opposing marriage equality in NY State.

Meanwhile, coincidentally, New York's Governor Paterson has declared that NY State will revise every aspect of its laws to recognize same sex marriages from other states. Although marriage equality remains illegal in New York (thanks to the court case Roger Adler helped out with his amicus brief), New York will now accept same sex marriages from other states, a major step forward that is fully in agreement with Article IV, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, which states, in part: "Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State."

Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

KATRINA...BUSH...McCAIN

THE THIRD PARTY FACTOR: Greens, Nader, Libertarians, Barr...

CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS JUNE 3rd: Progressive Candidates Running Strong

WISCONSIN FOCUS: Progressive Candidates, Democracy for Wisconsin, Groups and Events

GEORGIA FOCUS: Veterans for Peace, NAACP, Groups and Events

NEW YORK STATE FOCUS: Progressive Candidates, Peace Vigils, Groups and Events

VIRGINIA FOCUS: Judy Feder, Tom Perriello, Impeachment, Groups and Events

MICHIGAN FOCUS: Mark Schauer, Gary Peters, Groups and Events

PENNSYLVANIA FOCUS: Alternative Energy, Progressive Candidates, Groups and Events

OHIO FOCUS: Progressive Candidates, Groups and Events

TEXAS FOCUS: Rick Noriega, Alternative Energy, Groups and Events

ILLINOIS FOCUS: David Sirota, Peace Vigils, Groups and Events

NEW JERSEY FOCUS: Blue Jersey Radio, Groups and Events

FLORIDA FOCUS: Groups and Events

NORTH CAROLINA FOCUS: Larry Kissell, Veterans for Peace, Groups and Events

ARIZONA FOCUS: Progressive Candidates, Groups and Events

OREGON FOCUS: Neighborhood Leaders, Groups and Events

IOWA FOCUS: Groups and Events

ALASKA FOCUS: Diane Benson, Mark Begich, Veterans for Peace, Groups and Events

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Progressive Candidates, Alternativ Energy, Peace Vigils, Groups and Events

Katrina...Bush...McCain

Although I have done versions of this before, this was inspired by a Daily Kos Diary:

This is what happened Monday, Aug. 29, 2005...the day Katrina hit, John McCain's 69th birthday...the day America realized that Republicans don't give a shit about Americas.

Hurricane Katrina:



I remember the radar images from the weather channel the night before landfall. I remember distincly watching it and thinking, "My god...that's going to be bad." I also remember thinking that the government had better be ready to get people out and to deal with the situation.

I was right...it was going to be really, really bad. I mean THIS bad:



While Mississippi and Louisiana were getting slammed by Hurricane Katrina and Americans were dying, THIS is what Bush and McCain were doing:



From CurrentTV comes this amazing footage from WITHIN Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans:



And what were George Bush and John McCain doing while New Orleans was being destroyed and Americans were dying:



Meanwhile, New Orleans was underwater:







And my friend from Mississippi tells me that Mississippi was hit even worse. Years later she was telling me her mother was still in shock from what happened in Mississippi...probably full blown post-traumatic stress syndrome, with minimal help from either insurance companies or the government.

These were the scenes in New Orleans for days after the hurricane: (graphic)







And Bush and McCain were doing this when Louisiana and Mississippi were struggling:



Meanwhile Al Gore, on his own initiative and at his own expense, was helping airlift some 270 Katrina evacuees:



And Barack Obama was equally active as a Senator trying to get aid to the victims and support the recover.

And Jimmy Carter has been a leader in rebuilding housing for low income residents of New Orleans through Habitat for Humanity:



Why do Republicans hate America? Oh yeah...it is part of their philosophy to drown America in a bathtub. This is how Republican guru Grover Norquist put it:

"Cutting the government in half in one generation is both an ambitious and reasonable goal," Norquist stated in May 2000. "If we work hard we will accomplish this and more by 2025. Then the conservative movement can set a new goal. I have a recommendation: To cut government in half again by 2050"

The death toll of Hurricane Katrina is a direct result of this Republican philosophy of drowning America in a bathtub. Many Americans drowned that day...and George Bush and John McCain at cake while those Americans died.

And the neglect by Republicans continued. Eleven Repbublicans in the House of Representatives, the Katrina 11, who had no problem giving Halliburton no bid contracts despite incompetence and corruption, voted against aid to Katrina victims. I have been fighting to defeat the Katrina 11 and turn their districts blue ever since. Joe Barton in particular is a nasty, anti-science scrooge of a Republican.

And the neglect by Republicans continued. Even two years after Katrina, my friend from Mississippi wrote this about the situation victims found themselves in:

Most of the people who DID receive money from the insurance companies received only a fraction of what it would cost to replace what they lost. There was the on going battle of wind vs water issue. That even Trent Lott had to deal with. He sued state farm and they settle out of court kind of quietly... However, when Bush visited the coast he promised Trent that he would rebuild his waterfront house. I think it would be interesting to look into what really happened in that case. No one I talked to was happy with the insurance settlements that they received. Now premiums are so high that many people can only afford the basic coverage. Insurance companies were boasting at how much money they gained last year, mainly because they didn't pay the proper amount of money to the people who lost their homes in the disaster. Also, many people have not had the money to fix or rebuild their house and today is the 2 year anniversary.

And George Bush and John McCain did nothing...except eat cake:

The Third Party Factor: Greens, Nader and Libertarians

Third Parties are a waste of time if you want to win the Presidency. This has been proven time after time. Ross Perot, Pat Buchannan, Ralph Nader...none even came close. Even an extremely popular former President, Teddy Roosevelt, couldn't make it as a third party candidate. Our political system is and always has been a two party system on the Presidential level. That is not about to change unless there are major changes to the system itself.

But third party candidates can act contrary to their own values by acting as spoilers. Ross Perot helped defeat the Republican Party. Ralph Nader helped defeat the Democratic Party. In each case they acted contrary to their own values by aiding the party that is more distant from their own stated values. Nader goes as far as actually collaborating with John McCain in order to hurt the Democratic Party, even though his values more closely resemble those of most Democrats than pretty much ANY Republican.

This year could prove very interesting in terms of third parties. Ralph Nader is definitely running. I would argue that he is trivial by now. His stupidity in 2000 and his refusal to admit his error has alienated practically all Progressive Democrats, making his run insignificant. He has die hard supporters who wouldn't vote for any Democrat or Repub if their life depended on it (which, arguably, it does). The only question is will he run on his own or will the Greens welcome him back. The Greens rejected Nader in 2004, and it went a long way to reforming their image. The Greens will ruin themselves yet again if they run Nader. Nader is a has been. The Greens can either be has beens along with Nader, or go their separate way from Nader as they did in 2004. Either way, if Obama is the nominee, the Green/Nader factor will be innsignificant. In all honesty, I know many Greens who rejoined the Democratic Party so they could work for Obama. If anything, Obama is uniting the Greens, Democrats and Independents. If Hillary is the nominee, the Nader and Green factors may play a slightly greater role, but my guess is not enough to affect the election the way it did in 2000.

The real interesting development comes from the right. John McCain must be soiling his pants now that the Libertarian Party has nominated former Republican Bob Barr as their candidate. Bob Barr has a good chance of drawing off conservative votes from McCain. Bob Barr is an odd mix of conservative values which largely can appeal to just about any Republican and many Independents. Barr is more of a Barry Goldwater Republican than a Bush-McCain Republican. He is an old-school Republican from before the Republican Party abandoned Republican values. He opposes abortion. He opposes same-sex marriage, but believes it should be up to the states. He opposes federal income tax and wants to abolish the IRS. All of these stands appeal to Republicans. Some appeal to Republicans more than Libertarians, in fact. But the number one difference between McCain and Barr is that McCain has signed on 100% to Bush's Iraq Quagmire and the un-patriotic Patriot Act, while Bob Barr is a strong opponent of both. Bob Barr is a vocal, right wing opponent to both the Iraq Quagmire and the invasion of civil liberties that McCain and Bush favor. McCain thus becomes the candidate for the Bush Republicans while Barr is the candidate for Libertarians and more traditional Republicans. This is a genuine split in the right wing that just might sink McCain.

From my point of view Bob Barr is a right wing fanatic, perhaps even more than John McCain. But I have heard him on Air America, and on certain issues (the war and Civil Liberties) he makes more sense than most Republicans. What is most interesting is Bob Barr has now become the real conservative maverick that John McCain once claimed to be before he embraced Bush's failed policies. Bob Barr is what John McCain could have been, and this is the true threat to McCain. Many supported McCain because he HAD been a maverick. Now that he is running as another Bush, Bob Barr starts to look very appealing to many Republicans and Independents. Barr can't win because our system couldn't even give Teddy Roosevelt, perhaps the quintessential American President, a chance as a third party candidate. But Barr has appeal in the precise areas where McCain should have been strong but has turned out weak.

Bush's core 30% of voters will go for McCain as the continuation of Bush's failed policies. The remaining Republicans will split between Barr and McCain. Independents will probably split among McCain, Barr and the Democrat (particularly if it is Obama). Democrats will go solidly for the Democratic nominee. This is very likely to play out the way Senator Chuck Schumer predicts, as I reported last week.

You can find out more about Bob Barr here.

CALIFORNIA ELECTION JUNE 3rd: Progressive Candidates

On June 3rd there is a primary election in California. Progressive Majority have some candidates running who need your support. But before I get to that I want to highlight a judicial election for Los Angeles Superior Court judge. There is actually a white supremicist named Bill Johnson running who needs to be soundly defeated. I urge all readers in that district to vote for James Bianco for Los Angeles Superior Court judge. And Thanks to a blogger on MyDD for this tip. Now on to the main list of candidates:

Here is a list of candidates running in California who have been endorsed by Progressive Majority):

Marty Block
Candidate for State Assembly - District 78 (Open Seat)
San Diego County



Marty Block is a candidate for the 78th Assembly District. He is currently elected to the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees, and previously served on the San Diego Board of Education. The 78th is currently held by a conservative, but she is term-limited out of office. This district has grown more Democratic over the years and is one of the best opportunities for a progressive victory this year. Marty would provide a strong platform for progressive issues in San Diego.

Click here to support and learn more about Marty.

Mark Ridley-Thomas
Candidate for Los Angeles County Supervisor - District 2 (Challenger)



California Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas is running for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, 2nd District, in the highest priority race for progressives in Los Angeles County. Mark is running against a formidable candidate, former chief of police and current Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks. Although elected by a majority African American district, Parks has a conservative voting record when it comes to investing in communities. If Parks wins, Los Angeles County will be controlled by a conservative majority at a time when county hospitals and emergency services in communities of color are facing closure. Mark has been a staunch supporter of progressive issues such as the establishment of school health centers, consumer protection, community reinvestment, jobs and workforce development.

Click here to support and learn more about Mark.

Greg Pettis
Candidate for State Assembly - District 80 (Open Seat)
Riverside and Imperial Counties



Greg Pettis is a Cathedral City Councilman running for the open 80th Assembly District. Progressive Majority recruited Greg, who is openly gay, to run for this seat. The 80th is one of the two most important legislative targets in California this year, because the conservative incumbent is term-limited out of office. Demographically, the seat has been trending more and more Democratic and is ready for a progressive victory. In addition, all of the openly gay Assembly-members will be termed out in January 2009. If elected, Greg will keep a strong, openly gay voice in the lower chamber.

Click here to support and learn more about Greg.

Bob Blumenfield
Candidate for State Assembly - District 40 (Open Seat)
Los Angeles, Northridge, Van Nuys



Bob is running for the California Assembly, 40th District. For the past seven years Bob has been the District Director to Congressman Howard Berman. Bob is Chair of the Valley Anti-Defamation League, Vice Chair of the California Trust for Public Schools and a former board member of the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters. Bob is a strong proponent of progressive issues in such key areas as education, healthcare, the environment and economic justice. Bob has two formidable primary opponents who are conservative Democrats: Stuart Waldman is the former Chief of Staff to the current Assembly member, and Laurette Healey is a former Deputy State Controller. Bob has received the endorsement of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congressmembers Howard Berman and Henry Waxman, California State Speaker Fabian Nunez, County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Click here to support and learn more about Bob.

Richard Barrera
Candidate for San Diego Board of Education - Subdistrict D (Challenger)



Richard Barrera is a candidate for the San Diego School District in Nominating Subdistrict D. Richard is Latino and a union organizer with SEIU Local 399. Richard faces a difficult race in the general election against conservative incumbent Luis Acle, a former Reagan administration official who has openly expressed interest in higher office. A Barrera victory would create both a working progressive majority and a Democratic supermajority.

Click here to support and learn more about Richard.

Sherri Lightner
Candidate for San Diego City Council - District 1 (Open Seat)



Sherri Lightner is running for the 1st City Council District in San Diego. A community volunteer and leader, Sherri has served as president of both the La Jolla Town Council and the La Jolla Shores Association. An engineer by training, she is a recognized expert on land development law. Because of term limits, the 1st will be an open seat. Sherri represents an opportunity to elect a progressive woman to a historically moderate to conservative seat, allowing for a potential progressive majority.

Click here to support and learn more about Sherri.

Stephen Whitburn
Candidate for San Diego City Council - District 3 (Open Seat)



Stephen Whitburn is an openly gay candidate running for the open 3rd City Council District in San Diego. This seat is safely Democratic, but Stephen's election could mean the difference between a Democratic majority and a true progressive majority. In particular, he will fight for progressive values on housing issues, especially for renter's rights and against development that is forcing longtime residents (many elderly and people of color) out of what had been affordable housing. As a community activist, he has worked very closely with labor, walking picket lines and working to pass a living wage ordinance. Stephen is also a former union member with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

Click here to support and learn more about Stephen.

John Lee Evans
Candidate for San Diego Board of Education - Subdistrict A (Challenger)



John Lee Evans is a clinical psychologist and long-time progressive activist on education and social justice issues. He is running against an incumbent Republican, Mitz Lee. If elected, John will provide a strong progressive voice on the school board for local control and improved opportunity for children in low-income and immigrant communities. A win would create a progressive majority and a Democratic super majority.

Click here to support and learn more about John.