Progressive Democrat Issue 178

Some major developments this week involving domestic terrorism.

I have been talking for some time about how right wing media and right wing extremist Republicans are inciting intolerance and violence in America. It was the Delaware Pogrom that first got me thinking about the consequence of right wing hate speech. But now there is the Knoxville shooter, someone who went after the Unitarian church because of their tolerance towards gays. It seems he was influenced by right wing media. As long as the right wing exremists advocate violence and intolerance we will see hate crimes continute to rise in America. And let's be clear on something here: incidents like the Delaware Pogrom and the Knoxville shooting ARE domestic terrorism by the right wing incited by right wing media.

One big irony about the Knoxville shooter is that supposedly what set him off was his inability to find a job and the threat of his food stamps being cut off. Seems like he should like liberals since job programs and food stamps are liberal programs.

Speaking of domestic terrorism, it seems the Anthrax case has taken a turn for the absurd. It seems Bruce E. Ivins, the very scientist who was being used by the government to analyze the anthrax laden powder suddenly became a suspect in the anthrax terror plot. Did one of the government's top scientists (on the research team at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease (USAMRIID)) turn to terrorism in 2001? Was the attempt to frame another scientist engineered by Ivins? Once that other scientist was cleared, did the government look at Ivins because he was the guy who produced evidence against him?

Bruce Ivins committed suicide this week. This leabs many unanswered questions. Let me just point out that even tyhe suicide was strange. Reportedly he killed himself with Tylenol with Codeine. It is not easy to overdose on Tylenol with Codeine. In fact, the codeine probably was incidental. Tylenol itself will destroy your liver rapidly if you take a large overdose. Is this what he did? If so, he would have died slowly and in agony. I don't see him choosing that way out. Is something not being mentioned here? Some allege a cover up. Ivins was one of those who gave "evidence" that ABC news used to try and link the anthrax attacks with Iraq in the lead up to war. Was this Ivins' intention? Was he helping us get into a war with Iraq? Glen Greenwald has an extensive analysis of this angle at Salon.com, which is worth reading. If you read nothing else, read this. Another side to this story is that the description of Ivins does not necessarily fit what you would expect for a domestic terrorist. Although "he was always such a quiet man" does raise eyebrows, Ivins doesn't sound like a Timothy McVeigh or Unibomber type. In fact I knew someone from my graduate school days, a fellow biologist, who had been suspected of being one of the Oklahoma City bombers. HE was creepy, fanatical and dangerous, so no one was surprised that his name came up as a suspect. Ivins doesn't sound like that kind of guy. But you never know. And we may never know the whole story.

I leave you with a video of Rachel Maddow slamming Pat Buchanan on MSNBC:



Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ELECTION FRAUD: Florida and Georgia

MOST CORRUPT POLITICIAN IN AMERICA INDICTED

ERIC CANTOR: McCain's VP?

ARIZONA FOCUS

ALASKA FOCUS

OREGON FOCUS

MISSISSIPPI FOCUS

MINNESOTA FOCUS

FLORIDA FOCUS

MICHIGAN FOCUS


VIRGINIA FOCUS

NORTH CAROLINA FOCUS

GEORGIA FOCUS

OHIO FOCUS

PENNSYLVANIA FOCUS

WASHINGTON FOCUS

NEW YORK STATE FOCUS

CALIFORNIA FOCUS

NEW JERSEY FOCUS

WISCONSIN FOCUS

IOWA FOCUS

ILLINOIS FOCUS

TEXAS FOCUS

Reminders: Election Fraud in Florida and Georgia

This is a reminder of a couple of previous posts from the past year. I want to review some revelations regarding Republicans and election fraud in Florida and Georgia. First off, remember the stolen election 2000? Remember the hanging chads? Evidence has come out that THOSE HANGING CHADS WERE DELIBERATE. Poor quality paper and misalignment of the punch cards were deliberately used to create a questionable election to help the marketing of the Sequoia touchscreen machines. And Tom Feeney may have had a hand in the scandal.

As my previous post discussed, Tom Feeney (FL-24) has a corrupt past anyway, linked to the Abramoff scandal.

Feeney is a sitting Congressman, but let's start out by realizing that Tom Feeney has already been fined by the House ethics committee for his Abramoff connections. He has already been found to be corrupt by the House Ethics Committee, yet is still a "respected" member of the Republican Party and has not resigned from Congress.

But there is probably more coming...it seems that the FBI is investigating Tom Feeney further for those Abramoff connections. Gee, and the Republicans wanted us to think the Abramoff scandal had blown over. This is run of the mill fraud for Republicans. But Feeney may have had a hand in the stolen 2000 election.

Yes, I say ACTIVE PARTICIPATION in voter fraud. Tom Feeney has been accused of recruiting computer programmers to write software that could alter vote totals on touch-screen voting machines in Florida. From the Seminole Chronicle:

Republican Congressman Tom Feeney of Oviedo asked a computer programmer in September 2000, prior to that year's contested presidential vote in Florida, to write software that could alter vote totals on touch-screen voting machines, the programmer said.

Former computer programmer Clint Curtis made the claim Monday in sworn testimony to Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee investigating allegations of voter fraud in the 2004 presidential election involving touch-screen voting in Ohio.

In his testimony, Curtis said that Feeney, then a member of the Florida House of Representative, met with Curtis and other employees of Yang Enterprises, an Oviedo software company, and asked if the company could create a program that would allow a user to alter the vote totals while using the touch-screen machine. The program had to be written so that even the human-readable computer code would not show its illicit capabilities, Curtis recalled.

Curtis said he wrote a prototype program for Feeney, and that he believed the program might not only be usable on touch-screen voting machines, which some counties - predominantly in South Florida - now use, but also on optical-scan machines, which most of the state's counties used in the 2004 elections.

Feeney could not be reached for comment.

If true, THIS is one of the most disgusting attacks on American democracy I can think of, whether you are Republican or Democrat. Tom Feeney is accused of trying to subvert American democracy, plain and simple.

And Curtis' accusations got a boost recently. Many criticized Curtis for claiming that people were trying to subvert the touchscreen machines BEFORE the 2000 election when supposedly no one was thinking touch screen. Well, some actual investigativg journalism by Dan Rather has revealed that people WERE thinking touch screen before the 2000 election and, in fact, the problems that arose in 2000 in Florida may have been part of the push for touch screen machines. This was broken, as far as I know, by the Brad Blog:

The recent Dan Rather report (complete video here) on the gaming of the paper punchcard ballots by Sequoia Voting Systems in Florida, just prior to the 2000 election, plugs up at least one important "hole" in the Clint Curtis story. We first broke Curtis's story back in late 2004 and have been reporting on it ever since.

You'll recall that Curtis alleged --- in sworn affidavit [PDF], live video-taped testimony before a U.S. House Judiciary delegation, and via polygraph test --- that he was asked by Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) to create a touch-screen vote-rigging prototype program, just months prior to the 2000 election when they both worked at the same Florida software firm.

One of the main criticisms of Curtis's striking allegations was that "nobody was even thinking about touch-screen voting systems in Florida prior to the 2000 Presidential Election debacle."

Dan Rather's remarkable investigative report, however, would seem to indicate otherwise: seven Sequoia company whistleblowers reveal on camera that, despite their objections, they were forced to use poor quality paper for the punchcards to be used in Florida in 2000. They also revealed that they had been instructed to deliberately misalign the chads for ballots going to Palm Beach County, FL, only.

As well, another recent revelation puts the lie to Feeney's claim, made years ago, that he no longer had anything to do with the owners of the Oviedo, Florida, firm where he was the general counsel and registered lobbyist in 2000 (even as he served as Speaker of the FL House at the same time). Curtis was employed as a computer programmer for the company, which had multi-million dollar contracts with both the state and NASA, where Feeney's wife has worked for several years.

New information reveals that the owners of the company remain personal friends with Feeney, and continue to funnel money to him even while they hope for further contracts from the U.S. House Subcommittee on Space & Aeronautics, in which Feeney has recently been promoted to ranking member.

Go to the Brad Blog for MUCH more on the issue. Hanging chads...intentional? Use of low quality paper and intentional misaligning? In California I used punchcard voting for years...and never had a problem. I always wondered why it was such a problem in Florida. Sounds like it is because certain companies wanted to see states high priced touch screen machines and certain Republicans wanted to subvert the vote using such machines.

Tom Feeney may have been part of the stolen 2000 election...

Now I want to turn to Feeney's voting record. Feeney's probable corruption is damning enough. But his voting record damns him at least as much. Simply put, Tom Feeney votes AGAINST Americans: (voting record from Project Vote Smart)

Feeney opposes a woman's right to choose, and essentially supports forcing a woman to carry a rapist's child to term...even at the risk of her own life. Feeney receives 0/100 ratings from Planned Parenthood every single year.

Feeney gets a 0/100 rating from National Farmers Union. He sure isn't pro-farmer!

Feeney is anti-freedom: Gets 0/100 from ACLU, Arab American Institute, National Council of La Raza, Human Rights Campaign and low ratings from NAACP. Feeney does not believe in Civil Rights.

Feeney hurts our children: gets 0/100 from Children's Defense Fund.

Feeney hurts working class Americans: Gets below 10/100 from almost every Union out there, including SEIU, AFL-CIO, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Worker, American Postal Workers Union, United Auto Workers, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers...shit, if I were Feeney I'd worry about meeting any of these folk in a dark alley. Solid, working class Americans hate Feeney.

Feeney hurts America's Senior Citizens: He consistently gets below 10/100 ratings from Alliance for Retired Americans.

Feeney hutrs American soldiers and Veterans: Gets an abyssmal D+ grade from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America in 2006, and gets a 0/100 rating from Disabled American Veterans in 2004 and 2005 (he did better in 2006 with a 66/100 rating).

THIS is the Republican who represents FL-24. The DCCC has more information on Tom Feeney and his anti-America, corrupt stands. Here are some examples:

* Rep. Feeney voted against cracking down on the oil and gas industries price gouging.
* Big oil and gas industries have given Rep. Feeney $15,200. Any surprise?

* Rep. Feeney voted to strip overtime protection from millions of workers.
* Rep. Feeney voted to allow federal loans to American companies that have escaped paying U.S. taxes by moving offshore.

* Rep. Feeney voted to continue awarding contracts to Halliburton even if the Pentagon's own audit processes found that more than $100 million of their contractor's costs in Iraq were unreasonable.
* Rep. Feeney opposed expanding access to the military's TRICARE health insurance program to thousands of Reservist and National Guard members, even though 20 percent of all Reservists do not have health insurance, and 40 percent of Reservists aged 19 to 35 lack health coverage.
* Rep. Feeney voted against granting a bonus to grant a $1,500 bonus to every American service member serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, including National Guard and Reserve forces.

You can help defeat Tom Feeney in FL-24 by donating to the FL-24 Congressional race on this Act Blue Page. If you want to preserve American democracy against corruption and voter fraud, send Washington a message by donating at the above Act Blue site to win in Florida in 2008.

Now let's turn to Georgia 2002. I covered this last week, but it is WELL worth reiterating. Some new developments have come out in the Georgia 2002 voter fraud case, and what is most interesting is that the new allegations come from a cybersecurity expert who used to work for none other than John McCain. From Raw Story:

A leading cyber-security expert and former adviser to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) says he has fresh evidence regarding election fraud on Diebold electronic voting machines during the 2002 Georgia gubernatorial and senatorial elections.

Stephen Spoonamore is the founder and until recently the CEO of Cybrinth LLC, an information technology policy and security firm that serves Fortune 100 companies. At a little noticed press conference in Columbus, Ohio Thursday, he discussed his investigation of a computer patch that was applied to Diebold Election Systems voting machines in Georgia right before that state's November 2002 election.

Let me just say here that I publicized some Democrats who called attention to this same computer patch back in 2002. No one listend back then. But maybe a major Republican IT expert can finally get some attention to this issue. More from the same article:

Spoonamore is one of the most prominent cyber-security experts in the country. He has appeared on CNN's Lou Dobbs and ABC's World News Tonight, and has security clearances from his work with the intelligence community and other government agencies, as well as the Department of Defense, and is one of the world’s leading authorities on hacking and cyber-espionage...

Spoonamore received the Diebold patch from a whistleblower close to the office of Cathy Cox, Georgia’s then-Secretary of State. In discussions with RAW STORY, the whistleblower -- who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation -- said that he became suspicious of Diebold's actions in Georgia for two reasons. The first red flag went up when the computer patch was installed in person by Diebold CEO Bob Urosevich, who flew in from Texas and applied it in just two counties, DeKalb and Fulton, both Democratic strongholds. The source states that Cox was not privy to these changes until after the election and that she became particularly concerned over the patch being installed in just those two counties.

The whistleblower said another flag went up when it became apparent that the patch installed by Urosevich had failed to fix a problem with the computer clock, which employees from Diebold and the Georgia Secretary of State’s office had been told the patch was designed specifically to address.

The article goes on to discuss probable Republican fraud in Ohio in 2004.

I want to say thank you to Stephen Spoonamore for putting integrity before party affiliation. He joins Florida Congressional candidate Clint Curtis in this. Clint left the Republican Party after apparently being asked to help steal an election for the Republican Party even BEFORE the 2000 election. People have criticized Clint Curtis for his claims, but I think increasingly it seems he was right. The Republicans have systematically been trying to steal elections using electronic technology. Anyone who remembers Watergate won't be surprised to learn this, of course. Republicans can't seem to win without cheating.

Alaska Senator Ted Stevens Indicted

I have written about Ted Stevens before, and this will mostly serve to remind you of what I have already written about. But the news is that the first indictments are coming through. Ted Stevens has been served with seven indictments for false statements. I say the first because it is clear that these first seven indictments are only the tip of the iceburg. Ted Stevens is going down!

Of all the Republicans I have discussed whose morals are severly compromised, I have to say, Ted Stevens of Alaska just might top the list. I already brought him up in the context of the VECO scandal that has crippled the Alaska Republican Party. But honestly, the VECO scandal is only the tip of the iceberg of corruption for Ted Stevens. Here are some excerpts from the "Ethics Questions" section of his Congressopedia entry...possibly the longest list of "Ethics Questions" in all of Congressopedia:

Ethics questions

In 2003, The Los Angeles Times published charges that Stevens had gained financially through influence peddling, steering government contracts to his associates, and insider trading (see below), all of which Stevens denied. [16]

In 1997, Stevens invested $50,000 with developer Jonathan B. Rubini. In 2002 Rubini and his partner bought back the senator's interests in their deals for $872,000. During the time that Stevens had money invested with Rubini, Stevens steered a $450 million contract to Rubini to build and own housing at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Rubini's company was one of the only in-state outfits capable of handling the contract. The senator had no financial interest in that deal. [17]

...

Favors for his son

On August 31, 2006, the Sunlight Foundation, a Washington-based government watchdog group, exposed a 2003 LA Times article documenting nine separate cases in which Stevens did favors for organizations which had employed his son, Ben Stevens. (See Sunlight blog for full account)

Since this time, other favors have been reported. In late 2003, Stevens secured a $29 million earmark for the "Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board," which was chaired by Ben Stevens. In December 2005, Stevens helped secure a $10 million earmark for a fishing venture for which Ben secretly held an investment option. [20]

In 2005, The Anchorage Daily News reported that Ben Stevens held an option to buy into an Alaska seafood company at the same time as Sen. Stevens was creating a special Aleutian Islands fishery that would supply the company with pollock worth millions of dollars a year. Ben Steven's interest was withdrawn. [21]


Fishery connected with Ben Stevens received earmark from Ted Stevens

In late July, 2007, it was revealed that Trident Seafoods Corp., a fishery that received a $3.5 million earmark from Stevens to build an airfield, had connections to Stevens's son, Ben Stevens. While Trident provided the elder Stevens with thousands of dollars in campaign funds, it also provided the younger Stevens with "consulting" payments as he would direct federal grants to it, and many other companies.[3]

...

VECO corruption investigation

In 2006, Ben Stevens, who at that point was serving as president of the Alaska State Senate, had his offices raided by the FBI. Federal officials were reportedly seeking information surrounding his ties to VECO Corp., an oil field-services firm the Senator had aided in the past through earmarks.[7]

On May 7, 2007, VECO Corp.'s CEO, Bill Allen, and a vice president, Rick Smith, pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy, bribery and tax charges. VECO Corp. was also used in hiring contractors in the 2000 remolding of Sen. Stevens's Girdwood, Alaska home, leading to closer investigation by the FBI and Justice Department, although the senator had not been officially targeted in the investigation. The invoices for the work were sent through former VECO CEO Bill Allen to be approved before being passed onto Stevens for payment, despite the fact that Allen himself has stated "VECO was not in the business of residential construction or remodeling."[8]

In a June 6, 2007 interview with the Washington Post, Stevens disclosed that he had been asked by the FBI to preserve his records in cooperation with the ongoing Alaska investigation, and that he had hired lawyers regarding the matter.[9]

In mid-June, it was revealed that in May 2007 a federal Grand Jury examined Stevens's ties to VECO regarding the remolding of his Girdwood house, a clear indication that Stevens himself was becoming the target of the FBI's ongoing Alaska corruption investigation.[10] A close friend of Stevens, Anchorage real estate developer Bob Penney, also testified before a Grand Jury regarding the bribery scandal in Alaska. Penney invited the Senator to a a real estate investment deal that made Stevens hundreds of thousands of dollars, and is also a member of an Alaska investors group called Alaska's Great Eagle which bought a race horse with both the Senator and former VECO CEO Bill Allen.[11]

On June 19, it was revealed by a lawyer close to the case that former aides to Stevens on Capitol Hill were being questioned by the FBI regarding the Senator's ties to Bill Allen and VECO Corp.[12]

In mid-July 2007, Stevens' approval rating, according to a poll conducted by Ivan Moore, dropped to just under 45%, while 44% of respondents stated a favorable opinion of the Senator. Previous approval ratings, between September 2005 and April 2007, ranged from 58 percent to 63 percent, demonstrating a significant change since Stevens came under investigation.[13][14]


House raided

On July 30, 2007, the FBI and the IRS raided Stevens's home in Girdwood, Alaska. The house had been in the news before because VECO, an oil company previously uninvolved in home construction, renovated the home to add another story to it for Stevens. The raid was a continuation of the probe into the relationship between Stevens and VECO.[15]

Stevens stated that the investigation would not hinder his service to Alaska and called for Alaskans "not to form conclusions based upon incomplete and sometimes incorrect reports in the media. The legal process should be allowed to proceed so that all the facts can be established and the truth determined."[16]


Construction deal note

A note found after the FBI raided Stevens's Girdwood home revealed an estimate of how much Stevens had paid for the renovations to the house.[17] In the handwritten note, Stevens wrote,

"6/7/07
Dear Wev
My staff tells me I did not respond to your May 23 letter. I truly believed I did as I answered a series of "thank yous" from people who wish us well in these hours of strife.
This is a sad portion of my life -- it will take time to explain. Catherine and I personally paid over $130,000 for the improvements to our chalet in Girdwood. Someone -- or more than one -- keeps telling the FBI that's not so. Takes time to go back over five years to prove they are wrong. I do appreciate your comments.
My best
Ted"[18]

This number appeared to be a suspicious estimate, as it was reported that the carpentry work alone cost $100,000. This would mean that the rest of the construction, including raising the house to make room for the new floor, moving earth to prepare the ground for construction, plumbing work, electric work, and roofing all was either done for less than $30,000, a very good deal, or was paid for by other sources.[19]

...

F.B.I. investigates Veco contract

In mid August, the F.B.I. began investigating a $170 million contract given to Veco to provide the National Science Foundation with polar and arctic research support. Just as Veco had no history of home construction before building additions to Ted Stevens's home, they also had no experience in polar and arctic research support.[22]

At the time, no evidence had been unearthed to prove Stevens was responsible for securing the federal contracts for Veco, though as a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, he would have had authority over such funding.[23]


Allen testifies Veco's involvement in Stevens' Home Renovation

Former CEO Bill Allen acknowledged that the more than $400,000 he admitted spending in the bribery charge included the work done at the home of Stevens. "I gave Ted some old furniture," Allen said. "I don't think there was a lot of material, There was some labor." He then added that the labor came from Veco employees and that he paid for these bills.[24]


FBI taped conversations between Stevens and Allen

On September 21, 2007, it was revealed that the FBI had secretly taped conversations between Sen. Stevens and VECO executive Bill Allen. While sources revealed that Allen had agreed to taping conversations with Stevens after he was confronted with evidence that he had bribed Alaska legislators, it remained unclear as to what the content of the conversations were as well as how many conversations were recorded. Allen had pleaded guilty to bribery and has since been a key witness in cases against Alaska lawmakers.[25]

...

Ferry project boon to those close to Stevens

A $20 million earmark inserted into the 2008 Defense appropriations bill by Stevens and signed into law by President Bush on November 13, 2007 could be a boon to those close to the senator. The earmark was listed as funding for an “expeditionary craft” for the Navy, but it would ultimately be used as a commercial ferry between Anchorage and the Knik Arm. The Knik Arm is a remote piece of land which takes over two hours to reach by car but 15 minutes by boat.[27][28]

Appropriators made cuts to many of the earmarks in the bill, but Stevens’ earmark was untouched even though the Navy did not request the money and rejected the experimental craft in 2002 as impractical. The ferry would be built by Lockheed Martin and would connect downtown Anchorage to Port MacKenzie, bringing cars and passengers to Knik Arm. Bill Bittner, Stevens’ brother-in-law, spent years as a registered lobbyist in Washington with Lockheed Martin as one of his clients. Despite the Navy’s rejection of the craft, Stevens inserted nearly $50 million for the project into appropriations bills from 2002-2006. [29][30]

Several former and current members of Stevens' staff own undeveloped land on the Knik Arm including Chief of Staff George Lowe with a 2.6-acre parcel of undeveloped land which rose over $10,000 in appraised value from 2005 to 2006 and former top aide and re-election campaign worker Lisa Sutherland with just under 4 acres with her husband. The value of their land rose from $38,400 in 2005 to $65,000 in 2006. [31]


Earmark infraction

New documents emerged showing that a $1.6 million earmark in 2005 by Stevens was engineered so it would lead to the purchase of property owned by his former aide, Trevor McCabe, an Anchorage fisheries lobbyist.

Recently-disclosed public records show that Brad Gilman, a Washington lobbyist who once worked for Stevens, allegedly acted as the go-between for the 2005 earmark infraction, connecting an unnamed ‘Senate aide’ with his two clients based in Seward, Alaska: the city of Seward, and the Alaska Sealife Center, a federally supported marine research facility. According to Gilman, the ‘Senate aide’ was shopping for a guarantee that McCabe’s property would be purchased if it received the earmark. The apparent result was the sudden shift of the earmark by Stevens' office in 2005 from the City of Seward, which wouldn't promise to buy the property, to the Alaska SeaLife Center, which had more discretion, according to Seward officials.[32]


Tobacco issues
This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch, sponsored by the American Legacy Foundation. Join our team of citizen journalists researching and exposing tobacco industry secrets.

Senator Stevens has introduced public-health oriented bills with respect to tobacco issues:

In 1985, Senator Stevens amended a defense appropriations bill to prevent any federal funding of military commissaries that do not charge a price for cigarettes equal to the lowest average retail price in the area less state and local taxes. The minimum price at commissaries outside the US would be based on the average national retail price of cigarettes.[22]

In 1986, Senator Stevens introduced S. 1440, the Non-Smokers Rights Act, which required the designation of smoking areas in all branches of federal government. The full Senate did not act on the bill.[23]

The notes, as well as a few things I left out, can be found in the full entry on the Congresspedia site.

Keep in mind, Ted Stevens isn't just any Republican. As President pro tempore of the Senate was part of the leadership of the Republican Party whose corruption was the main reason the Democrats swept Congress in 2006. During that time, Ted Stevens was third in the line of succession for the Presidency, following the Vice President and the Speaker of the House...think about that. The Republicans put this corrupt criminal in such a high leadership position.

Crime doesn't pay...unless you're a Republican. Then crime gets you appointed to the highest positions of government.

Mark Begich is the Democrat running aganst Ted Stevens. Clean up the Senate...support Mark Begich!

McCain's VP: Eric Cantor, ANOTHER Bush Loving Extremist

Soon both candidates will be picking their VP candidates. Most discussion has been about who Obama will choose, but recently I have heard a movement pushing for an interesting choice for McCain.

John McCain went from maverick to Bush clone, leaving Bob Barr to carry the torch as maverick this year. So who will McCain choose as his running mate? Well, one name that I am hearing is Eric Cantor of Richmond, VA. Who is, by and large, yet another Bush clone.

In one sense it would be a good choice for McCain, putting Virginia back in play (Obama has been consistently polling ahead in Virginia) and possibly wooing the Jewish vote. Problem is, for someone who is pretending to be a "maverick," picking someone who is even more lock step in line with Bush than McCain himself may send the wrong message. I have outlined how McCain is anti-choice, anti-Veteran, anti-labor, anti-education and a whole slew of other bad, unAmerican stands. Interestingly enough, the only way he is a maverick is he tends to please NEITHER side on gun rights, getting mediocre ratings from BOTH the NRA and anti-gun advocates.

Eric Cantor is even more of a Bush clone than McCain on policy. This would seal the Republican ticket as the "Third Bush Term" ticket. Let's look at Eric Cantor's voting record on key issues:

Anti-Farmer:
National Farmers Union 0 percent in 2005-2006, 17 percent in 2003-2004, 20 percent in 2001-2002.
National Association of Wheat Growers 12 percent in 2007.
United Fresh Produce Association 0 percent in 2007

Anti-Labor:
AFL-CIO 4 percent in 2007, 7 percent in 2006, 13 percent in 2005, 7 percent in 2004.
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers gave Representative Cantor a grade of 20 in 2007, 33 percent in 2006, 17 percent in 2005-2006, 25 percent in 2005.
United Auto Workers 0 percent in 2007, 8 percent in 2006, 14 percent in 2005.
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers 0 percent in 2005.
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers 0 percent in 2006.

Anti-Senior:
Alliance for Retired Americans 0 percent in 2007, 0 percent in 2006, 0 percent in 2005.

Anti-Veteran:
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Representative Cantor a grade of C in 2006
The Retired Enlisted Association 33 percent in 2004.
Vietnam Veterans of America 38 percent in 2003-2004.
Disabled American Veterans 66 percent in 2006, 0 percent in 2005, 0 percent in 2004, 0 percent in 2003.

Anti-Choice:
Planned Parenthood 0 percent pretty much year after year

Anti-Civil Liberties:
American Civil Liberties Union gave Representative Cantor a grade of 0 in 2007, 5 percent in 2005-2006, 0 percent in 2003-2004.
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 7 percent in 2007, 4 percent in 2006, 0 percent in 2005.
Human Rights Campaign 0 percent in 2005-2006, 0 percent in 2003-2004.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 20 percent in 2007, 19 percent in 2005-2006, 22 percent in 2005.
National Council of La Raza 33 percent in 2005.
League of United Latin American Citizens 22 percent in 2003-2004, 0 percent in 2001-2002.
[NOTE: Looks like Cantor would seal the fate of the Republican Party, further alienating Hispanic Voters]

Education:
American Association of University Women gave Representative Cantor a grade of 0 in 2007
National Association of Elementary School Principals 25 percent in 2007, 0 percent in 2005.
National Education Association gave Representative Cantor a grade of F in 2007, 0 percent in 2005-2006, 20 percent in 2003-2004.
National Parent Teacher Association 0 percent in 2003-2004, 25 percent in 2001-2002.

Environment:
League of Conservation Voters's position, Representative Cantor received a rating of 5 in 2007, 8 percent in 2006, 6 percent in 2005.
Republicans for Environmental Protection 7 percent in 2007, 25 percent in 2006, 8 percent in 2005.
American Lands Alliance 0 percent in 2005-2006.
American Wilderness Coalition 0 percent in 2005-2006, 0 percent in 2005.

Anti-Children:
Children's Defense Fund rating of 20 in 2007, 20 percent in 2006, 0 percent in 2005.

Anti-Healthcare:
American Academy of Family Physicians 0 percent in 2007.
The Children's Health Fund 0 percent in 2007
American Public Health Association 0 percent in 2006, 12 percent in 2005, 22 percent in 2004, 0 percent in 2003.
AIDS Action Council 0 percent in 2005-2006.
American Nurses Association 0 percent in 2005-2006.
National Rural Health Association 0 percent in 2005-2006.
Global AIDS Alliance 0 percent in 2003.

So...if Eric Cantor is so opposed to so many groups of Americans, just who likes him. Well, let's look at the top four sources of funding for Cantor:

Real Estate: $208,047
Insurance: $168,665
Securities & Investment: $145,150
Lawyers/Law Firms: $135,750

Real Estate, Insurance Companies, Financial Companies and Lawyers. THAT is who Cantor represents. Not farmers, blue collar workers, children, seniors or vetrans. This is who McCain is considering for his VP.

ARIZONA FOCUS: Blogs, Progressive Candidates, Groups and Events

First, BLOGGING ARIZONA:

AZNetroots: Bringing together Arizona Progressives to take back our country!

Blog for Arizona: Progressive blogging in AZ.


Stories of Interest:

ARIZONA WEEK IN REVIEW from Blog for Arizona

Can you believe it? Obama is catching up with McCain IN ARIZONA!!! If McCain is struggling even in Arizona, he is in deep trouble.

This Arizona problem may partly be related to the Republican problem with Hispanic voters. They have played the anti-immigration card so often that many Hispanics can't stand the Republican Party. 66% of Hispanic voters polled prefer Obama. Which really is no big surprise.


Next I offer a list of local candidates for office in Arizona. Following that are some groups and events that might interest my readers. We just won a couple of these big races and some new names are on the list.

CANDIDATES:
Progressive Majority is one of the strongest and most successful progressive grassroots organizations out there. I have been pushing a few of their Arizona candidates and two of them just won historic victories. I want to share those two victories with you and introduce you to some new Progressive Majority candidates in Arizona. Remember, this is John McCain's state, so our wins there are particularly sweet.

Corey Woods
Candidate for Tempe City Council - At Large (Challenger)
WE WON!!!



Progressive Majority candidate Corey Woods made history this May, when he became the first African-American elected to Corey Woodsthe Tempe, Arizona City Council in its 114-year history!

Corey's election, along with the election of fellow Democrat Joel Navarro, also power-shifts the Tempe City Council to a progressive majority!

Congratulations, Corey!

Corey's historic victory was the result of two years of hard work and strategic campaigning. Progressive Majority helped Corey develop his stump speech and created his campaign and fundraising plan. He knocked on thousands of doors and developed key community relationships by serving on numerous city and community boards. On his way to victory, Corey soundly defeated conservative incumbent Vice-Mayor Hut Hutson.

Marquisha Griffin
Candidate for Maricopa City Council - At Large (Challenger)
WE WON!!!



We won this seat in May as well! Congratulations to Marquisha!

Marquisha Griffin is a 32-year-old candidate seeking a seat on the nonpartisan Maricopa City Council. She is the only female and the only person of color on the city council. Three seats are open on the council - two incumbents are seeking re-election and six additional candidates have filed. Marquisha is currently serving her third term on the City of Maricopa Planning and Zoning Commission. She volunteers at local charity events and city sponsored activities and is currently employed by the City of Mesa as a City Council Assistant to its council. The incumbent, Kelly Haddad, may be removed from the ballot for soliciting nominating petition signatures from city employees at city hall.

Don Jorgensen
Candidate for Arizona State Assembly - District 26 (Open Seat)
Northern Tuscon and Oro Valley



Don Jorgensen, Ph.D., is running for an open seat in the Arizona House of Representatives Legislative District 26. He is a small business owner who serves on the Board of the Compass Healthcare Foundation and the Tucson/Pima County Commission on Addiction, Prevention, and Treatment. He has also served on the Arizona State Board of Behavioral Health Examiners, the YMCA of Metropolitan Tucson and is the former President of Great Tucson Leadership. In 2006, farm team member Lena Saradnik picked up this seat for the Democrats when an ultraconservative Republican emerged from the primary. Three Republicans have filed to run at this time; two are far right-wingers and one is positioning himself as a moderate.

Click here to support and learn more about Don.

Angela Cotera
Candidate for State Senate - District 12 (Open Seat)
Avondale, Buckeye, El Mirage, Goodyear, Litchfield Park



Angela Cotera is an astrophysicist seeking office for the first time. She is running for the Senate in District 12. This district is in the fast-growing far western portion of Maricopa County and is part of our strategic plan. It includes the town of Avondale where last fall we fielded Marie Lopez Rogers in her successful race for mayor. While it is technically an open seat, ultra-conservative John Nelson, who is term-limited out of his Assembly seat, is attempting to trade seats with conservative Robert Blendu, the current Senate incumbent. In 2006, no Democrat ran for the Senate in District 12. Angela, grew up in Flagstaff. She holds a Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford University and is a research astrophysicist for the Carl Sagan Center, SETI Institute. She has volunteered in schools for years to bring her passion for astronomy to students. She and her husband have lived in Avondale since 1991. During the 2006 elections, her frustration with elected political leaders at the local, state and national levels compelled her to run for office to change the political landscape of Arizona. Angela will provide representation to Arizona's Latino/a community as a Latina State Senator. She is running as a participating candidate under the Arizona Clean Elections law.

Ted Maish
Candidate for State Senate - District 20 (Challenger)
Portions of Phoenix, Tempe, and Chandler



Ted Maish is a first-time candidate running for the State Senate in District 20. He is a precinct committee member and former teachers' union leader. He is challenging incumbent John Huppenthal, who is waging some of the right wing's most destructive battles. Huppenthal is one of the architects of a school voucher policy that was designed to undermine funding for public schools while providing a significant tax loophole to Arizona corporations. Legislative District 20 is one of the Democratic Party's top targets in 2008, as it is the most Democratic district in the state in which Republicans hold all three seats (two House, one Senate). Ted will bring a strong pro-labor voice to the legislature. He will also be a tireless advocate for Arizona's teachers and schoolchildren who suffer in some of the most under-funded classrooms in the country. Ted also advocates for healthcare reform to make Arizona a leader in protecting children, seniors, and working families.

Click here to support and learn more about Ted.

Shawn Hutchinson
Candidate for State Representative - District 9 (Open Seat)
Northwest Maricopa County, including Peoria, Glendale and Sun City



Shawn Hutchinson is a first-time candidate and union member running for the Arizona House of Representatives. This district will have one incumbent and one conservative held open seat. For Arizona House races, the top two finishers among the two Democratic and the two Republican candidates are elected. We recruited Shawn in August 2007 when we were working with his brother-in-law, John Williams, who ran successfully for the Surprise City Council. The incumbent in Shawn's race, Rick Murphy, is a right-wing conservative who is unpopular in his own caucus. Shawn is a third generation International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) member and sits on the executive board of IBEW 640. He and his wife, a school teacher, have three daughters. He is running under Arizona's Clean Elections law.

Click here to support and learn more about Shawn.

David Scanlon
Candidate for State Representative - District 12 (Open Seat)
Avondale, Buckeye, El Mirage, Goodyear, Litchfield Park



For the last 17 years, David Scanlon has served on the Pendergast School Board. He is running for the first time for the State House seat in District 12. This district is in the fast-growing far western portion of Maricopa County. In 2006, no Democrats ran in the district. David will face one of three ultra-conservative Republicans vying for the seat. He is an attorney and his wife is a public school teacher. As a school board member, David brought a stringed instrument program to the school at no taxpayer cost. Under his leadership, all schools in the district will have gymnasiums for use both during the school day and also for after school programs and summer usage. As an attorney, he has represented the elderly and people with disabilities against those who would take financial advantage. As a legislator, he will use his knowledge to tighten the law and fight to protect these very vulnerable members of our society. He is a participating Clean Elections candidate.

Click here to support and learn more about David.

Pat Fleming
Candidate for State Representative - District 25 (Open Seat)
Bisbee, Douglas, Gila Bend, Marana, and Nogales



Progressive Majority fielded Pat for her in her first bid for the House in District 25 in 2006 against an entrenched incumbent. While unsuccessful, Pat ran a great race and is running again, this time for an open seat. Pat is a retired member of AFGE, the federal government employees union. District 25 is a sprawling rural district that runs along much of the Mexican border where illegal crossing is occurring. Pat is retired from the Department of the Defense, where she oversaw multi-million dollars budgets. She is a Clean Elections candidate.

Click here to support and learn more about Pat.

Andrea Dalessandro
Candidate for State Representative - District 30 (Open Seat)
Southern Pima County, Santa Cruz County, Cochise County



Andrea Dalessandro is a first-time candidate running for the House of Representatives in District 30, which has two open seats currently held by Republicans. Andrea is a graduate of Emerge, our partner organization. She is a certified public accountant and a former high school math teacher. For Arizona House races, the top two finishers among the two democratic and the two republican primary victors are elected. Andrea is the only Democrat running for the House. Four Republicans are running for two slots on the general election ballot. Two are running as participating Clean Elections candidates and two are running traditionally. This race is viable due in large part to Andrea's tireless campaigning in the last year.

Click here to support and learn more about Andrea.

Ed Hermes
Candidate for Maricopa County Supervisor - District 1 (Challenger)



Ed Hermes is running for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, District 1. Ed is a 23-year-old up-and-coming politician with a very bright future. At his young age, he has already served two years on the Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees Arizona's university system, and has been an outspoken and prominent advocate for students facing double-digit percentage tuition increases. Ed also served as political director of Ironworkers 75 and has applied to join SEIU. He currently serves as the Director of External Affairs for the Arizona Department of Agriculture, where he oversees the communication, legislative affairs and community outreach for the department. Ed's opponent is a three-term incumbent with strong ties to anti-environment developers and has never faced a competitive election. Ed's campaign will focus on holding the Board of Supervisors accountable for out-of-control spending, government waste, and failure to exercise oversight over other scandal-ridden Republican officials.

Click here to support and learn more about Ed.

Rick Heumann
Candidate for Chandler City Council - At Large (Open Seat)



Rick Heumann, who is running for the Chandler City Council, is a long-time resident of Chandler and has been active in the community for more than 20 years. Rick has served eight years on the city planning and zoning commission, has served on several other city commissions, and has been president of a large homeowner's association. Chandler is a conservative community east of Phoenix, but a well-run progressive campaign can succeed there. Progressive Majority candidate Trinity Donovan was the top vote-getter in Chandler's elections two years ago, and as the lone progressive on the council, she now she needs help to move forward a progressive agenda. On the council, Rick will advocate smart and sustainable growth policies, expansion of mass transit, and a greater emphasis on parks and other city services that increase quality of life.

Click here to support and learn more about Rick.

Robin Stamp
Candidate for Madison Elementary School Board - At Large (Open Seat)



Robin Stamp is a first-time candidate for the Madison Elementary School District Governing Board. Robin, 30, was a Fellow at the Center for Progressive Leadership and works for the Arizona Attorney General's office in its consumer outreach division.

Robin is dedicated to safer schools for our children. In his position as an Outreach Coordinator for the Attorney General, Robin has extensive experience working with students, teachers, administrators, and parents on school safety.

Robin understands the importance of a supportive work environment for Arizona's educators. One of Robin's primary goals is to attract and retain top teachers in Madison School District. Robin's vision is for the district to be the leader in 21st century education, and he believes we must educate our children to be leaders and innovators in the new global economy.

Click here to support and learn more about Robin.


GROUPS AND EVENTS:
Here are some Groups and Events in Arizona:

DFA of Phoenix Monthly Meeting
Democracy for America meets the first Monday of the month at IHOP at the corner of 44th St. and Thomas Rd at 7PM
Contact: Toby Stohl at 602.955-9050 for more information
Website: www.dfalink.com/az-vote

The Phoenix Alternative Energy Meetup Group

All Alternative Energy Meetups are scheduled to meet at 1:30pm on the second Saturday of each month. We are searching for a permanent location. Event fee: $1.00 per person

Please join us for discussions and activities on various subjects related to energy use and alternatives to our current carbon-based system.

For more info, sign up here.


Weekly Women in Black Peace Vigil - Every Fri. Protest the occupations in Iraq and Palestine, and the use of war, violence, and terrorism everywhere. Everyone welcome, please wear black & maintain a peaceful presence. 5 - 6 pm. Corner of Euclid and Speedway, Tucson. Free. (407-1432)

Monthly Meeting - District 17 Democrats - Pyle Center
When: second Tuesday of every month, 6:30 PM
Where: 655 E Southern Ave, Tempe, AZ

Northeast Phoenix Women in Blue
Monthly at 6:30 PM on the second Monday of each month at The Market Place, 777 Thunderbird, Phoenix

District 20 Democrats Meeting
Monthly at 7:00 PM on the second Monday of each month at the Ahwatukee Fire House

For more info go here: http://ld20.maricopademocrats.org/

Distroct 10 Democrats Meeting
Monthly at 7:00 PM on the first Thursday of each month at the Denny's at I17 & Dunlap

Greater Phoenix - IMPEACH BUSH/CHENEY
Meet nearby Activists working together towards the goal of the Impeach Bush (and Cheney)! Come to an Impeach Meetup to join their appeal to Congress to impeach George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for high crimes and misdemeanors. For more info, sign up here.


And for those who are interested in combining social events and politics, here are the Drinking Liberaly events in Arizona:

Flagstaff, Arizona
* Second Thursday of each month, 6:00-8:00 pm
* Bigfoot Bar-B-Q, 120 N Leroux St (basement of Old Town Shops)
* Hosted by Andy Stevenson and George Castleberry, flagstaff (at) drinkingliberally.org

Phoenix
* Every other Thursday, 5:30-9:00 pm
* Rosie McCaffrey's Irish Pub, 906 E Camelback Rd (9th St & Cameback on the North Side)
* http://www.rosiemccaffreys.com/index.htm
* Hosted by Stuart Dollar, phoenix (at) drinkingliberally.org

Scottsdale
* First Saturday of each month, 5:30 to 8:30
* Epicurean Wine Bar, 7101 E Thunderbird Rd (Southwest corner of Scottsdale Rd & T'bird)
* On T'bird at the west end of the retail area. It's tucked away and not hugely visible from the road.
* Starting in February, we will be meeting the first Saturday of each month.
* Please join us for a quick drink or the entire evening as we unite in promoting democracy one pint at a time! Cheers!!!
* Hosted by Vicki Billing, Susan Fletcher and Maureen Young, scottsdale (at) drinkingliberally.org

Tucson, Arizona
* Every Thursday, 6:00 pm onward
* The Shanty, 401 E 9th St (Fourth Ave. at the underpass)
* Please visit our chapter's web site for schedules, book club info, and more: http://arizona.typepad.com/drinkingliberally
* Hosted by Michael Bryan, Tasha Nelson and Shasta McManus, tucson (at) drinkingliberally.org