A survey of American democracy

From San Francisco Chronicle  |  Nothing to fear but democracy itself  |  by John Diaz  |  August 3, 2008

Democracy and change can be scary. But they are scariest to those in power who derive their power from suppressing change by any means necessary.

From New America Foundation  |  Internet wasn't real hero of Egypt  |  by Rebecca MacKinnon  |  February 14, 2011

Wael Ghonim, the Google executive whose anonymous online activism helped bring people into the streets for those fateful protests on January 25, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that "the revolution started on Facebook," and "if you want to liberate a society just give them the Internet."

Ghonim is modest. He rejects the label of "hero" and prefers to deflect credit to others. But let's be clear: He and hundreds of thousands of other Egyptians are the heroes, whether they were inspired to join the protests in Tahrir Square in the new way through Twitter or the old-fashioned way thorough their neighbors and co-workers.

From The Heritage Foundation  |  How the Internet is Strengthening Democracy  |  by Israel Ortega  |  May 10, 2010

Of course, members of Congress and politicians will continue enacting public policies, whether they hear from us or not. Consequently, it is up to us to seize the endless possibilities of the Internet and technology to influence public policy.

If we are to ensure that future generations can reap the benefits of prosperity and technology, we cannot afford to stand on the sidelines as history is being made.

From Democracy  |  Democracy  |  by Michael Waldman  |  Issue #11, Winter 2009

The key is to press for bold reforms that tap the participatory spirit of the age. Far too often, democracy reforms bog down in technical arcana, tangled in acronyms and technical fixes. Nobody ever marched for sound election administration; they have marched for democracy, and can do so again. Reforms cannot be expected to purify politics, to “clean up Congress” or impose rational order on a necessarily messy political system. Rather, all the reforms should point in the same direction: more participation, especially designed to boost the voices of those who are too often drowned out. ...

Barack Obama enters office burdened with rare high expectations, at a time when the economy is reeling, and there is little money for immediate spending on other priorities. He could push for reforms that would institutionalize the surge of voters and small contributors that brought him to the White House. If he does, he will change the country, and usher in a new era of democratic aspiration and energy. Once again, as so often in the country’s past, democracy itself will be at the center of our politics, where it belongs.

Democracy is degraded by the passing of a regressive North Carolina electoral law

From The Voting News | Election Bills give 2012 edge to GOP in North Carolina | NewsObserver.com | May 22, 2011

All of these efforts are likely to hurt Democ­rats more than Repub­li­cans, said Mike­Mu­nger, a polit­i­cal sci­ence pro­fes­sor at Duke Uni­ver­sity, who was also the Lib­er­tar­ian Party’s can­di­date for gov­er­nor in 2008.

“It’s safe to say that if any­body ben­e­fited, it was the Democ­rats,” Munger said of early vot­ing. “I did a fair amount of cam­paign­ing at early-voting sta­tions, and I watched the buses pull up, and I watched peo­ple hand out pieces of paper explain­ing how to vote Demo­c­rat. I didn’t see any Repub­li­cans doing that. That is what pol­i­tics is about. Pol­i­tics is about mobi­liz­ing your peo­ple. The Obama cam­paign was bril­liant at that.

“This is some­thing Democ­rats did very well,” Munger added. “This is the Repub­li­cans respond­ing to make it a lit­tle bit harder to do that.”

Is it ethical for elected officials to legislate a bill giving them an advantage in future electoral campaigns?  No-- it is a conflict-of-interest.  Yet, this is exactly what a political party's member legislators did in the State of North Carolina.

ALSO, it is regressive democracy for elected officials to pass laws that degrade candidates' freedoms to productively conduct election campaigns.  This is one more systematic roadblock for candidates for office, especially the third/ minor party and Independent candidates.

The democratic tool of citizen petitioning in the US is under increasing attacks by politicians and special interests

From a Citizens in Charge article, which offers reader commenting-- for details and a cartoon video please see the entire article.

"The right to petition laws and state constitutional amendments onto the ballot gives the voters a critical check on unresponsive elected officials. Powerful politicians fear the citizen initiative because voters may restrain their power; big business groups and powerful labor unions fear the initiative process because voters threaten their grip on state capitols. Legislators on both sides of the aisle sponsor “reform” bills that do nothing but restrict the rights of citizens, and special interests are more than happy to cheer the attacks on by supplying misinformation "

Remember, "voting turnout and activism means spreading the word!"

The USA democracy debate over felon voting reform falls on partisan lines

From a Death and Taxes article, which offers reader commenting -- for details, please read the entire article.

"The debate over felon voting reform could easily be dissected into a bipartisan matter. Governors Branstad and Scott as well as the other officials supportive of increased felon disenfranchisement are all Republicans, and many critics claim the GOP wants to cut down on a population more loyal to the Democrats.

“This is about stealing elections and hurting individuals’ chances of starting over after prison. If felons had had the franchise in Florida back in 2000, over a million more people would have been eligible to vote, the election would not have been close enough for the Supreme Court to give it to Bush,” Ohio lawyer Ken Lumpkin told the Cleveland Leader.

And, yes, reform opponents do tend to invoke right-wing rhetoric to plead their case."

Thanks to The Sentencing Project for the news.

Remember, "voting turnout and activism means spreading the word!"

A history on democracy and representation concerning the citizens of Washington, DC (District of Columbia)

From a New York Times article, which includes reader comments --- for details, please read the entire article.

"On March 29, 1961, the states completed ratification of the 23rd Amendment, which gave residents of the District of Columbia the right to vote in presidential elections. The anniversary is worth remembering, both because the amendment was an important step toward full political equality for citizens of the nation’s capital and because it was frustratingly incomplete.

A half-century later, the District of Columbia’s population, estimated in the new census at 601,723, is larger than Wyoming’s and only slightly smaller than Vermont’s. Yet Washingtonians still have no meaningful voice in Congress and lack full authority over their own affairs.

Washington is an undemocratic anomaly, despite the grand ideals of equal rights carved into the city’s stone monuments. Its second-class citizenship is a legacy of racial injustice and, more recently, partisanship in Congress."

A history of the state of democracy for the permanent residents of Washington, D.C.

Thanks to @blackvoices on Twitter for the story.

Remember, "voting turnout and activism means spreading the word!"

Plutocracy in this nation is an ungrateful bastard to us, we, the people

From a Constitutional Accountability Center PAY 2 PLAY article, which offers reader commenting -- for details, please read the entire article.

"As our country migrates from democracy to plutocracy, we more and more see tax cuts for the wealthy few, tax breaks and subsidies for the big corporations that operate as fronts for those wealthy few, and budget cuts for the things We, the People (government) do to empower and protect each other. Just a few weeks ago we watched as an extension of the Bush tax cuts and a huge cut in the estate tax rate was pushed through. Now we watch as the discussion turns to cuts in Social Security and the rest of the so-called 'safety net.'"

The rich and multinational corporations get free handouts, while most of we, the people of the USA pay taxes for the stuff.  Now Washington, DC doesn't want to touch our defense budget, yet is cutting already insufficient social programs.  This is a grave situation for a democracy.

Remember, "voting turnout and activism means spreading the word!"

A Democratic activist's cynical satire on the state of democracy in America

A Free Press opinion article from a political activist, who is disgusted at the state of America's democracy after voting on last November's General Election Day.

 Remember, "voting turnout and activism means spreading the word!"

Rock the Vote and National Education Association: First Annual Democracy Day is March 23rd

"Forty years ago, educators and students stood together and fought to give young adults the right to vote. In doing so, they amended the Constitution and empowered millions of American citizens to have a say in our democracy.  To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 26th Amendment, Rock the Vote, in partnership with the National Education Association, brings you the first annual Democracy Day.   We are kicking off Democracy Day on March 23, 2011, asking educators, principals, school support staff and community organizations nationwide to commit to teaching Rock the Vote’s Democracy Class lesson to students before the end of the school year."

Check out the entire website of http://www.democracyday.com/ 

See if your own school celebrates Democracy Day.


A hat tip to Rock the Vote.

View videos from "The Next Democracy" event

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Government reform orgs. deliver news on major events within their areas of expertise.
From: The Brennan Center for Justice

The Next Democracy

We wanted to let you know about a remarkable gathering we convened last month at White Oak Conservation Center in Florida. "The Next Democracy" brought together leading thinkers, activists and government officials to envision a 21st Century democracy, and what we need to do to get there.

We are posting video interviews with some of the participants on our website -- Rick Hertzberg of the New Yorker, Anna Burger of SEIU, Elaine Kamarck of Harvard, Dahlia Lithwick of Slate.com, Christopher Edley, Jr. of Berkeley law school, and others.

>>Please click here to check out these and other interviews.

At its core, the economic crisis is a political crisis. It stems from years of weak participation, money-drenched politics and a retreat from the rule of law. To solve our problems will require more than policy victories. We must make sure to use this moment to revitalize our democracy and our broken government, so we don't face another crisis like this. We need fresh thinking and new energy.

At The Next Democracy, we discussed voter registration modernization to add every eligible citizen to the rolls ... exciting new campaign finance reforms that boost the impact of small donors through matching funds ... redistricting reform to assure accountability and avoid partisan gerrymandering ... National Popular Vote to end the Electoral College ... the Employee Free Choice Act and other steps to empower workers ... ways to widen national service and expand civic literacy ... and more.

We didn't all agree on all these issues, of course, but we left with palpable excitement about the idea that this moment of great challenge for the country will be one of those times when we once again widen the circle of democracy.

Again, please click here to check out these illuminating interviews, and the rest of our website.

Best regards,
Michael Waldman Executive Director
Brennan Center for Justice
at NYU School of Law
New York, NY


Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law 161 Avenue of the Americas, 12th Floor New York, NY 10013 212.998.6730 phone 212.995.4550 fax brennancenter@nyu.edu


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"Privatizing Democracy: Promoting Election Integrity Through Procurement Contracts"

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From: Jennifer Nou

Forthcoming in the Yale Law Journal is an article titled "Privatizing Democracy: Promoting Election Integrity Through Procurement Contracts," about voting machine reform. It is authored by Jennifer Nou. A copy of it is available here: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1340817.

Abstract
Voting machine failures continue to plague American elections. These failures have fueled the growing sense that private machine manufacturers must be held accountable. This Note argues that, because legitimacy externalities and resource disparities across election jurisdictions pose persistent threats to electoral integrity, meaningful accountability will require greater federal oversight. This oversight must take into account the unique nature of the public-private partnership that defines this nation's system of election administration. This Note thus proposes an amendment to the Help America Vote Act of 2002, which would condition federal funds on state procurement contracts. These procurement contracts would mandate performance-based requirements for vendors to supply the means with which to verify votes cast. Such contracts should not only have third-party beneficiary enforcement mechanisms, but also override the doctrine of trade secrecy invoked by manufacturers to prevent software disclosure.


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President Obama signs Memoranda for more openness and transparency in the executive branch

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From: Washington Post

New Obama Orders on Transparency, FOIA Requests

In a move that pleased good government groups and some journalists, President Obama issued new orders today designed to improve the federal government's openness and transparency. The first memo instructs all agencies and departments to "adopt a presumption in favor" of Freedom of Information Act requests, while the second memo orders the director of the Office of Management and Budget to issue recommendations on making the federal government more transparent.

"The Government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears," Obama said in the FOIA memo, adding later that "In responding to requests under the FOIA, executive branch agencies (agencies) should act promptly and in a spirit of cooperation, recognizing that such agencies are servants of the public."

His memo on government transparency states that the Obama Administration "will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government." The order directs the yet-to-be-named chief technology officer to work with the OMB director to develop an "Open Government Directive" in the next four months.

Just in case new OMB director Peter R. Orszag needs any suggestions, the Sunlight Foundation -- a group dedicated to improving government transparency -- has several.

"I’m pretty damn pleased that the issue of transparency in government is such a high priority for the new administration," said director Ellen Miller. Each agency should do an audit of its information and data how it makes it available, Miller said. The administration should also redefine the definition of "public information" to mean that government information is not public until it is posted online in an easy-to-download format.

"The devil is in the details," Miller cautions, noting that the new new memos and executive orders had not been posted on the new White House Web site by late afternoon Wednesday.

Obama today also froze the salaries of senior White House staffers and issued executive orders on presidential records and new ethics guidelines for presidential appointees.

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Blog Action Day: Make a difference for poverty regions of the U.S. this Election Day

This upcoming November 4th, 2008, a Tuesday, voters from all across the country will cast their ballots at the polling places for their favorite candidates. Even though we Americans have liked to think we have the best democracy in the world, there will be many problems experienced that day in some areas, such as voter disenfranchisement, poor resources and training of poll workers, and poor management of ballots. However, there are things we all can do to help.

We all know that the present political system in the USA is dominated by only two parties: the Democrats and the Republicans. In this winner-take-all electoral system, the battle between the two party nominees become increasingly heated as General Election Day nears. Big money ad campaigns from independent groups have at times been devastating so close to Nov. 4th. In particular, the Republican Party's activists have misled potential voters in poverty-stricken areas, and both parties' members and non-members alike have vandalized and stolen campaign signs. It is clear that a non-partisan election head official for each state- the Secretary of State- should preside during this time and election day. Let us tell our state representatives we need Secretaries of State not endorsed by any political party.

This year, we all will experience a large increase in voter turnout when compared to previous General Election Days. Polling stations, particularly some in low income regions, experience long lines of voters and sometimes poorly-trained poll workers, due to a lack of necessary resources in money and manpower. There is still time, however, to become a trained poll worker and get paid for your busy day on Nov. 4th- please visit Pollworkers for Democracy for instructions on how you can help.

On recent General Election Days, we have seen mismanagement of filled voter ballots in some states- particularly in 'swing' states where the vote between the two leading candidates was very close. The movement of the ballots to county headquarters had human errors. The conduct of actually counting the ballots lacked training and oversight. You can, however, help by volunteering to count the ballots or be a poll watcher. Election Defense Alliance (ballot-counting) and your local elections office (poll watching) can describe these duties and show how you can participate.

Low-income and poverty-stricken regions have experienced these and more problems and challenges in recent elections. It is all Americans', and especially civic-minded Secretaries of State and political party members' duty to see that fairness in allocation of resources and trained poll workers is experienced in all regions of the country. With the help of poll workers and volunteers this upcoming General Election Day, Tuesday, November 4, 2008, we can enjoy a more productive and pleasant voting experience for low-income citizens and everyone involved.


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• Act on your legal rights as voters with the Voting Rights Enforcement Project
• Free 2008 Voter's Self Defense Manuals from Project Vote Smart

Four reforms for stronger, more competitive democracy

The President delivers the annual
State of the Union Address in the
House chamber.
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From: Campaign Legal Center

Our Democracy Is Stronger With More Competition

Posted October 9, 2008 by Meredith McGehee
The following opinion piece was published in Roll Call today.

We are just days away from the end of one of the most exciting presidential races in a generation. It is the first open-seat race in more than 50 years, one with no presidential or vice presidential incumbent running, and one where the primaries mattered long past Super Tuesday. There is an unsettling sense of mystery, anxiety and urgency running across America.

This race is like a roller coaster, making us want to scream at the top of our lungs, yet thrilling us at the same time. At times, many of us, particularly in battleground states, have wanted it to end, but will we be sad when it’s over? Could the American people really take it if elections were always like this?

What is causing this nerve-wracking exhaustion — this fear, this rush?

It is something so rare in American politics that we may not even recognize it. It’s called competition. Real, adrenaline-charged competition. Don’t-know-the- outcome competition. Power-up-for-grabs competition. And it’s kinda fun for a change.

But why is real political competition so scarce in a democracy? How did competition — which is supposed to be the American way — become the exception and not the rule? Competition is supposed to be our democratic system’s way of holding our elected representatives accountable. Where did we go wrong and what can we do about it?

Instead of the usual 90 percent- plus re-election rate for incumbents, can we imagine actually having a sense of competition for Congressional races? Can we imagine, instead of the ever-growing spectacle of money grubbing, a competition of ideas? An incumbent’s biggest worry these days is often from the fringes of his or her own party in the primary election. The result has been increased polarization on Capitol Hill, where the aisle dividing Democrats from Republicans has become a veritable no man’s land to be crossed at one’s political peril.

It should not be this way, and our democracy is weaker because of it. Competition must be and can be re-injected into American politics without running afoul of the Constitution. The Supreme Court, at least to date, has rejected the notion that increasing competition is a constitutionally insufficient grounds for upholding some proposed reforms. But there are means by which we can rescue our system from the scorched-earth partisanship prevailing today without running afoul of the high court:

Update the presidential public financing system. Don’t let the 2008 presidential election fool you into believing the next elections will be as hard-fought and as unpredictable as this one. This open-seat race is indeed unique. The odds of non-incumbent challengers being able to raise sufficient funds to run a competitive race against an incumbent president or vice president are getting longer. And the bigger the budget, the more candidates end up beholden to their large contributors and especially their large bundlers. Election to the most powerful political office in the world should be determined by an individual’s character and ideas, not by an ability to raise the most money and thus become the most indebted to donors.

Implement redistricting reforms at the state and federal levels. Politicians should not be allowed to choose their voters instead of voters choosing their politicians. But that is the system we have for most state and federal races. Competitive races are the exception and not the rule. Even in the political perfect storm of the 2006 cycle, a mere 14 percent of House elections were decided by 10 points or less. Challenges are more likely to come from the fringes of one’s own party than from the other party, only feeding the polarization on Capitol Hill. Promoting reforms like independent redistricting commissions and increased transparency of the process are vital to easing the gridlock. But two bills to address the issue, introduced more than a year ago, can’t even get subcommittee hearings.

Use the publicly owned broadcast airwaves to promote political discourse. Most Americans don’t even realize that the airwaves used by television broadcasters are public property and that these broadcasters are given licenses for free to use those airwaves. Over the past 20-plus years, policy makers in Congress and at the Federal Communications Commission have allowed the broadcasting industry to decide for themselves how to fulfill their public-interest obligations and “pay” the American people for the airwaves they are using to make billions of dollars. We need to create a system that allows viable candidates to earn access to the publicly owned broadcast airwaves so they can communicate with voters without undue dependence on big contributors.

Enact a new system of financing Congressional races. Even in the 2006 elections, which saw both chambers change hands, not even two dozen House incumbents were defeated in the general election and not a single one of them was a Democrat. Some districts have become so safe that even scandals and indictments cannot dislodge the incumbents. We need a system that at its core prevents corruption and the appearance of corruption, and that will also foster increased competition in order to increase accountability. A model that includes a mix of private and public money with voluntary participation is a good place to start.

Of course, passing any significant change to make Congressional elections more competitive will face a barrier even steeper than the Supreme Court: overcoming the resistance of the incumbents who like the current system and their own safe seat just fine.

But the stubborn resistance to change inside the Beltway should not be the death knell for reforms. American voters are getting a taste of competition in this election, and all indications are that we like the feeling that we have choices and that our voices matter. It is not too much to ask in a democracy that competition be the rule and not the exception.

Meredith McGehee is policy director of the Campaign Legal Center and also heads McGehee Strategies, a public-interest consulting business.


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Reminders on registering to vote

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From: FairVote

Reminder on Voter Registration Deadlines

That a quarter of Americans are not registered to vote as state deadlines approach points to value of universal voter registration

We are only halfway through the presidential debate season, yet by Tuesday — fully four weeks before the general election — about half of unregistered Americans will no longer be able to register to vote. As a nation, we lag far behind nearly every other well—established nation with voter registration, with more than a quarter of eligible voters not registered to vote. If every registered voter participated this November, we still would be low in the rankings in international voter participation.

So please, make sure you are registered to vote and make sure your friends are registered. Do not assume — verify!

More broadly, it is time for us to join the full democratic world where the government and citizen both take responsibility for ensuring that every eligible voter is registered — and only registered once. FairVote is pioneering proposals to ensure all young people are registered before reaching voting age, and is collaborating with organizations like the Brennan Center for Justice and the New America Foundation on ensuring every eligible voter has the tools to participate in their democracy.

Voter Registration Resources:

• Rock the Vote guide to voter registration [HERE]
• Google guide to voter registration and polling place locations [HERE]
• FairVote talking points, sample letters and reports on voter registration, focused in particular on ways to register all young people reaching voting age: [HERE]
• The Brennan Center for Justice draft policy proposal on universal registration [HERE]

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Tell Sen. Graham and Rep. Emanuel to make public the Commission on Presidential Debates contract

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From: Open Debates

Open Debates Action Alert

Dear Open Debates Supporters:

The Commission on Presidential Debates, which was created by the Republican and Democratic parties, still refuses to make public the contract negotiated by the Obama and McCain campaigns that will govern our presidential debates. This lack of transparency is unacceptable. It is time to take action.

Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) of the McCain campaign and Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) of the Obama campaign directly negotiated the secret contract that will dictate the terms of the upcoming presidential debates.

PLEASE CALL the offices of Sen. Graham and Rep. Emanuel and demand that they make public the debate contract. They are elected officials who are obligated to serve the interests of the voting public:

Phone number of the Office of Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC): 202-224-5972 Phone number of the Office of Rahm Emanuel (D-IL): 202-225-4061

Also, PLEASE CALL the Commission on Presidential Debates and demand that it makes public the debate contract. The Commission claims that its mission is to “provide the best possible information to viewers and listeners.” Hold them accountable to their mission.

Phone number of the Commission on Presidential Debates: 202-872-1020

Please let us know what happens.

Open Debates is teaming up with nine other pro-democracy organizations to issue the following press release today demanding the release of the debate contract: http://www.opendebates.org/makecontractpublic.html

Additionally, you can hear Open Debates Executive Director George Farah on the radio show “CounterSpin” at the following link: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3610

Thank you for all your support!

-- Open Debates Team


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Bipartisan domestic tyranny propels greed driven plutocracy

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From: Progress Report

Poisonous Plutocracy Pushes Economic Inequality

[...] In 2009, Americans who make over $1 million a year will save an average $32,000 from the Bush tax cuts on capital gains and dividends. The average American household will save $20.

Between 1986 and 2005, the income of America's top 1 percent of taxpayer jumped from 11.3 to 21.2 percent of the national total. Their federal income taxes dropped from 33.13 percent of total personal income in 1986 to 23.13 percent in 2005. From 2001 to 2008, the net worth of the wealthiest 1 percent grew from $186 billion to $816 billion.

Economic inequality and injustice reflect a political disaster, even with regular elections. It has resulted from government decisions on tax cuts, spending, trade agreements, deregulatory measures, labor unions, corporate handouts, and regulatory enforcement. All crafted to benefit the rich and powerful and leave the rest of us behind. It has happened under Democratic and Republican presidencies and congresses. Bipartisan domestic tyranny propels greed driven plutocracy.

What do we desperately need? A national discussion and referendum on inequality-pumping plutocracy, that none of the major presidential candidates shows any interest in having. Certainly not Barack Obama with his vacuous talk of change (but not about the political system) and John McCain's incredulous talk of reform. [...]

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.

The importance of Election Day

Please, people, reserve your final judgements of all of our candidates until General Election Day. It is not healthy in a democracy to claim victory or trash candidates prematurely, as it corrupts the decision making process of more considerate voters. Take, for example, these blog comments from a July, 2007 Marc Ambinder (Atlantic Monthly) blog post:

Who would want a clueless person like McCain to run the country? Perhaps McCain should ask illegal immigrants to donate money and provide marches to support him.

Posted by Mark | July 16, 2007 5:14 PM

It is absolutely ironic that in 2004, McCain was identified as the middle-of-the-road, "thinking man's" Republican. Even more so, he was the iconic war hero and the anti-Bush. Four years later he's so closely identified with Bush, he seems like a fawning protege, and he's sinking in his mentor's leaky and rudderless boat. What a political moron he is. Thank god he has no chance of being President, and that both of these incompetent men will be gone from public service in 18 months.

Posted by marci | July 16, 2007 6:10 PM

Well, you know the old adage about lipstick and pigs. Truth is that it doesn't matter who puts the lipstick on the pig, or who tells the media about the pig wearing the lipstick, in the end all you have is a pig.

The problem is the candidate, his lack of appeal to the republican party, and a media that has stopped covering him as he "tries" to discover his republican soul.

The formal announcement will come before Xmas that the pig is out.

Posted by bob's your uncle | July 16, 2007 6:13 PM

Poor McCain, He's very wrong on both issues. The war in Iraq and the illegal alien invasion. How can he be so wrong? He's certainly way out of touch with Americans. It's a funeral for his ambitions.

Posted by ed | July 16, 2007 6:32 PM

C'mon Mc Cain, drink the kool-aid and give your campaign cash to Fred T. Sooner the better!!

Posted by David [no relation] | July 16, 2007 6:53 PM

These types of statements prematurely paint candidates still on the campaign trail; and, they have in the past disqualified third party candidates early on, especially those who had serious and unique issue positions.

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Celebrate June 14th, Flag Day

On this special day that goes back many years in our storied history, I'd like to share with you a post from another blog of yours truly, called Understated Priorities.

The flag of the United States has not been created by rhetorical sentences in declarations of independence and in bills of rights. It has been created by the experience of a great people, and nothing is written upon it that has not been written by their life. It is the embodiment, not of a sentiment, but of a history.

Woodrow Wilson, 28th U.S. President

June 14th is Flag Day in the USA. Many of us fly our flag in support of our nation and the troops that fight to protect us all. The American Flag is the symbol of the “Great Experiment” of democracy, a politics that has evolved to represent the great country we citizens are very proud of. For us it is not just a flag, it is the spirit behind America.

Open up our democracy for more voter choices during election day

This is Bloggers Unite for Human Rights Day. Of course, human rights is a fundamental issue for people around the world every single day. It's a privilege to share with you All Things Reform's concerns in this particular day and age.

Democracy is very important in a nation's electoral process. Here, in the United States, the political system is dominated by only two parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. We must open up our democracy to allow more voices for citizen consideration during the primaries and on general election day.

Presently, for example, the presidential race is basically only between our two major political parties. In a couple of the latest several general elections, third party candidacies have influenced voting outcomes: Independent Ross Perot in 1992 and Green Party nominee Ralph Nader in 2000. The two-party-dominated electoral politics rendered these powerful candidacies weak, yet even they influenced the winner-take-all electoral system's results.

Our electoral system must allow more eligible candidacies from outside the Democratic and Republican parties a prominent place during election season. Effective solutions include general election ballot access in the states, Instant Runoff Voting, voluntary public financing of elections and Proportional Representation.

When the voter during election season contemplates the candidates in the various races, they must not be pressured into considering only the two philosophies of the major parties. More choice is good for the democratic process, for the people and for a vibrant republic.

For further information on electoral reform, please visit FairVote, at http://www.fairvote.org/.

Claim Democracy Coalition hosts Democracy Day Thursday Jun 5, 2008 in Minneapolis MN

The Claim Democracy Coalition will be hosting "Democracy Day" on Thursday, June 5, 2008, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It coincides with The National Conference for Media Reform, to be held Jun 6- 8 and hosted by Free Press.

As stated on the Democracy Day conference web site, its mission is:

Scheduled the day before the National Conference on Media Reform, Democracy Day is a major conference designed to build support among voting rights advocates, electoral reformers and movement organizations for a broader vision of democracy – one based on elections with universal and secure access to the polls, expanded ballot choices and public financing, on government with proportional representation and transparency and on local, state, and national institutions that engage and empower Americans between elections. Working closely with Liberty Tree, Public Campaign, Free Press and Common Cause, FairVote is organizing the conference.

Hundreds of pro-democracy activists and experts are anticipating information, action and involvement in this one-day event; you are invited to join! All of the details, including hotel accomodations, can be found via its dedicated web site.