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St. Louis IMC is down so there are very few details but according to a portland indymedia reporter in St. Louis both David Cobb (Green Party) and Michael Badnarik (Libertarian Party) demanded to be let into the debates. After marching to the front of the University they faced off against the riot cops and it was reported that they pushed their way through the police line and were promptly arrested.
related: [ Green party Press Release on Cobb Arrest ]
I can't believe how Kerry missed a sterling change to blow George W. Bush out of the water in his rebuttal to the last question asked. Bush gave Kerry an opening wide enough to drive a platoon of Humvees through and he didn't take it.
When the last Missouri guest asked Bush if he would name three instances in which he felt he made a mistake in judgment and why, his response made it perfectly clear that he regretted nothing . . . apologized for nothing . . . would have done nothing differently except for "several appointments" of people whose names he would not divulge. What that translated to was: "I do not belive I've made any mistakes and the only mistakes I made was in giving responsibility to people who failed me." Once again, he showed an arrogant, oblivious nature and when asked to define failure, diverted it to unnamed appointees who he could blame in anonymity. previous debate coverage: [ Posters to indymedia share their thoughts on the pResidential Debate (Sept. 30) | Edwards survives--and that's saying something (Oct. 6) ]
I noticed that the cable news channels were even re-airing the debate later on last night. There's good reason for that, too. As careful as Bush & Co. have been, some things still do slip out, and usually out of Cheney's mouth, that should embarass his co-workers and frighten everybody else. And besides that, people just like looking at John Edwards--he's the father, brother, son, etc...that everybody wishes they had, and listening to him speak, one begins to fall into a dreamy trance... On the other hand, I was impressed by the way Cheney threatened the use of biological or nuclear weapons in a big city, twice. I mean warned, not threatened. He was warning us of the threat, which he said was very "real." And he should know too, because he's on top of all that. Now that Osama is cornered in a 40 sq. mile part of SE Afghanistan, the threat is worse than ever, apparently. [ Cheney Refers Viewers to George Soro's Anti-Bush Site | Vice Presidential Debate By The Numbers ]
For example, there's a 58-year-old woman in Portland who collected signatures for us. She went back home and cooked dinner for her grandchildren and there was a knock on the door. A man and woman appeared, well dressed, to inform her, if there were fraudulent signatures on her petition, she can be prosecuted and sent to jail for three years. That kind of intimidation knocked out 30 signature gatherers just in the Portland, Oregon, area...
The labor movement won't even make the Democratic Party take a stand to repeal Taft-Hartley [Labor Act], the 1947 law that has squelched tens of millions of workers from forming labor unions. This -- it's over. We have to start new. We have to reach out and organize the political and civic energies of the American people. We have these conferences by Robert Borosage and others in Washington, their progressive agenda for America. They're thumb-suckers. They don't organize. There's no social justice movement in this country. It's not preceded by field organizers. Whether it was civil rights, farmer populist or labor or whatever. There's a decadence to the liberal intelligentsia that we have been privileged this year to highlight and make visible because we drew it out. And by stressing the Democratic Party, the pus and the mucus of the political bigotry trying to keep us off the ballot and deny millions of voters an opportunity to vote for us is also coming out... So, then they'll come back in a year and start complaining, oh, oh, this party, oh, the White House, so terrible on the environment, caving in to the coal companies and the nuclear and not doing anything about biotech or WTO or NAFTA. How many times do they have to be betrayed? You can forgive them if they're under 30. They have not been betrayed enough, but people -- my peer group going like that? There's no end to the lowering of their expectation level. The least-worsters have no end logic to their attitude. Because every four years until the end of kingdom come, there will be a least-worst party in America. They have no end, in 2008, 2012. And every four years, both parties get worse and they make no demands. If you are going to go for least worst, at least pull the least of the worst in your direction. They don't even have the courage of their convictions to stand tall, and to say they have wimped out is truly an understatement. And it's a tragedy because they're very bright, and they fought a lot of good fights in the old days. They have either run out of gas, or they have lost their self-respect. Ralph Nader in Eugene this Sunday
Having attended Green Party candidate, David Cobb's news conference, I am totally convinced he is the answer for America. Cobb spoke downtown, answering questions from 3 media reporters and the public. The Green Party is the fastest growing party in America. He stressed the importance of IRV voting and proportional representation. A vote for the Greens is to invest in our future. People are beholden to the corporate "fatcats" of both the Democrat and Republican parties. Even though Kerry is better than Bush, don't waste your vote for Kerry. (ABB anybody but Bush theory) Kerry is a corporatist and militarist. We have no democracy.
[ VoteCobb.org ]
The Portland Alliance hosted what appeared to be a great set of speakers, but as usual, the "lesser of two evils" logic and the everpresent "Anybody but Bush" mantra was the centerpiece of the points being driven home. I was very disappointed! But I will concede that I am exceptionally irritated by those who propagate the lesser of two evils logic, so take my review of the evening with a grain of salt!
Whether it was Michael Moore, Greg Palast, Chris Novolselic, Thom Hartman, Norman Solomon, Daniel Ellsburg, and YES! even Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn, the reoccurring theme (almost like a Karl Rove induced repetitive Buddhist chant) is we must get George W. Bush out of office and it doesn't matter who replaces him. (aka Anybody but Bush!) Norman Solomon was as predictable as he was arrogant... [ Other articles by StevetheGreen ]
So the first debate is history and even with all of the constraints placed upon it by the two parties, it t'warn't half bad. Bush was alternately defensive and pompous, seemed to be searching for words at times, at other times stringing out his answers to fill time or suddenly closing his mouth with time left on the clock. At one point, when he had plenty of time left, he inexplicably said, "LET ME FINISH!" I know he's not a short man, but he seemed short this evening, hunching over the podium even though the split screen boxes on the channel I watched put him at a higher level than Kerry. On the other hand, Kerry was well spoken, tall and cool, far more presidential looking. More reader comments on the pResidential Debate
see also: [ Top 10 Secrets They Don't Want You to Know About the Debates | Faces Of George W. Bush | BushCo: Reflections On the First Debate (hillarious) | Bush was Wired in Debate ] [ pdx indymedia sElection 2004 coverage ]
On Friday, October 1st, Pat LaMarche, the Green Party's vice presidential candidate, is coming to Portland on her Left Out Tour, a two week, fourteen city journey across America. She has been sleeping in homeless shelters and on the streets to draw attention to those living on the edge of society. On the evening of October 1st, she will be staying at Dignity Village. At 4:00pm, on Friday, October 1st, we are meeting in Pioneer Courthouse Square to conduct a voter registration drive in honor of National Homeless and Low Income Voter Registration Week. Join Pat, Teresa Keane, our fabulous U.S. Senate candidate, and our fantastic candidates for the Oregon House of Representatives, Chuck Fall, Steve Geiger, and Curt Sommer! Homeless activists from Dignity Village have volunteered to help. Pat would be thrilled to see you helping too! Green Party wins American Muslim Alliance's Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz Malcolm X Award The award was given for "showing courage of conviction in upholding American ideals, for demonstrating total honesty and integrity in dealing with fellow American of all religions, colors and creeds and for doing the right thing at the right time and for the right reason," and was presented at the American Muslim Alliance's annual national convention, September 25, in Orlando, Florida. "Since September 11, 2001, the Bush administration and their Democratic co-conspirators have waged war on Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan and right here in the United States. They seem to think that 'liberating' people overseas means killing them and they think we are safer at home if we ignore or subvert our Constitutional guarantees of due process. It's time to wage peace overseas and repeal the 'Patriot' Act here in the U.S. By ending the occupation of Iraq and upholding the Constitution, we'll make the world and ourselves safer and more secure," said Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb. Related Articles: GREEN VP CANDIDATE RETURNS TO THE PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT OF HER YOUTH | GREEN VP CANDIDATE CHALLENGES CHENEY | PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES COBB & BADNARIK TO DEBATE IN MIAMI
45 new translated articles are now available at www.mbtranslations.com. These articles are antidotes to the phraseology and vagueness that often empty public discussions and presidential debates.
Don't hate the media, become the media. Marcos and the Zapatistas speak of one world where many worlds fit, a world where everyone has a place. Can we learn from the global south, from the poor of Chiapas, from the struggling people of Brazil and Venezuela, from the social market economy and the Canadian mosaic? Humility, self-criticism and interconnectedness open up a new world that is completely repressed by those captive to the system and its TINA (There is no alternative) mythology. May we finally put the horse before the cart and mend our own pockets before reducing countries to parking lots! May we face the contradictions and injustices in the market economy and not only decry the dangers of the planned economy! May hope and memory, fantasy and festivity, be welcome in a future-friendly world of peace and justice, not marginalized as troublemakers or "disturbers of the peace"! There are many and realistic alternatives that promote equality and justice where workers are more than cost-factors and nature is more than a free good, external or sink.
[On Sept. 22], the Oregon Supreme Court issued a decision removing Ralph Nader from the Oregon ballot. The Nader Campaign is taking steps to appeal the Oregon Supreme Court decision to the US Supreme Court.
In reaction to the decision Ralph Nader said: "This is a sad day for democracy in America. It is evident that our independent presidential campaign has greatly stressed a corrupt exclusionary system, and that the Democratic Party will stop at nothing to deny voters the opportunity to vote for our candidacy. They would rather limit voters' choices?in an attempt to force them to vote for a candidate they do not believe in and do not support or stay at home in disgust. The anti-democratic approach of the Democratic Party is weakening a democracy already rendered anemic." The Nader campaign will be arguing to the US Supreme Court that the Secretary of State's actions violated the rights of voters and circulators under the United States Constitution. Background: [ High court disqualifies Nader from ballot (9/22/04) | Democracy 1, Secretary of State 0: Nader restored to Oregon ballot; Judge rejects Bradbury's partisan interference (9/9/04) | Oregon Democrats sabotage nader...Again [re. OR Sec. of State keeping Nader off ballot] (9/3/04) | Nader Campaign Calls on Secretary of State to Respect Each Signature (8/24/04) | Nader Announces: We have the Signatures! (8/22/04) ] Big picture: [ Democrats Support Bush, Attack Nader; Show Where Their Loyalties Lie ]
Krist Novoselic (former bassist of Nirvana) appeared at a book signing last night at Powell's on Burnside to speak of needed electoral reforms and his new book "Of Grunge & Government: Let's Fix this Broken Democracy!" But it didn't take long for Chris to reveal his true allegiance, which was to be a shrill for the Democratic party.
Being a long time Nirvana fan (largely because they rejected everything corporate and did things the way they wanted to, rather than following the usual formula for monetary success in the music world), I was very happy to hear that one of my all-time favorite bands had someone who was advocating the type of electoral reforms that I see as being necessary if recapturing representative government will ever be possible in the "current bought and sold duopoly" that now reigns supreme in the United States. Krist began his talk by talking about his upbringing and how music introduced him to a whole new way of approaching the world. He advocated the need for instant runoff voting and proportional representation and went on to provide a plan for implementing these reforms through the creation of "super districts". He compared our Democratic framework to the hardware of a computer system and our electoral system to an "operating system" and went on to say that while our CPU is just fine, but we are using a operating system that can only be compared to 1980's DOS. But then a very strange thing happened. Krist began to stump for John Kerry.
The Honorable Paul J. Lipscomb, Presiding Judge of Marion County, today ordered the Secretary of State to "forthwith certify the Nader nomination as an independent candidate" for the November election.
The Court found that the Secretary of State made up "novel" rules for the purpose of applying them to the Nader Campaign. These "unwritten rules" which were "inconsistent" with the law and "not supported by the written administrative rules," and that such rules were "not applied either uniformly or consistently." The Courts specifically noted that the practice of directing the counties to withdraw signature sheets from consideration based on new criteria was unlawful, as was the Secretary's review of signatures which had already been verified as valid by the counties. related: [ Nader Restored To Oregon Ballot ]
Here in Oregon, the Democrats have shamelessly violated the spirit of democracy and possibly the law to prevent Ralph Nader from getting on the ballot. Not once, but twice. First by undermining efforts of Nader supporters to have a convention and gather 1000 signatures by stacking the event and refusing to sign and now by using political influence to invalidate thousands of signatures already accepted as valid by county election offices. An appeal has been filed by a group of Oregon voters.
This is in sharp contrast to how the Democrats are treating George Bush. The Democrats have helped change laws in 9 states to extend the filing deadline due to the lateness of the Republican Convention. The Democrats assisted Bush to get on the ballot on his own terms. States include Illinois, Oregon and Alabama. This shows the true nature of the 'two-party' system and how Democrats act as allies to Bush, rather than expose him as the lying, thieving, treasonous, Bill of Rights trampling, illegal usurper that he is. Meanwhile, it is the candidate who the Democrats are trying so hard to shut up who is rightfully calling for the impeachment of Bush. Related Articles: [ APPEAL OF SECRETARY OF STATE'S UNLAWFUL REJECTION OF NADER PETITIONS | Nader Campaign Calls on Secretary of State to Respect Each Signature | Nader campaign goes to court over Oregon ballot access | Bradbury says Nader fails to get on ballot | Nader: Evidence Supporting Impeachment Grows | Oregon Democrats sabotage nader...Again | Nader Crashes the GOP's Bash ]
Last Tuesday, 8/24/04, the Nader Campaign submitted more than 18K signatures, each of which had been individually validated by County Elections officials. This process included confirming that the signor was currently registered to vote in that county and comparing the actual signature on the sheet to the original signature of that voter as displayed on a computer screen.
Counterpunch has been critical of the Green Party and individually attacking Green activists here in Oregon. Here is one response about the inaccuracies in their articles.
Dear Jeffrey, Alex and Michael, Your article ("Situational Democracy: The Show Me the Green Party", August 27, 2004) contains many factual inaccuracies...
related: [ Greens at the Crossroads: Party Fights for its Future | What's up with Indymedia? ]
A nifty new interactive map put up by anti-Nader activists to "prove" that Nader is drawing more votes from Kerry than Bush actually "proves" just the opposite is true in Oregon. Nader has said all along this would probably start happening as election day draws near. But the real lesson is that dumbly comparing two-way-race and three-way-race poll data is no way to predict election outcomes, or to guide electoral strategy.
Nader today released through the Portland Campaign office this statement: "We are now confident that we have the signatures to qualify for the Oregon ballot. The county clerks and elections staff throughout Oregon have the important responsibility to finish the validation process in time for us to deliver the signatures to the Secretary of State on Tuesday at 5:00p.m." "We salute the efforts of those who have recruited additional staff and those who have worked overtime and on the weekends in order to assure that every signature is counted, as they have traditionally done. Their willingness to do what one county clerk called "whatever it takes" is enormously appreciated. By their professionalism, integrity and diligence, they safeguard the core of our democracy, which is nourished by more voices and choices." [ Oregon Nader campaign website ]
As many of the media savvy are now aware, there has been a new and savage attack on our campaign. This started last week as we received news from petition circulators, (both paid and volunteer), stating that they had gotten a letter in the mail from a law firm stating that they were "under investigation" for fraudulently filling out the petition form. As an example, one person "under investigation" was a lawyer that had just herself and her family sign. One elderly lady had two people show up at her house past 9 pm telling her that she was under investigation and that she might do jail time for not filling out her forms right. All of her forms were in compliance.
The reasons for this should be clear to any right-thinking individual, to intimidate and scare off potential circulators and smear the campaign. It has been somewhat successful. Some people have stopped gathering signatures when we need them the most. Using the word "fraud" would imply that the campaign was flooding the county offices with signatures that were not only false, but were engineered by the campaign. This is patently false. We know that under the Bradbury eye, we will get no breaks and that every signature will be scrutinized to the nth degree. In fact, Democrat observers have been at the Multnomah County offices for much of the time.
From a letter to Democratic Party chairman, Terry McAuliffe: "[Y]our false claims about inappropriate Republican support should not cloud the actions of your Party, its lobbyists, law firms and underlings... [W]e are very concerned about this nationwide effort to prevent voters from having a real choice. When I announced my candidacy, John Kerry said he would take my voters by taking my issues. Do you lack confidence in Senator Kerry? If you were confident in him, you would not be harassing, litigating and dirty tricking us from being on the ballot. You would not be trying to deny voters from making their own choices. "Your letter fails to disavow these actions. Do you support these dirty tricks?"
Jim Hightower appeared at the Baghdad on August 2, 2004, stumping for his latest book, "Let's Stop Beating Around the Bush." He delivered his characteristic fare, great wit, affable but biting sarcasm, astute political observations about current administration policies, as well as sound advice about how to deal with these "Thieves in High places," the title of his last book. This presentation skillfully mixed some of his previous material with fresh insights and information, but Hightowers message comes through loud and clear, as usual. It's up to the people themselves to protect and defend this Democracy from forces seeking to undermine it out of greed and stupidity.
related: [ Be grateful for Bush ]
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