2,319,258 Americans Behind Bars in 2008, Most of Any Nation

"For the first time in U.S. history, more than one in every 100 adults are in jail or prison, according to a new report documenting America’s rank as the world’s No. 1 incarcerator. It urges states to curtail corrections spending by placing fewer low-risk offenders behind bars."
One in 15 African-Americans are jailed in the US.

Recent Attacks on Obama

Obama dismisses right-wing 'unpatriotic' attack, only to get a xenophobic attack by Clinton.

Of course, the Republican attack is nothing new. But, the Clinton's campaign peddling pictures of Obama in Somalia--respecting their customs--is a new low.

Pakistan Addendum

For those wanting to keep up with the events in Pakistan I discovered a great little blog by Nobel Prize winner Adil Najam. It includes pictures, videos and biographies of Pakistan.

It was recently mentioned in the Boston Globe.

Should 16 Year Olds Vote?

After Super Tuesday, The New York Times (who I love more and more each day) rand this article: You’re 16, You’re Beautiful and You’re a Voter. It is a great article about raising expectations for our young people and the positive effects it can have on their civic participation and future. The article discusses more then just voting, including ways to phase in credit card use for younger people to avoid some of the issues of the exploitative lending policies on college campuses.

Wiretap blogged about this to. What do you think? I don't think it will happen right now, young people vote Democrat, and younger people's votes can be influenced by their parents, and too many people don't want either of those things to happen.

I think it might be a good idea. It is similar argument that I have made to lowering the drinking age in the past. I think we should be doing what we can to let people ease there way into adulthood, versus thrusting it upon them when they don't have the same support structure that they had in their early youth.

Also worth noting:

I added two new links today.

The Chedder Box The writings of an Asian American, Oakland California soldier who now resides in the Dirty South. He like politics, sports and entertainment, and provides a good insight into the social justice movement.

and

OhDang! Founded by Arjay Das, Zoneil Maharaj, Donna Tam, Brenda Tam and May Suen, OHDANG! is an independent webzine serving as an outlet and voice for today's urban culture. With a focus on arts, lifestyle and (sub)culture, combined with commentary and personal narratives, Their hope is to translate thier voices across cultural, racial, age and gender boundaries. Or something along those lines.

Both are fairly new webzines with a youth focused political edge. I encourage you to check them out when you get the chance.

Oprah may be a false prophet and sign of the end times.

So I received a forward today on Oprah, (I love my grandparents) and how she is a false prophet, and that is why she supporting Senator Obama for President.

Here is an excerpt:

RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND TODAY 2/18/2008

Oprah leads us where the end-time says we will go

"Oprah and Friends" to teach course on New Age Christ

This is very discouraging news to hear about one who has such tremendous influence on the general public.
Please ask God to show Oprah the real Jesus Christ.

Just to make sure this was true, I went on Oprah's web site and there it is.
The below article is very interesting, so I thought I would share.


Subject: Oprah joins false prophets Bible warned about

I have tried to read through this, and if nothing else, my grandparent's are going to lump this into false prophet category. Marianne Williamson did a show on Filmmaker Michael Moore's Spirituality

There is an article that the email references that you can read if you would like to see the body of the email. "Oprah and Friends" to teach course on New Age Christ

The email ends with:

It's not surprising at all that Oprah Winfrey is supporting Barak Obama!!!

Christians.....Take heed!!

And PLEASE pass this one on.....if you never forward anything else!

I don't write it, I just share it.

Florida Schools to Teach Evolution

Honest question. How many Florida schools do NOT teach evolution?

_______________

from the Miami Herald:


"For the first time ever, evolution is to be taught clearly and explicitly in Florida classrooms now that the state Board of Education approved a batch of new science standards Tuesday that mention the ''E'' word.

But there's a catch: The subject will be taught as ``the scientific theory of evolution"'"

"Religious advocates wanted more.

They proposed a so-called ''academic freedom'' amendment to counter what they say is the ''dogmatic'' tone of the standards that call evolution ''the fundamental concept underlying all of biology.'' The amendment would have given teachers explicit permission ``to engage students in a critical analysis of that evidence." "

A letter to Alice Germond from DNC Member Jon Ausman

&

20 February 2008

Honorable Alice Germond, Secretary
Democratic National Committee
430 South Capital Street, Southeast
Washington, D. C. 20003-4024

Dear Madame Secretary:

As Secretary of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) you are charged by the 2008 Delegate Selection Rules in Section 9.A (page ten) to

“officially confirm to each State Democratic Chair the names of the following unpledged delegates who legally reside in their respective state and who shall be recognized as part of their state’s delegation unless any such member has publicly expressed support for the election of, or has endorsed, a presidential candidate of another political party;

1. The individuals recognized as members of the DNC (as set forth in Article Three, Sections 2 and 3 of the Charter of the Democratic Party of the United States); and,…

3. All Democratic members of the United States House of Representatives and all Democratic members of the United States Senate; ….”

The Charter of the Democratic Party of the United States (DPUS) specifically mandates in Article Two, Section 4 (h)(iii)2) (page three) that the Democratic members of the United States Senate and Democratic members of the House of Representatives “shall” be delegates. Article Two, Section 4(h)(i) (page two) specifically mandates that all of the members of the Democratic National Committee “shall” serve as unpledged delegates.

The Charter of the DPUS is the superior document to any other adopted rules and regulations used by the DNC in the selection and/or regulation of delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The Charter specifically states in Article Ten, Section 3 (page nine) that:

“Each official body of the Democratic Party created under the authority of this Charter shall adopt and conduct its affairs in accordance with written rules, which rules shall be consistent with this Charter….”

Regardless of the vote taken by the DNC Rules and Bylaws regarding the delegate status of members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic members of the United States Senate and Democratic members of the United States House of Representatives, persons holding these positions are delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention and shall be “officially confirmed” by the Secretary of the DNC.

If the persons holding the above posts are not “officially confirmed” by the Secretary of the DNC then the Secretary of the DNC will have violated Charter provisions of the DPUS.

It would be my suggestion that you should fulfill your mandated role as Secretary of the DNC. If anyone objects let them file an appeal of your action since your action is required by the Charter of the DPUS.

I ask that you do not ignore your required, mandatory duty to “officially confirm” the delegate status of the persons holding the positions that the Charter states shall be delegates as the Charter is supreme over the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee.

By following your duties as mandated by the Charter you will be taking the first step to healing the breach created among the DPUS, the Florida Democratic Party and the Michigan Democratic Party.

In addition, once Florida and Michigan’s Democratic United State Senators, Democratic United States Representatives and DNC Members are recognized as delegates then I believe that both Florida and Michigan will be entitled to representation on the Democratic National Convention Credentials, Rules and Platform Committees.
With respect, I am,

Jon M. Ausman, Member
Democratic National Committee
Florida

B.C. Introduces Carbon Tax

This will be an interesting case study....you can read more here.

"B.C. Finance Minister Carole Taylor introduced an escalating carbon tax on most fossil fuels today, one she says is designed to ignite an environmental social movement in British Columbia and across Canada to fight climate change. Gasoline would go up an extra 2.4 cents a litre, rising to 7.24 cents per litre by 2012."

Big Change in Pakistan

Common Dreams
"The pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League trailed a distant third, and the party’s spokesman conceded defeat after the voters’ verdict but kept alive chances of joining a coalition."

International Herald Tribune
The Election Were Millions Stayed Away

from Al Jazeera:
PPP for Consensus Government
Ruling Party Concedes Loss

Kosovo Declares Independence

I have include several references because this is a very complicated situation. No matter what your views are on Kosovo's independence some of these articles provide a bit more information than you are going to get from watching CNN.

_______________________


Foreign Affairs Article:

"Summary: Given the atrocities they have suffered in the past and the autonomy they are enjoying now, Kosovo's Albanians will never accept continued Serbian sovereignty. The time has come to give them what they want -- independence."

The Independent

"The historic declaration of Kosovo's independence will be contained in a "We the People" speech delivered to the Serbian province's mainly ethnic Albanian majority who have yearned for this moment since the departure of Slobodan Milosevic's forces in 1999. The declaration could either lead to war or a peaceful route to future EU membership for both Kosovo and Serbia. And the question for Britain is: Will Kosovo prove to be a successful example of the Blair doctrine of humanitarian intervention?"

from Al Jazeera:
Kosovo and Independence (this article is Q&A)
Kosovo Serbs Protest

from Democracy Now!:
Kosovo's Independence: Genuine Indepence or a Front for US-NATO Expansion?

Right slams Obama as 'shady Chicago socialist'

from TimesOnline:

"Grover Norquist, an influential conservative tax reform lobbyist, said: “Barack Obama has been able to create his own image and introduce himself to voters, but the swing voters in a general election are not paying attention yet. He is open to being defined as a leftwing, corrupt Chicago politician.” "

Fidel Resigns, Raoul Takes Over

It will be interesting to see the changes that Raoul may implement and what our future relations with Cuba will be.

______________________________

from the Associated Press:

"HAVANA (AP) — Fidel Castro, ailing and 81, announced Tuesday he was resigning as Cuba's president, ending a half-century of autocratic rule which made him a communist icon and a relentless opponent of U.S. policy around the globe.

The end of Castro's rule — the longest in the world for a head of government — frees his 76-year-old brother Raul Castro to implement reforms he has hinted at since taking over as acting president when Fidel fell ill in July 2006.

President Bush said he hopes the resignation signals the beginning of a democratic transition, though he doubts that would come about under the rule of another Castro. The State Department denigrated the change as a "transfer of authority and power from dictator to dictator light." "

Superdelegates

Tracy Russo posted this on her blog www.tracyrusso.com :

“
Some commentators have misrepresented who the “superdelegates” are and what their role is supposed to be. While it’s premature to speculate what will happen as the process continues to unfold given that there are still over 1,000 pledged delegates yet to be selected, let’s look at who Undpledged delegates or “super delegates” are.

They are a diverse group of individuals who come from all parts of the country and all walks of life. They are local grassroots activists, county Party chairs, and local elected officials. They include all members of the DNC, all Democratic Members of Congress and all Democratic Governors, and a few former party leaders - all of whom have been elected by the people of their states and districts. Virtually all members of the DNC have been elected by their state party committees or Conventions, who in turn have been elected by grassroots Democratic voters. These members of the DNC have earned their positions by doing the difficult, unglamorous work of building the party organization day in and day out, when nobody is paying attention, year after year.

Their role is to exercise their best judgment in the interests of the nation and of the Democratic Party. I am confident that they will carry out that duty responsibly and in accordance with the highest values of our democracy and our Party."
Via Greg at TPM Election Central

Well said, and very true.

Telecom Immunity/Olberman ROCKS!

Finally, the House Democrats have stood up to the Senate Democrats and the Bush Administration!!

The Democrats have allowed the Protect America Act a.k.a. the "Police America Act" to expire due to Bush's insistence that he would veto a bill that did not include immunity for telecom companies.

On Tuesday, Senate Democrats passed a version of the bill that DID include immunity. Seventeen Democrats joined with Republicans in violating our rights:

Jay Rockefeller (D-WV),
Evan Bayh (D-IN),
Daniel Inouye (D-HI),
Tim Johnson (D-SD),
Herb Kohl (D-WI),
Mary Landrieu (D-LA),
Claire McCaskill (D-MO),
Mark Pryor (D-AR),
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR),
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA),
Ken Salazar (D-CO),
Tom Carper (D-DE),
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD),
Jim Webb (D-VA),
Ben Nelson (D-NE),
Bill Nelson (D-FL),
Kent Conrad (D-ND),
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

Of course, our very own Senator, as usual, joined with the Republicans. They will return in a week and I am sure that this will be on the agenda once again. NOW is the time to contact everyone on this list -especially Nelson- and tell them not pass this bill and, at the very least, strip out the immunity for companies who have been ILLEGALLY spying on American Citizens. If they don't have enough evidence to procure a search warrant, then they shouldn't be listening to our conversations.

Crystal Strait: Super Delegate

The Young Democrats of America elect two DNC Members to represent us. One of which is Crystal Strait from California, and the FYD's were proud to help support her when she ran this past summer in Dallas, TX at the national convention. (Pictured above)

Today there was a great write up about her, if you are interested in learning more about our leadership, in a political paper out of CA. The Capitol Weekly.

It is a really great write up, and I hope you take the time to check it out.

Young Democrat Super Delegate

There is a link in our subject bar to the CNN Story. This super delegate is 21, and has never voted in a Presidential Election. Jason Rae is a college Junior in Wisconsin. He was elected to the DNC at age 17, beating out the President of the state's firefighters union.

I would love to see us elect an active young democrat (or 2) into one of our state's 11 DNC member slots next spring.

The article is regarding his breakfast with Chelsea Clinton, where she was trying to convince him to vote for her mother. He is being outreached to by both presidential candidates and their surrogates.

Just something to think about for next year.

Jason is the youngest DNC member ever.

More press on Jason:

Link to postive blog

and another blog post using Jason as the example of all delegates. Dan Abrams thinks it is suspect that any one super delegate is the equal of over 10,000 primary voters.

Jason ~ I assume you have set up a google alert on yourself, or the equivalent, Congrats and good luck.

A note from our leader

Young Democrats:

The excitement around this year's election is tangible! YD Chapters across the state met last night to watch the Super Tuesday results come in, and today we still don't know who our nominee will be. Everyday more people become more interested in what is going on, and now is the time that we should be working to expand our membership across the state of Florida. Young voters will decide who our next President of the Untied States will be, and when young people vote, Democrats win!

If you are interested in helping to decide our path over the next eight months you need to be at our meeting in Brevard County on Saturday, February 16, 2008. (and hopefully the night before) It is going to be an exciting weekend that you don't want to miss.

The weekend starts Friday, February 15, 2008 at the Radisson Resort at the Port (http://www.radisson.com/capecanaveralfl). The Brevard YD's are hosting a reception for everyone who comes in on Friday. The reception is from 9PM till 11PM, there will be food and a cash bar. There will be local electeds to mingle with and Tony Sasso who we will be canvassing for the next morning. Hotel rooms $105 a night, but they easily fit 5 people ( breaks down to $20-30 each) and the Brevard YD's are working to reduce or even eliminate the cost through sponsorships. (Please contact Wes McCarville if you are interested in taking advantage of a subsidized room).

Then Saturday morning we are going to canvass for Tony Sasso, a seat that we can help take back for the Democrats! www.electtonysasso.org This is a major Republican area, but the seat was held by Rep. Bob Allen, and it is ready for a Democrat to win it. We will canvass from 9AM to 1PM, when we will break for lunch. Lunch will be provided for everyone who canvasses for Sasso (nothing fancy, but pizza all around)

At 2PM we will meet back at the Radisson where we will continue our planning from our last meeting in St. Pete in January. It is here that we will discuss our FYD Retreat, our plans for the summer and start working out our outreach efforts. You will have to be in attendance if you have ideas, want to be a part of the conversation, or just want to observe, and all young Democrats members are welcome to attend.

If you have questions, feel free to reach out to me, or to Wes McCarville, the Brevard County YD President. His contact information is :

Phone: 321-574-5559
Email: alxndrtg(at)gmail.com

Please let me know if you plan to attend, and if you are bringing members with you. These meetings are an essential part of becoming a strong statewide organization, and I hope that you come over and help us grow.

Sincerely,

Alan
President
Florida Young Democrats

I know how Joe Liberman must feel

RJC Launches "I Used to be a Democrat" Ad Campaign

The RJC is up to trouble. Actively working to divide America. Insulting Sen. Obama for his efforts to bring peace to the middle east, and attacking Sen. Clinton for race baiting.

This seems especially harsh today. Yesterday Rep. Tom Lantos passed away. Rep. Lantos was the only Holocaust survivor to serve in congress, and he served proudly as a Democrat. The RJC doesn't acknowledge his passing, instead it blast hate & division across the nation.

This is one more reason why we need Democratic Leadership in our country. Someone who can united us, and help us get pass our partisan divides and help us work together for a better America.

Update on Red & Blue's efforts in Florida

Well it appears that Florida Red & Blue, a campaign to defeat the so called marriage amendment this fall, is right. The amendment is targeting a much broader spectrum of people than just the gay community. I will be honest, I agreed with them, but I didn't think they would be able to prove it. Well, let's leave it up to John Stemberger leader of the pro Marriage Amendment movement to come right out and say it. Which, I believe, will weaken his argument substantially. Please check out the email below from Florida Red & Blue and read what he said in Tampa regarding the next item on his agenda ~ to “reform” no fault divorce. To Mr. Stemberger and his supporters, divorce is just too easy. This can quickly become a slippery slope that we should all avoid.


“The homosexualization of culture.”

What does that even mean?

We have no idea. But it’s what John Stemberger claims is wrong with America and why he’s the leading sponsor of Amendment 2 – the “Marriage Protection Amendment.”

He delivered that pearl of wisdom and some other choice comments to a Tampa area TV audience Sunday morning when he appeared on the ABC station’s show “Flashpoint with Brendan McLaughlin.”

But it’s not all he said.

Mr. Stemberger also said the next item on his agenda – after passing this amendment that could take away existing rights and benefits from Floridians – is to “reform” no fault divorce. To Mr. Stemberger and his supporters, divorce is just too easy.

Seriously.

At Florida Red and Blue, we’ve said all along that even though Mr. Stemberger and those pushing the “Marriage Protection Amendment” are selling it as a “gay marriage ban,” it has much more to do with putting a narrow social view in our Constitution.

And we were right.

But don’t take our word for it. Click HERE to watch parts 1 and 2 of the February 10th show of “Flashpoint.” They are about seven minutes each.

Florida Red and Blue campaign manager Derek Newton appeared on the program too, and explained why we strongly oppose the amendment.

But you’ll really be stunned by Stemberger’s attacks on your personal liberties, as well as his other outrageous claims – leaving no doubt about his true motives.

John Stemberger seamlessly mentions gangs, abortion, divorce and gay marriage as being “horrendous toward marriage and family structures.”

He defends the restrictions on who can adopt children in Florida by saying, “No one’s lining up” to adopt “severely handicapped or deformed” children.

As for his top project today, the “Marriage Protection Amendment,” Stemberger claims that its defeat will create “motherless and fatherless homes.”

His wild and unsupported social agenda make it even harder to believe that his amendment – Amendment 2 – won’t be used to take away existing rights and benefits from all Floridians whether they are gay or straight.

See for yourself what Florida Red and Blue is fighting by watching the entire clip (Segments 1 and 2 of the February 10 show). In 15 minutes you’ll have a much better understanding of our opposition.

Please help us get out the word about him.

First, forward this email far and wide. Let your network click on the link and watch the 15-minute segment. Otherwise, no one will believe you when you tell them what he said!

Second, click HERE to contribute to Florida Red and Blue. We’re racing toward November and need all the help we can get to kill this amendment.

Any donation, no matter how small, helps us.

Third, consider hosting a house party or a coffee to tell your friends about Amendment 2 and support Red and Blue. We’ll help you set it up and provide someone to speak on the latest developments.

In the first segment of the show, Mr. Stemberger says, “we’re in this for the long haul.” We can’t turn our back on this for one second or lose our momentum – and certainly not the campaign – to John Stemberger.

Will you help us today by watching this TV clip and signing-up to help?

The Red and Blue Team

The West Bank Story

This is a comical short story that won an Academy Award in 2006. Al Jazeera's Fabulous Picture Show has showcased the film in its entirety with input from the director, Palestinians and Israelis.

You can find out more about the movie here.

Will So-called 'superdelegates' Pick Our Nominee?

From Common Dreams:

"Superdelegates - mostly members of Congress, governors, party officials and grass-roots activists - can back any candidate they choose. While ordinary delegates are technically committed to a candidate, superdelegates can change their allegiance whenever they feel like it.

Former President Clinton, for example, is a superdelegate - hence his vital importance to his wife’s bid for the White House. The Washington Post reports: “Clinton, former president Bill Clinton…and their allies have been working aggressively for months to court the superdelegates, drawing on old loyalties to open a huge advantage for the senator from New York in total delegates amassed.”"

Rep. Dave Obey in Tallahassee today

Rep. Dave Obey, seen here playing with Sen. Kerry, is in Tallahassee today.

WHAT: Reception honoring Congressman Dave Obey, Chairman, Appropriations Committee, U.S. House of Representatives

WHEN: Monday, February 11th at 5:00 PM
WHERE: Akerman Senterfitt, 14th Floor Conference Room, 106 East College Avenue, Tallahassee, FL

Contributions (PAC or Individual): $1,000 Host or $100 Guest

Please make checks payable to:
A Lot of People for Dave Obey
P.O. Box 75214
Washington, DC, 20013-5214

Congressman Obey serves as Chair of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee and is a tireless fighter for the American people. Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman refers to him as "one of the smartest people that I served with in Congress".

I hope you can make it out this afternoon, it should be a great event.

WW[MLK]D?

from the The Black Commentator

On or around the January 21st celebration of the life and work of Dr. King, Senator Obama was asked the question of who did he think Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would have supported for President. Senator Obama offered a very profound answer: He said, to the effect, that Dr. King would probably have not supported anyone but would have been pressuring everyone on behalf of social justice.

In the wake of Obama’s outstanding victory in South Carolina, two things are clear:

* One, that this race is not over and that everything is clearly up in the air, meaning of course, that each state’s primary is critical.
* Two, that the candidates (especially Senators Clinton and Obama) must not be allowed to engage in a tit-for-tat squabble, but must be pushed on the actual content of their visions and platforms.

In this sense, Senator Obama’s words may be more insightful than even he realized when he uttered them.

In suggesting that Dr. King would be pressuring all of the candidates, Senator Obama was, perhaps, inadvertently offering a critique of this presidential season. At a point when the two top Democratic contenders, along with most of the media, are focusing on symbolism and celebrity, little attention has been given to the actual programmatic differences and similarities between Senators Clinton and Obama. Instead, we have been “entertained” to the political equivalent of reality TV with he said / she said / they said, instead of a focus on what the candidates, should they be elected, would commence to do the day after Inauguration.

It is easy to get swept up in the whirlwind. A serious African American candidate and a serious female candidate running in the same election is historic. A friend of mine (and fellow activist), commenting on the race said that while he agreed with former Senator John Edwards on the issues, he felt that the world did not want another white man in the office of the President of the United States. I remained silent for a minute in hearing this and then, after agreeing on the significant symbolic value of a woman or black man as President, asked my friend “…but what about the issues? What about what they would ACTUALLY do?” Sadly, my friend had no answer other than to repeat his point about the symbol of a different face in a high place.

My guess is that Dr. King would have been far less swayed by symbolism than are many of us. Among other things, Dr. King believed in the necessity for social movements to change conditions. While it is absolutely true that Dr. King, like many other great social movement leaders, needed political allies in office - as was the case with his relationship with President Lyndon Johnson at a certain moment - it was also the case that Dr. King gave priority to the movement over the person. In other words, while King agreed with Johnson on his civil rights reforms, he was willing to take the immense risk of turning against Johnson on the question of the Vietnam War. King stood on principle, and particularly, his central concern was for the welfare of those in mainstream society stepped upon each day, whether by throwing them into an immoral war; casting them aside in the name of a more efficient economy, or allowing them to languish in the poverty of the ghetto or the hills of Appalachia.

It would be worth thinking a bit more deeply. How are the candidates approaching the immense challenges of today? What are they saying about Iraq? About the recession we are entering? About healthcare? What difference will they make in the lives of the person who just lost their home to foreclosure?

We, who are concerned with justice, must be asking those questions and in that sense, emulating precisely what Senator Obama suggested Dr. King would be doing today. The pressure that Senator Obama believed Dr. King would be exerting would be far more than that of a phone call, email or fax and it would be far more than an individual act. It would be organizing and mobilizing a movement, that is, hundreds of thousands of those who have decided that they are ready to take their futures into their own hands, rather than await a savior.

Bill Fletcher, Jr. is Executive Editor of The Black Commentator. He is also a Senior Scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies and the immediate past president of TransAfrica Forum.

How to be a delegate for the DNCC

What is the DNCC? The Democratic National Committee Convention. www.demconvention.com The website has a lot great information regarding volunteering, becoming staff, and how they advise you to become a delegate.

YDA is working to try to help Young Democrats become delegates to the DNCC too. You can sign up at: www.yda.org/delegateform

Yesterday, Alison Morano, interviewed Leonard Joseph, the Executive Director of the Florida Democratic Party on her radio show with Kenneth Quinnel. The interview covers the delegate caucuses scheduled for March 1, and, most importantly, Leonard lent his expertise on the whole election process, Florida's role in the next year, and the goals of the Florida Democratic Party.

I encourage you to listen to the show, and make plans to participate in the Delegate Caucuses around the state on March 1.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fpc/2008/02/07/Prime-Trime

Robert Kennedy Jr Pro Hillary Blog Post

FYI:

Hillary Haters and the Roosevelts
by Bobby Jr, title bar links to post

Even some Democrats who agree with Hillary Clinton on every issue and consider her an effective, inspiring leader, fret that the blind, irrational hatred, that burdened her husband during his presidency and that continues to dog his wife, might impair her electability. "She is too polarizing" they say, parroting the verdict of television's Sunday morning gas bags.

It's worth recalling the historical parallels with an earlier presidential couple. "No other word than hatred will do," observed a May 1936, Harper's Magazine feature "They Hate Roosevelt" by Marquis W. Childs. "The phenomenon to which I refer goes beyond objection to policies or programs. It is a consuming personal hatred of President Roosevelt and, to an almost equal degree, of Mrs. Roosevelt."

Childs deemed this "fanatical hatred" so intense and irrational that it could only be explained as the product of "abnormal psychology." Historian William Manchester described how Roosevelt haters "abandoned themselves in orgies of presidential vilification." William Bird, curator of political history at the Smithsonian Institution said that "by 1936, the 'Roosevelt haters' had developed into a well-defined cult among the nation's business elite," their lackeys in the press and on the editorial boards and among right wing Christian theocrats led by fascist radio host Father Charles Coughlin.

"In history, this hatred may well go down as the major irony of our time," wrote Childs. "The majority of those who rail against the [Roosevelts] have to a large extent had their incomes restored and their bank balances replenished since the low point of 1933," before FDR came to power. "That is what makes the phenomenon so incredible. It is difficult to find a rational cause for this hatred."

Describing the same baffling dynamics, a bewildered contemporary magazine editor created an inventory of the most vitriolic Roosevelt haters, including the CEOs of Phillips Petroleum, National Steel, DuPont, General Foods, Monsanto Chemical and General Motors, and then recorded the tremendous growth in their stocks which had all flourished since the implementation of Roosevelt's New Deal policies.

The intense hatred of the Roosevelts was a dominant feature in the American political landscape during the decade of the 1930s and prompted efforts to impeach him and even a plot to depose him by a military coup planned by high ranking officers of Wall Street's richest corporations, including Goodyear, Bethlehem Steel, JP Morgan, and DuPont. The "vast right wing conspiracy" had its own Richard Mellon Scaife. Robert Clark, one of Wall Street's richest bankers and stock brokers pledged half of his $60 million fortune to help finance the coup. His deputy, former Commander Gerald Macguire of the American Legion, a Wall Street bond broker, equated Roosevelt's reforms to Communism and explained the purpose of the coup to a co-conspirator, "We need a fascist government in this country to save the nation from the Communists who want to tear it down and wreck everything we have built in America." The 1933 coup attempt was only averted by the courage of General Smedley Butler, the popular World War I warrior who had been tapped by Wall Street to lead the plot and who instead exposed and denounced it.

"People in power with privilege don't want to be challenged at all," Hillary told me recently as we discussed the repetitive rhythms of history. "FDR's policies rescued capitalism, thereby saving the fortunes and restoring the incomes of so many of the same people who would curse his name over the dinner table. They somehow still felt threatened because they don't like to be questioned."

"And there is something of the same going on today. If you challenge the pharmaceutical companies, the health insurance companies, if you think investment fund managers should be taxed at the same rate as nurses and firefighters, you run into this vitriolic response."

Irrational hatred was the powerful drug that intoxicated the Gingrich Congress to impeach President Bill Clinton at the time when he enjoyed 65% popularity with the American people and had steered the nation through eight years of peace and unprecedented prosperity.

Hillary's supporters should be heartened by the fact that intense hatred is often accompanied by equally strong support. Roosevelt won four landslide victories against his opponents and crafted the architecture for the most humane, successful, generous features of modern American government.

They can also take comfort in Hillary's proven ability to transform intense hatred into loyal support. I recently toured upstate New York's traditionally Republican counties which she has transformed through leadership and political acumen, into rock solid Hillary Clinton strongholds.

With a playful wink she told me, "One of my favorite pins in my political pin collection is "I Don't Like Eleanor Either." It reminds her that it's not just the president who is targeted by the haters. But "about anybody who cares about and stands up and fights for the changes that our country needs to have."

Israel Is Set to Promote the Use of Electric Cars

A very interesting idea.


from the New York Times:

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, with the active support of President Shimon Peres, intends to make Israel a laboratory to test the practicality of an environmentally clean electric car. The state will offer tax incentives to purchasers, and the new company, with a $200 million investment to start, will begin construction of facilities to recharge the cars and replace empty batteries quickly.

The idea, said Shai Agassi, 39, the software entrepreneur behind the new company, is to sell electric car transportation on the model of the cellphone. Purchasers get subsidized hardware — the car — and pay a monthly fee for expected mileage, like minutes on a cellphone plan, eliminating concerns about the fluctuating price of gasoline.