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June 18, 2004

Biterman: Traveling a different route: Bad-who for U.S. President?

Traveling a different route: Bad-who for U.S. President?

by Aaron J. Biterman
posted: 7/3/03

Posted by Lance Brown at 10:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 14, 2004

Richard Mack becomes "American Candidate" finalist

Because of how imbalanced our political system is, there's a very good chance that Richard Mack could reach more people as a Libertarian candidate from Showtime's "American Candidate" show than LP nominee Michael Badnarik will be able to reach through a traditional third-party campaign. Only if he wins the prize, though. Otherwise, Badnarik will probably get more net exposure.

Either way, way to go Richard Mack! Represent!

Be sure to stop by his American Candidate home page and add yourself as a supporter. You don't need to sign up or anything to do so.

The Salt Lake Tribune -- It's Showtime! Utahn makes cut to 'run' for office

...
Mack, a Provo resident and former Utah gubernatorial candidate for the Libertarian Party, has a much bigger platform for his vision of America -- a reality show on the cable channel Showtime.
Mack is one of 12 finalists for a new summer series called "American Candidate," an "unscripted" program premiering Aug. 1 in which a dozen hopefuls compete for a shot at $200,000 and national air time to run for president of the United States as the "People's Candidate."
In order to participate, Mack had to pull out of the Utah governor race. He faxed his intent to withdraw late last week, said former campaign manager Rob Latham.
"When this opportunity raised its head, I said, 'Man, I better grab it,' " Mack said from his Provo home Tuesday. "For me, to turn down this opportunity . . . would be very foolish."

...

Mack is a former Arizona county sheriff who says he is now a law-enforcement consultant, author and public speaker on "constitutional issues." During the governor race, he campaigned for less government, more states' rights, repeal of the Patriot Act, dismantling the IRS and the Department of Education and doing away with gun control laws.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Sayings of Candidate Badnarik

I found this compilation of quote snippets to be a very distortive and fairly irresponsible piece of journalism. At first I was inclined to lay the blame on Badnarik, for saying stuff that begged to be smeared...but if you read through the reporter's full interview profile, you can see a much fuller (and more accurate) representation of reality.

It's a shame the reporter (or editor) didn't allow for a substantial article as the primary piece. I doubt many of the paper's reader's went online to go read the background notes.

The Austin Chronicle: News: The Sayings of Candidate Badnarik

Posted by Lance Brown at 10:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 10, 2004

June 09, 2004

FoxNews.com Candidate Profile: Michael Badnarik

FOXNews.com - You Decide 2004 - Candidate Profile: Michael Badnarik, Libertarian Party

Posted by Lance Brown at 03:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 08, 2004

Browne: In Praise of the Libertarian Party

In Praise of the Libertarian Party

by Harry Browne

June 4, 2004

With the Libertarian Party (LP) on television last weekend choosing its presidential nominee, it’s time for the smug, superior types to come out of the woodwork and tell us what a sorry spectacle the party is.

Every four years around this time we get statements like these from libertarians who aren’t in the party:

"The Libertarian Party has finished its regularly scheduled exercise in futility."

"The LP has displayed a genius for assigning itself a role in American politics akin to irrelevance."

As though that weren’t bad enough, disgruntled party members also level broadsides when they don’t get what they want:

"The LP attempted to shoot itself in the foot by not nominating [Aaron Russo] for president."

I recently received an email message from someone asking, "If the LP was a stock that you (or I) had bought 20 years ago, based on its performance would you still be holding onto it?" — as though I would choose a political party or organization of any kind in the same way I would choose a stock.

After 33 years in operation, the LP presidential candidate has never received more than 1% of the vote, the party has elected less than a thousand office-holders, and currently has no one in Congress or a state legislature.

The armchair quarterbacks inside and outside the party know just what the party needs to do to reverse its fortunes. It must focus on a particular issue to the exclusion of all other topics, stage the right kind of media events, conduct a campaign that’s more "in your face," merge campaigns with another third party, tone down the message, or find a celebrity to carry the party’s banner.

If only it were so easy.

The armchair quarterbacks pay no attention to the obstacles that the LP is up against. Nor do they recognize the tremendous good the LP does.

...

continued

Posted by Lance Brown at 03:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 07, 2004

Libertarian presidential nominee is member of Free State Project

AP Wire | 06/04/2004 | Libertarian presidential nominee is member of Free State Project

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Haugh: Why Badnarik Won

Why Badnarik Won

by Sean Haugh

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:37 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Badnarik choosing principles over paychecks

Badnarik choosing principles over paychecks - PittsburghLIVE.com

...
Even though money is tight, Badnarik and his party will not apply for federal campaign finance funds. And unlike the two dominant parties that take tens of millions in federal dollars to subsidize their conventions, Libertarians insist on paying their own way. Always.

"Our principle is that we do not take other people's tax money for our own benefit," Badnarik said.
...

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 03, 2004

It Usually Begins With...Michael Badnarik?

It Usually Begins With...Michael Badnarik? by Jerome Tuccille

Posted by Lance Brown at 12:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Worried Democrats work hard to keep Nader off the ballot

How ironic is it that members of a party called the Democratic Party would be working to keep a candidate from getting on election ballots?

Guardian Unlimited | US elections 2004 | Worried Democrats work hard to keep Nader off the ballot

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:08 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Surprised Texan is Libertarian nominee

Surprised Texan is Libertarian nominee

The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - June 02, 2004

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:06 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 01, 2004

L.N. Smith: Michael Badnarik: The LP Picks a Winner

Michael Badnarik: The LP Picks a Winner, by L. Neil Smith

...
The simple truth is that the freedom movement needs every single individual of intelligence, competence, and integrity that it can find right now. The LP is the last hope that the America we remember has left.

All of us must begin telling everyone we know—especially if they're not libertarians—that if they're fed up with this mess the Republicans have made in Iraq and Afghanistan, if they want to see the USA Patriot Act go down in flames, along with all the unconstitutional intrusions and limitations that it has inflicted on us, if they want to see drug laws, the income tax, and federal gun laws repealed, and if they don't believe life under a Kerry Administration would be any better than it has been under Bush, their only option is to see both "major" parties shocked and embarrassed by a high turnout for Michael Badnarik.
...

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Bob Smith: The Libertarian candidate has been chosen

Smith: No Force, No Fraud :

excerpt:

Michael Badnarik may be the epitome of an American citizen candidate, drafted and endorsed to run for the highest office we have. It is no accident that his campaign opponents had nothing but good things to say about him. I met Michael when he attended and spoke at our Minnesota LP convention. He is hardly a typical politician. He listens more than he speaks, but when he does speak, it is from his heart with sincere, bold, and well-considered words. Badnarik's website is http://www.badnarik.org/

As Badnarik said in his acceptance speech:

What we have in 2004 is a unique
opportunity to change the world.

The United States was once a beacon of liberty to the world that gave hope to unfree people around the globe. Our national image no longer reflects those rays of hope, but it CAN do so once again, IF we can have the courage to send a message to Washington that we want a return to what made our nation great... LIBERTY. We must find the sense and courage to retake control of our government from the parties that have inflicted us with both international and domestic destruction.

I know that a great many of you reading this are incensed about the loss of 800+ of our best and brightest in a war that should never have been started. Badnarik, when elected, would bring our troops home from Iraq immediately. That position alone should be enough to get you to help him and vote for him. He would put an end to the disastrous War on Drugs, and much more that you are likely to find refreshing and positive. He is obviously a man to whom honor and honesty are much more than slogans.

As a Libertarian, I'm proud to have Michael Badnarik representing our party. I strongly urge you to get to know him, and to seriously consider just how wonderful it would be to have an honest man sitting in the White House.

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 31, 2004

Underdog surges to win Libertarian nomination

Underdog surges to win Libertarian nomination

The Libertarian Party gave its presidential nomination to Michael Badnarik on Sunday at a convention that featured something those of the two major parties will lack: suspense.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 06:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 30, 2004

Libertarian presidential candidates debate at national convention

LP News Online: July 2004: Libertarian presidential candidates debate at national convention

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Trinward: Why I'm Still Backing Badnarik

This is from April, before Badnarik won the nomination (which happened today).

Why I'm Still Backing Badnarik

By Steve Trinward

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Libertarian Party picks presidential nominee

BostonHerald.com - National News: Libertarian Party picks presidential nominee

Atlanta - Michael Badnarik says ``there's no reason'' he can't take President Bush's place in the White House.

The Texan bases his optimism on winning the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination today.

Badnarik is a 49-year-old computer programmer from Austin who also teaches a course in constitutional law.

The Libertarian Party was formed in 1971 and stresses individual rights over the power of government. It claims nearly 600 elected officials across the country -- almost all of them in city or local government.

More than 800 delegates attended the convention in Atlanta.

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Texas Programmer Wins Libertarian Nod

Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | Texas Programmer Wins Libertarian Nod


ATLANTA (AP) - Michael Badnarik, a computer programmer from Texas, won the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination on Sunday.

Badnarik, 49, of Austin, defeated former Hollywood movie producer Aaron Russo on the convention's third ballot, after former radio host Gary Nolan, who was eliminated on the second ballot, endorsed Badnarik.

``If I can win the nomination, there's no reason I can't win this election,'' Badnarik told a cheering convention that drew more than 800 delegates.

Badnarik teaches a course in constitutional law.

Formed in 1971, the Libertarian Party stresses the rights of individuals over the power of government, and a foreign policy of noninterference. It claims nearly 600 elected officials nationwide, almost entirely in city or county positions, and has been on the presidential ballot in all 50 states for the last three elections.

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 28, 2004

Libertarians: Bush's Nader

Libertarians: Bush's Nader?

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 27, 2004

Survey: Russo Poised to Attract Anti-War Votes

Russo Poised to Attract Anti-War Votes

(archived at Russo's blog)

May 26, 2004--Nineteen percent (19%) of Americans would consider voting for Aaron Russo if they knew he would end the War in Iraq and bring our troops home. Russo is a candidate for the Libertarian Party Presidential nomination.
If those surveyed knew that Russo was the only candidate who opposed a military draft, he would attract 14% of the vote in a three-way race with George Bush and John Kerry.

These results are from a national telephone survey of 500 adults conducted by Rasmussen Reports on May 23, 2004. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. The survey was commissioned by Aaron Russo for President.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 08:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 22, 2004

Bush's Third-Party Threat

I wrote about this article (and the two main Libertarian presidential campaigns) at my main blog.

CBS News | Bush's Third-Party Threat
May 21, 2004

While Democrats fret over the possibility of Ralph Nader causing them to lose another election by stealing votes on the left, President Bush may face an even greater third-party threat from the right wing. The Libertarian Party nominee could cost Mr. Bush his job in 2004.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 12:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 21, 2004

Ferguson: Nolan/ Badnarik in 2004!

I'm reprinting this opinion piece by Mike Ferguson in full because I'm not certain that his commentary, which is posted directly on his main home page, will remain available at that location.

Nolan/ Badnarik in 2004!

This month's Libertarian National Convention is sure to be eventful, as our Presidential campaigns have all developed both staunch supporters and opponents. I have met all three of the top-tier candidates and will admit that I struggled for a long time over which candidate - Gary Nolan or Michael Badnarik - would get my support for the nomination.

After being involved with this race, first in my role with the LP Presidential Straw Poll and most recently in my role as a Libertarian candidate for statewide office I have come to the conclusion that we need both Gary and Michael on our ticket.

Gary Nolan should be the Libertarian Party's nominee for President of the United States this year.

Gary is the highest profile candidate we have when it comes to public name recognition. Despite the constant assertions from the Aaron Russo campaign to the contrary, Gary Nolan is better known to the general public.

Consider this for a moment for a moment: who is certain to have more name recognition, the candidate who has spent years at the microphone on a nationally-syndicated radio program that bears his name or the candidate who developed a career working behind the scenes in the entertainment industry?

Gary Nolan tackled the issues of the day and has taken the message of freedom to the airwaves in dozens of markets throughout America during his time on the air. In addition to his work in radio, Gary has also logged plenty of time in real world politics. Anyone can talk about the way government should operate but not everyone backs it up by being involved in Washington politics. Gary's experience as the President of Capitol Watch and as a board member of Free the Eagle (an activist group that fights tax increases) is important to the Libertarian Party in this election cycle. It gives Gary the working knowledge of the issues Americans care about and the political credibility we need at the top of our ticket.

In addition to his impressive resume, Gary is a man of integrity. His passion for freedom is more evident to me every time I speak with him. Gary has put his personal and professional life on hold for well over a year now in order to present the message of freedom, Constitutionally-limited government and the Libertarian Party to anyone who will listen to him.

Gary is an excellent spokesman for our party and for our message. He has the right background, the right communication style and the right image to be an effective Presidential nominee.

Speaking of image, it is appropriate to address the importance of presenting a "Presidential" image and the controversies surrounding Aaron Russo's erratic behavior during this campaign. Like it or not, image is important. Our Presidential nominee will represent the Libertarian Party, our state and local candidates, our membership and our philosophy to the public. We must not take the risk of nominating someone who presents a realistic risk of harming our efforts at all levels of activism with a Libertarian "Howard Dean moment" like the one that fatally derailed the former Vermont Governor's credibility and bid for the Democratic nomination.

After hearing and reading about some of the actions in question, I decided to call some people who attended the various state conventions and were present to witness them. What I was told by those who saw the events first hand troubled me. The people I contacted are not on the Nolan campaign staff. I wanted independent confirmation of what happened. Here is what I learned:

At the New York convention, an attractive woman was about to ask Mr. Russo a question. Before she could ask, he joked "No, I won't sleep with you." At the Florida convention, Mr. Russo held up a bottle of beer and declared "This is my passion" in response to a political topic of discussion.

Of course, there is also the now infamous "belt buckle incident" at the Maryland convention. When being questioned by Carol Moore, who is a vocal Russo critic, he stepped off the stage while reaching for his belt buckle. Russo moved toward Moore and asked her to "help" him with the buckle

I am the first to acknowledge that Ms. Moore can be abrasive and disrespectful to those she does not agree with. During the course of the LP Presidential Straw Poll, I have also been the target of her criticism on more than one occasion.

The Russo campaign has worked hard to spin the story as either a complete misunderstanding, saying he genuinely needed help with his belt buckle (an explanation that insults basic human intelligence), or as a harmless joke blown out of proportion by someone who is working against his campaign. Either way, this is not the behavior and image we want to present to the public.

Being able to conduct yourself with class in the face of those who attack you is critical for someone who hopes to lead a political party as a Presidential nominee. The public needs to hear the real solutions we have to the issues they care about. That message will not be heard if the messenger himself is a distraction. That is why we need Gary Nolan at the top of our ticket. His engaging approach to communicating the message of freedom makes people want to listen to him.

So, what about the second spot on the Libertarian ticket? We have our man for that job, too

Michael Badnarik is the ideal choice for the Libertarian Party's nomination for Vice President of the United States.

To question Michael's passion for the Constitution, for liberty and for building the Libertarian Party would be a waste of time. His quest for our nomination is truly a labor of the love of freedom. He began this campaign as a locally-known activist in Texas and has now established himself as a devoted campaigner, a hard worker and a genuine expert on the U.S. Constitution.

Michael's aggressive, yet dignified, style of public speaking is exactly what we need in the V.P. role. The Libertarian Party needs to keep him on the campaign trail.

While Michael Badnarik is still running for our Presidential nomination, he has already publicly stated that we will accept the Vice Presidential nod. The fact that Michael is still "Lighting the Fires of Liberty, One Heart At a Time" after a year and a half of constant travel and shoestring budgets is a testament to Michael as a person and as a candidate.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to know both Gary Nolan and Michael Badnarik. Both men have proven their ability and willingness to live on the campaign trail. Both men have proven their ability and desire to use their campaigns to support statewide and local Libertarian candidates. I have personally campaigned with both men and look forward to continuing to work with both Gary and Michael as I run for Missouri Lieutenant Governor this year.

Neither Gary nor Michael is basing his campaign on grandiose promises. Their campaigns are based on hard work, personal integrity, an understanding of reality, the realization that respect is to be earned, not demanded and a dedication to personally delivering our message all over the United States.

Gary Nolan and Michael Badnarik, in that order, is an effective top of the ticket team for the Libertarian Party. I hope our delegates recognize this in Atlanta this month

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 20, 2004

McCullagh on Russo et al: Spamming for office

Spamming for office - News - ZDNet

COMMENTARY--Aaron Russo wants your vote so badly, he's willing to spam you for it.

Last week, Russo, a Hollywood producer who is running for president as a Libertarian Party candidate, fired off thousands of unsolicited e-mail messages announcing his campaign and asking recipients to "help support Russo financially" with "automatic monthly contributions."

Russo, whose films include "The Rose" and "Trading Places," is not alone. Political spam has become a thoroughly nonpartisan communications technique, with Democrats, Republicans and third parties alike turning to bulk e-mail in numbers that are still small but steadily increasing. Two percent of all spam is political, according to statistics compiled by antispam vendor Brightmail.
...

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 18, 2004

Film Producer Readies Race For Nevada Governor Chair

Aaron Russo Readies Race for Governor

Film Producer Readies Race For Nevada Governor Chair
by Steve Miller
copyright (c) 1997, Electric Nevada

Nevada's next governor could turn out to be a long-time Hollywood producer with a flair for the dramatic and a passionate interest in the defense of individual liberty.

Aaron Russo -- whose production credentials include the films Wise Guys, Trading Places, and The Rose, among others -- has authorized Nevada supporters to begin laying the foundation for a campaign to win the Republican gubernatorial nomination, Electric Nevada has learned.

Russo himself, after flying into Reno Friday, appeared at a Carson City GOP Lincoln Day event the same evening. A full-blown announcement of his candidacy is currently scheduled for March 22, sources say.

Famed political consultant Lyn Nofziger -- assistant to President Reagan for political affairs from 1981 to 1982 -- is in line to serve as the campaign's chief strategist, according to one source close to Russo.

"That's a 95 percent done deal," the source said.
Nofziger is currently president of Nofziger Communications, a Washington consulting firm. He began his career as a newspaper reporter and later became press secretary for Ronald Reagan's first race for Governor in 1966.
...

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

1997: Thousands of Nevada Supporters Put Me in Front, Claims Russo

Two things are notable in this article from just before Aaron Russo's 1998 run for Governor of Nevada: his claims about being "way ahead" and leading "by miles"-- while polls early in the race once it was underway put him 40 points behind the front-runner -- and this little note at the end:

Originally booked for March, the Pioneer Theater kick-off in Reno for the Aaron Russo campaign has been pushed back until May 10. The postponement will allow both the printer and the post office extra time, campaign sources said.

BTW, Russo ultimately got 26% of the primary vote, against 59% for winner Kenny Guinn.

Thousands of Nevada Supporters Put Me in Front, Claims Russo

Excerpt:

Russo himself says he was amazed in Vegas to find people plucking at him -- as he walked through the audience -- as though he was some kind of rock star.

And he believes the contrast with establishment candidates like former interim UNLV president Kenny Guinn, and Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, will be clear.

"Think about this," he challenged the reporter interviewing him. "Think what would happen if Kenny Guinn went to the Pioneer Theater [in Reno] and said 'Come see me,' How many people would show up? There'd be five people in the audience.

"You think if Frankie Sue did it. And then watch what happens when I'm there.

"We're way ahead of anybody. We're not the underdog; we're the leader.

"That's what people have to realize," argues Russo. "I have thousands and thousands of supporters already. And those supporters all want to work, they all want to volunteer.

"So... I look at myself as the person who leads this campaign by miles. By miles. And they're going to have to catch me."

What will make that difficult for establishment candidates, he believes, is that the Russo campaign already has intensely loyal support at the grassroots.

"We have real people who want me to win," says Russo. "We have passion, we have compassion, we have people who are ready to put up money, people who are verbal about what they're doing with me, You know, we have people who are really totally supportive.

"It's like a whole new Perot thing happening -- but from a different point of view than Perot," he said.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

1998: Candidates Try to Beat the Odds in Nevada

Another blast from the past-- Aaron Russo's 1998 campaign for Governor of Nevada.

Washingtonpost.com: Candidates Try to Beat the Odds in Nevada

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Guinn will remind voters of long-haired Russo until primary

The most telling bit in this blast from the past was this:

Russo has no campaign manager, no financial chairman, no strategist.

He did back in April of that year-- high-level strategist Lyn Nofziger. But not in this article from August, weeks before the actual primary election. Weird.

Guinn will remind voters of long-haired Russo until primary

LAS VEGAS RJ:NEWS: COLUMN: John L. Smith

Wednesday, August 19, 1998

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Russo's Road to the Race for Governor

From Tahiti to Nevada
Russo's Road to the Race for Governor

by Steve Miller
copyright (c) 1997, Electric Nevada

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Aaron Russo for Governor?

E! Online News - Aaron Russo for Governor?

by Marcus Errico
Apr 10, 1997, 3:40 PM PT

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 17, 2004

Jesse Walker: In Defense of Spoilers and Quixotes

In Defense of Spoilers and Quixotes
Don't you know there's an election on?

Jesse Walker

John Kerry's best chance to win the presidency is to stay out of public and legally change his name to Not Bush. The Democratic grassroots may have accepted Kerry as the "realistic" nominee, but it's the opportunity to vote for Not Bush that's excited them; and it's Not Bush who's been picking up swing voters in the polls. So strong is this sentiment, in fact, that the liberals' worst antipathy seems reserved for those who might dilute the Not Bush vote.

That would be you, Mr. Nader. ...

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Libertarian hopeful makes his case

Bradenton Herald | 05/13/2004 | Libertarian hopeful makes his case

BRADENTON - According to a Libertarian Party candidate for president, this is the year the party can make a difference.

"Now there is a chance to take America back," said Gary Nolan, who spoke Wednesday evening at the Fogartyville Cafe to rally support for his campaign.

Nolan said voting for the Libertarian Party would be a win-win situation.

If he wins the presidency, he said he will protect the people's rights to keep their wealth.

If he loses, he predicts the Democrats and Republicans will move in that direction when they see the number of votes going to the Libertarians.

Nolan said voters who think Republicans are fiscal conservatives should know that with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, domestic spending has increased at a rate of 7 percent to 10 percent a year.

"That is compared to the 2½-3 percent when there was a Democrat, Clinton, in the White House and a Republican Congress," he said. "If the fiscal conservatives vote for George Bush again, they'll be telling him, 'You're doing the right thing.' "

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Pollsters: Kerry aside, Bush is in trouble

MSNBC - Pollsters: Kerry aside, Bush is in trouble

WASHINGTON - Voters may not yet be ready to flock to challenger John Kerry, but President Bush’s continuing decline in opinion surveys — including one released Wednesday — is a clear warning sign for an incumbent trying to persuade the public to rehire him for four more years, pollsters say.
...

“He is in dangerous territory now,” pollster John Zogby said of Bush.

Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup poll, said Bush’s slowly sinking job approval rating, down to 46 percent in his latest survey, was similar to the dropping trajectory of the last three incumbents to lose their elections -- George Bush, the current president’s father, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford.

In contrast, the five most recent incumbent presidents who won their elections never dipped below 50 percent in their job approval rating at any point in the election year, he said.

“The Bush campaign has to be concerned and worried at this point,” Newport said. “When you look at the trend, you certainly see that Bush is beginning to track the trajectory of the three losing presidents rather than the winners.”

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 15, 2004

Slamming the door on a Kerry-McCain ticket

It's difficult to conceive of how a Kerry-McCain ticket would do anything other than blow the doors off of a Bush/Cheney ticket, if that ended up being the battle. Kerry and McCain would wipe the floor with them. Apparently it's not going to happen, but it would be something to see if it did. I still wouldn't vote for any of them, but that ticket would be hugely appealing to the mainstream middle base of voters-- Bush and Cheney would lose virtually that whole bloc, and be left with only diehard Republicans (and a reduced lot of them) and the religious right. And gun owners if he doesn't renew the assault weapons ban (which he most likely will do).

Boston Globe / Opinion / Op-ed / Slamming the door on a Kerry-McCain ticket

By Scot Lehigh, Globe Columnist, 4/13/2004

HERE'S TODAY'S question: How hard does a door have to slam before it's truly closed?

But first let's begin with the little tease of a joke that went untold.

According to a Democratic wag, one suggestion for a bit of levity at John Kerry's fund-raiser in Washington last Wednesday called for the senator to glance at his watch, then deadpan that they probably shouldn't wait any longer for John McCain to show up before starting the program.

Not a laugh riot, certainly, but as Kerry jokes go, it wouldn't have been bad. And it would have added a piquant note to a topic that has been much on the political world's mind: Is there any real prospect that the Arizona Republican might actually join Kerry on the Democratic ticket?

McCain said no - ``no, no, and no,'' actually - again on Sunday during an appearance on NBC's ``Meet the Press,'' a thrice-buttressed negative that may finally put to rest an idea the Kerry camp appears to have an interest in fanning.

But certainly in some quarters, that pairing is seen as a winner.
...

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Bush's disappearing financial advantage

MSNBC - Bush's disappearing financial advantage

By David Shuster
MSNBC Correspondent
Updated: 7:09 p.m. ET April 15, 2004

In politics, it is known as the burn rate — the speed at which a campaign spends the money it has raised. The Hardball ad watch team estimates that the Bush campaign has already spent nearly half of its pre-convention advertising budget.

With the polls showing the president even or slightly behind John Kerry, it means that the Bush campaign's huge financial advantage has now all but disappeared.
...

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

TLE Interviews Michael Badnarik

TLE Interviews Michael Badnarik, by L. Neil Smith

TLE Interviews Michael Badnarik
by L. Neil Smith
lneil@lneilsmith.com

Exclusive to THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE

TLE: First things first, Mike. Why are you in competition for the Libertarian Party's nomination for the Presidency of the United States?
...

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Reform Party endorses Nader

Reform Party endorses Nader, giving him ballot access in 7 states, including Fla., Mich.

SAM HANANEL
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — Independent Ralph Nader, reviled by some Democrats for his presidential bid, was endorsed Wednesday by the national Reform Party, giving him ballot access in at least seven states, including the battlegrounds of Florida and Michigan.

Nader spokesman Kevin Zeese said the candidate welcomes the support but plans to continue running as an independent. He said Nader would decide on a case-by-case basis whether to accept the Reform Party's ballot lines in each state, or try to gain ballot access through other means.
...

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May 03, 2004

Dean campaign metrics

This is an old article, but I want to save these numbers.

The Seattle Times: As campaign struggles, backers say Dean's value lies online

Last year, Dean raised about $41 million from more than 95,000 people, about half of that through online donations. Supporters posted more than 314,000 comments on Dean's Web log last year, according to the campaign, and 180,000 people used Meetup.com to organize and find Dean meetings around the country.

As of yesterday, the campaign said, 638,121 people have registered on the Dean Web site, www.deanforamerica.com

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 30, 2004

Dean campaign metrics

The Seattle Times: As campaign struggles, backers say Dean's value lies online

excerpt:

Last year, Dean raised about $41 million from more than 95,000 people, about half of that through online donations. Supporters posted more than 314,000 comments on Dean's Web log last year, according to the campaign, and 180,000 people used Meetup.com to organize and find Dean meetings around the country.

As of yesterday, the campaign said, 638,121 people have registered on the Dean Web site, www.deanforamerica.com

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:49 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Libertarian presidential candidate speaks at UI

Daily Illini | Libertarian presidential candidate speaks at UI

Gary Nolan, front-runner for the Libertarian presidential nomination, covered a range of issues concerning the bureaucracies, economy and civil liberties of the country at Noyes Lab on Tuesday. ...

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Mercer: Aaron Russo- A choice not an echo

WorldNetDaily: Aaron Russo: A choice not an echo

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April 27, 2004

THE SLANDER THAT MADE JOHN KERRY A STAR

THE SLANDER THAT MADE JOHN KERRY A STAR
NYPost Opinion

Posted by Lance Brown at 03:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 26, 2004

Did Kerry Discard Vietnam Medals?

ABCNEWS.com : Did Kerry Discard Vietnam Medals?

Posted by Lance Brown at 04:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 24, 2004

'Nader nation' - who are these voters?

Perhaps the strangest thing about this article is that it poses two seemingly conflicting notions: that Nader's base could be both broader than it was in 2000, and smaller than it was in 2000. It sounds strange, but I think it could end up being proven true.

'Nader nation' - who are these voters? | csmonitor.com

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April 20, 2004

Kerry's Consigliere

The Atlantic | May 2004 | Kerry's Consigliere

For the legendary strategist Bob Shrum, a lifetime in Democratic politics comes down to John Kerry and a final shot at the White House

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 19, 2004

Jesse Ventura eyes White House run in 2008

USATODAY.com - Jesse Ventura eyes White House run in 2008

Posted by Lance Brown at 03:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 15, 2004

Nader tells youths to brace for draft

Nader tells youths to brace for draft

Posted by Lance Brown at 04:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 13, 2004

For Kerry aides, McCain would fit bill as running mate

Boston.com / News / Nation / For Kerry aides, McCain would fit bill as running mate

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 08, 2004

MoveOn staffer moves on to Kerry campaign

USATODAY.com - MoveOn staffer moves on to Kerry campaign

Posted by Lance Brown at 12:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 07, 2004

Dean Calls on Voters to Reject Nader Bid

Dean Calls on Voters to Reject Nader Bid (washingtonpost.com)

(TruthOut permacopy)

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 06, 2004

Are rich Republicans conniving to help George W. Bush by bankrolling Ralph Nader's campaign?

Political Points | 4.4: We Got a Check From Whom?

ARE rich Republicans conniving to help George W. Bush by bankrolling Ralph Nader's campaign?

Posted by Lance Brown at 12:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 05, 2004

TLE Interviews Michael Badnarik

TLE Interviews Michael Badnarik, by L. Neil Smith

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:15 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 29, 2004

3 Libertarian candidates make pitch for presidency

3 Libertarian candidates make pitch for presidency - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics

I like the quote at the end of this excerpt:

The party hopes to continue to draw disaffected Americans into its tent, such as Don Hogan. The 51-year-old businessman turned to the Libertarian Party last June after a lifelong Republican affiliation.
Now, Mr. Hogan is campaigning for a seat in the U.S. Congress from Virginia's 6th District, going up against incumbent Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte, a Republican.
"Even if I lose, I win," said Mr. Hogan, 51, who runs a process serving company. "I am doing something I have always wanted to do, and I am forcing my opponent to deal with things he hasn't wanted to deal with. Specifically, an opponent."

Posted by Lance Brown at 06:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Nader, Kerry to Discuss Defeating Bush

Nader, Kerry to Discuss Defeating Bush

(TruthOut permacopy)

Posted by Lance Brown at 06:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 28, 2004

Kerry Challenges Bush to Monthly Debates

Kerry Challenges Bush to Monthly Debates

(TruthOut permacopy)

Posted by Lance Brown at 06:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 17, 2004

American Guardian 2004 Presidential Election Endorsement of Aaron Russo

American Guardian 2004 Presidential Election Endorsement of Aaron Russo

Posted by Lance Brown at 07:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 07, 2004

Why the 2004 election will defy history

MSNBC - Why the 2004 election will defy history

by Howard Fineman

WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.

...

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Why the 2004 election will defy history

MSNBC - Why 2004 election will defy history
Patterns of past wouldn't allow Bush or Kerry to win
(TruthOut permacopy)

by Howard Fineman

WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The bloody shirt

The bloody shirt
Berkshire Eagle Online - Editorials
(TruthOut permacopy)

Excerpt:

Well, all's fair in love and politics -- if Mr. Bush wants to run as a war president, let's discuss his performance. How could we have blown our chance to kill Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora? If, as the president has acknowledged, Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11, why did we invade Iraq? Why does Saudi Arabia, home of 15 of 19 hijackers, Osama bin Laden and most of his money, continue to enjoy a free pass? Why, when all our intelligence services said there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, did the president invade anyway?

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 05, 2004

Naderites No More

Naderites No More

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Please, Ralph, Not This Year

Please, Ralph, Not This Year
by Micah L. Sifry
Mother Jones Magazine

...

It pains me to write all this, because I love Ralph Nader for what he has contributed to our country and for his selfless example of civic leadership. People who attack him as some kind of "egomaniac" have no idea what they're talking about; let them spend a few hours with almost any typical member of Congress or governor to see what real egomaniacs are like. But Nader's character is not the issue; it's his judgment. There's nothing stopping him from being a public citizen par excellence in this election cycle and beyond. In fact, some heavyweight progressive activists and donors had offered to create a watchdog vehicle to help Nader shine a spotlight on Bush and Congress, with the research backing and promotional support to ensure that his voice was heard. Instead, he chose to try accomplishing the same thing as a lone candidate for office. This time, I just think he's wrong.

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Why Ralph Should Run

MSNBC - Why Ralph Should Run

...

So maybe the Democrats should relax about Nader’s entrance into the race. He could add to the discussion. And he poses much less of a threat this time around. In the age of Anybody But Bush, “anybody” really means the Democratic nominee—it doesn’t mean Ralph Nader.

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 04, 2004

Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning

t r u t h o u t - Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency

Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency

Is a movement about its leader or the person who put it together?

That question is fueling a behind-the-scenes struggle between Howard Dean and his former campaign manager, Joe Trippi, as they jockey for control of the campaign's bounty of grass-roots supporters and search for personal direction after the former Vermont governor's failed bid for the presidency.

Dean, who dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination this month, has been heading to his campaign headquarters in Burlington, Vt., each day. His agenda has included writing thank-you notes to supporters, surveying his debts, and plotting how to best steer the people who served as the lifeblood of "Dean for America" toward another cause he can lead.

Trippi, who pioneered the campaign's use of the Internet for fund-raising and for building an online political community before quitting Jan. 28 when Dean told him he was placing a chief executive officer over him, has been spending time at his farm in Maryland overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Not only has he been an ever-present political analyst on television, he has launched a website similar in name to Dean's -- "Change for America" -- and urged Dean's former supporters to follow his lead.

...

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Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent

News Analysis: Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
(TruthOut permacopy)

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Corn: What's Right With Kerry

What's Right With Kerry
by David Corn, The Nation
(TruthOut permacopy -- second story on the page)

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 03, 2004

Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president

Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president

The Hollywood producer who challenged Kenny Guinn for Nevada's governorship six years ago was back on ballots Tuesday night, running for president.

Aaron Russo's name appeared on both the California and Massachusetts ballots on this "Super Tuesday." This time he's running as a Libertarian.

Russo has jumped back into the political ring after recovering from a bout with cancer that kept him from challenging Guinn again two years ago.

Posted by Lance Brown at 10:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 29, 2004

L. Neil Smith Interviews Aaron Russo -- Part Two

TLE Interviews Aaron Russo -- Part Two, by L. Neil Smith, transcribed by Rylla Smith<

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 28, 2004

Gary Nolan shares views at LSUA forum Wednesday

Libertarian presidential candidate shares views at LSUA forum Wednesday


Gary Nolan thinks the Libertarian Party has a better chance this time around to make an impact on the presidential election.

"If you're a small government conservative, and you vote for Bush, they're going to keep spending, but if you vote for me, you're either going to get smaller government or you're going to get gridlock. In either case, it's better than voting for Bush," Nolan said.

...

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February 27, 2004

Nader's run for redemption

Boston Globe / Opinion / Op-ed / Nader's run for redemption

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 26, 2004

(Audio) Joe Trippi: Q&A with Ed Cone

Joe Trippi: Q&A with Ed Cone (IT Conversation)

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Award-winning producer says next role should be president

Award-winning producer says next role should be president

Libertarian Aaron Russo calls for political change at campaign stop in city

02/26/04

By STEVE NOWOTTNY
Times Staff Writer eintern@htimes.com

Hollywood movie producer-turned-politician Aaron Russo, famous for such hits as "The Rose" and "Trading Places," visited Huntsville Wednesday, campaigning for the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party

...

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(Cartoon) The All New 2004 Nader Candidate by Mark Fiore

As usual, Fiore's animation is clever and on-target, and very amusing.

The Village Voice: Cartoons: Mark Fiore: The All New 2004 Nader Candidate by Mark Fiore

Posted by Lance Brown at 08:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 25, 2004

This Week: Aug. 12, 1996

AllPolitics - TIME This Week: Aug. 12, 1996

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Reform Party - - Ross Perot: The Political Fray

AllPolitics - The Reform Party - - Ross Perot: The Political Fray

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Reform Party - Ross Perot: Political Timeline

AllPolitics - The Reform Party - Ross Perot: Political Timeline

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 24, 2004

John Anderson, National Unity Party, 1980

John Anderson, National Unity Party, 1980

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Ross Perot, Reform Party, 1992

Ross Perot, Reform Party, 1992

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Will Nader Matter at All?

Will Nader Matter at All?

The best-case scenario for Ralph Nader's fourth presidential campaign -- a 1992 write-in effort in the New Hampshire primary, Green Party runs in 1996 and 2000, and the independent candidacy he announced on Sunday -- is to pull a Norman Thomas. In the Great Depression election of 1932, Democrats worried that Thomas, the perennial Socialist Party candidate, would draw off votes in key states and help reelect Republican President Herbert Hoover. When the ballots were counted, however, Democrat Franklin Roosevelt defeated Hoover in all but six states and was swept into the White House. At the same time, Thomas won close to 900,000 votes nationwide, and in many state his backers provided a cushion of votes for Democrats who swept local, state and congressional races. Thomas was invited to the White House, treated with respect on Capitol Hill and credited with providing the inspiration for important elements of Roosevelt's New Deal.

The worst-case scenario for Nader's 2004 campaign is the James Birney circumstance. Birney, a prominent attorney who served as secretary of the American Anti-Slavery Society, sought the presidency in 1840 and again in 1844 as the candidate of the abolitionist Liberty Party. Birney's second run for the presidency secured only 62,103 votes, out of 2.7 million cast nationwide. But Birney took away enough votes in key states such as New York from Whig Henry Clay, a more cautious critic of the expansion of slavery, to tip the election to Democrat James K. Polk, who campaigned on a promise to annex Texas as a slave state. Polk quickly did just that, and then ordered the invasion of Mexico. Until his death in 1857, Birney, the passionate abolitionist, was blamed for giving pro-slavery forces an upper hand at a critical stage in American politics.

Somewhere between those best- and worst-case scenarios lies the likely result for Nader this year. It is far less dramatic. Indeed, the most likely scenario for Nader in 2004 is that he will not matter much.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 06:04 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Ralph to Anybody But Bush Liberal Democrats

NOTE: This letter from Ralph has been taken down from his site as far as I can tell. I've changed the link to point to an archived copy at Idaho Indymedia.

Dear Anybody But Bush Liberal Democrats:

From Ralph Nader

If you wish to defeat George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in November, restore the House and/or the Senate to the Democrats and continue to build a longer term progressive political movement, enlisting the young, middle-aged and elderly together, beyond November 2004.... and you have some doubts as to whether the Democrats can do this by themselves, this letter is for you.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 12:28 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 23, 2004

An Economist Against Bush and Kerry (and for Russo?)

An Economist Against Bush and Kerry by Mark Thornton

Posted by Lance Brown at 03:22 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Q: What will happen when a national political machine can fit on a laptop?

Q: What will happen when a national political machine can fit on a laptop? A: See below (washingtonpost.com)

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Ralph Nader Announces Run for Presidency

Yahoo! News - Ralph Nader Announces Run for Presidency

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 22, 2004

Staffers fill in details of the decline of Dean

This is a pretty meaty article about the flaws of Howard Dean's campaign.

USATODAY.com - Staffers fill in details of the decline of Dean

Posted by Lance Brown at 08:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Democrats United in Asking That Nader Not Enter Race

Democrats United in Asking That Nader Not Enter Race
(TruthOut permacopy)

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 21, 2004

Elect Gary Nolan, Libertarian for President

Elect Gary Nolan, Libertarian for President - The Daily Campus - Commentary

Posted by Lance Brown at 08:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Russo better than Nolan

Russo better than Nolan - The Daily Campus - Commentary

Posted by Lance Brown at 08:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Presidential Candidates Scheduled For Debate On UTC Campus

2/20/2004 - Presidential Candidates Scheduled For Debate On UTC Campus

Three candidates for President of the United States, Michael Badnarik, Gary Nolan, and Aaron Russo, will appear in Chattanooga on March 1, at 7 p.m. for a Presidential debate.

The debate will be held in the Tennessee Room of the University Center on the UTC campus.

Badnarik, Nolan and Russo are the front runners in a field of five candidates seeking the nomination of the Libertarian Party for President. The candidate will be nominated at the national convention May 27-31 in Atlanta.

The Libertarian Party of Tennessee will elect delegates to the national convention April 2-4 in Chattanooga.

Gary Nolan is a nationally syndicated talk show host from Ohio. Aaron Russo, of Nevada, is a film producer, best known for the films Trading Places and The Rose. Texan Michael Badnarik is a computer consultant and teacher of the US Constitution.

For more information contact the Hamilton County Libertarian Party at (423) 634-2595.

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Cheney's future is Washington's current topic

IHT: Cheney's future is Washington's current topic
(TruthOut permacopy)

WASHINGTON Vice President Dick Cheney, a man who has cultivated an unblinking image of stern secretiveness and unshakeable discretion, is expected to become far more visible as a campaigner in this presidential election year. Assuming, that is, that he remains on the presidential ticket. "The campaign season is under way," Cheney said recently, "and President Bush and I will be proud to present our vision to voters in every part of this great land."

The White House has said that American voters will see more of the low-profile Cheney this year, and not less.

But while it would fly in the face of history, and what is known of President George W. Bush, to drop a vice president after one term, Cheney has found himself mired in controversy on a variety of fronts. That has made speculation about his political future a suddenly hot topic in this speculation-loving city.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 03:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Nader to Jump in Presidential Race

FOXNews.com - You Decide 2004 - Nader to Jump in Presidential Race

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:17 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 20, 2004

MSNBC - Dean Bows Out

MSNBC - Dean Bows Out

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 19, 2004

Dean Wisconsin fundraising claim aside, not all cash went to TV

Boston.com / News / Politics / Presidential candidates / howard dean / Not all cash went to TV

WAUSAU, Wis. -- After being surprised by losses in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, Howard Dean and his top advisers decided to seek political rejuvenation by taking a stand in the Wisconsin primary today. To fuel the effort, the campaign sent out an e-mail to 660,000 supporters on Feb. 5, seeking donations.

"The entire race has come down to this: We must win Wisconsin," said the message, which bore Dean's electronic signature. "We must launch our new television advertisement on Monday in the major markets in Wisconsin. To do that, I need your help to raise $700,000 by Sunday. . . . Your $50 contribution will allow us to get out our message onto the airwaves, and win Wisconsin. Please contribute now."

And they did, not only meeting the goal of $700,000, but continuing to donate as the campaign doubled the goal to $1.4 million. As of last night, the tally stood at $1.3 million.

Yesterday, a media consortium in Wisconsin released an analysis of advertising spending in the state by the Democratic candidates. It indicated Dean had not spent the $700,000 he said he needed for television ads, having booked only $227,000 worth as of last Friday. That was less than the money spent by his two main rivals, Senators John F. Kerry of Massachusetts and John Edwards of North Carolina. The study found that Edwards had booked $316,000 worth of ads, while Kerry had $263,000.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Interview with Aaron Russo

As posted on my main blog:

This is good stuff. Deaniacs take note. Kucinichiacs too. And Perotians. And, yes, Naderites.

The only downside is that it doesn't have his picture and the context isn't set at the beginning (because it's an adjunct to this main article). I'm posting the whole thing for archival and e-mail transmission purposes.

The Auburn Plainsman Online - Interview with Aaron Russo

Interview by David Mackey
Online Editor
February 19, 2004

Plainsman: Looking at your web site, a common theme of your remarks is that we need to return government to a role as a servant of the people, rather than a master. How do you think we got away from that, and how will you change it?
Russo: We got away from that by getting away from the American Constitution. Only by returning to the Constitution will government return to its proper role.

Plainsman: How do you see the government's role in our lives?

Russo: I see the government as a servant. Have you ever studied the Constitution? The government only has 17 delegated powers -- we're talking about the federal government.

The federal government's designated role is to protect the borders of America, national defense, coin money -- even coining money, which they're supposed to do, they don't do anymore, meaning now it's the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve is a private bank, it's not a federal agency.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See Also: Russo Rising: Libertarian candidate for president visits Auburn
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So what I want to do, as far as the United States, is return America back to the basic principles of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and get away from George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Plainsman: You advocate bringing the troops home from Iraq. What do we do next?

Russo: What do we do next? We don't do anything next.

Plainsman: Then how do you see America's role in the world?

Russo: Friendship with everybody, free trade with everybody, but as George Washington said, no entangling alliances. In other words, I don't think it's America's job to police the world. I don't think it's proper to send American's troops to Iraq for "shock and awe," destroying children, maiming children, killing people for no reason. Saddam Hussein never did anything to America, and we have no reason to be there.

There are many despots all around the world. America doesn't have any right to go into other countries and force a form of government on them. It's up to the people of the country to have self-determination as to what kind of government they want to live in.

America keeps talking about democracy, and America's not supposed to be a democracy. In a democracy, 51 percent of the people control 49 percent, and that's not freedom. In a constitutional republic, as America was designed to be, 99 percent of the people can't control 1 percent of the people. Everyone has their God-given rights as a human being. As long as you don't do violence, theft or fraud, you can do whatever you want with your life. It's your choice.

You own your life. I don't own you, you don't own me, I don't own these people out here. Each one of us owns our own life, we're private property for ourselves, so we're free to do with our life as we wish. That's the basic principles of libertarianism and the basic principles of the Constitution. The Constitution's a libertarian document.

Plainsman: You advocate abolishing the PATRIOT ACT. What can America do to prevent attacks like Sept. 11?

Russo: America has bases in 130 countries around the world. We're the only country that has that. We spend more on defense than the next 25 countries combined.... We're the most imperialistic country in the world. We're the most aggressive country in the world. If we didn't do that, I don't think we would have been attacked on Sept. 11.

Now, if I were the president on Sept. 11, what I would have done is show the American people the proof and then gone after the people who did it. What George Bush did was, he never showed us the proof of what happened and he just told us it was Osama bin Laden. Then they went after Saddam Hussein, who did nothing to us. It's been a giant diversion. If there's going to be a war on terror, and it's going to last years and years and years like they say, then it seems the American people have a right to know what did happen on 9/11. Why is George Bush not telling us?

Plainsman: You talk about how America is supposed to be a republic rather than a democracy, where the majority can't impose their preferences on the minority. What are some examples you see in America today where the majority imposes their beliefs on the minority?

Russo: Look at the polls. People make decisions based on polls. It doesn't matter what the polls say. Fifty-one percent can't tell 49 percent what to do. If 51 percent say "Abortion should be illegal," they make it illegal. They use public opinion polls to determine the policy of the country. Policy is based on polls rather than the fact that you, as an individual, can do whatever you want to do.

It's your life. Let's say you have cancer, and the FDA says you have to have chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. That's nonsense. If I have cancer, I'll do whatever I want. For you to limit my choices, that's tyrannical.

Plainsman: Why are you running? Why do you believe you are the person to --

Russo: Because I don't know anybody else who'll do it. George Bush and John Kerry aren't going to change anything. You'll have the same policies in effect after the election. John Kerry voted for the PATRIOT ACT, he voted against the war, he voted against medical marijuana, the same three things George Bush did. What's going to change?

Whichever one wins, it doesn't matter because nothing's going to change. The only way to change things is to vote a third party in. But they tell you if you vote for a third party, you're wasting your vote, but it's just the opposite. With the two major parties, nothing's going to change, and so it's their fabrication, it's their propaganda so people won't vote for a third party. The two parties want to maintain control.

Plainsman: What is your vision for libertarianism in the future? It seems that most Americans have accepted a role for government in education, in health care, all these things you would take government out of. Do you think that opinion can be changed?

Russo: That's all very recent. I think since government's been involved in education, the education system's completely fallen apart. I remember Bill Clinton, in his State of the Union speech, he talked about "We have to have national testing standards." Congress stood up and applauded, "Yeah! National testing!" What a bunch of fools! If we have national testing standards, that means we have national teaching standards. It goes right along with it. The federal government's going to dictate what you learn in school. That's how they got the brownshirts in Germany.

The last thing you want is a central authority dictating what you learn in school. That's not what it's about. Every community may think different things are important to them. A rural community may think one thing, an urban community may think another. It's up to the parents and the local school people to decide what's best for school.

You should run public schools like a private school, run by the headmaster and the parents. If the federal government was in charge of the school system, they'd never learn the Constitution. They don't want them to learn the Constitution because they don't want them to know what their rights are. See, the Constitution doesn't give you your rights. The Constitution tells the government what their powers are. Once the people know what the Constitution says, then you know what the government's real powers are. They don't know that.

So the whole idea is to educate people to learn the Constitution, learn the Bill of Rights, learn what the Framers meant when they wrote what they wrote and why they wrote it. That's what's important. If you have the federal government teaching you and laying down the rules, it's a very bad situation.

Plainsman: You've had a decades-long career in entertainment, and you've worked with a lot of famous people and flamboyant characters. Do you see any similarities between the world of entertainment and the world of politics?

Russo: Somebody once asked me that question -- it's a good question -- and they said "What's the difference between politics and entertainment?" I said, "In politics, they stab you in the front," and that is the difference. In show business they stab you in the back. That's the big difference between the two. Other than that, it's a stage everybody plays on.

(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

RUSSO RISING

The Auburn Plainsman Online - RUSSO RISING

Aaron Russo, Libertarian presidential candidate from California and the man who brought Led Zepplin to the U.S., shares his American dream

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Libertarian burns draft cards to ignite voter enthusiasm

(The story is about halfway down the page.)

Presidential dreams
Libertarian burns draft cards to ignite voter enthusiasm

Posted by Lance Brown at 12:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 16, 2004

CA March 2, 2004 Primary - LP Candidate Statements

March 2, 2004 Primary Election - Candidate Statements
LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

TLE Interviews Aaron Russo -- Part One

TLE Interviews Aaron Russo -- Part One, by L. Neil Smith, transcribed by Rylla Smith

Aaron Russo is becoming better and better known to libertarians as a celebrated movie maker who is fed up with the direction in which the Bush Administration is taking America, and seeks the Librtarian Party's Presidential nomination. I recently interviewed Aaron by telephone...

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Dean campaign says he won't drop out if he loses Wisconsin

Post-Crescent - Candidate won't drop out with state loss

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 15, 2004

Libertarians unite

Libertarians unite
Facing uphill battle, third-party alternative discusses strategy

While most of the nation is focused on the hubbub of the Democratic nominations, they are not the only ones scrambling to take on President Bush.

This weekend, the Florida Libertarian Party met in Gainesville to mull over its nominee for the presidential election. Members hope their candidate will garner the same national attention as past third-party alternatives like Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Russo visits with Free-Staters

Libertarian candidate visits area

02/15/04

ANITA DEBRO
News staff writer

A Hollywood movie producer turned Libertarian presidential candidate told a group of free-thinkers Saturday that American citizens should have the right to live their lives without government intervention.

Aaron Russo spoke Saturday to members of the Free State Project at the Homewood Public Library.

The Free State Project is an effort to recruit 20,000 people seeking liberty from overbearing government to move to New Hampshire, according to the organization's Web site. "We are not the property of the government," he said. "The government should never legislate morality."

Russo produced movies such as "Trading Places" and "The Rose." He managed entertainers such as Bette Midler, and produced concerts for performers including Led Zeppelin and the Grateful Dead.

Russo entered politics in 1998 when he ran for governor of Nevada for the Republican party. After that election, Russo became an independent.

He said he is running for president to take power away from the government and give it back to the people.

Russo is an advocate for the legalization of medicinal use of marijuana and for abolishing gun control.

"Jail is not a place for people who smoke marijuana," he said.

Chris Harrison, an organizer of the Free State Project, invited Russo to speak.

"We need someone who's going to do something for the people of this country, rather than the special interests," he said. "I think Russo would do a good job as president."


(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 14, 2004

The 1984 Debates

Debating Our Destiny: The 1984 Debates

Posted by Lance Brown at 03:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The 1980 Debates

Debating Our Destiny: The 1980 Debates

Posted by Lance Brown at 03:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 12, 2004

Presidential candidate to visit campus

The Auburn Plainsman Online - Presidential candidate to visit campus

The man who brought Led Zeppelin to the United States, managed part of Bette Midler's career and survived bladder cancer to win a NAACP Image Award will visit Auburn Feb. 17 to speak in 202 Foy Student Union.

Aaron Russo, a Libertarian candidate for president, is scheduled to stop in Auburn during his month-long campaign throughout the Southeast, in addition to stops at two other college campuses.
....

Posted by Lance Brown at 06:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 11, 2004

Teenage Kerry and band bring big bucks on eBay

Teenage Kerry and band bring big bucks on eBay

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Can Tech Turn an Election?

PCWorld.com - Can Tech Turn an Election?

Posted by Lance Brown at 06:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Clark to end presidential run

CNN.com - Aide: Clark to end presidential run - Feb. 11, 2004

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:43 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 10, 2004

Faith in Net's force rises, falls with Dean

Faith in Net's force rises, falls with Dean | CNET News.com

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Jon Carroll Thanks Howard Dean

(S.F. Chronicle columnist) JON CARROLL
(Truthout permacopy)

Excerpt:

Whoever the Democratic nominee is, he should thank Howard Dean for leading his party out of the darkness. The electorate is energized; people are finally paying attention to the Bush bunco schemes. Good going, Howard; whatever happens, you done good.

Posted by Lance Brown at 04:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 07, 2004

Bush alters political strategy after Democrats' hammering

USATODAY.com - Bush alters political strategy after Democrats' hammering

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Citizens' Debate Commission formed

From LibertyForAll.net:

Citizens' Debate Commission formed

Washington -- National civic leaders from the left, right, and center of the political spectrum have come together to form the Citizens' Debate Commission. Operating with full transparency, the Citizens' Debate Commission will sponsor debates that address pressing national issues, feature innovative formats, and include the candidates the American people want to see.

"The Citizens' Debate Commission will sponsor presidential debates that put voter education first," said former Congressman John B. Anderson.

"This is an issue of such importance to the health of our democracy that we, liberals and conservatives, are putting aside ideological differences and joining together to sponsor truly democratic debates," said Mark Weisbrot, Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

The nonpartisan Citizens' Debate Commission was formed because the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), which has sponsored presidential debates since 1988, fails to adequately serve voters' interests. The CPD, which was created by the Republican and Democratic parties, secretly awards control of the presidential debates to the Republican and Democratic candidates, limiting voter choice and restricting subject matters of political discourse.

"The CPD has consistently undermined our democracy by employing stilted and unrevealing debate formats," stated Bay Buchanan, President of the American Cause.

"The CPD is a complete failure. In order to have real and robust debate, the American people deserve a new debate sponsor," stated Open Debates' Executive Director George Farah.

The Citizens' Debate Commission members are:

· John B. Anderson, former U.S. Congressman and Chair of Center for Voting and Democracy
· Angela "Bay" Buchanan, President of The American Cause
· Veronica De La Garza, Executive Director of the Youth Vote Coalition
· Norman Dean, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth
· George Farah, Executive Director of Open Debates and author of the forthcoming book No Debate
· Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch
· Tom Gerety, Executive Director of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
· Jehmu Greene, Executive Director of Rock the Vote
· Ambassador Alan Keyes
· Jeff Milchen, Executive Director of ReclaimDemocracy.org
· Larry Noble, former General Counsel of the Federal Election Commission
· Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council
· Chellie Pingree, President and CEO of Common Cause
· Randall Robinson, Founder of TransAfrica Forum
· Dan Stein, Executive Director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform
· Mark Weisbrot, Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research
· Paul Weyrich, Chair and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation


(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 06, 2004

Kerry Calls on Bush to Settle Questions on Military Record

t r u t h o u t - Kerry Calls on Bush to Settle Questions on Military Record

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:15 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 05, 2004

Democrats Assail, and Tap, "Special Interests"

Democrats Assail, and Tap, "Special Interests"

My favorite line in the article is italicized below:

Mr. Edwards tells audiences, "I've never taken a dime from a Washington lobbyist and I never will." That might be literally true — not many lobbyists give dimes these days — but Mr. Edwards has accepted at least a few contributions from current and former lobbyists, and his campaign manager was a registered Washington lobbyist in 2002.

Posted by Lance Brown at 04:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Will Deaniacs pull a Nader on the Democratic Party?

The reference in this article (in the title, and in the body of it) to Deaniacs "pulling a Nader" doesn't make any sense to me. There is nothing in the article about Deaniacs supporting a "spoiler" candidate. It's about how they might not enthusiastically support Kerry if Dean isn't the nominee. The "pull a Nader" language is apparently just lazy wordplay, since it's not justified or explained in the article.

Salon.com News | Will Deaniacs pull a Nader on the Democratic Party?

Posted by Lance Brown at 04:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

AP Exclusive: Kerry Blocked Law, Drew Cash

ABCNEWS.com : AP Exclusive: Kerry Blocked Law, Drew Cash

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Why Kerry is Winning the Democratic Nomination

Most of this article is not very instructive. After all, it contains the premise that John Kerry is more attractive than John Edwards, which is quite a claim. More poised? Yes. More attractive? Well, I'm not a lady or a gay guy, so I guess I'll ddefer to the judgment of others. I've excerpted what I think is the real meat of the article.

Why Kerry is Winning the Democratic Nomination

by Rachel Alexander


...Kerry is the only presidential candidate who appears confident, poised, eloquent, and knowledgeable.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 12:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 04, 2004

Newsmax: Kerry the Candidate

Kerry the Candidate

by John LeBoutillier

NewsMax (Right-wing-max)

Posted by Lance Brown at 10:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The "Dean Scream" -- The Version of Reality You Didn't See.. or Hear on TV

The "Dean Scream" -- The Version of Reality You Didn't See.. or Hear on TV

By Diane Sawyer

(New York-ABC News, January 29, 2004) _ It was the scream Howard Dean says became famous after the media played it nearly 700 times in a few days. Not only that, his camp adds, what we heard on the air was not a reflection of the way it sounded in the room. ...

(Includes video from a different perspective int the room that night -- where the scream isn't even audible over the hysterical crowd.)

Posted by Lance Brown at 10:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

WorldNetDaily: Roy Moore for president?

WorldNetDaily: Roy Moore for president?

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Arianna: Will Cheney Provide The Margin Of Victory... For Democrats?

February 4, 2004 - Will Cheney Provide The Margin Of Victory... For Democrats?

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 02, 2004

CFIF: The Self-Destruction of General Clark

The Self-Destruction of General Clark

In the time between the New Hampshire Democrat Primary and the rest of our lives, the presidential campaign of retired General Wesley Clark should become nothing more than a bizarre footnote to history. That does not mean that Clark will fade away, because the grace to do so is nowhere evident in his personality.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Richard Blow: Seeing the Signs of Dean's implosion

TOMPAINE.com - Seeing The Signs

(Richard Blow is the former executive editor of George Magazine. He is author of American Son: A Portrait of John F. Kennedy, Jr., and is writing a book about Harvard University.)


Watching the death of a political campaign is a lot like rubbernecking. You know that checking out a car crash isn’t exactly healthy, but you can’t take your eyes off it.

So it is with Howard Dean’s once-unstoppable presidential race. On Jan. 28, Dean announced that he was bringing in Roy Neel, a longtime Al Gore associate, to run the campaign. Media and Internet guru Joe Trippi promptly announced his exit. Worse still, the Dean campaign was apparently broke, having burned through most of the estimated $45 million it raised. Dean has asked his 500 paid employees to work for free for the next two weeks, and is now talking about winning enough delegates to mount a convention challenge.

Stick a fork in Howard Dean—he’s done. The story of the death of his campaign can now be written. The real question is, How could the media have missed it for so long?

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 31, 2004

Aaron Russo makes NY Post's Page Six

New York Post Online Edition: gossip

WE HEAR...

THAT Aaron Russo, the guy who discovered Bette Midler and produced such hits as "The Rose" and "Trading Places," is emerging as the leading candidate for the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party.

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Aaron Russo Running for President to stop the impending Military Draft

This is a not-great press release announcing Aaron Russo's presidential campaign.

Aaron Russo Running for President to stop the impending Military Draft, Seeks the Libertarian nomination, by Max Hirschman

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Amazon donors put Nolan second only to Kerry

Who is Gary Nolan? Amazon donors put him second only to Kerry

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Failed Nevada gubernatorial candidate seeks presidency

The LV Review-Journal put a harsh headline on this story.

reviewjournal.com -- News: Failed Nevada gubernatorial candidate seeks presidency

Russo would pull troops out of Iraq, abolish Patriot Act


Posted by Lance Brown at 01:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

WND -- Aaron Russo intent on 'Trading Places' with Bush

WorldNetDaily: Producer intent on 'Trading Places' with Bush

Hollywood award-winner wants to 'bring freedom back to America'


The Hollywood community has been anything but silent during the Bush administration, but an award-winning movie producer plans to back up his words with a run for the presidency.

Aaron Russo – producer of popular films such as "Trading Places," starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, and Bette Midler's "The Rose" – told WorldNetDaily he will officially throw his hat in the ring tomorrow as an independent candidate.

Posted by Lance Brown at 12:56 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 30, 2004

Gary Nolan in Cleveland Plain Dealer

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Gary Nolan

Posted by Lance Brown at 08:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Aaron Russo on the Issues

Aaron Russo on the Issues

Aaron Russo is a candidate for the Libertarian Party Presidential nomination.

I'm Aaron Russo

America's in crisis and we're facing great danger from our own government. I've identified twelve points every American should be alarmed about. Let's examine what they are, and see what our government is doing:

Full release

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:49 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 29, 2004

Dean Campaign: New Man at Top Is Something of an Old Hand

Turnover: New Man at Top Is Something of an Old Hand

Posted by Lance Brown at 08:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Trippi Couldn't Be Persuaded to Stay On

Los Angeles Times: Trippi Couldn't Be Persuaded to Stay On

Posted by Lance Brown at 08:43 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Salon.com | Dean goes bust

Salon.com News | Dean goes bust

Posted by Lance Brown at 03:43 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 28, 2004

Arianna: Judy Dean And The Politics Of Authenticity

January 28, 2004 - Judy Dean And The Politics Of Authenticity

Posted by Lance Brown at 06:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 25, 2004

WRP: Dennis Kucinich and the Question

t r u t h o u t - William Rivers Pitt | Dennis Kucinich and the Question

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 24, 2004

Wired: How the Internet Invented Howard Dean

Wired 12.01: How the Internet Invented Howard Dean

Posted by Lance Brown at 07:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 23, 2004

Doug Ireland: Iowa's Lessons

TOMPAINE.com - Iowa's Lessons

Posted by Lance Brown at 03:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Past Defeat and Personal Quest Shape Long-Shot Kucinich Bid

Challenging Bush: Past Defeat and Personal Quest Shape Long-Shot Kucinich Bid

(TruthOut permacopy)

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 22, 2004

Polls: Any Democrat Beats Bush 45% to 41%; Dean New Hampshire Lead Gone

t r u t h o u t - Polls: Any Democrat Beats Bush 45% to 41%; Dean New Hampshire Lead Gone

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:41 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Gephardt quits presidential race

He didn't quit-- he got fired.

MSNBC - Gephardt quits presidential race

...

Backed by almost two dozen labor unions, Gephardt, who won the caucuses in 1988 but stumbled in primaries that followed, went into Iowa with high expectations.
...
He campaigned aggressively as an opponent of NAFTA and the China trade deal, arguing that they were responsible for thousands of job losses, often to overseas sweatshops that employed child labor.
...
A survey of Iowans entering their caucuses showed Gephardt got little credit for his experience. Iowans who said experience was a key quality for them chose Kerry by a 4-1 margin.

Only one in 20 Iowans said trade was a top issue.

The survey showed that just 23 percent of caucus-goers were from union households — and Gephardt trailed Kerry in winning their support.

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

MSNBC - Howard Dean on the Edge

MSNBC - Howard Dean on the Edge

Excerpt:

Like Gephardt in Iowa, Dean is now
fighting next door to his home state, where he once held a commanding lead in the polls. In political terms, he cannot afford another poor result next week, no matter how hard he comes out swinging.

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:28 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 20, 2004

Michael Moore to Dean Supporters: Don 't Give Up

Michael Moore.com : Mike's Message

Posted by Lance Brown at 10:23 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Campaign Ramble on Iowa night

I'll say this about John Kerry-- he seems to be the smoothest and warmest in close quarters. He's the only one who doesn't seem to be brimming with nervous energy, like Gephardt, Clark, Dean, and (to a lesser extent) Edwards seem to be. Maybe that explains Kerry and Edwards' strong finishes in close-quarters Iowa.

Also, Dean seemed pretty wild in his post-results "speech"-- at least the segment I saw. I have not seen the whole thing.

Kerry's speech was pretty good for the occasion. He made a lot of smart phrasings and comments. As an outsider observer who won't be voting Democrat, I'm mildly impressed by Kerry for the time being. Anyone who can unsettle the Dean Machine has to be given at least a little credit.

New Hampshire is going to be a major showdown between Kerry and Dean. Both from neighboring New England states, and Kerry on the rise with Dean hitting some bumps (his false claim that Jimmy Carter invited him to Georgia this past Sunday not being the least). Very interesting.

In the end, this is George Bush's election to lose. Most of the main Democrats would suffice to beat him if things go bad in Bushland. The possible exceptions would be Dean, who is volatile, and John Edwards, who is young and inexperienced. (And possibly Lieberman, but he won't be a factor for long. He'll be lucky (and wasting his time) if he's still in the race when his state's primary comes up in March. He lost this race the day Al Gore endorsed Dean-- if not earlier.)

Either Bush (and the facts and reality on the ground, here and in Iraq and Afghanistan) is going to undo himself, or he's not. The best Democrat to beat him would be simply a credible alternative. That leaves Kerry and Clark, strictly speaking. Even if Edwards' youth can be cleared as a hurdle (and I think it can), his inexperience will be a potential achilles heel. And Dean will be a bumpy ride. He'd make a great independent or third-party candidate, but the two-party race doesn't have as much mercy on someone who's volatile. See: John McCain, except ratchet up the heat by a factor of ten.

If Bush blows it (or continues to blow it), then either Kerry or Clark will be able to beat him. With Dean there's a maybe factor, because he's developing an image, and if the image doesn't work for mainstream America, then he'll get whupped. (See: Ralph Nader) Of course, if he makes it that far he will reshape his image as needed (See: Bill Clinton), but he might then lose the base that's into him doing the extreme screaming thing. He's a wild card, to put it simply. And the Bush campaign is going to use anything they're given that might help them win. So far, Dean has given them the most to work with. Clark the second most (all his quotes praising Bush and Cheney are definitely going to be used if it's Clark v Bush). Edwards third. I don't think that to date John Kerry has given them anything to work with in terms of tearing him down.

Kerry now has a Republican guy whose life he saved in Vietnam appearing with him and supporting his campaign. That's pretty powerful. His wife is also a strong campaigner, it seems. And he's on his game, verbally-- very confident and likeable, despite his sort of weird face. (If Jon Stewart can call it "cadaver-like", I feel safe saying "weird".)

Make no mistake-- I expect that I would disagree with and oppose most everything that a John Kerry adminstration would do if he was elected-- and I won't be voting for him, any other Democrat, or Bush. I'm just calling the race as I see it. I'll be voting Libertarian, assuming one of the four current main contenders becomes the nominee. (There's a vague possibility that a Libertarian who supported the war in Iraq could be nominated, which is the only reason I hedge. None of the four main contenders support the war, as far as I know.)

I thought Clark looked to be the strongest solid competitor against Bush, but I'm inclined to think that maybe it's Kerry. I'm surprised to find myself thinking that. If he wins New Hampshire next week, then I'd think about pencilling him in as the possible Democratic Party nominee. And-- and again, it feels weird to say this-- I think that might work OK. John Kerry can appeal relentlessly on his heroism in actual battle, and relate that to the war and decisions regarding war, and essentially shame Bush for his cavalier misuse of the men and women of the military. Other than that, he'll play a centrist, sane, experienced guy who cares, but who can be tough.

All this is contingent on no major skeletons coming out of closets. I can't guess if there are any of those to come. And it's contingent on no powerful third-party or independent candidate showing up. And on Dean sticking with his promise to support the Dem. nominee even if it's not him (rather than breaking away and running as an independent, as some have theorized).

CNN.com - Kerry wins Iowa; Gephardt's exit expected - Jan. 20, 2004

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:13 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Gephardt concedes Iowa, plans to exit race

CNN.com - Gephardt concedes Iowa, plans to exit race - Jan. 20, 2004

Posted by Lance Brown at 12:54 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 19, 2004

Misleading headline: Carter Backs Dean on Eve of Iowa Caucus

This headline is less than true, in my opinion. The excerpt below shows the portion of the article that tells of Carter's comments about Dean. No "backing" was reported.

Yahoo! News - Carter Backs Dean on Eve of Iowa Caucus

...

Dean skipped a precious 24 hours on the ground in Iowa to attend Carter's church in Georgia, where the 39th president offered kind words but no endorsement.


The two men joined worshippers at the 131-member Marantha Baptist Church, where Carter teaches Sunday school most weeks, and afterward the former president introduced Dean as "my friend, our visitor and a fellow Christian."


Carter thanked Dean for opposing the war, which the Georgian called "unnecessary and unjust," and expressed his appreciation for the work Dean did on Carter's losing bid for re-election in 1980, although Dean said it only amounted to licking envelopes and answering telephones.


"I made an announcement in advance that I'm not going to endorse any particular candidate, but I have been particularly grateful at the courageous and outspoken posture and position that Governor Dean has taken from the very beginning," Carter said during their eight-minute appearance together after the Sunday services.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 12:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Dean's Wife Joins Him on Iowa Campaign

Yahoo! News - Dean's Wife Joins Him on Iowa Campaign

Posted by Lance Brown at 12:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 17, 2004

Presidential Campaign Fever - Too Much "Vision" Without Hearing

This ends up being about Ralph Nader in the end. And it ends up being correct. (Saying he shouldn't run in 2004, and that those who can influence him toward that should.)

t r u t h o u t - Norman Solomon | Presidential Campaign Fever - Too Much "Vision" Without Hearing

Posted by Lance Brown at 07:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Aaron Russo is seeking LP's presidential nomination

This is cause for some celebration. The possibility of the LP having a charismatic presidential candidate is very cool.

LP News Online: February 2004: Aaron Russo is seeking LP's presidential nomination

Russo for President website

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 16, 2004

Karl Rove's Nightmare

Karl Rove's Nightmare (washingtonpost.com)
(TruthOut permacopy)

By Richard Cohen

DALLAS -- Karl Rove had a bad moment here the other night. It came as Wesley Clark was speaking to a packed hotel ballroom, when the retired general derided the president of the United States for what was supposed to be his supreme, cinematic moment: landing on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln. "I don't think it's patriotic to dress up in a flight suit and prance around," Clark bellowed. The men had been separated from the boys.

Posted by Lance Brown at 03:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Braun Quits White House Race, Endorses Dean

t r u t h o u t - Braun Quits White House Race, Endorses Dean

Posted by Lance Brown at 03:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 11, 2004

Tale of the tape on Howard Dean

MSNBC - Tale of the tape on Howard Dean

WASHINGTON - Aired in Canada and PBS stations in the United States, “The Editors” is a public affairs TV show that most Americans probably haven’t seen. It features a roundtable panel of politicians, journalists, and policy wonks who discuss American and Canadian politics, foreign affairs, and social issues.

But old episodes of the “The Editors” might soon become must-see TV for followers of the 2004 presidential race. While governor of Vermont, Howard Dean was a regular guest on the show, and the NBC News Investigative Unit has now obtained the videotapes of 90 of his appearances from 1996 to 2002.

...

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 10, 2004

Gary Nolan's responses to CUIP's CHIP survey

Gary Nolan's responses to the Campaign for a Unified Independent Party's "Choosing an Independent President 2004" survey: http://www.cuip.org/chip/nolan.pdf

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

t r u t h o u t - Will George Bush Lose the New Hampshire Primary?

t r u t h o u t - Will George Bush Lose the New Hampshire Primary?

By Jane Stillwater

Posted by Lance Brown at 08:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 06, 2004

Carroll: But George McGovern Was Right

But George McGovern was right

By James Carroll
The Boston Globe
(TruthOut permacopy)

Excerpts:

The Democrats see a hobgoblin under the bed, and his name is George McGovern. Low-grade panic is beginning to set in as pundits forecast a repeat of 1972: "As Massachusetts goes, so goes the District of Columbia." The prospect of "another McGovern" whets the appetite of Bush partisans while generating gloom and shame among Democrats. Howard Dean, for one, flees the association, while other candidates tar him with it.

Here's the problem: In 1972, McGovern was right. If there is shame attached to that election, it is America's for having so dramatically elected the wrong man. ...

George W. Bush obscenely exploits war for his own purposes. He sponsors a paranoid assessment of what threatens America now and draws political advantage from the resulting fear. The news media propagate that fear. Pundits continue the false opposition between "realist" and "idealist" visions, marginalizing anyone who dares question Garrison America. Meanwhile, the unnecessary Bush war rages, and not even the steady death toll of young GIs makes much news anymore. If a Democrat running for president dares to speak the truth about these things, it is the furthest thing from shame. And before feeling gloom about next November, ask what it means if the Democrat, to win, must do what Nixon did.

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 03, 2004

Krugman: Who's Nader Now?

This article has very little to do with Ralph Nader.

Paul Krugman: Who's Nader Now?
TruthOut permacopy

Excerpt:

The irony is that by seeking to undermine the election prospects of a man who may well be their party's nominee, Mr. Lieberman and Mr. Kerry have reminded us of why their once-promising campaigns imploded. Most Democrats feel, with justification, that we're facing a national crisis — that the right, ruthlessly exploiting 9/11, is making a grab for total political dominance. The party's rank and file want a candidate who is running, as the Dean slogan puts it, to take our country back. This is no time for a candidate who is running just because he thinks he deserves to be president.

Posted by Lance Brown at 10:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 01, 2004

Dante Chinni: The unknown Hussein factor in the 2004 election

The unknown Hussein factor in the 2004 election | csmonitor.com

Posted by Lance Brown at 10:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 30, 2003

Chavez: Dean's loose lips

Linda Chavez: Dean's loose lips

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:54 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 28, 2003

William Rivers Pitt | Howard's Road

t r u t h o u t -

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:22 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 26, 2003

On the Web, an Amateur Audience Creates Anti-Bush Ads

An article about MoveOn's Bush In 30 Seconds video contest:

On the Web, an Amateur Audience Creates Anti-Bush Ads

(TruthOut permacopy -- second story on the page)

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Clark, Dean camps spar over vice president talk

CNN.com - Clark, Dean camps spar over vice president talk

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W. Times: Dean left speechless on Libya arms move

Dean left speechless on Libya arms move
The Washington Times: Nation/Politics

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December 20, 2003

The Conservative Case Against George W. Bush

Righteous Anger
The Conservative Case Against George W. Bush

(TruthOut permacopy)

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December 17, 2003

Blackfriars Rates The Clarity of 2004 Presidential Campaign Web Sites

This just a press release really, but it has a little info in it.

Blackfriars Rates The Clarity of 2004 Presidential Campaign Web Sites

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December 14, 2003

George Will: Howard Dean -- the thinker

George Will: Howard Dean -- the thinker

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December 11, 2003

Pat Buchanan: The Nixonian strategy of Al Gore

Pat Buchanan: The Nixonian strategy of Al Gore

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December 08, 2003

Kerry: "Did I expect George Bush to f - - - it up as badly as he did?"

New York Post Online Edition: CURSING KERRY UNLEASHES
FOULMOUTHED ATTACK ON BUSH

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December 06, 2003

Hip hoppers say Dennis no menace

Hip hoppers say Dennis no menace=The Hill.com=

Dennis Kucinich, that is.

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Phillies' Ideas for Libertarian Presidential Candidates

I am not running for President - but I do have some ideas on what our Party needs in one

by George Phillies

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Presidential Marketing: Howard Dean's Blog

Presidential Marketing: Howard Dean's Blog

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In Iraq Picture, Bush Is Holding the Centerpiece

The Bird Was Perfect But Not For Dinner (washingtonpost.com)
In Iraq Picture, Bush Is Holding the Centerpiece

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December 03, 2003

Taibbi: Clark's True Colors

I was not impressed by Taibbi's attitude and approach in writing this article*, but he makes some OK points.

*As Matt Stoller of the Clark Sphere put it:

Seriously, attacking Clark is fine, he's in politics. But why go after the campaign staffers who are trying to do their best? Come on. This is ridiculous. Posing as a porn director at a Meetup and then getting awkward quotes from 22 year old volunteers? Really.

Clark's True Colors

by Matt Taibbi

You can see something in the eyes of most all the Democratic candidates: the pugnacity of Howard Dean, the idealism of Dennis Kucinich, even (surprisingly) the elaborate sense of humor just under the surface of Joe Lieberman.

Not Wesley Clark. His eyes are blank. Like a turtle resting on a rock in the middle of a pond, he simply seems never to move, no matter how long you stare. But then, just as you're about to pack up your picnic basket and go home, you catch him: His head pops out, and he slides off into the water...

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November 20, 2003

Remains of Howard Dean's Long-Missing Brother Found

Remains of Dean's Long-Missing Brother Found

By Jodi Wilgoren and Michael Slackman
New York Times

Wednesday 19 November 2003

BEDFORD, N.H., Nov. 18 — Every day on the campaign trail, Howard Dean wears an unfashionable black belt that belonged to his younger brother Charlie, a silent memorial to the man who vanished while traveling the Mekong River 29 years ago.

On Tuesday, Dr. Dean, who rarely mentions his family on the stump, interrupted his schedule to announce that a search team had found his brother's remains buried in a rice paddy in central Laos.

"This has been a long and very difficult journey for my mother and for my brothers Jim, Bill and myself," Dr. Dean, the former governor of Vermont, said after a Democratic presidential candidates' forum at a hotel here. "We greet this news with mixed emotions, but we're gratified and grateful that we're now approaching closure on this very difficult episode in our lives."

The Pentagon will not try to make an official identification until after the remains are flown to a forensic laboratory in Hawaii next week, but personal items found with the bodies — shoes, a sock and a P.O.W.-M.I.A. bracelet with the name of a Texan, all similar to those worn by the 23-year-old Charles Dean — strongly suggest the crude grave was his. Remains believed to belong to his traveling companion, Neil Sharman of Australia, were also recovered at the site.

Charles Dean is one of 1,875 Americans, including 35 civilians, still missing in connection with the Vietnam War.

...

Full story @ TruthOut
NY Times original

Read It Rating: 6.6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 0
Learning Percentage: 65%

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November 12, 2003

L. Neil Smith: No more @#$%^&*! ping-pong

No more @#$%^&*! ping-pong

by L. Neil Smith

Having withdrawn as a potential candidate for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination (or any other nomination, for that matter), the next logical step is to tell the world -- as much of it as I can reach -- who I think is the best remaining would-be nominee.

And I will. Directly.

But first, it's important to get a few things straight about America's history and the old saw about "wasting" your vote.

For better or worse, the 227-year-old United States of America is inextricably associated in the minds of individuals everywhere with the notion, which was radical 227 years ago, of individual freedom. The dismal fact, that this association is no longer valid, and hasn't been since Abraham Lincoln, has done little to change people's minds.

Since the time of Lincoln, individuals and groups who realized the truth about America's lost freedoms have tried to do something about it, invariably falling short, either because they failed to eradicate every remaining trace of non-freedom from their philosophies, or because they thought they could be clever, cut corners, and make deals with the enemies of freedom. Genuinely conservative Republicans and the National Rifle Association come to mind.

Even the Democratic Party was originally organized, by no less an author of liberty than Thomas Jefferson, because of a need he saw to combat the statism of Alexander Hamilton and his Federalist buddies.

For a long while, the two major parties were truly antagonistic.

...

My choice, of course, despite the many and grievous faults I've chronicled over the years, is the Libertarian Party. And the choice to put my vote in escrow (the truth, of course, is that Republicans and Democrats will never straighten up and fly right) will be sweeter if I can vote for a candidate I really respect and admire.

That candidate, for the LP presidential nomination, is my friend Michael Badnarik. From the moment I met him this summer in New Mexico, I liked him very much. His philosophical background in the movement is genuine and deep. His application of principle is excellent. His dedication to individual liberty is sincere and implacable.

...

Full column

Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4.5
Learning Percentage: 15%

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Reason.com: 2004 Presidential Candidates and the freshness test

Who Can Win in 2004?

Just use This freshness test

Jonathan Rauch

Last week, Sen. Bob Graham of Florida pulled out of the Democratic presidential race. It was sad but inevitable. Graham is a good man and a fine public servant, but he can never be president. Only four candidates have a shot next year. They are President Bush, retired Gen. Wesley Clark, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, and Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. The rest are history. Sorry, Dick. Sorry, John. Sorry, Dennis, Joe, Carol, and Al. Turn off the lights behind you.

How do I know? Am I psychic? Mad? Possibly and probably; but in this case I rely on two factors. Following the conventional wisdom, I assume that former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, and civil-rights activist Al Sharpton are too marginal to win, though I wish them luck. That leaves Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman. Their problem is different. They've expired.
As every grocer knows, many products have sell-by dates. Bread lasts a day or two, milk maybe a week. Well, presidential aspirants have a sell-by date, too. They last 14 years.

...

Full commentary

Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 50%

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October 08, 2003

Clark's Run: Net Made Him Do It

Wired News: Clark's Run: Net Made Him Do It
By Suneel Ratan

02:00 AM Sep. 17, 2003 PT

Gen. Wesley Clark's decision to enter the Democratic presidential race is another sign of the Internet's growing influence on American politics, political experts and campaign officials say.

Clark apparently decided to run following an elaborate Internet-based draft movement that grew on its own, without much help from the candidate himself. The organization had established offices in all 50 states, run radio ads in New Hampshire and garnered nearly $1.6 million in pledges as of Tuesday afternoon, according to one of its organizers, John Hlinko.

"This was all accomplished for $50,000 to $60,000," said Hlinko, who helped found DraftWesleyClark.com, one of several organizations working over the past six months to press Clark into the race.

Phil Noble, founder of PoliticsOnline, a Web-based political consulting firm, said the movement to draft Clark, combined with the Net-based insurgent Democratic candidacy of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, illustrates how the rules of American politics are being rewritten in real time.

"The Internet is increasingly becoming the place where politics happens in America," said Noble. "Wesley Clark was at least partially persuaded to run because of the response generated online in a remarkably short period of time."
...

Full story

Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 25%

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Wesley Clark's campaign manager quits

This could be a seriously bad sign for the Clark campaign. Listening to the online supporters and Draft Clark folks is a key element of him potentially having a chance to overpower Dean.

Wesley Clark's campaign manager quits

Oct. 7, 2003

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Wesley Clark's campaign manager quit Tuesday in a dispute over the direction of the Democratic presidential bid, exposing a rift between the former general's Washington-based advisers and his 3-week-old Arkansas campaign team.

Donnie Fowler told associates he was leaving over widespread concerns that supporters who used the Internet to draft Clark into the race are not being taken seriously by top campaign advisers.

Fowler also complained that the campaign's message and methods are focused too much on Washington, not key states and the burgeoning power of the Internet, said two associates who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Spokesmen for the campaign declined comment.
...

Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -.8
Learning Percentage: 75%

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October 03, 2003

SAVE US FROM GEN. WESLEY CLARK

SAVE US FROM GEN. WESLEY CLARK - By Dorothy Anne Seese - Sierra Times.com

Read It Rating: .2
Left/Right Rating: R7
Freedom Rating: .0001
Learning Percentage: 10%

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October 02, 2003

Clark Calls Iraq War 'A Major Blunder'

t r u t h o u t - Clark Calls Iraq War 'A Major Blunder'

By Mike Glover
Associated Press
Saturday 20 September 2003
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark reversed an earlier opinion that he likely would have voted for war in Iraq, telling a cheering college-town crowd the invasion was "a major blunder" he never would have supported.
Clark said his Army career taught him that "the use of force is only a last resort" that wasn't justified in Iraq. "I'm a soldier," he said. "I've laid on the battlefield bleeding."
While the use of force can occasionally be justified, he said, "It's not a way to solve problems and resolve disputes. It's very difficult to change people's minds when you are bombing them and killing them."
Clark sought to blunt a controversy that arose as he opened his campaign. The core is his resume as a retired four-star general with the credibility to challenge President Bush and oppose the war in Iraq.
Many of his backers expressed surprise when Clark told reporters he probably would have voted to authorize the use of force.
"At the time, I probably would have voted for it, but I think that's too simple a question," The New York Times quoted Clark as saying Thursday.

Full story

Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .05
Learning Percentage: %

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October 01, 2003

Poll: Bush down, Clark up

CNN.com - Poll: Bush down, Clark up - Sep. 22, 2003

Highlights:

Fifty percent of 1,003 people questioned for the poll approved of Bush's job performance -- down from 59 percent in August and 71 percent in April -- the president's lowest rating since he came to office in January 2001.

...

"The GOP would point out -- and they would be right -- that the approval rating in the autumn before an election is not a good predictor of how the election will turn out," said CNN poll analyst Keating Holland, pointing out that Ronald Reagan's approval rating was in the 40-percent range in fall 1983, a year before he was re-elected in a landslide.
...
Of the 877 registered voters included in the poll, 49 percent said they would vote for Clark, compared with 46 percent for Bush. Each of the four other major Democratic candidates came within three points of Clark's showing in a hypothetical head-to-head race with the president, the poll found.

Kerry narrowly outpaced the president, 48-percent to 47-percent. Bush held a slim lead over Dean (49 to 46 percent), Gephardt (48 to 46 percent) and Lieberman (48 to 47 percent).

...

In the new poll, 50 percent of respondents said going to war in Iraq was worthwhile, with 48 percent saying the military effort was not. In April, 76 percent backed the war. That figure had fallen to 63 percent in August and 58 percent in the September 8-10 survey.

Full story

Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 10%

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September 24, 2003

Lieberman Begins N.H. Blitz

I saw Lieberman on C-Span at Tom Harkin's Hear it From The Heartland town hall meeting, and his performance was downright dismal. Lieberman should drop out -- the sooner the better. I don't like to make predictions, but I'll go out on a limb and say that Joe Lieberman doesn't have a chance* at winning the presidency in 2004 -- and his chances of winning the Democratic nomination are only marginally better.

* Unless Bush really, really spirals down into unpopularity (i.e., unless Bush defeats himself.)

Lieberman Begins Blitz
He reintroduces himself to state

Concord Monitor; September 15, 2003
by Anne Ruderman, Monitor staff

MANCHESTER - At his first New Hampshire town meeting, Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman yesterday called the U.S. war on terrorism a "war for the hearts and minds of the Islamic world," saying it was more than just a quest to capture Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.

"This is the time for a Marshall Plan for the Muslim world," said Lieberman, one of nine Democrats running for president. "With strength we'll achieve the security we want for our children and our grandchildren."

...

But if the scale of this weekend's blitz was different (even the posters were larger), the senator's message - repeal most of the Bush tax cuts, create more manufacturing jobs, provide affordable health care - was largely the same.

"There's this idea that if you're not registering in New Hampshire, all you need to do is retail politics, more intensity with hooha all around it and that's going to help you rise in the polls," said Dean Spiliotes, an analyst with the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College in Manchester. "That stuff is fine if you have a message that resonates."

Spiliotes said that Lieberman, who was largely thought to be a front-runner for the 2004 campaign, has suffered from the sudden popularity of Dean and a fractured Democratic party.

Full story

Read It Rating: 3
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 0
Learning Percentage: 35%

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MPP: Dean and Kerry improve medical marijuana positions

(Received via e-mail)

Dear Friend:

The Marijuana Policy Project's campaign to influence Democratic
presidential candidates on the medical marijuana issue in
New Hampshire enjoyed tremendous success this past weekend.

Two of the leading candidates -- former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and
U.S. Sen. John Kerry (MA) -- markedly improved their respective
positions on medical marijuana. Dean agreed to impose a moratorium on
the DEA's raids on medical marijuana patients and providers in states
that have reduced or eliminated criminal penalties for the medical use
of marijuana. And Kerry said he would stop the raids entirely.

Kerry's and Dean's evolution on this issue didn't happen in a vacuum.
This is the result of a carefully coordinated plan by MPP to influence
the candidates through a mixture of grassroots and direct activism. We
have commissioned a poll and provided the campaigns with the results,
provided them with documentation on the medical benefits of marijuana,
asked the candidates for their positions at every available
opportunity, and even protested against candidates who would rather
have patients arrested than show a little compassion.

(U.S. Sen. John Edwards from North Carolina has been the primary
target of our protests. He seems almost proud to have adopted the
position that seriously ill people should be put in prison for
following the advice of their physicians.)

All of our hard work paid a huge dividend at a town hall meeting in
Henniker on Saturday, September 20. MPP's New Hampshire project,
Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana (GSMM), asked John Kerry, "Would
you stop the raids, as president?" Kerry responded by saying simply,
"Yes." This came one day after Howard Dean, in response to a GSMM
question, pledged, "Will I do what [Attorney General] Ashcroft is
doing? No, absolutely not." GSMM then specifically asked, "You would
stop the raids?" and Dean responded, "Yeah, I'm not going to do that,
anyway." To read about these encounters in greater detail, please see
our press release.

More good news: The candidates are not the only people taking note of
our activism. We're generating a substantial amount of press as well.
Read all about our efforts.

And there will be more news coverage over the next few days. On
Friday, we expect to have an opportunity to appeal to retired
Gen. Wesley Clark -- the tenth and most recent Democratic candidate to
enter the fray. And a reporter from a major New Hampshire newspaper is
planning to do a major story about our efforts.

If you support our New Hampshire plan, I would very much appreciate
your financial support -- see http://GraniteStaters.com/donate -- so
that MPP does not run a deficit because of this campaign. Thank you in
advance for anything you can do to help.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

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September 22, 2003

Dean, Driven by the Grass Roots

Dean, Driven by the Grass Roots
Bottom-Up Strategy May Turn Politics Upside Down

By Lois Romano
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 22, 2003; Page A01

By day, Jennifer Powers is a grant-writer for a school for the deaf, a Gen X'er who in past elections was like millions of others who vote but don't pay much attention to politics -- and certainly don't lift a finger to help any particular candidate.

That changed for Powers a few months ago, when the 32-year-old Philadelphian, driven by a newfound passion, switched her voter registration from independent to Democrat and became an unpaid operative for Howard Dean's presidential campaign in Pennsylvania. Today, Powers sits on a Philly4Dean (philly4dean.com) steering committee she helped set up, overseeing grass-roots volunteers she helped recruit, and communicates online with a database of 2,000 prospective Dean supporters that she helped build.

She said she does this 30 to 40 hours a week after her day job and with only online direction from the Dean campaign -- and she is not alone.

Thousands of Dean supporters -- many of whom profess never to have been active before -- have taken to the streets on their own initiative to pass out Dean fliers at urban fairs and farmers markets, donate blood and clean up beaches in his name, and raise millions of dollars for the former Vermont governor at house parties.

Full story

TruthOut permacopy

Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 35%

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September 17, 2003

Dean to Top $10 Million for Quarter

Dean to Top $10 Million for Quarter
Democratic Candidate Might Forgo Public Financing

By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 27, 2003; Page A03

Former Vermont governor Howard Dean, who is considering becoming the first Democrat to forgo public financing for a presidential campaign, will raise at least $10.3 million this quarter, his campaign manager, Joe Trippi, said yesterday.

Read It Rating: 6.5
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 0
Learning Percentage: 30%

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Wesley Clark: a tale of two (early-primary) states

CNN.com - Wesley Clark: a tale of two (early-primary) states - Sep. 17, 2003

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Wesley Clark might be a familiar face. But as Joe Lieberman knows, front-runners need more than familiar faces.

Of course, the more pressing question Clark faces today as he joins nine fellow Dems in the presidential race is how he'll be received in the early-primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire. And since we figured Clark is pretty busy these days, we made some calls yesterday to gin up some answers for him.

It turns out that Clark, who is 58 and as an Arkansan has no geographic edge in either state, enjoys far deeper support in New Hampshire -- where one of his largest draft movements is based -- than in Iowa, where Dem leaders and political minds say his military background could hurt him.

...

Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 35%

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September 16, 2003

Wesley Clark to enter the race

Unless my political radar is short-circuiting, this is the guy to watch out for. It'll take the right kind of campaign to get started at this point, but he sounds like a nearly perfect candidate, electability-wise. I wouldn't want to run against him. Though at least if I do, he'll have had 5 years to have built up a load of presidential mistakes. What I meant is I wouldn't want to be any of the other 2004 candidates right now.

A moderate/liberal retired four-star general with lots of international experience, and lots of TV and radio experience, who's a political outsider? The only thing he's missing is elected offical experience, but I don't think that's as big of a deal as people make it out to be. I think it's the prerequisite that isn't really one.

We'll see how it goes...but rest assured that this guy has the Bush campaign worried in a way that none of the other candidates even came close to.

Clark to enter presidential race

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (AP) -- Wesley Clark, the retired general with a four-star military resume but no political experience, decided Tuesday to become the 10th Democratic presidential candidate, officials close to him said.

"He's made his decision and will announce it tomorrow in Little Rock," said Mark Fabiani, a spokesman for Clark.

Fabiani did not reveal Clark's decision, but officials close to the former general said he told his fledgling campaign team that he's in the race.
...


Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 45%

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September 15, 2003

Clark Weighs Political Risks of Alliance With Dean

I disagree with the analyst who is quoted below. I think Clark could run away with the nomination and the presidency. Dean is too politically fragile, and if Clark gets in, each stumble and crack in Dean's campaign will send people Clark's way. If he can jam on the same people-powered Internet campaign thing that Dean is (and the "Draft Clark" posse is already poised to do that, I assume), I think his campaign could take off big time.

Democrats are looking for the person that can beat Bush. All other things being equal, Clark easily outshines the rest of the pack in that category -- at least given what I know so far.

Clark Weighs Political Risks of Alliance With Dean

Amid growing speculation that former Army Gen. Wesley Clark is considering joining the campaign of Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean, one military/political analyst said an alliance between the liberal former Vermont governor and the former NATO commander could have broad national appeal in 2004.

Clark, a political outsider without money, doesn't have a chance as a presidential candidate, said Robert Maginnis, a national defense analyst with Fox News who is acquainted with Clark.

But as Dean's running mate, Clark could do for Dean what Vice President Dick Cheney did for President Bush, Maginnis said.

"Cheney was the heavyweight on national affairs, and Bush wasn't," Maginnis said. A Dean-Clark alliance would reflect a similar dynamic, "and I think it could be a winner," he added.

...

Read It Rating: 6.5
Left/Right Rating: R1
Freedom Rating: 0
Learning Percentage: 20%

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September 14, 2003

LaRouche Remains Among Leaders in Democratic Fundraising

This was surprising to find.

LaRouche Remains Among Leaders in Democratic Fundraising

Democratic Presidential pre-candidate Lyndon LaRouche continues to hold a leading position among the current field running for the Democratic Presidential nomination, according to the results of the July 2003 Quarterly filing with the Federal Election Commission. LaRouche ranks second in the total number of individual contributions, and sixth in total money raised.

...

Read It Rating: 5
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 0
Learning Percentage: 80%

Posted by Lance Brown at 09:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 02, 2003

Bush's Southern Problem

Bush's Southern Problem

by Katrina vanden Heuvel
The Nation

"Any Democratic candidate will be destroyed in the South," gloated Chris Caldwell in a recent issue of the Weekly Standard. Caldwell should head to Greenville, South Carolina, one of the most conservative areas in the United States, where Bush--bashing currently extends from unemployed machine operators to textile industry CEOs.

"Bush can forget about the Solid South," says Roger Chastain, president of a textile company. "There's no Solid South anymore." Chastain told the New York Times that the massive loss of jobs (2.5 million nationally) since Bush took office, and anger over the stagnant pace of economic recovery, makes the president vulnerable in a region his party has long taken for granted. Lynn Mayson, a mother of three, and unemployed for months, put it bluntly: "I'm not going to vote for Bush unless things change. The economy has got to get better." Both Chastain and Mayson are registered Republicans, part of the "solid south" that helped Bush win office in 2000.

The trade issue has become a lightning rod of discontent in these parts. ...

Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L4
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 45%

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August 30, 2003

Bush's men tried to gag me, claims Gen Clark

Telegraph | News | Bush's men tried to gag me, claims Gen Clark

General Wesley Clark, the former Nato commander in Bosnia, and a probable presidential contender, has accused White House officials of trying to get him sacked as a CNN military analyst because they feared he would criticise the Iraq war....

Read It Rating: 5.5
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .1
Learning Percentage: 45%

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:32 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Democrats line up Gen Wesley Clark as their best hope

I said earlier that Clark would be a better choice than Dean for Democrats. (I can't link to it right now because the LBR archives don't seem to be cooperating). I'll stick with that assertion.

Telegraph | News | Democrats line up Gen Wesley Clark as their best hope of winning against Bush

By Julian Coman in Washington
(Filed: 24/08/2003)

In this era of the War on Terrorism, senior Democrats have decided that the best - possibly the only - way to beat George W Bush in the 2004 presidential elections is to put up a soldier against him.

A retired general, Wesley Clark, the supreme commander of Nato during its successful campaign in Kosovo, is widely expected to announce his candidacy for the White House in the next few days, backed by powerful members of the United States Congress.

In an open field, where none of the nine current Democrat candidates has established a clear lead, a late entry by Gen Clark would have an electrifying effect. The Vietnam veteran has never stood for elected office. Since his retirement, however, he has become a familiar face on CNN television, frequently criticising President Bush's policies on Iraq.

Full story

Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 20%

Posted by Lance Brown at 04:50 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

August 26, 2003

Petition to Howard Dean on clarifying Israel position

I don't think I'm going to sign this, primarily because of the sentence that begins with "Dr. Dean, we respect and fully support your agenda to...", but if you're a Dean supporter or Democrat enthusiast, I recommend signing this. The Israel-Palestine playing field is already tilted more than enough.

Petition to Howard Dean

To: Dr. Howard Dean

As members of the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party, The Green Party, Progressives, Independents, and other parties interested in your candidacy, we would like to express our deep reservations regarding your stated positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Based on speeches and interviews given last year and early this year, you spoke often of the Israeli victims of terror, yet you failed to acknowledge the three-fold number of Palestinian civilians who have been killed by the Israeli Defense Forces, or the Israeli military's incursion and illegal occupation of large portions of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. These incendiary actions by the Israeli military have fueled much of the animosity in the region, and they must be acknowledged in any fair assessment of the situation....

Full petition

Read It Rating: 9.5
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 50%

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:59 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

August 17, 2003

Reason: Dean's List

Dean's List

Can the Vermont guv flash mob his way to power?

August 13, 2003
Jeff Taylor

The crowd in Philadelphia got a quick lesson in viral marketing from former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who urged his supporters to spam the hell out of their friends.

"When we send you stuff, you send it to your e-mail list. A hundred people on everybody's email list here, that's four hundred thousand people!" Dean said at a rally on Monday that dwarfed the response other candidates received.

Is Dean nuts or is he onto something? Probably a little of both, which makes him dangerous to status quo assumptions about how 2004 will unfold. ...

At a minimum, Dean's campaign is setting a new standard for integrating the Internet into the overall campaign and is using a number of free or nearly free off-the-shelf components to do it.

Full story...

Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 25%

Posted by Lance Brown at 04:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 16, 2003

Dean Campaign's Net Savvy Shows

A good once-over of the Dean campaign and supporters' 'Net efforts.

Dan Gillmor's eJournal - Dean Campaign's Net Savvy Shows

August 10, 2003
posted by Dan Gillmor 08:56 AM
(This was also his Sunday column from the San Jose Mercury News.)

BURLINGTON, Vermont

On July 10, Zephyr Teachout posted a short note on the weblog for Howard Dean's presidential campaign. She was looking for programmers to help on several projects, one of which would let volunteers around the country create a social network to share their best ideas more efficiently

She quickly got scores of responses. Members of an unaffiliated group called Hack4Dean, since renamed DeanSpace, were among those who answered the call, and a site she's calling ``Visible Volunteers'' is taking shape.

Teachout, 31, heads ``Internet outreach'' for a campaign that is rewriting some of the rules of politics. Dean's team isn't the first to use new media in a national race. However, more than any previous campaign, the people running this one truly get the meaning of the Net.

Full column...

Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: L1
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 45%

Posted by Lance Brown at 04:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 23, 2003

GOP Frets About Bush Re-Election Chances

The line that is bolded below gives me the giggles. Please let me never have cause to say, "we must have blinders on."

t r u t h o u t - GOP Frets About Bush Re-Election Chances

By Ron Fournier
The Associated Press

Wednesday 23 July 2003

WASHINGTON - For the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, rank-and-file Republicans say they are worried about President Bush's re-election chances based on the feeble economy, the rising death toll in Iraq and questions about his credibility.

"Of course it alarms me to see his poll figures below the safe margins," said Ruth Griffin, co-chair of Bush's 2000 campaign steering committee in New Hampshire. "If he isn't concerned, and we strong believers in the Bush administration aren't concerned, we must have blinders on."

Full story...

Guardian.uk/AP Original

Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 3.5
Learning Percentage: 55%

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 20, 2003

Kucinich backs gay marraige

Would-be president backs gay marriage - The Washington Times: United Press International

CLEVELAND, July 16 (UPI) -- Democratic president hopeful, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, has reversed his opinion and now favors same-sex marriages.

As a candidate for Congress in 1996, he said he opposed a change in law to allow same-sex marriages, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.

But Tuesday, at a forum for presidential contenders sponsored by a gay-rights group, Kucinich said "there should be a federal law that would allow gay couples to be married," rather than leaving the matter to the states.

Full story...

Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 70%

Posted by Lance Brown at 06:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

FRONT PORCH SITTING: A PROPOSAL

Sean Scallon offers an idea for a different kind of third party presdiential campaign, or campaigns. He has two main recommendations: one, that the LP draft Rep. Ron Paul and the Constitution Party draft Rep. Tom Tancredo, whether those two want to be drafted or not; and two, that they basically run "front porch campaigns", harkening back to the days of yore when that was the primary means of campaigning.

I'm not altogether opposed to the idea of the front porch campaign -- I don't think it can carry the whole weight of a campaign, but it has some qualitites which recommend it to some extent. And I'm certainly not opposed to the idea of the LP drafting Ron Paul as its presidential candidate. Tom Tancredo, however...from what I've gathered, Tom Tancredo is hardcore anti-immigration. And I can't support that.

I know -- Tom Tancredo can do a front porch campaign, but with a big wall around his property, and extensive vigilante patrols guarding his property from unwanted intrusion.

FRONT PORCH SITTING: A PROPOSAL -- A DIFFERENT KIND OF 3RD PARTY CAMPAIGN IN 2004
by Sean Scallon

Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 40%

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Lee Shelton: Is George W. Bush A One-Term President?

This is one of two articles I've read recently that speaks of the positive prospects of the Democrats in 2004, without saying much at all about the positive qualities of said Democrats. The elements in the Democrats' favor are generally phrased in terms of negatives about Bush that can be exploited (as in the excerpt below). It may be that the mainstream of America may be so disgusted by Bush a year from now that the Anyone But Bush strategy might do the trick on its own. But that's not where the mainstream is quite yet -- and if it doesn't get there, or if somehow Bush can turn the tide back in his favor, then the Democrats are actually going to need a candidate worth cheering for in his or her own right.

Lee Shelton seems to be positing that Hillary is going to get drafted in to save the day, but I have my doubts about that. She would certainly spice up the race though.

Like Father, Like Son: Is
George W. Bush A One-Term President?

By
Lee R. Shelton IV

Toogood Reports [Thursday, July 17, 2003; 12:01 a.m. EST]

Immediately following Gulf War I, President George Bush enjoyed a popularity rating that reached 91 percent. That number, however, plummeted once the voters began to focus on the recession that Bush denied even existed. His bid for a second term went down in flames. Now, with the 2004 presidential election still 15 months away, could his son be facing the same fate?

While so-called conservatives will no doubt try to get Americans to turn their attention to Bush´s "victories" in the war on terror, I believe that Democrats will zero in on two chinks in the administration´s armor: the economy and credibility. With a six percent unemployment rate and a projected budget deficit of over $450 billion to exploit, you can be sure they won´t pull any punches. And don´t underestimate the Democrats´ ability to attack Bush´s credibility now that the White House has admitted that its decision to attack Iraq was based––at least in part––on questionable intelligence.

Full story...

Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L4
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%

Posted by Lance Brown at 03:31 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

July 12, 2003

Tilting Democrats in the Presidential Race

Tilting Democrats in the Presidential Race

by Norman Solomon

The corporate Democrats who greased Bill Clinton's path to the White House are now a bit worried. Their influence on the party's presidential nomination process has slipped. But the Democratic Leadership Council can count on plenty of assistance from mainstream news media.

For several years leading up to 1992, the DLC curried favor with high-profile political journalists as they repeated the mantra that the Democratic Party needed to be centrist. Co-founded by Clinton in the mid-1980s, the DLC emphasized catering to "middle class" Americans -- while the organization filled its coffers with funding from such non-middle-class bastions as the top echelons of corporate outfits like Arco, Prudential-Bache, Dow Chemical, Georgia Pacific and Martin Marietta.

...

Now, the Los Angeles Times reported in late June, "the centrist 'New Democrat' movement is struggling to maintain its influence in the party as the 2004 presidential race accelerates." DLC stalwart Sen. Joe Lieberman is getting nowhere. Other DLC-friendly candidates, such as Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards, are hardly catching fire.

...

When Dean officially announced his presidential campaign on June 23, some news stories identified him with the left. It's a case of mistaken identity. "He's really a classic Rockefeller Republican -- a fiscal conservative and social liberal," according to University of Vermont political scientist Garrison Nelson.

...

In an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Dean delivered a one-two punch against economic justice. He advocated raising the retirement age for Social Security, and he called for slowing down the rate of increases for Medicare spending.

...

Dean is already sending a message to his announced supporters among peace and social-justice advocates: Thanks, suckers.

Usually, major-party candidates wait until they have a lock on the presidential nomination before diving to the center. Eager to avoid being hammered by the national press corps for supposed liberalism, Dean hasn't bothered to wait.

Full story...

Read It Rating: 9.5
Left/Right Rating: L7
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 60%

Posted by Lance Brown at 12:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 11, 2003

Out With Dean, in with Clark

They thought of different reasons than me, but Salon and I have come to the same conclusion: Howard Dean is not the right guy for the Democrats to pick if they want to beat Bush. They give him an OK chance of making it to the nomination, but I wouldn't even go that far. I think he would basically get McCained by the DNC party machinery, in favor of Edwards, Kerry, or Gephardt.

My money is on Gen. Wesley Clark. All you Democrats out there -- Clark's your man if you want to beat Bush. And I know you do. And none of this vice president talk, either -- he should be right out front. Give one of these other hopefuls the VP slot. Gephardt or Kerry.

Salon.com News | The trouble with Howard Dean

As a social liberal and fiscal moderate, he's lured students, professionals and the antiwar left. But he's more George McGovern than Bill Clinton.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By John B. Judis

July 11, 2003 | Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is the only Democratic presidential candidate who has stirred any interest beyond party regulars. He has established himself as the "straight talk" candidate in a field dominated by trimmers and positioners. He has shown Democrats that they can raise money without depending on big donors and soft money from labor unions. Yet if the Democrats nominate him as their presidential candidate, he is almost sure to lose to George W. Bush, and perhaps by a very large margin.

Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 66%

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Nader, Whom Democrats Saw as 2000 Spoiler, Ponders '04 Run

Nader, Whom Democrats Saw as 2000 Spoiler, Ponders '04 Run

By MICHAEL JANOFSKY

WASHINGTON, July 10 — Ralph Nader, the consumer advocate whom Democrats blame for costing Al Gore the last presidential election, said today that he would decide later this year whether to seek the White House again, as a Green Party candidate or an independent.

...

Speaking to reporters at a morning breakfast, Mr. Nader said his decision would depend, in some measure, on the fortunes of two of the nine current Democratic contenders whose politics would appear to resemble most closely his own — Dennis Kucinich, a House member from Ohio, and Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont.

...

"Perot shows that the American people are ready for a three-way race," he said, before referring to Mr. Perot's 18 percent showing in 1992. "He got 19 million votes, and that ain't chickenfeed."

Full story...

Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%

Posted by Lance Brown at 04:14 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 09, 2003

Slate: Why I'm rooting for an Edwards surge.

Hedging on medical marijuana. Pro-capital punishment. "Doesn't take a back seat to Bush or anyone else" on "American strength" re: foreign policy. He also seems to think it makes sense to pay college students a subsidy to get them to work 10 hours a week.

Edwards might be a better challenge for Bush as the author claims, but he doesn't have me looking forward to his presidency.

Dean vs. Edwards vs. Bush - Why I'm rooting for an Edwards surge. By William Saletan

Unless we learn something awful about Howard Dean in the next several months, the Democratic race for president will probably come down to him and one other, more openly centrist candidate. If money, experience, and military service govern the decision, that candidate could be John Kerry. But there's one other candidate I can see filling the centrist slot, surviving the Dean insurgency, and giving President Bush a tougher fight. That candidate is John Edwards.

Full story...

Read It Rating: 8.5
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 70%

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

New online organizing tool for Dean supporters

Wired News: Netizens Rally for Dean Team

By Katie Dean (no relation to Howard)
02:00 AM Jul. 04, 2003 PT

A new site has popped up on the Net to help elect Howard Dean president, using a network of independent "nodes" of supporters to collaborate, share news and even design multimedia campaign materials.

A group of software developers has formed Americans for Dean, a site designed to help organize those who support the former Vermont governor's bid for president.

"It's an autonomous, self-organizing, grass-roots campaign network," said Zack Rosen, ...

Full story

Read It Rating: 8.5
Left/Right Rating: L2
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 75%

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 06, 2003

Dean Not Progressive on Mideast

Dean Not Progressive on Mideast

By Ahmed Nassef, AlterNet
June 30, 2003

Although often portrayed as progressive, former Vermont governor and Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean falls short on several issues important to progressives, with the Middle East being one of the more glaring.

True, Dean is one of the Democratic presidential hopefuls who opposed the invasion of Iraq (along with Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, conservative Sen. Bob Graham, former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, and Rev. Al Sharpton), but he is closer to a hawk when it comes to Israel/Palestine and U.S. policy toward Iran.

...

Dean even left open the possibility of preemptive strikes against that country in that interview, adding that "we have to be very, very careful of Iran."

Once again, sounding very much like President Bush, Dean charged during a New Hampshire campaign stop this month that Iran (along with Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Libya) was "funding Palestinian terrorists and fueling terrorism throughout the world."

Apparently, there is another side to this "anti-war" candidate. When combined with his dubious record as governor on issues like welfare "reform" and gun control, it may be prudent for progressives to think twice before casting their vote for Howard Dean.

Full commentary...

Read It Rating: 10
Left/Right Rating: L5
Freedom Rating: Dean: -4 ; author: 1
Learning Percentage: 85%

Posted by Lance Brown at 05:41 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 03, 2003

Dean And Kucinich Momentum Worries Other Hopefuls...except for the Kucinich part

This is a double-story that TruthOut created a misleading title for. Kucinich's momentum doesn't have anyone worried, and the articles included there don't imply as much. They also spelled Kucinich's name wrong, as did the author of the story about him. The article about him talks about his Department of Peace, and his campaign generally.

t r u t h o u t - Dean And Kucinich Momentum Worries Other Hopefuls

Read It Rating: 5
Left/Right Rating: L5
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 30%

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 02, 2003

On Dean: The Doctor Is (Officially) In

A critical editorial "welcoming" of Howard Dean into the presidential race.


The Doctor Is (Officially) In (washingtonpost.com)

Read It Rating: 5.5
Left/Right Rating: ?
Freedom Rating: ?
Learning Percentage: 50%

Posted by Lance Brown at 02:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Hagelin, Nader, Buchanan Unite in FEC Complaint Against Commission on Presidential Debates

U.S. Newswire - Hagelin, Nader, Buchanan Unite in FEC Complaint Against Commission on Presidential Debates

Contact: Ann Brown, 301-951-8018; or Jason Adkins of Adkins, Kelston, and Zavez, P.C. 617-367-1040; or Bonnie Tenneriello of the National Voting Rights Institute, 617-624-3900 ext. 24

WASHINGTON, June 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A group of third party candidates and their parties from across the political spectrum joined together today to file a legal complaint with the Federal Election Commission to block the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) from sponsoring, with corporate backing, the presidential debates in 2004.

The complaint also asks the FEC to require the CPD to return millions of dollars in corporate contributions made to the two major parties in the 2000 elections, arguing that the CPD is subject to the same ban on campaign contributions as other corporations.

Full press release

Read It Rating: 9.5
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 65%

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 01, 2003

t r u t h o u t - Kerry, Dean Making Noise on Campaign Trail

This is two stories on one page at TruthOut. They do this sometimes, if there are two closely-related stories.

t r u t h o u t - Kerry, Dean Making Noise on Campaign Trail

McCain Gives Nod to Kerry Campaign
By Andrew Miga
The Boston Herald
Monday 30 June 2003

WASHINGTON - GOP maverick Sen. John McCain, whose breezy straight-talking style ignited the 2000 White House race, predicts Sen. John Kerry could rekindle the same campaign magic this time around.
``He certainly can,'' McCain (R-Ariz.) said in a telephone interview with the Herald from Arizona.
``He's smart, he's tough and he's experienced. He has the capability.''
McCain, meanwhile, was skeptical that upstart Democrat Howard Dean, who considers himself the McCain of the 2004 race, could ultimately show wide political appeal.

Fund-Raising Puts Dean in Top Tier of Contenders
By Adam Nagourney
The New York Times

Monday 30 June 2003

Howard Dean announced yesterday that he had raised close to $9 million this year, establishing himself as a top-tier candidate in the Democratic presidential field. The figure stunned his rivals and transformed Dr. Dean from a maverick into a more traditional contender.

Much of the money was collected over the Internet, his aides said, leaving little doubt there are now ways to solicit contributions other than the telephone calls and elaborate fund-raisers that are the stock and trade for most mainstream candidates.

Dr. Dean's aides said he would report raising at least $6.2 million in the three-month period that ends at midnight, on top of $2.6 million he raised over the first three months of the year....

...

The other campaigns said yesterday that they would wait until the fund-raising period was over before releasing their results.

"He'll beat everybody," Steve Elmendorf, a senior adviser to Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, said of Dr. Dean.


Both full stories...

Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L4
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 65%

Posted by Lance Brown at 01:55 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 30, 2003

Anybody but Bush? Watch out, Dems!

I agree with Alexander Cockburn's conclusions here, and encourage all those who plan to vote Democrat in 2004 to read this.

WorkingForChange-Anybody but Bush? Watch out, Dems!

Let's aim higher than pro-death penalty, pro-drug war Dean

Alexander Cockburn
Creators Syndicate
06.25.03

Here I am, enjoying post-solstice sunrise at 5.48 a.m., and, on California's North Coast, sunset at 8.35 p.m. (probably classified info if you ask Tom Ridge). I'm in the early summer of 2003, and already people are acting as though the first Democratic primary was only a month or two away. Already we're wading deeper into the issues that will pulse with increasing intensity across the next 17 months.

Is the task of booting George Bush out of the White House paramount? Out with the imperial Crusader, the death-penalty-loving, Bill-of-Rights-trashing, drug-war-advocating corporate serf! By all means. But whoa! Who's this we see, galloping out of the mists of rosy-fingered dawn, a knight errant sent by the gods to give the kiss of life to all our fainting hopes? It's … why, it's… yes, it's another imperial Crusader, a death-penalty-loving, Bill-of-Rights-trashing, drug-war-advocating corporate serf. Only he's a Democrat, not a Republican. That changes everything. Or does it?

Take Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont. ...

...
[End:]
People like Dean had better face facts. The Democrats aren't going to win over everyone with the Anyone But Bush line next year.

Full article...

Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: ?
Learning Percentage: 75%

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Howard Dean, Drug Warrior

I'll be writing about this in the midst of writing about the Democrats soon, probably on my main blog.

I'm very disappointed to find out that Howard Dean is firmly in support of the War on Drugs. He's spoken against medical marijuana as well, as you'll see in the next story I post here.

This one is from On The Issues, and has his position as defined by the National Governors Association policy:

Howard Dean on Drugs

Howard Dean on Drugs

More federal funding for all aspects of Drug War.

Read It Rating: 10
Left/Right Rating: R6
Freedom Rating: -8
Learning Percentage: 90%

Posted by Lance Brown at 11:19 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Internet Becoming Candidates' Domain

Internet Becoming Candidates' Domain (washingtonpost.com)

Some compelling (to me) excerpts:

"I think [the Internet] could help an underdog with the right message break through," said Michael Cornfield, research director of George Washington University's Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet. "The Internet cannot get you the nomination, but it can get you the resources and organization to make you competitive in ways that are unheard of in American politics."

...

Internet and political experts say that with advances in high-speed Internet access, growth in home computers nationally and a nation far better tech-educated today, the Internet could be a bonanza for a similarly situated insurgent candidates willing to give up control and take risks and who often appeal to a particular disaffected demographic.

Full story...

Read It Rating: 9.5
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 6
Learning Percentage: 85%

Posted by Lance Brown at 10:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 27, 2003

Salon.com: Progressive popularity contest

Published before the primary, which was held this Tuesday.

Salon.com News | Progressive popularity contest

Progressive popularity contest
The winner of MoveOn.org's online "primary" could rake in millions of dollars and command an army of volunteers.

Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L8
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 40%

Posted by Lance Brown at 07:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Report on the 2003 MoveOn.org PAC Primary

Report on the 2003 MoveOn.org PAC Primary

(It's not very in-depth.)

Here's the ballot.

Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 15%

Posted by Lance Brown at 07:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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