Puget Sound Liberals Weekly Newsletter #137

Enhancing Freedom, Opportunity and Cooperation in Puget Sound and Beyond

Through informing and networking Liberals and Liberal Organizations.

 

Our vision is hundreds of thousands of well-informed Puget Sound Liberals working together.

 

   2500 members                                                               August 29, 2008                                                                                                                                      

 

 

 

 

                                                     

Our Website                                   Our  Editor                  To Unsubscribe

 

                        Table of Contents  *Featured Articles

 

About Puget Sound Liberals

Opportunities, Petitions and Feedback

 

Commentaries from Our Members

Andrea Cuccaro on 1Sky Washington Campaign

Janice Tufte: Women’s Shelter Crisis Continues

Chris Smith on Protecting Union Bus Drivers

Joe Martin: Seattle PI Support for Single-Payer System

 

Liberals and Democrats Links to the Beef

Why Do 20% Support Bush?

Our Barack Obama – Joe Biden Team*

Barack Obama’s Acceptance Speech**

Our Democratic Convention*

Democrats Have an Abundance of Leaders

Can We Win Enough Senate Seats?

Attack Ads by both Obama and McCain*

Building the New Democratic Party*

 

State and Local  Links to the Beef

Endorsements for General Election Candidates

Updated Primary Election Returns

Tim Eyeman’s Initiatives

Seattle Area Consumer Price Index

 

Nation and World  Links to the Beef

Georgia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia*

 

Our Liberal Spirit

Intentional Celebration (Our Democratic Convention)*

 

Recommended Books

 

 

 

 

Our Political Values

 

Our Political Priorities

 

·       Fair Clean Elections and Open Government

·       Fair Taxes and Competent Spending

·       Investment for Productivity

·       Quality Health, Education, Jobs, Income and Retirement

·       Environmental Protection and Energy Independence

·       Security and Equal Rights

·       Justice and Peace Everywhere

·       International Cooperation and Leadership

 

Conservatives oppose all of these

 

     Let’s End Our National Nightmare

 

         Let’s Restore Our American Dream

 

More on Conservative opposition to our American Dream

 

 

Washington State’s 4 Major Needs

·       Federal Funding for Health and Education

·       A Progressive Income Tax

·       Public Campaign Financing

·       Replacing Republican Legislators

 

Quote of the Week

Louis: Looking good, Billy Ray!
Billy Ray: Feeling good, Louis

From movie Trading Places

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calendar of Events

 

King County Democrats - LD Meetings            Some 2008 Legislature Lobby Days

 

Thurston County Progressive Net                  Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation

 

Alliance for Democracy                                Democratic Underground.Com                          

 

Town Hall Seattle Calendar                            Sierra Club Cascade Chapter Calendar          

       

Washington Public Campaigns Calendar          Conversation Cafe      Drinking Liberally                             

 

Washington State Labor Council                     Whatcom County Peace and Justice Calendar 

 

Wallingford Neighbors for Peace and Justice – Friday Night Movies      Liberal films on PBS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Calendar of Events

Saturday, Sunday, Monday, August 30, 31, September 1 – Barack Obama Weekend of Action Events

Saturday, September 6 – National Day of Service sponsored by Democrats Work

     Seattle: Beautify the grounds of Roosevelt High School 

     Kent: Repair the Way Back Inn, transitional housing for homeless families

     Vancouver: Sign up low-income families for free children's health care

Saturday, September 6 at 6 PM at Spitfire (2219 – 4th Avenue, Seattle) – Second annual “Pro-Choice Pop Star,” a karaoke contest, comedy show and cocktail mixer in support of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington.

Saturday, September 20 – Visit your neighbors to speak for ending the Iraq War.

Wednesday, September 24 at 7:30 AM at Swedish Cultural Center (1920 Dexter Avenue North, Seattle) – WashingtonCAN 2008 Social Justice Breakfast, With keynote speaker Senator Karen Keiser. $60. To register.

Saturday, October 11 at 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (8501 SE 40th Street, Mercer Island) – 8th Political Will to End Homelessness Annual Conference, with keynote speaker King County Executive Ron Sims.  To register.

 

Barbara Rader of Black Widow Web Development created our Puget Sound Liberals Website, to which I can easily add, modify and remove files.  Learn more about this unique company, which offers a 50% discount for organizations that promote social justice and environmental stewardship.  Dave Thomas

 

Opportunities, Petitions and Feedback

 

Communication with Our Members and Feedback

 

Our Website has been improved.  Our Basic Training menu now offers more commentaries.  Our Commentary menu offers four new pages formed by combining commentaries which have appeared in our newsletter:

 

·       2008 Elections

·       Three Crises: Peak Oil, Financial Bubble and Global Warming

·       Reforming Our Washington State Tax System

·       Affordable Housing and Urban Transportation

 

These will be updated as more relevant commentaries are published.  Dave Thomas

 

Opportunities

See What the Iraq Occupation has cost us to this minute.

How Would You Spend $3 Trillion instead of Iraq?

Whatever your state, you can register to vote here.

Try MoveOn’s new game: What’s the difference between President Bush and Senator John McCain?

Wellstone Action provides organizing tools online.

Wellstone Action canvassing instructions

See Paul Loeb’s organizing tools:  one,  two,   three.

Sign up for Democracy for America Night School featuring George Lakoff.

Visit Project Vote Smart for information on candidates.

Use Care2 tools for start a group, petition, post a news story or write a blog.

Get your free Obama/Biden sticker.

Learn about School of the Americas, where US teaches torture methods to foreign military.

 

Petitions and Donations

Endorse the Global Marshall Plan proposed by the Network of Spiritual Progressives.

Endorse a plan to invest in America’s people

Tell your congressman: No more subsidies for big oil, invest it instead in non-carbon sourced energy.

Tell our Secretary of Interior to protect endangered species.

Tell U.S. Health and Human Services that contraception is not abortion.

Vote for best pro-Obama slogan to be used by the League of Conservation voters.

Tell John McCain to ban all torture.

Tell your congress members to support the National Commission on Children and Disasters.

 

Commentaries From Our Members

 

Andrea Cuccaro on 1Sky Washington Campaign

 

Join the 1Sky Washington Campaign!

1Sky Washington is a campaign led by Climate Solutions and Washington Environmental Council, working with partners across the state to pass strong policies to reduce global warming pollution, decrease our dependence on fossil fuels, and transition Washington to a clean energy economy. In order for this work to be meaningful, we must rally constituents to communicate with your state legislative candidates that this issue is important to you. Think of it this way: they need YOUR support to move forward and election time is a great time for you to gain commitments from leaders.

 

Our Progress to Date:

In the 2008 legislative session, we worked with Priorities for a Healthy Washington to pass the Climate Action and Green Jobs bill, which will create a green jobs training program, and triple the number of jobs in our state. We also worked to pass the Local Solutions to Global Warming bill, to encourage local governments to reduce greenhouse gases. Additionally, we support work on the Western Climate Initiative, a regional effort to reduce greenhouse gases in the U.S.  For more about these efforts and the progress we are currently working toward.

 

What you can do:

 

1.   Attend a meeting with candidates running for state legislature along with other constituents. Please contact me, Andrea, if you can do this at (206) 631-2610 or andrea@1skywashington.org. We’ll organize a conference call beforehand to brief you on the talking points.

 

2.   Write a letter to the editor. Candidates read them. Can you write one? Call me today at (206) 631-2610 or email me.

 

    Sample Talking Points for Letters

·       Climate change is not a partisan issue – all candidates should be making plans to solve it. It is our generation’s defining challenge, and our greatest opportunity to build a future worthy of our kids.  

·       I will be voting this election season. Solving climate change is my top priority and I’ll be voting for the candidates who make it theirs.

·       The Western Climate Initiative (WCI) is a regional effort that has the potential to revolutionize how we reduce global warming pollution.  If done right, WCI could serve as a national and even international model for change. But the draft Initiative needs some major improvements to make it both fair and effective:

 

1.    WCI needs to look at the whole picture, which means including emissions from transportation (the source of half of our region’s global warming pollution) at the start.

2.    And to be fair, WCI should auction – not give away—pollution permits. 

3.    We also need real reductions in pollution, rather than too many emission “offsets” that delay action to clean up our biggest sources of pollution and don’t always deliver the climate benefits they promise.

 

3.   Call the legislative hotline and let state legislators know this issue matters to you:

 

4.   Call 1-800-562-6000 and be sure to state your name, your address and, if you know their names, your legislators.

 

5.   Write a note on your check or with your donation that climate and green jobs are important issues to you.

 

6.   Sign your business or organization up to be a 1Sky Washington Partner. We are working to build a broad coalition. Signing up allows your group to gain exposure on our website. Help get local businesses and/or organizations signed on, by gaining signatures on the partner page in our tool kit. Then send it back to us, following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

 

7.   Host a phone-bank at your home or business and help call members and petition signers in your area. Contact me, Andrea, for more info at (206) 631-2610.

 

Andrea Cuccaro, 1Sky Washington Campaign Organizer with Washington Environmental Council and Climate Solutions

 

Email Message Forwarded by Janice Tufte

 

Women's Shelter Crisis Continues

Dear Friends, WHEEL/Church of Mary Magdalene Women in Black are again asking for your support.
We just met with our shelter provider partners: the Women's Referral Center (WRC), Operation Nightwatch, and the newly-opened, co-ed Roy Street Sweeps Shelter, which is run by the Compass Center.

 

We were deeply disturbed to learn that in less than a week of operation, the mats set aside at the Roy Street Shelter to meet the overflow needs of women seeking shelter are already overflowing. Last night, 30 women stayed at this 35-bed shelter; originally we were told that at most 16 women could be accommodated there. In addition, the Women's Referral Center saw 220 women last night and is desperately overcrowded. And finally, on Monday, Operation Nightwatch did turn away one woman for lack of shelter.

Within nights, the Roy Street Shelter will be completely full, and the WRC and Nightwatch will again be turning women away to the streets.  The situation will become more dire on September 1st, when the Compass Center's contract with the City will require them to stop taking direct referrals of women at the Roy Street Shelter.
 
WE STILL NEED A WOMEN-ONLY SUMMER EMERGENCY SHELTER, and WHEEL still stands ready to open such a shelter at the Frye.

PLEASE HELP THE HOMELESS WOMEN'S COMMUNITY IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:

 

1) Take a minute tomorrow (Friday) to call the Mayor's Office and demand that he fund the Frye Shelter for Women, and also make plans to meet the impending women's shelter crisis on September 1st. Mayor's Office (206) 684-4000 or email at seattle.gov/mayor


2) WHEEL/Church of Mary Magdalene Women in Black are making plans for another
public demonstration, either soon after women turnaways happen, or on September 1st, or both. We will post details of this demonstration to this list immediately after it's decided, and hope that you will join us and help us do outreach.

For more information, please contact WHEEL at (206) 956-0334 or
email us. Thank you.  For more.

 

Chris Smith on Protecting Union Bus Drivers

Published by Seattle PI on August 26, 2008

 

Thanks to Larry Lange for his coverage of Access drivers and their union’s protest against the cut in their jobs and salaries by Metro (Au. 13)  Whenever I ride the bus, I observe drivers doing their jobs efficiently and responsibly.  Elderly and disabled riders who use Access even more so need drivers who have the skill and training to ensure they have a safe and comfortable ride.

 

Nonunion jobs that are contracted out are mostly lower-paid and allow less training than jobs protected by labor organizations.  King County Management should not break the Access drivers’ union.  Hard-working Access operators and their vulnerable passagers should not get the short end of the stick.  It is disingenuous of Kevin Desmond, Metro general manager, to say that this is not a union-busting action.  Shame on him.  Chris Smith

 

Joe Martin: Seattle PI Supports Single-Payer Health Coverage

Published by Seattle PI on August 28, 2008

 

Put domestic house in order with single-payer system

Hats off to the P-I and its unequivocal call for organizing this nation's "government health care into a single-payer system, one that covers all Americans." Such an overhaul of our abysmally convoluted and unjust medical network is long overdue.

 

Not only is the current way of doings things often confusing and cost-prohibitive from the perspective of millions of citizens in need, our cumbrous system itself is grossly inefficient in the delivery of care.

 

Emergency rooms throughout the country too often serve as primary care facilities to which desperately ill people flock. Many of these individuals are citizens who have avoided medical care, not because they are shy of physicians, but because they understandably feared the financial consequences of visiting a clinic or a hospital. It is a ridiculous and inhumane situation that can be largely blamed on the pervasive social and institutional shortcomings of for-profit medicine.

 

Health care and other critical domestic issues related to public education, affordable housing, and full employment must become the prime focus of any new presidential administration. The warped dreams of global empire that have driven federal priorities over the last eight years have wrought nothing but more chaos and social dislocation here at home. The time is now to get our domestic house in order. The creation of a just and accessible system of health care available to all Americans is a very good place to start.  Joe Martin

 

Liberals and Democrats

 

Why Do 20% Still Support Bush?

 

9/11 not prevented.  Iraq War Expense and Casualties. Torture at Abu Ghraib and Quantanamo.  Warrantless wiretapping.  Politicization of Justice Department.  Halliburton no-bid unsupervised contracts.  Incompetent response to Katrina damage.  No response to oil shortages.  No response to global warming.  Fewer people working.  More people in poverty.  More people without adequate access to medical care.

 

Why Do 20% Still Support Bush?  Ideology must have blinded them to these realities.  They imagine a county that never existed or can exist.  Their imagined country is certainly counter to our country’s history.

 

Our Barack Obama – Joe Biden Team

 

Vice Presidents serve three roles.  (1) They help campaign to elect the president.  (2) If elected, they assume such responsibilities as the president delegates.  (3) If necessary, they replace an incapacitated president.  The latter may be the most important responsibility.  Thus presidential candidates always express that their vice presidential choice is well qualified to be president, even when this is obviously not so.

 

Joe Biden’s performance during his six terms as Senator shows that he is well qualified to be president.  For more.  If he keeps on message, he can be an excellent campaigner, expressing our Liberal Values and castigating John McCain for following President Bush in obstructing them.  He can competently address both domestic and foreign issues.  In spite of being a consummate Washington insider, Joe Biden can support Barack Obama’s call for urgent needed major change.

 

Barack Obama’s rivals and our commercial media pundits have often indicated that Obama lacks necessary experience, especially in foreign policy.  Note that Obama has more experience with government and foreign policy than did Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.  Obama has enough experience to have good judgment that is lacking in many who have much longer experience, including John McCain. 

 

Many experienced legislators have a cold war mindset which is the opposite of what we need as many nations are developing democratically and economically to share in influencing our global events.  Many experienced legislators are caught up in our Old Politics of their party right or wrong.  Of putting partisan advantage before serving our country.  I am hopeful that Joe Biden will fully embrace our new politics and a cooperative approach to dealing with world events.

 

Barack Obama has repeatedly said that he wants to choose members of his administration who can correct him when he is wrong.  I believe that Joe Biden will not be a yes man.  And there will be many other voices in Obama’s administration which will also claim attention.  And hopefully, Obama’s administration will be open to ideas stemming from state and municipal officials and our grass roots.

 

I supported John Edwards before changing my support to Barack Obama.  Joe Biden was not among my top choices for vice president.  As I have learned more about Biden, I have become more impressed.  I now believe he was a wise choice.  I support him.  No Liberal can refuse to vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden against John McCain.  With Biden’s 35 years as a Senator, I will still watch to see how consistently Liberal he will be and whether he can embrace our New Politics.    For more.  For more.  For more.  For more.  For more.  For more.  For more.

 

Barack Obama’s Acceptance Speech

Complete text        video

 

Our Democratic Convention has been an updated socially responsible Woodstock II, culminating in Barack Obama’s acceptance speech.  Even the commercial media pundits have recognized that it was a blowout, setting an impossible bar for next week’s Republican Convention.  Barack Obama stressed our Liberal values.  He pointed out how the Bush Administration with John McCain’s complicity has obstructed them.  He noted that McCain doesn’t understand our lives, our economy and our foreign threats.  He specified changes he would make.  He emphasized that this election is about us.  About our ability to hope and work together to make the changes that realize our American Dream once again.  He defined the playing field and left little room for Republican surprise attacks. 

 

Barack Obama accepted the nomination with “profound gratitude and humility”.  He thanked Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Joe Biden and Michelle Obama.  He described our American Dream which enabled his success.  These values are now in danger, due to the “broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush.”  America is decent, generous and compassionate.  We have had enough.  We cannot give the Republican Party four more years.

 

John McCain has supported Bush’s policies 90% of the time.  He says our economy is fine.  His proposals show that he doesn’t understand what’s going on in the lives of Americans.  McCain cares for America; but he just doesn’t get it.  McCain believes in an ownership society which means you’re on your own.  Democrats believe in our American Dream in which:

 

“… each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect. It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology. Our government should work for us, not against us.  It should help us, not hurt us.  It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.

That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.”

Barack Obama described the changes he would make to reward job creation and working families, to end oil dependence, to provide everyone quality education and health care, to our bankruptcy laws, to protect Social Security.  He described how he would pay for these plans.  But it will take more than money.  It will take more of us assuming our family and other responsibilities.

 

Lacking needed judgment and temperament, John McCain has been wrong again and again on foreign policy.  Obama described his policies of rebuilding our cooperative relations with other countries to protect America and deal with international problems.  Even though we differ, both McCain and I put our country first.

 

Change will not be easy.  We will have to replace our old ideas.  We will have to listen to each other and arrive at new solutions to problems that have divided us: Abortion.  Gun ownership.  Same-sex marriage.  Immigration.  Instead of cynicism, this election is producing change from the bottom up.  It is about you, your American spirit, your common dreams.  We can not turn back.  We must work together. 

 

Our Democratic Party Convention

 

Our Democratic Party Convention serves at least two purposes.  It enables us to show all Americans (and the world) the things we believe in, the obstruction of these by our Republican rivals. Our solutions and our leaders.  It also enables many of us who have worked so hard to strengthen our Democratic Party to come together, reflect upon, learn from and celebrate our shared struggle.

 

Just as I did four years ago, I love our Democratic Party Convention.  It’s participants reflect the diversity of our Americans.  It’s speeches reflect our American Ideals.  It’s celebrations show our happy warriors.  I find it hard to believe that any American can avoid the attractions of our Conventions.

 

But the reality is that many Americans ignore our Convention.  And others do not find it attractive.  How can this be?  Many of them are unhappy with our diversity.  Our different races, genders, spiritual and religious values, sexual preferences, and more.  Many don’t believe that America should be a community, in which we can work together for our common welfare.  They believe that we should be individual competitors, such that only the winners (and supposedly worthy) receive the benefits that our society offers. 

 

They are also hypocritical.  They don’t just believe in rewarding the winners in fair competition.  They are willing to let people and organizations cheat.  Abuse others.  Obtain benefits they didn’t earn and don’t deserve.

 

We must hope that our Democratic Party Convention appeals to the many who share our American Liberal values.  We must hope it stimulates them to vote for Democrats for our national, state and local positions.  Beyond that, we must hope it stimulates those who don’t share our Liberal understanding of American community to change their mind.  Let’s hope that they realize that they can benefit from working together instead of alone.  Let’s hope that they realize it’s more fun to be happy warriors than the whiney victims which will be showcased next week at the Republican Convention.

 

Democrats Have an Abundance of Leaders

 

Look at who spoke at our Democratic Convention: Evan Bayh, Joe Biden, Jimmy Carter, Maria Cantwell, Bob Casey, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, James Clyburn, Tom Daschle, Rahm Emanuel, Al Gore, Steny Hoyer, Jesse Jackson Jr, John Kerry, Patrick Leahy, Claire McCaskill, Janet Napolitano, Barack Obama, David Paterson, Deval Patrick, Nancy Pelosi, Federico Pena, Harry Reid, Ed Rendell, Bill Richardson, Jay Rockefeller, Brian Schweitzer, Kathleen Sebelius, Ted Strickland, Laura Tyson, Mark Warner, and many more. 

 

Now think of our other present and past Senators, Congressmembers, Governors, Mayors and officials from past Democratic administrations.  Our Republican rivals have many fewer leaders with good reputations.  Hopefully this fall, we will further increase the number of our leaders while decreasing the number of Republican leaders.

 

Can We Win Enough Senate Races to Total 60 Democratic Senators?

 

We can expect to gain 7 Senate seats: Alaska (Begich beats Stevens), Colorado (Udall beats Schaffer), Maine (Allen beats Collins), New Hampshire (Shaneen beats Sununu), New Mexico (Udall beats Pearce), Oregon (Merkley beats Gilmore) and Virginia (Warner beats Gilmore).  This would give us 56 Democratic Senators supported by Connecticut Senator Lieberman and Vermont Senator Sanders for a total of 58.

 

We have a chance to win 3 more Senate races: Minnesota (Franken beats Coleman), North Carolina (Hagan beats Dole) and Kansas (Slattery beats Roberts).  Less likely are 4 more Democratic victories: Kentucky (Lunsford beats McConnell), Mississippi (Musgrove beats Wicker), Oklahoma (Rice beats Inhofe) and Texas (Noriega beats Cornyn).  If Democrats win 10 or more of these races, we will have the resources to reclaim our American Dream.  Joel Connelly comments.

 

Attack Ads by both Obama and McCain

 

As usual, Republicans are spending more time and effort attacking our candidate Barack Obama than presenting the views of their candidate John McCain.  It is difficult for them to present John McCain’s views because the ones which appeal to their Conservative base are negatively received by our broader voting public.  And vice versa. 

 

But Barack Obama does not offer a very clear target.  Unlike most other candidates, Obama has not focused the attention of the campaign on himself.  His focus has been upon our voting public.  He has often repeated that needed changes come from the bottom up and not from the top down.  It is difficult for the Republicans to attack urgently needed change.  To attack hope.  To attack our general public. 

 

In addition, our Democrats are also on the offense.  They quickly defend Obama from Conservative attacks, then move on to attack John McCain.  Much more than Democratic candidates since Lyndon Johnson, the Obama campaign is attacking John McCain’s proposals and his record.  Republicans are forced to defend McCain, but often can’t do so successfully. 

 

It is obvious that Bush’s policies have failed.  It is obvious that McCain has supported many of Bush’s policies and has recently reversed any previous opposition he had to them.  It is obvious that on foreign policy, McCain is extending Bush’s foreign policy, even as the Bush administration is tending toward Obama’s positions.  It is obvious that on domestic policy, McCain wants to continue Bush’s policies. 

 

Most of the attacks by both sides have been focused upon the views and behaviors of the candidates based upon at least some evidence.  Unfortunately, our commercial media pundits thrive upon making molehills into mountains.  Thus we hear endless discussions of slight nuances, which distract us from understanding the different visions that Barack Obama and John McCain have for America.

 

Building the New Democratic Party

 

Beginning with John Kennedy, Democratic Presidential Candidates have generally run campaigns independently from the Democratic Party Organization.  While they maintained better control over their campaigns, they weakened the Democratic Party Organization.  Following Jimmy Carter’s presidency, our Republicans gained control of the Senate and made significant gains in the house.  Following Bill Clinton’s presidency, our Republicans gained control of both the senate and the house. 

 

Our Barack Obama campaign is different.  It has integrated with the Democratic Party Organization and strengthened it.  It is running a 50 state campaign, oriented to winning national, state and local races.  This will help elect Democrats now and in the future.  It will help Democrats to cooperate to pass needed legislation to reclaim our American Dream.  For more.

 

Here’s the Beef

Track house races.

See Michelle Obama’s Democratic Convention speech (video).  For reaction.

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer’s Democratic Convention speech.

Hillary Clinton’s Democratic Convention speech.

Dennis Kucinich’s Democratic Convention speech (video).

Bill Clinton’s Democratic Convention speech.

Joe Biden’s Democratic Convention speech.

Barack Obama’s Democratic Convention acceptance speech.

Other Democratic Convention speeches.

Democratic Convention nominates Barack Obama for President.

A Liberal participant comments on our Democratic Convention.

Our Democratic Convention showcases Liberal principles, not compromised triangulation.

After our party conventions, comes the presidential and vice presidential debates.

Labor leader argues Obama’s position on labor issues is more important than his race.

Not to worry.  Barack Obama will win.

A call for Barack Obama to play offense.

A call for Barack Obama to argue for Liberal Principles.

Is Barack Obama another Bill Clinton?  Unwilling to fight for Liberal principles?

Barack Obama presents clear positions.  Can’t be expected to indicate possible compromises.

Campaign begins to enact Employee Free Choice Act.

Let’s help John McCain count his houses (video).  For more. 

How could John McCain do anything wrong?  He spent five years as a Vietnamese prisoner.

John McCain has mostly opposed Green Energy proposals.  Barack Obama has supported them.

Senator Maria Cantwell criticizes John McCain’s refusal to support green energy bills.

John McCain wants to privatize veterans’ health care.

Conservatives continue to push anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-minority and other ballot initiatives.

Half of Americans believe John McCain’s lies that Barack Obama will increase their taxes.

Do race, religion and militarism make our U.S. less consistently Liberal than Europe?

 

State and Local

 

Endorsements for General Election Candidates

 

 

Updated Washington Primary Election Results

 

With 10% of the votes yet to be counted, this commentary from last week (when 24% of the ballots remained to be counted) is still valid:

 

All of our 6 Democratic and 3 Republican incumbent congressmembers received more votes than their rivals.  All incumbents had comfortable margins, except Republican Congressman Dave Reichert (48%) vs. Democratic Darcy Burner (45%).

 

All of the incumbent state executive officers of both parties received more votes than their rivals.  Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire (49) led Republican Dino Rossi (44%).  In the contest to fill the open State Treasurer seat, Republican Allan Martin (44%) led Democratic Jim McIntire (41%), but Democratic ChangMook Sohn obtained 15%, so Jim McIntire may win in our November general election.  In the closest statewide primary race, incumbent Commissioner of Public Lands Republican Doug Sutherland was in a virtual tie with challenger Democratic Peter Goldmark

 

If the primary results are indicative of the general election, our 2009 State legislature may contain 2/3rds Democratic Senators and 2/3rds Democratic Representatives.  In the 28th LD (Pierce County) Senate Race, Democratic Debi Srail received almost the same number of votes as Republican incumbent Mike Carrell.

 

In the House, all of our incumbent Democrats received more votes than their Republican Rivals; but Republicans are threatening two Democratic incumbents (Liz Loomis in LD44-2 (Snohomish County) and Roger Goodman LD45-1 (Kirkland-Redmond).  Democrats received slightly fewer votes, but may win vacant formerly Republican held seats: Democratic Rob Cerqui in LD25-1 (Pierce County) and Democratic Kim Abel in LD26-1 (Kitsap & Pierce Counties).  Democrats also won enough votes that they could beat incumbent Republicans: Democratic David Spring in LD5-2 (East King County), Democratic John Driscoll in LD6-2 (Clark County) and Democratic Tim Probst in LD17-1 Spokane County. 

 

We Liberals should provide assistance to all of these Democratic candidates to ensure that they keep their positions, win vacant formerly Republican held seats and beat incumbent Republicans.  We should also support our other Democratic candidates so that they might win and to force Republicans to use their resources in defense.  To view our current legislators.   To view primary election returns.

 

Tim Eyman’s Initiatives

·       I-200 (1998) - Prohibit affirmative action in public employment, education and contracting -    Passed by voters

·       I-695 (1999) - Cut the state motor vehicle excise tax and required voter approval for all tax increases - Passed by voters but declared unconstitutional.

·       I-722 (2000) - Cut state and local property taxes, which fund public services. - Passed by voters but declared unconstitutional.

·       I-745 (2000) - Required 90% of transportation funding to be spent on road building - Defeated by voters.

·       I-747 (2001) - Cut state and local property taxes - Passed by voters but declared unconstitutional in Superior Court and Supreme Court - Passed by a special session of the Democratically controlled legislature in 2007.

·       I-776 (2002) - Cut local motor vehicle excise taxes - Passed by voters

·       I-267 (2002) - Divert money from the general fund for road building - Failed to qualify for ballot.

·       I-807 (2003) - Require a supermajority vote for all tax increases - Failed to qualify for ballot.

·       I-864 (2003) - Cut property taxes by 25% - Failed to qualify for ballot.

·       I-892 (2004) - Legalize slot machines - Defeated by voters.

·       I-900 (2004) - Give state auditor ability to conduct performance audits - Passed by voters.

·       Referendum 65 (2006) - Repeal ESHB 2661 legalizing sexual orientation discrimination - Failed to qualify for ballot.

·       I-917 (2006) - Cap motor vehicle registration charge at $30 a year - Failed to qualify for ballot.

·       I-960 (2007) - Require 2/3 majority in state Legislature to raise taxes and fees - Passed by voters.

For more.

 

Seattle Area Consumer Price Index

Categories, weighting and percentage inflation

 

Doesn’t include taxes.  Our after tax or disposable income plus borrowing is used to purchase consumer goods and services.  Our consumer price index is calculated by multiplying the weighted percentage time the measured inflation for each the categories, then adding them together.

 

Housing

25.6 % 6.9% Owners Equivalent Rent

 6.0      7.9        Rent

 4.8    -4.4     Household Furnishing and Operations

 1.9      2.2        Electricity and Natural Gas

 1.3      NA     Other Fuels and Utilities

 3.4      NA     Other Shelter Costs

 

Transportation

13.6%  NA     Private and public transportation, except fuel

 5.0     36.5   Motor fuel

 

Food and Beverages

 7.0%   6.7% Food at home

 5.9      5.7        Food away from home

 1.4      3.7        Alcoholic beverages

 

Recreation

 6.5%   2.4%

 

Medical Care

 6.1% -0.1% 

 

Education and Communication

 5.3%   3.7%

 

Clothing

 2.9%   1.2%

 

Other Goods and Services

 2.9%   0.8%

 

Our June 2008 5.8% inflation rate is the highest in the country.  Housing costs are rising much more and medical care costs much less than the U.S. average.  For more.

 

Here’s the Beef

See who’s filing to run for Washington state and federal offices.

Professionals, including young people, parents and retirees, increasingly seek part time jobs.

Seattle’s high housing prices reduce proportion of households with children.

Suburbanites are moving downtown.

Washington State and King County provide free bicycles to reduce automobile commuting.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels pioneers green civic actions.

Priorities needed for protecting and restoring Puget Sound

Local Farms – Healthy Kids Bill assists schools to serve locally produced foods.

WPC launches campaign for 2009 passage of public financing for judicial campaigns.  For more.

 

Nation and World  

 

Georgia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia

 

The situation is Georgia with respect to Abkhazia and South Ossetia is similar to the situation in Serbia with respect to Kosovo, and perhaps Bosnia.  The Soviet Union moved people from elsewhere into Abkhazia and South Ossetia.  When Georgia became independent after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Georgians discriminated against the introduced peoples of these two areas, leading them to seek autonomy or independence. 

 

Georgia recently sent its military to these two areas to end their quest for autonomy.  Russia sent its military to these two areas to protect their people from Georgia’s military, much as NATO sent its military to Kosovo to protect the Albanian people their from Serbian oppression.  Once these ethnic civil wars get started, the only solution may be to separate the ethnic groups by granting autonomy or independence to areas dominated by the persecuted people.  This is what has happened in Kosovo.  For more, see Janice Van Cleve’s letter.

 

Russia has no mandate to enter this dispute, but if they didn’t do it, an international body should be given the mandate to do it.  In the absence of such a mandate, Russia’s entry may be justified if they primarily seek to protect human rights of all, instead of allowing one side to dominate the other.  Other comparable interventions besides those in Bosnia and Kosovo include India’s 1971 invasion of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to protect the people from West Pakistan (now Pakistan).  And Tanzania’s 1979 invasion of Uganda to eliminate Idi Amin’s tyranny.  Also relevant is the United Nations presence in Cyprus to separate the Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

 

Here’s the Beef

Will our 2009 congress be able to pass a Liberal or any immigration measure?

Will our green economy be voluntary simplicity or will it be just different technologies?

China is creating more green jobs than our United States.

Transmission line update needed to send wind produced electricity to consumers.

Expensive gasoline, congestion, airline troubles lend credence to rail transit.

See how much of America is already approved for oil drilling.

When big box stores leave, their buildings can be converted for civic purposes.

Learn about efforts to make college education more affordable.

Last quarter, the number of banks in trouble increased 30%.  Thrifts lose $5.4 billion.

Shiite dominated Iraqi government refuse to accept United States supported Sunnis.

Bush betrayal of American Principles renders hypocritical our criticism of others.

 

Our Liberal Spirit

 

Intentional Celebration (Our Democratic Convention)

 

I have to mention that my grandfather Gomer Thomas, a Bellingham attorney and staunch Democrat, attended the 1932 Democratic Convention in Chicago that nominated Franklin Roosevelt. I placed Roosevelt brochures on auto windshields in 1944.  Dave Thomas

 

Our Democratic Convention serves at least two purposes.  It enables us to show all Americans (and the world) the things we believe in.  Obstruction of these by our Republican Rivals. Our solutions.  And our leaders.  It also enables many of us who have worked so hard to strengthen our Democratic Party to come together, reflect upon, learn from and celebrate our shared struggle. 

 

I believe my most thrilling experience was my presence for all of the month of August, 1973 with 900 members of what we called the Spirit movement in the Ecumenical Institute/Institute of Cultural Affairs building in our Uptown neighborhood of Chicago.  We arose to do daily office at 5 AM, studied and workshopped, usually until late in the evening.  We frequently celebrated our work together, during our meals, in the evenings and on Sundays.  We devised a grand ball, a cabaret and many other forms of celebration.

 

The Woodstock celebration celebrated a lifestyle.  People go wild at rock concerts.  A celebration of our shared work is much more than just a party.  Our Democratic Convention is a celebration of our work together to form our platform, to identify our likely Democratic voters, to participate in election campaigns.  Our past and present candidates are our stars.  For participants and even for observers, our Conventions are memorable occasions.  We will tell our grand children about them. 

 

I’m not sure that America needs more celebrations just to have fun.  But I think we need many more celebrations which intentionally celebrate our shared experiences working to achieve our common goals.  I am always chagrinned to work with people and then just quit without any celebration.  I would like to see all of our Democratic gatherings to end with at least a few minutes of reflection and celebration.  We need to do much more to nurture our spiritual life.  To remind us of what we are doing with our lives.  Dave Thomas

 

Recommended Books – See our list of books for liberals

 

Laura Flanders, 2007, Blue Grit, True Democrats Take Back Politics from the Politicians

 

Like David Sirota’s  2008 book The Uprising, Laura Flanders book looks at how local Liberals in red states (that have voted for Bush) have organized to elect liberals and defeat conservative initiatives.

 

 

 

 

Free Member Advertising

 

Hire Our Lake Hills Neighbors

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