Dick, Go ‘Cheney’ Yourself!

Sat 07/31/04 at 5:55 pm

Dick, Go Cheney Yourself!

Dick Cheney came to town — to insular, conservative Rio Rancho (which could be anywhere in Arizona or Texas) — not the University of New Mexico campus. I had to say hello with a new sign on my roof: Dick, Go Cheney Yourself! mjh

Rooftop Revolt — Overthrow Bush


Kerry/Edwards Data

Sat 07/31/04 at 10:10 am

John KerryAmerican Civil Liberties Union : Focus

Senator John Kerry (D-MA)
4th-term Democrat from Massachusetts.
kerry.senate.gov

Background Information
Party: Democrat
Residence: Boston, MA
Marital Status: Married (Teresa Heinz Kerry)
Prev. Occupation: Attorney
Prev. Political Exp.: MA Lt. Governor, 1982-84; US Senate, 1984-present
Education: BA Yale University, 1966; JD Boston College, 1976
Military: USN, 1966-70
Birthdate: 12/11/1943
Birthplace: Denver, CO
Religion: Catholic
Other Information
Term: 4th
First Elected: 1984

John EdwardsAmerican Civil Liberties Union : Focus

Senator John Edwards (D-NC)
1st-term Democrat from North Carolina.
edwards.senate.gov

Background Information
Party: Democrat
Residence: Raleigh, NC
Marital Status: Married (Elizabeth)
Prev. Occupation: Attorney
Prev. Political Exp.: US Senate, 1998-present
Education: BS North Carolina State University, 1974; JD University of North Carolina, 1977
Birthdate: 06/10/1953
Birthplace: Seneca, SC
Religion: Methodist
Other Information
Term: 1st
First Elected: 1998

ACLU and congress.org provide some data, including recent votes. mjh


Sharpton Had Something Important to Say

Sat 07/31/04 at 8:56 am

Sharpton didn’t get much coverage, except to say that he departed from his script and roused the crowd. His prepared speech is worth reading, but his departures are also important. mjh

Full text of Al Sharpton’s [scripted] DNC speech Rocky Mountain News: Election

Tonight, we stand with those freedoms at risk and our security as citizens in question. I have come here tonight to say, that the only choice we have to protect and preserve our freedoms at this point in history is the election of John Kerry as the president of the United States.

I stood with both John Kerry and John Edwards on over 30 occasions during the primary season. I debated them. I watched them. I observed their deeds. I am convinced that they are men who say what they mean and mean what they say.

I am also convinced that at a time, when there is a vicious spirit in the body politic of this country that attempts to undermine America’s freedoms — our civil rights, and civil liberties — we must leave this city and go forth and organize this nation toward victory for John Kerry and John Edwards in November. This is not just about winning an election, it’s about preserving the principles upon which this nation was founded. …

We are also faced with the prospect, in the next four years, that two or more of the Supreme Court Justice seats will become available. This year, as we celebrated the anniversary of Brown vs. the Board of Education, this court voted 5 to 4 on critical issues of women’s rights and civil rights. It is frightening to think that the gains of the civil and women’s rights movements of the last century could be reversed if this administration sits in the White House for four more years.

This is not about a party. It is about living up to the promise of America.

Ex-Kerry rivals rouse the crowd By Marc Humbert,
The Associated Press

[In his unscripted remarks, he] repeatedly slammed the Republican administration.

”Mr. President, the reason we are fighting so hard, the reason we took Florida so seriously, is our right to vote wasn’t gained because of our age,” Sharpton said. ”Our vote was soaked in the blood of martyrs, soaked in the blood of (civil rights activists) Goodman, Chaney and Schwerner, soaked in the blood of four little girls in Birmingham. This vote is sacred to us. This vote can’t be bargained away. This vote can’t be given away.

”In all due respect, Mr. President, read my lips: Our vote is not for sale.”

He drew one of the biggest responses when he said: ”The issue of government is not to determine who may sleep together in the bedroom, it’s to help those that might not be eating in the kitchen.”

BET.com - Sharpton’s Long Speech Left Them Jumping for Joy and Wanting More

”Mr. President, you said would we have more leverage if both parties got our votes, but we didn’t come this far playing political games,” Sharp said, referring to Bush’s recent remarks to African Americans at the National Urban League. ”It was those that earned our vote that got our vote. We got the Civil Rights Act under a Democrat. We got the Voting Rights Act under a Democrat. We got the right to organize under Democrats.”

Atlanta Daily World

For the past 30 years, African-Americans have given at least 80 percent of their vote - 90 percent in 2000 - to the Democratic nominee for president. The more the GOP has veered to the right, the less successful it has been in appealing to Black voters. Bush was elected with 8 percent of the African-American vote in 2000, the lowest percentage since the 1964 campaign of Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater.


Sharpton Had Something Important to Say

Sat 07/31/04 at 8:42 am

Full text of Al Sharpton’s DNC speech

We are also faced with the prospect, in the next four years, that two or more of the Supreme Court Justice seats will become available. This year, as we celebrated the anniversary of Brown vs. the Board of Education, this court voted 5 to 4 on critical issues of women’s rights and civil rights. It is frightening to think that the gains of the civil and women’s rights movements of the last century could be reversed if this administration sits in the White House for four more years.

This is not about a party. It is about living up to the promise of America.

Atlanta Daily World

For the past 30 years, African-Americans have given at least 80 percent of their vote - 90 percent in 2000 - to the Democratic nominee for president. The more the GOP has veered to the right, the less successful it has been in appealing to Black voters. Bush was elected with 8 percent of the African-American vote in 2000, the lowest percentage since the 1964 campaign of Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater.


More Good from Kerry’s Speech

Sat 07/31/04 at 8:27 am

TheNewMexicoChannel.com - Commitment 2004 - Text Of John Kerry’s Address To DNC

I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war. I will have a vice president who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws. I will have a secretary of Defense who will listen to the best advice of our military leaders. And I will appoint an Attorney General who actually upholds the Constitution of the United States.

My fellow Americans, this is the most important election of our lifetime. The stakes are high.


One Poll Figure from Many

Sat 07/31/04 at 8:09 am

NewMexiKen

Among People Who Did Not Vote in 2000:
Kerry 50%
Bush 25%

[originally from Zogby Polls]


Kerry’s Speech, Yours and Mine

Fri 07/30/04 at 11:53 am

The following are my favorite parts of Kerry’s speech. You can follow the link to the full text. mjh

The complete text of Kerry’s acceptance speech

Now I know there are those who criticize me for seeing complexities — and I do — because some issues just aren’t all that simple. …

For us, that flag is the most powerful symbol of who we are and what we believe in. Our strength. Our diversity. Our love of country. All that makes America both great and good.

That flag doesn’t belong to any president. It doesn’t belong to any ideology and it doesn’t belong to any political party. It belongs to all the American people. …

We believe that what matters most is not narrow appeals masquerading as values, but the shared values that show the true face of America. Not narrow appeals that divide us, but shared values that unite us. …

And let me say it plainly: In that cause, and in this campaign, we welcome people of faith. America is not us and them. I think of what Ron Reagan said of his father a few weeks ago, and I want to say this to you tonight: I don’t wear my own faith on my sleeve. But faith has given me values and hope to live by, from Vietnam to this day, from Sunday to Sunday. I don’t want to claim that God is on our side. As Abraham Lincoln told us, I want to pray humbly that we are on God’s side. …

These aren’t Democratic values. These aren’t Republican values. They’re American values. We believe in them. They’re who we are. …

What if we have a president who believes in science … ? …

That is the kind of America I will lead as president — an America where we are all in the same boat.

Never has there been a more urgent moment for Americans to step up and define ourselves. I will work my heart out. But, my fellow citizens, the outcome is in your hands more than mine.

I do have two objections. First, what about those of us who believe you can be decent and moral and not believe in god or church? We’re used to be left out; we’re pariahs in a nation founded on freedom from religious oppresion — oh, but wait, not freedom from religion itself.

Finally, I’m very sad that I didn’t hear anyone at the convention protest the ‘free speech cage’. That not one ‘liberal’ would say ‘tear down that cage — America is a free speech zone!’ This is how bad things are today. mjh


Proud Liberal

Fri 07/30/04 at 11:23 am

During Howard Dean’s speech to the Democratic National Convention, he said something that puzzled the pundits: we no longer need to be ashamed to say we are Democrats. David Brooks, a conservative, mused, ‘when have Democrats ever been ashamed to be Democrats?’

The problem is the word: it’s not ‘Democrat,’ it’s ‘Liberal.’ The Radical Right has heaped scorn on liberalism and liberals for nearly 40 years. Even now, while Kerry undermines Bush’s security creditionals (war-hero vs party-boy), the Radical Right couldn’t care less: Kerry’s a liberal and they’re going to make sure everyone in America knows that, because everyone in America know being a Liberal is bad.

Why is liberalism bad? Don’t just spew the Radical Rights’ refrain in response — think. In the last 30 years, a Republican President lied, cheated and stole and resigned. Another cajoled us while making deals with dictators and death squads. The current one started with the big lie, ”I’m a uniter, not a divider,” and went downhill from there. What, exactly, do Conservatives have to be proud of, or, why aren’t they ashamed of this?

What is the single greatest accomplishment of liberalism in the last 40 years? The Civil Rights Movement. Where were the Radical Right and the Christian Evangelicals then? Well, many of them were Southern Democrats. Cleverly, the Republicans lured them with talk against the Federal Government. The Federal Government is the Beast. On the surface, they talk about taxes and regulations. At the heart is fear: fear of change, fear of loss of power, fear of others, of ‘them.’ We’ll call ‘them’ liberals, but, wink, you know what we mean: blacks, hispanics, asians, gays, women — whatever you fear, that’s them over there, waiting to take your way of life away from you. Lies that play on fear. Straight out of Nixon’s playbook.

Fear is at the heart of the control the Radical Right and Christian Evangelicals hold over the Republican Party and, through it, all of America. We may not be able to do anything about their fear and loathing, but we cannot let it stop us from progress and moving America forward again towards freedom and peace. America IS a liberal nation, equality and justice are LIBERAL notions; the status quo, convention, keeping power and control are CONSERVATIVE, and shameful. mjh


A Good Speech, A Good Leader

Fri 07/30/04 at 10:31 am

The complete text of Kerry’s acceptance speech


Loyalty Oath

Fri 07/30/04 at 10:13 am

You must pledge allegiance to King George!ABQjournal: Obtaining Cheney Rally Ticket Requires Signing Bush Endorsement By Jeff Jones, Journal Staff Writer

Unless you sign an endorsement for President George W. Bush, you’re not getting any passes. …

An endorsement form provided to the Journal by Random says: “I, (full name) … do herby (sic) endorse George W. Bush for reelection of the United States.” It later adds that, “In signing the above endorsement you are consenting to use and release of your name by Bush-Cheney as an endorser of President Bush.” …

“I’m outraged at this. I’m being closed off by my own government. It’s crazy,” said East Mountains resident Pamela Random, who added that she is an unaffiliated voter. …

When Kerry visited Albuquerque earlier this month, a contingent of Bush supporters were in the crowd. The Associated Press has reported that the group chanted “Viva Bush!” during the event. The AP added that Kerry urged the crowd to tolerate the Bush supporters.

Fears rules the the Radical Right and through fear they rule America. mjh


In NM: Kerry–52% Bush–42.2%

Thu 07/29/04 at 11:28 am

New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan

“August may be a do or die month for the President,” opined one top Republican who has worked at all levels of politics. “The real trouble for Bush is not just in the horse race, but in how voters here feel about the direction of the country. Only 39% believe the country is on the ‘right track’ compared to 57% who feel it’s on the ‘wrong track.” …

The grim numbers for Team Bush are as follows: Kerry–52% Bush–42.2% Nader–0.9%. That’s a 9.8% lead for Kerry, the largest of the five Zogby polls conducted thus far and the second one that has put him over the magic 50% level. The margin of error in the poll, done July 19-23, is plus or minus 4.4%. 499 New Mexicans participated.


‘dissimilar, dated and unrelated’

Thu 07/29/04 at 9:43 am

Letter:Republicans use Kerry quotes out of context (Daily Lobo)

Editor,

In today’s political forum, so much of what is passed through the media contains partial information and disinformation.

Nowhere is this more true in than the recent Republican attempt to portray John Kerry as a flip-flopper. Using partial and out-of-context information, conservative pundits have tried to cast doubt on Kerry’s political career. The great majority of the 37 flip-flops the Republican media cling to are based on superficial information or quotes, which are then juxtaposed against another quote selectively tailored to meet the needs of the flip-flop argument.

In these articles, dissimilar, dated and unrelated events are whittled down and cast as the whole story.

The conservatives would have us believe that Kerry flipped from a stance that abortion is a states’ issue to the stance it is a federal issue. That’s No. 17 on the GOP’s list of flip-flops, and a simple look at the facts dissolves this argument. The purported flip-flop uses a statement Kerry made in 1972 and one he made in 1985 when he said “Those of us in (federal) government have a special responsibility to protect this right (abortion).”

A seeming flip-flop right? Why would Kerry say abortion should be left to the states in 1972? Probably because it was not until 1973 that the Supreme Court decreed abortion was a federally-protected right for women. Before that, it was left for the states to decide.

The difference in Kerry’s statements is not a reflection of change in his policy, but a change in the laws of the United States and the rights of Americans. Bush may not respect the decisions of the Supreme Court in regards to abortion, but that doesn’t make them irrelevant.

Another tool in the conservative media’s attempt to slander Kerry’s record is to use simple disinformation. Their account of Kerry’s purported flip-flop on the No Child Left Behind Act - No. 8 on the GOP’s list - is a cold-cut example of this tactic.

The act was one of the cornerstones of Bush’s 2000 campaign in which he billed himself as an “education president.” In 2001, Kerry voted in support of the act. Conservatives contend Kerry then flip-flopped when he recently said he was going to “make the president accountable for making a mockery of No Child Left Behind.” Even on its face, this argument can hardly be taken as a legitimate flip-flop.

Kerry’s statement is an obvious criticism of Bush’s support for his administration’s legislation, not a criticism of the act.

Further, history backs Kerry’s criticism of Bush. After the passing of the bill, the Bush administration failed to even propose adequate funds to support the No Child Left Behind act. In every fiscal year since the passage of the bill, the Bush administration’s budget has fallen $6-7 billion short of funding the obligations set forth in Bush’s legislation.

Not funding a bill that was the cornerstone of his presidential campaign? Sounds more like a Bush flip-flop.

Terri-Nikole Baca
Morgan Pierce
Nathan Cobb
UNM College Democrats


Copter Cacophony

Sun 07/25/04 at 1:30 pm

At 2:53am, we awoke suddenly to what sounded like machine gun fire strafing our backyard. Instead, it was the Albuquerque Police Department’s helicopter coming in very low over our house before circling back again and again. This is the helicopter that cost the city millions because it was supposed to be extra quiet. In fact, it is much louder than any other copter in a city with a lot of copters (Abq has 3, Bernalillo has 2 or 3, TV stations have 2, Fed has god-knows-how-many).

Keep in mind, this is not UNMH Lifeguard. This is the police swooping in in the middle of the night terrorizing sleeping citizens. Why? Was there a slowdown in traffic on the Interstate? It doesn’t matter. If you ask the cops, every second they are in the air, they are saving lives. The truth is they are pissing away money and disturbing the peace every second they are in the air.

After 10 dreadful minutes, the copter drifted on, looking for some other place to kill time. And a few blocks away, another citizen was jarred out of his bed. mjh


A Different Analysis of the Electoral College Breakdown

Sun 07/25/04 at 10:58 am

AP: Bush Leads Kerry in Electoral Votes By RON FOURNIER, AP

With three months remaining in a volatile campaign, Kerry has 14 states and the District of Columbia in his column for 193 electoral votes. Bush has 25 states for 217 votes, according to an Associated Press analysis of state polls as well as interviews with strategists across the country. …

Bush and Kerry are running even in 11 states with a combined 128 electoral votes. Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Michigan and West Virginia are the toughest battlegrounds. Two other tossups, Pennsylvania and Oregon, could soon move to Kerry’s column. …

All total, 21 states are in play. Some will bounce between “lean” to “tossup” throughout the campaign.

Four years ago, Bush won 30 states and their 271 electoral votes _ one more than needed. Gore, who won the popular vote, claimed 20 states plus the District of Columbia for 267 electoral votes.

Since then, reapportionment added electoral votes to states with population gains and took them from states losing people. The result: Bush’s states are now worth 278 electoral votes and Gore’s are worth just 260.

Even if Kerry consolidates Gore’s states, no easy task, the Democrat must take 10 electoral votes from Bush’s column to close the electoral vote gap.

Kerry’s best prospects may be in the five tossup states won by Bush in 2000: Ohio, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire and West Virginia.

Winning either Ohio’s 20 electoral votes or Florida’s 27 would do the trick.


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