Free speech

[The GOP convention as seen from the street. Monday, Sept 1, 2008]

Beijing, or St. Paul?

Via: New York Times
Date: July 24, 1008
Author: Jim Yardley
China Sets Zones for Olympics Protests
BEIJING - The Chinese government will permit public protests inside three designated city parks during next month’s Olympic Games, but demonstrators must first obtain permits from the local police and also abide by Chinese laws that usually make it nearly impossible to legally picket over politically charged issues. The arrangement, announced by authorities on Wednesday, is a break from normal practice in China's authoritarian political system and seems loosely modeled on the protest zones created at previous Olympic Games and at many recent international political gatherings that attract large numbers of protesters.

Putting it in hard numbers -- twice

NEMP member Ken Moses recommends two articles on how the US is doing vis-à-vis the rest of the world:

American inequality highlighted by 30-year gap in life expectancy

The United States of America is becoming less united by the day. A 30-year gap now exists in the average life expectancy between Mississippi, in the Deep South, and Connecticut, in prosperous New England. Huge disparities have also opened up in income, health and education depending on where people live in the US, according to a report published yesterday.

The American Human Development Index has applied to the US an aid agency approach to measuring well-being – more familiar to observers of the Third World – with shocking results. The US finds itself ranked 42nd in global life expectancy and 34th in survival of infants to age. Suicide and murder are among the top 15 causes of death and although the US is home to just 5 per cent of the global population it accounts for 24 per cent of the world's prisoners.

Despite an almost cult-like devotion to the belief that unfettered free enterprise is the best way to lift Americans out of poverty, the report points to a rigged system that does little to lessen inequalities.

"The report shows that although America is one of the richest nations in the world, it is woefully behind when it comes to providing opportunity and choices to all Americans to build a better life," the authors said.

US slips down development index

Americans live shorter lives than citizens of almost every other developed nation, according to a report from several US charities.

The report found that the US ranked 42nd in the world for life expectancy despite spending more on health care per person than any other country.

Overall, the American Human Development Report ranked the world's richest country 12th for human development.

The study looked at US government data on health, education and income.

The report was funded by Oxfam America, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Conrad Hilton Foundation.

The report combines measurements of health, education and income into one measurement - the human development index - based on that used by the United Nations.

German probably has a word for profiting from misfortune

Pioneer Press Sat, 5 Jul 2008 02:13:55 MDT
Water may become a hot investment

Corporate raider and oilman T. Boone Pickens has been buying up water rights in the Texas Panhandle in the belief that water is going to become scarce and salable. This follows the logic that climate change, shrinking lakes and rivers and population growth will make increasing portions of the world susceptible to water shortages.

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Exclusive: No ice at the North Pole

Exclusive: No ice at the North Pole
Polar scientists reveal dramatic new evidence of climate change
By Steve Connor, Science EditorFriday, 27 June 2008
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-no-ice-at-the-north-pole-855406.html

It seems unthinkable, but for the first time in human history, ice is on course to disappear entirely from the North Pole this year.
The disappearance of the Arctic sea ice, making it possible to reach the Pole sailing in a boat through open water, would be one of the most dramatic – and worrying – examples of the impact of global warming on the planet. Scientists say the ice at 90 degrees north may well have melted away by the summer.
"From the viewpoint of science, the North Pole is just another point on the globe, but symbolically it is hugely important. There is supposed to be ice at the North Pole, not open water," said Mark Serreze of the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Colorado.
If it happens, it raises the prospect of the Arctic nations being able to exploit the valuable oil and mineral deposits below these a bed which have until now been impossible to extract because of the thick sea ice above.
Seasoned polar scientists believe the chances of a totally ice-free North Pole this summer are greater than 50:50 because the normally thick ice formed over many years at the Pole has been blown away and replaced by huge swathes of thinner ice formed over a single year.
This one-year ice is highly vulnerable to melting during the summer months and satellite data coming in over recent weeks shows that the rate of melting is faster than last year, when there was an all-time record loss of summer sea ice at the Arctic.
"The issue is that, for the first time that I am aware of, the North Pole is covered with extensive first-year ice – ice that formed last autumn and winter. I'd say it's even-odds whether the North Pole melts out," said Dr Serreze.
Each summer the sea ice melts before reforming again during the long Arctic winter but the loss of sea ice last year was so extensive that much of the Arctic Ocean became open water, with the water-ice boundary coming just 700 miles away from the North Pole.


This meant that about 70 per cent of the sea ice present this spring was single-year ice formed over last winter. Scientists predict that at least 70 per cent of this single-year ice – and perhaps all of it – will melt completely this summer, Dr Serreze said.
"Indeed, for the Arctic as a whole, the melt season started with even more thin ice than in 2007, hence concerns that we may even beat last year's sea-ice minimum. We'll see what happens, a great deal depends on the weather patterns in July and August," he said.
Ron Lindsay, a polar scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle, agreed that much now depends on what happens to the Arctic weather in terms of wind patterns and hours of sunshine. "There's a good chance that it will all melt away at the North Pole, it's certainly feasible, but it's not guaranteed," Dr Lindsay said.
The polar regions are experiencing the most dramatic increase in average temperatures due to global warming and scientists fear that as more sea ice is lost, the darker, open ocean will absorb more heat and raise local temperatures even further. Professor Peter Wadhams of Cambridge University, who was one of the first civilian scientists to sail underneath the Arctic sea ice in a Royal Navy submarine, said that the conditions are ripe for an unprecedented melting of the ice at the North Pole.
"Last year we saw huge areas of the ocean open up, which has never been experienced before. People are expecting this to continue this year and it is likely to extend over the North Pole. It is quite likely that the North Pole will be exposed this summer – it's not happened before," Professor Wadhams said.
There are other indications that the Arctic sea ice is showing signs of breaking up. Scientists at the Nasa Goddard Space Flight Centre said that the North Water 'polynya' – an expanse of open water surrounded on all sides by ice – that normally forms near Alaska and Banks Island off the Canadian coast, is much larger than normal. Polynyas absorb heat from the sun and eat away at the edge of the sea ice.
Inuit natives living near Baffin Bay between Canada and Greenland are also reporting that the sea ice there is starting to break up much earlier than normal and that they have seen wide cracks appearing in the ice where it normally remains stable. Satellite measurements collected over nearly 30 years show a significant decline in the extent of the Arctic sea ice, which has become more rapid in recent years.

Why your campaign work counts, continued

McClatchy: Easing of laws that led to detainee abuse hatched in secret

WASHINGTON — The framework under which detainees were imprisoned for years without charges at Guantanamo and in many cases abused in Afghanistan wasn't the product of American military policy or the fault of a few rogue soldiers.

It was largely the work of five White House, Pentagon and Justice Department lawyers who, following the orders of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, reinterpreted or tossed out the U.S. and international laws that govern the treatment of prisoners in wartime, according to former U.S. defense and Bush administration officials.

The Supreme Court now has struck down many of their legal interpretations. It ruled last Thursday that preventing detainees from challenging their detention in federal courts was unconstitutional.

The quintet of lawyers, who called themselves the “War Council," drafted legal opinions that circumvented the military's code of justice, the federal court system and America's international treaties in order to prevent anyone — from soldiers on the ground to the president — from being held accountable for activities that at other times have been considered war crimes.

Michele Bachmann, petroengineer

Star Tribune Tue, 17 Jun 2008 03:19:53 GMT
Bachmann has a plan to slash gas prices

Her DFL opponent, Elwyn Tinklenberg, said the energy legislation offers simple political solutions but lacks a comprehensive, environmentally sound strategy. ... Bachmann said her plan would lead to immediate relief at the gas pumps, because the market deals in futures. Tinklenberg disagreed, saying that conservative estimates indicate that increased oil supplies wouldn't significantly lower prices for several years and would leave the country's larger energy problems unsolved.

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I'm voting Republican (not)

Funny, and truthy. This video is worth watching just for the credits, which include "no Republicans were harmed in the making of this film"




h/t thereisnospoon on DailyKos

Why your work counts

Obama And Dean Team Up To Recast The Political Map

These might seem like ad-hoc measures. But if Sen. John Kerry had received ten additional votes per precinct in 2004, he would have won Iowa, Ohio, New Mexico, and, subsequently, the White House.

It's Obama

Star Tribune Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:54:51 GMT
Obama declares victory at raucous Xcel Energy Center rally

Barack Obama declared victory Tuesday night at a raucous rally at the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul. "Tonight, after fifty-four hard-fought contests, our primary season has finally come to an end," he told thousands of supporters who had jammed the arena to witness an historic moment as Obama became the first black candidate in the nation's history to become a major party presidential nominee. The crowd of 17,000 exploded in an ear-splitting roar. "Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States," he said, setting off another roar even louder and longer. An additional 15,000 supporters watched the speech on a big screen outside the arena, according to fire officials. In prepared remarks, Obama praised his vanquished rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and took direct aim at John McCain, the Republican he will face in November.

Matthew Yglesias has something to say about the Audacity of Hope:

It's a fundamentally bold, hopeful brand of politics. And I think it's no coincidence that that theme's been at the center of his campaign. Relative to Clinton, you see two people with similar policy agendas. But Clinton comes from a school of politics that says liberalism can't really win on the questions of war and peace, identity and authenticity, crime and punishment. It says that we live in a fundamentally conservative nation, and that the savvy progressive politician kind of burrows in and tries to make the best of a bad situation. It's an attitude very much borne of the brutally difficult experience of organizing for McGovern in Texas and running for governor in Arkansas at the height of Reaganism. Relative to McCain, Obama thinks it's possible to accomplish things in the world. He thinks the United States faces a lot of serious international challenges, but doesn't see them as primarily driven by menacing and implacable foes. Obama thinks that a combination of visionary leadership and shrewd bargaining can greatly improve our ability to tackle key priorities without any great expenditure of our resources.

All in all, the pessimist in me sees it as an approach to politics designed to set us up for a hard fall when it fails. But in a deeper sense I find it incredibly appealing. To me, it's incredibly frustrating to hear that ideas "can't be done" not because they won't work, but because people know -- just know -- that they're not politically possible, even though they're things that have never been tried. I think almost every worthwhile accomplishment of progressive governance -- from the UN and NATO and the NPT to Medicare and Medicaid and Title I school aid to the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act to the ongoing feminist revolution that's completely transformed American society in a generation and a half with no sign of slowing down -- is the kind of thing that before it happened, a lot of people would have said that it couldn't happen. And of course sometimes the pessimists are right, but unless you sometimes assume they're wrong then nothing's ever going to happen.

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NEMP(N.E. Metro Progressives): May Meeting Notes

To: NEMP

MEETING NOTES (5/22/08)

*THE PROGRESSIVE MAJORITY: Gia Vitali, organizer for The Progressive Majority provided a report on her organization. They are a national group promoting and assisting local and state candidates with progressive ideals. Locally for example, they helped John Nephew win his seat on the Maplewood City Council to tip the balance in Maplewood government toward progressive thought and away from autocratic, right-wing dominance. Gia explained how they worked with John Nephew, a non-politician, to shape his campaign.

Progressive Majority is focused not just on the next election, but on building a progressive political movement that will elect an enduring majority for years to come. They now operate in six states, but they hope to add new candidates until the power shifts in the top 24 battleground states. They have to date recruited and elected more than 200 candidates, winning in 56% of the elections where they have been active.

We failed to ask Gia if they have considered joining Kate Christopher in her effort to unseat Matt Dean (ultra-right) in District 52-B, which includes Mahtomedi. Matt Dean now represents some of our NEMP members and perhaps they could follow up with Gia. Her phone number is 612-332-9553. Their web-site is

www.progressivemajority.org.

*ANTI-WAR PROTESTORS: Rick Gilman made an appeal for help in housing anti-war protesters who are in town for the Republican convention.

*LOBBYISTS, MONEY, &, TRANSPARENCY: Stan Hilliard provided a video of Bill Moyer's interview with investigative reporter, David Heath. We examined the influence of money on politicians through large campaign donations and lobbying. David Heath tracked and linked relationships between political contributions and earmarks that benefited the contributors. Much of this money comes from defense industries and other big corporate interests. Here are a few of the many examples: 1) A night vision device was considered unusable junk by the military but purchased anyway with money earmarked by a Representative after receiving donation from the manufacturer. 2) A large boat, of no use to the Navy, was purchased anyway with money earmarked by a representative after receiving donation from the manufacturer. The boat is now used by the local sheriff's office. 3) A type of polyester T-shirt was banned by the military for use in Iraq because IED's can cause them to melt into a soldier's skin. But these t-shirts were re-ordered anyway with money earmarked by a Representative after receiving donations from the manufacturer.

The reporters only tracked earmarks involving a few representatives from their own state of Washington. Projecting these abuses to all 435 congress- persons suggests a system of massive money-influence and abuse of power. It was obvious the both Democrats and Republicans are engaged in this process. Senator Patty Murray of Washington was featured in the some of this video.

Hidden from public view, specific abuses involved extensive work to identify because the earmarks do not appear in the federal budget. An investigative team had to do massive data analysis correlating unsigned earmarks from conference reports to the congress-person through statements on their websites, and relate that to campaign contributions. It was obvious that a transparent process would have these reports linked together into one database and available to the public via the internet, rather than hiding them in arcane records.

It is clear that the military-industrial-congressional complex is alive and well, beyond our worst dreams. In an interesting observation, Rick Gilman reminded us that Eisenhower's speech writers deleted the word congressional from his initially written draft. 'Why We Fight' is a documentary all should view.

It was also noted that public financing of election campaigns would help eliminate much of the above.

*LOBBYING IN MINNESOTA: Bob Schmitz presented data and observations regarding the pervasive and perverse influence of lobbyist at out state capitol, gained as an advocate for Green Party issues during the last two sessions. Some numbers speak for themselves:

- Over 60 million was spent in the 2007 session by registered lobbying groups, up from the 53 million of 2006. - This amount equals about $300,000 per legislator. - There are 7 registered lobbyists in our legislative halls per each legislator. - 50 former legislators are now lobbyists, including Roger Moe who represents 3-M. Some were lobbyists before entering the legislature, such as Senator Kathy Saltzman of Woodbury. The system is seamless. - Minnesota is the #1 state in per capita spending by lobbyists.

A modest reform attempt which would have prohibited lobbying for one year after leaving the legislature could not pass last year. The house bill sponsored by Karla Bigham of Cottage Grove was not allowed to reach the floor by Gene Pelowski of Winona, who chairs the Government Operations Committee. He was dismissive and arrogant to the Greens when they attempted to discuss this bill with him. Senator Marty's bill did reach the Senate floor and failed on a tie vote of 33-33. We should note that Senator Wiger and Rep Slawik supported these bills. 90% of our citizens would support this limitation on seamless lobbying, but our esteemed legislators did not. Why? Why does the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce spend 1.6 million per year to lobby our legislature? Why did 'Minnesotans Against Fraud and Higher Insurance Costs' spend 1 million late in the 2006-2007 session to fight a bill which required insurance companies to pay legitimate claims by their policy holders? This lobby was formed late in the session by a coalition of insurance companies?

When our Green group of three met in the Transportation Dept Cafeteria in the a.m. to plan the day, it was revealing to observe large gatherings of vested interests going over strategy with their hired guns.

To learn more go the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board's website, cfboard.state.mn.us. Other sources include the Center for Public Integrity at

www.public integrity.org/hiredguns. Professor David Schultz (651-523-2858) of Hamline University has also researched the issue.
*Constitution: Paul Cocoanto briefly discussed the Declaration of Independence and the preamble as they relate to the views of so-called luminaries, Pastor John Hagge &, James Dobson et al.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Next Meeting: 6/19/08 10AM Ramsey Co Library Southlawn W. of Mplwd Mall

Agenda: Janet O'Connell on asbestosis, mesothelium and the taconite industry. Should we allow taconite tailings in our road beds? The role of Elwin Tinklenberg's public relations firm as a lobbyists for mining interests and road builders. Tinklenberg (DFL endorsed) is running against Bachmann in the 6th District. Should we apply the lesser of two evils approach at election time? Recent legislation on this subject: Good, Bad or OK?

Should we sponsor a public showing of "WHY WE FIGHT" in the library community room?

Facilitator: Paul Cocoanto

Progressive documentaries

Via FireDogLake:

This primary season has been tough on progressives. Unfortunately, the dynamics of the Obama-Clinton battle have tended to highlight the somewhat disparate nature of the coalition that has been forged over the years, particularly between the racial-minority and women-voter blocs. So it's important at times like these to remember that we're all in this together, and have been for many years.

Robert Greenwald's Brave New Foundation, working with the folks at The Nation, has come up with a terrific way to remind us of this. They've prepared a series of 30-minute documentaries, titled "This Brave Nation," which are essentially two-person conversations between major progressive figures -- some new, some historic, but all of them with shared goals. The icons range from Tom Hayden to Van Jones, and include folks like Dolores Huerta, Carl Pope, Bonnie Raitt, and Pete Seeger, Majora Carter, Naomi Klein, Ava Lowery and Anthony Romero.

Starting June 1, they'll be rolling out the documentaries with an episode per week, available in five-minute highlight videos and the full 30-minute films. The series culminates with a July 13 broadcast from Culver City, California, at which the first Brave Nation Award will be announced. They'll also be available on DVDs.

You can get a preview at the video above or at their website.

Here's hoping the series helps remind everyone that we have mutual goals at stake that extend well beyond any mere election cycle -- even one of historic dimensions like this one.

[Note: I would have linked to the Brave Nation website directly, but it immediately begins loading a video - not a good thing for our dial-up readers. Stephan]

Tie them to Bush

Frank Rich's addition to our weekly reader: McCain Can Run, but Bush Won’t Hide (free New York Times account required)

...It’s the third “safe” Republican House seat to fall in a special election since March.

Party leaders have been haplessly trying to identify possible remedies ever since. It didn’t help that their recent stab at an Obamaesque national Congressional campaign slogan, “The Change You Deserve,” was humiliatingly identified as the advertising pitch for the anti-depressant Effexor. (If they’re going to go the pharmaceutical route, “Viva Viagra” might be more to the point.) Yet for all the Republican self-flagellation, it’s still not clear that the party even understands the particular dimensions of its latest defeat and its full implications for both Congressional races and John McCain in November.

Please read the whole article, it is well worth it. With respect to CD6, we should use this picture as often as we can:

[source: wonkette.com, http://cache.wonkette.com/images/thumbs/0f4a067c335a50ebeaa0f28d81e1faab.jpg]

Being a liberal - a moral commitment

From teacherken at DailyKos

Too often we shy away from labels because they are used to demonize. But to me the word liberal should be reclaimed, as a proud banner, of a tradition of caring and commitment beyond one's immediate needs, one's kith and kin, one's social class. one's religion, one's ethnicity.

I do not condemn those whose orientation is different than mine. I seek to find common ground where we can come together for the greater good.

But I will not shy away from asserting my own beliefs. I am a human being who sees myself not so much in opposition to others as I do in sharing a common world, a common heritage, a common future, which means that we must find some commonality in how we work to ensure that future.

And so I give my reasons, make my explanations. I view the label as explanatory, but as more. It is a moral commitment.

I am a liberal.

Peace.

Honest debate. Maybe someday

Independent Progressive movement

From Digby:

...Congresscritters and Senators care about perception and image and what the opposition (and the media, by the way) will do because their careers depend on it.

This is why it's important to have a strong and thriving *independent* progressive movement, to push from outside the political process to build public support for specific issues.

Another Bill Moyers must see

Bill Moyers from last Friday on torture.

The Defining Moment for Climate Change

An important read and call to action. Citing our circumstances in football terms, Bill McKibben calls for a Hail Mary Pass. Let's hope for a touchdown.

Bill McKibben, The Defining Moment for Climate Change

Already climate change -- in the form of a changing pattern of global rainfall -- seems to be affecting the planet in significant ways. Take the massive, almost decade-long drought in Australia's wheat-growing heartland, which has been a significant factor in sending flour prices, and so bread prices, soaring globally, leading to desperation and food riots across the planet.
A report from the Bureau of Meteorology in Australia makes clear that, despite recent heavy rains in the eastern Australian breadbasket, years of above normal rainfall would be needed "to remove the very long-term [water] deficits" in the region. The report then adds this ominous note: "The combination of record heat and widespread drought during the past five to 10 years over large parts of southern and eastern Australia is without historical precedent and is, at least partly, a result of climate change."

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174930/bill_mckibben_the_defining_moment_for_climate_change

Federal same-day voter registration proposed

From Feingold's website:

FEINGOLD, KLOBUCHAR, ELLISON WORK TO MAKE VOTING EASIER FOR ALL AMERICANS
Bill Allowing Election Day Registration is Introduced Following Supreme Court Decision Allowing Laws Impeding the Right to Vote

May 1, 2008

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) are introducing legislation to help more Americans register to vote by allowing Election Day registration at polling places for all federal elections. The Election Day Registration Act addresses chronic problems with the American electoral process – low voter turnout and archaic voter registration laws. Election Day registration is also seen as preferable to advance registration since voters are actually present when they register, reducing opportunities for fraud. The bill’s introduction comes days after the Supreme Court upheld an Indiana voter ID law that seriously impedes the ability of elderly and low-income Americans to vote. Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Jon Tester (D-MT), who represent states that recently enacted Election Day registration, are also cosponsors of the bill.

Calendar

Don't forget to watch the calendar for progressive events!

For example, tonight (May 1st) Dr. Martin Marty will be speaking at Central Lutheran in Minneapolis.

Keynote speaker for this year's event will be Dr. Martin Marty. "Marty" is one of the most prominent interpreters of religion and culture today. He is the Fairfax M. Cone Distinquished Service Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago Divinity School, where he taught for 35 years.

The title of his talk will be "WHAT IS IT ABOUT RELIGIONS ... That they can be 'killers that heal' and/or 'healers that kill?" Dr. Marty has been pondering this question in light of current events around the world. While today Christians think only Muslims kill, and that they don't heal, they forget that we Christians too have killed --but have also been great healers.

Book recommendation: The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein

From a discussion on FireDogLake:

The basic thesis is that natural and artificial disasters are now being used as triggers to make large social and economic changes that would otherwise not have been palatable to the general public. Civil liberties, defense expenditures, and union busting are some of the examples she offers post-9/11 and Katrina.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to address judicial elections

A reader received this invitation from Common Cause. Note the luncheon is full, but there is a public viewing area for Justice O'Connor's address.
You are cordially invited to attend an address by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, "Protecting Impartial Courts in a Political Culture." Justice O'Connor will be speaking at 11:45 am on May 2nd, 2008 in the atrium of the Humphrey Center at the University of Minnesota. Unfortunately, the ticketed luncheon is now full. However, Justice O'Connor's presentation can be viewed on a screen in the Cowles Auditorium adjacent to the Humphrey Center atrium. If you are interested in attending the event in the Cowles Auditorium please RSVP here.Justice O'Connor's speech comes just weeks after Wisconsin's very partisan and negative campaign for State Supreme Court. Wisconsin Public Radio said that the "Wisconsin Supreme Court races have come to resemble boxing matches in recent years. That's because special interest groups have been delivering blow after blow with negative campaign ads."Come listen to Justice O'Connor address the need to protect our impartial courts system. A coalition of groups, including Common Cause Minnesota, is working to reform the way that judges are chosen in Minnesota. These changes will focus judicial elections on actual performance on the bench, instead of special interest attack ads. It will also place a renewed emphasis on a public discussion of the quality and performance of judges, rather than on political issues, and will better inform citizens about their choices prior to judicial elections. To learn more about this issue or contact your legislator, click here [unknown link]
.I hope to see you on May 2nd at this very special event.
Sincerely,
Mike Dean
Common Cause Minnesota

An opportunity for public health activism

A reader sends in this opportunity for activism:
In 2007 the Minnesota Department of Health announced that 35 northern MN miners had developed mesothelioma, a cancer associated only with asbestos, for a total of 58 since 1997. From 1988 to 2006, 149 deaths were recorded.  The DOT is using taconite from the same mines to repair MN roads. The taconite and its aggregate is intensely being marketed around the upper midwest for this purpose yet it is coming from the same mines that have produced a deadly cancer. One citizen is asking the leglislature for a moratorium on use until a full mineral analysis is performed and the Mn Department of Health complete their 3 year analysis of the mine workers and is asking others to join in the request.  Read the full report here.

Don't know your legislators? Follow the links here:

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/housemembers.asp

http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_list.php?sort=d&ls=85#header

Don't know who represents you? Follow this link:

http://geo.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/districts/start.html

Tinklenberg

Star Tribune Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:55:34 GMT
Second attempt pays off for DFLer Tinklenberg

The ex-transportation commissioner won the party's endorsement in the Sixth District to take on Rep. Michele Bachmann, two years after losing it. Elsewhere, Reps. Keith Ellison and Tim Walz got DFL support. Two years after being passed over by party activists, former state Transportation Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg captured the DFL endorsement Saturday for bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann. Tinklenberg notched a first-ballot victory over tax attorney Bob Olson at the party's Sixth District convention at Bunker Hills Regional Park in Andover. A former Methodist minister and Blaine mayor, Tinklenberg was viewed as the more moderate choice in the conservative district. Bachmann, a Republican, won the north-metro district seat two years ago over child-welfare advocate Patty Wetterling, who had edged Tinklenberg for the DFL endorsement. DFL Party leaders contend the district is increasingly competitive.

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Bill Moyers: Last journalist standing

Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Amos 5: 23-24

Despite the efforts of lesser pundits (for example, this PBS NewsHour Schields and Brooks segment about 6 minutes in) to minimize and discredit him, Bill Moyers interview with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright on April 25 proved to be riveting.

The teachings of Jeremiah Wright have indeed turned out to be an indictment of a major player in the 2008 presidential election. And that player is the political media.

Moyers' website for the interview, including the transcript, links to the video and more information.

TPT Almanac 4/25/08 - 6th district DFL debate

Elwyn Tinklenberg and Bob Olson appear on TPT's Almanac (April 25, 208)

Find the segment on this page, this week in the current show, later it will be in the archive.

Silver lining

Pioneer Press Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:19:48 -0600
'The Daily Show' to visit St. Paul for convention

A Comedy Central show known for skewering politicians plans to broadcast live from St. Paul during the Republican National Convention.

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Who will take her on?

Pioneer Press Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:26:16 -0600
6th Congressional District / Candidates each claim strong DFL backing

Heading into Saturday's 6th District DFL convention, Elwyn Tinklenberg likes his chances of getting the party endorsement to run for Congress. But Bob Olson likes his as well. After months of campaigning, the two candidates will soon find out which of them will face Republican U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in the November general election. The district, which runs from the St. Croix River through the northern suburbs and past St. Cloud, is widely considered to lean Republican. But both Democrats hope to change that, and they offer contrasting approaches to taking on the first-term incumbent. Tinklenberg is a former state transportation commissioner who jumped into the race last fall, prompted in part, he said, by the Aug. 1 collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis. He said that the nation's roads, bridges and public infrastructure need attention and that he's got the right credentials to address them. Citing endorsements from key political leaders and unions, an experienced campaign staff and successful past political campaigns, Tinklenberg said he's positioned to run a strong campaign. "I know what it takes to build the kind of coalitions you need to be effective and to be successful,'' he said. Olson, a St. Cloud banker, sees things a bit differently, pointing to his background as a tax lawyer, a bank owner and an advocate of sustainable energy. "One of the most critical things we can do for the economy and national security and the environment is to break our dependence on foreign oil,'' said Olson, who advocates a 10-year program of tax incentives and loan guarantees to shift to a cleaner national energy foundation. As for Tinklenberg, Olson said, "He knows sand and gravel better than I do.''

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But NG will last forever... not

Star Tribune Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:09:09 GMT
'Practically free': Utah's network of natural-gas stations has drivers filling up for cheap

SALT LAKE CITY - Troy Anderson was at the gas pump and couldn't have been happier, filling up at a rate of $5 per tank. Anderson was paying 63.8 cents per gallon equivalent for compressed natural gas, making Utah a hot market for vehicles that run on the fuel. It's the country's cheapest rate for compressed gas, according to the Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition, and far less than the $3.56 national average price for a gallon of gasoline. "I'm totally celebrating," crowed Anderson, a 44-year-old social worker, who picked up a used Honda Civic GX two months ago. "This is the greatest thing. I can't believe more people aren't talking about it. This is practically free."

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Peak oil comes to a pump near you

Star Tribune Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:58:39 GMT
Oil consumption at the tipping point in U.S.?

... "We're seeing a price high enough so that consumers are responding with practical alternatives such as more conservation, more mass transit," said J. Drake Hamilton, science policy director at St. Paul-based Fresh Energy. "I was just at an Earth Day celebration at Boston Scientific in Arden Hills, and the most popular display was about biking to work."

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Janet O'Connell Questions EL

Please view the following by a new NEMP member. Janet is quoted in the Star Trib as she challenges El Tinklenberg. Can Bob Olson get rid of Bachmann if El is not the Dems candidate? The lesser of evils may be the question to ponder in the Sixth District. Bob Schmitz

STRIB: http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/house/18028409.html

MPR: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/polinaut/archive/2008/04/the_daily_diges_405.shtml

Blogs:

http://zaetsch.blogspot.com/

http://buildourparty.blogspot.com/

Know your lobbyists

A handy list of lobbyists in decending order by amount spent.

Confronting empire

John Amato of Crooks and Liars reminds us of the Arundhati Roy speech, Confronting Empire:

Our strategy should be not only to confront empire, but to lay siege to it. To deprive it of oxygen. To shame it. To mock it. With our art, our music, our literature, our stubbornness, our joy, our brilliance, our sheer relentlessness– and our ability to tell our own stories. Stories that are different from the ones we’re being brainwashed to believe. The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they’re selling– their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their weapons, their notion of inevitability. Remember this: We be many and they be few. They need us more than we need them. Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.

PBS Frontline: Sick around the world

Somehow I missed this when it aired, but the website provides links to a wealth of comparative health care information.

Frontline: Sick around the world.

One of these does not belong with the others

See if you can tell which one is different:

Mark your calendars

Pioneer Press Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:08:06 -0600
St. Paul / 'Peace picnic' to tweak RNC-goers

Come September, Republican delegates who walk from the Xcel Energy Center to the bluff for a view of the Mississippi River might find Coleen Rowley smiling up at them. St. Paul has given the former FBI agent and former congressional candidate a prime spot during the Republican National Convention: Harriet Island. The one-time Time magazine co-person of the year has secured a permit to host hundreds of people for a "Peace Island Picnic" in the park Sept. 4, during the convention. Rowley said she hopes the event will focus attention on ending the war in Iraq, just as the Republican Party moves to anoint John McCain as its 2008 nominee. "The connections they tried to make between Saddam (Hussein) and al-Qaida " you could say (they were) distorted, but they were just concocted," Rowley said. "It is the quintessential quagmire. I just think people need to take responsibility, because it really is affecting us all." Rowley and her husband, Ross Rowley, were given the permit after being the only applicant for Harriet Island for that date. The park is widely considered a prime location for an outdoor event for any group during the convention, which is expected to bring 45,000 media members and attendees to the Twin Cities. Some estimate that an equal number of protesters will be on hand. Rowley said she is still organizing the event and expects no more than 1,000 people, according to the permit application. She said she has contacted folk singer Pete Seeger about being an honorary co-chair. Seeger expressed interest, she said, but likely would not attend because of health issues.

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Judicial marketplace (of ideas)

Pioneer Press Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:47:53 -0600
Outside groups spent $4.8 million in Wis. judicial race

MADISON -- A watchdog group says special interest groups spent a record $4.8 million in this month's Supreme Court election. The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign said four groups that do not have to disclose their donors spent about $4.2 million on radio and television advertising. Other groups spent another $600,000 in election expenses reported to the state. Most of the money was spent by groups who supported challenger Michael Gableman, who narrowly defeated Justice Louis Butler in the April 1 election. The group said Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce was the biggest outside spender with a $1.76 million ad campaign. The business lobby ran ads touting Gableman's law enforcement experience and painting Butler as soft on crime.

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Staffer's remorse

The Hill: Rep. Bachmann's office has high turnover rate

By Jackie Kucinich Posted: 04/15/08 06:56 PM [ET] Ten of the 14 people Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) hired early last year have left the freshman'€™s office, according to public documents and sources familiar with the personnel changes. The casualty list includes two chiefs of staff, a district director, a press secretary, two legislative assistants, a staff assistant, a caseworker, an outreach and grants coordinator and a district scheduler.

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Condi hits the news

So ABC finally put together a story on Condi Rice, connecting her to torture, like we haven't known about this for what, a couple of years? (http://www.condimustgo.com/ or http://www.democracyforamerica.com/) I suppose that we should be "happy" that it's better late than never, but for Pete's sake, what about the prez and the closet prez??? How can Jim Dean in good conscience holler about Condi and not look at her bosses? Somehow this is assbackwards. Keep us signing petitions to get rid of her, all the while keeping our minds off the economy, Iraq and the very most important issue that we face, Climate Change.

Take a look at these articles from yesterday to gain a better understanding of what we should be reading about.

Economists Debate Link Between War, Credit Crisis

By Jonathan WeismanWashington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, April 15, 2008; Page A03 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/14/AR2008041402639.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

On the Economy, 70% Disapprove of Bush

By Jon CohenWashington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, April 15, 2008; Page A04 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/14/AR2008041402842.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

Biofuel: the burning question

The production of biofuel is devastating huge swathes of the world's environment. So why on earth is the Government forcing us to use more of it?
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/biofuel-the-burning-question-808959.html

By Cahal MilmoTuesday, 15 April 2008

Taxpayers League or Tax Avoiders League

To: NEMP Members
Re: Taxpayers League Hubris
Today (4/14/08) I was at the State Capitol acting as an unpaid lobbyist for the Green Party. As our group left the north door of the state office building, which houses the offices for our representatives, I noticed a large sign in a first floor window. It said in bold print that "Liberals Raise Taxes". The Taxpayer's League web address was across the bottom of the sign. This represented a gross violation of proper decorum and fairness, and no doubt capitol building rules and regulations. The Taxpayers League is funded by wealthy contributors and may be better described as the tax avoiders league. It does not represent the working class who pay a higher percentage of income in taxes than those in the upper income brackets. It is a prominent conservative lobbying group. What would our capitol look like if every lobbying group found a window in the state office buildings in which to post their various signs? Paid lobbyist over-run our capitol now and this sign was yet anoth
er example of the arrogance displayed by some of them. At my suggestion, we re-entered the building and went into the office area where this sign was located. We made our disgust known to the person at the reception desk, and promised to be back if that sign were not removed. A gentleman in a fancy suite emerged from a back room to see what was going on as we were departing. We will be back there in a few days and if that sign is not gone, we will take the issue to someone who can make something happen.

I was shocked and angered by this blatant arrogance, which reinforced my motivation to keep returning to the capitol to advocate for fairness in our legislative process. The self-righteousness of this group allows it to do almost anything in the name of their cause, and I believe we must challenge their hubris every step of the way. To quote Alice Walker, "The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." I hope that enpowerment wiil become a by-product of NEMP. Perhaps we need a sign as suggested by Lee Salisbury, "Conservatives Borrow From Their Grandchildren."

Bob Schmitz

Campaign finance

Star Tribune Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:51:34 GMT
Bachmann gets financial help from GOP fund

First-term Rep. Michele Bachmann is getting a financial helping hand in her re-election bid from a Republican Party fund that tries to assist candidates who are seen as vulnerable or specificially in the Democrats' cross-hairs. Bachmann is one of 10 Republicans who will get assistance from the party's Regain Our Majority Program (ROMP) 2008, which is overseen by House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. Also slated to get assistance is state Rep. Erik Paulsen, the only Republican running for the open seat being vacated by longtime Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad. Ramstad's seat is widely considered to be up for grabs because the district is less reliably Republican than it has been in the past. But Bachmann's inclusion on the ROMP assistance list shows how aggressively Democrats have already gone after her. And the help, which based on past ROMP spending patterns could reach $100,000, according to a party spokesman, follows the Democrats' decision to specifically target her. The cash from the ROMP program may be more symbolic than substantive, according to Federal Election Commission records. Through the end of last year, Bachmann already had raised nearly $1.2 million for her re-election bid, triple the amount raised by her two DFL challengers combined.

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Remember, and act

Thanks to Digby for the youTube link. Please read her entire post. Her call to action ends

The power of collective action. The power of bottom-up organizing. The power of seeing a world where everyone is in it together, where everyone has a stake in one another. The power of fighting for justice and fairness and right, and moving mountains just by walking together. We get cynical in this medium a lot, and maybe we have a right to; after all, forty years ago they shot Dr. King for leading such a movement. But the legacy lives on, and I believe in his aphorism that "the long arc of history bends toward justice." This movement, this place where we've all gravitated, is but a small kernel of that legacy. But it's growing, and regardless of the President or the Congress or whoever it will continue to move forward. And one day, we will get there.

National honor

Star Tribune Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:39:10 GMT
Disavowed Justice Department legal memo: constitutional protections did not apply

WASHINGTON - For at least 16 months after the Sept. 11 terror attacks in 2001, the Bush administration believed that the Constitution's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures on U.S. soil didn't apply to its efforts to protect against terrorism. ... "The recent disclosures underscore the Bush administration's extraordinarily sweeping conception of executive power," said Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU's National Security Project. "The administration's lawyers believe the president should be permitted to violate statutory law, to violate international treaties and even to violate the Fourth Amendment inside the U.S. They believe that the president should be above the law."

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John Marty: Lobbying by Deception and Misinformation

An Apple Pie Alliance article:

To the Point!
Lobbying by Deception and Misinformation
by Senator John Marty
March 30, 2008
Many people are familiar with the phrase "grassroots lobbying." It implies that the public feels strongly about a bill and people contact their elected officials demanding action.

Unfortunately, most of what appears to be grassroots/citizen lobbying is orchestrated by well-funded interest groups, using by highly-paid consultants and PR firms.

To stimulate this citizen passion, especially when the public might not agree with their real goal, lobbyists work to inflame public sentiment even if it means distorting the truth. This is certainly not true of all lobbyists and interests, but it is far too common among some.

This year Minnesota legislators have received countless emails urging us to oppose Senate File 833, which "threatens the affordability and accessibility of (cell phone) services for all of Minnesota's families and businesses."

To stimulate public opposition to this, the cell phone industry's ad campaign showed a picture of a frustrated woman looking over a document labeled "State Wireless Taxes and Fees" with a caption: "So why are state legislators threatening to increase the cost of our wireless?"

Shortly before SF 833 was heard in the Senate Commerce Committee I read the bill, expecting to see some questionable regulations or taxes. What I found was quite different.

Continue reading at Apple-Pie Alliance

The moral test

Pioneer Press Sat, 29 Mar 2008
Letters to the editor

The moral test
"Here we go again!"to quote former President Reagan. Gov. Tim Pawlenty does a feel-good minuscule tax cut. Then he heads for the Minnesota Care Fund, which should be used to assure affordable, accessible health care coverage for all uninsured and underinsured Minnesotans. When you are a low-income employee and have a $3,500 to $5,000 deductible, you probably put off seeking preventive care until it is an emergency. And then, it is very expensive and you are financially and physically unable to cope. Our own family had a good example of that. Sen. Hubert Humphrey said, "The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children: those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly: and those in the shadows of life: the sick, the needy and the handicapped." How would you rate our governor?

Christeen M. Stone
Maplewood

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Teaching

(13:20)

[If you have a relatively slow connection, a good way to watch youTubes and other videos is to press Play (the triangle/arrow) and then immediately press Pause (||). Downloading will continue while it is paused. Go do something else for a few minutes while some of the video downloads, and then come back and Press Play to watch the video. This should avoid the annoying start/stop that occurs when the player catches up to the amount of video that has been downloaded.]

Roll up your sleeves

The Saturday letters in the Star Tribune help define our work:

BACHMANN'S BULBS She's making sense

Rep. Michele Bachmann is right about the ban on incandescent light bulbs.

• It is a forced tax on consumers. Instead of paying pennies for a bulb, we pay dollars.

• Incandescent bulbs are safe, while fluorescent bulbs contain mercury. I thought no amount of mercury was safe. Do we really believe they all will be recycled instead of ending up in landfills seeping into ground water?

• I use both types of bulbs in my home, and the fluorescent bulbs do not stand up to their claims. From my experience, I replace them almost as often as regular bulbs. They burn out quickly in enclosed fixtures and are useless in a cold garage (the cold causes them to dim too low to be useful).

• We are being forced to replace our light bulbs to save energy but also forced into digital TVs that use three times as much energy as a regular TV.

There are many available options to conserving energy. Why replace a light bulb with another that may be hazardous?

PAUL MONSON, EAGAN

VETS FOR FREEDOM

Left playing politics

After reading several opinions concerning the Vets for Freedom flap at Forest Lake High School, I am left with the feeling that those on the far left have decided that it is more important to be anti-Republican than patriotic.

JOHN MISGEN, SCANDIA

A good call by school

As a retired Forest Lake school teacher and a veteran of two wars, I would like to comment on the wonderful support our veterans have received through the years.

In my 37 years in Forest Lake, I have seen and experienced nothing but total support for our veterans, both by the school district and our community. We can be very proud of that fact.

Every year numerous veterans have been invited to our schools, both elementary through secondary, to speak about patriotism and their military experiences. Always welcomed in our schools are the honor guards from our veterans' organizations who speak on patriotism, donate American flags and patriotic information to our students.

Our school district employs many veterans and each year honors the military veteran teachers and staff.

Our school bands and choirs support numerous events for our students, both in our community and outside our community.

I have met twice with Steve Massey, our Forest Lake Senior High School principal, over the "Vets for Freedom" issue, along with many teachers, staff members and students. I am convinced after reviewing the facts that the right decision was made to cancel the Vets for Freedom event at the high school on March 25.

JAMES P. NOLL, FOREST LAKE;

RETIRED ARMY LIEUTENANT COLONEL

Berglin health bill passes Senate

Star Tribune Fri, 28 Mar 2008
State health care bill passes key hurdle

A measure that would radically alter the health scene got the state Senate's preliminary OK but faces a rough road. ... In a tense debate that dragged on through the evening, some of the staunchest DFL supporters of health care found themselves opposing the bill, warning of unintended consequences, while some Republicans defended the changes. "This could be the No Child Left Behind of health care," said Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville. "Some things are out of whack in this bill." The measure, sponsored by Sen. Linda Berglin, DFL-Minneapolis, would vastly change the health scene in Minnesota. Providers would make their fees public. Standard benefit sets would allow consumers to compare care and prices. The state would monitor children's obesity levels, and chronic diseases could be managed through nurse phone calls as well as doctor visits.

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Innocents abroad

Star Tribune Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:53:33 GMT
A political agenda hid behind a talk with heroes

Tuesday's cancellation of a visit to Forest Lake High School by Iraq War veterans in a giant bus labeled "Vets For Freedom National Heroes Tour" produced a bonanza of outraged media reports. ... Forest Lake shows how badly we need to talk about this war. And how very hard it is to do.

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This is not from The Onion

Star Tribune Wed, 26 Mar 2008
Bachmann is pro-choice on bulbs

The Minnesota congresswoman says people should be free to use traditional incandescent or compact fluorescent light bulbs, and she has introduced a bill to halt a phase-out program. WASHINGTON - How many members of Congress does it take to change a light bulb? Americans may soon find out, courtesy of a contrarian piece of legislation introduced this month by Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. Titled the "Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act," the bill seeks to repeal the nationwide phase-out of conventional light bulbs, the kind that have been used for more than a century -- pretty much since the invention of the incandescent light bulb.

More from the Star Tribune: Her bill, the first challenge of its kind, raises safety questions about the small amounts of mercury in fluorescent lights. It also lands her squarely in the middle of the debate over global warming. In recent remarks to a gathering of Sherburne County Republicans -- reported in the West Sherburne Tribune -- Bachmann called any human connection to global warming "voodoo, nonsense, hokum, a hoax."

Giant Antarctic Ice Shelf Collapses

National Geographic story and photo

A progressive position on health care

As our steering committee meeting today spent substantial time on health care, this Ezra Klein (the American Prospect) post might be of interest:

Kevin Drum:

As progressives, our goal shouldn't be to provide gold-plated care to every person in the country, nor should it be to restrict the ability of the rich to get better service if they want to pay for it. Our goal should be to provide decent care to everyone, with the market free to operate on top of that.

How Kevin was able to get an early glance at my next tattoo is anyone' guess (I had the whole thing translated into kanji, too!), but that's a pretty perfect description of how I understand the role of the progressive health reformer. It's also why I joke at panels that my plan for health reform is invading France and taking their system. I'm down with no blood for oil, but I'd give some blood for universal coverage.

Meanwhile, a quick thought on cost control: When talking about costs, folks need to distinguish whether they're talking about getting more value for each dollar or reducing total spending. The two might not be the same. Prevention, for instance, gets far more value out of each dollar. But if it keeps people alive a whole lot longer, that's more time for them to contract various illnesses, and when they grow old, to die from something expensive. So though prevention may mean our health dollars are doing a whole lot more good, it may not mean we're spending less as a total percentage of GDP. Conversely, we could outlaw coverage of statins, which would save some money, but kill a lot of folks. Now, I'm not saying the two ends are opposed. Indeed, getting good value is probably a complementary goal to spending less. But it's not the same thing.

Why a progressive approach to governing is needed

Star Tribune Mon, March 17, 2008
Uneasy Economy: Painful round of state budget cuts to hit poor, working class

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Financially strapped states are looking to take away government health insurance and benefits from millions of Americans already struggling with a souring economy. An Associated Press review of the budgets in all 50 states reveals coverage would be eliminated for hundreds of thousands of poor children, disabled and the elderly. More than 10 million people would lose dental care, access to specialists, name-brand prescription drugs or other benefits. About 20 million could see their care jeopardized by further cuts to doctors' reimbursements. Health care is a choice target as governors and legislators confront the worst deficits they've faced in a decade or more, but that's not their only target: They're also considering cuts in aid to schools and universities, shrinking state workforces and even releasing prisoners before their sentences are completed. Safety-net programs for the elderly, disabled and out-of-work also could be cut, even as the demand for those services is on the rise. Despite the dire conditions, only a handful of states are seriously considering general tax increases or even modest hikes on the wealthy to close the gaps. Lawmakers say they fear such actions would only further stress the economy. Instead, states are looking to increase lottery ticket sales, promote Indian gambling or further raise taxes on cigarettes and alcohol. Those taxes disproportionately hit the pocketbooks of the same poor and working-class that would be hurt by the spending cuts, studies show.

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Marty to discuss universal health care on SCC 15

Senate File 2324 is a single-payer, universal health care bill being considered in the Minnesota Legislature.  The bill's author, Senator John Marty, will appear live on Monday night, March 17, on Suburban Community Channel 15, "Our World Today," broadcast at 8:00 PM and hosted by Bill Oldfather.  Joining them will be Dr. Susan Hasti, M.D., of the MN Universal Health Care Coalition.

Hello world!

Welcome to our new blog!