Category: Election

Photos by Patty Jones

SPRING VALLEY, CA. Throngs came out to chant, yell, wave signs and discuss health care reform. Both the left-wing and the right-wing sent their legions to fill the auditorium in Spring Valley. Congresswoman Susan Davis had called the town hall meeting – the only event of its kind in Southern California.

These photos were taken by Patty Jones.

A small but vocal group of local Republicans is accusing county party leaders of conspiring to rig Central Committee elections and abusing office powers.

Armed protesters asserting their right to bear arms, including a man with a rifle slung over his shoulder, gathered yesterday near a Phoenix convention hall where President Barack Obama spoke, a police spokesman said.

The protesters were taking advantage of an Arizona law that allows people to carry unconcealed guns, Phoenix Police Department spokesman Andy Hill said. Police made no arrests.

Editor: This is the second in Sara Robinson’s series on the rise of fascism in America. (See inside for link to the first segment.)

By Sara Robinson / Campaign for America’s Future / August 13, 2009.

Writing about fascism for an American audience is always a fraught business.

Invariably, a third of the readers will dismiss the topic out of hand. …

FOX News has always been the propaganda arm of the Republican Party, willing to twist facts and even lie to promote the Republican agenda.

But the election of President Obama in 2008 pushed FOX News into outright hate-mongering and incitement of violence, which is intolerable in a democracy.

Here are some examples of intolerable hate speech and incitement to violence (go inside for links):

…

by Frank Gormlie

There is an insurgent reform movement within the union that represents most of the County of San Diego’s employees. The candidate for president on the reform slate is Monty Kroopkin, an old friend of ours.

SAN DIEGO, CA. Monty Kroopkin appears to be an unlikely candidate for president of SEIU Local 221. With his salt and pepper beard and pony-tail, and glasses tipping off his nose, he appears to be more suited for some intellectual post at a local university, or perhaps polishing and working on his Harley.

Yet he and his fellow reformers are running against the status quo in Local 221 …

Virtually the entire political leadership in Sacramento took without questioning the view that the overwhelming loss of the special election is somehow a mandate for “living within our means” and deep, drastic cuts to the budget. The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times (in multiple venues) and most other publications provided uncritical coverage of the Governor and even leading Democrats, parroting this theory that “the voters spoke” and the message was that only cuts would be allowable from this point forward.

by Ernie McCray

Now that the hullabaloo is over regarding what Obama has or hasn’t accomplished during his first 100 days, I’m just stoked that he’s still maintaining his cool. I can’t help but be impressed by coolness.

Growing up black in Tucson in the 40’s and 50’s, it sometimes seemed that being cool was …

Before the California Democratic Convention ended yesterday, delegates bucked the Party leadership on the May 19th ballot measures – by securing a “no endorsement” on Propositions 1A, 1D and 1E. State legislators and Party operatives pushed “yes” on all six measures, but enough of the grassroots who stayed for the tail end of the session refused to go along.

By Ali Soufan

FOR seven years I have remained silent about the false claims magnifying the effectiveness of the so-called enhanced interrogation techniques like waterboarding. I have spoken only in closed government hearings, as these matters were classified. But the release last week of four Justice Department memos on interrogations allows me to shed light on the story, and on some of the lessons to be learned.

Senate Republicans are now privately threatening to derail the confirmation of key Obama administration nominees for top legal positions by linking the votes to suppressing critical torture memos from the Bush era.

A reliable Justice Department source advises me that Senate Republicans are planning to “go nuclear” over the nominations …

by Donald Cohen

San Diego political community is buzzing with rumors that long-time County Supervisors Greg Cox and Ron Roberts will retire sometime soon. The heart of the story is that instead of serving out their remaining years, one or both might resign mid-term allowing the County Board to appoint a successor.

This would presumably be the preferred choice of the local Republican establishment, …