TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Devil is in the details for independent voters (Minnesota Public Radio) Jackie Salit on Broadcast: Midmorning, 08/13/2008, 9:06 a.m. [NOTE: I wasn't able to figure out how to tune in online, however, hopefully others did or Minnesota independents were able to listen to the radio waves.... If you happened to catch this -- please let me know your responses!! email The Hankster and I'll publish your remarks.)
• Suburban cowboys lasso Colorado into purple camp (Seattle Post Intelligencer RERUN FROM THE ECONOMIST)

REFORM

• WA: In our view: Our state's top two primary is making a lot of sense to other states (The Columbian) Yes, voters are excited about our state’s new top two primary because it follows the astoundingly logical concept of advancing the top two vote-getters to the Nov. 4 election, regardless of party. You can’t get much more democratic than that.
• NY: Petitions have power-Government downsizing initiative finds a way to take to the streets (Buffalo News)

CAMPAIGN

• Female voters heed character issue (Adrienne T. Washington, Washington Times) Michelle Bernard says "They are overwhelmingly concerned about pocketbook issues," of the 2008 presidential election, which she predicts will be decided by centrists and independent voters.
• Republicans for Obama (Minnesota Star Tribune)

LOCAL INDEPENDENT NEWS: Local Congressional candidate in Tennessee considers contesting nonpartisan election to close party primary. Ahh, the desperation of partisan politics!

• Little-Used Law At Root Of Davis’ Recount Effort (BRISTOL HERALD COURIER - TN) According to published reports, the freshman congressman cited Tennessee election law, which states voters who aren’t party members are ineligible to vote in that party’s primary. He contends Democrats voted in the Republican primary and claims such votes improperly influenced the results. Tennessee, however, has an open primary, meaning party affiliation is not a prerequisite to vote.
• Ramsey says Davis should not challenge results of election (Kingsport Times News - TN) “You declare the way you are voting when you walk into a voting booth,” the Blountville Republican said. “It would be very hard to prove that there was concerted effort to get Democrats to vote in a Republican primary or vice versa. Even if you could prove that, I don’t see it’s illegal.”
• Davis ponders challenge to primary vote (The Hill) Davis told a local paper that he might challenge some of the primary votes based on the voting history of the people who cast them.
• Commentary - Colorado in '08 is preview of unions' plans in '09 (by Mark Tapscott, The Examiner)
• Williams back on trail (Austin Daily Herald) Dean Barkley, an Independence Party candidate for the U.S. Senate, praised Williams’ responses, which Minnesota Public Radio featured on their newscasts the following day.

THIRD PARTY NEWS
Thomas Knapp endorses Gravel’s National Initiative (Knapp for Congress) The latest endorser of Gravel’s “National Initiative for Democracy,” which would enable a process for direct lawmaking by popular vote, is Thomas L. Knapp, the Libertarian Party’s candidate for US House of Representatives from Missouri’s 2nd District.