Welcome to 2010 -- Year of the Independent! Dem and Repub parties are bleeding members, ranks of independents continue to rise

The nation's foremost ballot access expert Richard Winger continues to wage a formidable effort against the popular open "Top Two" primary referendum that will be on the June ballot in California. While I'm on the other side of the issue, I appreciate Winger's point about the open primary not being a guarantee of electing so-called "moderate" candidates. IMHO open primaries might be "bad" for parties, but they are good for independent voters and for our democracy, and I'm not particularly interested in controlling the ideological outcome of elections. I have infinitely more faith in the American people than I do in the corruption of our political parties to guide our country forward. Do we the people need to develop politically? Yes. And because we are a democracy, WE have a much better chance of leading the country forward than do factional partisan special interests.  >>>>> 

And while California will be voting on a citizen referendum, the Republicans in Rhode Island are following their partisan brothers who have sued the state of Idaho to close the primary there and require partisan registration. Independent voters are co-defendants in this important case that will go to trial in February or March.  >>>>>

Watch those two women in Colorado Joelle Riddle and Kathleen Curry -- they're cooking up quite a puzzle for the good ol' boys' clubs in a delightfully independent state!  >>>>>

The Hankster was in attendance for the New Year's Day inauguration of Mayor Mike Bloomberg, New York City's first independent mayor. >>>>>


INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Partisan Trends: Fewer Identify as Democrats (CQ Politics/Polltracker) The change since Obama’s election is that the number of Democrats has fallen by six percentage points and the number of voters not affiliated with either major party has grown by six.
• Partisan Trends--Number of Democrats Falls to New Low, Down Six Points Since Election 2008 (Rasmussen Reports)

OPEN PRIMARIES and other POLITICAL REFORM

• Richard Winger:`Top-two' open primary is no guarantee of moderation (Daily News Los Angeles) When someone tells you that we need a top-two open primary to get more moderate politicians in office, ask them for evidence. Don't forget, registered independents in California can already vote in any Democratic or Republican primary for state office and Congress.
• Voter Outreach: Statehouse Insider: Lawmakers 'hit ground running' in '10 session (ERICA FELCI, THE DESERT SUN)
• California Candidate Asks State Supreme Court to Overturn Prior Affiliation Requirement for Candidates in Primaries (Ballot Access News)
• To-Do List Grows for Leadership Group (NY Times, By DANIEL WEINTRAUB) “The open primary,” Mr. Guardino said, would help “free well-meaning legislators from the grips of the party caucuses.”
• Open primaries GOP's best bet (Asbury Park Press)
• As Mayor Sits by, Race for County Head Is Wide Open (NY Times, By DAN MIHALOPOULOS) John Daley: “I’m to the point where I believe we should do open primaries for any race,” he said. “The voters will decide.”
• R.I. House leaders have limits when it comes to pension change (By Randal Edgar, Katherine Gregg and Steve Peoples, Providence Journal State House Bureau) The drive by a faction of the state Republican Party to limit who can vote in future GOP primaries may not be legal
• R.I. GOP to discuss closed primary this week (By ERIC TUCKER Associated Press Writer, The Day) The proposal is intended to bar unaffiliated voters - who outnumber Republicans and Democrats and who can opt into either party on primary day to cast a ballot - from unduly influencing the outcome of the GOP primary.
• McEntee: Let legislators steam: Utahns need to vent (By Peg McEntee, Salt Lake Tribune) To Glenn Wright, Fair Boundaries' field director, it's time to let the voters choose whether to revamp the redistricting process, starting with the commission, which would make its recommendations to the Legislature
• We should consider a nonpartisan Legislative (by Linda Valdez, The Arizona Republic) In our state, people are increasingly moving away from parties. October figures from the Secretary of State's Office show that both the Republican and Democratic parties lost voters since July. Independents increased by 17,992, which means those who reject party affiliation now account for 915,981 of the state's 3.1 million registered voters. Republicans are at 1.13 million; Democrats have 1.04 million.

COLORADO

• Law considered for unaffiliated candidates--State Rep. Curry wants to change waiting period required to be on the ballot (by The Associated Press, Durango Herald)
• Curry drops Dems, becomes Independent (By Leslie Jorgensen, THE COLORADO STATESMAN)
• In the Colorado House, leaders must be followers (By Alan Prendergast in Politics, Denver Westword)
• A decade of political change (By Floyd Ciruli, Denver Post) Much of Colorado's bellwether status is a reflection of its well-educated voters, its moderate politics, and its large bloc of unaffiliated and weak partisan voters.

NY POLITICS

• Barron eyes speaker’s job (By Tequila Minsky, Caribbean Life)
• WHO'S WHO--Strictly Political for Jan. 3, 2010 (By Tom Wrobleski, Staten Island Advance) Swearing-in ceremony: One error we heard that stood out: Frank Morano was identified as the chairman of the Independence Party. That title actually belongs to Sarah Lyons.
• Transcript of Mayor Bloomberg's inaugural address (NYC.gov Press Release)
• Bloomberg Sworn In To Third Mayoral Term (By: NY1 News) with video of full ceremony
• Make it work, Mike: Mayor Bloomberg has set the right agenda for his third term (Daily News)
• New York City Mayor Bloomberg Sworn In for 3rd Term (Associated Press, Wall Street Journal)
• NY Mayor Bloomberg begins 3rd term (AFP) 
• NY Mayor Bloomberg to promote immigration reform (Daniel Trotta, Reuters)
• Bloomberg Starts Next NYC Mayor Term as Volunteer (By Henry Goldman, Business Week)
• An unmistakable political shift-Someone has to make the case that retail jobs are good jobs (Crain's New York)
• Bloomberg: Take III (by Courtney Gross, Gotham Gazette) By far, many say the mayor's mounting challenge in a third term will be dealing with new political forces, including the ambitious new public advocate and comptroller and a more forceful City Council.
• WFP's 'hire' power-Staff now council aides (By SALLY GOLDENBERG and DAVID SEIFMAN, NY Post) Councilmen Jimmy Van Bramer, Jumaane Williams and Brad Lander were all endorsed by the WFP, and each paid for the campaign services of the left-leaning party's corporate arm, Data and Field Services. The three pols then hired campaign workers provided by Data and Field Services as council aides.