Independent Voters -- Room to Grow in Partisan Gridlocked National Political Scene

Why won't Jerry Brown take a stand on Prop 14? How many independent candidates are running for governor this year? Is the Tea Party independent or just a socially conservative movement to take over the Repubs? Who is Joelle Riddle and why do the Dems hate her? Are you going to Tyra Cohen's meeting this week? Who's behind the fall of the Harlem Dems?

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Judge tosses city's system of partisan elections (Rhonda Bodfield, Arizona Daily Star)
• Our View: Chaos, moderation and open primaries (Pasadena Star News) Our favorite reason so far to vote Yes on 14 is the assertion it would create a California Legislature and congressional delegation with far more moderates than we see elected today.
• Letter: Term limits only empower the unelected (Vero Beach Press Journal)
• Response to "Open Primary" (BY JEFF MARSTON, San Diego News Room Commentary)
• Reform movement fumbles but believers still chase governance changes (By Lisa Vorderbrueggen, Contra Costa Times)
• California Union Official Files Lawsuit to Alter Ballot Description of “Top-Two Open Primary” (Ballot Access News)
• Jerry Brown: 'I have a sympathy for the underdog' (Sac Bee/Capitol Alert) Brown refused to take stands on Proposition 14, which would allow a form of open primary...

GOV RACES

• Online Extra: Former NFL Player Set for Grassroots Gubernatorial Run - Morgan Bruce Reeves Gathered 10,000 Signatures Statewide (BY COREY HUTCHINS, Columbia Free Times)

TEA PARTY

• Understanding the Tea Party movement (Jim Crawford, Ironton Tribune) The movement is, unashamedly, the far right collection of the uneducated of the Republican Party. The Tea Party folks would have us see them as independent voters seeking core principles of democracy. They are not.

COLORADO

• County tackles the tough issues-Commissioners are no strangers to the more controversial projects (by Katie Burford, Durango Herald)
• Riddle's lawsuit need not cost county (by Bill Zimsky, Durango Herald)
• Unaffiliated Candidate Peter Ericson Trying To Buck Odds In HD-44 (Peter Douglas Ericson, STATE BILL COLORADO)

MASSACHUSETTS

• State recognizes Independent Party (By Steve Adams, Enterprise News)

NORTH CAROLINA

• Kinston Independents gather-Local residents meet with Tyra Cohen of N.C. Independents 4 Change (David Anderson, ENC Today)
• Kinston independents hosting meetings - Cohen, founder of N.C. Independents 4 Change, keynote speaker for Saturday and Sunday events (David Anderson, ENC Today)

NEW YORK

• The fall of the Harlem Clubhouse (The Economist)
• Rep. Eric Massa to resign his office Monday (Brian Tumulty, Democrat & Chronicle)
• Ford Theater: The crazy logic of an outsider/insider carpetbagger candidacy. (By Michael Crowley, NY Mag/Intelligencer)
• Bloomberg supporters Christine Quinn, Helen Marshall oppose plan to retool Charter (ADAM LISBERG, Ny Daily News)
• Bloomberg-Appointed Panel To Revise City Charter (Gothamist)
• Quinn Criticizes Charter Revision Commission Process (BY ELIZABETH BENJAMIN, Daily News/Daily Politics)
• Charter Review Commission Not a Slam-Dunk (By Azi Paybarah, NY Observer)