TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/18/10

INDEPENDENT VOTERS, The Press & OBAMA

• The Undoing of a Legislative President (By MATT BAI, NY Times) “Once you became a legislative president, which is arguably what you needed to do, you couldn’t deliver on the nonpartisanship promise,” Mr. Podesta said. “And it’s something people wanted.”
• Roger Simon: Barack Obama, one-term President (Union Leader)

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Proposition 14 Supporters Seek to Intervene in California Lawsuit (Ballot Access News) Field v Bowen, has a hearing on the substantive issues on September 14.  However, a preliminary skirmish in that lawsuit will occur on August 24, when a Superior Court in San Francisco will hold a hearing on whether three supporters of Proposition 14 may intervene in the lawsuit.
• PROPOSITION 14 (Sac Bee/Capitol Alert) Plaintiff Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access news, and Stop Top Two founder Christina Tobin will be on hand for the 10:30 a.m. news conference at the Capitol's south steps (Tuesday)
• Let independents vote (BY JOSEPH FOX, ORMOND BEACH, LETTER Daytona Beach News Journal) These are the voters who are in the best position to put country ahead of party.
• Arizona boasts over 3 million voters in time for primary elections (By: Imani Randolph, ABC 15) The Independent Party saw the largest gain in registered voters. It grew by 25,674 members, all of whom are able to vote in the primary election.... Independent and unaffiliated voters are permitted to participate in Arizona's Primary Election, provided that they choose a ballot of the party of their choice: Republican, Democratic or Green. Selecting a party's ballot does not automatically re-register an Independent with that political party.
• Independents' ranks grow as Arizona voter signup spikes (Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services, East Valley Tribune) The disdain for organized parties seems to have taken roughly equal bites out of both the Democrats and the Republicans. At the 2000 primary, Democrats comprised 39 percent of those registered. That figure is now down to 32.3 percent. And Republicans saw their share of registered voters drop from 44.3 percent a decade ago to just 36.1 percent now. The change has occurred during the time when Arizona law was changed to give independent voters a voice in primaries.
• Colorado voters should consider a Top Two Open Primary (By Bill Grant, Grand Junction Sentinel)
• What’s wrong with party primaries (The Tonawanda News)
• Welcome to the 'Jungle' Primary in Washington (The Atlantic) Washington is the only state to conduct its federal primaries this way, except for California, which passed a ballot measure in June enacting the "top-two" or "open" primary system in future election cycles. Louisiana holds "top-two" primaries for its state and local candidates, but did away with the practice for federal elections after 2006.

NEW YORK

• Como Submits Signatures for "Tax Cuts Now" Line (By Chris Bragg, City Hall News) Como sought to create the new line after his failure to win the Independence Party line, which instead went to Addabbo after a dispute over Como’s use of signature gatherers from the rival Independence Party of New York City.
• Members Project® from American Express: Philanthropy Charges Ahead (by Caroline Stanley, FlavorWire.com) This week we’re focusing on All Stars Project, Inc., a non-profit that creates outside of school, educational, and performing arts activities for thousands of poor and minority young people.

BLOOMBERG ENDORSEMENTS

• Bloomberg Stretches Afar (By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL, Wall Street Journal) Mr. Bloomberg, who contemplated an Oval Office bid in 2008, will spend a whirlwind day, traveling to Philadelphia and Washington to offer endorsements and help raise money for candidates outside of New York. In addition to Messrs. Sestak and Castle, the mayor will be endorsing and headlining a fund-raiser for Democratic Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty.
• A Tale of Two Mayors: How Bloomberg, Fenty Gain From Alliance (By Devlin Barrett, Wall Street Journal/Metropolis) Bloomberg does not easily line up with either political party, but strong ties to governors and other mayors like Fenty give him added political heft. For the younger Fenty, getting Bloomberg’s seal of approval has meant increased credibility for his fights to change D.C.’s city agencies and schools.
• N.Y.’s Bloomberg Coming to Stump for Fenty Tomorrow (Alan Suderman, Washington city Paper/LooseLips) The endorsement could help shore up one part of Fenty’s base—the good government-loving type of voters who admire the way Bloomberg has made his city’s administration work better.
• Bloomberg's not Democrat and doesn't live in D.C., but Fenty to get his endorsement (By Sarah Larimer, TBD)
• Will Mayor Bloomberg switch from Kirk to Giannoulias in the Illinois Senate race — fallout from the mosque? (By Carol Felsenthal, The Hill/Pundits Blog)
• Bloomberg Is Supporting Sestak in Pennyslvania (By BERNIE BECKER, NY Times/The Caucus)

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• Term-Limits Plan in New York City Is Criticized (By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ, NY Times) “It waters down the good work we did on term limits,” said Anthony Perez Cassino, a lawyer on the commission. “People will feel, ‘It comes into effect so far into the future that I really didn’t get back what I thought I was getting back, which is the opportunity to have my say in how government should work.’ ”
• A Little Light Reading: Proposed Amendments To The City Charter (BY CELESTE KATZ, Daily News/Daily Politics) "The Grapes of Wrath" it's not...
• ‘Inexpicable Blunder’ Marks Report on Term Limits in City (By HENRY STERN, Special to the NY Sun) If the people are to regain the right to limit Councilmembers' terms, their decision should be put into effect at the next Council election, which may be in 2011 or 2013, depending on when census data is reported.

LAST WORD

• The Secret Campaign of Mayor Mike (By Aram Roston, NY Observer/Politicker) Mr. Ognibene, who has since made peace with Mr. Haggerty, says he thinks the DA's case is based on a flawed premise. "I believe the mayor was trying to get money to John for the services he rendered," Mr. Ognibene told The Observer. "And that the mayor was aware that John had needs concerning buying his father's estate, and this was the mayor's way of funneling money to him."