Jackie Salit on Fox and Friends Wednesday July 27 at 8:15am ET

Wednesday, July 27th at 8:15 am/ET, catch independentvoting.org's Jackie Salit on "Fox and Friends."

Jackie Salit, a twenty-year veteran of the independent movement, is president of IndependentVoting.org and launched The Neo-Independent magazine in the Spring of 2004. A prominent leader in the fight for open primaries, she conducts regular national conference calls with over 150 grassroots independent leaders from around the country. An independent political strategist and journalist, she managed Michael Bloomberg's independent campaigns for Mayor of New York City in 2001, 2005 and 2010, and has appeared as a commentator on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. She produced the documentary "How the Independent Movement Went Left By Going Right" as well as the video "Can Independents Reform America?" Salit lives in New York City. 

Independents Decide to Appeal Court Ruling to Close Idaho Primaries

IDAHO OPEN PRIMARY RULING
Independent Voters Appeal U.S. District Court Decision Ruling Idaho’s Open Primary System Unconstitutional (POSTED BY NANCY HANKS, The Moderate Voice)

Independents have taken an appeal from the decision of U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruling Idaho’s open primary system unconstitutional.

In August of 2008, a group of 11 independent Idaho voters and two organizations representing independents—the American Independent Movement of Idaho founded by Mitch Campbell of Twin Falls and the New York-based CUIP (d/b/a IndependentVoting.org)—a national association of independents—were granted the right to participate in the case as intervenors-defendants. As such, the independents have standing to appeal.

read more here

Harry Kresky: Abraham Lincoln’s “government of the people, by the people, for the people” still needed defending

UPDATED 11.16.10 -- This just in: Defendants for independent voters filed a post trial brief. Read here:

Post Trial Brief Kresky Allen Idaho Case 1-08-Cv-00165-BLW

The Idaho Partisan Problem

by Harry Kresky

As I flew back to New York from Boise last month, I thought about our history as independents and felt a deep appreciation of this moment. 147 years after the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln’s “government of the people, by the people, for the people” still needed defending.

Gettysburg, November 19, 1863 

In July 2008 I joined with Idaho attorney Gary Allen to represent 11 Idaho independent voters,  the Committee for a Unified Independent Party, Inc. (a/k/a independentvoting.org), and the American Independent Movement of Idaho seeking to intervene as defendants in a lawsuit brought by the Idaho Republican Party (“IRP”) to dismantle the State’s open primary system. Intervention was granted, and in October, 2010 the case went to trial. We are now awaiting a decision by U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.

If the IRP wins the lawsuit, the 28 percent of the Idaho electorate who are independents, will be barred from participation in Idaho’s primary elections unless they registered into a political party which they do not wish to do. As the lawsuit progressed, it became apparent that more than the narrow issue of their participation in the first round of voting is at stake. At a time when Americans are deeply concerned with how partisanship is making it increasingly difficult to achieve consensus (or even constructive compromise) on the issues facing our country, plaintiffs  assert that the U.S. Constitution (which makes no mention of political parties) not only protects the right of citizens to organize  parties, but guarantees party organizations a dominant role in determining  the electoral framework.

The issue before the Court is the people v. the parties. As independents, we believe that  in a democracy the people determine the form of government and how those who govern are chosen. Apparently, not everyone agrees with this proposition. The expert witness retained by the IRP in support of its effort to close the primaries, a Professor at Duke University, had the following back and forth with me at his deposition:

Q.   Right.  Okay.  But isn't this whole thing about the voter?  Isn't that what democracy is?

A.   No, sir.

Q.   What is democracy?

A.   Democracy is about having a strong,  responsible, party system that offers a clearly articulated set of alternatives that educates voters and gives them the information they need to make informed choices.  Voters on their own can't make choices.

I can only hope that Gary and I made the people’s case.

Harry Kresky is an attorney based in NYC who represents CUIP (independentvoting.org). He blogs at Legal Briefs.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Independents to intervene in Idaho primary lawsuit (The Olympian) [This AP article by John Miller also appeared in the Magic Valley Times News]
• Should we Bring Back the Fairness Doctrine? (Political Lore.com) Independents say leave the internet alone!

REFORM

• EDITORIAL: Voters Won in State's First ‘Top Two' Primary (Kitsap Sun) On Tuesday, voters in Kitsap and other counties participated in the state's first "top two" primary election. It marked a return to a much-beloved (by voters) and much-despised (by parties) primary election in which voters could pick candidates freely in each race, regardless of their political party.
• Voting for the person, not the party (The Oregonian) Party leaders abhor this idea, but Washington state voters clearly love it. They voted overwhelmingly to adopt the system, and in Tuesday's otherwise ho-hum primary they turned out by the biggest percentage since 1972 when the electorate was enflamed over the Vietnam War.
• Open Primaries in Oregon? An Initiative for Open Primaries Will Be on the November Ballot (Associated Content) Sources: Brad Cain, "Oregon voters to tackle open primary issue", KATU; Oregon Open Primary Supporters, Oneballot.com; "Editorial: It's time to approve an open primary", The Gazette Times; Dave Mazza, "Independent's Way", The Willamette Week

CAMPAIGN
Obama Suffers Big Mac Attack (Black Voices/Blogs) Independent Voters prefer Obama 47 percent to 36 percent.

THIRD PARTY NEWS
Ron Paul 2008: Quest for the Vice Presidency (Reason Magazine) VA Ind. Green Party chair: I've been talking with all three of the major minors, and what I've suggested is that they call new conventions to nominate this ticket. Mike Bloomberg-Ron Paul in 2008??

Idaho Ruling Marks First for Independent Voters

Independent Voters Win Right to Intervene and Defend Idaho’s Open Primary System in Federal Court Litigation

Independent voters and two groups representing independents were today granted intervener status in litigation concerning open primaries.

U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled from the bench, granting independents the right to be a full party in the litigation. The decision marks the first time independent voters have been accorded this status in an open primary case.

“The Republican Party is attempting to restructure the electoral system of Idaho out of narrow partisan interests,” stated lead counsel for the independents Harry Kresky. “As a result of today’s decision, independents will be involved in all phases of this litigation—the outcome of which will directly impact on every independent in the state.”

The Idaho Republican Party brought the suit in an effort to end the system of open primaries and force the state to institute partisan voter registration. They opposed the intervention by independents. Eleven independent voters from Twin Falls, Salmon, Filer and Jerome, along with two groups which represent independent voters --The American Independent Movement of Idaho (AIM) and the Committee for a Unified Independent Party, Inc. (CUIP) -- filed the Motion to Intervene into Idaho Republican Party v. Ysursa on July 1, 2008.

Mitch Campbell, founder of the American Independent Movement of Idaho, was the initiator of the Motion to Intervene. Campbell and other independent voters in Idaho and across the country have championed the cause of open primaries, particularly as the number of voters who consider themselves independents has grown. Today nearly 40% of American’s describe themselves as political independents.

Jacqueline Salit, president of CUIP which has active networks of independent voters in more than 35 states, stated in her declaration to the court, “Independents have a direct and immediate interest in the outcome of this litigation. CUIP believes that this litigation is of national significance and if plaintiffs prevail it will encourage partisans in other states with some form of open primary to seek to close them.”

“We’re looking for free choice here. We believe that every person should have the right to vote for the candidate of their choice in every election,” said Campbell. “Closing the primaries is a move by a hard-line faction within the party to control the candidate selection process at the expense of democracy.”

Today’s decision comes one day after neighboring Washington State conducted its “top two” primary. Oregon state voters have placed an initiative on the ballot to create a system similar to Washington’s.

Legal papers available upon request.
For more information:
CUIP (http://www.independentvoting.org/) is a national strategy center and organizing hub for independent voters with headquarters in New York City.

CUIP, 225 Broadway, Ste. 2010, New York, NY 10007
Sarah Lyons: 917-658-9885

AIM, PO Box 1785, Twin Falls, ID 83303
Mitch Campbell: 208-731-2345

Independents to intervene in Idaho primary lawsuit

By JOHN MILLER Associated Press Writer • Published August 20, 2008

The Olympian

A group of independent voters won a federal judge's permission Wednesday to join a court fight over Idaho's open primary elections.

U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled that lawyers for the American Independent Movement of Idaho and the New York-based Committee for a Unified Independent Party could intervene on behalf of Secretary of State Ben Ysursa, who is defending Idaho's 36-year-old system..... (read more in The Olympian)

Idaho independents file intervention in closed primary lawsuit

Idaho Statesman
07/02/08

Eleven voters from Idaho who aren’t affiliated with a political party said they filed paperwork in federal court hoping to help the state of Idaho fend off efforts by the Republican Party to close the state’s GOP primary elections.

The residents, as well as two groups, the American Independent Movement of Idaho and the Committee for a Unified Independent Party, argue they’ll be deprived of their right to vote if the Republican Party wins its lawsuit against Idaho in U.S. District Court.

A judge still must decide whether to allow them to intervene.

Mitch Campbell, founder of the American Independent Movement of Idaho, says he’s “looking for free choice” and believes every person should have the right to vote for the candidate of his or her choice in every election.

Idaho voters should not be forced to join a party to vote!

"Idaho doesn't have Democrats and Republicans, Idaho has voters," attorney Harry Kresky told The Associated Press. "Just like people have the freedom of association - to become members of a group and have closed events - there is also the freedom of non-association. I don't think every voter in Idaho should be forced take part in partisan registration."


"The Republicans really did the Independents a favor - we didn't have a hot button issue until this came along to fire the Independents up," American Independent Movement organizer Campbell said. "It's really helped us as an organizing tool."

More independent endorsements for Obama

The Idaho-based American Independent Movement and United Independents of Illinois have both endorsed Barack Obama in the upcoming primaries on Feb. 5. More on this tomorrow....