California Changes: Voters Welcome Independent Redistricting

CALIFORNIA REDISTRICTING

• Independent commission finishes drawing new districts (Sac Bee/Capitol Alert) The new maps, which will be released to the public on Friday, are expected to generate a flurry of lawsuits and at least one referendum drive, all of which would, if successful, shift redistricting to the courts for final resolution before the 2012 elections.
• Members Brace for California Map (By Kyle Trygstad, Roll Call) Just one seat has changed party hands since the 2001 redistricting, and at the start of the 112th Congress, the average tenure of California's 53 Members was eight terms. That's about to change, with the potential for a handful of Member-vs.-Member races and perhaps a few retirements.

Let's just rely on "experts" again..they know what's fair

A huge win for voter reform took place in a Washington State courtroom; U.S. District Court Judge John Coughenour rejected arguments by the major parties that the proposed system under the law confused voters who might misinterpret a candidate's party preference as an official endorsement by that party. Coughenour however rejected these claims stating that the ballot and its accompanying information concisely and clearly explain that a candidate's political-party preference does not imply any endorsement or association with that party and that the instructions actually eliminate the possibility of voter confusion and a threat to the First Amendment. The most important aspect of this upholding is that it creates a precedent that weakens opponents arguments on the fight over California's Prop-14. An attempt at redistricting reform took place in Massachusetts but was completely shot down 34-5. The new bill presented a redistricting commission headed by a panel of experts. This differs greatly from California's redistricting commission which has a quota for its partisan and non partisan members. This is by far more fair than the Massachusetts proposal, and leaves more opening for change.

OPEN PRIMARIES

• WASHINGTON STATE OPEN PRIMARY RULING HELPS WEAKEN POSSIBLE LEGAL CHALLENGES TO CALIFORNIA'S PROP 14 (by Greg Lucas, CAIVN) In his 24-page ruling upholding most of the Washington law, US District Court Judge John Coughenour (CQ) rejected arguments by the state's Republican, Democratic and Libertarian parties that the system confused voters who might misinterpret a candidate's party preference as an official endorsement by that party.

REDISTRICTING

• MA - Senate Democrats scuttle independent redistricting panel (By Kyle Cheney, Dedham Daily News Transcript) Tarr pointed to a recent poll showing that 62 percent of Massachusetts residents support an independent redistricting commission, and he also pointed out that Secretary of State William Galvin had voiced support for an independent advisory panel. Sen. Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth) argued that independent redistricting commissions appeared to be “gaining favor” around the country.
• MA - Beacon Hill Roll Call: How did you legislator vote? (By Bob Katzen, EXCERPT Wicked Local Stow) The commission would include a dean or professor of law, political science or government from a Massachusetts institution of higher learning appointed by the governor; a retired judge appointed by the attorney general; and an expert in civil rights law appointed by the secretary of state. The other four members would be chosen by the above three members from a list of candidates nominated by the House Speaker, House Minority Leader, Senate President and Senate Minority Leader.
• MA - Let’s talk . . . in 10 years (EDITORIAL By Boston Herald) The state’s track record on transparency and fairness in redistricting isn’t exactly stellar, but the Senate rejected 5-34 a bid to appoint an independent redistricting commission.
• NY - New York State Sen. David Valesky, D-49, to discuss redistricting Jan. 22 (Oneida Daily Dispatch) Valesky is the co-sponsor of the Valesky-Gianaris redistricting bill that would establish a non-partisan redistricting commission.
• CA - UPDATED: Scott Wilk: Redistricting: You now have a voice Right Here, Right Now! (By Scott Thomas Wilk (The Santa Clarita Valley Signal) Proposition 20 was approved by 61.3 percent of voters last November and added the task of re-drawing the boundaries of California's congressional districts to the California Citizens Redistricting Commission. According to the California Citizens Redistricting Commission's website, we join 12 other states that use independent commissions to craft redistricting plans. The new commission is comprised of 14 members: five Republicans; five Democrats; and four Independents.

OBAMA

• Obama's approval rating jumps - At the midpoint of Obama's term, an NBC News/Wall Street poll shows an 8-percentage-point increase since December, to 53%, and Gallup says more independent voters now approve of his performance. (By Michael A. Memoli, Washington Bureau, LA Times) Most heartening to the White House was the improvement of Obama's numbers among self-identified independent voters. According to Gallup, 46% now approve of his performance, up from 41% during the lame-duck session and an all-time low of 38% in July.
• Shields and Brooks on GOP's Repeal Effort, Obama's Overtures to Business, China (PBS News Hour) Mark Shields: I don't think the independent voters have returned to their positive rating of Obama, which they have for the first time Obama since August of 2009, based upon his overtures to Tom Donohue and the Chamber of Commerce and Jeffrey Immelt and the Fortune 50.

REPUBLICANS

• The GOP’s Demographic Ills (By Asher Smith, Emory Wheel - Emory University Ohio) Ohio serves as a microcosm for a more general problem afflicting the Republican party. At the 2009 Republican National Convention (RNC), held in St. Paul, Minnesota, an astonishing 93 percent of delegates were white. In the 2006 elections, 69 percent of Latinos, 57 percent of women, 90 percent of blacks, 60 percent of voters under 29 and 57 percent of independent voters voted Democratic. At the 2004 RNC, a slightly less staggering but still disproportionate 85 percent of delegates were white. Only 6 percent were black.

NEW YORK

• Operatives on the Move (By David Freedlander, NY Observer/Politicker) Helmstetter comes to the WFP from Blue State Digital, the online fundraising firm that worked on Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.

California: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly; Without the Good

The economic disarray continues in California, which faces a $28 billion deficit. They aren't the only ones in the "red", so to speak, as Bloomberg's approval rating reaches the lowest since his initial election in 2002 and President Obama faces similar disapproval as he finds himself in the precarious position of trying to prove his body of work over the last three years to set himself up for re-election next year. All this however takes place in the midst of tragedy; the deadly shooting in Arizona which killed six, one of which was U.S. District Judge John Roll, and injured 12, including Rep. Gabrielle Gifford (D-AZ-8)

OBAMA

• New, big challenges confront Obama the candidate (By LIZ SIDOTI, By The Associated Press, Bloomberg.com) Obama owns the slow-to-recover economy and is the face of a Washington he once campaigned against. Polls show his diverse voting coalition from 2008 cracked and his support among independents weakened. His path to Electoral College victory in 2012 is tougher. And he doesn't have George W. Bush's unpopularity paving the way for a Democratic victory.

IDAHO

• New York Times Publicizes Idaho Republican Party Lawsuit on Primaries (Ballot Access News)

LOUISIANA

• Federal approval of Louisiana open primaries expected within a month (By Cathy Hughes, The Times-Picayune) State lawmakers voted overwhelmingly during the 2010 regular session to switch from party primaries for the 2012 election cycle, and Gov. Bobby Jindal signed the measure over the opposition of both the Louisiana Democratic and Republican party committees.The move would return Louisiana's federal elections to the same system the stat used for decades until opting for party primaries in 2008. State, parish and municipal elections have continued under the open-primary system.

CALIFORNIA

• Personal Politics (By David Mas Masumoto, Fresno Bee) We face a maturity test: how to frame problems in the context of real life and daily impact. We will now need to do the dirty work of determining how to live with less, pay for what we want to keep and fix broken political structures. We started the process years ago by lowering the school bond passage threshold to 55%, then with redistricting reform and, in November 2010, with open primaries and legislative budget vote reform.

• Make That 8 Candidates for the State Senate Seat (By Paul Chavez, Manhattan Beach Patch) Two candidates for the vacant seat in the state Senate's 28th District have been disqualified from the Feb. 15 special election, cutting the field to eight candidates.

RHODE ISLAND

• A second act - Four years after losing his US Senate seat, Lincoln Chafee returns to lead R.I. as its governor (By Brian C. Mooney, Boston Globe) Chafee called for an end to political finger pointing and the beginning of “an era of political collaboration, of cultural and ethnic acceptance, of shared sacrifice, and, most importantly, of faith and trust in each other."

NEW YORK

• Bloomberg's Reputation Takes a Hit (By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL, Wall Street Journal) Some critics, though, have begun to compare Mr. Bloomberg with former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who left office this week with mixed reviews. Three years ago, Time Magazine lauded Messrs. Bloomberg and Schwarzenegger as "The New Action Heroes." But time appears to have hurt both men's images.

LAST WORD

• Violent Political Language Did Not Cause Representative Giffords' Shooting (By Solomon Kleinsmith, WNYC/It's a Free Blog) People like Sarah Palin and Markos Moulitsas Zúñiga (the founder of Daily Kos) are political firebrands that stoke the flames of the insane culture war that is causing so much damage to our great nation. But they are no more responsible for the violence of an insane listener who takes their hyperbole literally than the Pope is for some insane Catholic who thinks he hears Jesus tell him that his neighbor needs to be sent to hell.

Open Primaries, Redistricting, Independent Candidates: Towards a Citizen Legislature?

Arizona Repubs snub independent voters, jump on anti-open primaries bandwagon, debate continues over Prop 14 in California... Two Dems-turned-independent in Colorado push forward with equal registration timeline requirements for unaffiliated and independent candidates.... And 31,000 Californians sign up to be on the Citizens Redistricting Commission...

OPEN PRIMARIES

• GOP goal: Shut out one-third of voters (by E. J. Montini, The Arizona Republic)
• McCain Vs. Hayworth: A Scene From the GOP Civil War? (POSTED BY JIM NINTZEL, Tucson Weekly)
• ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE DEBATES POTENTIAL COSTS OF OPEN PRIMARY INITIATIVE (by Greg Lucas, CAIVN)

COLORADO

• Opening the electoral process-Independent candidates push goes to Denver (by Christine Rasmussen, Durango Telegraph) La Plata County Commissioner Joelle Riddle’s push for equal registration-timeline requirements for unaffiliated or independent candidates passed its first test Feb. 22. The Colorado House Judiciary Committee smiled on Colorado House Bill-1271 with an 11-0 vote.
• Busy morning in Legislature (by Joe Hanel, Durango Herald Denver Bureau) Also Wednesday: b The House passed Rep. Kathleen Curry's bill to allow unaffiliated candidates more time to declare their intent to run for office. Curry dropped out of the Democratic Party in December, too late to qualify for the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate. La Plata County Commissioner Joelle Riddle has the same problem for this year's election. Curry's HB 1271 passed the House 58-7. Both Roberts and Tipton voted for it. It now heads to the Senate, but even if it passes, it would not help Riddle and Curry, because it would take effect in 2012.

REDISTRICTING

• Californians Compete for a Shot at Redistricting (By JENNIFER STEINHAUER, NY Times)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

* Obama's team (LETTER from Cliff Hodge, Westlake Village, The Agoura Hills Acorn - CA) Frankly, I would like to see some ordinary folks involved as advisers to Obama.

  

OPEN PRIMARIES/POLITICAL REFORM

• * After Prop. 11, Gov ponders next move (By John Howard, Capitol Weekly) California has what is called a modified closed primary. In this system, the parties determine whether those registered as declined-to-state can vote in the party’s primary election. Generally, that means declined-to-state voters can cast ballots in most primaries except presidential and party leadership positions.
  
• * Calderon unveils his own 'open primary' plan (Sac Bee/Capitol Alert) Calderon's office said the assemblyman's legislation will be modeled after the Washington law.
  
• * Governor rejoices in redistrict measure's win (John Wildermuth, San Francisco Chronicle) When voters this summer saw partisan squabbling send the state's budget deliberations months over deadline before any agreement could be reached and Sacramento virtually paralyzed, they wanted changes, the governor said.
  
• * Tucson's election system is unfair, but Phoenix should back down (By Jim Sinex, ARIZONA DAILY STAR) "...Senator-elect Jonathan Paton from Legislative District 30 wants the state to force Tucson into a nonpartisan election system. This is another call for strong centralized control from Phoenix."
  
• * Governor Schwarzenegger Touts Redistricting Reform (Sacramento Scope/Imperial Valley News) Delivering on the Governor’s promise to take redistricting out of the hands of legislators, Proposition 11 creates an independent 14-person commission charged with drawing district boundaries for the Senate, Assembly and Board of Equalization. It will be comprised of five Democrats, five Republicans and four others that will all be selected through a nomination process overseen by the state auditor.
  
• * No Special Election For Obama's Seat (US News & World Report/Political Bulletin) Facing the potential prospect of a Republican winning President-elect Obama's Senate seat if a special election were held, media reports note that Illinois Democrats on Tuesday indicated they would not pursue that avenue to fill the vacancy.
  
• * Ipsos/McClatchy Poll: Illinois voters say Blagojevich must go (By Steven Thomma, McClatchy Newspapers) 44 percent said the state should have a special election
  

POLITISOPHICAL INVESTIGATIONS

• * The case of the vanishing GOP voter (By Eric Fehrnstrom, Boston Globe) The good news is that the worst for Republicans did not happen. There was no major political realignment. The most awful predictions of GOP losses in the Congress did not come to pass. A few states changed from red to blue, but only a few.
  
• * House GOP Faces A Long March, Not A Sprint - A 1994-Style Reversal Would Require An Enormous Shift In The Political Climate And Retooling Of The Republican Brand (National Journal, by Charlie Cook and David Wasserman)
  

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

OPEN PRIMARIES
TN: State party stole election from voters (The Tennessean)

INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
OR: Is Direct Democracy in Oregon Too Much of a Good Thing? (News Blaze)

REDISTRICTING
CA: Arnold's Redistricting Power Grab Dies at the Box Office -- Again (California Majority Report)

CAMPAIGN

• Independent voters may influence election (Daily Bruin - UCLA) Declining to affiliate oneself with a political party is a growing trend, according to several polls.
• WA: State's swing voters hold key in close elections (Seattle Post Intelligencer) The Republicans owe their 2004 and 2006 victories -- and Rossi, his near victory -- to just those voters who favored Democratic candidates at the top of the ticket and then switched to the GOP further down the ballot.
• Uncertain Times (By Andrew Kohut, NY Times/Campaign Stops) Sixty percent of independents hold a favorable opinion of her, but as many of them say Palin is not qualified to serve as president, if required
• McCain-Palin: A Third Party? (The Tampa Tribune - Hernando Today)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

REFORM

• New era unfolds in congressional races (Concordia Sentinel - LA) Along the way, or in the past few years, activists in the Democratic and Republican parties decided they preferred returning to closed primary elections
• It's time to rethink California's defective constitution (Mercury News) e've passed more than 500 adjustments since our constitution's adoption in 1879 (compared with 27 changes in the U.S. Constitution), but these piecemeal efforts have failed to make California more governable.
• Democrats Need Not Fear Prop 11 on Redistricting—In Fact, Many Are Supporting It (California Progress Report)
• Proposition 11: Fake Redistricting Reform Brought to you by Governor Schwarzenegger and his Wrong-Wing Republican Gang (California Progress Report)
• Reforming redistricting: Let independent citizens draw the lines (Capitol Weekly)

CAMPAIGN
Young Religious Voters Notable Player in Swing States (Christian Post Reporter)

LOCAL INDEPENDENT NEWS
OK: Independents gaining in areas, but voting opportunities limited (TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• CO: Counties swinging votes (The Denver Post) Forty-two percent of Garfield County voters are unaffiliated, and that category has been steadily growing.
• CO: Five counties key to nine electoral votes-With Colorado in play come Nov. 4, independent-minded communities are likely to "swing" the state. (Denver Post)
• CT: A welcome jump in voter interest (Stamford Advocate) Overall, unaffiliated voters remain the largest percentage of the state's 1.92-million-member electorate, with 801,002.

REFORM

• Why does Michigan choose candidates for county and township offices through party primaries? (Holland Sentinel) Party affiliation has almost nothing to do with local government, so why do we have a system that makes non-Republicans who want to engage in community service sit on the sidelines or masquerade as members of the GOP?
• Nothing to fear but democracy itself (San Francisco Chronicle) History also has shown that minorities gain when redistricting is taken out of the hands of the Legislature
• Anti-Prop. 11 forces make note of wealthy donors to pro-11 side (Politicker CA) among the top contributors to the measure are New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso and oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens.
• New group formed -- Americans for Redistricting Reform (Votelaw.com)

LOCAL INDEPENDENT NEWS
Minneapolis / Ventura to speak at rally for Republican Ron Paul (Pioneer Press)

MEDIA* Newspaper Ad Revenue Down 7.9% (NY Times from March 31, 2008)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

CAMPAIGN

• Can McCain Remain Competitive? (American Thinker) How McCain-Feingold is holding McCain back
• Democrats’ Vote Drive in Louisiana Stirs Concern (New York Times) Registrars have reported that as many as a third of the applications cannot be entered into the system, and many of the rest require more information. The state Republican Party called the operation “the Dems’ phony registration drive.”
• Obama Surges Ahead (Democratic Underground)

UTAH

• Riven by factions, Idaho GOP picks Semanko as new leader (Seattle Times) As Semanko takes the reins, he'll have to figure out a way to manage libertarian-leaning Ron Paul supporters; social conservatives such as anti-abortion activist Bryan Fischer; and Rod Beck, the chief advocate for shuttering Idaho's GOP primary to Democrats and independents he blames for picking Republican candidates only lukewarm to party ideals.
• Semanko ousts Sullivan at divided GOP convention (Fort Mill Times)
• Idaho GOP reverses course, votes to keep primary open (Local News 8 - Idaho Falls, Pocatello)

REFORM

• The Republican “Voters First” Initiative (Calitics) “The Citizens Redistricting Commission shall consist of 14 members, as follows: five who are registered with the largest political party in California based on registration, five who are registered with the second largest political party in California based on registration, and four who are not registered with either of the two largest political parties in California based on registration.”
• It's time to eliminate the Electoral College (Chicago Post Tribune)
• Cheers, jeers at the state Democratic convention in Spokane (The News Tribune Spokane)
• Bob Barr makes his case at Texas Libertarian convention (Dallas Morning News)
• Time to Fix the Electoral Process, Panelists Say (Legal Times Blog)
• Should the side with the most votes always win? (St. Petersburg Times)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• The fastest-growing political party around is no party at all. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
• North Carolina Repubs want independent voters (LETTER to BlueRidgeNow)
• Say It Ain't So, Joe (Time/Swampland) Lieberman goes Repub
• The Bee’s Weintraub Fronts Latest G.O.P. Redistricting Plan (By Bill Cavala-California Progress Report)
• Let the parties party (LA Times)
• The Body Politic-From finger pointing to fist pumps, how nonverbal cues brand the candidates (AdWeek)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Whatever the outcome, Ron Paul's New Hampshire campaign will shake up the Repubs (Washington Post)
• New Hampshire: Sen. Peter Burling includes independents in bill to broaden eligible candidates to get voter lists--look for subtitle "A barrier too high" in the article... (Concord Monitor)
• Florida: Judge says delegates have to do what the DNC tells them to (SW Florida Herald Tribune) and cites First Amendment for parties (USA TODAY)
• Nader 2004 Hawaii Federal Ballot Access Case Finally Gets Hearing (Ballot Access News)
• David Corn on CQ Politics talks to some Clinton campaign insiders who say some camaigners HATE Obama... The attitude goes something like this: "Who is he to try to deny her the nomination?" See Hillary on Obama: Fear and Hatred on the Campaign Trail
• California Redistricting reform redux (Santa Cruz Sentinel)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Gerald F. Seib of the Wall Street Journal seems to think the Dems own independent voters for the moment

The Virginia Repub loyalty oath gets caught in the throats of voters (Washington Post)

Where's Obama's black vote? The Clinton's know how to accumulate I.O.U.'s and they know how to strong-arm (Huffington Post)

California nonpartisan redistricting: It's baaaaackkkkk!!! (San Francisco Chronicle)

And that's only the beginning of the reforms needed..... (Central Valley Business Times)

The Columbia Missourian says many people are disassociating themselves from the two political parties and indicating a desire for a strong independent candidate....

In New Jersey, modified I&R could work (New Jersey Voices)

pq

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Michigan voters prefer open primaries with no party declaration, but the parties want names and addresses (Battle Creek Enquirer)


• Without term limits in California, there'd be no competition at all -- but not without nonpartisan redistricting.... (Daniel Weintraub in Sacramento Bee)


• Who's standing for Perot Voters? Not Lou Dobbs.... (Ben Smith, Politico, in CBS News)


• New Hampshire Adwatch: McCain--too little too late--Courts Independents (AP Google)


• Virginia voters will have to sign loyalty oath to vote in Repub presidential primary (WVEC Hampton Roads)


• Oklahoma pols seem worried: For I&R issue, collect 160,000 signatures in 90 days, and make sure your petitioners reside in the state -- and there's no residency requirement for orgs that oppose the issue (National Review)


• Bloomberg appeals, but won't run the race (Huffington Post)


• Barack Obama: Live at the Apollo!! (Amsterdam News), Obama speaks with the Amsterdam News and November 29th Community Board meeting conflicts with Obama Apollo appearance (UPTOWNflavor)

pq

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Peoples campaign forces Hillary into Harlem:

• CLINTON BOPS OBAMA IN UPTOWN UPSURGE (NY Post)
• Hillary Clinton finds time for her base in Harlem (Newsday)
• Hillary’s Harlem Hegemony? Harlem Residents Feel Steamrolled, Silenced (Think on These Things)

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Political project looks outside party lines-UNITY 08 (Lawrence Journal World and News)
• Independents unhappy with Republicans-Undeclared voters likely to lean Democratic (Concord Monitor)
• All but Gravel Shun Fla. Convention (The Caucus/NY Times blog)
• Lack of hopefuls doesn't stop party-Hundreds of activists skipped the Florida Democratic Party's annual convention in wake of a boycott by seven of eight presidential hopefuls over the state's early primary. Quotes Gravel (Miami Herald)
• Huge undecided bloc puts state up for grabs (Orlando Sentinel)

LOCAL INDEPENDENT POLITICS

• California: Steve Wiegand: Is latest remap try also DOA? (Sac Bee)
• Indiana: Candidates tackle 2-party system, Keystone project (Indianapolis Star)
• Idaho: Court Sets Hearing for Idaho Lawsuit Against Open Primary (Ballot Access News)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• New Redistricting Initiative Designed to Fail – Courts Would Redraw Districts for 2012 (California Progress Report)
• Mayoral debate hits debt, Keystone, arts center-independent candidate Marnin Spiegelman (Indianapolis Star)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Independents need a real choice (LETTER to Arizona Republic)
• Navigating New Hampshire-McCain comback? (American Spectator)
• MoveOn.org: Momentum or Menace? (Chris Cillizza's The Fix-Washington Post)
• Boston Globe's Scott Helman re: Bloomberg and independent voters (Boston Globe)
• In California, Nuñez redistricting a sham (BY EARL OFARI HUTCHINSON - LA Daily News)
• Independent gov candidate John Georges endorses Blueprint La. plan including responsibility for caring for uninsured (The Advocate)
• On a collision course-Repubs, Dems and John Georges (Baton Rouge Business Report)
• Ideas over partisanship-South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford creates Reform SC (GoUpstate-Spartanburg)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Kucinich: "One of the greatest hoaxes of this campaign -- everyone's for universal healthcare" (Boston Globe)


• Brookings Institution's "Poverty and Income in 2006" released today, Bloomberg's praise for institute "above partisan politics" (The Nation )


• Fidel Castro: Obama, Clinton are playing cards on Sunday afternoon (The Caucus )


• California redistricting--trying the independent commission way again (Mercury News)


• Congress: what happens after they get elected? Nothing... (Rutland Herald )


• Meet the Citizen Leaders Who Are Changing America-independent "warthogs" (by Newt Gingrich, Human Events)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• A non-partisan PAC in Tennessee (Knoxville News Sentinel)


• Partisan politics in a "decline to state" state (Stockton Record)


• Is Bill Clinton blacker than Barack Obama? (Santa Clarita Signal)


• Louisian Repubs close primaries(Louisiana Advocate)


• Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform (KTEN) and (The Oklahoman)


• Idaho Repubs sue for the "right to associate", exclude independents (Twin Falls Times-News)


• Honest independent redistricting for California (LA Times)


• Tenn. state Sen. Mike Williams independent, Senate now split (Tri-Cities Times News)