Morris Fiorina: Yes, Virginia, there really ARE independent voters!

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
5 False Assumptions Political Pundits Make All the Time (By Molly Ball, The Atlantic) It's true that self-described independents are more likely to have a partisan leaning than to be "pure independents" -- centrists who find themselves equally sympathetic with both sides' views. But the "independents" are still more independent than the partisans on either side.


VOTING RIGHTS ACT

• Analysis - In U.S. voting-rights case, liberal justices pitch to Kennedy (By Joan Biskupic, The Star - UK) Barely a minute into a U.S. Supreme Court hearing, liberal justices began a strategic barrage of questions that came down to this: Why should a time-honoured plank of the 1965 Voting Rights Act be invalidated in a case from Alabama with its history of racial discrimination?
• Sotomayor, Kagan ready for battles (By Dana Milbank, Washington Post) For a quarter-century, Antonin Scalia has been the reigning bully of the Supreme Court, but finally a couple of justices are willing to face him down.

The Hankster: Political Parties, Unaffiliated Legislators, Nonpartisan Elections and Education Reform

Bob Reid at California Majority Report says it best when it comes to explaining why political parties are against California's open primary initiative Proposition 14... Colorado House Bill 1271, introduced by unaffiliated state legislator Kathleen Curry with support from unaffiliated county commissioner Joelle Riddle, would make it easier for unaffiliated candidates, was amended Monday night to make it effective immediately... Independent attorney Harry Kresky says NYC should take another run at nonpartisan elections.... Tom Burrell echoes Dr. Lenora Fulani's comments on education at Rev. Al Sharpton's 2010 National Action Network conference.

SUPREME COURT

• HOW TO JUDGE A JUDGE (Harry Kresky, Legal Briefs blog) Obama Supreme Court Justice pick Elena Kagan

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Voters Shifting to GOP, Poll Finds (By PETER WALLSTEN, NAFTALI BENDAVID and JEAN SPENCER, Wall Street Journal)
• Democrat governor candidate goes after independent vote - In branding himself as an “independent Democrat,” South Dakota governor candidate Scott Heidepriem is acknowledging the growing influence of the state’s independent voters. (By: Seth Tupper, The Daily Republic - Mitchell SD)
• Professor Michael McDonald, Expert on Voter Registration, Says Minor Parties Are Only Group of Voters Gaining Numerically (Ballot Access News) November 2008, the number of registered Republicans has declined 3.5%, the number of registered Democrats has declined 2.7%, the number of registered independents has declined 1.6%, and the number of voters registered in minor parties has increased 2.4%.

PROP 14

• UNIONS, TRIAL LAWYERS, AND MAJOR PARTIES BAND TOGETHER TO FIGHT NONPARTISAN, OPEN PRIMARY INITIATIVE (by Greg Lucas, CAIVN) Opposition to an open primary type system of voting is one of the few areas of agreement between Democrats and Republicans.  The strange-political-bedfellows coalition has occurred before. The California Democratic Party and the state GOP sued to outlaw Proposition 198, a 1996 initiative allowing voters to cast ballots in any party’s primary on an office-by-office basis. The political parties argued that law violated the U.S. Constitution’s right of political association by allowing non-party members to select party candidates.
• Editorial: California should switch to open primary elections (By Editorial Board, Stanford Daily) The Editorial Board supports Proposition 14, and believes that it will help strengthen the power of the average voter and foster a more open dialogue between the Republican and Democratic parties.
•  http://www.stanforddaily.com/2010/05/12/editorial-california-should-switch-to-open-primary-elections/
• As We See It: Prop. 14 a first step in fixing state Legislature (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
• California League of Conservation Voters Opposes Proposition 14 (Ballot Access News)
• California's propositions: What's at stake (Bay Area News Group Mercury News) A Public Policy Institute of California poll in March showed a majority of likely voters (56 percent) supported the measure.
• "No on Prop 14 Picks Up Steam" as Labor, Dems, Reps, Third Parties Launch Efforts to Defeat Schwarzenegger's Measure (STEVEN MAVIGLIO, California Majority Report)
• Campaign against Proposition 14 takes shape (Sac Bee/Capitol Alert)
• Leave My Political Party Alone (BY BOB REID, California Marjority Report) Let’s look at just what a political party does: A political party typically seeks to attain and maintain political power within government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions. Parties often espouse an expressed ideology or vision bolstered by a written platform with specific goals, forming a coalition among disparate interests. It is the major source of candidate development. It is a home for like-minded citizens. Take the party out of the election process and we will have weak political parties and self funded rich candidates.
• Republican Legislative Candidates Begin Dropping out of Washington State Legislative Race, as a Consequence of “Top-Two” System (Ballot Access News)

COLORADO

• Colorado Ballot Access Bill Moves Ahead (Ballot Access News)
• Senate move could put Riddle on ballot (by Joe Hanel, Durango Herald)

PENNSYLVANIA

• Specter, After Shift, Faces Fire From Both Sides (By ADAM NAGOURNEY, NY Times)
• Should Specter have run as an independent? He couldn't win as a Republican and he may not be able to win as a Democrat. But there was another option (BY STEVE KORNACKI, Salon)

UTAH

• Bennett on defeat: 'They're angry at Washington. And I'm in Washington' (By Thomas Burr, The Salt Lake Tribune)
• Republicans to raid Democratic primary? (By Brandon Loomis, The Salt Lake Tribune) While Utah Republicans reserve the primary vote to registered party members, Democrats have an open primary that enables independent voters -- with no declared party affiliation -- to vote. 

WEST VIRGINIA

• W.Va. Early Voting Up From '06 Primary (WSAZ) Both major parties are holding open primaries and accept ballots from independent and unaffiliated voters.

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• Bloomberg Takes Aim at Watchdog Agency Again (By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL, Wall Street Journal) This spring, when asked whether the Charter Revision Commission should eliminate the office, Mr. Bloomberg said he couldn't remember his campaign call to elminate it. Instead, he said, "I think it's something the Charter Revision Commission should consider but, you know, we have a good public advocate now."
• Charter Revision Commission Decides On Public Forum Topics (By: Grace Rauh, NY1)  "Americans across the country are very concerned about the hyperpartisanship in Washington and Albany and New York City. We don't think it's the same climate at all," said Harry Kresky of the New York City Independence Party.

NEW YORK

• Mayor Bloomberg, City Council in tug of war over bills to help 'working poor' (BY FRANK LOMBARDI, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER)
• Internal Poll Says McMahon Doing OK In Fossella's Old District (By John McArdle, CQ Politics)

LAST WORD

• Dr Lenora Fulani Promotes a Real Educational Agenda (Tom Burrell, Stop the Brainwash) Fulani at the National Action Network Education Panel 4.15.10  (Marketing communications pioneer and Advertising Hall of Fame inductee Tom Burrell is credited with revolutionizing the image of African Americans in television and changing the face of American advertising. During his tenure as a top advertising executive, he coined the now-famous phrase, “Black people are not dark-skinned white people.” His award-winning work promoted positive and realistic images of blacks and acknowledged the purchasing power of the African American community. In 2007 Burrell founded the Resolution Project, theresolutionproject.us, a nonprofit organization that promotes intra-racial dialogue and community-based new media “stop the brainwash” campaigns. “Our task is to use propaganda to eradiate negative images and replace them with a bombardment of positive words and images.” He also plans to launch the New B’s, a catalyst for stimulating thought and more dialogue. He lives in Chicago’s South Loop area. BRAINWASHED: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority is his first book.)

Harry Kresky on Elena Kagan: How to Judge a Judge

Check out a great new blog Legal Briefs from independent attorney Harry Kresky! His latest post is on Obama's SC nominee Elena Kagan:

President Obama has chosen his second Supreme Court nominee, Elena Kagan, and much of the dialogue centers around ideology. Kagan would replace John Paul Stevens, viewed as the leader of the Court’s liberal block. Liberals fear Kagan is too conservative, and conservatives point to her support for gay rights, when she was Dean of Harvard Law School, as an indication that she may be too liberal.

This made me think of what kind of judge I want to hear my clients’ cases, after almost 40 years of practicing law. It’s not about ideology. It’s about fairness, the ability to listen, respect for the law, and respect for the litigants who stand before them.... Read on...