TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

OPEN PRIMARIES
Voters will have to see through the mud that will be slung by the parties against open primaries in California

• Less than a year from now: Freedom from ideological gridlock? (By Thomas Elias, San Diego Source/Daily Transcript)

LOCAL INDEPENDENT POLITICS
Governor races start up -- and here are some interesting independent campaigns to watch:

• VA: Poll: McDonnell at 49% and Deeds at 43% (By Jim Nolan, Richmond Times Dispatch) According to Public Policy, McDonnell has picked up more support among independent voters and holds a 54-33 advantage over Deeds in that category.... Deeds has a 4-1 edge over McDonnell among blacks, who came out in unprecedented numbers last fall and helped Barack Obama carry the state.
• MA: Campaign 2010: Cahill to split party, switch to unenrolled (By Jim O’Sullivan/State House News Service, Bedford MA Minuteman)
• NE: Sen. White moves toward race with Terry (By Robynn Tysver, OMAHA WORLD-HERALD)
• FL: Lining up to be next governor of Florida (Historic City News) Peter Allen: The Riverview resident, 60, founded the Independence Party of Florida in 2001. The electrical contractor wants third parties to demand an open primary.

MJ

• "Would There Be A President Obama Without Michael Jackson?" (by Jim Buck, Jim Buck Blog)
• "I want his children to know there was nothing strange about your daddy, it was strange what your daddy had to deal with." - Rev. Al Sharpton yesterday at the Michael Jackson Memorial, Staples Center, L.A. (Politico)
  
  
  NEW YORK POLITICS
  2 independent State Senators speak out for reform: Sen. Pedro Espada has been joined by Sen. Frank Padavan in calling for fair rules for everyone in the NY State Senate...
  
• 30 DAYS – NO RESULTS-Senate mess enters second month (BY PETE DAVIS, Queens Courier)
• GOP has a plan; Espada said he knows Dems who are ready for vote for it (By DAVID LOMBARDO, Legislative Gazette)
• Golisano Defends Coup (Politics on the Hudson)
• Ending state Senate mess would be easy - Albany lawmakers just need to come together, right now (Bill Hammond, Daily News)
• Gov. urged to appoint No. 2, break Senate impasse-A Queens assemblyman, reform groups call on governor to appoint a lieutenant governor who could break tie in Senate, but some question the legality of such a move. (By Erik Engquist , Crains New York)

ELSEWHERE
No one expects much opposition to Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court, endorsements are rolling in, but the jury is still out...

• Sotomayor's Critics and Fans (Posted by Prerana Swami , CBS News/Political Hotsheet)
• Bloomberg Steps Up (Again) For Sotomayor (Elizabeth Benjamin, Daily News/Daily Politics)

Queens Independence Party Spring Chair Reception May 16

Queens Independence Party members and guests gathered at La Terrazza in Forest Hills last Saturday to celebrate another growthful year. (l-r) Cathy Stewart, New York County Chair; Molly Honigsfeld, Queens County Chair, NY State Sen. Frank Padavan (11th CD); Dr. Lenora Fulani; Jerry Everett, Queens Chair Emeritus.

Democrats and Mistakes, Independents, and Republicans

Democrats and Mistakes: Earlier I posted a link to a post on Polit Bureau "Independence day for Democrats" that I credited to Newsday. Thanks to David Reich-Hale Editor Long Island Business News for the correction! (I can't speak for the correctness of Nassau Co. IP's endorsements....)

Independents: Meanwhile, the New York City organizations of the Independence Party of New York have endorsed independent Mayor Mike Bloomberg for a third term. There's a rally in Harlem on Thursday June 4 at the A.M.E. Bethel Church.

Republicans: And the Queens County Independence Party just honored long-time independents Dr. Fred Newman and Dr. Lenora Fulani, along with independent Republican NY State Senator Frank Padavan (11th CD) at its 8th annual Queens Spring Chair Reception. Sen. Padavan pointed out that there are more independents in his district than Republicans, so it is because of independents that he is in office. We might also add that Sen. Padavan is one of those rare elected officials who actually listens to his constiutents (regardless of party or non-party) and is thereby much less beholden to partisan interests than most. Cudos, Senator Padavan!

Media Firestorm: New York City Independence Party -- Will They or Won't They?

All Hands on Deck! Stop the Presses! Don't Shoot Till You See the Whites of Their Eyes! Damn the Torpedos, Full Speed Ahead! Uhhh... wtf?!

A virtual (and I DO MEAN VIRTUAL!) firestorm erupted today in NYC when a front-page NY Times article by Michael Barbaro covered a little visit from Mayor Bloomberg's "campaign manager" Bradley Tusk to the home of Fred Newman to size up the NYC Independence Party's proclivity towards giving the Mayor the coveted Column C in the upcoming 2009 mayor's race.

Bloomberg got into office because he was able to strike a deal with the New York City Independence Party for his 2001 run for the top city office. Billionaire "a leader, not a politician" Bloomberg won with the margin of victory coming in on the IP line. Azi Paybarah has become soft on Fulani, but don't expect too much! Jackie Salit credits Bloomberg for moving NY forward, but it's really the voters. (btw -- you can hear Jackie "How the Independent Movement Went Left by Going Right" Salit talk about US foreign policy here)

In 2005, an emerging alliance between black voters and independents gave the incumbent mayor a mandate for nonpartisan governance, something unheard of in this locked-down Dem town...

But I digress from this facinating media extra!

Of course, Tom Robbins of the late Village Voice (could a blog name like "Runnin' Scared" be more untimely, ahistorical and meaningless??? I dunno...) came in first with the perfunctory attacks on the New York City operation of the 3rd largest political party in the state of New York in an article titled "Bloomy Loves Fred Newman" -- they're so POLITICO-SEXUAL over at the VV, aren't they??

Then Richard Winger of Ballot Access News, who received an Anti-Corruption award in 2008 from the NYC IP, posted a note courtesy of Blair Bobier (a Dem operative in California)

But of course, you can't top NY1 (of the extant AOL/Time Warner company) for going to the mat for the status quo! Dominic Carter being the main henchman for same.

And, oh -- while NY State Senator Frank Padavan recognized Queens (my home boro) Independence Party County Committee Chair Molly Honigsfeld at his swearing-in yesterday, (with a quote from Mark Twain: "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." Uhh... he's a Republican), somehow the Queens Courier failed to print the names of the Queens IP leadership.... Sen. Padavan has been friendly to the Queens IP Committee, and no doubt won his hard-fought re-election last year because of support from IP voters in his district.

No matter.

It's the 4,000+ duly elected Independence Party county committee members who will decide who gets the IP line for mayor this year. Hmmm... Hey, fellas -- show us the reform! That's what local control is all about. And that's what the IPNYC organization is all about!

-NH