Colorado Discriminatory Campaign Contribution Case Riddle v Ritter Back to U.S. District Court

Colorado Case on Discriminatory Campaign Contribution Limits Returns to Federal Court (Ballot Access News) The lead plaintiff is Joelle Riddle, who wanted to give more than $200 to Kathleen Curry, an independent candidate for the Colorado legislature in 2010.

Justice Department: Open Primaries Are OK in Louisiana

Justice Department okays Louisiana open primaries.

BREAKING

• Department of Justice gives approval to Louisiana's open primaries (By Bill Barrow, The Times-Picayune) The change ends the short-lived party primaries used in the 2008 and 2010 federal cycles. It also realigns the structure of federal House and Senate elections with state, parish and municipal races, which have continued under the open-primary system with no interruption. Presidential primaries will remain divided by party.
• Feds OK open congressional primary (POSTED BY MARSHA SHULER | CAPITOL NEWS BUREAU, 2theadvocate) The U.S. Justice Department has approved Louisiana’s return to the open primary system for congressional elections, the state’s elections chief said Tuesday morning. The move will save more than $5 million in election expense and help reduce voter confusion, said Secretary of State Tom Schedler.
• Federal officials approve Louisiana open primary (WWL AM FM New Orleans, Associated Press Reporting)  And in Shreveport Times

OPEN PRIMARIES

• South Dakota Bill to Let Independent Voters Vote in Partisan Primaries (Ballot Access News) Five Republican state legislators in South Dakota have introduced SB 175, which requires political parties to permit independent voters to vote in their primaries. 
• Debra Bowen a likely candidate for Congress (By Torey Van Oot, Sac Bee) A special election to fill Harman's seat would be conducted under the new primary system created under Proposition 14, meaning the two top two vote-getters in the primary advance to a runoff, regardless of their political affiliation. Because it is a special election, a candidate can win outright by taking more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary.
• Winograd's party (Ben Smith, Politico) "We were informed by a colleague of Marcy's last evening that she intended to register as 'decline to state,'" said Los Angeles Democratic Party chairman Eric Bauman, referring to the state's registration for independent voters. 

REDISTRICTING

• Redistricting done right (AS I SEE IT, By Kurt Hayes, Worcester News Telegram) Political data such as voter patterns and party registration should be prohibited from consideration as input for redistricting.
• Fending off GOP criticism, redistricting chairman finds unlikely support (By Kyle Cheney, Statehouse News Service, Needham Wicked Local) Jones said he believed 10 to 12 public hearings would be sufficient for a rigorous process, and he noted that critics of any approved plan have legal avenues to protest the results.
• Va. political districts set to be redrawn (BY JENNIE LYNN PRICE, Delmarva Now.com) In his address to the group, McDonnell said the commission is "bipartisan by definition." He stressed the importance of working across party lines.

OBAMA SPIN

• Americans Think Obama Would Lose In 2012 (By Reid Wilson, National Journal/Hotline On Call) And more voters say, at the moment, they will vote against Obama. Fully 51 percent say they definitely or probably will not vote for Obama, while 47 percent say they're predisposed to vote for him. Independent voters would vote against Obama by a 44 percent to 53 percent margin, while he would win moderates by a much larger 55 percent to 45 percent margin.
• Poll: Obama & Menendez numbers heading up (By: CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser)

NO LABELS

• Political Groups Compete to Represent the Center (By MICHAEL D. SHEAR, NY Times/The Caucus) “No Labels reflects the changing times and the growth of the independents — a larger number than either of the two parties,” said Nancy Jacobson, one of the founders of the group. “No Labels has been formed to provide a home to citizens that believe its time for the voice of the majority to be heard in Washington. The truth is, a new coalition needs to be made and nurtured.”

LOCAL INDEPENDENT CAMPAIGNS

• New mayoral candidate won’t accept contributions (WANE - Fort Wayne IN) “The citizens of Fort Wayne deserve an option of a candidate who is independent of either party. One that will, when elected, approach the city needs with bipartisanship and common sense,” said Ahrendt. 

NEW YORK

• DA: NYC mayor testified in probe into politico (By JENNIFER PELTZ - Associated Press, Fresno Bee) Prosecutors say Haggerty got the Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent Bloomberg and his political advisers to give $1.1 million from the billionaire mayor's personal fortune to finance a state Independence Party ballot security effort in the fall of 2009.
• Bloomberg Testified in Secret - Mayor Was Called Before Grand Jury in Case of Operative Charged With Theft (By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL, Wall Street Journal) The mayor's testimony before the grand jury came as a surprise to the attorneys representing the operative, John Haggerty Jr., who worked as a volunteer on Mr. Bloomberg's 2009 re-election campaign and most recently on Carl Paladino's 2010 gubernatorial bid. Mr. Haggerty, 42 years old, has pleaded not guilty.

IT BEARS REPEATING

• Change to believe in - Former Commissioner Riddle takes on major parties (By Heather Scofield, Durango Herald) Joelle Riddle, having recently ended her term as a county commissioner, is beginning a “grass-roots effort” to change the face of politics in Colorado.

LAST WORD

• Protesters Take New Ground in Cairo (By CHARLES LEVINSON And SAM DAGHER, Wall Street Journal) Demonstrators demanding the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak took over new ground, expanding their protests to the parliament building a few blocks from their encampment at Tahrir Square.

New Independents - Change You Can Believe In

Joelle Riddle will change the makeup of politics in Colorado. The former county commissioner of La Plata County and founder of Independent Voters for Colorado is leading the charge for reform in the Centennial State. Riddle says that she is "tired of the government not running well" and the first task on the agenda; ballot initiative to open primary elections to all voters.

If Riddle's efforts are successful, then perhaps it will open the door for many to become more politically active, leading to national change. Jackie Salit, president of Independentvoting.org states that almost 40% of voters do not consider themselves Republican or Democrats.

With these statistics the efforts in Colorado might just start a domino effect of change.

INDEPENDENT VOTERS:

• Change to believe in - Former Commissioner Riddle takes on major parties (By Heather Scofield, Durango Herald) Independentvoting.org's Jackie Salit said voters’ desire to see the parties’ grip on the political process loosened has sparked reform efforts in 43 states. Riddle: “Everyone can be an independent vote.”
• THE HILL POLL: Voters oppose raising the $14.3T debt ceiling (By Erik Wasson, The Hill) Only 40 percent of likely voters say the $787 billion stimulus package helped. While 69 percent of Democrats say it boosted growth, 56 percent of independents think the stimulus hurt or had no impact on the economy.
• Liberals Unhappy With Obama's Business Outreach - The White House reset upsets some old allies. (By George E. Condon Jr., National Journal) Just as unhappy is Adam Green, leader of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. He said the White House is miscalculating if it thinks “Obama is picking up some niche of voters by sucking up to Wall Street while dragging progressives along. That’s just not true. What voters is he picking up? None.” In an e-mail, Green added, “If some political strategist thinks that independent voters are turned off by holding Wall Street accountable, for the sake of the entire Democratic Party, that strategist should be fired. Immediately.”
• No surprise, Americans divided on whether to help Egypt (Written By Jon Griffin, Indie Pro Pub) The poll found that 48 percent of both Republicans and Democrats were in favor of U.S. involvement in Egypt, while 40 percent of Republicans and 37 percent of Democrats felt that, along with 47 percent of Independents, the U.S. should not do anything about the ongoing turmoil in Egypt.
• Graham: Obama 'beatable' if GOP wins indies (By JENNIFER EPSTEIN, Politico) Sen. Lindsey Graham is confident that a Republican can beat Barack Obama, so long as the candidate appeals to independent voters.

NO LABELS

• New Political Movement ‘No Labels’ Rallies in (By James Lomuscio, Westport Now.com) No Labels also calls for open primaries, not separate Democratic and Republican ones. Walker pointed out that California recently enacted a law providing open primaries for state elections.

PROP 14

• Harman Special Election To Test Out 'Top Two' Election System In California (Eric Kleefeld, Talking Points Memo DC) In a referendum held during last year's primary, California's voters approved Proposition 14, which replaced the conventional party primaries with a different system known as Top Two, which has already been in use in Washington state for the past few years. (A similar system has been used for a long time in Louisiana, sometimes called the "jungle primary," but Washington state's version was the model used for California -- and in fact, Louisiana has scrapped the use of the jungle primary for federal races.)

• Race already underway for Jane Harman's seat (Kitty Felde, KPCC Southern California Public Radio) This will be the first Congressional election under the rules of Proposition 14. Voters can choose any candidate, regardless of party, with the top two vote-getters meeting in a runoff if no one gets a majority.

BALLOT ACCESS

• Alabama Ballot Access Bill Introduced (Ballot Access News) Senator Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) has introduced SB 17. It lowers the number of signatures for statewide independent candidates from 3% of the last gubernatorial vote, to 1.5% of the last gubernatorial vote.

NEW YORK

• Independent Democrats Explain Rules Vote (Posted by: Nick Reisman, Politics on the Hudson) At the news conference, the independents said they backed the rules because it should be up to the lawmakers to pick their leader.

Independent Kentucky On the Air with independentvoting.org's John Opdycke and Independent Voters for Colorado Founder Joelle Riddle

UPDATE to correct wrong link:

BlogTalkRadio show Independent Kentucky chairman Michael Lewis interviews independentvoting.org national director of development John Opdycke and Independent Voters for Colorado founder Joelle Riddle. Check it out! h/t to Michael Drucker from The Independent View...

INDEPENDENT KENTUCKY

• In Touch with Independent Kentucky (The Independent View blog) Independent Kentucky Chairman Michael P.W. Lewis hosted a live show about the 2011 National Conference of Independents. The show hosted CUIP Director of Development John Opdycke and Independent Voters for Colorado Founder Joelle Riddle.

PROP 14

• California Appeals Court Says Candidate in Southern California Special Election May File Amicus in Field v Bowen (Ballot Access News)
• Minor party candidate challenges new ballot rules (Sac Bee Capitol Alert) Frederick, who ran against Gaines in November, collected and submitted 225 signatures during the seven-day truncated period for qualifying for the special election ballot. But he was told the 1,500 threshold -- -- more than twice the 713 Peace and Freedom Party voters registered in the district -- would apply to all candidates under the Proposition 14-created top two system, which eliminates party primaries.
• Barnidge: Fixing California's broken budget requires changes (By TOM BARNIDGE, Daily Democrat - Woodland CA) Also needed are elected officials who care more about constituents than political parties -- representatives who support good policy rather than rigid ideology. Thornberg said that new redistricting procedures and open primaries offer hope for reduced partisanship. 
• Brown's labor allies may get involved in GOP primaries (By Steven Harmon, Contra Costa Times) A top-two primary under district lines that produces a more competitive race could allow a more moderate alternative to emerge, analysts say. In a Republican district, Democrats and independents would have to combine with moderate Republicans to oust conservative incumbents, said Gale Kaufman, a Democratic political consultant who works closely with the powerful California Teachers Association. "Folks are looking at ways to elect more moderates," Kaufman said. "The open primary and redistricting allows you to have a conversation we've never had before."

REDISTRICTING

• Jones will push independent redistrict panel in House (By State House News Service, Boston Herald) House Republicans plan to call for the creation of an independent commission to recommend redistricting proposals for final signoff by the Legislature, House Minority Leader Brad Jones told the News Service Monday.

OBAMA

• Regulatory Change We Can Believe In (posted by ROBERT HAHN AND PETER PASSELL, Forbes) With the White House up for grabs in 2012, both parties are looking for ways to appeal to independent voters. And applying economic common sense to regulation fits nicely in this familiar process of pre-presidential election triangulation.

REPUBLICANS

• What independent voters want: Conservative policise [sic] (By: Fred Barnes, Weekly Standard in San Francisco Examiner) If the House were composed solely of independents, it would pass the same conservative legislation as Republicans on Obamacare, the individual mandate, purchasing health insurance across state lines, spending, offshore oil drilling, and Social Security reform. That’s the finding of Resurgent Republic, a Republican polling outfit that applied the views of independents to the House.

DEMOCRATS

• Charlotte expects boost from 2012 Dem convention (By MITCH WEISS, The Associated Press, Washington Post) In 2008, Obama became the first Democrat since Jimmy Carter to win North Carolina in a presidential race, boosted by a large jump in black voter participation. A flood of new residents over the past decade and a rising crop of independent voters also have made the state, once solidly in the GOP column for presidential elections, far more competitive.

WYOMING

• ‘Citizen lobbyists' learn how pros influence, persuade lawmakers (By RUFFIN PREVOST WyoFile.com, Billings Gazette) Simons, a part-time student at the University of Wyoming, ran unsuccessfully last year as the Democratic candidate for secretary of state, and has worked with a group promoting bills related to recognizing same-sex marriages and holding open primaries.

NEW YORK

• Unionspeak: Gain is loss (Bob McManus, NY Post) Regulars like Billy Easton -- a shill for the state's public-education lobby, who responded by proclaiming upcoming cataclysm for New York schoolkids.  Easton fronts a special-interest mail drop called the Alliance for Quality Education, which is instructive.
• Mayor Blasts Cuomo for Budget Cuts (By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL and ANDREW GROSSMAN, Wall Street Journal) "Unfortunately, the budget does not treat New York City equitably," Mr. Bloomberg said in a statement. "It eliminates 100% of New York City's revenue-sharing aid—more than $300 million—while cutting other localities by just 2%. The residents of our five counties pay a disproportionate amount of state taxes, and they deserve the same level of support."
• Koch sets March 1 deadline for state legislators to co-sponsor independent redistricting bill (By Robert Harding, Auburn Pub) Ed Koch, head of New York Uprising, wants the 138 legislators who signed the New York Uprising pledge leading up to last year's elections to co-sponsor independent redistricting bill by March 1.

Joelle Riddle: Popular La Plata County Colorado Elected Official Becomes Independent Grassroots Organizer

Democratic-turned independent La Plata County Colorado Commissioner-turned independent activist (indeed a glorious journey!) Joelle Riddle completed her last day as an elected official this past week and shared this personal note with her supporters and other independent activists around the country. Joelle kindly agreed to share her thoughts with The Hankster:

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday [January 10, 2011] was my last day as an elected official and so now I'm jumping right into my new job as a grassroots organizer and I couldn't be more excited!

I know some of you as friends and others I hope to get to know better, as you were some of the first people who signed up to be involved with Independent Voters for Colorado (IVC). Thank You!! 

I have great expectations for IVC and the people of Colorado and will let you know about the upcoming Ballot Initiative on Open Primaries that we hope to have ready to go for 2012 as well as other things we will be working on, including a more dynamic and up to date website to keep you informed and connected.

I will be attending an important national conference of independents in NY next month (there's still time for you to register!) sponsored by Independentvoting.org. I am hoping to network, connect and be inspired by what many other organizations across the nation are doing to support political reform in independent ways.

Thanks and I look forward to working with you this year,

Joelle Riddle, Founder - Independent Voters for Colorado (IVC)

Thanks Joelle! On behalf of Hankster readers: Likewise -- see you there!

IndependentVoting enthusiastically supports the top-two law in California

The Hankster Top 10 Major Political Reform Achievements in 2010:

#1. California's Proposition 14 - Top Two Open Primary, a hard-fought 14 year battle that gives 3.4 million independent decline-to-state Calfornians the right to vote in the first round of voting

#2. Republican Party of Idaho vs. Ysursa - Independent voters won legal standing and in mid-October a federal court judge in Boise, Idaho, heard testimony in the case Republican Party of Idaho vs. Ysursa, a crucial test of the parties vs. the people. Idaho has an open primary system, where any voter can cast a ballot in all primary and general elections — voters simply register in Idaho, they do not affiliate with a political party. 

#3. NYC Independence Party's proposal for nonpartisan elections - an 8 month endeavor in 2010 (and altogether a 7-year fight) to lessen the control of partisan interests in NYC and increase the power of voters.

#4. California Proposition 20 - expanded the California Redistricting Commission's mandate to include Congressional districts-passed by 20 points. In addition, Proposition 27, a bi-partisan ploy to dismantle the Commission, was defeated by a similar margin. See Proposition 20 on Wikipedia. A competing initiative on the November 2 ballot, and Proposition 27, Elimination of the Citizen Redistricting Commission, unsuccessfully sought to repeal Proposition 11.

#5. Florida voters enact nonpartisan redistricting plan  Almost obscured by Florida's high-profile races for governor and U.S. Senate, voters passed two amendments to the state's constitution Tuesday intended to radically limit the ability of the Republican-controlled legislature and governor's mansion to gerrymander state and congressional districts.

#6. Randy Miller's cartoon "We've Got to Stop Top 2, But How?"

#7. Harry Kresky's HuffPo op ed "California's Top Two Primary System Opens the Door to a Broader and Stronger Coalition for Political Reform" In this moment of possibility, it is important to remember what independents and minor party members have in common: a recognition that the major parties have too long placed partisan interests over the national interest; a belief that the existing two party arrangement keeps the policy dialogue within too narrow a framework; and a commitment to leveling the electoral playing field.

#8. Jackie Salit's report in theNY Newsday article "Goodbye Two-Party System?" from October 2010 Americans are starting to move beyond the parties, even beyond partyism. That’s the dynamic story unfolding on the edges of the midterm battleground. And if that motion is cultivated by truly nonpartisan innovators, the political parties will have a comeuppance sooner than you might think. Contrary to what some analysts argue — that America is ripe for a third party — the direction Americans are really heading is away from parties altogether.

#9. Joelle Riddle's Independents for Colorado Election Day organizing effort: Being on the “inside” allowed me to experience the consequences of a broken system and how it fails the people and the issues that are most important to us on a regular basis, day after frustrating day. Until the system changes we won’t have qualified candidates, we won’t solve problems and we won’t regain the public trust.

#10. Michael Lewis's Independent Kentucky Coup reports on The Hankster: In 2010 Independent Kentucky had positioned our semi-open primary bill as a win/win for everyone in Kentucky and the state GOP was on board from the start. So I continued to build off our overwhelming win in the Senate and decided to work towards more success in the House where we have been stonewalled for the last 3 years. Independent Kentucky has faced overwhelming opposition in the House because of the controlling party’s unwillingness to consider the 185,000 independents in the state that they have chosen to isolate.

On behalf of the hundreds of ordinary grassroots activists around the country working for political reform

HAPPY NEW YEAR!   JOB WELL DONE!

 -- NH

And now for the news:

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Former Leaders of New Alliance Party Have Become Leading Opponents of Ballot Access Reform (Ballot Access News) Notwithstanding all these harms done to voting rights, IndependentVoting enthusiastically supports the top-two law in California, and expresses open hostility toward minor parties.  For example, see this cartoon [by Randy Miller on The Hankster], carried on a blog associated with IndependentVoting.
• Canceling Washington's Presidential Primary (Seattle Post Intelligencer/Forthright with Sue Lani Madsen) Before there is any move to reinstate the presidential preference primary in 2016, it needs an overhaul. If any political party wants a presidential preference primary, let the political party design it, control it and pay for it. There is no other way to run a primary in an open registration state, and stubbornly independent Washington voters aren't likely to accept a requirement to register by political affiliation.

REDISTRICTING

• Editorial: Take politics out of redistricting (Glens Falls Post Star) Sometimes, the benefit of having power is having the ability to do the right thing for your constituents. That's why New York's heavily partisan state Legislature should turn over its redistricting power to an independent, non-partisan commission, as suggested by former New York City Mayor Ed Koch.
• Governor Cuomo (EDITORIAL New York Times) Gov Cuomo to clean up Albany... (?)

EDUCATION REFORM

• Daniels Puts Hoosier State on School Choice Map (The Heritage Foundation/The Foundry) More quality educational options are clearly needed. While just 34 percent of Indiana fourth graders are proficient in reading, minority students fare far worse. Among African American fourth graders, just 15 percent are proficient in reading.

INDEPENDENT CULTURE/ POLITICAL THEATER

• Woodie King, Jr.Makes Directorial Debut In MR. HIRSCH DIED YESTERDAY At Castillo Theatre 1/21 (BROADWAY WORLD) "I like what Fred Newman is doing with his plays - he covers a very wide canvas in a very few pages which gives a director a chance to explore and experiment," says Woodie King, Jr.

Joelle Riddle: Independent Leader in Colorado Report from the Field, E-Day 2010

Joelle Riddle was one of three full-time La Plata County Colorado Commissioners since winning the election in 2006. Not a newcomer to the political arena and policy making, Riddle was a Young Democrat and then chair of the La Plata County Democratic Party prior to changing her affiliation to "independent" to better serve the people of La Plata County. She was prevented from running for re-election by Colorado state law which imposes a 17-month waiting period for candidates who disaffiliate, a law that she and other nonpartisans challenged in the courts. Riddle was honored this year with an Extraordinary Leader Award during the Women’s Resource Center’s Girls Night Out for her education work with Planned Parenthood, the various constituencies she has represented as a commissioner and founding the independent Voters for Colorado.

Joelle Riddle

E-Day

by JOELLE RIDDLE

Election Day November 2, 2010, turned out to be a very personal experience for me. I knew that this day more than any other would be the beginning of the end as far as my current capacity to serve as an elected official.

It was clear several months ago that I was not going to be on the ballot, having discovered the inequities in Colorado law immediately after changing my affiliation from Democrat to independent (or unaffiliated). It was further affirmed I wasn’t going to be on the ballot after a federal court judge ruled that there would be no changes to the rules set in place by the parties to blatantly advance their candidates and discourage others.

I knew it, but on Election Day I felt it.

Being on the “inside” allowed me to experience the consequences of a broken system and how it fails the people and the issues that are most important to us on a regular basis, day after frustrating day. Until the system changes we won’t have qualified candidates, we won’t solve problems and we won’t regain the public trust. 

It was sobering in a way that I hadn’t imagined as I looked at the list of candidates on the ballot and didn’t see my name, as I had four years earlier. To not win an election is one thing, but to be prevented from even running is another -- very frustrating -- experience all together.

Although I experienced this intense feeling of injustice and frustration (as most independents do at one time or another, I imagine) it was juxtaposed with a very deep sense of relief, a relief that I would no longer have to work within a broken, dysfunctional system. The effects of our partisan politics are felt at every level, and if you are someone that thinks it only affects our elected officials in DC, then think again—it’s thought, felt and ingrained into all levels of our political process, even in our small rural communities, and that’s exactly where we need to start the reform.

I spent the last four years learning and understanding countless processes, participating in numerous local and state boards to advocate for my community, studied issues I had never even heard of prior to taking office. I built relationships based on trust in order to continue to do the best job I could for my community. And really all of that didn’t amount to much in the end as far as the "system" was concerned. Everything boiled down to the fact that I didn’t want to play for just one team; I wanted to work for all of the people, with no biased party labels or preconceived notions. For me it was a natural evolution and a product of my observations and learning.

Being on the “inside” allowed me to experience the consequences of a broken system and how it fails the people and the issues that are most important to us on a regular basis, day after frustrating day. Until the system changes we won’t have qualified candidates, we won’t solve problems and we won’t regain the public trust.

I knew when I made the decision to become an independent that there would be consequences, some rather predictable and others I couldn’t have imagined.

One thing was for certain, independence was the only way forward that would allow me to do the best job I could for the people I was elected to represent.

I have never regretted that decision and it has proven to not only affirm my passion for democracy, it has elevated it to a level that will inspire my work as a grassroots organizer for “Independent Voters for Colorado”.

Although I wasn’t re-elected to office, I know that my commitment to the people in my community is deeper and I am even more determined to help change our government. In the future I want to contribute to a more authentic expression of our democracy; a productive political process and not just a power game for political parties who seem to be concerned for their own “win” as opposed to genuine gains for those whom they purport to serve. I would venture to say that my next Election Day report won’t be fraught with so much frustration, but more of a sense of accomplishment in working with other independents to organize and demand a better democratic process.

Happy Holidays,
Joelle

Joelle Riddle can be reached at UPDATED!! joelleriddle@hotmail.com or (970)799-3720

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 9/27/10

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Independents Abandon Democrats Ahead Of Midterms (by JOEL ROSE, NPR) Still, Bullock says she supports President Obama. So do Mark Balsam and Yvone Vazquez of rural Bucks County, Pa. They both voted for Obama two years ago, but neither seems excited about the candidates in this election. I will vote for somebody, probably," Balsam says. "I don't feel highly motivated, I guess." "I might not vote at all, period," Vazquez says.
• Tired of 'tea party' sniping, moderates organize (By James Oliphant, LA Times) The No Labels effort, expected to launch later this year, is backed by Republicans such as McKinnon, the former Bush advisor, and Nancy Jacobson, a powerful Democratic fundraiser married to pollster Mark Penn. Another Washington group, think tank Third Way, advocates "a moderate ideology" built around such issues as free trade and clean energy.
• Obama looks to youth vote for a late midterm surge (By Philip Ruckerand Anne E. Kornblut, Washington Post) NOTE: Independents voted in 2008 for Barack Obama, not the Democratic Party. And there's really nothing the Dems can do about that. When you're a Dem, you're a Dem all the way. That's what partisanship IS! And that's what independents don't like. Looks like a nice little political trap for the parties. Good luck fellas! - NH  PS -- About 45% of youth under the age of 25 consider themselves independent. But knock yourselves out!

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Power plays: Propositions 25 and 26 - they're both bad policy dressed up as reform (EDITORIAL LA Daily News) There is a solution to this abuse of government and partisan political fights, and that is to elect a better class of leaders. That's why we support structural reforms such as independent redistricting and open primaries that we think will help elect politicians who put the public's interest before their own. But these two propositions, while dressed up as reforms, will do nothing but make our political problem worse. Vote no on Propositions 25 and 26.
• Perspectives: Bipartisan - or nonpartisan?; What if we rid Congress of petty party politics? (By William J. Kelleher, San Gabriel Valley Tribune) In 2003, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg strongly supported a referendum that would change city election practices from highly partisan to almost completely nonpartisan. If passed by the voters, the law would have opened primary elections to all voters by eliminating the partisan ballot.

MIDTERMS

• Brown: Who wants to be endorsed by a billionaire? (By Fred Brown, The Denver Post) We've reached such a state in this country that hardly anyone is in the middle of the road about anything, even being in the middle of the road.

2012

• Bloomberg's centrist presidential test (By Douglas Cohn and Eleanor Clift, Pocono Record)

COLORADO

• Analysis: Curry’s Long-Shot Election Bid Grows Longer (By Brad Jones, FACE THE STATE, State Bill Colorado) Curry said she’ll press on with her legal fight, but after U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer turned down her motion last Thursday to block the state campaign-finance law in time for the November election, even an eventual favorable outcome will do her little good in raising contributions toward her re-election bid. It’s also little solace to voters who might want to support her or other candidates outside the GOP-Democrat loop.
• One legal hurdle down, about a dozen more to go (By Marianne Goodland, THE COLORADO STATESMAN) In June, Judge Marcia Krieger ruled in favor of Buescher and co-defendant Linda Daley, clerk of La Plata County on the ballot access issue. Under state law, a person who wants to run as an unaffiliated candidate must disaffiliate from a political party within a specific time before the next general election. Curry and Riddle sought an injunction against that law, stating that it violated their 1st Amendment and 14th Amendment rights. That case is now on appeal with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

NEW YORK

• Where Have All the Political Parties Gone? - Working Families swoops into the void. (By Chris Smith, NY Mag) That the WFP, the biggest institutional local political success story of the past decade, finds itself wobbling between enormous influence and extinction is emblematic of a larger drama: the highly fluid state of the New York political Establishment not named Michael Bloomberg.
• Cuomo Facing Criticism From Blacks (By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE, NY Times) Mr. Cuomo is also being challenged from the left by Charles Barron, a black city councilman in New York who is running on the Freedom Party line.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 9/22/10

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Values the Key to the Independent Vote (By Heather Higgins, National Review/The Corner) Asked on what issue the current Democratic leadership’s actions have been most dismaying, the economy and job creation (22 percent) rank first, followed by the health-care legislation (17 percent).
• Loyalties shift in vote-rich suburbs (By Philip Rucker, Washington Post) In 2008, independent voters went for Barack Obama over John McCain 52 percent to 44 percent...
• More registering nonpartisan in Neb. 2nd District (Associated Press, Columbus Telegram - Nebraska) More than one in five registered voters in the 2nd District are not affiliated with a party. Independent voters in the district have increased by nearly 10,000 since 2006 to more than 82,600 by mid-September _ a 13 percent jump.
• Independent voters need to save us (LETTER Payson Roundup - AZ) Since those of us that are registered as Independent voters aren’t beholden to party doctrine, dogma, or propaganda, it behooves the increasing percentage of Independents in our state to save Arizona from the political swamp we seem to be wallowing in at this point in time.

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Primary system here worked as it should (By Bill Christofferson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) The open primary was one of the progressive reforms of Fighting Bob La Follette a century ago, designed to let the voters choose the nominees, rather than have the party bosses decide in a caucus, convention or back room.

THIRD PARTY

• EARLY ON, MICHAEL BLOOMBERG TOPS LIST OF POTENTIAL INDEPENDENT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES IN 2012 (by Ryan Jaroncyk, CAIVN) Bloomberg is viewed as a viable candidate due to his immense personal wealth and his reputation for working with Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.
• Ohio governor race: independent candidate Dennis Spisak (BY HOWARD WILKINSON, Bucyrus Telegraph Forum) Spisak, the Green Party's candidate for Ohio governor, is president of the Struthers City Board of Education, in a small Mahoning County city near the Pennsylvania border.
• Rancher seeks Independent path to governor (RUFFIN PREVOST BillingsGazette Wyoming Bureau) Write-in candidate “And you can’t come to the Constitution without coming to the Lord,” he said. “They’re not separate. You have to be a moral, Christian society for the Constitution to work.”

COLORADO

• Riddle to press lawsuit after defeat - Law limits per-person donations to $200 for unaffiliated campaign (by Joe Hanel, Durango Herald Denver Bureau) It could be six to eight months before the case moves forward, Zimsky said. Brimmer might send legal questions to the state Supreme Court.

SOUTH DAKOTA

• Tea party unlike true independents (Kim Wright, Rapid City Journal) The independent movement should not be confused with the tea party Movement although the members of both groups are unhappy with the two major parties. Independents are those voters who do not support a political party and seek to restructure the partisan political system. With a broad spectrum of Americans at the base, independents wish to reorganize the status quo and reform the partisan political practices. Independents use political alliances to support candidates who represent main stream America. NOTE: Kim Wright chairs SD Voice of Independents and can be reached at sdindvoice@gmail.com.

NEW YORK

• Minor Parties Challenge 'Fusion Voting' in NY (By JEFF D. GORMAN, Courthouse News Service) The problem, according to the parties, is that double votes for a candidate are credited to the party that gained the most votes in the previous election.
• Andrew Cuomo Looks to Abraham Lincoln for Campaign Strategy (NY Magazine/Daily Intel) Cuomo would prefer to debate Paladino and Conservative Party nominee Rick Lazio, but reportedly believes that Paladino wants the debate to include City Councilman Charles Barron, running on the liberal but anti-Democrat "Freedom Party" line, and Kristin Davis, the Client 9–linked madam running on the "Anti-Prohibition Party" (as in, marijuana) line.
• Ex-Madam Kristin Davis Wants To Debate Cuomo, Paladino (Gothamist) Davis, whose platform includes both legalizing prostitution and legalizing marijuana, said that City Councilman Charles Barron, who is running as a Freedom Party candidate, should be able to debate, too, "Excluding blacks and women just because we lack access to huge special interest campaign contributions is just wrong. I favor letting all legal candidates debate." NOTE: Pictures are worth a thousand words! (She just might get my vote...)
• Randy Credico Expects to Sue Over New York Fusion Restriction (Ballot Access News) Randy Credico has been nominated for U.S. Senate, full term, by both the Libertarian Party, and the Anti-Prohibition Party.  But the State Board of Elections has told him his name can be listed only once on the ballot, and that he must choose one line.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 9/15/10

CALIFORNIA PROP 14

• Capitol: Judge's ruling keeps Prop. 14's top-two primary system alive (Sac Bee) Judge Catherine Woolard wrote that while plaintiffs can proceed to a full trial, their arguments "fail to show a likelihood of success on the merits" to grant their motion for an injunction blocking the state from proceeding with implementing the new measure.
• California's gubernatorial candidates should read these books (BOOK REVIEWS California Watch) It's not a simple question of "can't we all get along," says Bagley. Real structural reforms will be required – modifying term limits, open primaries – to bring moderation and bipartisanship back to Sacramento.
• Prop. 14 open primary survives first challenge (Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer)

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Voters need real choice in state primary elections (Superior Telegram) Primary voting rules incorrectly assume all voters cast ballots along party lines. Many Wisconsin voters are not Republicans or Democrats, or some other party, and cast their ballot irrespective of party lines. They vote for candidates and their ideals, rather than old-horse political parties. Yet, Wisconsin primaries still align themselves with a party system.
• Hannemann: Rival should identify program funding (By HERBERT A. SAMPLE, Bloomberg Businessweek) Hannemann's criticism of the cost of Abercrombie's proposals in the days leading to Saturday's primary election could help him attract votes of conservatives and Republicans. In Hawaii's open primary, registered voters can request any party's ballot.

TUESDAY PRIMARIES

• The Morning After: Whose Party Is It? (By MICHAEL D. SHEAR, NY Times/The Caucus) Tea Party-backed insurgents in the primaries of 2010 have toppled two of the party’s incumbents and six candidates who were supported by GOP insiders in Washington – ending with the surprise ouster of Rep. Mike Castle, who had won 12 statewide campaigns in Delaware over four decades in public life.
• Voters Deliver a Reminder to Republicans (and Pundits) (By NATE SILVER, NY Times/fivethirtyeight)
• 'This Changes Everything' (By Robert Stacy McCain, American Spectator (right-wing) Of course, not all of the people have yet spoken. Turnout was unusually high in this year's primary, but O'Donnell's Tuesday total of more than 30,000 votes will have to be increased if she is to win in November. However, as one staffer said, their own polls indicate that independent voters -- who couldn't vote in the closed GOP primary -- favor O'Donnell over the Democrats' little-known nominee, Chris Coons.
• Christine O'Donnell, Tea Party Favorite, Stuns Mike Castle in Delaware (PATRICIA MURPHY, Politics Daily Capitol Hill Bureau Chief) With so much noise surrounding her candidacy, GOP guru Karl Rove predicted Tuesday night what Democrats are hoping for: that O'Donnell will lose the general election in November when Democratic and independent voters get into the voting booths. "There's just a lot of nutty things she's been saying," Rove said in an appearance on Fox News. "This is not a race we're going to be able to win."
• Tea Party favorite wins in Delaware; race close in N.H. (By Matt Viser, Boston Globe) But the GOP hopes hinge on whether conservative insurgents are able to translate their grass-roots momentum into independent votes, whether Democrats are able to motivate their base, and whether President Obama can once again be an effective campaigner.
• Senate: Ayotte, Lamontagne in tight race (By JOHN DISTASO, Senior Political Reporter, Union Leader)
• Avedisian beats back challenge from Langseth (By BARBARA POLICHETTI, Providence Journal Staff Writer)
• G.O.P. Insurgents Win in Del. and N.Y. (By JEFF ZELENY, NY Times)
• The Morning After - What's next for Fenty? (By P.J. ORVETTI, NBC Washington) Fenty did not deserve Tuesday’s result. Though Gray is an accomplished man who could be a consensus-builder as mayor, and though Fenty merited a stiff warning from voters, his rejection by a margin of about 8 points was a sad result for a mayor who has moved the city forward. The District fired Fenty after one term. It re-elected Marion Barry three times.
• Fenty vs. Gray: How I voted (Joel Achenbach, Washington Post/Achenblog) Could he still run as an independent in the general election? Wouldn't make much difference. People tend to be loyal to political parties, and there just aren't very many independents in the District of Columbia from which Fenty could rally support. This is a one-party town in which the Democratic primary is the decisive election.
• Primary Voter Turnout Stays Low, but More So for Democrats (By BRIAN J. MCCABE, NY Times/FiveThirtyEight)
• Democratic voters casting Republican ballots (WFRV News) Madison WI (an open primary state)

MIDTERMS

• NYC’s Mayor Bloomberg to campaign for Chafee Thursday (By Katherine Gregg, Providence Journal State House Bureau) “Since I’ve been one of everything in my career at one time or another, I don’t think that party matters,” he said in that interview. “What you want are people who are independent in their views. That they don’t listen to the party bosses. That they listen to the issues. They’re smart enough to analyze it.”

COLORADO

• Female energy permeates Girl's Night Out (Durango Herald) The finalists for the leader award were Cindy Cortese, Paulette Church, Stephanie Moran and Joelle Riddle. Riddle, who is finishing up her term as a La Plata County commissioner, was honored for her education work with Planned Parenthood, the various constituencies she has represented as a commissioner and founding the independent Voters for Colorado.
• Curry's against all odds write-in campaign (LETTER Glenwood Post Independent) Kathleen Curry, our state representative for District 61 (five counties), has recognized the deficiencies of political party influence and has had the courage to say she wants to represent us directly — to listen, look at the real problems and develop and support practical legislation based on logic, respect and doing what is best for our children and for all of us vs. what the parties dictate.

NEW YORK PRIMARIES

• Scene From Outside the Polls at Amalgamated Houses (Bronx News Network) Several yards away stood two Espada volunteers: Harry Kresky (pictured, left) of Manhattan and Kirsten Fulda (pictured, right) of New Jersey, both members of the Independence Party who said they admired Espada for his, well, independence. "He doesn't do what the parties tell him to do," said Kresky, a lawyer who, interestingly, once represented Dr. Lenora Fulani, a radical former presidential candidate, who endorsed Espada last week.
• Primary Night: Pedro Espada Keeps the Faith (By Ricardo Bilton, NY Observer)
• As the Smoke Clears After Primary Day … (By THE NEW YORK TIMES/City Room)
• The Man Who Beat Espada (by David King, Gotham Gazette) Less than an hour later Espada has conceded. The crowd at the Monte Carlo on Jerome Avenue explodes. Rivera takes the stage thanking unions left and right. "Union power," men on stage shout. Rivera gives his victory speech. The campaign confirms that Espada did not place a congratulatory call to Rivera -- they roll their eyes. Sen. Liz Krueger dances to Jay-z's "New York." She says she expects Rivera’s victory will give Democrats a boost. "Did you expect this to be over so quickly?" I ask her. She looks at her watch, "Yes!" she exclaims.
• Paladino Wins GOP Primary, Rangel, Schneiderman Also Win As Monserrate, Espada Concede (By: NY1 News)
• Bronx voters send state Sen. Pedro Espada packing; Hiram Monserrate loses Assembly bid (BY BOB KAPPSTATTER AND GLENN BLAIN, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS)
• Paladino Sends Lazio to Sidelines (By JACOB GERSHMAN, Wall Street Journal)
• Paladino, Schneiderman Win, Espada Doesn't (by Gotham Gazette Staff)
• Newcomer Ousts Espada; Monserrate Loses Political Return (By SAM DOLNICK, NY Times)
• The Andrew Effect (By Reid Pillifant, NY Observer) It's not clear this year that voters will be inclined to vote straight party lines, but it will be up to Mr. Cuomo to draw Democrats and Democratically inclined independents to the polls, particularly in parts of the state that don't have any particularly competitive down-ballot elections happening.

WORKING FAMILIES PARTY

• WFP & Cuomo, sittin' in a tree: But there's no real love in this odd marriage (Bill Hammond, Daily News)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/21/10

Please check out Hankster Blogger of the Week (noted below at NEXT TO LAST WORD

• 10 Political Practices That Should Hit the Road (by New Hankster blogger friend The Indy Express) Partisans want to eliminate anyone who does not vote the party line, which is a recipe for gridlock and hardship for the country. Nothing will be accomplished except more videos and sound bites for the media and bloggers. The Indy Express

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• PRIORITY READING: Wedge issues divide politicians from independents (By Ed Hornick, CNN) "This is party politics as usual with respect to all of these wedge issues," said Jacqueline Salit, president of independentvoting.org, a national strategy and organizing center for independents. "I think there's more and more of a steady recognition that these kind of wedge issues and political manipulation, sensationalism and opportunism is exactly what is degrading the American political process and our democracy." NOTE: This article also ran on WTSP Channel 10 - Tampa Bay

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Nonpartisan Elections in CA, NYC, and the Nation (By William J. Kelleher, Ph.D., opednews.com
• Maldonado asks to join defense in Proposition 14 lawsuit (Sac Bee/Capitol Alert) "I could not stand by and watch the transparent effort to undermine the voters' right to an open primary system," Maldonado said in a statement. "Voters were crystal clear that they wanted to change business as usual in Sacramento and the effort to derail Proposition 14 is not only without merit, it's more of the same political game-playing that has gridlocked the Capitol for years.
• Independent testing (Arizona Star) Working in conjunction with the League of Women Voters and relying on funding from groups such as the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and Greater Phoenix Leadership, the project contacted about 33,000 independents in Legislative Districts 26 and 30, which are Tucson districts with a Republican voter edge.

MIDTERMS

• The 2010 Elections: What's at Stake? (Bob Burnett, Huffington Post) The GOP has claimed the coveted political mantle of "outsider" and, at least for the moment, convinced Independent voters the US is best served by dividing power between Democrats and Republicans. Imagine that in November's mid-term elections, Republicans win control of the House or Senate. What difference will that make?
• Quinnipiac Poll: Crist Still Ahead In FL-SEN Race (Eric Kleefeld, TPMDC)
• August 19, 2010 - Sink Inching Up In Close Florida Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Crist Leads Three-Way Senate Race (Quinnipiac)

COLORADO

• Riddle sues state over campaign finance (by Joe Hanel, Herald Denver Bureau)
• BLAKE: Lawmaker without a party takes political career to court (By Peter Blake, Colorado Springs Gazette)

GEORGIA

• Independent voters being courted in race for governor (Rome News Tribune)

OREGON

• Progressive Party skips Oregon governor's race, aiding Kitzhaber (Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian ) The season for nominating minor-party candidates is drawing to a close and it looks like the winner is...Democrat John Kitzhaber (who also happens to be the candidate of the Independent Party of Oregon)... But a write-in candidacy won't have nearly the power to draw votes. And the way it shapes up, Kitzhaber won't have any candidates running to the left of him....

NEW YORK

• WHAT’S AT STAKE IN THE MOSQUE CONTROVERSY? (Harry Kresky, Legal Briefs blog)
• Feds drop probe in how Working Families Party spent money in 2009 city elections (BY CELESTE KATZ AND ADAM LISBERG, DAILY NEWS) Still, the controversy has deterred Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo, a strong favorite to be the next governor, from running on the WFP line.... If Cuomo doesn't accept the line, the WFP will be stuck with its placeholder candidate, Legal Aid lawyer Kenneth Schaeffer - and may not meet the threshold to stay a major party.
• 'Families' Party: We dodged fed charges (By BRUCE GOLDING and CATHY BURKE, NY Post)
• Cuomo Pressed On Issues Throughout Western N.Y. Campaign Tour (By: Josh Robin, NY1) Asked what his priority is ethics-wise, such as campaign finance reform or outside disclosure, Cuomo said it is "all the above."
• Probe of Working Families Party Ends (By JACOB GERSHMAN, Wall Street Journal) Working Families Party leaders have feared that without Mr. Cuomo's support, the party could lose its automatic spot on the state ballot, a key source of its potency. Parties in New York must get at least 50,000 votes for governor to preserve their official ballot status.
• Working Families Party to Face No U.S. Charges (By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE, NY Times)
• Now that WFP Won’t Face Federal Charges… (By Azi Paybarah, WNYC)
• Working Families Party claims it's no longer subject of federal probe (By BRUCE GOLDING and CATHY BURKE, NY Post)
• Working Families says inquiry ends without charge - The U.S. attorney's office, which was reportedly probing Data and Field Services, a for-profit arm of the Working Families Party, is said to be closing the case. (By Jeremy Smerd, Crain's New York)
• Working Families Party: U.S. Attorney Won't File Charges (BY CELESTE KATZ, NY daily News/Daily Politics)
• Addabbo Booted from WFP Ballot Line [UPDATED] (By Chris Bragg, City Hall News)
• Group Targets Working Families Party (Politics on the Hudson)
• Tea Party Activists Pulling Together For New York -- And Then National -- Ballot Line Push (BY CELESTE KATZ, Daily News/Daily Politics) Tea's gubernatorial candidate is a Long Island commercial and personal injury lawyer named Steve Cohn. Their organizer is one Sam Zherka of Westchester, a real-estate owner and club operator. And maybe, just maybe, the possible state chairman of the new party -- should it be constituted -- could be Bobby Kumar, the current chairman of the Nassau County Independence Party.

BLOOMBERG ENDORSEMENTS

• Bloomberg Busy Backing Candidates Of Both Parties (by BRIAN NAYLOR, NPR) "Since I've been one of everything in my career at one time or another, I don't think that party matters," he said. "What you want are people who are independent in their views. That they don't listen to the party bosses. That they listen to the issues. They're smart enough to analyze it. [That] they have the experiences that we need in the legislature to know how to address the problems."
• INDEPENDENT FOR PRESIDENT IN 2012: A VIEW FROM 2010 (by Damon Eris, CAIVN)

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• De Blasio Takes Aim at Bloomberg (By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL, Wall Street Journal) On Thursday night, Mr. de Blasio urged the Charter Revision Commission to reject the mayor's suggestion that the panel reconsider awarding incumbents with a special exception that would allow them to serve three consecutive four-year terms, even if the electorate votes in November for a two-term cap.
• Charter Commission Weighs Extra Term For Incumbents, Ignoring Public Referenda (By HENRY STERN, Special to the NY Sun)
• One standard for all: Two terms is two terms, incumbents included (EDITORIAL NY Daily News) Claiming that fairness demands three terms for incumbents and two for newcomers is simply preposterous. Not least because everyone on the Council won election based on a campaign that was financed by taxpayer dollars. Not least because most of these same Council members changed the rules abruptly on the public by self-servingly voting to shift from a limit of two terms to three.
• Nonpartisan elections are a no-no for Black, Latino and Asian leader -- and for Bloomberg (By Stephon Johnson, Amsterdam News, Voices That Must Be Heard - NY Community Media Alliance) Under pressure from Democrats and leaders in communities of color, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has decided to end his push for nonpartisan elections in New York City.
• Changing the City’s Charter. Again? (By Mark Green, NY Observer) Admittedly, there may be hotter subjects this month than the City Charter Commission's ballot proposals. But an absurd state law nevertheless allows our mayor to hand-pick a commission to deliberate city governance in the dog days of August and put profound changes on the ballot for November. So it's worth examining.
• Fair Share Charter Fix Could Reduce Truck Traffic Burden for Some Nabes (by Noah Kazis, Streets Blog)

NEXT TO LAST WORD

• 10 Political Practices That Should Hit the Road (by New Hankster blogger friend The Indy Express) Partisans want to eliminate anyone who does not vote the party line, which is a recipe for gridlock and hardship for the country. Nothing will be accomplished except more videos and sound bites for the media and bloggers.

LAST WORD

• Obama, Islam And The "Other" (By Reid Wilson, National Journal/Hotline) A higher proportion of self-identified GOPers, 31%, say he is Muslim, while just 10% of Dems and 18% of independents believe it to be so.... Obama won election thanks to a diverse coalition, part of which includes a segment of Dems and independent voters who typically vote GOP in federal races. But, according to the Pew survey, the very voters who put Obama in office are the ones whose opinions seem the most malleable.

Congratulations to Independent Voters for Colorado!

Check out Independent Voters for Colorado at their new website



IVC was formed in July 2009 by independent County Commissioner Joelle Riddle after she became increasingly frustrated with the narrow scope and vision upheld by parties and their ownership of elected officials. In an effort to better represent her constituents and the complex issues facing her community, she changed her affiliation from Democrat to unaffiliated or independent. Shortly thereafter, she discovered the inequitable ballot access law that led to the federal lawsuitchallenging the statue that is currently being appealed by State Representative Kathleen Curry.

Hankster Summer Friday

Ok, yes, it's true -- I come straight home from work on Friday nights and I... I... blog!

The Hankster however is stepping out tonight to a New York City Independence Petition Party (at last the 2 concepts come together!) (independence and New York City, petition and party, etc.) at Hudson Terrace (way west on 46th Street in Manhattan).

So, here are my thoughts tonight so far:

1. Go Colorado independents Joelle Riddle and Kathleen Curry!!!! Keep on keepin' on!

2. NYC: Don't forget that on Monday, July 19, Citizens Union will be talking with the NYC Charter Revision Commission in Brooklyn about their support for nonpartisan elections. Be there or be square.

• Place: Brooklyn College, Gershwin Theater, 2900 Bedford Ave
  BROOKLYN
• Time: 6 p.m.
• Directions: By train, take the Q Local to Avenue H and walk 4 blocks east to Ocean Avenue, or take the 2 or 5 train to Flatbush Avenue/Nostrand Avenue.  By bus, take the B6 or B11 to Bedford Avenue, the B8, B44, or Q35/Green Bus Line to Flatbush Avenue, the B41 to Nostrand Avenue, or the B49 to Avenue H.

NOTE: Citizens Union will be presenting their recommendations to the Commission at this hearing

3. Chill -- it's really hot out here!!!

-NH

PS - And for any of my friends who happen to be home tonight enjoying Hankster Summer Friday, please feel free to chime in!!! :-)

Colorado Independents Fight for Their Rights!

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Coming up, not your average midterms (By John P. Avlon, CNN)
• WASHINGTON POST-ABC NEWS POLL: 40% INDEPENDENTS, 31% DEMOCRATS, 24% REPUBLICANS (by Damon Eris, CAIVN)

ILLINOIS OPEN PRIMARIES

• Don't force voters to declare a party (BY PHIL KADNER, Southtown Star )
• Governor Quinn backs open primaries despite increased costs (Illinois Political Buzz Examiner, Dennis Brennan)
• Quinn, Brady tussle on crime issues (Chicago Tribune/Clout Street)
• Weighing The Pros And Cons Of An "Open Primary" (Progress Illinois)
• Polling place privacy -- a good idea, long overdue (Eric Zorn, Chicago Tribune/Change of Subject)

CALIFORNIA PROP 14

• Free And Equal: Media Ignores Ethic of Balanced Reporting in Effort to Push Agenda (Independent Political Report)

COLORADO

• The Right to be Independent is at Issue (Jacqueline Salit, Huffington Post) There are a lot of people in this country who are very unhappy with the political parties and their intense partisanship . Some are voters and some are officeholders. But whatever their status, they should have the right to leave a political party and become an independent without being penalized. The parties shouldn't be allowed to run the political process to suit their own purposes. The bottom line here is democracy, and that's what Kathleen, Joelle and I are asking the court to see.
• INDEPENDENTS FIGHT FOR A VOICE (BY PAMELA WHITE, Boulder Weekly) The number of independent voters is growing nationwide, and as their numbers increase, so does their desire to be full participants in elections that are currently dominated by two parties.
• Riddle continues to push election suit (Durango Telegraph/Quick & Dirty)
• Drew Munro — It's almost time to vote: Do you know where your candidate is? (Sky-Hi News) Wow. Democracy freed from the surly bonds of party politics. What a concept.

Poll- GO TO THE BOULDER WEEKLY TO TAKE THIS POLL BY CLICKING HERE
Do you think Colorado’s voting laws should be changed so that independent voters have the same rights as Democrats and Republicans?

 Yes! Our current laws are biased in favor of the two main parties.

 No! Our laws exist for a reason, even if I don´t know what it is.

 Not sure. I´d have to learn more about it.

 Don´t vote. Don´t care.

  

OREGON INDEPENDENT PARTY

• Editorial: Independents get no help (Democrat Herald)

TEA PARTY

• Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton downplay NAACP Tea Party resolution, push jobs, DC march (HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, Associated Press, Cleveland Plain Dealer) Sharpton was a little more direct, saying issues surrounding the Tea Party go beyond claims of racism. He said the civil rights movement sought to pressure the federal government to step in when states were enforcing segregation laws, and the tea party's focus on states' rights puts people at risk.
• What if the Tea Party Were Black? (Mirror on America) Blogger, Professor, & author Christopher Chambers discusses the Tea Party on the RT network.

NEW YORK

• Questions Arise About Ciafone Residency In 36th AD (Queens Gazette/Political Page)
• Threatening the GOP’s “Independence”? Republican Pols Could Be Denied Independence Party Lines This Fall (by John Galt, Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn blog)
• Party to Return Disputed Cash To Bloomberg (By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL, Wall Street Journal) In a letter sent to the party's attorney on June 14, Assistant District Attorney Eric Seidel, chief of the rackets bureau, wrote that the party received about $350,000 in "stolen money" and is currently in possession of "some or all" of those funds. Mr. Seidel demanded the party send the money to the DA's office so that it could be returned to Mr. Bloomberg. [NOTE: The NY State Independence Party is run by Frank MacKay)

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• Term Limits Could Throw Out Council Members (by Courtney Gross, Gotham Gazette)
• Term Limits Appear Headed for Fall Ballot (By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ, NY Times/City Room)
• City Agencies Uneven On Voter Registration Push (By Chris Giblin, City Limits)

An Independent Independence Day Fourth of July Celebration!

Have a great independents day wherever you are!

And when you get a chance, check out these very independent blogs:
The Moderate Voice
Mirror On America
Poli-Tea
the Field Negro
Free Citizen
THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST (Jack Jodell)
Donklephant
yellowarmadellos
Legal Briefs

And one last thing:
Congrats to Richard Winger for publishing an online version of the print version of Ballot Access News!

Something that caught my eye:

HB 1271 only passed because of two courageous Colorado politicians. One is Joelle Riddle, an incumbent member of the La Plata County Commission, who switched her registration from "Democrat" to "independent" on August 21, 2009. That made her ineligible to run for re-election in 2010, because the law required her to switch by June 2009.

The other is state legislator Kathleen Curry, who switched her registration from "Democrat" to "independent" on December 28, 2009. Curry had been the Speaker Pro Tem, the second highest position in the House. Also she had been chair of the Agriculture Committee. She was forced to give up both positions because of her party switch. She authored HB 1271. Both Riddle and Curry live in the underpopulated part of Colorado that is west of the continental divide.

GO COLORADO INDEPENDENTS!!!

-NH

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 6/25/10

INDEPENDENT ROUND-UP: The specter of open primaries has party bosses shaking in their boots. Independent candidates Joelle Riddle and Kathleen Curry in Colorado have been ruled out of bounds by a US District Court Judge.

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• A conservative, but not a movement conservative – And that is a Christie asset (BY ALAN J. STEINBERG, New Jersey News Room) Among independent voters, the Governor scored a sixty percent (60%) approval rating in the aforesaid Rasmussen Poll and fifty percent (50%) in the Quinnipiac Poll of June 17. A struggling economy, a rising number of registered independents and a hostile attitude toward incumbent politicians have combined to put at least seven races in play leading up to November.
• National bad mood puts Calif. incumbents at risk (By ROBIN HINDERY Associated Press Writer, Mercury News)
• CNN Poll: Majority angry at both political parties (CNN Political Ticker) The survey indicates that nearly six in ten Independent voters say they are angry at both parties, with only four percent angry only at the GOP and six percent mad only at the Democrats. Just over three in ten say they are not angry at either party. The poll suggests a slight generational divide, with 43 percent of those under age 50 saying they are not mad at either party. That number drops to 15 percent for those 50 and older.

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Letter: Commissioner's comments show lack of respect for the voters (LETTER TC Palm) Open primaries are a new concept in Florida. They should only be used to determine election winners in unique circumstances; after all other candidate options have been exhausted. 
• Guest Columnists — Registrars offer primary reminder (Written by George Cody and Robert Shafter, New Canaan Advertiser) The important caveat to remember is that unaffiliated voters must enroll in the party holding the primary of their choice.

BALLOT ACCESS

• Maryland Removes Independent Party from Ballot (Ballot Access News) The Independent Party became ballot-qualified in 2008.  It was formed by supporters of Ralph Nader for president.
• Cohen May Face Court, Not Ballot Challenge (By Benjamin Yount, Illinois Statehouse News, Fox News) “We have conflicting court cases out there, and the question is can a person run in a party primary and then for whatever reason the person {would} resign from that nomination and then run as an independent…And this is probably one reason that Gov. Quinn and others are considering going the judicial route to challenge Mr. Cohen.”

GOV/ STATE/ MIDTERM RACES

• One Small Thing, to Dave Weigel (Posted by kowalski, RedState.com) Ron Paul comes dangerously close to being their Lenora Fulani, which is one of the reasons I don’t much like Ron Paul.
• Political Scene: Both state parties prepare to endorse candidates (By Katherine Gregg, Randal edgar, Steve Peoples and john mulligan, Providence Journal State House Bureau)
• Major parties increasingly wary of third-party governor candidates (Washington Post/The Fix)

COLORADO

• Curry must go write-in route (By The Denver Post)
• Riddle loses lawsuit, won't seek re-election (by Garrett Andrews, Durango Herald)
• U.S. District Court Upholds Ballot Access Restriction for 2010 Even Though Legislature Already Repealed it for the Future (Ballot Access News) Click here for the decision

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• Charter Recommendations (Gotham Gazette) Earlier this week, the Women’s City Club, a long-time civic group, weighed in on two of the biggies — term limits and nonpartisan elections — and came out against both.

LAST WORD

• Self-funded candidates can't always buy success, research shows (By Anne Bauer, Seattle Post Globe)