Significant Victory for Open Primaries and Voting Rights in South Carolina for Independents and African American Voters

Independents Are Growing in Number and Stature

By John Opdycke on 08/27/2013 in INV

On steps of the Donald S. Russell Federal courthouse in Spartanburg, SC (left to right): Jackie Salit, President of IndependentVoting.org; South Carolina Independence Party chair Wayne Griffin; local counsel Fletcher Smith, and IndependentVoting.org general counsel Harry Kresky.

...Last Wednesday, IndependentVoting.org president Jackie Salit and general counsel Harry Kresky traveled to South Carolina to defend open primaries from the Greenville County Republican Party, which has been attempting to force the state to enact closed primaries since 2010. After hearing arguments from both sides, Federal Judge Mary Lewis sided with the defendants and dismissed the case – a significant victory for open primaries advocates.

IndependentVoting.org issued a press release in the wake of the ruling, stating: “Political crossfire inside the Republican Party gave rise to this lawsuit but African American and independent voters would have been the big losers if the primaries had been closed as a result.”...

Read Opdycke's full article here

Read more about IndependentVoting.org's campaign for open primaries here

Federal Judge Halts Greenville SC Republican Attacks Open Primaries: Victory for African American and Independent Voters

Independent voters need to be aware of the mounting attacks -- and increasing successes -- regarding open primary legislation that might include the 40% of Americans who are not allowed to vote in state primary elections.

“The common interest between African American and independent voters is becoming pivotal in the next wave of voting rights struggles in America.”- Jacqueline Salit

  

For Immediate Release from independentvoting.org:  August 21, 2013

Contact:  Sarah Lyons / 212-962-1824

via email 8/26/13

IndependentVoting.org, a national association of independent voters and a defender of South Carolina’s open primary system, hailed a federal court judge’s ruling in Spartanburg today that the Greenville Republican Party did not have standing to sue to close the South Carolina primaries.  In June, the State Republican Party withdrew from the lawsuit leaving the Greenville GOP as the sole plaintiff in the case which has been pending since 2010. 

IndependentVoting.org and a coalition of defendant/intervenors argued that without the state Republican Party’s involvement, the Greenville plaintiffs did not have standing.  Judge Mary G. Lewis agreed and granted the motion to dismiss. 

 

Catch Lenora Fulani here on nonpartisan elections

Harry Kresky, Esq., who appeared with local counsel Fletcher N. Smith, argued the standing issue on behalf of the intervenors and said, “Today’s ruling was a setback for the Greenville faction of the South Carolina Republican Party which hoped to use the court to strengthen its influence in the state party.  The voters would have paid a price.”  

Jacqueline Salit, president of IndependentVoting.org which assembled the defendant/intervenor coalition said, “Political crossfire inside the Republican Party gave rise to this lawsuit but African American and independent voters would have been the big losers if the primaries had been closed as a result.” 

State Representative Joe Neal, part of the defendant/intervenor coalition added, “Today the South Carolina federal court has upheld the rights of voters in South Carolina, especially the minority community, to free and unfettered access to the polls.” 

Salit added “The common interest between African American and independent voters is becoming pivotal in the next wave of voting rights struggles in America.” 

In addition to IndependentVoting.org, the coalition of defendant/intervenors included: thirteen members of the South Carolina Black Legislative Caucus, the South Carolina Independence Party, the Progressive Network, the Constitution Party and the Columbia Tea Party. 

“South Carolinians have always been fiercely independent.  As an intervenor, I am proud that we stopped the Republican Party from closing our state's primary elections,” stated Wayne Griffin chair of the South Carolina Independence Party.

Hankster First Read: Colorado Open Records Act Goes to Senate

CORA [Colorado Open Records Act] black-out bill goes to senate (Center Post Dispatch) Despite concerns voiced by election activists, a Senate committee passed a bi-partisan bill last Wednesday that will black out Colorado elections, preventing reporters and concerned citizens from viewing voted ballots and election records during the two-month election cycle... Election integrity activists Marilyn Marks of Pitkin County, Harvie Branscomb of Eagle County, Joe Richey and Mary Eberle of Boulder County, Kathleen Curry of Gunnison County and others also testified against the bill.  


INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Make independent voting easier  and Independents don't want partisan candidates:  Independents speak out about the election process in letters to the editor, while American Prospect puts its head in the sand...
• Linda Killian, Independent Rock Star! Maine Festival of the Book: Read on! (By Bob Keyes, Press Herald) With Snowe's announcement, Cecil found herself with a hot topic and a timely talking point for the festival. On Saturday, former U.S. Rep. Tom Allen and Washington political insider Linda Killian will present a panel discussion, "Politics Today: Swing and Independent Voters, Party Divides and Ideological Convictions."

OPEN PRIMARIES
Keep open primaries in S.C. (Post and Courier - SC) The hard-core party faithful might approve of legislation to require party registration in primary elections, since eliminating open primaries could strenghten their influence over the outcome. But it would remove a moderating influence that South Carolina needs as it elects its leaders.


WFP AND ALL THINGS NEW YORK

• Working Families Party raises for Hakeem Jeffries against Towns, citing CAFTA and Issa (By Reid Pillifant, CAPITAL NEW YORK)
• Pension and redistricting dominate the Albany conversation (By STEPHON JOHNSON, Amsterdam News)
• Boro pols slam new district lines - Accuse Gov. Cuomo of retreating on promise to veto (by Anna Gustafson, Senior Editor, Queens Chronicle) Some good government groups, including Citizens Union and the League of Women Voters, have praised the constitutional amendment, though Citizens Union has emphasized it did not support the 2012 lines as drawn. "Given the long standing resistance to enacting redistricting reform, and the high stakes involved, we applaud them in finding common ground on an issue that is at the core of political power in Albany and results in the legislature giving up power in the drawing of lines," Citizens Union said in a prepared statement.
  

PARTY-ISM
Have "outside" interested PR men hijacked the Republican Party? Kevin Baker explores the outsourcing of the body and soul of the Repubs...

EDUCATION
Eva Moskowitz expands Success Charter Schools network into middle-class Manhattan and Brooklyn neighborhoods.


INDEPENDENT CULTURE
Charles E. Rogers, Amsterdam News, sez: Trust me you, your family and friends don’t want to miss the Castillo Theater’s fantastic “Sally and Tom (The American Way).”
   Full disclosure: The Hankster is a very big BIG fan of the Castillo Theatre and I could not agree more with Charles Rogers -- trust us, you do NOT want to miss this show -- and the run has been extended, so you get another chance. Watch for new dates in April/May

CA Prop 14 Under Attack From Third Parties

SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY
South Carolina Supreme Court turns back challenge to presidential primary (By Jim Davenport, Associated Press, Augusta Chronicle) Election officials in Beau­fort, Chester, Greenville and Spartanburg counties said county taxpayers would be left with more than $1 million in costs the state wouldn’t cover for the Jan. 21 contest.

PROP 14

• Lawsuit: Prop. 14 violates California minor party voters' rights (Sac Bee/ Capitol Alert) "By limiting access to the general election ballot, Prop. 14 effectively bars small political parties, their candidates, and their members from effective political association, precisely at the moment when the highest number of voters are engaged in the electoral process," the complaint reads.
• Proposition 14 Lawsuit (VIDEO, KCRA Channel 3) with CT Weber, Chair, Peace & Freedom Party
• Open primaries: 3rd-party backers sue over law (Marisa Lagos, San Francisco Chronicle) "This is really a lawsuit about keeping the field of political debate open," said attorney Michael Siegel. "Proposition 14 narrows the political debate by saying only two candidates can participate in general elections, and we think that's unconstitutional because many Supreme Court cases have said you can't have a barrier to small parties competing in the general election."

Federal Judge: South Carolina Open Primaries Are Constitutional

SOUTH CAROLINA OPEN PRIMARIES

• U.S. judge allows S.C. primary challenge arguments (By JIM DAVENPORT, The Associated Press, Bluffton Today) South Carolina requires no party registration to vote in primaries. Republicans argued open primaries infringe on their constitutional rights to associate with people of their choosing. But the state’s lawyers countered that people voting in a primary are picking a party with which to align. U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs ruled the state’s open primaries are constitutional. However, the GOP’s lawyers have asked Childs to alter her opinion.
• Lawyers making additional arguments in challenge to SC's open primaries (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, The Republic - IN) Closing a primary to only people who have registered by political party would be a major shift in a key presidential primary state that now allows all voters to participate in the contest they choose.

South Carolina Repubs Challenge Open Primary in Courts

SOUTH CAROLINA OPEN PRIMARY
APNewsBreak: SC Supreme Court to hear primary case (JIM DAVENPORT, Associated Press, Seattle Post Intelligencer) It is the second major challenge this year for the way South Carolina handles primaries….South Carolina requires no party registration to vote in primaries. Republicans argued open primaries infringe on their constitutional rights to associate with people of their choosing…. U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs ruled the state's open primaries are constitutional. However, the GOP's lawyers have asked Childs to alter her opinion. In August, Childs told lawyers on both sides to file papers with the court by Dec. 15.

CORRECTION
The Hankster incorrectly ran a headline yesterday "North Carolina Repubs Fight Open Primary" GOP suit seeks closed primary - Questions linger about who can vote, who will get bill (By Eric Connor, Greenville Online) U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs has given the state Republican Party and the State Attorney General until Dec. 15 to file arguments over whether the state’s open-primary laws are constitutional.

The headline should have read "South Carolina Repubs Fight Open Primary"

Thanks to Richard Winger of Ballot Access News for the correction.

Illinois and South Carolina: Open Primaries Attract Independent Voters

OPEN PRIMARIES

• House Freshmen Emerge as G.O.P. Power Brokers (By JENNIFER STEINHAUER, NY Times) Mr. Scott brings something else to the table: he is one of only two black Republicans in Congress right now, which candidates also see as a boon. “We hear all the time, ‘How are you going to reach out to the African-American vote?’ ” Mr. Connelly said. “I always tell people two words: Tim Scott. He has proved that conservatives have principles that are attractive to black Americans.” … While Mr. Perry and Mitt Romney are beginning to build their operations, Jon M. Huntsman Jr., the former governor of Utah, has the deepest and most professional infrastructure in the state, where he is hoping that the open primary system will attract more moderate voters to his cause. He was Mr. Scott’s first town hall guest, back in May.
• Illinois Activist Launches Initiative to Convert Illinois Open Primary to a Secret Open Primary (Ballot Access News) Bill Clutter, a private investigator in Springfield, Illinois, is launching an initiative to change the Illinois open primary, from one in which primary voters must ask for one particular party’s primary ballot, to one in which primary voters in the secrecy of the voting booth choose one party’s primary ballot.

More Voters Walking Away From Two-Party System - A Case for Top Two

It's never been more clear that in order for new ideas, new alliances, new directions to emerge in our country, independents -- those who choose to go outside the box politically -- need to be included in our political process. Top two open primaries is one structural reform that is gaining support all over the country, much to the distress of the parties...

TOP TWO OPEN PRIMARIES

• More voters walking away from Democrat and Republican parties (AZ Central/Laurie Roberts' Columns & Blog) Meanwhile, with each set of new registration numbers, more and more Arizona voters are walking away from the two-party system. Yet the system remains, just as it has since statehood. When are we going to get around to dropping this antiquated system and going to a general and a runoff, where everybody votes on all the candidates regardless of party designation?
  
• Independent voters continue to rack up numbers (By David Rookhuyzen, Green Valley News) The state’s voting system could also be contributing to the high number of unaffiliated voters. Independents in Arizona can vote in any party’s primary election, except the Green Party, meaning there is no penalty for not having a party affiliation, Davis said. However, independents in Arizona are barred from voting in the presidential primary — or Presidential Preference Election — next year, which is reserved for members of the major parties.
  
• South Carolina Republicans Win Opportunity to Present Evidence Against Open Primary (Ballot Access News) On July 18, a U.S. District Court Judge in South Carolina issued an 8-page Opinion in Greenville County Republican Party v State, 6:10-cv-1407, the case in which the South Carolina Republican Party argues that the Constitution protects its ability to limit its primaries to party members.
• California State Appeals Court Sets Oral Argument in Case Against Two Aspects of “Top-Two” (Ballot Access News) This is one of the two cases that challenges two particular details of the Proposition 14 “top-two” system...

Harry Kresky on South Carolina Federal Court Victory for Open Primaries

Attorney Harry Kresky talks about the recent Federal Court victory in South Carolina for open primaries at the NYC Independence Party Spring Chairman's Reception held at Tribeca Grill 6/6/11.



Honored at the event this year were three distinguished leaders from South Carolina: State Representative Joseph Neal; Attorney Fletcher Smith, Jr.; and Chair of the SC Independence Party, Wayne Griffin. All three played important roles in the fight to preserve open primaries.

Independents Gain Numbers, South Carolina Repubs Challenge Open Primary

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
Voter reg. could be key for Obama in 2012 (AP  By KEN THOMAS, KGO ABC San Francisco) Nearly 2.6 million voters in Florida are unaffiliated… About 500,000 Pennsylvania voters are unaffiliated… Nonpartisan voters remain the largest bloc in the Hawkeye State, representing more than 762,000 voters…

SOUTH CAROLINA OPEN PRIMARY
Republicans ask judge to reconsider open primary ruling (By Eric Connor, Greenville News) In a court filing, state GOP attorney Samuel Harms asks the judge to “clarify the extent and scope” of her opinion, out of the central concern that political rivals are allowed to meddle in the nominating process of a competing party.

2012
GOP eyes Obama campaign tactics (Tony Leys, Des Moines Register) Ann Selzer, a national pollster who runs The Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll, said she sees opportunities for a relatively moderate Republican candidate to woo Iowans who participated in Democratic caucuses for the first time in 2008. Selzer said about 144,000 of the 240,000 people who participated in the Democratic caucuses that year were newcomers to the process. The largest share of those people supported Obama, and some probably have become disenchanted with his presidency, Selzer said.

OBAMA
Obama finds some solid ground; tests still ahead (By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press, Sac Bee) Axelrod said many independents turned to Republicans last year because they perceived that Democrats had used their partisan edge to muscle through legislation, particularly the health care overhaul. Obama has doggedly tried to change that perception since, cutting a deal with Republicans to extend tax cuts in December and reaching another agreement to cut spending and avoid a government shutdown in April.

BLOOMBERG
Bloomberg: Let vets be your model; Tells Princeton grads to note example of sacrifice (Trenton Times) "In government, too often what's right is less precious than winning re-election," Bloomberg said. "Don't fall into that trap. Don't play by their rules. Don't follow the crowd. Don't fool yourself into thinking that one party is 100 percent right 100 percent of the time, and the other party is dead wrong. History shows that no party has a monopoly on ideas, or God on its side."

Testing Open Primaries in Idaho and South Carolina

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Obama Opens 2012 Campaign, With Eye on Money and Independent Voters (By JEFF ZELENY and JACKIE CALMES, NY Times) He may not be on the ballot until November 2012, but aides said they were eager to reach out to independent voters before Republicans do.
• Charlie Cook: Warning Signs Among the GOP - It’s not inconceivable that Republicans might start seeing things go against them in the court of public opinion, starting with the current spending debate. (National Journal/Charlie Cook's Off to the Races) But among independents, 51 percent thought government should do more, with 47 percent saying government was trying to do too much.

OPEN PRIMARIES PUT TO THE TEST IN IDAHO AND SOUTH CAROLINA

• by Damon Eris (CAIVN) On the other side of the issue, attorney Harry Kresky said, "It's a great day for independents. It's a great day for all voters in South Carolina."  Kresky is co-council for the Committee for a Unified Independent Party, which intervened in this suit as well as the case in Idaho.  In 2008, a majority of candidates for the state’s legislature ran unopposed in the general election, as reported at the Greenfield Daily Reporter.  If Independents were barred from voting in the state’s primary elections, they would be effectively disenfranchised from the political process.
• South Carolina editorial roundup (NECN.com) In tossing out a lawsuit by Republicans seeking to close party primaries in South Carolina, a federal court judge turned voters into winners in this important political process. With her decision, U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs has protected voters' rights while also preserving the integrity of the election process in our state.
• Allen: ‘Can’t believe partisan registration more important than funding schools, medical care for needy’ (Posted by Betsy, Spokesman Review/Eye On Boise) Gary Allen, attorney for independent voters who are appealing the federal court decision overturning Idaho's current primary system, told the House State Affairs Committee this morning, “My clients are concerned with the requirement for mandatory registration for two reasons:…" 

NEW YORK
Will Marty Golden Be Next Year’s Frank Padavan? Senate Dems Are Banking On It (By Laura Nahmias, City Hall News) Over a year in advance of the 2012 races, Democrats are already plotting a robust challenge to State Sen. Marty Golden, and the man at the top of the list of possible candidates is Carlo Scissura, chief of staff to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

Voters Are Winners in South Carolina Judge's Dismissal of Lawsuit to Close Primary System

SOUTH CAROLINA VOTERS ARE WINNERS:
Greenville News Editorial: Voters win with judge's ruling (Greenville Online.com) Judge Childs noted that the state burden imposed on political parties was “slight, at the most” and correctly addressed important state interests protected under the current system. The state has a significant interest in “regulating elections in a manner that preserves the integrity of the electoral process and ensures that elections are fair and honest.” The state also has an interest in “promoting voter participation in the electoral process” and in protecting “the rights of individual voters to cast a meaningful ballot.”

What Independent Voters Want: Equal Citizenship Status With Partisans

BIG WIN FOR INDEPENDENTS

• Decision backs independence of S.C. voters (The Times and Democrat.com) "It's a great day for independents. It's a great day for all voters in South Carolina," said lawyer Harry Kresky, who argued the case for IndependentVoting.org. "The primary confirms a great deal of legitimacy on a candidate."
• Judge rebuffs GOP; rules SC primaries remain open (By JEFFREY COLLINS - Associated Press, Lake Wylie Pilot) A group of independent voters, tea party members and black lawmakers joined the state in fighting the lawsuit.

NOTE: Jeffrey Collins' AP article ran widely in local press.

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Obama, Steering for the Center, Draws Dissent From Both Sides (By EVAN LEHMANN of ClimateWire, NY Times) "Putting forward a positive, forward-looking agenda that is aimed at reaching bipartisan compromise -- that is what most voters want," Ornstein said. "That's certainly what independent voters want."

Repubs Sue State of South Carolina to Close Historically Open Primary

BROAD COALITION FIGHTS FOR OPEN PRIMARIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA
GOP argues case in open-primary lawsuit (BY ERIC CONNOR, Greenville Online) The Republican Party's lawsuit against the state of South Carolina and its Election Commission alleges that the state's laws governing their nomination process violate their constitutional right to free association and allow political rivals who don't espouse the party platform unfair influence in selecting a Republican candidate.... "In the case at bar, plaintiffs have offered no evidence of crossover voting much less of its extent and impact in South Carolina," wrote New York attorney Harry Kresky, who along with former Democratic state legislator Fletcher Smith is representing the independents. "The court must weigh the dramatic impact of a closed primary on independent voters who would be barred from participating in the first round of voting altogether," Kresky wrote.

Partisan Legislatures Challenged by Independent Movement

Charter review in Tiffin Ohio brings nonpartisan elections into relief in a partisan city council culture... New York's partisan ever-lasting ever-failing Reform Albany quest (a high-priority partisan campaign issue of any state-wide election) is failing again... Independents attempt to intervene in South Carolina Repub lawsuit to exclude voters...

OHIO

• Elections last step in review of charter (By Nick Dutro, Tiffin Advertiser Tribune) Commission members decided candidates could not declare themselves as "independent," but had to either choose party affiliation or run non-partisan.

NEW YORK

• Redistricting bill quickly bottled up (By Erik Engquist and Jeremy Smerd, Crain's New York) A rule change made by Senate Democrats when they controlled the chamber makes it possible for the minority party to bring bills up without the leadership's consent. But that does not apply to legislation assigned directly to the Rules Committee, which is where Senate Republicans have sent Mr. Cuomo's independent redistricting bill.

SOUTH CAROLINA

• Independent Voting Asks to Intervene in South Carolina Republican Party Lawsuit to Close Primaries (Ballot Access News) On February 4, IndependentVoting.org filed a request with a U.S. District Court in South Carolina, asking that it be allowed to intervene in the lawsuit called Greenville County Republican Party Executive Committee, and South Carolina Republican Party, et al., v State of South Carolina, 6:10-cv-01407.

South Carolina: IndependentVoting.org to Join State Independents to Intervene on Behalf of Existing Open Primary?

According to its attorney Harry Kresky, Independentvoting.org is exploring the possibility of joining with South Carolina independents, third party activists and progressives to intervene in open primary litigation in South Carolina.

In June of this year the Republican Party commenced a lawsuit against the State of South Carolina which seeks to limit who can vote in the Republican Party primary elections to persons registered into the Party. You can read the RP complaint at Ballot Access News here.

As in Idaho, the plaintiffs claim that it violates their right to freedom of association for the State to allow non-party members to participate in the nomination of the Republican Party's candidates. South Carolina has had open primaries since the dismantling of the all white primary system in the 1950’s. Independentvoting.org would be aligned with the State of South Carolina in defending the open primary system.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/25/10

OPEN PRIMARIES

• AZ: Irvin Commentary: 'Open' primary still closed for many - Arizona's open primary still a lock for 2 parties (By: Steve Irvin, ABC15)
• DC: Independent Voter Fracas Heating Up (Posted by Alan Suderman, Washington City Paper) Tomorrow Team Fenty and Team Gray will square off at the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics over whether or not the city’s 72,000 registered independent voters should be able to vote in the Democratic primary next month.
• AZ: Poll: Most Arizonans Want Jungle Primaries (POSTED BY JIM NINTZEL, Tucson Weekly)
• VT: Voters Head To Polls For Primary Election (Melody Bodette, Vermont Public Radio)
• FL: Open primary needed to boost voter turnout (LETTER The Tampa Tribune)

TUESDAY'S PRIMARIES

• Primaries coast to coast test Establishment vs. Outsiders (By Dan Balz, Mercury News/Washington Post ) Five states were holding contests -- Arizona, Florida, Alaska, Vermont and Oklahoma -- on one of the last major primary days before the general election in November.
• Vermont Voters Pick Candidates for State, Federal Offices; Leahy Wins Nomination (Fox News)

CALIFORNIA

• Judge rules that Maldonado can continue fight for open primaries (By Kurtis Alexander - Santa Cruz Sentinel/Mercury News) Dutta, who filed suit July 28 to block the measure, says he's not necessarily opposed to Proposition 14 or open primaries, just how they're being implemented. Dutta's lawsuit challenges the legislation implementing Proposition 14, specifically provisions that discard write-in votes in general elections and deny minor party candidates from listing their party affiliation.
• Bell, Stern to lead task force on updating Political Reform Act (Sac Bee)
• Independent voters haven't yet seen what they're looking for in California governor's race (BySteve Lopez, LA Times)
• California Lawsuit Over “Top-Two” Becomes a 3-Cornered Fight (Ballot Access News)

PENNSYLVANIA

• Cross-Party Endorsements Support Candidates, Not Canons (Newsweek) The For-the-Sake-of-Bipartisanship Endorsement: Hagel is not the only big name endorsement Sestak has in his corner; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has also publicly backed Sestak’s campaign.

SOUTH CAROLINA

• Scott's destiny challenged by third party candidates (Posted by Greg Hambrick, Charleston City Paper)

NEW YORK

• DSCC Spends On Consultants, WFP, But Not Espada (By Edward-Isaac Dovere, City Hall News) In the last month, Senate Democrats spent $227,000 on consultants, $69,000 on an additional contribution to the Working Families Party and $253,000 on behalf of a wide range of candidates—including nearly every incumbent facing a primary—but not a cent so far for Espada. [i.e. independence comes with a high price tag... -NH]
• Como, Addabbo jockey for position (BY PETE DAVIS, Queens Courier)
• Newest Councilman Gets a Free Pass (By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL, Wall Street Journal)

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied (Henry J. Stern, Huffington Post)
• Charter Commission Approves Term Limits Question (Gotham Gazette/Wonkster)

LAST WORD

• Public yawns while press freaks out over mosque story (Eric Boehlert, Media Matters) I’d sure like to know the last news story that was “trumping all,” as NBC’s Gregory put it, and nearly half of America’s independent voters didn’t even know what the story was.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 7/21/10

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• A Year After Honeymoon Ends, Whites, Men and Independents Desert Obama (By Peter Brown, Wall Street Journal/Capital Journal) But today, the numbers for those three groups show just how far he has fallen. He gets a positive job approval from just 37% of whites, 38% of independents and 39% of men – a roughly 30% drop in all three groups in his support.
• Letter: Partisans put party before country (The Advocate) The most damaging aspect of conservatives and liberals is that they believe that, in order for this country to survive, everyone should conform to their beliefs. These people are more loyal to their party than they are to our country.... The voters in this country at one time were Americans who joined political parties; now they are Republicans and Democrats who live in America.

OPEN PRIMARIES

• ARIZONA: Important information for ALL voters (by three-sonorans, Tucson Citizen) “Since Arizona is an open primary state, even independent voters or those who are not affiliated with a political party may vote,” continued Ms. Rodriguez. “Just designate which political party’s ballot you want at the time you make your request.”
• TENNESSEE: Crossville, Tenn., woman denied GOP primary vote (By: Associated Press, Times Free Press)

SOUTH DAKOTA

• Independent vies for U.S. House seat - Custer resident: Democrats, GOP are out of touch (JONATHAN ELLIS, Argus Leader)

SOUTH CAROLINA

• Fourth Circuit Upholds South Carolina Restriction on Fusion (Ballot Access News)
• Appeals court rules against SC Green Party (The Associated Press, The Sun News-Myrtle Beach)

NEW YORK

• The WFP & Pedro the piker (NY Post) What's really bleeding New York dry is the transactional nature of all Albany politics -- especially when it comes to the public- and quasi-public-sector unions that effectively created the WFP in the first place.
• Indy Party chief in jam over wife loan (By DAVID SEIFMAN, City Hall Bureau Chief, EXCLUSIVE, NY Post) Word of the possible pay-to-play conduct by the Independence Party comes amid an ongoing probe by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., who is looking at the party's role in funneling money from Mayor Bloomberg's campaign to a former aide, John Haggerty, who has since been indicted on grand-larceny charges.
• Independence Party reverses endorsements, favors incumbents (By Robert J. McCarthy, Buffalo News) The unusual moves by State Chairman Frank MacKay and his Executive Committee means the Independence line now goes to incumbent Democrat William T. Stachowski instead of Democratic challenger Timothy M. Kennedy in the 58th Senate District; to incumbent Assemblyman Sam Hoyt instead of Democratic challenger Joseph Golombek Jr. in the 144th Assembly District, and to Republican James P. Domagalski instead of primary challenger Patrick Gallivan in the 59th Senate District.
• Padavan Scores Independence Line, But Como Is Blocked (By Chris Bragg, City Hall News) “They never make us look good here in Queens,” Niebauer said. “We’ll see what happens. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
• For 2nd consecutive day, a Staten Islander deals blow to Independence Party (Tom Wrobleski, SI Advance) "It was a non-partisan election," said Tabacco, who is looking to run for Congress this year. "I didn't need the endorsement."

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• Moonlighting Council Members (by Courtney Gross, Gotham Gazette)
• Nonpartisan Elections, Continued (Gotham Gazette) In their comments Citizens Union officials cited declining voter turnout and the fact that many elections were decided in the Democratic primary — not open to some 1.5 million registered New York voters who are not Democrats. While other ideas — changing the voting calendar, for example, or allowing Election Day registration — might increase turnout — Dadey said, “Top two is the best way the charter commission can open up the process.”

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Obama 'post-partisan' politics reshape ideological divide (Clarence Page, Times Daily - Alabama)
  
• White House Cheat Sheet: Polling Polarization (Chris Cillizza, Washington Post/The Fix)
  
• Partisans Argue Over Partisanship (By Dan Balz, Washington Post) More about the Pew Polarization Poll
  

OPEN PRIMARIES/POLITICAL REFORM

• South Carolina Republican Party Official Boosts Anti-Independent Candidate Bill (Ballot Access News)
  
• Petition candidates legislation: Bill would provide a level playing field (By KATON DAWSON, Herald-Journal - SC)

NEW YORK POLITICS/INDEPENDENCE PARTY

• Strictly Political (Posted by Tom Wrobleski,SI Advance/PolitBureau) AN INDY SPLIT ON BLOOMBERG: Steve Isler speaks out on behalf of "grassroots independents" [sic]... NOTE: Steve Isler no doubt has organzied about 2 independent voters on Staten Island.... Hmmm... what's wrong with THAT picture? Apparently Tom Wrobleski is a novice when it comes to covering independent politics in New York City.... too bad -- he's missing an exciting new development connected to the national independent movement.
  
• Bloomberg Wins Bronx Support To Run As Republican (By: NY1 News) The mayor ran as a Republican in his first two elections, but later gave up his party affiliation and became an Independent. He is already set to run on the Independence Party line, which has angered some Republicans. 
  
• Mayor Michael Bloomberg will run as Republican in bid for third term (BY ELIZABETH BENJAMIN, DAILY NEWS) as posted on Huffington Post 
• New York, NY - Bloomberg to Run Third Term as Republican (י"ז ניסן תשס"טJewkey)

LAST WORD

The Big Takeover - The global economic crisis isn't about money - it's about power. How Wall Street insiders are using the bailout to stage a revolution (MATT TAIBBI, Rolling Stone) Democracy Now! Amy Goodman interview with Matt Taibbi

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Repubs want to overturn Hawaii constitutional requirement of open primary
  
• Party protection plan in South Carolina -- strip the voters
  
• Specter needs open primary in PA
  
• Open primaries could fix California's woes
  
• New York City Independence Party growing