TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Creigh Deeds gains support of independent voters in Virginia's Dem primary for Gov race -- voting today is open to any voter -- VA has nonpartisan registration. Interesting comment about this race by Fake Virginia in Daily Kos...

Interesting camera angle by Azi Paybarah of IP spokesperson/strategist Jackie Salit welcoming Mayor Bloomberg at the NYC Independence Party Spring Chair Reception Sunday at Wolfgang's Steakhouse in Tribeca. See photos from the event at the top of The Hankster... And, here's Azi catching the gist of the independent campaign to elect the first independent Mayor of NYC... And by the way, shaking hands with Mike in the mailer is 25 year Harlem independent organizer Allen Cox...

Also of interest: NY Times poll shows one-third of New Yorkers know Mike Bloomberg's political affiliation----- INDEPENDENT!

"Fraud" in Harlem, or just machine politics as usual?

From the New York Observer's Politicker by Azi Paybarah:

"....Michael Bloomberg's use of the word “fraud” to describe the unofficial, faulty Super Tuesday results from the city Board of Elections is getting lots of attention in lots of very different places, as illustrated here [College Democrats at the University of Wisconsin at Madison] and here [this is The Hankster post] and here [this is Icky People.com, a Chicago-based independent/liberal blog that is worth a look]. ...... Jerry Skurnik still thinks the accusation is bogus. [This is Room 8 -- if you're a New Yorker, or even if you're not.... you want to check out this important -- if bogus -- blog.......]

To read Lenora Fulani's comments on the significance of Super Tuesday and the black vote, see Obama's Wave and the New York Role Reversal in the Daily Voice: "In many respects the New York story could be cast as a simple one - man vs. machine - where the man, Barack Obama and his visionary campaign was outpolled by an entrenched and powerful urban political machine with deep roots in Harlem. It would be that simple story but for the fact that the recent history of black politics in New York City includes a massive and unexpected uprising against the clubhouse by black voters. In 2005, 47 percent of black voters rejected the Democratic Party mayoral candidate and voted for an Independent/Republican Mike Bloomberg instead. This outpouring against politics-as-usual and for nonpartisan political change briefly put New York in the national vanguard of a black electoral revolution. But on Super Tuesday, the roles were reversed....."

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• New Hampshire activist Betty Ward invites independents to participate in IndependentPrimary.com where you can vote for your favorite candidate online until Dec. 18 (Concord Monitor)


• FAIR.org says "The Lou Dobbs Primary" is a media forum for immigration issue, not a dialogue for voters ( Media Advisory)


• Ron Paul supporters make strong showing at National Presidential Caucus in Winston Salem (WINSTON SALEM JOURNAL)


• New Jersey legislature will consider a bill to require county committees of political parties (D & R) to have consitutions, bylaws (NY Times)


• Obama rocks the Apollo (by HERB BOYD, Special to the AmNews)


• The Oprah Factor (The State)


• Carl Romanelli was removed from the 2006 ballot in his campaign against Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and then Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, after enough of the more than 95,000 signatures were ruled invalidated by the board of elections. Romanelli needed 67,000 to get on the ballot as an independent candidate during that race. He's still fighting. (Citizens Voice)


• In spite of dismissal of indictment, Oklahoma 3 charged again in TABOR petition drive case--no surprise there (The Journal Record) and (KTEN Local News)


• Azi Paybarah reports on the "media scrum" where Bill Clinton lauded Mayor Bloomberg (The Politicker)

Conversations on the Behind-the-Scenes Presidential Campaign

While the official presidential campaigns continue to escape or bore or be shunned by most independent voters around the country, there are some interesting things happening at the grassroots and in the blogosphere.

Azi Paybarah at The Politicker (New York Observer) posted a great picture (and comments) last night after the Obama fundraiser at the Apollo of the less-than-famous Committee for a Harlem Debate between Clinton and Obama t-shirt "Who Decided Hillary is best for the Black Community?" (back) "Let the People Decide!" (front)... For video of the September Harlem African American Day Parade... And at the Trinity Church, people are trying to set up a debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in Harlem.... Azi didn't credit The Hankster, but -- hey, that's ok! On behalf of Keith McHenry (Coalition of Outsiders), and Lonnie Shockley (Trinity Church) and the 100+ community activists who attended at the invitation of Lenora Fulani and friends, thanks! See also Does Dr. Lenora Fulani Have a Point Here? by Rock Hackshaw on Room 8 linked to The Hankster here... For links to the September Trinity Church community meeting on the subject, click here.... and for more click here on New York City 2007 Obama Blackout...

Michele Norris of NPR's All Things Considered, who will moderate Saturday's Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum, will be on Meet the Press with Tim Russert on Sunday. Watch, and check in on Talk/Talk on Tuesday -- compare your notes with Jackie Salit and Fred Newman....

Chase Martin at Iowa Independent objects to the Clinton bias coming from the organizers of the Brown and Black Presidential Forum, a 501(c)(3) organization and the oldest minority-focused presidential debate in the country, resulting in questions on ticket distribution, and says that "concerns exist because of the uncharacteristic exclusivity of the planning for this year's forum...." Organizers, who deny the bias, will endorse a candidate afterwards.... The fight is taken up here by Taylor Marsh on Huffington Post... Hmmm... I guess the Clinton/Obama debate is gaining some ground.... New York isn't the only state experiencing the Clinton Slam Dunk!

To be continued....

pq