Conversations on Civil Disobedience

Watch Lindsay Campbell's mobLOGIC.tv coverage of the Sean Bell protest Wednesday....

NEW YORK, NY May 09, 2008 —Gov. David Paterson said he'll let federal officials and the NYPD finish up their investigations into the fatal shooting of Sean Bell before implementing his own changes, like the use of a special prosecutor. (WNYC)

More details of Gov Paterson's statement on NY1

Posted May 9, 2008 – Wednesday’s massive rally denouncing the acquittal of three NYPD detectives who killed Sean Bell, an unarmed young Black man, was just the beginning, says the Rev. Al Sharpton, who has promised to bring New York to a standstill until justice is served. (BET)

And more from BET here......

and from i live in my truck, more footage....

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Senators to test McCain's independent clout (USA TODAY)
• Democrat registrations on the rise (KHAS-TV - Nebraska)

CAMPAIGN

• Obama's Consolidation of the Party (Matt Stoller, Huffington Post)
• The Superdelegate Problem (Alternet)
• Tales from the Trail: Did Rush help Hillary in Indiana? (Reuters blog)

SEAN BELL PROTEST * Sharpton: 'Conyers Wants To See For Self'- Congressman To Visit Scene Of Bell's Death, Sharpton Says At Rally (WNBC)

50 Shots. No Justice, No Peace.

I shared a cell last night with Lindsay Campbell, host of MobLogic.TV's daily program, after being arrested at the entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge just yards away from One Police Plaza in the Sean Bell protest organized by Rev. Al Sharpton. Tune in tomorrow for a glimpse of the mass arrest of 216 protesters.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

CAMPAIGN

• Clinton continues despite dire predictions (USA TODAY) David Parker, a Democratic National Committee member and lawyer in Statesville, N.C., said letting the race continue is "good for the party because it brings those white independent voters over to the Democratic side, and we will need them in the fall."
• Clinton looks like a winner in West Virginia. Obama hopes pinned on independent voters (CHARLESTON, W.Va. Prime Buzz)

NORTH CAROLINA

• Primary prods a few superdelegates (News Observer) The Obama campaign estimated it knocked on 500,000 doors, including 200,000 on election day.
• Non-Democrats Influenced Ind., N.C. Vote (CBS News)

REFORM
Redistricting: Making it fair (Jacksonville Times-Union)

SEAN BELL PROTEST

• NYPD Arrests 216 Protesters (About/Civil Liberties blog)
• Sean Bell Protesters Slow City; Sharpton, Paterson Will Meet (NY Sun)
• Sean Bell Protest Hits Brooklyn (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Dems buoyed by new voter sign-ups in Az, U.S. (Tucson Citizen) That 18 percent jump in total voter registration includes 108,000 new Democrats, 116,000 additional Republicans and 196,000 voters affiliated with no political party with ballot status.
• Students, Nuns, Denied RIGHT to Vote in Indiana Today Following Supreme Court Approval of State Photo ID Restrictions (The Brad Blog)
• Libertarian trio seek Boulder County seats (Longmont Times-Call)
• It's another big night for Obama (Detroit Free Press)
• So far, a split (Philadelphia Daily News/Associated Press)

SHARPTON BELL PROTEST TODAY

• CLOSING THE CITY (BET News)
• Day of protest over Bell case may mean potential nightmare for commuters (DAILY NEWS)
• Officials prepare for Bell verdict protests (Newsday)
• In wake of acquitals, anger simmers New York (Final Call)
• Detectives Union Heads To D.C. To Discuss Bell Verdict (WNBC)
• Bell Supporters Plan Civil Disobedience Acts Across The City (NY 1)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• It's the independents, stupid (Strange Bedfellows/Seattle Post Intelligencer)


• Young voters may shun old system (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online) What's the future of the two-party system?

CAMPAIGN

• For McCain, There's Only One Perfect Candidate for Veep (By Stuart Rothenberg, RealClearPolitics) [NOTE: Is this a liberal version of Bill O'Reilly calling for Repubs to vote for Obama so that Hillary wins??? Joe Lieberman has turned off more independents than you can shake a stick at!]


• Tuesday is deadline for voter registration, party switching (By kgw.com and AP)


• A swell of enthusiasm in North Carolina (Cary News) On the ground in North Carolina

POLLS

• Indiana Poll Data Analysis (Associated Content) Very very close


• Gallup Daily Tracking: Clinton Pulls Slightly Ahead Of Obama (The Moderate Voice) Rasmussen shows that both Republicans and unaffiliated voters are less likely to believe that Obama is a stronger general election candidate than Clinton.


• Rasmussen Reports


• Rasmussen: Obama Leads By 8 Nationally (Donklephant)


• Clinton, Obama gap closes; Perdue pulls away (ABC 11 Raleigh Durham) Unaffiliated voters shift slightly to Hillary in North Carolina

REFORM

• OHIO: Court ruling on voter ID not much of an issue in Ohio (The Vindicator) Supreme Court rules on Idaho voter ID


• OREGON: Independent Voters Now Officially Locked Out of May 20 Races; Open Primary Campaign Passes Half-way Mark (Earth Times Press Release)

NEW YORK
The Sean Bell Verdict and the American Dilemma (Lenora Fulani, The Daily Voice)

Lenora Fulani: Sean Bell verdict shows much more to do on issues of racial justice

April 26, 2008

My name is Lenora Fulani and I represent hundreds of thousands of independent New Yorkers – black, white, Latino and Asian – who believe in fairness and justice for all people. We are deeply saddened and angry over yesterday’s verdict in the Sean Bell case.

There has been progress in this city, under the firm leadership of Rev. Al Sharpton, with respect to issues of racial justice. His voice has been passionate and consistent. He has done more to take us out of extreme polarization and recurrent racial violence than he is ever given credit for. But, as the verdict in the Bell case shows, there is much more to do.

Even as we give expression to our rage – through civil disobedience and other actions Rev. Sharpton calls for – we must continue all efforts for the fundamental cultural changes required to eliminate the racialism that permeates our institutions.

No police department, no judge, no court of public opinion, will be fair until we can bring about the cultural and human development that takes us beyond race-based biases that are deeply rooted in them. This is a painful truth for the black community and for all who seek justice. But we must face it and act accordingly. Even as we follow Rev. Sharpton’s lead in protest, we must be sure to keep our eye on the long term prize.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Obama’s Strength Among Independent Voters Makes Him More Electable Than Clinton (Joe Gandelman, The Moderate Voice)
• CLASH OF THE INDEPENDENTS (By JOHN AVLON, New York Post)

CAMPAIGN

• McCain runs strong as Democrats battle on (By Susan Page, USA TODAY)
• The libertarian voter (Washington Times)
• Pennsylvania Warns Us GOP Still Not Ready for McCain (Townhall)
• OBAMA AND CLINTON DEAD HEAT IN INDIANA (San Francisco Sentinel)
• Sen. Barack Obama is favored to win the North Carolina primary and a large share of the state’s 115 delegates (San Francisco Sentinel)

WEST VIRGINIA* W.Va. hits voter record (Charleston Daily Mail)

NORTH CAROLINA* Other races pale as presidential candidates woo N.C. (Houston Chronicle)

NEW YORK * Fulani 'deeply saddened and angry' over Sean Bell verdict (Redding News Review)

Lenora Fulani 2009: From the Bottom Up

Pictures from today's City Hall press conference where preeminent independent political leader Lenora Fulani, with a gathering of some 75-80 representatives of the New York City Independence Party and the Coalition of Outsiders behind her, announced that she has filed papers with the New York City Campaign Finance board authorizing an exploratory committee for a run for citywide office in 2009.

Fulani said:

"Much has been accomplished at the level of bringing politicians and policy makers together under Mayor Bloomberg's stewardship. But lasting solutions come about when regular people come together in thier lives and in their neighborhoods. "Operation Conversation" [Fulani's program in response to the brutal killing of Sean Bell in Queens earlier this year] is one example of the kind of initiative in which the people of this city can more directly take responsibility for public safety. Yes, we have a good police commissioner and his officers have been very responsive to this program. But communication and collaboration among groups that are alienated from one another has to be created "from the bottom up."

I'm working on video.... Stay tuned! In the meantime, see Lenora Fulani's Committee for an Independent New York...