Liveblogging 2012 State of the Union Speech, January 24

Here's a link to a transcript of the President's address from OpEdNews

Unfortunately, President Obama has given short shrift in his SOTU speech to the thousands and millions of Americans who are leaving the two parties. How come?

Party over people will not take us forward.

Back to the grassroots! Organize, organize, organize the unorganized!

NH

10:02: Consolidate Federal bureaucracy... lower the temperature, end the notion that the 2 parties have to battle. "I'm a Democrat" says the President.... quotes Lincoln about role of government (Lincoln was a Repub?) Get rid of regulations that don't work..... govt spending.... 

9:59: Washington is broken (that's cynical) -- debate in Washington over debt crisis... Divide is due to corrosive influence of money in Washington... Limit congressional spending, oversight, etc. Neither party has been blameless, both parties should put an end to it

9:53: Fair values - stop payroll tax to prevent loss of $40 from paycheck...

9:19: Will fight obstruction and the failed policies that brought on this economic crisis... revive manufacturing, etc. Jobs ideas....

9:11: Pres Obama seems to be using the military as an example of competence and responsibility... 

9:10: The President is introduced by Speaker Boehner.

9:07: I'm switching to C-Span.... I'll be looking for any appeal to ordinary nonpartisan independent Americans in President Obama's speech tonight... Michelle O looks great as usual!

9:06: Sawyer: exhausting year of partisanship

9:05: Ok, ABC's Diane Sawyer is not off to a good start already by saying that Dems and Repubs come together tonight.... hmmm..... But I digress....

Clooney's Ides of March: How we elect our officials, not who we elect

I have not yet seen 'The Ides of March' -- the George Clooney movie that captures the corruption of today's political system. Hoping to see it this weekend or next. In the meantime, here's a nice quote from Clooney: "I think the secret to the film has been the fact that Republican and Democrats who work within the political system who have seen the film have all felt that it's really a discussion about how we elect our officials, not who we elect. I think that's why it's had the success it's had."

From 'The Ides of March' could have voters playing politics (By Gary Goldstein, Special to the Los Angeles Times)

Burn Baby Burn

Earlier this week the Idaho legislature Republicans dipped into their personal account up on Capitol Hill and reimbursed itself for the court case their party brought against the state to close primary elections but keep them publicly funded. Only the accounting and the justification is complicated, the corruption and mean spirited manner is really quite simple.

There is a genius of simplicity in Google's company motto; "Don't be evil". Perhaps it is time to start the Google party.

Can any good come from the situation with the Idaho GOP this week? I think yes, which brings us to this weekly Sunday column. From the New Testament, Matthew chapter 5:
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

And from the Doctrine and Covenants a book believed to be scripture by Mormons like myself: Section 121:
41 No apower or influence can or ought to be maintained ..., only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;

Now I hope you don't mind that last bit, but it is also comically relevant inasmuch as Mormonism is the dominant religion in Idaho.

The Republican and Democratic parties must change course or join the junk heap of organizations that have failed to do right by folks. Speaking of self serving organizations, where is the Roman Empire now?

NY State Independence Party: Something Doesn't Smell Right

NEW YORK
Judge: Evidence aplenty vs. NY political operative (Wall Street Journal/AP) 

There is "overwhelming" evidence against a political operative charged with bilking New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg out of more than $1 million, and the billionaire mayor's wealth and stature don't make the case a victimless crime, a judge said Tuesday...

NY IP Chair Frank MacKay [photo from The Capitol]

...The Independence Party, the state's third-largest political party, hasn't been charged with any crime but has taken heat from prosecutors and a civil-court judge over Haggerty. Prosecutors have said in a lawsuit that the party "knew or should have known about" Haggerty's alleged scheme; a civil-court judge has frozen the party's bank accounts and said its conduct "doesn't smell right."

Right. For an interesting backgrounder on NY State IP Chair Frank MacKay, see Chris Bragg's The Capitol article from last November "The Real MacKay - A glimpse into the Independence Party chairman’s mind, and into his castle"

New York State Independence Party Questionable Campaign Finance Process

Bloomberg testified in campaign cash case (By MAGGIE HABERMAN, Politico) Seidel revealed the testimony from Bloomberg, a rare move for a public official, in response. Bloomberg aides later declined to specify when he testified.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/27/10

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Time for Obama to Pull a Clinton (By DOUGLAS E. SCHOEN, Wall Street Journal) The independent voters who hold the fate of the Democrats in their hands are looking for candidates who champion, in a bipartisan context, fiscal discipline, limited government, deficit reduction and a free market, pro-growth agenda. If Democrats don't offer this, they will be branded liberal tax-and-spenders.

OPEN PRIMARIES

• VT: Primary process limits choices (LETTER Rutland VT Herald) I am writing this letter to draw your attention to the injustice that is experienced by ‘independent’ voters during primary elections, which are held year after year.
• LA: Election is historic, so go and vote (EDITORIAL St. Tammany News) Last closed primary - this will be the last closed primary election for Congressional candidates. The Legislature passed, and the governor signed into law that after the general election in November, all primaries will be open. Currently under the closed primary system, a Republican voter has to vote for a Republican candidate, Democrats for Democrats and so forth.
• FL: Lawmakers need to write off the write-in loophole - THE ISSUE: Undemocratic fixture remains in elections laws. (EDITORIAL Sun Sentinel FL)
• DC: DC primaries should be scrapped (by Topher Mathews, Greater Washington.org) But nonetheless, DC's primary election system has no legitimate purpose and should be scrapped in favor of an instant run-off voting system for the general election.

THIRD PARTIES

• If traditional politics bore you, consider the Toga Party (by Ry Rivard, Daily Mail Capitol Reporter WV) The Democrat, Republican and Mountain parties all have open primaries, which allow voters who are not affiliated with one of the other three major parties to vote for their primary candidates. Among the 130 parties are established if little-known minor parties, like the Constitution Party, a national conservative party that claims about 70 members in West Virginia. There are 1,300 self-identified Libertarian Party members.... There are also 185,000 voters with no party affiliation and 12,200 declared Independents.
• Delaware politics: Minor parties add candidates to ballot - House, Senate hopefuls slated by Blue Enigma, Independent Party and Working Families groups (By GINGER GIBSON, The News Journal DE)

COLORADO

• Ballot-bound HD-61 hopefuls weigh in (Gunnison Times) Then there is incumbent Kathleen Curry of Gunnison. During her three-term stint in the Colorado House of Representatives, Curry has risen to become one of the state's most well-known and popular political leaders. Yet her chances of winning re-election this November hinge on being successful as a write-in candidate -- which would be a nearly unprecedented feat for a statewide office-holder.

ARIZONA

• Post-primary election analysis (by Three Sonorans, Tucson Citizen) Why would so many Independents have chosen to vote in the Republican primary? I think the answer is very simple. The most popular race in the nation for Tuesday’s primary was taking place in Arizona, and JD Hayworth scared the bejeezus out of the Independents, and they decided to vote in the Republican primary for McCain.
• David Freddoso: McCain's easy win undercuts Democrats' story line (By: DAVID FREDDOSO, Washington Examiner) Here's a tip for gamblers: Most or all of the "unelectable" conservatives will win in November 2010. It will come as a surprise only to liberal pundits, who view most Americans' opinions as outside of the mainstream because they remain stubbornly unlike the opinions of President Obama.

NEW YORK

• Suffolk’s Ethics Probe Enigma Consumes All - Levy, legislature, DA and Newsday all caught in ethics feud (By Timothy Bolger, Long Island Press) As for the man chosen to wade into the firestorm and report his findings within the next three months, the legislature voted 13-5 to hire Joseph Conway, a Mineola-based criminal defense attorney, former federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York and member of the Independence Party.
• The Unrepentant Republican Party (By Sam Foster, American Thinker) While the September primaries will likely resolve the Republicans' mistake in NY-1, the damage has already been done in the case of NY-23. Given NY's proclivity for third-party ballot lines, Matt's name will appear on the Independence Party ticket, and Doug Hoffman on the Conservative line, despite the Republican primary outcome. The flagrant hatred exhibited by Republican leaders for Hoffman makes it hard to believe that party bosses could unite under Doug Hoffman's potential candidacy. Thus, another three-way race is brewing in NY-23, and the possibility for the district to shed its sickly shade of blue is quickly slipping out of reach.

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• Do-over on term limits: Charter commission must fix the botch it made of its mandate (EDITORIAL NY Daily News)

NYC Mayor Bloomberg Charter Revision Commission: Nonpartisan Elections? Harry Kresky Sees a New Opening

Partisan gridlock... Political corruption.... Scandal...  Can a nonpartisan election system help?



NYC Independence Party attorney Harry Kresky attended the Baruch College forum on Charter Revision last month and raised the issue of nonpartisan elections as an issue that the Mayor appointed commission might want to take up.

Since then, the Commission has been constituted and City Council isn't happy about it...

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• Mayor taps CUNY head to chair commission on charter revision (BY ADAM LISBERG, DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF)
• Island has just 1 representative on panel to revise City Charter (SI Advance, By Tom Wrobleski)
• Two Bronxites Named to City Charter Revision Commission (Bronx News Network)
• Bloomberg taps Marty's chief of staff for charter commission (By RICH CALDER, NY Post)
• Mike names reform panel for term limits (By DAVID SEIFMAN, NY Post)
• Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Charter Revision Commission has a bit of Brooklyn moxie. (YourNabe Brooklyn Hts)
• Goldstein: Charter change proposals will be on November ballot (BY ELIZABETH BENJAMIN, Daily News/Daily Politics)
• RPA's Hope Cohen to serve on NYC Charter Revision Commission (Regional Plan Association)
• County Clerk Stephen Fiala to sit on charter commission charged with complete review of city government (By Peter N. Spencer, SI Advance)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• * Colorado governor mum on Sen. Salazar replacement (By STEVEN K. PAULSON, AP) Ken Salazar's centrism and willingness to defy party leaders have helped him in a state where there are more registered independent voters than either Democrats or Republicans. Most states leave the choice of appointing U.S. senators to the governor.
  
• * Rasmussen: Americans Losing Confidence in Teachers Unions (By JAZZ SHAW, The Moderate Voice) While 78% of Republicans and 66% of unaffiliated voters say teachers’ jobs are the chief focus of the unions, only 55% of Democrats agree.
  
• * Blago impact likely slight (By David Hill, The Hill) “The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.” ...Among independents, though, cynicism cuts deep. Forty percent of these swing voters in an increasingly competitive Texas say that neither party is ethical. Fully one-half, 50 percent, of all independent male voters hold to that jaundiced view of political misbehavior in the Lone Star State.
  
• * The Big Divisons on the Big Three (Washington Post) WaPo/ABC poll: Democrats, Midwesterners and Northeasterners are more likely to support a cash infusion for Detroit (though tepidly, at best), while residents of the South and West, Republicans and independents tilt against the proposed aid package.
  
• * Tragic Figures (Talk Talk) Newman: And obviously, they've found ways to get around the 17th Amendment. But you could make filling a vacancy a "mechanical" process – i.e. a special election – which is not a bad thing. You might even call it more representative, because you involve the people, the voters.

NEW YORK POLITICS/INDEPENDENCE PARTY

* Former Staten Islander feted at Anti-Corruption Awards ceremony (By KIAWANA RICH, STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE) If a young person like Tali Leger is any indication, the future of the New York City Independence Party is in good hands.... In addition, eight other individuals were honored, including Richard Winger of California, the nationally recognized ballot access expert and editor of Ballot Access News. About 200 individuals attended the event, which doubles as the party's biggest fundraiser, bringing in $45,000.

New York's dysfunctional and secretive state government

True enough, New York's dysfunctional and secretive state government desperately needs fumigation, with both political parties sharing in the blame. But Mr. Spitzer's head-butting approach to redemption -- involving the arbitrary use of power and bully-boy tactics -- was no improvement. As for reform, his first budget grew state spending at three times the rate of inflation, and is a major reason the state now faces a $4.5 billion deficit. When the governor tried to reform the state's bloated Medicaid program, the health-care workers' union ran a TV campaign against him, and he quickly caved..... ("Eliot the 'Enforcer'", Wall Street Journal)