A New Politics

After a discussion about commonalities on the left and right of the political spectrum, a friend of mine summed up a compelling new politics. The "party" of Principled People versus what he called demagogues... it's not about "left" and "right."

Aside: I think he used the term "demagogues" for effect and simply meant "unprincipled" people. Admittedly, on controversial issues the notion of one's "principles" breaks down; the subject of abortion is one such example. But one can recognize principled people who conduct themselves in a fair and honest way.

Today's political situation is in flux and this "new politics," were it to manifest itself in electoral party politics, would be temporary. It would be an instance of moderate elements of the populist left and right asserting control to refresh a corrupted political system. Common people on the left and right recognize the corrupting influence of big money in both legislative and judicial elections.

Other areas of common interest between common people on the left and right include:

Concern about...

• Consolidation of wealth perpetuated by Wall Street's culture of anything goes .

• Consolidated control of the mass media

• Consolidation of corporate control ... Big Business that outsources jobs and makes it impossible for small businesses to compete fairly.... monopolies, cartels, oligopolies.

• We're concerned with what some call "activist judges"... like those Supreme Court judges who recently decided that corporations should have MORE influence over the political electoral process when the Citizens United case before them should have been decided on more narrow grounds.

• We share a concern about police brutality

In other words, we share concerns about the consolidation of power among a small sector of our society.

• We didn't like the bank bailouts that perpetuated this power when we had a chance to put the bankers in their place.

• We believe in national sovereignty, something we give up with so-called "free trade" agreements written by transnational corporate lawyers.

• We share opposition to warrantless wire tapping and other privacy invasions of the USA PATRIOT Act

• We're mutually concerned about the erosion of of Posse Comitatus Act, which places limits on the US military's use of police powers for domestic law enforcement.

• Similarly, we share concerns about the CIA conducting domestic operations contrary to its founding charter.

• We share concerns about joblessness and homelessness

• We share the concern that the two major political parties are increasingly out of touch with real concerns of the people, in part because we recognize they have been captured by a dysfunctional political system corrupted by the consolidated power referenced earlier.

Sources:

GDAE Podcast Episode 29

GDAE Podcast Episode 6

Episode 6 - February 17, 2009

• How the wireless cell phone companies overcharge for our text messages.
• Music from the front porch, Guitar and Harmonica.
• Art meets Music with Baltimore's High Zero Music Festival.
• Political farce with Dick Army and Phil Gingrey..
• Prosecution of Bush: Voices of Truth Seekers Podcast host Dani, Obermann and Obama.
• How the economic stimulus initiative relates to financial system bailout and where our voices fit in.

GO TO GDAE Podcast

My First Podcast Dec 2008

In less than 30 minutes the GDAE Podcast brings you...

• Music by Ryan Harvey, "It's Not Just Bush," on hard-driving acoustic guitar
• WakeUp Am podcast satire on the Bush presidential library
• Rick Back Book Bock (Ricky) on art and other things
• Van Jones on Green Jusice
• GDAEman sings "This Old Man" (humor)

... all for the price of your time, which I know is valuable. So, don't waste it. Be sure to get pissed off and make your voice heard in response to this podcast. We certainly can't depend on Obama to get us out of the mess we're in.

Episode 1 - Click Here

Psssst... Do Something

• Contact the Broadcast Media
  
• Contact the Newspapers
  
• Contact the US Senate
  
• Contact the House of Representatives

Sources:

Preserve Right to Criminal Prosecution of Bush

For the next three weeks the blog takes to the road. Last time I did this I was exposed to the NYC Mentality.

OK. So there's a debate about the wisdom of impeaching Bush. I side with those who say Impeach Bush and Cheney to set the record straight for history, and to deter future Presidents from abusing power.

Despite Pelosi's "off-the-table" proclamation, the impeachment process is happening; that's because it is an organic process that unravels on it's own, just like the GOP support for the Iraq war is unraveling.

Politics is the art of the possible. The US House of Representatives should impeach Bush and Cheney with an explicit provision that the Senate need not act on the impeachment. This would avoid the question of double-jeopardy, thereby preserving the right to criminally prosecute Bush for capital offenses (See Update).

This is a win-win compromise for the progressive camps on both sides of the impeachment debate. It addresses the concerns of people like Senator Sherrod Brown who think Rove and others will exploit the situation by having the press say, "Give Democrats power, and see what they do with it? Spend time on vindictive acts rather than solving problems of the people."

The talk needs to turn to criminal prosecution of Bush Administration officials. Once we get Bush over the barrel, with capital punishment in play, then we can start talking about a grand compromise that will redistribute some of our stolen wealth.

Presidential Candidates That Get My Support

So far my 2008 presidential campaign donations have gone to Kucinich, Obama and Edwards. I want to support their voices in the primaries.

I'm pulling for Edwards, with the hope he'll challenge corporate power at the Constitutional level. I have, however, been critical of Edwards for pandering to the Israeli lobby. However, Edwards' true colors are revealed by his vocal warning of Israeli's potential use of nukes on Iran.

Back to Campaign '08. My assessment...

Kucinich unfortunately has no chance,
Obama is inexperienced and would likely be assassinated if elected,
Richardson is worth watching, because he has said all troops out and no US military bases in Iraq (Now there's a campaign promise I predict would be broken).
Hilary is a corporate toady (parasite)... oh, you already knew that. Sorry.

All of that said, I'm registered with the Green Party as another "vote" that sends a message to the Democrats... "You've got competition."

Senate Public Funding Bill S.936

The Senate has a "public financing bill" S.936, introduced March 20, 2007 by Richard Durbin (D-Ill) and Arlen Specter (R-PA).

Here's how it works in a nut-shell:

Step 1: Collect Seed Money
+ this is the "operating cost" money
+ Limited to $100 per doner

Step 2: Collect Qualifying Contributions
+ This is like a petition to show the candidate has support
+ Must be $5 each (not sure if the operating donations count toward this)
+ Need 2,000 contributions plus another 500 contributions from each congressional district.

Step 3: Follow Spending Limits
+ After candidates commit to and qualify for public funding, they cannot use private donations or their own money.

Step 4: Comply with Simple Rules

Step 5: Receive Enough Public Funding to Campaign
+ Senate candidates receive $750k plus $150k for each congressional district for the general election.
+ "Fair Fight" funds are provided if a privately funded candidate is highly funded.
+ Smaller amounts are provided for the primary election.

Remember: It's Voluntary
+ Because money has been defined as "free speech" by the US Supreme Court, public financing cannot be mandatory, unless we change the US Constitution.

Sources:

Public Citizen News, May/June 2007.