<title> 2010 May</title>

Linda Jones Carries Democratic Party Endorsement into California AD36 Primary

Linda Jones and Eric Bauman

In 2008, Jones overwhelmingly won the Democratic Primary with 79.5% against current opponent Maggie Campbell, before coming within 3.2% of upsetting Republican Steve Knight, despite being heavily outspent and in spite of Knight’s deep family ties to the Republican political establishment.

Harman Uses Fear Tactics on Voters and Winograd

gulf oil spill

Linda Milazzo: Because of partisan politics and hawks like California Congresswoman Harman, America lacks the resources to confront immediate dangers that have nothing to do with bin Laden: hurricanes, oil spills, floods, tornadoes, unfunded education, decaying infrastructure, exorbitant health costs, and corporate greed.

Rand Paul’s Retro America

segregated drinking fountain

Tom Degan: Coming out as he did against the one of the main purposes of the Civil Rights Act was not a stupid gaffe on the part of Rand Paul – it was a decided political calculation. He wants and needs the racist vote, and he has every intention of getting it. Are there enough bigots in that state to put him over the top? Being an ancestor of Kentucky, I sure as hell hope not.

Defending Everything is Defending Nothing

Madeleine Albright

Ivan Eland: Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright recently led a panel of experts in coming up with a report, “NATO 2020,” which will be used to draft a replacement for NATO’s current strategic concept, adopted in 1999. The report essentially advocates a continuation and expansion of NATO’s quest to be all things to all people. Unfortunately, this effort resembles the “expand or die” mantra that was applied to NATO as its primary mission—countering the Soviet Union—was tossed into the dustbin of history. Instead of expanding in territory and mission after the Cold War ended, NATO probably should have died back then and may die—or be severely crippled—by its likely loss in Afghanistan.

Obama’s Policy Toward Yemen is Failing on Food

middle east globe

William Lambers: President Obama and Secretary Clinton have both stated how a strong, stable Yemen is a vital national security priority. The Senate, citing Al Qaida’s presence, has emphasized the same through a resolution. But where is the food?

Fey’s Fantastic, But Never The Twain She’ll Meet

tina fey

Michael Sigman: Given the commodification of dissent in corporate America, it’s doubtful Fey or anyone else will achieve Twain’s trifecta of talent, courage and mass popularity. But worrying about what we can’t control will only invite the kind of unhappiness that caused the great man himself to reflect that, “My life has been a series of disasters, most of which never happened.”

Winograd Stops Concert – Condemns Attacks

Winograd stops concert to condemn the actions of the attackers of the flotilla carrying aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

A Day to Honor All Who Fight to Protect Our Nation

florence nightingale

Tom Hall: This Memorial Day, the head of the Republican Party has called the 13th Amendment a perversion of our Constitution. The Republican members of the Texas School Book Commission have voted to teach that Confederate President Jefferson Davis was the real hero of the Civil War, and that those Union soldiers died in vain. In Tennessee and here in California, Tea Party candidates are campaigning on a platform plank that the 14th Amendment should not apply to brown children whose parents are immigrants.

LA Progressive: 23 to 29 May 2010 Articles

Articles by Patrick Henningsen, Tom Hall, David Swanson, Randy Shaw, Irene Monroe, Paul Hogarth, Norman Solomon, Tracy Emblem, Andrea Nill, Michele Waslin, Michael Sigman, Linda Milazzo, Sharon Kyle, Walter Moss, Mike Price, K. Danielle Edwards, Brad Parker, Michele Waslin, David Love, Tina Dupuy, Michael Sigman, Joseph Palermo, Robert Reich, Carl Bloice, Anthony Asadullah Samad, Diane Lefer, and Adam Eran

Glenn Beck: “Historian” for a Troubled America

glenn beck water on moon

Joseph Palermo: The wide dissemination of Beck’s views wouldn’t matter much if the United States were in better shape today. But the status quo that is emerging cannot help but create a highly volatile electorate for years to come. Class lines are hardening, mobility is stifled, unemployment will remain near double digits for many years, there is a sea of angry voters who are susceptible to jingoistic appeals and conspiracy theories (like the ones Beck promotes). The ongoing fiscal crisis at the local, state, and federal levels has led to the heartless rollback of public institutions at exactly the time when they are needed the most.

Gulf Oil Spill: The Importance of Presidential Indignation and Explanation

bp oil spill

Robert Reich: Respectful disagreement is virtuous in a democratic society, but so is appropriate indignation. Indignation signals to the public that social responsibilities have been breached, and thereby lends credence and authority to all those who are working toward them. Franklin D. Roosevelt had no hesitancy blaming the “economic royalists” – the rich bankers and executives who stood in the way of the New Deal.

The Otherworldly Attack on Public Education

arne duncan

Carl Bloice: Why is it that the richest, most powerful nation on the planet, one that produces more and more billionaires each year and can spend one million dollars each on the soldiers it sends off to war, can’t afford to educate its kids? It remains a mystery to me that an administration that can spend millions of dollars to bribe states into facilitating its quite controversial school “reform” programs can’t come up with the resources to stave off the pending mass layoffs of teachers.

Qualifications of a Black Political Candidate?

Holly Mitchell, Karen Bass

Anthony Samad: The sophistication of the black voter is always called into question lately. The black community gets blamed when somebody’s issue (ballot initiative) doesn’t win or somebody’s candidate takes a fall…it’s the black voter’s fault. Voter turnout wasn’t high enough, or voters didn’t “get in” in time to make a difference. Most of the time, our community does get it.

Buried Alive

tedi snyder

Diane Lefer: Though the Supreme Court ruled on May 17, that juveniles must not be sentenced to life without parole for any crime short of homicide, we expected no surprise and no mercy when we arrived in court Friday morning for the sentencing of young Tedi Snyder. But Judge Ohta did not hand down the preordained 80-year-to-life-sentence. Not because such a sentence is, in effect, equivalent to life without parole, but rather because he, the judge, was recovering from surgery.

Bush Recession Comes Home to Roost

tax chart

Adam Eran: Tax cuts caused the current budget deficit, not crazy spending. Local government revenues fell 57% after Proposition 13. Even more egregious, the consume-atives™ (they do not conserve), now complain that State funding for local governments to fill that revenue hole meddles too much in local affairs.

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