Monday, April 03, 2006

Eliot Spitzer


Rahm Emanuel: Big Ideas For America
The Spectrum Concept: Wide Applications

I am planning to show up for a Spitzer event on Thursday, so I have been doing some digging around on this guy who everyone takes for granted will be the next Governor of New York state. He looks as unbeatable as Hillary Clinton.

The Democratic Party in the 21st Century: A Blueprint for Reform with Eliot Spitzer

Location: 58 (formerly Au Bar) - 41 East 58th Street (bet. Park and Madison)

Thursday, April 6 at 7:00 PM

Come join us for a remarkable evening with perhaps the only person ever named both Crusader of the Year (Time Magazine) and Business Person of the Year (San Francisco Chronicle)

On Thursday April 6th, DL21C, in partnership with our friends at the NYSYD Caucus of Color, Cosmopolity and the Manhattan Young Democrats proudly presents DL21C's 2006 Election Series kick-off event!

Please RSVP at http://dl21c.org to get on the admission list

Suggested Admission: Free for Members - $7 for non-Members

For more information on the Spitzer campaign visit: http://www.spitzer2006.com

He does have this reputation of having been this hard-nosed Attorney General who has been cracking on a lot of white collar crime. He comes across a down to earth, facts-oriented person. This guy sure does his homework. I think it is worth going through his speeches:

March 29, 2006 Environmental Stewardship
March 21, 2006 Revitalizing the Economic Life of Cities
March 2, 2006 Growing Strategic Industries
February 9, 2006 Eliot Accepts NARAL Endorsement
January 18, 2006 A Vision for the Future of Health Care
November 21, 2005 Government Reform
November 1, 2005 Homeland Security and Preparedness

Following this race might also be an educational process for me for 2008, even if it is not really competitive. I learned some about city politics following Fernando Ferrer's run for Mayor late last year. Many Dems considered that one a slam dunk for Bloomberg and stayed away. I didn't. And I am glad for it.

I just learned through the Wikipedia article that Spitzer is Jewish. I keep having these revelations. Siegel, Feingold, Spitzer.

Spitzer exudes honesty, a passion for protecting the "little guy," and an intensity reinforced by his wiry figure. I think he will be good as Governor. But greatness asks for more than prosecutorial skills. Being Governor will ask for imagination and creativity and empathy and coalition building. I am not saying he does not have them. What I am saying is his current job has not allowed him to exhibit them.

He was born in 1959. He is young enough to be looking federal somewhere down the line, in some capacity.

There was a minor ruckus when he skipped Leecia Eve and settled on David Patterson for running mate. I think he might have weighed that Paterson has Albany experience. And he also might have wanted to signal his independence from heavyweights like Charlie Rangel who had thrown their weight behind Eve. I was rooting for Eve, though. (Mixing It For Ferrer, Who Is Leecia Eve?)

Eliot Spitzer is a leader. He is proof the people will come with you if you will only offer strong, clean, effective leadership. Bold ideas work.

On Security: Homeland Security and Preparedness

Government is essential. New York state is more of a target than most. It is important to be aggressive, not alarmist. Coordinate, communicate. Public, private partnerships.

Political Reform: Government Reform

"I knew whose side I was on. I didn't waiver. I didn't worry about the pushback that inevitably comes when you try to change the status quo...... They did not understand that enforcement of the rules is good for business, and that such action helps unleash the true power of the system -- with capital flowing freely to the greatest opportunities for growth...... the industries we investigated and then reformed are stronger now than they were before. .....(Albany has) been the bottleneck, resisting change, refusing to adapt, blocking actions that would lead to a natural transformation to the new economy. Just when we need it most, state government is at its most wasteful and ossified."

He wants to do to Albany what he did to Wall Street. Accountability. Reduce the importance of money on legislation. Districting: politicians should not be choosing the voters. Efficiency. There are "basic principles of good management" involved. More transparent book keeping. Responsible borrowing practices. A Martin Act for Medicaid, to do to it what has been done to Wall Street. There are too few women and minorities in the judiciary: "...we should amend the Constitution to eliminate the election of judges and instead create a merit appointment process."

"Real reform is something that cannot be achieved by one person or group. Instead, it needs a broad coalition of individuals and groups working towards a common goal."

Health Care: A Vision for the Future of Health Care

The system is too costly and leaves too many people outside. Expanding coverage makes money sense. There should be health insurance for every child. Close to a million adults are eligible for coverage through existing programs. Make the enrollment process simpler. Involve community organizations.

"Guaranteeing that every child in New York has health insurance and removing bureaucratic obstacles that keep those who are eligible from enrolling in existing programs will go a long way towards achieving our goal of reducing the number of uninsured in New York State by 50 percent over the next four years."

Reduce overall costs by: "1)restructuring our hospital and nursing home system; 2) using technology to create state-of-the-art health information systems that are the key to containing costs while improving health care quality; 3) managing and preventing chronic diseases more effectively; and 4) reducing the cost of prescription drugs."

"The Bush administration recently estimated that electronic health records nationwide would save approximately $140 billion a year."

His policy speeches are thorough. And he has shown as Attorney General that he can execute. If he can follow through, he might be headed for the history books.

Spitzer On The Web


Office of New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer 2006
Eliot Spitzer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and was elected chairman of the undergraduate student government ....... 1992, when Spitzer led the investigation that ended the Gambino organized crime family's control of Manhattan's trucking and garment industries....... taking on cases that an Attorney General would normally avoid....... the Martin Act of 1921 .....building cases against the firms both in courtrooms and in public opinion....... an innovation in dealing with white collar crime that threatens investor confidence........ Spitzer's office uncovered $50 million in royalties owed to musicians whose record labels had failed to keep in contact with them....labels were required to take measures to contact artists owed royalties........ cross endorsements with former-Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer in the New York City Mayoral election, and State Senator Byron Brown in the Buffalo Mayoral election. The benefit to Spitzer in these endorsement deals is valuable media attention as he stumped for the candidates....... Spitzer's relative speed in uniting state Democrats to his side, he has gained the respect of Democratic leaders nationwide...... Bill Richardson dubbed Spitzer the "future of the Democratic Party"....... Polling throughout 2004 and into 2005 consistently showed Spitzer defeating Pataki in theoretical matchups......Spitzer selected New York State Senate minority leader David Paterson as his choice for Lieutenant Governor and running mate in January 2006....... Spitzer holds a 60%-to-22% lead against Golisano, and a 63%-to-16% lead against Weld...... won the New York State Democratic Rural Conference Straw Poll 148 to 7.......
Eliot Spitzer By Daniel Gross When Spitzer published a press release detailing "a shocking betrayal of trust by one of Wall Street's most trusted names," Merrill Lynch lost $5 billion in market value in a few days and quickly settled....... In the landmark December 2002 research settlement, 10 major firms agreed to cough up $1.4 billion, to sever the links between research and investment banking, to ban the spinning of IPOs, and to commit to purchase independent research for five years. "This agreement will permanently change the way Wall Street operates," Spitzer said. Punishment, remedy, and structural change...... In virtually every instance, prominent executives lost their jobs and the firm agreed to pay fines and reduce fees for investors going forward. Punishment, remedy, and structural change....... the threat of Spitzer isn't jail time; it's a tanking stock....... Spitzer inherited most of his wealth, but he's making the guys he sees at Princeton reunions and parent-teacher conference nights work a lot harder for theirs.
spitzer
Spitzer tells Manhattan: Upstate economy like `Appalachia ...
Newsday.com - Eliot Spitzer
JURIST - Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer Spoils for a Fight (washingtonpost.com) building a national reputation by taking on powerful opponents and finding creative new ways to use existing law to protect investors and workers...... In his early days, Spitzer was the quiet guy, the researcher, the staffer, the policy wonk. Now he is highly visible, lobbing well-crafted cases into voids he believes have been left by federal regulators........Many people are surprised by how much of a leader he has been...... He's smart and innovative and he gets along with people. Nobody carries Eliot's bag........ Using the law to change an industry's structure would become another Spitzer hallmark....... he surprised many by leaping into the 1994 Democratic primary for state attorney general. He poured more than $4 million of his own money into the race but came in last among four candidates.......... spent the next four years practicing law and showing up at political gatherings from Buffalo to Staten Island......... Spitzer celebrated by buying a new pair of shoes.......attended an elite private school, then Princeton University and Harvard Law School........ While at Harvard, he worked for law professor Alan M. Dershowitz, who describes Spitzer as "the quiet one, the behind-the-scenes guy, the library guy. It's amazing how he's blossomed.".......... went after expensive restaurants that hired only male waiters, released a study showing New York City police's street crimes unit had disproportionately stopped minorities, and sued Midwestern power plants over emissions that cause acid rain......... "Once he has decided, 'Here's an evil, here's an injustice,' it's 'What are we doing, why are we waiting?' "....... Spitzer didn't become a national figure until he took on Wall Street in April 2002........when he and his staff tried to recruit supporters to attend his press conference announcing a case against Merrill Lynch & Co., no important elected or regulatory official would join him........ Wall Street reacted savagely........ $1.4 billion "global" settlement..........He can be reasoned with, but you better have reason on your side, and not simply bluster........ more than $2.3 billion in restitution, penalties and reduced fees for customers........ Defense lawyers, meanwhile, see him as a guerrilla regulator, who unfairly targets common practices, comes down hard on a few unlucky souls and then moves on......... Spitzer said his aim isn't to pursue every case but "to be a catalyst, to get the national entities to focus on the issue."........ in the meantime there are insurance brokers, pharmaceutical companies and employment agencies to investigate....... "If you're working hard to succeed, what's wrong with being ambitious?"

Spitzer In The News

NY's Spitzer sues Direct Revenue over spyware Reuters
Spitzer sues 'spyware' co. over pop-up ads BusinessWeek
Spitzer sues major `spyware' Internet company over pop-up ads Newsday
Grasso says testimony handed over to Spitzer's office Reuters
Suozzi challenges Spitzer suit Newsday
Grasso loses try to get Spitzer lawsuit dismissed Pierceland Herald
Spitzer grumbles over FCC talks with radio chains Houston Chronicle, United States
Spitzer Assails FCC on Payola Red Herring
Spitzer accuses feds of undermining payoff case MSNBC
Eliot Spitzer, You're Needed in Japan
Bloomberg corporate earnings figures routinely find their way into the local media before they're released. Why regulators aren't investigating this violation of Tokyo Stock Exchange rules is a mystery. Investigators should be looking into who's leaking the information and why. They should probe the possibility of illegal trading.
Eliot Spitzer sues H&R Block over IRAs Monsters and Critics.com, UK
Eliot Spitzer: Viewpoint Discriminator and Vindictive Democrat
Post Chronicle New York's arbitrary, angry and aggressively ambitious Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer ...... The State of Colorado lets a high school geography teacher rant to his captive students that President Bush is eerily like Adolf Hitler, in the name of freedom of expression, but "Evil El" wants Choose Life license plates banned in New York, because they will provoke "road rage"! What a guy! ...... a secular extremist hypocrite
Who’s taking Eliot Spitzer’s job? News 10 Now, NY

On The Web: Issues

Politics, Activism, Political Issues, Government, and Elections ...
Washington Post: On Politics
About US Conservative Politics
Politics1 - The Presidency
Politics1 - Online Guide to Hot Issues & Debates
zFacts on Current Controversial Issues
BUBL LINK: United states politics
US Politics in the Yahoo! Directory
USATODAY.com - Shaping politics from the pulpits
Politics of the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates ...
Townhall.com
The New Republic Online
washingtonpost.com: Special Reports
Political Science Resources/United States Politics
The Brookings Institution
Salon.com - Home
The Christian Science Monitor | Daily Online Newspaper
Davenetics* Category: Politics
Think Tanks and Public Interest Organizations - Government and ...
US Political Issues in the Yahoo! Directory
Political Activism Resources
Democratic Leadership Council
Google Directory - Regional > North America > United States ...
Hear The Issues - Political Articles, Political Commentary, Media ...
Integration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgendered Issues in ...
United States Politics and Elections
Elections - Government and Politics: InfoUSA
Grover Furr's Politics and Social Issues Page
Opensecrets.org--Money in politics data
NPR: Election 2004 : The Candidates on the Issues

Visitors

3 April07:35Maroc Telecom, Morocco
3 April08:45Smith & Nephew, Andover, United States
3 April09:00OptusNet, Australia
.3 April09:11Sprintlink, Reston, United States
3 April09:22Starband!, McLean, United States
3 April09:32Oklahoma State, Oklahoma City, United States
3 April09:36Northrop Grumman Corporation, Los Angeles, United States
3 April10:36ONPT, Morocco
3 April10:40Road Runner, New York, United States
3 April10:46Verizon Online, Boston, United States
3 April11:56Columbia Health Care, Nashville, United States
3 April12:52U.S. Senate, United States
4 April01:01University of Minnesota, United States
4 April03:46Ireland (dit.ie)
4 April04:29Infonet, Belgium
4 April08:08Road Runner, New York, United States
4 April09:52HCCnet, Netherlands, The
4 April10:48Level 3 Communications, Los Angeles, United States


4 April11:11Merck & Co. Inc., United States
4 April11:21Saint Bonaventure University, Saint Bonaventure, United States
4 April11:23University of California, Santa Barbara, United States
4 April12:13U.S. Senate, United States
4 April12:31Virginia Information Technologies Agency, United States
4 April19:02Brasil Telecom, Brazil

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Bridge Activists


I first came across the term by way of Mary Joyce, currently in Morocco, giving time to the democracy cause there, a Fulbright Scholar who decided to stay on a little longer. (Mary Joyce) This was for the manifesto we co-authored: The Demosphere Manifesto. She introduced the term. I expanded on the democracy message in the manifesto here: Democracy Spreading Mechanism.

But then I am thinking, the concept of Bridge Activists could as well apply for the democracy message right here in America. Take a look at this proposition:
DFNYC, 100,000 Strong, Scalable Organization.

For this model, I have had people say, but what about people who are not online, who don't have email accounts, who will not blog, which is the vast majority of people. I think my suggestion is the 10-10-10-10-10 pyramid. Ideally each participant would blog, true, but they don't have to. That is the one voice concept. (The One Voice Concept, One Blog One LinkUp One Atom)

The 10-10-10 pyramid model is about weaving every single person into a one person, one vote, one voice net. This is about creating basic social, political units, 10 strong. This is about empowering the people, about creating the power structure, bottom up.

The one voice concept makes sure everyone gets heard before the consensus or the vote mechanisms take decisions and decide on collective positions.

But there is this important feature called the Vertical Degrees Of Separation that contributes to unity and efficiency. This will be an important contribution because groups that the Democratic Party usually tries to represent tend to be relatively powerless, and powerlessness leads to infighting, which leads to powerlessness.

What is the minimum requirement for someone to participate in the 10-10-10 model? Show up for meetings. You don't have to email or blog, but you do have to show up for meetings.

The Leader of the basic 10 strong unit would act as the Bridge Activist who will blog on behalf of the group. The more enterprising among them might even manage to give voice to those who for some reason can not make it to the meetings, or are reluctant starting out. A Leader could pay visits to people who they want seen heard.

The One Voice concept is powerful. It is almost like the right to vote. The internet makes it possible for people to have voices.

Another tool of empowerment in this model is Cross Tabbing. Once you participate in the 10-10-10 model, you do not have to stick to the pyramid structure. You can reach out to like minded, like interested people across geographical barriers. There might be only 10 Desis in some small town in Kentucky, but those 10 Desis could cross tab and become part of the larger nationwide Desi network. (blac, Pan American Desi Caucus: Brown Is Beautiful) And because the One Voice technology has text, audio and video features, people could really make themselves heard. You could have a parallel blac national pyramid, city to county to state to national. The backbone pyramid and the blac pyramid would co-exist. Right to peaceful assembly is a fundamental human right.

The tools are all available online for free. When you really spread around the one voice concept, you elevate the national conversation across the policy spectrum.

Money, Message, Organization. The costs come down drastically. The debates stay alive at all levels. The organization is transparent and strong as steel. (Money, Message, Organization)

Blogging is a powerful political tool. (Blogging Is Scalable Media)

The idea is to elevate and expand the democracy. The innovation is bound to spill over to both sides, and might as well. At least then we will be having honest, creative, forward-looking debates. The politics of soundbits and personal destruction will become less possible. Democracy will become more productive.

And at the policy level, it is about applying the Spectrum Concept. (The Spectrum Concept: Wide Applications) I think it is a great tool to handle the hot issues, but also policy issues in general. You make even your opponents feel heard. And you build your winning coalition. And you don't feel the need to reign in those at the cutting edge, pushing the boundaries.

On The Web

ORGANIZE TO WIN - A GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS HANDBOOK
GRO! Grass Roots Organizing
Network-Centric Advocacy: Grassroots Organizing in the Age of ...
MyDD :: Grassroots Organizing at its Finest
Politics and Technology: grassroots organizing
Democracy Now! | Political Activism or Grassroots Organizing? A ...
Barriers To Grassroots Organizing : Advocacy: Maine Children's ...
Welfare Organizing at the Grassroots | ColorLines | Fall 2000
Grassroots Solutions | What We Do
Common Ground Common Sense > Grassroots Organizing

Visitors

1 April14:48Dishnet Wireless Limited, India
1 April14:52Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, United States
1 April14:58Williams College, Williamstown, United States

1 April15:36Level 3 Communications, Orlando, United States
1 April16:03Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, New York, United States
1 April16:21University of California, Berkeley, United States
1 April17:04US Coast Guard, Washington, D.C., United States
1 April17:33University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, United States
1 April17:44NTL Internet, Leeds, United Kingdom
1 April17:53Telia Stofa A/S, Denmark
1 April18:01Türk Telekom, Turkey
1 April18:33Government New Zealand, New Zealand
1 April18:59United States Southern Command, United States
2 April10:49Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
2 April11:58NextGenTel AS, Norway
2 April12:15AEI Internet Inc., Canada
2 April14:29Comcast Communications, Nashville, United States
2 April15:12Northwestern University, Evanston, United States
2 April16:01Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
2 April16:04State of North Dakota, United States

2008 Countdown: Hillary-Obama


Luntz Report For 2008

What works in Hillary's favor?
  1. She is brilliant, both intellectually and politically. She has proven leadership skills as US Senator, and number one advisor to the most talented politician of his generation, Bill Clinton, before that. She is qualified. Bill Clinton thinks Hillary is smarter than him, and he is right, like on so many other things.
  2. More than a hundred years after Freud famously asked "What do women want?" we might finally have the answer: The White House. It is time to break the glass ceiling at the top. If Hillary doesn't do it in 2008, it will be a long wait before some other woman does.
  3. Nothing beats getting Bill Clinton for Campaign Manager.
What works in Obama's favor?
  1. He is old enough. John Kennedy was 42 when he became president. Bill Clinton was 46. Obama will be 47 in 2008. And we are talking of Vice President.
  2. He will not be in the primaries. Al Gore was not either in 1992. Obama will help Hillary move beyond the Primary mud, to bring some sunshine onto the campaign.
  3. Obama is half white, half black. Mothers count. Barack has become a verb like Google. You barack the glass walls and ceilings. He has cross-racial appeal. More whites in Illinois voted for him than for Bush.
  4. The guy is supremely qualified.
  5. 2008 is as crucial for Obama as it is for Hillary. Obama does not want to miss the 2008 train either, for that would be the best way to ensure an Obama 2016, to break the glass ceiling a second time. It is about time.
They will probably face McCain. McCain has early momentum. McCain has sung the right tunes on many crucial issues like campaign finance reform, on broadband, on immigration, on lobbying reform. Being right on the issues will not be enough to counter McCain who might literally pull a rabbit out of his hat: he might invite Feingold to be his running mate, he just might. You never know with these maverick politicians.

And so you will need the clear social progressive symbolism that a Hillary-Obama ticket will provide to counter a McCain juggernaut.

Other prospects look dim.

John Kerry tried and failed in 2004, so did Dukakis in 1988. He got his shot, he did not make it, his time is up.

John Edwards. The sunshine boy is otherwise too shallow. Obama can cover the South much better.

Al Gore. I don't think he is running, but he had his chance in 2000. People like Edwards and Gore need to stick around on the speaking circuit. But they no longer belong in the ring.

Feingold. He has the guts, sure, but his platform is so very incomplete. He specializes in too few issues. And he does not have good political instincts. His reflexes are slow, although he is principled.

Obama Votes Nay
Russ Feingold And 2008
Obama, Ethics Reform, And White Dems
Karl Rove, Hands Off Hillary
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker
Hillary In Person
Primitive Liberals Need To Stop Attacking Hillary
Race, Gender, Progressive, Conservative Divides
The Spectrum On Gender
Michelle Bachelet: Yet Another Woman
The Israeli Wall Is Wrong, Hillary
Obama Was In Town And I Missed It
Bill Clinton Had Icecream For Lunch
Bill Clinton Has Left The Building
U2, Me Too
Dean 2008
Dean-Hillary-Obama Ticket
Eric Cesnik For City Council
Hillary Speaks Up For NYC

On The Web

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator from New York
Biography of Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton For President
HillaryClinton.com - Hillary Rodham Clinton for Senate
Hillary Rodham Clinton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hillary Web

Obama for Illinois
Barack Obama - US Senator for Illinois
Barack Obama - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Transcript: Illinois Senate Candidate Barack Obama (washingtonpost ...


Immigration Makes Economy Sense, Democracy, Justice, Family Sense


Immigration is the fresh air America thrives on. You deprive America of immigration and you are depriving oxygen. Immigration is fundamental to America's identity in a way that might not be true of any other country. Immigration is what makes America America.

The debate can not be if you are for or against immigration. The debate has to be as to how best to manage immigration. The past generations have been hostile to new immigrants. That does not mean this generation has to do it all over again.

If you are against illegal immigration, instead of trying to stench the flow, expand the legality.

Match willing workers with willing employers. And tax them both. And it is no taxation without representation. Give them voting rights. Then pave way for permanent residency, and then citizenship.

As to those who get cross-cultural jitters, let them eat cake, let them learn Spanish as a second language.

These immigrants spread democracy and wealth and economic reform in their countries of origin. They in the process save the US tens of billions of dollars that might have been otherwise spent on old fashioned defense and diplomacy work. These immigrants spread optimism and vitality. They exude work ethic working for peanuts. Don't demonize them. They are more American than the Americans. They believe in America more. Look at all the hardships they put up with just to be in America.

And for the positive effect they have in their countries of origin, they are going to help change those countries such that the pressure for immigration is going to weaken over time. Those countries themselves are going to start offering opportunities that people come to America for. Immigration is not about opening up the floodgates, but rather about spreading the American ideal of democracy far and wide in the best way possible. This is not about inviting in three billion people who live on $2 a day or less. This is about inviting in a few million, the cream of the crop, who will have beneficial effects on those three billion in ways the formal US government machinery is simply incapable of. You open up the gates, they come in, they work, they pay taxes, they create wealth that did not exist before, and they spread that wealth creation back to their home countries.

To his credit, President Bush has been singing many of the right tunes on the topic. I guess he has Hispanics in his family. Jeb Bush' wife is Hispanic, I think. And there are a lot of them in Texas, his home state. And he is president because of the Hispanic vote. And he speaks broken Spanish.

And John McCain has been a hero on this issue. Kudos.

Make immigration legal, make it humane, make it well managed and productive. Get creative about it. The Global South wave of immigrants should not have to go through the rough treatment the earlier East Europeans might have gone through, the Irish might have gone through. Lessons have to be learned from history.

Immigration is an emotionally charged issue, and that is why there has to be plentiful debate. All sides have to be heard and heard well, even those who are opposed to the idea, for in expressing their unwarranted fears they will have taken one step closer to becoming more understanding. Let the healing and growth take place through a robust, wide dialogue.

The unions that are opposed to the guest worker program should instead work to get these guest workers voting rights so as to expand their ranks and in the process get greater collective national power.

Hate Speech, Free Speech: Europe Needs To Learn The Difference
Bill Frist's Ancestors Came From The Moon
"I've Been To Europe Once, And That's Enough"
blac
Pat Robertson Is Sick, Anti-Faith
Race, Gender, Progressive, Conservative Divides
The Spectrum On Gender
Pan American Desi Caucus: Brown Is Beautiful
Social Progress: Show Me The Money
Social Security, School Vouchers, And Class Warfare
The Israeli Wall Is Wrong, Hillary
Blacks, Hispanics At The Core Of The Democrat Rainbow Coalition
The Spectrum/Dialogue Concept Is Key To Power
French Society: No Easy Solutions
Riots In France
Dick Cheney, Nelson Mandela, Howard Dean
Say Hello To Appu
No Taxation Without Representation
The Three Pillars

Critiquing A Critique Of The Iraq War Critiques

Hamro Nepal All Set To Be Launched
Democracy Spreading Mechanism
The Demosphere Manifesto

In The News

Full Debate, Washington Post, Yahoo

Cornyn walks gingerly on guest-worker plans Houston Chronicle, United States
Congress mindful of failed immigration efforts San Jose Mercury News, USA the last major immigration restructuring 20 years ago, despite impassioned differences over foreign guest workers and proposed legalization for millions of illegal residents..... the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986 .. granted amnesty to 2.7 million undocumented aliens by giving them green cards ...... lawmakers in both parties and both houses of Congress appear receptive to more aggressive workplace enforcement and high-tech solutions to keep illegal immigrants out of the labor force...... document forgers, many organized into sophisticated rings.....
Senate Nears Consensus on Work Program for Immigrants (Update1) Bloomberg
New Poll: Americans Favor a Guest Worker Plan TIME
In Mexico, Bush Presses Congress on Immigration New York Times, United States
Clash of cultures is real problem Chicago Tribune, United States for many Americans, the problem is not with people coming into the country illegally, but with the effect they have on their surroundings once here..... the protesters waved Mexican flags...... This country of immigrants has never been welcoming of new immigrants, even those who came legally....... a convenient sound bite, they aren't anti-immigrant, only anti-illegal immigration....... it's not only employers that prosper thanks to illegal immigrants..... legal immigrants are one of the best things about this country, and that they bring vitality and optimism and fresh blood ........ Angela "Bay" Buchanan. She told CNN that the Frist bill was "worse than McCain-Kennedy" ..... What seems to worry Buchanan is that we'd still be bringing in all these immigrants, legal sure, but still foreigners with their different languages and their strange religions........ Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts .. early 1900s .. effect that foreigners from countries such as Ireland were having on "the quality of our citizenship" ......
Senate begins passionate immigration debate San Francisco Chronicle, USA An emotional and intensely personal debate over immigration engulfed the Senate on Thursday ...... Few could resist telling their own family histories that inevitably included an immigrant arriving on U.S. shores, from Lithuania, Italy, Ireland or Russia...... offer a path to citizenship to 12 million illegal immigrants and at least 400,000 new migrants each year......... could prove unpopular with conservative voters and meet a dead end in the House ..... Feinstein, a long-standing hawk on immigration, offered her fullest explanation yet for her reversal, citing California's $31 billion agriculture industry and the problem of what to do with 12 million people illegally in the country, many with children...... Feinstein said tougher border controls alone have not worked, calling them a litany of failure....... are America and Americans better served if people come out of furtive living and are able to act responsibly and have a consequential path to become legal? ........ more than 3,000 people who have died crossing the desert in the past decade..... the desire among many conservatives to crack down on illegal immigration.
Illegal immigrants safe for at least 3 years Chicago Sun-Times, United States
House conservatives blast Senate immigration overhaul Seattle Times, United States
Bush Hopeful on Immigration Bill, but Senate Remains Torn Los Angeles Times, CA
Frist's Senate Leadership Faulted as Self-Serving Los Angeles Times, CA
Senate OK likely with Bush behind guest-worker bill Houston Chronicle, United States
Conservatives Stand Firm on Immigration New York Times, United States "It would be like a dinner bell, 'Come one, come all.' " ....... the debate a defining moment in the nation's history....... Under Mr. McCain's proposal, illegal immigrants would be granted permanent residency and the opportunity to apply for citizenship only after foreigners who have followed the rules by applying for residency from their countries have been processed....... sharp divisions among Republicans ...... ordinary Americans are also deeply divided over how to handle the 11 million illegal immigrants ....... 65 percent said that immigrants mostly take jobs that Americans do not want ........ more than a dozen House members staged a "Say No to Amnesty" event ..... Representative Dana Rohrabacher, Republican of California .... businesses should be more creative in their efforts to find help and suggested that employers turn to the prison population to fill jobs in agriculture and elsewhere............ "Let the prisoners pick the fruits," Mr. Rohrabacher said. "We can do it without bringing in millions of foreigners." ........ "It is not amnesty because the undocumented aliens will have to pay a fine... They will have to pay back taxes. They will undergo a thorough background investigation. They will have to learn English. They will have to work for six years. And they will have to earn the status of staying in the country and the status of moving toward citizenship."
The Great Senate Immigr'A'tion Debate Washington Post, United States Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), the chamber's lone immigrant ...... One man's amnesty, of course, is another man's "earned citizenship ...... House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) is rethinking his chamber's hostility to a guest-worker plan. Opponents, therefore, need to escalate the rhetoric and invoke the A-word........ "Immigrants have to pay taxes . . . and be learning English." ....... realistic immigration laws that bring immigrants out of the shadows, paying taxes, learning English and contributing to our communities ....... Bob Beauprez (R-Colo.). "If you are here illegally and want to fly the Mexican flag, go to Mexico...... Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), adding, "I would hope that the American people are smart enough to smell the foul odor that's coming out of the United States Senate." Asked if President Bush, who supports a guest-worker plan, has a similar stench, Rohrabacher replied: "No comment." ...... King .. a "ruling class" of Americans have "made enough money by hiring cheap illegal labor that they think they also have some kind of a right to cheap servants to manicure their nails and their lawn." .......
Senators see immigration reform momentum Reuters
House Conservatives Blast Immigration Bill San Francisco Chronicle, USA
House Conservatives Blast Immigration Bill ABC News
Senate Considers Competing Approaches to Immigration New York Times, United States balance compassion with caution in its treatment of 11 million illegal immigrants in the post-9/11 era...... vision of an America that is a nation of laws as well as a nation of immigrants...... Senator Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont .. "values work. It respects human dignity. It includes guest-worker provisions supported by business and labor," and a way to "earn citizenship." ..... deep divisions between the parties, and within the Republicans ...... McCain called for "a 21st century approach to a 21st century problem." ......
Consensus on Immigration Bill Elusive ABC News
Immigration picture shifts through different lenses Monsters and Critics.com, UK
Senate Set For Immigration Battle CBS News AFL-CIO is criticizing plans to expand guest worker programs in the future. Union chief John Sweeney said Tuesday that guest worker programs "are a bad idea and harm all workers." ...... "That is a punitive bill, it is a mean-spirited bill," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. "It is a bill that is not in the spirit of America. Criminalizing 11 or 12 million people and calling them aggravated felons is no way to really embark down this road to a more united America." ...... guest worker proposal, an idea that has heavy Mexican support. ....... the agriculture industry was "almost entirely dependent on undocumented workers ....... Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., arguably labor's strongest voice in Congress ..... Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, another longtime ally of labor ..... AFL-CIO's Sweeney ... "Guest worker programs "encourage employers to turn good jobs into temporary jobs at reduced wages and diminished working conditions and contribute to the growing class of workers laboring in poverty" ...... will allow our law enforcement officials and Border Patrol agents to focus on those who are coming here for the wrong reasons, the criminals and the drug dealers and the terrorists .......
Definitions clouding immigrant bill debate San Francisco Chronicle, USA
Senators divided on illegal immigrants San Jose Mercury News, USA
Frist, do no harm Los Angeles Times, CA
The immigration mess: a guest-worker solution Seattle Times, United States
Senate Tries to Reconcile Immigration Approaches Los Angeles Times, CA
Republicans in Senate spar over immigration Houston Chronicle, United States "A nation that cannot secure its borders cannot secure its destiny," said Frist .... temporary guest worker visas — an idea opposed by GOP conservatives...... "One, we're a nation of immigrants. Two, our soul is refreshed by newcomers to society. Three, we love the idea of people starting with nothing and ending up with something in America. Four, we value family values, no matter where they may be. And five, we have to be careful about the language we use when it comes to debating this important subject," Bush said ...... Bush spoke against the border fence as "impractical"
Hastert Hints at Compromise on Immigration Bill New York Times, United States
Hastert appears willing to consider guest worker program San Jose Mercury News, USA

California students stage new immigration protests San Francisco Chronicle, USA "This law if it passes will affect pretty much everyone I know — aunts, uncles, friends," said protester Jessica Hurtado, a U.S.-born senior at La Jolla High School whose parents came from Mexico and are now legal residents...... waved Mexican flags and a poster saying "Deport Legal Racists." ....
Today's San Diego Student Walkouts Lead the State Los Angeles Times, CA
California students renew immigration protests on limited scale San Francisco Chronicle, USA
California schools ready in case of more immigration protests San Jose Mercury News, USA
LA students, teachers brace for possible new round of walkouts San Jose Mercury News, USA
Schools Curb Protests on Immigration Houston Chronicle, United States
Immigration protests become living history San Jose Mercury News, USA Teachers and students are turning the walkouts that have emptied high schools across Southern California into a real-life civics lesson about national immigration policy and even the nuances of civic duty itself...... after two days of protests that began with blocked freeways and pleas from the mayor to go back to class, and escalated Tuesday to school lock-downs and truancy citations........ On the popular Web site MySpace.com, where many students have said they went for protest instructions, the word was to wait until Friday for the next mass protest.......With two days of walkouts, the Los Angeles district alone could lose more than $900,000 in state funds based on student attendance........ the landmark 1968 Chicano walkouts to protest poor learning environments in East Los Angeles......
Authorities plan to rein in school protests in Los Angeles Xinhua, China
Inside LA Schools, Lessons From Walkouts Washington Post, United States Why is the government targeting immigrants? one student asked..... In the southern San Joaquin Valley, up to 1,800 students snarled traffic in Bakersfield...... In Texas, hundreds of high school students in El Paso marched toward the Mexican border, despite threats they would be suspended for leaving classes...... Similar protests also were staged in Arizona and Tennessee.
Students Continue Immigration Reform Protests Despite Crackdown Los Angeles Times, CA
Student Walkouts Continue; Officials Vow Crackdown Los Angeles Times, CA
Cardinal Mahony Urges Students Not To Walk Out NBC4.TV, CA
California protests over US immigration reform enter fifth day Political Gateway, FL
Schools fear more walkouts in protest of immigration bill KESQ, CA
Latino activist lauds student protests Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, CA
Southland School Districts May Lose State Funding Over Walkouts NBC4.TV, CA districts receive state funding of about $28 per day per student who attends school. About 8,000 LAUSD students were absent on Tuesday, amounting to about $224,000 in funding.

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