Archive for Libertarians
Take A Bow, Matt Damon
Posted by: | CommentsFrom Gawker:
A reporter from libertarian rag Reason interviewed notorious Massachusetts liberal actor Matt Damon at this year’s Save Our Schools March and she tried to throw some business at him about teacher tenure and Ayn Randy incentive stuff and he wasn’t having it.
Building the Progressive Brand
Posted by: | CommentsHow do we build the progressive brand and create demand for our policies?
The New York Times ran a piece recently about a study of pop song lyrics and other studies suggesting increasing narcissism in America since the 1980s. (Big news, huh?) They found “the words ‘I’ and ‘me’ appear more frequently along with anger-related words, while there’s been a corresponding decline in ‘we’ and ‘us’ and the expression of positive emotions.” This must make the Randians proud. Their world is all about them, and it’s a view they have sold successfully for decades. Progressives will not change that outlook just by promoting programs people don’t want to pay for, sponsored by a government they distrust, with benefits they would rather do without than see help neighbors they see as parasites.
A progressive America is less about me and more about we.
Colonist or Royalist?
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It’s what every American should be asking themselves this week. The Tea Party too.
Do you stand with the modern-day British East India Corporations and their masters (the Kochs, the Olins, the Bradleys and other royals that want to unmake the American Century and rig American democracy like they rigged the financial markets)? Or do you stand with the people in your community? Who do you serve?
It’s pretty clear who Gov. Scott Walker and the GOP leadership in Wisconsin serves. They and their brethren and Forbes 400 patrons have declared open war on the middle class, with rafts of industry ghost-written legislation in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana — in about half the states. To strip the collective bargaining rights of political enemies, to defund public schools (and teachers), to suppress the vote by requiring photo IDs (Jim Crow, Jr.), to dissolve elected local governments in a corporate coup d’état, to arrogate sweeping executive authority over state agencies in a single unelected … tzar(?), to transfer tax dollars from the poor and middle class to give tax breaks to corporations, the works — all supported by the same press-shy billionaire ideologues behind Americans for Prosperity and the American Legislative Exchange Council. As the fake “Koch” phone call demonstrated, they don’t care about your jobs or your economy, and they don’t care about you.
So where do you stand? Colonist or Royalist?
– pro-Walker demonstrator Jay from LaCrosse in Madison, WI.
Time to Huddle
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Good morning, Hooligans. Buncombe County was almost perfect last night in its election of candidates who care about progressive values like the environment, labor, and education. Heath Shuler, Martin Nesbitt, Patsy Keever, Susan Fisher, Marvin Pope, Patricia Young, Van Duncan, and the others won through cooperation and the help of a mighty county Democratic Party GOTV effort. Elaine Marshall even won in Buncombe County!
Buncombe results here
NC results here
National results here
However, with the ascendancy of the GOP in the House and Senate in Raleigh and in the House of Representatives in Washington, it’s time to reflect on our progressive goals and strategies for the near term and long term. Where Republican leaders want to work together and come to common solutions, we ought to greet them with open arms while stifling our surprise. Where they want to steamroll, we ought to provide a spirited opposition.
It was going to be a tough budget year no matter who was in charge. Now it’s going to be a tough budget year led by folks who’ve promised to reduce revenue and cut services from our state government. It’s also time to redraw the lines of our electoral districts, and a monopoly on power during this process does not bode well.
I will huddle with folks at the municipal level to determine our legislative agenda going forward and to figure out what to do if legislators restrict Asheville’s revenue choices even further. I’ll huddle with social justice leaders to determine what to do if anti-marriage forces determine that bigotry ought to be enshrined in a constitutional amendment. I’ll huddle with Democratic Party leaders to plan a strengthening of our organization in the 11th Congressional District. I’ll huddle with political leaders to determine how to cope with the possibility of a decimation of our public education system, mental health services, and homelessness services.
Republican leaders in North Carolina may choose to govern by recognizing the needs of the most vulnerable among us. They may recognize the need to loosen the legislative shackles placed on Asheville. They may decide not to openly discriminate against LGBT North Carolinians. Here’s hoping. And while we wait and hope, it’s vital that we also get to work. This election is not a call for progressives to fall back, it is a call to redouble our efforts and refocus our politics.
I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts. It’s time to put ideas on the table. Criticism and gloating are acceptable, though I’ll urge you to be as constructive as you can.
Things I Learned in the Asheville Tribune
Posted by: | CommentsI don’t often pick up Bill Fishburne’s weekly, but I was at the 5 Points Diner today and wanted something to read. I’m glad I did because I learned some things I want to share. I’d provide links, but it doesn’t appear that any of this stuff is online. Go figure.
…Miller was asked if he “ever” made a statement about privatizing Social Security.
“No,” Miller replied
[...]
“Are you looking to pushing Social Security (age limits) to 70?”“I don’t have an age in mind,” Miller replied. “I want to look” at many alternatives.
Of course Miller’s own statements about privatization were reported in the Asheville Citizen-Times and the Hendersonville Times-News, and he continues to flirt with pushing the retirement age up.
The Henderson County Tea Party has splintered, and the newly minted Blue Ridge Tea Party Patriots has begun. The BRTPP joins the Tea Party of WNC and the Asheville Tea Party as the newest Tea denomination in the area.
Asheville Tea Party Chairwoman Jane Bilello says in the Tribune article,
“They formed the Blue Ridge Tea Party because they’re absolutely disgusted with [Henderson County Tea Party Chairman] Bill O’Connor … I was the first to go – and now they’re leaving,” too. “These people are the remnants of the Henderson County Tea Party,” leaving in anger “after the last debacle of a meeting.”
In an article about Asheville City Councilman Bill Russell’s switch from Republican to Unaffiliated, John North writes:
Russell, who was elected to Council in 2007, has not announced whether he will seek re-election when his term expires next year. “I don’t know” about running again, Russell told The Tribune. “I’ve got three children – 6, 4 and 2″ and parents who are facing problems related to aging that need his attention. “July is a long way from now. I’m leaning in that direction” of seeking re-election.
The Tea Parties and Jeff Miller
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After the Asheville Tea Party chose not to endorse Jeff Miller, there was much gnashing of teeth within the NC11 Republican Party. The AVL Tea Folk had all their chips on Dan Eichenbaum, and when he narrowly lost the primary they chose not to endorse Miller.
In response to this perceived slight, some Glenn Beck Republicans got together and formed their own Tea Party group. The newly minted Tea Party WNC, founded by a 9-12‘er, says it’s a state level PAC and won’t be involved with the Congressional race. However, this quote from Erika Franzi in the Asheville Daily Planet indicates much suspicion:
As for TPWNC, “It’s as if this thing sprang out of nowhere,” [Tim] Peck said.
Agreeing with Peck’s assessment, [Erika] Franzi continued, “I have first-hand information they’ve been working with the Miller campaign.”
Peck asserted, “This is a way to subvert criticism around the Miller campaign to give him the Tea Party support” they covet so much.
This video makes it look like the AVL Tea PAC endorsed Jeff Miller, but they didn’t. It’s a Republican videographer trying to make it look like they did. The same Republican asks if AVL Tea Party leader Erika Franzi is a liar here.
It looks like a full blown civil war has broken out among the various factions. The libertarian-leaning AVL Tea Partiers don’t like Jeff Miller’s politics. Henderson County Tea Partiers want to elect Jeff Miller and don’t like the AVL Tea Party. The TPWNC folks, who are Glenn Beck-variety conservatives, don’t like AVL Tea Party. According to Franzi, Buncombe County GOP Vice Chair Don Yelton recently attended a Freedom Works training day in Washington DC. Freedom Works purports to be a Tea Party organization. Conservative Bill Fishburne has attacked Asheville Tea Party in his Asheville Tribune.
What does it all mean? I don’t know. Miller’s not ideologically pure enough for the AVL Tea Party, so that looks like a point in his favor. He is, however, plenty pure for the Hendersonville Tea Party and the 9-12′ers who founded the Tea Party WNC, so those allies look like anchors around his neck. If I had to guess, I’d say that Miller is more partisan conservative than he is libertarian. That, however, is the guess of someone who watches these things only from afar.
What do you think it all means?
Shuler – Miller
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Lots to discuss. RCP ranking the NC-11 race a toss-up. Speaker? Jobs fair. Miller Ad. Buncombe’s jilted progressives. BCGOP shenanigans.
Shuler’s votes on energy, environment, education, and labor look great. Shuler’s votes on health care and civil rights don’t. GOP’s lame attempts to again tie him to a demonized Pelosi look silly.
Heath Shuler is monied, and Jeff Miller is not. The Asheville Tea Party decided not to endorse Miller, so the WNCGOP formed their own Tea Party to make sure he got a Tea Party endorsement of some sort. The Buncombe GOP is putatively leaderless. The Buncombe Dems have a lot of energy, but will they have vols? Can Susan Fisher, Patsy Keever, and Jane Whilden coattails translate into votes for Heath?
I can’t wait to hear everyone’s take on the race. Fire away in the comments. You can bet that both campaigns will be reading.
Disclaimer – I am definitely voting for Rep. Heath Shuler.
Downfall
Posted by: | CommentsI found this gem while poking around the internet yesterday. I’m bound to offend some of my friends by posting it (sorry, Erika), but it’s just too damn funny not to share.
“Cry and you cry alone. Laugh and the world laughs with you… and you cry alone later.” —Christopher Durang
Muller Mulls
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It was fun to be able to have Michael Muller to ourselves for a few months, but he’s now a multi-platform media maven who’s got his well-lubricated fingers in pies of every variety. He penned a piece for Mountain Xpress about the Republican race for Congress that’s required reading for anyone interested in how things work.
Here’s an excerpt. Go to Mtn. X to read the whole thing.
“Buncombe County’s abysmal Republican turnout can be attributed to its relatively weak party organization and inability to raise money for get-out-the-vote efforts. And while Eichenbaum carried Buncombe and seven other counties to Miller’s six, the numbers simply weren’t high enough to make a difference. But if more Buncombe Republicans had voted, Eichenbaum, not Miller, might well be the nominee.”
Vote Today!
Posted by: | CommentsToday is voting day. You are a voter. This means you need to go vote. If you don’t go vote, then Scrutiny Hooligans will revoke your humanity privilege. Henceforth you will be referred to as Apathetic Nonvoter.
Those of you who vote, of course, will be celebrated like the heroes you are.
Voting Guides available here.
Voting locations available here.
