July 2006 Archives

Best Political Info Site

I discovered an outstanding political information web site, founded by political leaders of all persuasions like Michael Dukakis, Barry Goldwater, Geraldine Ferraro, and John McCain. Your vote in November and elections to come, could not be more important to the future of your community, state, our nation, or the world. Huge problems lie ahead. Making this year's vote decision an intelligent one requires, like all intelligent decisions, reliable, truthful, and factual information. There is no better site for acquiring that information than Project Vote Smart.

On the issues you care about most, is your incumbent representative a keeper? Or does your incumbent deserve a VOID at the ballot box? The answer can be found at Project Vote Smart. Major issues, and how your incumbent voted on them, what the issues were/are, and how the bills to be voted on were constructed are all essential information to determining if your incumbent is to be VOIDed or kept. It's all here at Project Vote Smart.

Warning: do not expect to acquire this information in 2 minutes at their site. They cover all the incumbents, and major issue bills, which will require you to download a pdf file or two, and looking up the information by district or representative or issue bill. But, it will be an invaluable 10 or 15 minutes spent acquiring the essential information needed to cast an intelligent vote this November and beyond.

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Posted by David R. Remer at 2:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)(2007), ©

Political Perversions

Politics is all about appearance - forget substance; that comes later, if ever! This last week has seen all manner of political actors mugging for the media attention. Election season is officially open. Following are a number of stories highlighting the mugging for cameras and print news. A few even hold out the promise of substance later on, but, don't hold your breath.

Nedra Pickler reports:

President Bush presided over a citizenship ceremony on Monday for three soldiers injured in Iraq, calling them "men who knew the cost of freedom and were willing to pay that cost so others could live free."

Bush also used his visit to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center to promote his stalled proposal for overhauling the nation's immigration laws.

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Posted by David R. Remer at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)(2007), ©

Killing America's Future

I know many folks cruise blogs for that short jibe that appears to say in 10 words what most others say in a book with years of research. But, America is the most complex single organization to ever exist in world history outside of nature herself. The argument that an economic train wreck for our economy is just over the hill cannot be made in 10 words or less. But, this understanding also, could not be more important, nor the emergency, greater.

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Posted by David R. Remer at 6:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)(2007), ©

VOID: World Attention

What do folks in Bejing, China - Dublin, Ireland - the Phillipines - New S. Wales, Australia - Serbia and Montenegro - India - Virgin Islands - Hawaii - and all across the continental U.S. have in common? They all visited our Vote Out Incumbents Democracy site in the last 72 hours.

It is the oldest of concepts within the idea of democracy, that voters have the power to vote out government leaders who fail to solve the people's national problems. Yet, the attention and the spread of the VOID message would indicate that this old concept is being received as if it were brand new and powerfully innovative.

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Posted by David R. Remer at 6:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)(2007), ©

WWIII

So, the buzz in the blogosphere is that we're on the brink of WWIII. What do you think? Is another World War breaking out? Will the US get sucked into it? Or, has it already started, and we just don't know it yet?

Posted by Stephanie Crist at 10:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)(2007), ©

Poll: Misunderstanding

Donna Cassata of the AP, writes about a new Associated Press-Ipsos poll in which voters prefer Democrats to Republicans this November. In her article it states:

The AP-Ipsos survey asked 789 registered voters if the election for the House were held today, would they vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate in their district. Democrats were favored 51 percent to 40 percent.

Not surprisingly, 81 percent of self-described liberals said they would vote for the Democrat. Among moderates, though, 56 percent backed a Democrat in their district and almost a quarter of conservatives - 24 percent - said they will vote Democratic.

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Posted by David R. Remer at 6:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)(2007), ©

A Vote For Accountability, Indeed!

Emily Messner writes about voting accountability:

In spite of what partisans on both sides might have you believe, the voting machine debate is not about who won or who lost a particular election -- it's about violating our national values of integrity and ethical behavior. We continue to condone this increased potential for fraud when we know full well that more secure systems exist.

This is an excellent article with lots of links to supporting data about the perils of not holding our voting system accountable.

Posted by David R. Remer at 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)(2007), ©

More Politician Corruption

The Washington Post writes in an article today entitled: Lawmaker Criticized for PAC Fees Paid to Wife

In the past two years, campaign and political action committees controlled by Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.) paid ever-larger commissions to his wife's one-person company and spent tens of thousands of dollars on gifts at stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany & Co. and a Ritz-Carlton day spa.

The use of such committees, especially "leadership" PACs, for purposes other than electing politicians to Congress is a common and growing phenomenon, but campaign finance watchdogs say Doolittle has taken it to new heights.

Posted by David R. Remer at 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)(2007), ©

Window / Bumper Stickers

Our window / bumper stickers have arrived. And they look great. They are trasparent with bold white lettering. See photo below.

VOID Members will receive one free in coming days.

Others may order them at this link. $3.00 each and 75 cents S&H per lot of 5 or less. Order yours today. The look great, they attach to your bumper or exterior window. They are easily removable without a mess. Dimensions are 3.75" x 7.5" and very legible at 30 to 50 feet. Vote Out Incumbents. Let 'em know where you stand.

Our thanks to Dennis Sherrard and David Remer who donated the $290 to order these.

Posted by David R. Remer at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)(2007), ©

Criminal Politicians II

The Rest of US.org reports on another corrupt politician convicted today.

The Nebraska Supreme Court has convicted Regent Dave Hergert on impeachment charges related to violating the state's campaign laws and lying to cover it up, as WOWT of Omaha reports. With today's ruling, Hergert is immediately removed from office.

Posted by David R. Remer at 7:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)(2007), ©

Lieberman for Lieberman

Sen. Joe Lieberman is willing to run anyway he can. And he is willing to reject the voter's choice at the Democratic primary in Connecticut, if necessary, to preserve his incumbency. He says he is doing it for the good of the people.

If the voters choose Liberman's challenger in the primary, Ned Lamont, Sen. Lieberman announced he will reject the voter's choice and run in November as an independent. This is precisely the kind of behavior that demonstrates how little respect far too many incumbents have for our political system, our democracy, and our government. Winning is everything, and everyone else's concerns are secondary.

In a somewhat biased article, Paul Rogat Loeb, writes about Lieberman's loyalties. Loeb's article misses the mark though, pointing to Lieberman's loyalty to the Republican leadership, when reality appears to reflect Lieberman's loyalty to the preservation of his own power, regardless of which party's voters he must pander to.

Posted by David R. Remer at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)(2007), ©

Criminal Politicians

Another in a growing list of local, state, and federal corrupt politicians was sentenced this week. This time a Democrat. Examiner.com covers this Associated Press story:

Rick Mariano exits the U.S. Courthouse in Philadelphia on Thursday, July 6, 2006. Mariano, a former city councilman who took $28,000 in bribes from small businesses seeking tax breaks, zoning help and other favors was sentenced Thursday to 6-1/2 years and must report to prison Aug. 7.

Posted by David R. Remer at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)(2007), ©

Educating America

Sometimes I get stuck in my own head. It's a quirk of my personality that my husband, at least, has learned to appreciate. Though it doesn't seem like it while it's happening, it's usually a very productive process that lets me work through a significant amount of concerns I have all at once. And that is where I have been lately...I've been stuck in my own mind.

What I've come back with is this: Americans are still much too content with what little they've retained to be willing to risk that on change.

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Posted by Stephanie Crist at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)(2007), ©

Motivating Factors?

We recently hit a bit of a snag here at Vote Out Incumbents for Democracy. I've been thinking a lot about this, and other things I've been witnessing in the realms of my personal life, and have found myself wondering a lot about the difference between wanting something and desiring it. The difference I see is how much effort one is willing to put forth to acheive the objective at hand.

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Posted by Stephanie Crist at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0)(2007), ©