Offered with the permission of the author:


Nov. 6, 2009

Dearest Party Leaders,

My name is Chairman Benjamin John “BJ” Chiszar of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party and it is with great sadness that I write to you all to expose what I consider to be the final straw in my dealing with the leadership at FDP headquarters. I have had nothing but problems and frustration in dealing with our “parent” organization and enough is enough is enough. I am not going anywhere and I will continue to lead the Miami-Dade DEC to victory (we have won 23 out 29 local races this year). We are active on the issues that we as Democrats say we believe in (healthcare, equality, assault weapons ban, right to vote, the environment, etc) and we are growing our DEC rapidly (over 150 new applicants- up 62% in my first year). I do not require the FDP for anything! The MD-DEC would be better served if they would simply leave us alone. Let them coddle up to corrupt big donors (like the crook Mr. Rothstein, whom FDP returned $200,000 to) and then continue to waste the money, without supporting DECs, as section 7 and 9 of the FDP Charter demand!

On yesterday, November 5th, I received a rude and threatening phone call from the FDP Director of Party Affairs, Milli Smith who claimed that the DNC had contacted the FDP to complain about me. The way Ms. Smith spoke to me as if she was some supreme authority figure over the MD-DEC was inappropriate and I let her know it. I yelled at her in response to her wording and tone, and told her that she was not to call me and threaten me ever again and if there was a problem with DNC, they should put it in writing for my review and then hung up in her face. Unfortunately for Milli, it turns out that she was lying, got caught and then tried to play the victim as if I was mean to her. The DNC told me that they DID NOT contact FDP to complain about me and Southern US Political Director, my friend Nate Jenkins (from Orlando) even went so far as to say that it was “completely inappropriate for Milli Smith to call me and say there was a complaint”. What had occurred was that I, as the youngest Chair of a large county in the US had placed a call and left a message to speak with our National leader Gov. Tim Kaine on Wednesday. I left my name and number and that was it. I didn’t specify the reason for my call, so Nate Jenkins called FDP to see if my call to DC had something with the Judicial Committee issue from this summer (which I will get late in this letter). My call did not have anything to do with FDP. Ms. Smith also claimed that our DEC Treasurer called to complain about me twice yesterday, which I found out to be a lie as well, according to my Treasurer Paul Barthole. He says called because Milli never sent a certificate for the Haitian-American Democratic Club, which is part of her job. Now where does Ms. Smith get off taking liberty with the facts and saying the DNC and DEC Treasurer “complained” about me? Why doKaren Thurman and Scott Arceneaux, who knew exactly what was going on, because I copied them on ALL the emails, allow this non-sense? Because it deals with BJ in Miami-Dade, that’s why! I highly doubt any of you are subjected to this tyranny!

First of all, allow me to give you some background information that will help you understand my frustration with FDP. The Karen Thurman croniesDID NOT win election at our Organizational Meeting. Knowing that I do not like Karen and her team in Tallahassee (based on 2008 personal experience, when I was an employee of DNC and FDP), my victory was greeted with utter panic and disdain. Karen Thurman, FDP staff and their gadfly do nothing friends in Miami-Dade have tried their darnedest to be divisive and disruptive from day one. I have no doubt that their failures to impact our DEC operation boils their blood. In the spring, the FDP and Karen’s MD-DEC cronies tried to undo my free and fair election of December 3rd, by complaining about past Chair and current State Committeeman Bret Berlin and his conduct before and during the election. After failing to comply with their own bylaws and having to re-schedule the hearing, the FULL Judicial council met and exonerated both Bret Berlin and also Chairman Mitch Caesar (Broward) from any wrongdoing concerning the organizational meetings. They made some recommendations, one of which we had done 2 months before the hearing. Another was to send the ballots from December 3rd which had never been in my possession and the third was to “bring our DEC bylaws into compliance with FDP”. I asked both verbally and in writing at least 10 times for someone to please tell us EXACTLY what is wrong with our bylaws and we will change them. I spoke to Vice Chair Diane Glasser, who told me that was a reasonable request and that FDP should assist. This never happened, yet the FDP wanted to try me later for not following their broad general recommendation. It should be noted that FDP was updating their own bylaws this year and makes zero sense to tell a DEC to fix our bylaws while FDP is fixing their own. These are the folks in charge of this Party!

Another bit of information for background purposes pertain to rude and intimidating calls from FDP staff. The first rude call I received from Milli Smith came on April 1, while I was down at the election department to get confirmation that a candidate was NOT a registered Democrat (Myron Rosner). It just so happens that Ms. Smith was calling about this same candidate. Three of her DEC friends (Thomas Pinder, John Julien, & Carline Paul) had supposedly (according to Milli) called FDP to complain that I was telling them they had support our Democrat, Mayor Ray Marin (who happened to be one of our only Puerto Rican electeds in the entire State) in North Miami Beach. Now I did not invent the loyalty oath or make her friends sign it, they did so on their own, knowing full well what it says and means. Milli Smith ordered me to “let them support whomever they want, because FDP didn’t want them on Haitian-American radio saying bad things about the Party”. So I was told to let them violate the loyalty oath that we all signed by an FDP official. On the same call, Milli claimed that another friend of hers (Elizabeth Judd) had called to say that I was doing “nothing to help DEC member Eddie Lewis in his council bid in Miami Shores”. The only problem is that it is completely false! We (DEC and myself as an individual) had been doing everything you can imagine (door knocking, phone calling, providing walk-lists & call-lists, emails and even did a GOTV mailer) to help him and he is still very appreciative of the DEC’s efforts to this day. So once again, Milli’s friends and Milli Smith take liberty with the facts to suit their own agenda of opposing me. Ms. Judd’s true intentions were later revealed. She wanted the DEC to assist her friend in North Miami in a race featuring 5 Democrats! We offered them all the same assistance as any good DEC would. To add icing on the cake, on the same April 1st call, she claimed that one of the DFA gadflies, Sam Feldman said “BJ won’t give me VAN access”. This is also false; Sam was one of the first DEC members to get VAN access (3/23/09) for his PRECINCT. He demanded the entire city of Miami Beach and of course I said no way! This is a perfect segue to what FDP tried to do to me this summer.

Mr. Feldman and DFA decided to endorse a Republican over the Florida League of Cities President, and Liberal Democrat Michael Blynn in North Miami. They did so knowingly and in fact didn’t even invite the Democrat to their “candidate screening”. Now DFA can do whatever it wants, but Milli’s friend Sam Feldman violated the loyalty oath and took a paid position with the Republican. Hmmm…I would find out later that the Republican’s daughter had been employed by DFA during 2008 and when the Republican made a run-off, Sam had her switch to Democrat to prevent the DEC from assisting the Real Democrat. DCCA Chair Alison Morano was made aware of this, as was Vice Chair Diane Glasser and Milli Smith. This exposure was an embarrassment for DFA and Sam. This incident was the catalyst for these gadflies filing a fraudulent complaint against me with FDP.

The first complaint was about Union bugs and that the DEC used a designer bug, instead of printer bug. The DEC has been using the same guy for 9 years and I never examined with a magnifying glass what the tiny bug said. Not to mention that nowhere in our State or Local bylaws does it say I have to use any Union bug. I will have you all know that the DEC relationship with organized labor has never been stronger as I am known all over South Florida as “Union guy”. The second complaint was from the UM Democrats who were encouraged by Sam (who signed complaint because none of the others were from DEC) saying that I wouldn’t give them VAN access for free. What they forgot to mention is that these rich little snobs refused to assist our Cuban-American Female Democrat, Commissioner Maria Anderson in Coral Gables (she lost the UM precinct) and said they weren’t interested in local politics or joining the DEC. Once again nowhere in our State or Local bylaws does it say that I have to give inactive and unsupportive Non-DEC members from a College Democrats Chapter VAN access. The third complaint was from perennial gadfly and Karen Thurman crony, Barbara Walters claiming a litany of procedural silliness that she couldn’t back up. This was proven at FDP hearing AND DEC hearing which both found no grounds to remove me. I save the best for last, the fourth complaint was from a Club President in Dade who had no idea about the complaint process, made false accusations that he later withdrew and told me “he was put to this by someone from the FDP staff”. Let me say that again, the FDP staff told one of my Club Presidents to make a false complaint against me in the hopes I would resign. If that does not disturb you, then I question your loyalty to truth and justice.

Now let’s review the despicable August 29th Judicial Council hearing in Miami Lakes. This Kangaroo Court set up by Karen Thurman, who appointed a SUBCOMMITTEE with one my enemies Millie Herrera, a gadfly who lost to a complete unknown civil rights activist in the election for State Committeewoman and still cries herself to sleep every night about it. This hearing was in violation of FDP bylaws! First of all, section 5.5.2 says the Judicial Council hears APPEALS, an appeal would indicate that it came before the DEC first. That did not happen and everyone at FDP knew it. Section 5.5.2 also clearly says that the appeals must be a result of a FDP bylaws violation. Not a single one of the four complaints met this criterion, unless you consider Ms. Walters non-sensical complaint bylaw related. You as Party leaders should also be aware that Section 5.5.4 of FDP bylaws says that a complainant has 30 days from date of the incident to file a complaint in writing by certified mail. Not a single one of the complaints was filed within that time frame. This was easily noticed by looking at the date they were filed (all within 3 days of each other and signed by the same people) and the dates of the alleged incidents.FDP knew that they were all filed way after the 30 days time limit passed. This was brought up at the beginning of the hearing and Vice Chair Rhett Bullard, while having the deer in headlights look on his face, let the Kangaroo Court proceed. My attorney also pointed out at the beginning of the hearing that Section 5.5.6 of FDP bylaws clearly states that when a DEC or DEC officer is brought up on charges and Karen Thurman appoints a subcommittee instead of the full Judicial Committee, the Chair (Rhett Bullard) SHALL enlarge the subcommittee to include fellow DEC Chairs from within 100 miles of the county where accused is from. This did not happen and after being informed that the hearing was violating these 3 FDP bylaws pertaining specifically to Judicial Council, Vice Chair Bullard proceeded. After wasting all of our time, there decision was to send it back to DEC officers and let them decide. This was as backwards as you can possibly get. So the FDP appointed my fellow officers to be a grievance committee, which I believe to be inappropriate. It didn’t matter because they found the complaints non-sensical and denied them all!

Again. Let’s return to yesterday, I got a call late in the day from the NEW Executive Director, Scott Arceneaux. This was my first time ever speaking with the gentleman and after simple hello-how are you, I asked him why his staff had lied twice in one day about receiving complaints about me, got caught and he allows such a thing to occur. He then told me not to be mean to his staff, when I reminded him who started this business. Mr. Arceneaux then proceeded to rudely insult me and tell me to shut up. As you can imagine, I let him have it and put him in his place real quick. I will not be spoken to by these scumbags like that! I can only assume that you wouldn’t either!

Today I am calling for resignation and/or removal of Karen Thurman and her senior Staff (especially Scott & Millie). Given that many of you are friends with these people, I expect some blind loyalty to the status quo. This is unacceptable behavior from leaders of the most important State in the Union. I believe there is a direct correlation to this pathetic excuse for leadership and our losing big in 2010! You can prevent that from happening! All you need to do is ask some simple questions. If you do that you will find that everything I have laid out for you is true. I wake up every day with the people of Florida and especially our 4 million+ Democrats on my mind and in my heart. Thank you for your time!

BJ Chiszar (305-491-0713)

The Orlando Sentinel and St. Petersburg Times reported yesterday that a federal bust is about to go down in Florida.

I'm betting it has everything to do with money, and nothing to do with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in Brevard County that would keep us safe from the likes of serial killer Ottis Toole.

After countless homicides in Florida, his homestate, Toole was apprehended and died behind bars in Texas, because Florida only cares that they convict a man, not that they convict the right man. It's why Florida holds that national record for death row exonerations. [http://fadp.org/thefloridaproblem.html]

It's widely believed that Bill Dillon served 27 years for one of Toole's homicides; Toole also killed young Adam Walsh in the same locale and time frame.

Dillon was one of three Brevard men that worked their way free from a reported 60 felony trials involving a bogus scent evidence expert. In earning their freedom, the consistent use of coached jailhouse informants to back up the phony expert was revealed. Floridians spent millions to be kept safe from these harmless men, who lost a combined 54 years of their lives. Floridians also paid $2M in exoneration compensation to Wilton Dedge, and will likely pay Dillon and Juan Ramos damages, too, along with the rest of those that the FBI, by doing nothing, will force to overcome close to thirty years of congealed corruption one by one.

The snitch that testified against Ramos was freed - again - in January. The snitch that testified against Dillon will be freed - again - in October. The snitch that testified against Dedge man will never get out. He was a recycled snitch who recanted his testimony against Gerald Stano, who was executed. And yes, phony scent expert John Preston was involved in that case, too.

What's the FBI's problem is dealing with the debunked dog handler? Seems that feds used John Preston to get convictions, too. Dale Sutton and Linroy Bottoson allegedly committed crimes on US Postal turf. Sutton's Ohio conviction was upset. Bottoson's should have been, but he was executed. In Florida, of course.

While writing about the Florida flavor of politics for the last couple of months, I've been watching as battle lines get drawn over Obama administration initiatives meant to fix some of the more badly broken pieces of The American Dream - the healthcare system, the environment, the working middle class, for starters.

And I want to get in the game. While I'll keep covering Sunshine State doings, I'm also going to start writing more about these core national issues, and the related legislative reform efforts so necessary to restore -- and create anew - some semblance of socioeconomic equilibrium in our American Democracy.

But first, I need to get some Big Picture context off my chest - hanging a frame, if you will, in which the canvas of those and related stories can then be methodically mounted for maximum cumulative impact.

Because, if taken individually and out of their larger context, each of the aforementioned political battles now raging - and those yet to come -- may seem to some Americans to be just another round of partisan political bickering and business as usual BS - which is just what cynical Conservative and Republican politicians and pundits want people thinking.

Because, if taken together and placed in their larger context, those same political battles stop looking like yet another round in an endless prize fight, and instead combine to paint a vivid side-by-side portrait of a country engaged in nothing less than a seminal -- albeit semantic -- socioeconomic and political Civil War.   Read More »

Last week, 2008 congressional challenger Annette Taddeo suggested she might be interested in a possible run for CFO. This would be a very good idea.

If you already know about Annette and agree, go sign the petition and encourage her to jump into the race.

Taddeo ran a strong campaign against Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in Florida's 18th District. Despite widespread support and much excitement generated by her candidacy, she was unable to overcome the popularity of the incubment, who had the vast resources of her office and long career in politics to hold off the newcomer. Taddeo did establish herself as a progressive politician to keep an eye on, though.

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Reposted from alterNET.

In the past few months, our communities showed that real, transformative change is possible. How did we get to this point? And where do we go from here?

Where we are: The Fishbowl is Cracked.


When I facilitate trainings for grassroots leaders, allies, and staff on why we do strategic communications work in relation to our community organizing I inevitably talk about hegemony. Hegemony is the common sense we have to challenge when we are trying to make change. The limits of collective imagination and understanding create the limits of the change we can make. Once, in a training, someone offered this metaphor: hegemony is the water the fish swims in, it shapes the fish's experience and determines understanding, it is everywhere. But hegemony isn't just the water the fish swims in; there are limits to the fish's world, hard edges beyond which the fish can't move - the fishbowl.

In the past few months the hegemonic fishbowl our country's been living in has cracked.

Crack #1 - The Economic Crisis

Capitalism, as it has been talked about for the past 30 years, is in serious trouble and everyone knows it. The long time defenders of capitalism's rules are now breaking them. The free market is only free when profit is made and all (the rich) are happy. With the U.S. economy in shambles from unregulated exchange (free markets) the government is stepping in to nationalize the banks, a big no-no for capitalists. We have Congress dancing around an Auto Industry bailout to the point that even President George Bush took action to rescue the big three while at the same time saying that government should not interfere with the market (at least that's how I heard it).

These cracks in the faith of capitalism are huge. Now more people can align themselves with alternative economics, as their reality and experience of capitalism shifts. It is up to us to put forward viable visions for economies based on principles of justice, self-determination, and people over profit.

Crack #2 - The Presidential Race

Millions of people were drawn to Barack Obama's campaign because of his message of change. His campaign did not rely on the Democratic machine (solely) but built its own movement, creating a broad umbrella of Hope and Change that many could fit under. The campaign drew in young African-Americans, and Latinos (who won the race for Obama in Florida, no thanks to young whites). It exposed many to activism, not at an issue level, but on a broad, almost movement level. This, plus the fact that Obama's campaign held him up as a community organizer, has placed new value - even new legitimacy - in the hands of progressive organizers.

Hillary Clinton's bid for the White House also cracked our fishbowl. The possibility of a woman president or a Black president illustrated a shift in what is possible, what is the norm in the U.S. As much as Obama represented advances for racial justice, Clinton represented advances for women, turning narrow notions of who can lead on their head. Although neither of these advances directly changes systemic racism and patriarchy, they do demonstrate possibilities and stimulate imaginations of another world.

Crack #3 - Mass Action

Several weeks ago employees at the Chicago factory of Republic Windows and Doors occupied their workplace. The six day occupation was sparked by Bank of America refusing to extend a line of credit to the bosses to pay severance to employees as the factory closed. During this time President Elect Barack Obama said he supported the demands of the factory workers. The workers, members of the independent (not a part of the AFL-CIO) democratic United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE), took the militant action and demanded their severance essentially from a bank that had just received a government bail out. Obama's support of the workers is a signal not only to organized labor, but also to unorganized workers, it is a shift away from pro-business union busting neo-liberalism.

This action signifies another smaller crack. There is a growing trend of militant trade unionism and workplace solidarity. Workers are no longer satisfied with big business unionism and are taking matters into their own hands. This is happening through the shell of the old, and with some help from sympathetic union officials. Militant worker action is happening outside of the sanctioned workers organizations, demonstrated by wild cat strikes of truckers in and around DC last spring, the growth in the number and power of independent worker centers, etc. Although the demands of the UE action were not as far reaching as those of workers who reclaimed and ran factories in Argentina during recent financially troubled times, the militancy of the action captured the imagination of rank and file workers across the globe.

This crack is mass made, meaning it is an actual mass recognition of the limits of the fishbowl and intentional attempts to push beyond those limits. It is a qualitative change (shift in understanding of rights, of tactics) coming about after years of quantitative changes (loss of power of unions, loss of job security, shifting work force). It is this cycle of change we need to understand as we move forward.

Where we're going: Adding More Cracks to the Fishbowl.


Now that we can see some of these cracks in the fishbowl, we need to expand the cracks and create many more so that soon the fish bowl will just fall apart.

Organize

Now more than ever we need to build grassroots multi-racial organizations that fight against oppression and for expansion of gender, racial, economic, and human rights. These bread and butter campaigns improve material conditions through reform while developing the capacity for political and practical leadership from the grassroots. It is also through organizing that we can capture and keep a new generation of activists invigorated by the presidential election engaged in our ongoing struggle. These organizations are crucial as we expand our movement (see below) because they ground the fight in everyday conditions and realities and serve as incubators for leadership from oppressed communities, those who should be leading the fight.

Communicate

These smaller campaign fights have the potential to tap into that spirit of hope and change that Obama's campaign did, but only if mass numbers of people hear about them and are touched by them. Strategically communicating is not only about reaching targets of campaigns, or reaching constituents, it is about shifting the debate to create the space for victories, for inspiring a wide swath of people to support you and move with you. There is all sorts of new technology out there that allows this type of creative story telling to happen. This new media allows us to by-pass the traditional media that is stuck in the fishbowl. New technology democratizes dreaming and allows us to bypass the traditional media, which is stuck framing their news within the limits of the fishbowl. We need to utilize this power and create larger cracks that traditional media cannot ignore. Our frame has the potential to be the main frame.

Elect

Building from grassroots organizing to communications, there has to be a way to test our effectiveness in building consensus and support for our ideas and actions. The electoral arena gives us that space. This means forming new types of organizations beyond 501c3s and even c4s. We must build our own electoral machines that not only move candidates but also move messages.

The right wing is amazingly effective at this tactic. With the use of ballot initiatives around what are often characterized as social issues, they mobilize and test their base. These issues, usually issues of abortion and gay marriage, are used in a narrow way to divide populations and encourage strife. The electoral tool has been under utilized by the left. While it has the ability to reach masses of people in a short amount of time and encourages them to take concise action it is not a replacement for community organizing, with its longer battles and fights and expanded opportunities of leadership development and deeper messages.

Make Big Demands - Take Bold Action

As capitalism is questioned from the left to the right, as millions are activated through self-interest to oppose the status quo in this crumbling economy it is time to make big demands based on big ideas and take bold action to garner attention and support. Let's not rely on platitudes, and dogmatism that only makes sense in our own little circles, let's push ourselves to reframe and repackage how we talk about things, to address where people now find themselves. We need to learn from actions taken by movements that have come before us and inspire us such as: sit ins and mass protests, lighting draft cards on fire, the Mississippi Freedom Party, Serve the people Programs, Gay Pride Parades, factory takeovers in Argentina, land takeovers in Brazil. Our action should draw on the vision of righteousness of these past actions and move beyond them, contextualize them, and make them bigger; not only in numbers but in vision and impact.

Actions that capture this type of energy are eviction blockades in Boston organized by Vida Urbana/City Life, the tenant union organizing happening in Miami, and the "progressives for Obama" blog of activists and intellectuals committed to ensuring Obama doesn't drift to the center.

Expand the Movement - grow or die

If there is any hope of building a better world we must be more than the sum of our parts. With capitalism in decline in the U.S. and the emperor exposed as having no clothes, the time is ripe to build a broad movement big enough to not only hold Barrack Obama accountable to the interests of racial, economic, and gender justice, but big enough to actually shift society at the roots.

Building a broad movement means building with sectors, organizations, and people who you may disagree with on particular issues. It is the job of principled leftists to mainstream our ideas and practices through engaging in coalitions, united fronts and movements, and winning people to our side, thus expanding our influence and pulling movements left. The fight is in the movement.

The task of maintaining principled left ideals while engaging in broad coalitions, united fronts, and movements is difficult. There is always the question of the edge of one's politics; the point at which compromise is actually selling out a principled stance regardless of supposed unity or advances, and not compromising is a dogmatic clinging to the security of pure politics standing in the way of advancing the fight. But if we don't take risks and throw our lot in with hope and growth over guarded skepticism and stagnation (which is failure in the end), how can we reach the majority of people, how can we truly build a better world? Let our goals be our guides to making allies and naming enemies in each fight.

Don't Get Ground Up by the Machine

With an Obama victory I am closer now than I ever was to the White House. Friends of friends are getting appointments with the new administration. As much as this presidency signals a historic shift, it is still a presidency within the U.S., and therefore certain lines must be maintained. Those friends who move inside the administration will certainly be forced to hold those lines, and those of us on the outside have to be clear about those dividing lines as well.

Now is the time to take advantage of the cover of an Obama presidency and build independent organizations, electoral machines, and movements. We must understand the limitations of the positions of the president, and make our role be to change the ground beneath his feet.

We can't just get excited by the cracks in the fish bowl, we have to see them for what they are: the work of people trying to change the world (I know how hokey that sounds). Without constant pressure, without trying to push more people through those cracks and expand them, we will find that they disappear as those invested in the fishbowl (and the fish) staying right where (and how) it is work to reinstate the status quo. Now is the time to get out our hammers and start swinging.   Read More »

I'm totally psyched that Al Franken will be a US Senator:



This is mostly unrelated to what's going on in Florida, I know, but it is a step forward for the progressive movement and the country.

...and Rush Limbaugh is still a big fat idiot. Thanks Al!

The founders, with all their faults were trying to do something profound, they were trying to break with MONARCHY.

It wasn't, that they didn't specifically like King George; they just didn't like "The Divine Right of Kings" as a principle.  Despite history not being taught anymore, some of you nevertheless know the phrase "The Divine Right of Kings". It means, for those of you educated more recently, since GOD has obviously selected "THE KING", and if you reject the King, you reject GOD.

Simultaneously, since GOD by definition cannot be wrong, the judgment of the KING is likewise infallible. The King (like GOD) exists in a sphere above human frailty and is UNDENIABLE, UNQUESTIONABLE, and from whose awful justice, there is no APPEAL.

 There were people who believed that if you denied the infallibility of the King you were also denying GOD, and would be struck down. John quipped, "Luckily they had Ben Franklin on their side, so they knew how to deal with bolts from above". This was an incredibly bold and dangerous proposition. Since religion had previously been  woven so tightly to political authority in most monarchies, making this clean break with state religion was part of the rejection of the "Divinity of the King".   [more]

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I can understand your unease if, you haven't understood, what CHANGE Senator, now President Elect Obama will bring. Let me try to help define the change that President Obama brings.

CHANGE from a politics of division, to a politics of HOPE. That is a significant change for an America who has been divided again and again by "FAKE" culture wars, intended to keep Americans bathed in fear and trumped up hate. You know, divide and conquer. What color is George Bushes fear level today?

CHANGE from a politics of CORPORATE WELFARE to the people's welfare. Where helping citizens is more important than helping WALL STREET. While the Bush Administration was cutting student loans, they were boosting corporate goodies, removing safeguards for American workers and removing environmental regulations. Maybe we can turn our attention and resources from benefits for MEGA-CORPORATIONS to benefits for ordinary Americans.

CHANGE from a reliance on MILITARY ONLY solutions to using diplomatic methods and missions to augment our brave young people under arms. CHANGE from an emphasis on building up ARMS MERCHANTS AND CORPORATE BUCCANEERS to rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges here in America?

Regarding the Reverend Jesse Jackson, whose honest tears you doubted. I had the pleasure of hearing him speak about the candidate, Senator Obama, during the heat of the convention in Denver at an event hosted by the Progressive Democrats of America. Reverend Jackson spoke eloquently about what a victory by Senator Obama would mean to a man like himself who walked those brave roads beside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. Remember Dr. King didn't walk all those miles through the water hoses and night sticks just for African Americans or Hispanics or even Original Americans. He walked those miles for every child of these shores.

He walked for you and he walked for me. You and I are rescued by his steps. And I believe that Reverend Jackson's honest tears, were shed that glorious election night not just for his children or our children but those were some of the same tears shed in Memphis, and in Birmingham and in LA. Those tears were part of the birthing of a newer and better America.

I'm sure you heard voices as I did, that America wasn't ready for a CHANGE like Senator Obama brings. But more that once America has shown herself better than our fears, better than our weaknesses and sometimes America has shown herself better than our fondest hopes.

That is the defined CHANGE that this President Elect brings, us all, all of Americas' children.

From a Letter to the Editor, Stuart News (11/9/08)

A sampling of quotes, joke, observations and quips about the 2008 election...   Read More »

Analysis of the 2008 election from all corners...   Read More »

Good stuff you all should read from bloggers in other states...

Jesse Berney: Just Ignore 'Em: A Democratic Strategy for the Post-Bush Era

538.com: Ten Reasons Why You Should Ignore Exit Polls

Sunlight Foundation: Open Letter to the Obama Administration on How to Shine Sunlight

African American Political Pundit: Barack Obama, The Presidency, and Black America

Pam's House Blend: The religious right promises more amendments, do we have a plan?

TerranceDC: Nothing Changed

Chris Bowers: No, We Can't Wait

Meteor Blades: Enough Already with SYFPH

David Sirota: The Need to Go Big

Tim Wise: GOOD, AND NOW BACK TO WORK: AVOIDING CYNICISM AND OVERCONFIDENCE IN THE AGE OF OBAMA

e.politics: How the Internet Put Barack Obama in the White House

techPresident: What Happens to the Obama Network After the Election? (1)

techPresident: What Happens to the Obama Network After the Election? (2)

Today is the end of a very long period of both working and waiting on behalf of progressives throughout the United States. For over 30 years, Floridians and Americans alike have been told that smaller government is the best government, taxes are evil, people who think, look, and act differently are a threat to the country, and that when it comes to our politics we should settle for less and leave democracy up to the "grownups". A lot of this thinking, known by its common name of "conservatism", will likely be defeated today in a major way for the first time since 1932. Not only that, but the charge will be led by an anti-war black candidate named Barack Obama, whose political viability was made possible by the largest and most aggressive grassroots movement in American history which raised more money and brought more people into the democratic process than anything before it.
Let that sink in for a moment…

American history is fun, isn't it?

The fact of the matter is, regardless of the final tally at the end of the day, great strides will be made by the progressive movement. However, every progressive simply must understand this is one battle of many to come.

Obama, should he be elected, will face immense scrutiny over his cabinet appointments. Once he takes the oath, he will be taking the reins of a country mired in war, deficits, and an economic crisis unseen since 1929.

In Florida, a new legislature will convene in March to address a budget deficit on the rise. The last vestige of Bush Republicanism in Florida, the legislature will no doubt try to get rid of progressive ideas and programs they've been sharpening their knives for for over 15 years. I'm talking about class size, environmental conservation, higher ed, campaign finance, and even Medicaid.

At the local level, the battle between sanity and unbridled development will continue.

Folks, this is the end of the beginning. Enjoy the day and tonight's victories, because tomorrow we go back to work.

Barack Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has passed away. Dunham raised Obama for much of his childhood and was an inspiration to him. She won't get to see her grandson become the first black President of the United States. How utterly and incredibly sad. Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest condolences go out to the Obama family.

While this humorous ad talks about North Carolina, the same can certainly be applied to our state.



For God sake, your neighbors are voting...vote!

If you're not sure where you can early vote or vote on Election Day, go to GoVote.org.

Reagan endorses Obama from the grave:



Please pass this around to any undecideds you know - it's a pretty compelling ad.

I'm really glad all these folks are voting, but having to wait more than 3 hours to vote is simply ridiculous:



This looks like yet another area where we need Governor Crist to lead by opening up more early vote locations, and he's conspicuously absent.


Update: I stand partially corrected. Gov. Crist is ordering early vote locations stay open longer. It's certainly better than nothing, but I hope this does something to lessen the lines. Keep voting Florida! Remember 2000!

"According to a Wall Street Journal analysis, voters under 30 have not widely participated in early voting this year. In Florida, they account for 8% of cast ballots, though they make up 17% of voters." -- Wall Street Journal, 10/24/08

This year more than ever under 30 voters could make the difference in the presidential election. But media reports indicate the young voter turnout in Florida has been very weak during early voting.

Here's a challenge to all voters under 30 to double your political voice by bringing at least one additional young voter to the polls. Please also forward this message to friends and family, and encourage them to do the same!


RELATED NEWS
Youth Vote More Influential Than Ever in 2008
Associated Press
October 26, 2008
As Election Day quickly approaches, polls indicate that youth voters may have an unprecedented impact on the presidential race.

Courting the Youth Vote
By Amy Chozick
Wall Street Journal
October 24, 2008
Young voters could help sway the presidential election in Barack Obama's favor -- if they vote.

VOTER INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
General voting information from the Florida Division of Elections
League of Women Voters voter information resources
ACLU information site on Florida's "No Match, No Vote" law
Advancement Project Report: Florida Voting Laws In A Nutshell

WFTV's Barbara West, who appears to be nothing less than a political hack from the McCain campaign's communications department, asks a load of ridiculous questions to Joe Biden:




Update: DailyKos paints a better picture:

Every time I have cast my presidential ballot since 1984, I voted for the Libertarian Party candidate. That will end November 4. Not that my vote for Barack Obama will be anywhere close to a "10" on the enthusiasm charts but it is the only sane alternative.

The rationale for my decision was driven by five factors:

1. Bob Barr, the worst Libertarian candidate ever and a Trojan horse for the reactionary wing of the Republican party. Libertarians actually worked towards the defeat of Barr when he was a member of Congress. He came late to the party in 2006 declaring himself a "life member" and, inexplicably, became the Libertarian nominee for president in 2008. He has no Libertarian bona fides. Former Libertarian presidential candidates such as Ron Paul, Harry Browne and Michael Badnarik have formidable, long-held pro-civil liberty credentials and campaigned vigorously to promote the party's principles of less government. Not so Barr. His campaign has been mute, bordering on the non-existent. Instead of spreading the gospel of libertarianism, he has chosen to reject promoting the party's long-term future. Siphoning votes to the Libertarian cause in states such as Colorado, Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia would likely weaken McCain-Palin.

2. The Republican myth as the party of less government. The GOP of the past 10 years bears no resemblance to the party of Reagan and Gingrich, let alone Theodore Roosevelt and Barry Goldwater. Far from it, the Republican "base" consists of rabid reactionaries who comingle theology and politics. The "live and let live" doctrine is anathema to them. They prefer to inflict their so-called "values" on the rest of us, turning the screws of censorship, invading our privacy and personal liberty, and confiscating a woman's right to choose. By first instigating, then preying upon fear of the masses, this Republican administration has been the main driver in the erosion of personal freedoms. The Bushies spearheaded the socialization of capital markets, falsified "intelligence" and documents to wage an unwarranted war, and initiated the inappropriately named Patriot Act.

3. The kleptocracy of the past eight years. The criminality of the Bush administration, from war profiteering to bailing out avaricious Wall Street executives and companies, is unparalleled. Halliburton may be the highest profile company to reap rewards from the trumped-up war in Iraq but barely a day goes by when the media doesn't report a company owned/run by another Bush/Cheney crony is making obscene profits through massive overbilling of the military. Also, the administration---with Congressional help--passed the largest corporate welfare program in the history of the world. This country's economic mess was created by unfettered greed on the part of the individuals and financial institutions that will be the sole beneficiaries of this boondoggle. Since the $700 billion authorization by a near-bankrupt government, credit remains tight, mortgage rates have gone up, and bankruptcies and unemployment continue unabated. Meanwhile, the greedy, corrupt bankers responsible for the credit fraud go unpunished and are the recipients of government largesse.

4.The political cowardice of John McCain. Hardly a maverick, McCain has voted with the Bush administration more than 90 percent of the time. His actions and rhetoric have been dictated by right wing ideologues. In making the pathetically poor choice of Sarah Palin, McCain took his marching orders from a pill-popping, hypocritical radio host. His attempts to smear his opponent rather than discuss substantive issues smacks of fealty to the "base," lack of knowledge, or desperation--likely all three. His declaration that he would have no problem with our military "spending 100 years in Iraq" is beyond belief. His pronouncement that the economy was "still strong" in the midst of a stock market panic, housing collapse, and rocketing unemployment is downright frightening. An out-of-touch McCain has shown no grasp of economic or foreign policy issues and his views on social issues mirror the reactionaries. He acts totally unequipped for the job.

5. Fear mongering and smear tactics replacing rational discourse. Fear of change, of something different, is very real. Without issues and a vision, the Republican ticket and its minions have resorted to stressing "past associations," questions about patriotism, and even religion. Luckily for them, Obama-Biden has not responded in kind. Can you say Charles Keating? Can you say Alaskan Independence Party and its U.S.-hating founder Joe Vogler? You haven't heard about them because one side has taken the high road.

Barack Obama is not only the best hope to restore the standing and principles of the United States but right now the only hope.