First Ever British Television Debate

In South Africa They Had Apartheid, In America They Got Immigration

June 3 Immigration Court Date

America is a country of immigrants. Even the Native Americans crossed the landmass into Alaska back in the days. Expressing hostility towards immigrants in America is like saying you might be at McDonald's but you don't get to order a quick sandwich.

Race is America's original sin. Only now finally there is a black man in the White House. (Jupiter And Obama) The anti-immigration people are racists. You can draw a line that threads up slavery and segregation and anti-immigrant hostility. The emotional content is the same in each case. Hatred might be in your heart, but you don't get to translate that into policy. Policy is in the public domain.

America is not a landmass. It is an idea. That idea is democracy. Until we as a planet become fully democratic, until we have managed to create decent living standards everywhere, America is going to have to allow a steady flow of immigrants. Granted there is a smart way to do it, but saying no is not an option. That is off the table.

The American economy fundamentally owes its number one position to immigrants, and that is true at both high and low ends. Say thank you to those who put food on your tables.

Immigration Is Today's Civil Rights Movement
Immigration, Duh
Immigration Makes Economy Sense, Democracy, Justice, Family Sense

Reshma Saujani: Comprehensive Immigration Reform To Create Jobs And Secure Our Future
Reshma Saujani: Innovation, Ethnic Pride, Thought Leadership

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Reshma Saujani: Innovation, Ethnic Pride, Thought Leadership

Finally I got to meet Reshma in person on April 5 at the event put together by South Asians For Obama (now Opportunity) and Voterbook, both organizations I got to know very well during Obama 08. I was already sold on her before meeting. But meeting in person really cemented it for me. I don't make statements. If I did not believe she has a clear shot at winning, I would not get excited about putting some volunteer time into her campaign. She is supremely qualified. She is hugely promising as an up and coming political figure. She is going to win. She has to win.

She was for Kerry in 2004, I was for Dean. Actually this blog's launch itself was inspired by Dean 2004. She was for Hillary in 2008, I was for Barack. Check out the name of the blog: Barackface, like the movie Scarface. But we are putting all that aside and getting behind Reshma 2010.

Reshma Saujani was one of Kerry's top 10 fundraisers. I did not do a-n-y fundraising for Dean. She is leaps and bounds ahead of me in political skills. She was also a top Hillary fundraiser. They had a name for people like her in 2008: hellraiser, or hillraiser. We Obama people were running scared.

Innovation

Nate Westheimer, March 4: The Innovation Platform

I first heard of the Reshma Saujani name at Nate's blog. Nate, some of you might know, runs the NY Tech MeetUp, he is a friend of mine. (Social Media Week: The Best NY Tech MeetUp Ever) I wondered where she was running. Maybe in California, I thought. The name was obviously Desi, but I don't know of any New York politician who has got any major techie in town excited, and Nate was clearly excited.

AnyClip.com: More Thoughts
AnyClip.com: Second Thoughts
AnyClip Is Live Now




TechCrunch: Mark Zuckerberg's Coding Skills, Circa 2001

The next 10 million jobs America needs will be created largely by startups. Reshma Saujani "gets" that.

Reshma Saujani has the distinction of being the first politician in America to use Square for fundraising. Jack Dorsey is more well known for Twitter, but he is also the founder of Square which turns your smartphone into a credit card reader.

Square Now Being Used For Mobile Payments At Political Fundraisers

Here's Jack Dorsey speaking at a Reshma Saujani fundraiser in the Bay Area.

Ethnic Pride

Many districts in New York City that are overwhelmingly brown in composition are represented by vastly white guys at various levels of government. This rule by the East India Company has to come to an end. And I also notice and like the fact that Reshma is a woman. I harbor feelings on gender that some white guys in the South harbor on race. South Asia is a pretty sexist landscape, and the Desi culture is a pretty sexist culture. Figures like Reshma rising up give me hope about my community that perhaps we can do better going into the future. It was great to hear her say her first 50,000 dollars were raised through the "Auntie network" all across America.

Do I Know Rajiv Shah?
Happy Holi
Adhikaar: International Women's Day



Thought Leadership

Representing a safely Democratic district in Congress, Reshman Saujani will be able to push the limits on many progressive causes. Her opponent Carolyn Maloney has been a checkbox Democrat. She has a track record of having voted the right way many many times, but she has no track record of having provided national leadership on any issue. Carolyn Maloney is no thought leader. Carolyn Maloney is no leader, period.

Reshma Saujani for Congress - Democrat for the East Side and Queens
Reshma Saujani's bio
Reshma Saujani (reshma2010) on Twitter
Reshma Saujani| Facebook
Reshma Saujani - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Reshma Saujani - LinkedIn
Reshma Saujani - Yale Law School
Reshma Saujani
Yale Alumni Magazine: Yalie of the week
Congress.org - Election...Reshma Saujani

Reshma Saujani
Eleanor's Legacy: Spring Breakfast 2009 - ERLC Board Member
PEU Report: Blue Corporacrat .....Reshma Saujani Running for House Seat
IndiaPost - Voice of Indians Worldwide - New York attorney Reshma
Reshma Saujani Ditches the Pearls, Wins Over Fashionistas on
Hillary Lawyer Reshma Saujani to Challenge Maloney? | The New York...
Reshma Saujani Breakfast Fundraiser Brings Out Big Female Backers..
Reshma Saujani, 34: Candidate for Congress | The New York Observer
Maloney challenger brings in $403G
Reshma Saujani: Financial Reform From Soup to Nuts
Reshma Saujani Takes On Carolyn Maloney for U.S. House - NYTimes.com

Geraldine Ferraro says some pretty stupid things in the New York Times article. She also had stupid things to say about Obama back in 2008. Hillary disowned her in the aftermath. Carolyn Maloney has not disowned her yet. The clock is ticking.

Geraldine Ferraro, Geremiah Wrong
Geraldin Ferraro, Geremiah Wrong: A Dialogue

DNAInfo

Reshma Saujani Raised More Money For Primary Race Than Carolyn Maloney In Last Two Quarters
Reshma Saujani Courts South Asian Voters In Upper East Side Congressional Race (I am quoted ... this is where I met Reshma for the first time.)

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