Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Mumbai Train Blasts


Seven bombs hit Bombay's commuter rail network during rush hour .... killing 131 people and wounding more than 300 in what authorities called a well-coordinated terrorist attack..... bombings, which came in quick succession — a common tactic employed by Kashmiri militants....... Chaos engulfed the crowded rail network in India's financial capital following the blasts that ripped apart train compartments ...... authorities struggled to treat the wounded amid heavy monsoon downpours. Doors and windows were blown off the train cars, and witnesses said body parts were strewn near stations....... Luggage and debris were spattered with blood. Survivors clutched bandages to their heads and faces, and some frantically dialed their cell phones....... bystanders carrying victims to ambulances and searching wreckage for survivors and bodies.... Bombay bombings came hours after a series of grenade attacks by Islamic extremists killed eight people in the main city of India's part of Kashmir ....... Police also reportedly carried out raids across the country following the Bombay blasts....... authorities had had some information that an attack was coming, "but place and time was not known." ...... all the blasts had hit first-class cars..... all train service had been suspended and appealed to the public to stay away from stations in the city of 16 million people ........ Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf offered condolences over the loss of life, the Foreign Ministry said, adding: "Terrorism is a bane of our times and it must be condemned, rejected and countered effectively and comprehensively." ...... Accusations of Pakistani involvement in a 2001 attack on India's parliament put the nuclear-armed rivals on the brink of a fourth war

In The News

More than 100 dead in Mumbai blasts
Scotsman, United Kingdom - 50 minutes ago
MORE than 100 people have died after seven explosions rocked Mumbai's rail network during the evening rush hour. According to the ...
Blasts kill scores on Bombay trains: report
MarketWatch - 59 minutes ago
By MarketWatch. NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- A series of explosions tore through cars of a commuter railroad in Bombay Tuesday evening ...
100 killed as explosions rock Mumbai's suburban trains
Hindu, India - 52 minutes ago
Mumbai, July 11 (AP): Seven explosions rocked Bombay's commuter rail network during Tuesday evening rush hour, killing as many as 100 people, police said. ...
Mumbai blasts kill at least 100
Swissinfo, Switzerland - 35 minutes ago
MUMBAI (Reuters) - More than 100 people were killed and hundreds injured in seven explosions on packed commuter trains and stations during rush hour on Tuesday ...
7 Train Bombings in India Kill Up to 100
Houston Chronicle, United States - 1 hour ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM Associated Press Writer. BOMBAY, India — Seven bombs hit Bombay's commuter rail network during rush hour ...
Up to 100 feared killed in Bombay blasts
Independent Online, South Africa - 58 minutes ago
By Ramola Talwar Badam. Bombay - Seven explosions rocked Bombay's commuter rail network during Tuesday evening rush hour, ripping ...
At Least 20 Dead in Bombay Train Blasts
Houston Chronicle, United States - 1 hour ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM Associated Press Writer. BOMBAY, India — Seven explosions hit Bombay's commuter rail network during rush ...
Dozens killed in Mumbai blasts
Toronto Star, Canada - 1 hour ago
MUMBAI, India — Seven explosions rocked Bombay’s commuter rail network during Tuesday evening rush hour, ripping apart train compartments, a railway ...
Explosions strike Bombay trains: reports
MarketWatch - 1 hour ago
By MarketWatch. NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Explosions have struck trains in Mumbai during the evening rush hour Tuesday, according to media reports. ...
Bombay Train Blasts Described As Bombings
MSN Money - 1 hour ago
BOMBAY, India (AP) - Seven explosions rocked Bombay's commuter rail network during Tuesday evening rush hour, killing as many as 100 people, police said. ...
At Least 20 Dead in Bombay Train Blasts
Forbes - 1 hour ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM , 07.11.2006, 10:34 AM. Seven explosions rocked Bombay's commuter rail network during Tuesday evening rush ...
100 feared dead after train explosions
Ireland Online, Ireland - 1 hour ago
Seven explosions rocked Mumbai’s commuter rail network during today’s evening rush hour, killing at least 80 people, police said, warning the death toll ...
Indian rail blasts kill at least 40
Channel 4 News, UK - 1 hour ago
At least 40 people have been killed in a series of blasts on commuter trains in the Indian city of Mumbai. Police confirmed seven ...
Blasts rock Mumbai rail network
BBC News, UK - 2 hours ago
There have been at least six blasts on commuter trains in the Indian financial capital, Mumbai (Bombay), police say. It is not yet ...
At Least 20 Dead in Bombay Train Blasts
San Francisco Chronicle, USA - 1 hour ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM, Associated Press Writer. Seven explosions hit Bombay's commuter rail network during rush hour Tuesday evening ...
Dozens Reported Killed in India Bombings
Forbes - 2 hours ago
Seven explosions hit Bombay's commuter rail network Tuesday evening during rush hour, ripping apart train compartments, officials said. ...
Seven blasts hit commuter trains in Bombay, dozens reported dead
EiTB, Spain - 2 hours ago
All of India's major cities were reportedly on high alert following the attacks. Bombay, a metropolis of about 17 million, has been ...
Dozens hurt as blasts hit Bombay trains
San Jose Mercury News, USA - 2 hours ago
BOMBAY, India - Seven explosions hit Bombay's commuter rail network during rush hour Tuesday evening, ripping apart train compartments and reportedly injuring ...
Explosions rock Bombay
Times Online, UK - 2 hours ago
By Times Online and agencies. At least six explosions rocked commuter trains and stations in the suburbs of the Indian financial ...
Explosions Hit Train Stations in India
Salon - 2 hours ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM Associated Press Writer. July 11,2006 | BOMBAY, India -- An explosion struck a packed commuter train in a ...
Terrorists bomb Bombay railway
Bangkok Post, Thailand - 2 hours ago
New Delhi (dpa) - At least seven people were killed and many others injured as a series of seven bombs exploded on the rail network of India's western Bombay ...
7 Explosions Hit Trains in Bombay, India
Forbes - 2 hours ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM , 07.11.2006, 10:09 AM. Seven explosions rocked Bombay's commuter rail network during Tuesday evening's rush hour. ...
Blasts hit commuter trains in Bombay, at least 15 reported dead
EiTB, Spain - 2 hours ago
Bombay, India's financial center, and New Delhi, the capital, were reportedly on high alert. Bombay, a metropolis of about 17 million ...
Explosions rock packed Mumbai commuter trains
CTV.ca, Canada - 2 hours ago
Dozens are feared injured after at least five explosions struck Mumbai's commuter rail network during evening rush hour on Tuesday. ...
6 explosions reported on trains in Mumbai, India; dozens reported ...
Canada.com, Canada - 2 hours ago
MUMBAI, India (AP) - Six explosions rocked Mumbai's commuter rail network during Tuesday's evening rush hour, ripping apart train compartments and reportedly ...
Series of bombs hit Bombay's rail network
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 2 hours ago
At least three explosions have hit Bombay's commuter rail network during the evening rush hour, reportedly injuring dozens of people. ...
Explosion Hits Train in Bombay Suburb
Washington Post, United States - 3 hours ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM. Nora Boustany 's column reporting on Washington's diplomatic community appears each Wednesday and Friday in The Post. ...
Explosions Hit Train Stations in India
Guardian Unlimited, UK - 2 hours ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM. BOMBAY, India (AP) - An explosion struck a packed commuter train in a Bombay suburb during the Tuesday evening ...
6 explosions hit trains in Bombay, India
Boston Globe, United States - 2 hours ago
By Ramola Talwar Badam, Associated Press Writer | July 11, 2006. BOMBAY, India --Six explosions hit Bombay's commuter rail network ...
Blast rocks commuter train in Bombay suburb
Jerusalem Post, Israel - 2 hours ago
An explosion rocked a packed commuter train in a Bombay suburb during Tuesday's evening rush hour, and police said there were casualties. ...

Mumbai blasts: Terror on the 5:36 Slow
Business Standard, India - 34 minutes ago
Karanukar Hegde is thanking his lucky stars he chose the other of the two first class compartments on the 5.36 pm slow train from Churchgate. ...
Over 100 killed in Mumbai serial blasts
Times of India, India - 1 hour ago
MUMBAI: Mumbai relived a nightmare when seven explosions shook the city within minutes on Tuesday evening. Reports said more than ...
100 killed as explosions rock Mumbai's suburban trains
Hindu, India - 52 minutes ago
Mumbai, July 11 (AP): Seven explosions rocked Bombay's commuter rail network during Tuesday evening rush hour, killing as many as 100 people, police said. ...
Bombs hit trains in Mumbai, at least 135 dead
Reuters - 41 minutes ago
MUMBAI (Reuters) - At least 135 people were killed and hundreds injured in seven bomb explosions on packed commuter trains and stations during rush hour on ...
Mumbai Blasts Kill at Least 137 People, Injure 450 (Update1)
Bloomberg - 54 minutes ago
July 11 (Bloomberg) -- Mumbai, India's commercial hub, was hit by seven blasts, killing as many as 137 people and injuring 450 in the city's worst terror ...
Mumbai blasts: Commissioner appeals for calm
Business Standard, India - 1 hour ago
Mumbai's Police Commissioner AN Roy appealed to the citizens to stay calm while the police tried to bring order in the city, particularly along the north-south ...
Serial blasts in India kill over 100
The Age, Australia - 1 hour ago
A video grab shows the damage done to a train close to Mahim Station in Mumbai. More than 100 people were killed today in seven ...
100 dead in Indian train explosions
Guardian Unlimited, UK - 54 minutes ago
Seven explosions have rocked Mumbai's commuter rail network during the evening rush hour, killing up to 100 people, police said. ...
At least 40 dead in Mumbai city blasts: official
Boston Globe, United States - 1 hour ago
A video grab shows Mahim Station in Mumbai after a blast, July 11, 2006. (REUTERS/Times Now TV). MUMBAI (Reuters) - At least 40 people ...
Blasts kill 60 on Mumbai rail network
Monsters and Critics.com, UK - 54 minutes ago
New Delhi - At least 60 people were killed and 50 injured as a series of seven bombs exploded on the rail network in India's financial capital Mumbai on Tuesday ...
Chaos prevails on Western Railway line
NDTV.com, India - 1 hour ago
An atmosphere of chaos and confusion prevailed on the Western Railway lines as thousands of commuters were left bewildered by the serial blasts in Mumbai. ...
Serial blasts in India kill 40
The Age, Australia - 1 hour ago
At least 40 people died in blasts on the rail network in the Indian city of Mumbai yesterday, a top state official said. "At least 40 people have died. ...
Mumbai Serial Train Blasts Kill at Least 75 People, Injures 450
Bloomberg - 1 hour ago
July 11 (Bloomberg) -- At least 75 people were killed and 450 injured in Mumbai after the suburban rail network in India's commercial hub was attacked in a ...
At least 100 die as India rocked by blasts
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 1 hour ago
MUMBAI: More than 100 people were killed on Tuesday in seven bomb explosions that closed the railway network in India's financial hub, Mumbai, police said. ...
60 feared killed in Mumbai blasts
NDTV.com, India - 1 hour ago
At least 60 people are feared killed in the series of blasts that rocked Mumbai today. Seven blasts have taken place on different railway stations in the city. ...
100 feared dead after train explosions
Ireland Online, Ireland - 1 hour ago
Seven explosions rocked Mumbai’s commuter rail network during today’s evening rush hour, killing at least 80 people, police said, warning the death toll ...
At least 40 dead in Mumbai blasts
Reuters.uk, UK - 1 hour ago
MUMBAI (Reuters) - At least 40 people died in blasts on the rail network in the Indian city of Mumbai on Tuesday, a top state official said. ...
Mumbai Train Explosions, 15 Reported Dead
Zaman Online, Turkey - 1 hour ago
At least four packed commuter trains were rocked by explosions during the rush hour Tuesday in India's financial city, Mumbai, officials said. ...
Mumbai blasts:Six trains hit, 15 likely killed
Business Standard, India - 1 hour ago
Commuters with bloodied faces and clothes staggered out of railway stations after six powerful bomb blasts ripped through as many north-bound suburban trains ...
Serial blasts rock Mumbai
Moneycontrol.com, India - 1 hour ago
Mumbai has been rocked by serial bomb blasts. All the blasts have taken place on the western lines. The scale of the causality is still unknown. ...
Blasts hit trains in Mumbai, 15 reported dead
Reuters - 2 hours ago
MUMBAI, July 11 (Reuters) - Explosions hit at least five packed commuter trains during the rush hour on Tuesday in India's financial hub, Mumbai injuring ...
Tuesday terror: Six blasts rock Mumbai railway stations
Times of India, India - 2 hours ago
MUMBAI: Mumbai relived a nightmare when six explosions shook the city in quick succession on Tuesday evening. Early reports said ...
At least 40 dead in Mumbai city blasts: official
Washington Post, United States - 1 hour ago
Nora Boustany 's column reporting on Washington's diplomatic community appears each Wednesday and Friday in The Post. MUMBAI (Reuters ...
Mumbai train blasts 'kill dozens'
Guardian Unlimited, UK - 1 hour ago
Dozens of people are reported to have been killed when a series of explosions hit packed commuter trains in Mumbai, India's financial centre, today. ...
India's Commercial Hub Mumbai Rocked by 5 Explosions (Update2)
Bloomberg - 2 hours ago
July 11 (Bloomberg) -- India's commercial hub Mumbai was rocked by at least five explosions on the city's suburban train network during the evening rush hour ...
Centre keeping close watch
Hindustan Times, India - 1 hour ago
The Centre is in constant touch with Maharashtra government in the wake of the serial blasts in suburban trains in Mumbai on Tuesday and is closely monitoring ...
Blasts hit Indian rail network
ITV.com, UK - 2 hours ago
At least 15 people have been killed in a series of blasts on commuter trains in the Indian city of Mumbai. Police confirmed at least ...
Blasts rock many Mumbai suburban Rly. stations
Hindu, India - 2 hours ago
Mumbai, July. 11 (PTI): A series of blasts took place at Matunga, Khar, Santacruz, Jogeshwari, Borivali and Bhayendar suburban railway stations today. ...
Blasts rock Mumbai rail network
BBC News, UK - 2 hours ago
There have been at least six blasts on commuter trains in the Indian financial capital, Mumbai (Bombay), police say. It is not yet ...
Serial blasts rock Mumbai
NDTV.com, India - 2 hours ago
The first blast has been reported near Khar Railway station in Mumbai, which has left several people injured. The incident took ...

Saturday, July 08, 2006

August 16



August 16 is Pakistan Independence Day. There is a major parade on Fifth Avenue.

Leila Noor is one of the 30 and counting hosts - if you sell 10 tickets, you are a host - of an event that day. It is to do with the pro-choice stance and the South Dakota fiasco. We got to talk yesterday. I got an invite. I pitched in 50 bucks. But showing up is tough.

There is the micro, and there is the macro. John is micro, Abdul in micro. White Male is macro, Arab Male is macro. There is the white woman. You do have to talk of these macros like they were individuals. They are very real. Our collective identities matter all the time.

In this country it is assumed there is the white male, the white woman, the minority male, the minority woman. This country has its own caste system. And so you find white women who pay their homage to the white male, and turn around and try to show the minority male his place in the scheme of things. That is not cool. That will not fly.

Where I grew up, women have it tough. But for those women, I have and am doing more than any white woman in America. Besides, if sexism is an issue, and I am a man, it has to be specific, and it has to be policy, but the white woman will not go for that since that will dig up race as an issue.

I am not like some Italian whose grandfather took the boat. I was in my early 20s when I came to America. Nepal and India are very active parts of who I am. I am a global citizen. I so gave up on the Hindu caste system, I became a Buddhist. I am not about to subscribe to the American caste system, especially when it is just social. I have no job plans.

I am going to trade with the white woman. I become pro-choice, you become pro-affirmative action. You denounce racist comments, I will denounce sexist comments. We trade.

Leila Noor is an exception. Otherwise every other person at DFNYC and an Indian makes and defends racist comments. And I am like, you are trying your luck. A racist comment is the tip of the iceberg. These must be whites who abandoned Charles McCall. If a black dude wins the Democratic primary, the whites abandon. How come blacks don't abandon Kerry because he is white?

I grew out of DFNYC. My plate is full. Between my own activism and entrepreneurship, I am busy. My last offer was to (1) only show up for a few select events and no other participation (ah, the white fantassy to get you to "do" things, the foot soldier things ... I have nothing against doing things, it is just that I am not cut for it, I am cut for things like vision: Three Pillars, Draft 2), and (2) not put up with racist comments. Neither could fly. If you make a racist comment you did not mean to, you say I am sorry, and we move on. Or you get out of my face.

And I have serious personal space issues with some of the DFNYC folks. This blog does not have guest editors. There are parts of my life where you don't belong. DFNYC is not the only thing happening in my life, no thank you. Don't tell me how to feel.

And there is the Nepal gripe. DFNYC is full of people who took pride in having zero interest in Nepal. I once emailed around an online petition. There were zero signatures. Now we know the April Revolution is one for world history. It is still work in progress. And you want me to pro-choice da what?

The pace and tempo of political discussions in the blogosphere are to my liking. DFNYC meetings were not intense enough. Too pre-set. Not intense.

I am for voting rights for non-citizens in the city. No taxation without representation: that is what this country was founded on. If you want me pro-choice, you walk that mile.

I am a refugee into New York City from Kentucky and Indiana. At some level, New York is not that different. Only this is a brown city, non-whites are around in large numbers. The outer boroughs fascinate me like Manhattan does not. I love to drive around, get a feel for the outer boroughs.

The subway is what makes NYC NYC. It is that which makes this "the city that never sleeps."

We live in an era of social segregation, an era of glass walls and ceilings. That has to change. Let's trade.

A lot of people underestimate the internet's impact on the political discourse. Globalization and the internet. See Asia grow leaps and bounds. Welcome to the Asian Century.

But all this boils down to Hillary. White women want to abandon her like they abandon McCall, and for some of the same reasons. Hillary is not a Brahmin. She will not win, the argument goes, so she has to be abandoned. The country is not ready. The country will get a black man before it gets a woman.

To that I say, Mark Warner founded Nextel, Hillary Clinton founded Bill Clinton. She is qualified, she happens to be a woman.

I will become pro-choice if you will become pro-Hillary. I will trade.

There are women and there are politically conscious women. It is time to discuss gender front and center. The pro-choice stand is such a limitation. Expand the canvass. Create a common minimum program.
  1. Better policing for domestic violence.
  2. Equal pay for equal work.
  3. Pro-choice, anti anti-choice. Reproductive health across the planet.
  4. More women in top corporate positions.
  5. More women in Congress. Nepal is about to make it mandatory that at least one third of its members must be women. Learn.
The Spectrum Concept: Wide Applications
The Spectrum/Dialogue Concept Is Key To Power
The Spectrum On Gender

It boils down to talking, it boils down to basic organizing into small groups of five or 10 people, all woven into a larger national network.

This is not about Hillary, this is about women in the plural. There is only so much positive gender impact Hillary can push down the system's throat, but that can be more if women at the grassroots level get organized.

Expand the agenda. Get organized. Get talking. Reach out.

CIA - The World Factbook -- Pakistan
Wikipedia - Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan
US Library of Congress - Country Study: Pakistan
Welcome to Pakistan
Lonely Planet - World Guide: Pakistan
An Introduction to Pakistan

In The News

NJ Governor Ends Weeklong Gov't Shutdown ABC News
Bush Says Korean Missile Shows Need for Shield
New York Times
New York, Georgia Courts Rule Against Gay Marriage
Los Angeles Times
Democratic party divided on Iraq
The Benton Crier
Lieberman Maneuvers Westport-News
The military is recruiting neo-Nazis and hate groups
ePluribus Media
Columbine killers' anger detailed
Houston Chronicle
SAN FRANCISCO Clinton silent on same-sex marriage
San Francisco Chronicle
Delay: Democrats’ Worst Nightmare
FortBendNow
Ex-soldier to be tried in federal court in Iraq rape, killings
USA Today
Army Discharged 1,000 Soldiers For Personality Disorders All Headline News
FBI thwarts terrorist plot against New York
San Jose Mercury News
US Ruling Will Not Close Guantanamo
Forbes

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Thursday, June 15, 2006

The Dean Machine


Dear Paramendra,

Less than 24 hours ago we launched a two-week drive to send a clear message that Democrats want to grow our party everywhere -- and we're already close to reaching the goal.

If we hit the goal we'll keep going, because we're not going to let up on this. During these two weeks we're going to make the clearest case possible for the 50-state strategy and back it up with a potent force. That's you.

Earlier this week I asked our Executive Director Tom McMahon to put together some facts and figures for you -- his message is below. There's a lot of information there, but questions have been raised about the 50-state strategy and I want you to have as many facts as possible in order to make your own decision and spread the word to others to make theirs.

Results like these are just the beginning of what we will achieve with a simple new principle governing our party: People count.

Stand up and be counted now:

http://www.democrats.org/peoplecount

Thank you.

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

MEMORANDUM

TO: Paramendra Bhagat
FROM: Tom McMahon, Executive Director, DNC
RE: 50-State Strategy Results

Per Governor Dean's request, I have put together a few facts and figures for you on the successes of the 50-state strategy. I have made one last-minute addition to this memo -- at the end you will find excerpts from a USA Today profile of our 50-state strategy in action in my home state of Nebraska. It ran on Wednesday as we were preparing this message for you.

Critics say that our 50-state strategy focuses on the long-term at the expense of winning this year. As you will see, that simply is not true. Here are a few important results that our 50-state strategy has produced already:

MISSISSIPPI: Republican Gov. Haley Barbour appointed Democrats representing competitive districts in the state legislature to various boards and commissions, triggering four special elections at a time when he believed that his personal popularity would translate into new Republican legislators. Just a few months prior, the 50-state strategy had taken the number of Democratic Party staff in Mississippi from one full-time person to five. By organizing on the ground the way Democrats in Mississippi haven't had the resources to do in a generation, we swept all four special elections. Now Gov. Barbour has four more Democrats holding appointments in his administration and the same number of Democrats sitting in the legislature.

OHIO: The 50-state strategy means new staff in Ohio who have been reviving the field organizing efforts across the state. In a place where it had been typical to build and tear down an entire campaign infrastructure every election cycle, new staff are creating permanent organizing teams in every single county. These teams will be responsible for various functions during the course of the very competitive campaigns there in 2006 -- and won't disappear after Election Day.

SOUTH DAKOTA: With the added boost from new staff and resources, Democrats fielded a record number of legislative candidates this year, recruiting challengers in nearly 40% more races than in 2002.

INDIANA: With fresh resources and energy, Indiana Democrats have been making waves. The Indianapolis Star reported recently that, "Gov. Mitch Daniels and other state Republicans have taken a beating in recent months from the Indiana Democratic Party" thanks to the 50-state strategy, which provided the opportunity to hire a full-time spokesperson. Indiana is also the first state in the country to hold elections under new laws that requires voters to use photo identification that includes an expiration date. Predictably, rightful voters have been disenfranchised by this law. New staff and resources have helped collect data from the May 2nd primary election that will be needed to appeal to the federal court.

OKLAHOMA: The 50-state strategy has been credited with re-energizing grassroots throughout the state. In April, the new staff paid off when the Democratic candidate scored an upset victory, unseating a Republican incumbent as mayor of Tulsa.

NEW YORK: In rural upstate New York, which Republicans rely on for their base voters, unprecedented ground organizing is showing that the 50-state strategy means leaving no county behind. Already, new staff on the ground have identified 12,000 new Democratic voters -- voters who we will get to the polls this November and in elections to come, helping Democrats up and down the ballot.

UTAH: Already, 2006 marks the best candidate recruitment for the Utah Democratic Party in over 15 years. Democrats have recruited candidates for every single State Senate race, and Democrats have challengers running in ten State House races that went unopposed in 2004. The recruitment efforts, led by new staff deployed as part of the 50-state strategy, include not only life-long Democrats but also six Republicans who have switched parties.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Regional field organizers deployed as part of our 50-state strategy have already racked up important wins. They have already worked hands-on to elect three new Democratic members to the State House -- in seats that had been held by Republicans since 1912.

These are just a few of the amazing things happening across the country as a result of a 50-state strategy. Remember, we cannot win in every state until we organize and mobilize Democrats in every state.

As Governor Dean says, we can wait around for the pendulum to swing back in some of these states -- or we can get out there and give it a push. To step up and give it a push yourself, donate here:

http://www.democrats.org/peoplecount

ADDENDUM:

Here are excerpts from the article that appeared this week in USA Today:

Democrats rebuild on the prairie
By Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY

[...] When Howard Dean ran for chairman of the Democratic National Committee, he promised state parties he would spread money and professionals around the country in a long-term quest for viability in "red" Republican states. He's followed through with a 50-state plan to revive moribund state and local organizations.

Dean says Democrats have dug themselves "a deep hole" by focusing on one election at a time, usually in the "blue" states where Democrats are strong. "That's a cycle that has to be broken. We want a long-term business plan," he says. [...]

The state was a low priority for the DNC. Of the $731 million the party raised for the 2004 elections, Nebraska got $12,000. "The national Democrats were sucking money and volunteers" out of Nebraska, state party chairman Steve Achelpol says. Adds executive director Barry Rubin, "They called us an 'export state.'"

Times have changed. The DNC is now spending $120,000 a year to pay the salaries of three organizers and a spokesman here. Nationwide, the party has hired and trained about 190 people in 50 states in its $10-million-a-year program. The goal is to create voter lists and activist networks that don't vanish when campaigns are over or powerful Democrats retire [...]

Success stories cited by the DNC include West Virginia, where the party created a precinct program to bolster organizing and turnout and has recruited leaders for almost half the state's nearly 2,000 precincts; and South Dakota, where the state party fielded candidates for 94 of the 105 legislative seats -- 26 more than in 2002. [...]

Two years ago, 11 Democrats were on the November ballot for the state Legislature; this fall there will be 15. Four years ago, Democrats had a candidate in one of three races for Congress.

This year they have candidates for all three seats: cattle rancher Scott Kleeb, attorney Jim Esch and former lieutenant governor Maxine Moul. All three are "a cut or two above" the usual in quality, says state politics expert Robert Sittig, a retired University of Nebraska professor. [...]

Click here to read the rest.

Don't forget to stand up and be counted:

http://www.democrats.org/peoplecount



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In The News

Howard Dean Supports Gay Tax Revolt, But Media Silent NewsByUs, ID
Howard Dean: Karl Rove Lied About Committing Perjury! Wizbang, DC
Brown Dings Dean: With Dems, 'Don't Know What I'm Voting For' NewsBusters
DNC Chairman Howard Dean Statement on Primary Election Results U.S. Newswire (press release), DC
Howard Dean is at it again Houstonvoice.com, TX
Al Gore is a Model Democrat, Says Howard Dean NewsMax.com, FL
The World According to Howard Dean Human Events

Monday, June 12, 2006

Hakeem Jeffries: Principled Compromise




Looks like this election hinges on one thing: this Atlantic Yards thingie. This was an issue also in Bloomberg's reelection effort. It is some kind of a project I don't know much about. Bill Batson is against it. Hamilton is for it. Hakeem Jeffries wants a "principled compromise."

I plead ignorance. I don't know a whole lot. I am not too familiar with the local contours of what Hakeem is dealing with. But if I were to offer advice, it would be as follows.

(1) Really work on schmoozing. Shake many hands, say many hellos. Don't get too hung up on issues. Show your human face. Feel easy, make people feel easy. Come across as folksy. Down to earth, in touch. You are highly qualified. That is a plus. But you run the danger of coming across as bookish. Walk the streets. Have fun. Do some barbecue stuff.

(2) Right does not always win. My instinct says you have the most sensible stand on this Atlantic Yards thingie. You are not posturing. You are trying to make the best out of the situation. You want to work a compromise. But you run the danger of coming across as not strong enough, not willing to pick the fight. So do pick a few fights along the way. Don't leave the "principled compromise" plank. But do cite a few instances that might make you want to leave the plank and go anti-Yards. So that although it is "principled compromise," it is "principled compromise" from a position of strength. Also work to show that a blanket opposition to the project is not a position of strength but weakness, because that is like not having the guts to deal with the nuances. Be prepared to run an attack ad or two on that theme.

Summary: Appear folksy, appear strong. Lose your temper a few times if you have to, if you feel like it, don't restrain. Be easy on the smile.

Bill Batson

He walked over to shake my hand at the DFNYC event. (Dean, DFNYC, Daily Kos, Justin, Brooklyn, Nepal) I saw him again at the Mixer where Howard Dean showed. He comes across as a nice guy. But I got to throw in my lot with Jeffries. I am trying to stay on Leila Noor's good side! (Who Is Leecia Eve?)

Besides I genuinely like Hakeem. This guy is making a major financial sacrifice to make a trip to Albany. I like that. And he is so very highly qualified. He is part of the new breed of African American leaders who will give pound for pound in the merit department to any white competitor. He is so clearly part of the Obama Brigade. (Barack The Glass Walls, Ceilings, Smash 'Em)

It was at that Brooklyn event that Hakeem spoke the magic phrase: principled compromise. First time I heard it. And the second time I heard that something about him and his wife! This guy is more interested in getting things done than in posturing.

Hakeem Jeffries has this non politician style about him. He speaks soft. He is so obviously intellectually curious. He is constantly foraging for that next nugget in the conversation. And he is open to the possibility that nugget might come from you.

He oozes promise. He could go national down the line.

Obama Brigade

During my very first conversation with him Hakeem informed me of the new breek of black politicians emerging across the country. It is not enough for them to know of each other. There is a need for formal networking, perhaps an organization.

You rise together.

Barack

Every other black politician calls himself Barack these days.

If Barack Obama were to call you what would you say?

"Yeah, right? Barack Obama? If you are Barack Obama, I am Neil Armstrong."

DFNYC

DFNYC did not endorse Hakeem. I lost some respect for the organization. Granted the decision was through a vote, but that is no excuse.

Blac

"I am not African American, and I am not going to pretend I am, but I am blac," I told Hakeem at the first Hakeem event I showed up for.

I talked the same theme at an Asian Pacific American get together this weekend that was quite well attended. Rocky Chin organized it. One lady there knew Hillary, been in the White House in 1992.

I gave up on the chopsticks after about six tries. I asked for a fork. Blac is tricky.

I said let's use MySpace for networking, and everyone burst out laughing. My next suggestion was let's have more icebreakers, team building exercises, and everyone burst out laughing. I don't get it. What's funny?

On The Web

Hakeem Jeffries - New York Rising Star - 40 under 40| Crain's New ... grew up in a middle-class home in central Brooklyn ..... an eloquent and highly paid litigator for CBS Corp., which deploys him to tackle complicated cases and quash high-profile lawsuits. Two years ago, when CBS was part of Viacom Inc., he worked on the suit filed in Utah over Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction........ NYU Law School graduate ...... shocked the political establishment in 2000 by nearly defeating 20-year Brooklyn Assemblyman Roger Green....... Mr. Jeffries' residence was spitefully drawn out of the district, but, along with his wife and their two children, he moved back into it ...... Winning would mean a massive pay cut and a commute to dreary Albany Hakeem Jeffries - Moving Brooklyn Forward graduating from Midwood High School in 1988..... bachelor’s degree in political science from the State University of New York, graduating with honors for outstanding academic performance in 1992. .. attended graduate school at Georgetown University, where he obtained his Master’s Degree in Public Policy in 1994. While at Georgetown University, he also worked in the administration of Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly. ...... attended law school at New York University, where he was a member of the law review. .. graduated magna cum laude from NYU law school in 1997, finishing in the top 10 percent of his class and delivering the commencement speech at graduation. In 1998, he clerked for the Honorable Harold Baer, Jr. in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. ...... Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, an internationally renowned law firm, where he practiced law between February 1999 and December 2003........ continues to provide pro bono legal advice to neighborhood community groups, most recently in support of anti-displacement efforts in Central Brooklyn. ....... lives in Prospect Heights with his wife Kennisandra, a social worker, and their sons, Jeremiah, 4, and Joshua, age two.
SVA 2002 Supporters - Hakeem S. Jeffries for NYS Assembly
Why Gerrymandering Must Go (Gotham Gazette. February 14, 2005)
Gotham Gazette's Eye On Albany: New York State Assembly: District 57
The New York Observer Politicker: A Pay Cut for Public Office?
January 17, 2005
Atlantic Yards Report: Hakeem Jeffries: a tougher stand on ...placed a half-page ad in this week's Brooklyn Downtown Star, an "open letter in an attempt to continue the dialogue" about the Atlantic Yards project. Maybe he's been listening to constituents, maybe he needs to nudge closer to rival Bill Batson's anti-Atlantic Yards stance, or maybe he's just reframing his previous sentiments....... mainly as a housing program, not--as originally billed--"Jobs, Housing, and Hoops." ...... There is a housing crisis that is suffocating our neighborhoods. Without a signficant infusion of affordable housing, working families, the middle class and senior citizens will continue to be pushed out of Central Brooklyn. The Atlantic Yards project does have the potential to help alleviate our housing crisis by setting a high standard for the inclusion of affordable apartment units here and in future development.... projects, like this one, using public subsidies and on public land ...... I do not support the use of eminent domain by a private developer to build a basketball arena. ..... “If it’s necessary to create the jobs and housing, then I think we have to take a hard look at the arena,” said Jeffries. ..... The profit to the developer would come mainly from the market-rate housing: 2360 condos and 2250 rentals, not to mention solid revenue from the 2250 affordable rentals....... The proposed project is too dense and would dramatically change the character of the tree-lined residential neighborhoods that it borders. ...... 16 high-rise residential buildings ...... Moving forward, it is important that there is an open process and active public participation at every step, so that whatever is ultimately built is consistent with the neighborhood's values and aspiration...... As your elected representative, I will work day and night to bring about a principled resolution that both alleviates the affordable housing crisis and addresses the serious concerns raised in opposition to this project....... Another reason for the Jeffries' stance may be an effort to distinguish himself from the third candidate in the race, 57th Democratic District Leader Freddie Hamilton, who unequivocally supports the Atlantic Yards project.
Bill Batson
20 years of community-based, city and statewide activism ..... recently resigned from his post as New York State Senate Democratic Leader David A. Paterson’s Director of Community Relations ...... In 2001, Bill was campaign manager for Norman Siegel for Public Advocate..... first came to the 57th Assembly District in 1979 to attend Pratt University .... Bill is finishing his undergraduate degree at the City College’s center for worker education. View Bill's Artwork
Brooklyn’s Barack? Batson declares for Assembly, could block AY project
..... There’s a whiff of the Barack Obama phenomenon about Batson: the biracial “son of an immigrant from Kenya” (in the words of UAC’s Sidique Wai), who grew up in the 'burbs (Teaneck and Nyack) but has lived in Brooklyn (mostly) since he began studying art at the Pratt Institute in 1979. (He's been in the district for five years.) Behind him, his adoptive mother (black) stood proudly and, off to the side, his girlfriend (white) beamed........ “Bill will build bridges across the racial divide that unfortunately still exist in subtle and sophisticated ways,” declared Siegel ...... Batson later cited the need to bridge the gulf between Africans and African-Americans, as well...... Batson’s candidacy—however broad the issues he addresses—will be seen by some as a referendum on the Atlantic Yards project, which he opposes. That’s why a good handful of the three dozen or so supporters in attendance were from the Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn coalition. The issue has salience: Siegel lost big to incumbent Betsy Gotbaum in last year's election, but he won the 57th AD.......... he's an excellent candidate for one-issue (Atlantic Yards) voters ...... Green, a staunch supporter of the project..... “It’s not about the names,” he added, thus avoiding mention of the other declared candidate, attorney Hakeem Jeffries, who ran a strong race against Green in the past and, as of February, had already raised nearly $60,000. (There was no talk yesterday of Batson's war chest.) Jeffries has called for a “principled compromise” regarding the Atlantic Yards plan. Batson’s unequivocally opposed...... a win in the Democratic primary is tantamount to election ..... The Obama comparison isn't quite fair--the Illinois Senator-to-be was a far more polished speaker when thrust upon the national stage ......... Over 40 million square feet of new… development has been approved in Downtown Brooklyn in the absence of a master plan..... this wave of development on steroids ...... the funds used in this development bonanza that could be used for schools or keeping hospitals open ...... we have more development than we can afford ..... "Forest City Ratner's development is only nine million square feet of the problem. I say nine million square feet too much." ....... “They call it blighted, and then they give away to somebody to come in and build a massive private development because it’s going to help us, to work as service workers there—I don’t think so” ..... Batson has made a practice of sketching people he notices on the subway
Atlantic Yards Report: Parsing Hakeem Jeffries' views on Atlantic ... Batson unequivocally opposes the Atlantic Yards project. Jeffries, according to a report Thursday in the Brooklyn Downtown Star headlined Jeffries Concerned About, But Not Opposed To, Yards, has more nuanced view. And a closer look at his statements suggests that his fence-sitting could easily migrate to support--especially given the clearer sentiments expressed in an article in the Courier-Life chain. ..... This issue has been threatening to divide people in the district along race and class lines. Bringing in 15,000 people into a community [Prospect Heights] that has only 19,000 already...I need to know how that's going to affect police, fire, sanitation, schools, all kinds of services. I have strong questions. ... Jeffries said there is a complex set of problems that the community faces when thinking about Atlantic Yards, including affordable housing and the massive unemployment among men of color between the ages of 18-35.
“You don’t just tackle these complex set of problems by saying, ‘yes you should build, or no, under no circumstances
........ some of the complex social ills that exist in central Brooklyn ....... Anyone making the case that this is a race about Atlantic Yards will first have to demonstrate that the election of Bill Batson will actually be able to stop what is an already runaway approval process. The incoming 57th Assembly member will have no vote on this project.
LID: Borough Politics May 3, 2004

In The News

Debate a Contrast of Styles Brooklyn Downtown STAR When it comes to contentious political issues in central Brooklyn, everybody knows about the Atlantic Yards project......... Batson and Jeffries are the clear frontrunners to succeed Roger Green's Assembly seat in the 57th District, but recently the female district leader, Freddie Hamilton, has entered the ring....... The two male rivals then refused to bait each other, and instead both lobbed a softball Hamilton's way....... On most local issues there is widespread agreement between the three candidates, except, of course, for the always-contentious Atlantic Yards proposal....... "I agree with Hakeem," said Batson. "I'd like to see more groups get involved with this process." ....... while Jeffries refrained from specifically criticizing Bruce Ratner, the mega-developer who proposed the Atlantic Yards process, Batson had no problem doing so. "I'm not saying anything about the good faith or the bad faith of this developer," hedged Jeffries, before explaining that he'd like to see better legal enforcement provisions in the contract either way.......

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Barack The Glass Walls, Ceilings, Smash 'Em


Barack, verb, to break the glass walls and ceilings
Barack Obama is hot today. He is old enough. He will still be hot four and eight years from now. But he is hot today. He is ready for prime time. He was ready in 2004. That is how he got introduced to the world.

Barack Obama spent part of his childhood in Indonesia. He does not feel foreign to me.

Barack Obama is biracial. He is not African American. But then his father was African, his mother American. He is more African American than the African Americans.

Barack Obama is blue, Barack Obama is red, Barack Obama is white. Barack Obama is black. Barack Obama is yellow, purple, green, magenta. Barack Obama is loud.

He will be 47 in 2008. John Kennedy was 42 when he became president. Martin Luther King was 35 when he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Bill Clinton was 46 when he became president.

You have to want to become president if you want to become vice president. A vice president is, by definition, someone who will be president should something happen to the president. It is important to have the oomph. Having the talent is not enough. You also need a burning desire. You need fire in the belly. And so I think Barack Obama needs to start amassing the bells and whistles.

Barack is black. Hillary is a woman. Both are amazing, outstanding. I don't think that is an accident. It has taken something extra for people like Barack and Hillary to make it into that ultimate white boys' club, the US Senate. They must feel the extra need to stick to their respective collective identities. Black. Woman.

Hillary has her last chance in 2008. If she does not run, she will not get another chance. If she does not win, she will not get another chance. And it will be a long time before another woman comes within striking distance of the top political job in the world.

Barack is ready, but people think he should wait. Hillary is capable, but people think she can't win. As if the country needs to grow up a little more to be able to digest some black guy, some woman. Such people don't understand what leadership is all about. You don't wait for the country to grow up. You help the country grow, you make the country grow. You become the reason the country grows. Or you are not a leader, you are someone hoping to become a constitutional monarch.

But this really is not about breaking the race and gender glass walls and ceilings. That will at best be a byproduct. The real deal is the real deal. It is about the new century and all its promises. It is about Hillary and Barack being the best possible vessels to take the country and the world into the new century.

It is Hillary Obama 2008.

It will be Hillary versus McCain, and Hillary will win. Obama's presence on the ticket will help neutralize the gender factor that some think might be a drag on Hillary. But this is not about race, this is not about gender. This is about offering the very best we have to offer.

Hillary is the first letter in the word hope, and Obama is the second.

And Mark Warner would look great in the cabinet, perhaps as Education Secretary. I got to meet the guy last night.

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Barack Obama ProgressiveU.org, CA
Despite Neil Young Song, Barack Obama Won't Run In '08 KIROtv.com, WA
Sen. Barack Obama: Bush Slogans 'Can't Hide Coffins' NewsMax.com, FL
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Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Three Pillars, Draft 2


The Democratic Party needs a new vision, a winning vision, a vision for the 21st century, a vision to take back the Congress, and then the White House. A vision to make it the natural party in power.

You have to be able to say it in one word, in one phrase, in one sentence. There has to be this core vision. Companies call it the mission statement. A political party also needs it, as does the Democratic Party. Democrats have to present themselves as progressives. I would like to propose there are these three broad pillars to progressive thinking. One, democracy. Two, the market. And three, social progress. Together we call them the three pillars.

Democracy

Democracy is about moving towards the ideal of one person one vote, in America, all over the world, and also as a principle in international relations. If you get rid of the electoral college idiocy and start having direct elections for president, if you divide the country into 100 constituencies of roughly equal population for the 100 seats in the US Senate, if you seriously do campaign finance reform, if you can get major voter registration drives, if you can get out the vote, if you can fight today's attempts at disenfranchisements, if you can turn DC into a state, if you can go back to the ideal of no taxation without representation so as to give all tax paying immigrants the right to vote. If you can run grassroots campaigns. If you can wisely and transparently spend the big money raised from many small contributors. Or ultimately end up with publicly financed campaigns. All that would be great on the domestic scene.

As for the global scene, it is only through a total global spread of democracy that the progressives can earn real gains. We have to envision a world where every country is a democracy. And that spread has to be non-violent for the most part. Indigenous movements that get global support. Iraq has 27 million people, and Nepal has 27 million people. We have to spread democracy like in Nepal not like in Iraq. Nepal's April Revolution has major lessons for the Democratic Party in the US. Imagine a California where all shops are closed, all private and government offices are closed, there's no traffic on the roads, and more than a quarter of the people are out in the streets for 19 days. A complete shutdown. That is what happened in Nepal. It was magic.

The only way to win the Long War, also known as the War on Terror, is to spread democracy in all Arab countries. And Nepal has set an example there. We have to move towards rule of law within nations and rule of law between nations. Immigration spreads democracy and prosperity across the world like no formal tool of US power could hope to do. Immigration is not something to be stopped, but something to be managed.

Market globalization is going ahead full speed. Trying to stop it is a disservice, not to say not possible. The right thing to do is to engineer a political globalization. If the market is electricity, democracy is magnetism. Together they make for beautiful electromagnetism.

Market

As for the market, corporations can go astray, they can go corrupt in parts. But overall I go with the Fortune magazine characterization that corporations are one of the greatest human inventions ever. It is important to counter corporate abuse, but it is even more important to "get it" when it comes to corporations. Market mechanisms can be harnessed to solve many of society's problems.

Economics is like physics: you ignore it at your own peril. Progressives can not afford to be economic illiterates. Money compares to words and mathematical symbols among the greatest tools for human communication ever. The progressive has to be market friendly while at the same time staying on guard to market and corporate excesses. Heck, the progressive can help engineer democratization within corporations. I think a great way to melt glass walls and ceilings would be to introduce lot of numbers for the hiring, firing and promotion processes within corporations. Let there be numerial, quantified measures to how well individuals do within corporations. Glass walls and ceilings are a major drag on productivity.

Progressives need to be dreaming up the corporations of tomorrow, to create the jobs of tomorrow, not blanket demonizing those corporations that exist today. When you blanket demonize corporations, you end up disengaging, and you lose the tools to right the few wrongs of the corporations. But overall corporations are great stuff. The progressives also have to think of market solutions to many problems, so that the public sector solutions to some remaining problems stay focused and well managed. There is also a need to spread credit in all income brackets, so that people in all income brackets can hope to start and sustain and grow businesses. And for the lowest income brackets, the concept of micro credit has to be widely applied. Credit without collateral at decent income rates.

But the most important topic on the market front is how to turn America into an information age economy. I think the concept of free, wireless broadband provided by the private sector is at the core of the idea. Textbooks should also be online and free, supported by ads. More wealth was created during the industrial than in the agricultural age. Similarly more wealth will be created in the information age than has been the case in the industrial age. Education has to be lifelong, and health care has to be universal. In an information economy, human capital occupies center stage, that's why. Human capital, physical capital, financial capital.

Social Progress

Social progress issues might be the trickiest, but to me personally, they are the most important. People who can dazzle you with their acumen of grassroots political organizing tend to be callous when it comes to the mechanics of social progress. Too often we see it in black and white and dismiss those who disagree with our positions, instead of seeing ouselves as the vanguard of social progress who need to educate the rest by going to their level, and then bringing them along. Instead of demonizing the homophobes, perhaps part of our efforts should go into understanding their mental mechanisms to see what change might be possible. This is not a call to not focus on political victory. Most people will not change their minds: they simply will have to be defeated. But we need to be more sophisticated, and not let our enlightened stance on social issues scuttle the rest of our common sense approach to mainstream governance issues. This is a call to be compassionate progressives. And we have to transform the whole pro choice talk into something much larger, a talk on gender relations in general. And we have to take race and gender relations together. Those two have much in common.

So, in short, there are three pillars to progressive power: democracy, the market and social progress. And we have to move along by building a winning coalition, a governing coalition. We have to become the natural party of power that makes the best of globalization and the internet to lead America into the information age and to spread democracy and prosperity across the planet.



Core Vision: Three Pillars For The Democratic Party

The Three Pillars

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