Barackface

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Reshma: Obama's Number One Weapon For November 2010

After his congratulatory phone call on September 14, Barack should just go ahead and totally take over Reshma 2010. That is the single most important thing he could do to keep the House in November.

He should say, look Reshma, I don't think you are sweating to win in November. Your victory party is the only thing you needed to do to ensure your personal victory in November. But I am sweating and I could use your help. Make me the Democrat from Punjab. And crisscross with me across the country, because I would really like to keep the House.

I think she is going to be happy to help.

She has not been a member of the New York congressional delegation that has stood by Charlie Rangel as his nefarious ways have come to light. She has not been part of Wall Street demonization. She is one politician in America best positioned to give the country its next stimulus bill. It is called mending the frayed relationship between Wall Street and Main Street.

She will be a new face. If you want a new Congress, vote Democratic. That will be the message.

Can't beat two Chicago people.

Their names rhyme: Reshma, Obama. Bara, Para. My name struggles in the race.

NYDailyNews: End Game: Maghabe notes Reshma Saujani, Rep. Carolyn Maloney's primary challenger, has hired Obama voter microtargeter Ken Strasma of Strategic Telemetry.
Politico: Saujani Hires Obama, Bloomy Microtargeter: to do microtargeting and voter modeling for her campaign. .... Strasma did that kind of work for Team Obama in 2008 and for Mayor Bloomberg in his third-term effort last year. ..... an interesting hire, especially because Saujani is operating with a smaller war chest than her rival, and because which voters will turn out in the primary will depend on GOTV and strong targeting.
PoliticalDog101: Reshma Saujani Blasts Maloney And The Entire NY Delegation In Congress Over The 9/11 Bill Failure…… Talk about getting everyone’s attention! .... Democrats have pledged to bring it up again after the August recess.....Saujani seems to have stirred up a hornet’s nest with her comments, which were part of a broader story about one of the attorneys on a 9/11 health care lawsuit contributing to Saujani’s campaign.

Reshma, Obama And The Ground Zero Mosque

Gandhi, Reshma And Tornadoes

Barack Obama: The Huffington Post: Obama Defends Ground Zero Mosque Plans In Ramadan Dinner Speech

Obama on Friday forcefully endorsed allowing a mosque near ground zero, saying the country's founding principles demanded no less. ..... a controversy that has riven New York City and the nation. ..... "This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable." ..... a $100 million Islamic center two blocks from where nearly 3,000 people perished ...... the place where the twin towers once stood was indeed "hallowed ground," Obama said that the proper way to honor it was to apply American values. ....... earlier times when the building of synagogues or Catholic churches also met with opposition. ...... Bloomberg, an independent who has been a strong supporter of the mosque, welcomed Obama's words as a "clarion defense of the freedom of religion." ..... heard by Muslims worldwide. The president has made it a point to reach out to the global Muslim community .... nearly 70 percent of Americans opposed the mosque plan ..... a Muslim-themed community center. ..... a hub for interfaith interaction, as well as a place for Muslims to bridge some of their faith's own schisms.

Who Is The Congressperson For Ground Zero? Not Maloney
Al Hagan: Capable Of A Hate Crime
Nadler Should Vacate The Maloney Sinking Ship
Hard Fact For Al Hagan: Maloney Failed To Pass 9/11 Health Bill
Organized Labor Bosses Backing Maloney Are Acting Blind And Stupid
Reshma Is Gujarati Like Gandhi, I Am Bihari Like Laloo
Extrapolations To Reshma 2016
Reshma On CNBC
Iran, Obama 2010, Reshma 2010
Positivity, Excellence, Dark Matter
July 2010: The Busiest Month At This Blog So Far
The First Time I Heard The Obama Name
Organized Labor Has No Business Endorsing Maloney
Obama, Reshma
The Daily Beast: Reshma Saujani: Palin's Ground Zero Insult

The debate around the Cordoba House—or “the Ground Zero Mosque,” as it is sensationally being referred to in the media ...... That religious freedom and interfaith dialogue can endure at such a symbolic site, I believe, is a testament to the strength of American democracy. ...... Sarah Palin urged her supporters to reject the “Ground Zero Mosque” and implored “Peace-seeking Muslims” to scrap plans for the Cordoba House because it represents “unnecessary provocation” and a “stab in the heart.” ...... Michael Berry, a Republican talk-radio host in Houston, told listeners, “I hope the mosque isn’t built, and if it is, I hope it’s blown up, and I mean that.” ..... they have forgotten what makes this country great. The Cordoba Initiative was actually named for the city of Cordoba, where Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived in peace for nearly 800 years during the Middle Ages...... In many ways, New York City today strikes me as a modern day Cordoba ..... We must both relentlessly pursue terrorist networks and staunchly defend our pluralistic democracy. The raw human component of this challenge calls on us to make an equal effort to combat extremism with education, intolerance with interfaith exchanges.

Gandhi, Reshma And Tornadoes

I am staying away from the Reshma 2010 plans for the India Day Parade tomorrow. It is August 15, it is Independence Day. It is Gandhi's day, it is Reshma's day. I have decided to give them space on their day. (Reshma Is Gujarati Like Gandhi, I Am Bihari Like Laloo, Extrapolations To Reshma 2016)

Other than the daily blogging, I am going to be making a major push with this: Please Fund My Work For Iran Democracy: Email. This is a better, much better way to penetrate the Upper East Side than by making phone calls: More Than 100 Voice Mails.

But my next big thing to do for Reshma 2010 are the community events slated for the final week of the month. I intend to work those four events like a tornado. I am going to be working out plenty leading up to those dates. I want to be in good shape. And by that I mean mood.

Community Conversations

August 23rd - Lower East Side: 7:30 PM 14th St Y Community Room, 344 East 14th Street, L train 1st Ave
August 25th - Upper East Side: 7:30 PM 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave, 4,5,6 train 86th Street
August 29th - Roosevelt Island: 5:00 PM Trellis Diner in Roosevelt Island, 549 Main Street, F train Roosevelt Island
August 30th - Queens: 7:30 PM Holiday Inn -Lower Level Meeting Room in Long Island City, 39-05 29th Street, N/W train, 39th Ave

Perfect Time For Congress Reform

Image via WikipediaBefore the November election is a perfect time to enact Congress reform. It is enough time. It is about time, don't you think?

Wall Street has been reformed, but the US Congress that made Wall Street bad behavior possible is still the same old, same old. And that is pointing fingers at both the parties.

Charlie Rangel is the Bear Stearns of US Congress. The damage has to be contained this time. The damage has to be localized. This guy has to be isolated and quarantined.

It has been hard for me to read up on his 13 allegations. I have actively tried to avoid doing that. It is like watching crime happen in real time. It is not a good feeling. You can avoid the news articles. But it is near impossible to avoid the headlines. They are all over the place.

Look at some of what this guy has done. He would send a letter on official letter pad to some big, fancy corporation asking them to donate 100,000 dollars to the Charlie Rangel Vanity Endowment Fund and when they did he would quietly put in an earmark in some bill to send 10 million dollars to that corporation. That is every taxpayer's dream money manager. And that is only one of the 13 allegations. One thing that has not even been included in those 13 allegations is how his relatives, friends, associates have been running this network of NGOs. Donating to those NGOs earned you "virtual" currencies in the Rangel empire. Rangel would do you favors if you donated to those NGOs from which Rangel made no profits.

The show on the Hill has started to stink.

The Huffington Post: Reshma Saujani: A New Ethic of Leadership in Broken Washington

Eight House members, from both parties, are currently under investigation for raising money from financial services lobbyists just before voting on the financial reform bill..... independent ethics oversight, curb conflicts of interests, and eliminate the influence of lobbyists. .... Today, members of Congress must police themselves...which is why they don't. ....... At the same time that BP's deep sea drilling permit was under review or the Wall Street reform bill was being negotiated, members of Congress maintained hundreds of millions of dollars in personal investments in the same companies they were in the process of regulating. While peddling poisonous subprime loans, dozens of Congressional members actually betted against the housing market prior to the 2008 crash and their investments outperformed the market by over 12 percent....... In 2009 alone, more than 13,000 registered lobbyists spent more than $3.5 billion influencing elected officials on legislation, the highest amount ever recorded...... I have not taken a penny of special interest corporate PAC money during my campaign, and I believe all PAC contributions should be banned. It is time for a new system of publically financed campaigns

NYDailyNews.com: Democrat Using Rangel Against Democrat

Maloney wrote a $2,500 check to Rangel’s re-election campaign ..... Maloney has chosen to donate to an elected official facing a 13 count ethics investigation — and she is urging Maloney to reconsider.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Uptown Upstart

Look at this news angle. When Reshma gets "criticized," that makes news in the Indian circles. It will very soon make news in India. Oh no, Reshma got criticized. How dare they! By the time it is time for Reshma to make her national moves, there will be perhaps 200 million Indians online. She is no longer going to be a "minority" person if she ever was. Between the Indians coming online and the women in this country getting into social media, her demographics look just fine.

News India Times: Reshma Saujani Criticized for Comment About Rival “Reshma stands by both of her statements. Carolyn Maloney has tried her best to pass a health care bill for 9/11 workers. But last week, her best wasn’t good enough and Congress failed to get this critical bill passed to help the heroes of 9/11 and their families. She is part of a broken political system in Washington that has failed to deliver for New Yorkers – and last week was a perfect example.”

Millstones And World Peace

Image via Wikipedia

YourNabe.com: Battle Brews Over Queens Plaza Millstones by Nathan Duke An effort to preserve a pair of Long Island City millstones from the 17th century has split western Queens community activists who are debating where the artifacts should be stored even as the city plans to relocate them to a neighborhood library. ..... believed to be the oldest surviving European artifact in Queens .... leaders of the Dutch Kills Civic Association and the Greater Astoria Historical Society have clashed ..... the Department of City Planning intends to move the stones from Queens Plaza to the Queens Library’s Long Island City branch on 21st Street for storage at an undisclosed time. ..... “We’re being rolled over,” Dutch Kills resident Megan Friedman said of the city’s plan. ...... another example of the city steamrolling over the interests of the neighborhood. ...... cited the city’s delay in implementing a 2005 plan to rezone Dutch Kills, which enabled a number of hotels to obtain permits to build in western Queens. ...... “It’s the straw that broke the camel’s back. ...... a bombshell to the community.” ...... would hire a preservation consultant to keep an eye on the stones. ..... “Mr. Singleton is nothing more than an interloper,” said civic member George Stamatiades. “He has not taken an interest in the stones for 20 years. Now he wants to be the great white knight. ........ the stones are currently encased in plywood boxes with barriers and locked behind a 10-foot gate at Queens Plaza. ..... Reshma Saujani, a Manhattan attorney who is challenging U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) for her seat, said the millstones have suffered from years of “abuse.” “The residents of Dutch Kills have voiced their concerns about the future of the historic millstones that have suffered years of abuse and neglect,” she said. “The city’s decisions about moving the millstones have been made in backroom dealings instead of in open public forums.” Saujani said she would like to see the Greater Astoria Historical Society care for the stones. ...... The stones, which are more than 6 feet in diameter and weigh at least 400 pounds, were used as part of the tile mill’s operation to grind wheat into flour. But the mill was closed down in the 1820s

That was a break from regular programming. And now I would like to go back to thinking about world peace.

Read News: Paterson Takes A Swipe At Rangel No-Shows The governor, a longtime ally of of the Harlem congressman, urged people not to rush to judgment on Rangel and said the charges against him did not compare to other recent offenses committed by lawmakers, including the case of ex-state Sen. Hiram Monserrate who was booted from the Senate for assaulting his girlfriend. “They are real,” Paterson said of the charges against Rangel. “They are serious
News India Times: Reshma Saujani Criticized for Comment About Rival “Reshma stands by both of her statements. Carolyn Maloney has tried her best to pass a health care bill for 9/11 workers. But last week, her best wasn’t good enough and Congress failed to get this critical bill passed to help the heroes of 9/11 and their families. She is part of a broken political system in Washington that has failed to deliver for New Yorkers – and last week was a perfect example.”

Iran Democracy

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Iran: Am I Running Late? Maybe Not

Iran Democracy

Image by break.things via Flickr

Iran's Uprising Continues -- From Prison Cells The Huffington Post News about Iran's Uprising is scarcely found on mainstream media these days...... few stories chronicle the constant struggle for democracy and human rights in Iran. This, however, does not mean that the struggle is dead. It is a daily struggle that continues ever vigorously. ..... there are so many incidents, and so many other major stories are waiting to be covered that updates about the continuing struggle for freedom are simply ignored ..... Majid Tavakoli is perhaps the most important student leader inside Iran right now..... many family members of prisoners have claimed that in the past two months, conditions are getting even worse. ..... as soon as news of the hunger strike found space in a few online social media networks, the Iranian government quickly cut-off phone services inside Evin's Ward 350 where the solitary confinement cells are located in an effort to prevent the news from further permeating through the blogosphere. ....... Kahrizak was an infamous detention center in Tehran where scores of detainees died from hunger, thirst, disease, and torture following the Iranian Uprising last year. ..... Staff were quoted as telling the prisoners that they had 'thrown the country into chaos' and now they were 'throwing the prison into chaos, too'. ..... opposition leader Mir Hussein Mousavi asked the prisoners to end their strike in a statement posted on his website ...... dozens of other stories that continue to come out of Iran. Surprisingly, finding them isn't hard. The time of millions wearing green in the streets seems to have passed. The government has resorted to absolute terror in an attempt to stifle the movement, but it lives through these brave men and others. What the Iranian people need is for free people to be their voice

I could not revive it in Burma. The uprising in Burma died in a matter of weeks, and when it died I felt like it might be another decade or so before we can revive the spirit there. Tibet is harder than Burma, more complex.

In Iran you see ambers right now. Are they dying ambers? Or are they ambers with which you can light the fire all over again?

Makes me so very angry with the dumbfucks in New York City who messed with me in June 2008. They took me away from the peace process in Nepal. They took me away from Iran. When the green revolution was in full swing would have been a great time to get involved. But I was too busy trying to pick up the pieces of my life at that point. I just didn't have the bandwidth.

It was such a waste. Such a grand loss.

The street show was impressive, but it was a politically immature revolution. All the shouting in a soccer stadium is enough energy to maybe make a cup of coffee. So much of the pain could have been avoided if the political homework had been done.

But I see hope. I think this work can be done. The spirit can be revived. But the work has to start in the diaspora. Asking the people to brave the streets again has to be the final step. And that part should not last more than a few weeks. Such has to be the political preparation beforehand.

Action 1: A tweet.

Al Hagan: Capable Of A Hate Crime

Image via Wikipedia

NYDaily News: Firefighters Hammer Maloney Opponent on 9/11 Remarks
Hard Fact For Al Hagan: Maloney Failed To Pass 9/11 Health Bill
Organized Labor Bosses Backing Maloney Are Acting Blind And Stupid
Positivity, Excellence, Dark Matter
Rangel Has Gone Radioactive
Who Is The Congressperson For Ground Zero? Not Maloney
Rangel And Maloney Need To Vacate The Premises And For The Same Reasons
Organized Labor Has No Business Endorsing Maloney
Maloney: Stifling Debate, Stifling Innovation, Stifling Job Creation
Firefighters Booing Hillary: Sexist

LettertoMsSaujani

9/11 did not happen yesterday. It happened almost a decade ago. Maloney had a decade before that to acquire "seniority," (instead of seniority, what she has acquired is senioritis) and to learn the ropes in Congress, and she has had a decade since to bring those skills to use to the service of the firefighters of this city, and she has failed. And Al Hagan has failed with her.

No one said their trying to get this bill passed was a bad idea, and I hope it passes in some form down the line, because it is a necessary bill.

"...you should be joining the scores of advocates in support of its future passage."

Well Al Hagan, that is precisely the plan. That is what she intends to do when she is in Congress starting this Fall. And that is why you need to at least go neutral in this primary. Just because you have been hanging out with Maloney over the years does not make her worth endorsing. Let the democratic process decide who should be your Congressperson.

Al Hagan's logic goes something like this. 9/11. I am a labor boss. 9/11. Maloney is in Congress. 9/11. We wanted this 9/11 health bill passed, but that was almost a decade ago. 9/11. We have been trying every year since to get it passed. 9/11. We have been failing. 9/11. I had coffee with Maloney the other day. 9/11. I hope you did not hear about it, but the bill's passage failed all over again. 9/11. And if you are going to criticize my incompetence, and Maloney's incompetence, do not forget that 9/11 happened. 9/11.

This is as convoluted as logic gets. This logic is so convoluted, I think this guy is capable of a hate crime.

Nadler Should Vacate The Maloney Sinking Ship

Image via Wikipedia

Nadler: Saujani Needs to 'Check Her Facts' (observer.com)

And we thought Maloney was the only one behind the failed 9/11 health bill. All sorts of people are now coming out of the woodworks saying me too. Where have you been? El Dorado?

To stand by Maloney is to stand by Rangel is to stand by ethics violations. Nadler needs to take precautions here. I don't know much about him but he comes across like he might be a good guy. But even good guys sometimes make mistakes. And he is making one now.

Maloney is a sinking ship. Vacate.

Look Nadler dude, it is like this. The party you are a member of is on its way to an intellectual bankruptcy by 2016. You prevent that by bringing along Reshma Saujani. Why do you think Maloney is so scared of debating Reshma? It is because she knows Reshma is going to talk 2016 ideas. Maloney has no idea what those 2016 ideas are. Do you care about the future of your party? If you do, you are standing on a sinking ship. Vacate immediately.

Who Is The Congressperson For Ground Zero? Not Maloney (democracyforum.blogspot.com)
The Queens Gazette: Maloney Facing A Tough Challenge

Hard Fact For Al Hagan: Maloney Failed To Pass 9/11 Health Bill

Image via Wikipedia

NYDaily News: Firefighters Hammer Maloney Opponent on 9/11 Remarks

That is the hard fact for Al Hagan, the firefighters' labor boss dude. Carolyn Maloney tried to pass the 9/11 health bill. That shows her heart is in the right place on the issue. But she failed to pass it. That shows she is too incompetent to do her job.

Al Hagan should have been questioning her right now. Look, Carolyn, whatever you did there is not working. Instead he is defending her failure. Why would that be? I think I know why. Because Hagan himself was part of that Maloney effort. Maloney failing is Hagan failing and perhaps the firefighters of this city should keep that in mind the next time this dude is up for reelection for his office of firefighter labor boss.

He still has the option to do the right thing. He can look at the facts. And he can say, look people, I was betting on the wrong horse. I thought Maloney could do it, but she was not able to. And so let's have a change of guard. Let's get ourselves a new Congressperson who might actually be competent. And then let's try to get the 9/11 health bill passed. Hopefully we will with new, capable leadership. Let's shoot for 2011.

This don't you criticize us, we are the 9/11 firefighters attitude is not flying with me. That is one of many wrong uses of the 9/11 tragedy. That is disrespectful. The issue here is that there is a job that needs to get done and it is not getting done.

Maloney is a sinking ship. Vacate.

Organized Labor Bosses Backing Maloney Are Acting Blind And Stupid

Image via Wikipedia

I was slightly worried when the labor bosses were all with Hillary in the fall of 2007. Bu then once the election results started pouring in it became very obvious to me that these labor bosses are like reptilian tails, they are like the big tail of a dinosaur. You don't look at that tail to look at future trends. That tail is absolutely the last to move. The labor bosses don't give you victory. They come to you after your victory. And that's fine. We welcome them to our victory party on September 14 with open arms.

Maybe these labor bosses are not educated people. When was the last time they read a book?

They are like, oh, Maloney voted for health care reform and so we are for Maloney. The election against the Republican candidate is in November, stupid. The two people on the ballot on September 14 were both for health care reform. They are both Democrats.

Maloney voted for health care reform. Of course she voted for health care reform. She is your classic checkbox Democrat. But someone who votes for health care reform is not good enough to be representing District 14. District 14 is special. You want someone in Congress who would have provided leadership on health care reform. You want a thought leader. You want a national halo around your Congressperson. You want a Super Star. You deserve better than Maloney. Maloney is too "ordinary." (The Washington Post)

NYDaily News: Reshma Saujani Says: Check The Facts, NY-14: a new "Check The Facts" web page .... Maloney has spent more time at posh fundraisers than doing her job on Wall Street reform....... Carolyn Maloney compromised her integrity by engaging in the same unethical behavior as eight other House members currently under investigation
NYDaily News: Firefighters Hammer Maloney Opponent on 9/11 Remarks

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Saturday, August 14, 2010

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Thursday, August 12, 2010

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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

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