TonyPalmeri.Com Update For July 9, 2004
- Time For Tony Rally Tomorrow
- Lake Winnebago Greens Endorse Dedow
- My Take On Kerry/Edwards
- Moore Critiqued From The Left
- Another Doyle Disgrace
- House Refuses to Curb PATRIOT Act--Independent Sanders Shines
- New Time For Tony Photos
1. Time For Tony Rally Tomorrow: If you're in the area, stop by! http://www.tonypalmeri.com/rally.htm
Political campaigns provide multiple opportunities for candidates to make fools
of themselves, and this rally will be no different. My campaign guru Justin
"Jutdog" Mitchell has got me convinced to play Neil Young's "Rockin'
in the Free World" on guitar and sing it too! (I've got the chords
down but I hope I can learn all the lyrics by Saturday night!). Jut will be
playing guitar also, so he'll cover for my mistakes.
2. Lake Winnebago Greens Endorse Dedow--Palmeri Speech Upsets Big-D Dems:
53rd Assembly District Candidate Steve Dedow asked for the endorsement of
the Lake Winnebago Green Party (LWGP), and the Greens did endorse him at their
meeting of June 29. We then held a press conference on July 7 at which I delivered
this endorsement speech: http://www.tonypalmeri.com/dedowendorse2.htm
The speech apparently upset some of the Big-D Dems (the people who vote for
labels over what they say they believe in) because it implies that Steve has
endorsed my candidacy publicly. In fact Steve has not endorsed anyone's campaign
(and my speech did not say that he endorsed me). No one would find it odd if
Steve did endorse me publicly, as we have known each other for years and have
developed a kind of mutual admiration thing, share identical views on almost
every issue, and we're both known for being outspoken. I did talk to Steve yesterday
and we agreed that he has not endorsed my campaign and that it was not my intention
to imply that he had formally endorsed me. I certainly did not want to upset
the Big-D Dems or get them upset with Steve. Here's Steve's press release on
the endorsement:
Stephen Dedow, Democratic Candidate for the 53rd State Assembly District, today
announced that the Lake Winnebago Green Party has endorsed his campaign.
"This is an unprecedented event for this area. To have a party other than
the Democrats endorse us, is indicative of the broad base of frustration with
the current representation that this district is receiving through the incumbent.
The core values of both parties are certainly very similar, but to have an entire
political party crossover in mass in support of another parties candidate is
unheard of in the 53rd District. We are very honored by this gesture of goodwill
and support by the Lake Winnebago Greens", Dedow stated today.
"Though Steve is running as a Democrat, his campaign daily gives voice
to the core Green values of social and economic justice, environmentalism, grassroots
democracy, peace, and nonviolence," said Green Party 54th Assembly District
candidate Tony Palmeri. "We are impressed with Steve’s passion for
speaking truth to power, and we proudly endorse his candidacy."
The Greens are also impressed with the strong and principled leadership Mr.
Dedow has demonstrated on behalf of working men and women as President of the
Winnebago County Labor Council. The Greens’ endorsement of Dedow’s
candidacy is the first step in building a working alliance between area labor
organizations and the Green Party.
"Throughout history, coalitions have brought down powerful empires. There
has not been a representative of this district who has not been a Republican
since 1934, the tide is turning. People are frustrated, people feel disenfranchised,
these people are angry and they are uniting. We are coming and you will not
be able to stop us", Dedow concluded.
For more information: www.votededow.org
3. My Take On Kerry/Edwards: I like John Edwards. You probably have
to go back to Bobby Kennedy's 1968 campaign to find a national establishment
party candidate talking about poverty and social injustice as seriously as does
Edwards. He also represents the Democrats' acknowledgment that their "suburban
soccer mom" strategy of the last 12 years (which won Clinton two terms
but lost them the majority of governorships, the majority of state legislatures,
and control of both houses of Congress) was a miserable failure, and with Edwards
they are trying to regain the old New Deal coalition (Labor, racial and ethnic
minorities, youth, and the poor). Edwards talks like a populist, but he ain't
hurtin' for money: http://www.publicintegrity.org/bop2004/report.aspx?aid=191
And John Kerry? There are some local folks I have a great deal of respect for
who adore the guy. I'm not particularly impressed with him (respected writer
Kevin Phillips once called Kerry "a haircut in search of a brain")
, but then again I've been voting in presidential elections since 1980 and I
can't say I've ever really been impressed with any establishment party candidate.
Like millions of Americans, I have usually voted for what I perceive as the
"lesser of two evils" (or I vote against the more evil of two lessers),
and chances are I'll do that this year.
I do think America is currently in a populist mood (I'm hearing that loud and
clear as I meet voters), and my guess is that whichever candidate is perceived
as the most populist will win. I also think that the presidential debates will
be more important this year than at any time since 1976 (Carter v. Ford), and
if Kerry loses the election it might just be because Bush grabs the populist
mantle at these debates. Can't you see a scenario in which Kerry offers up some
kind of neo-internationalist drivel about bringing the UN to Iraq while Bush
boils the whole thing down to a basic choice between good (the US) and evil
(Saddam)? Never doubt the appeal of simplicity (or of simpletons, for that matter),
especially in the cable television era.
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But at least the Democrats will have some good corporate partying at
their convention (how's that for populism). The Center for Public Integrity
says, "Though party officials will not comment on or release a list
of the parties, the Center for Public Integrity has identified 70 events,
33 of which are hosted by Boston 2004, the private host committee designated
to raise funds and organize welcoming events for the convention. The remaining
parties have as sponsors the likes of insurance giant American International
Group, biotech firm Genzyme, telecommunications firms Time Warner and
Comcast, lobbying firms Patton Boggs LLP and Foley Hoag LLP, unions including
the AFL-CIO and the International Brotherhood of Carpenters, and trade
groups like the American Gas Association and the National Association
of Broadcasters." http://www.publicintegrity.org/report.aspx?aid=340&sid=200
4. Moore Critiqued from the Left: Much of the critique of Michael
Moore's Fahrenheit 911 has come from the right. Bob Jensen of the University
of Texas recently wrote what I consider to be a compelling left critique:
http://www.counterpunch.org/jensen07052004.html
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5. Another Doyle Disgrace: I was actually rooting for John Kerry to
select Jim The New Democrat Doyle as his VEEP running mate so that Barbara Lawton
would become Wisconsin governor. Doyle is actually starting to make me nostalgic
for Tommy Thompson. The latest outrage is his behind the scenes retaliation
against UW Board of Regents whistleblower Nino Amato. Jay Heck of Common Cause
says, "After the governor's utter and complete failure to demonstrate any
leadership on comprehensive campaign finance reform during 2003-2004, getting
rid of Amato would be yet another clear indication that the Doyle administration
is far more interested in demonstrating heavy-handed political power than in
promoting honest, open and accountable state government." See the following
articles for more: http://www.madison.com/tct/news//index.php?ntid=6523&ntpid=2
http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/column/guest//index.php?ntid=6216&ntpid=2
And please be sure to keep up with the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign's exposures
of our graft ridden system:
http://www.wisdc.org/pr070604.html
http://www.wisdc.org/pr070804.html
6. House Refuses to Curb PATRIOT Act--Independent Sanders Shines: Bernie
Sanders, Independent from Vermont, gave the US Congress an opportunity to repeal
one of the most onerous sections of the PATRIOT Act. His amendment failed: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0708-10.htm
I think it's significant that the amendment came from Sanders; some of the Big-D
Dems have been floating the asinine and absurd position that only Democrats
and Republicans can have any impact in a legislature. Indeed, the Democrats
did have an impact on the PATRIOT Act vote: 4 of them voted with the Republicans
and thus killed the amendment (in spite of the fact that 18 Republicans voted
with the Democrats).
7. New Time For Tony Photos:
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