Politics

Politics, political discourse, rights and freedoms.

Political groups should be cautious on MySpace

May 11, 2006

Earlier I spent some time writing about some cautions for libraries making the leap to MySpace. It bears repeating, however, as political groups thinking of using MySpace to organize need to be aware of ominous terms. No longer is it necessary for the GOP to break in to the Watergate to get political documents. Instead all they need are the overly broad permissions granted in the MySpace terms of service. Those terms give MySpace the right to publish anything posted using the service. So a note to a friend about this weekend's surprise announcement or political rally are fair game for the lead story on Fox News tonight, or simply as a gift to the GOP.

Photos from yesterday's announcement speech

February 7, 2006

While at the campaign kickoff yesterday I took a few snapshots. Unfortunately those that show candidate Jack Carter did not turn out very well. Those that are in focus are of his delivery of the speech he gave.

Carter's speech was a refreshing change from the political operatives of Karl Rove and the Fox News Channel. To build a stronger America Carter intones that we need a return to family values, the rule of law and leaders who understand Harry Truman's expression of the responsibility of leadership - the buck stops here.

Erin Neff writes in today's Review Journal "Carter isn't a politician and he actually talks sense." Hopefully Carter's campaign will help energize the party before the 2006 mid-term elections.

There are a few other blogs that have posts about the announcement as well as former President Carter's remarks to reporters:

Carter's Campaign Kickoff

February 6, 2006

As expected Jack Carter announced his candidacy to be the next US Senator from Nevada. Carter contrasted his philosophy with that of Senator Ensign by saying "The singular difference between the junior senator and me is he works for the Bush administration and I want to work for Nevada."

The union hall where Carter made his announcement was filled with supporters, who from time to time broke out chanting, "We want Jack". Also on the podium were several local politicians and Carter's parents former President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter.

It was quite an impressive showing, but I must remark on the Secret Service detail accompanying the former President. They were a group of diverse, polite, attentive, well dressed young men. While notable in their suits and from the star pins on their lapels they were seemingly otherwise just members of the crowd. Their quiet attentiveness was impressive. While standing a few feet from the former President, a member of the crowd approached with their hands in their pocket. The nearest Secret Service agent quietly and nearly unnoticed leaned over and asked the man to take his hands out of his pocket just to be sure there was noting in them. It was quite impressive, exactly the kind of attentiveness we want in those guarding our Presidents.

Jack Carter to kick-off Senate campaign

February 1, 2006

Following a month of touring the state, listening and learning what drives the citizens of Nevada, Jack Carter will officially announce his campaign to be the next Senator from Nevada next Monday. When he does his father former President Carter will be in Carson City to lend support.

Carter's campaign manager Remle Beard says Carter "is going to raise money. This is going to, in the end, be a horse race." The comment came in Tuesday's story about incumbent John Ensign's campaign finance report showing just over $3 million in the bank.

On a technical note it is great to see Carter's website using the Drupal/Civicspace solution!

Give 'em Hell Harry

October 1, 2005

Senate minority leader Harry Reid unveiled GiveEmHellHarry.com earlier this week. The website says its goal is "to provide Americans with the tools to make an impact on the fight for control of the U.S. Senate."

Meanwhile Nevada Highway Patrol has a new site that details traffic accidents NHP is working across the state. Updated every three minutes the site could be quite valuable to commuters and those traveling the state's highways.

The politics of language

September 7, 2005

China is said to be narrowing the list of possibleastronauts for its second manned space flight. Even the Xinhua News Agency refers to the would-be space travelers as astronauts.

However, when it comes to space travelers from Russia an interesting double standard applies. Look at any story about the International Space Station and you'll see neatly deleniated lines. The crew is divided into cosmonauts and astronauts. Wikipedia lists some additional variations for European and Chinese astronauts.

Certainly there are other words where British and American English differ. (i.e. lorry and truck). However, there are few if any other circumstances where the press is compelled to use two different words to express the same thing.

Exit strategy?

June 28, 2005

Political Wire has a look at President George Bush's changing views on an exit strategy. In the second Bush-Gore debate Mr. Bush said:

"I'm going to be judicious as to how to use the military. It needs to be in our vital interest, the mission needs to be clear, and the exit strategy obvious."

Now, five years later, he is saying:

"It doesn't make any sense to have a timetable. You know, if you give a timetable, you're — you're conceding too much to the enemy."

Many times Mr. Bush criticized President Clinton for not having a clear exit strategy in Kosovo during the lead-up to the 2000 campaign.

Well said

June 5, 2005

owen over at Bayosphere says something very nicely that I've been thinking. The comment is longer but the last paragraph is quite important:

The black holes of Nixon's psyche have become modern Republican policy. Ike and Barry Goldwater must be pirouetting in their tombs over the loss of what was once a finely developed civic conscience. How sad that the legacy of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, of Eisenhower and Goldwater, Rockefeller, Lodge, Taft and so many other honorable Republicans of many philosophies has been erased.

Our family values

April 14, 2005

In an interview with the Washington Times Speaker DeLay continues the Republican assault on families. Asked whether he agrees with the White House on guest worker and immigration issues DeLay responded:

I've talked to the president about this. He thinks the country of origin is a good idea. He's open to other ideas. He's a little tough on bringing your family. But the key here is you don't want to bring your family, don't allow it - they go home anyway now illegally. They go back and forth all the time. It's not a matter of breaking up families, it's a matter of good sense. If they bring the family and they get established here, they'll never go home.

In other words it's about family values as long it is not one of those families. This kind of subterfuge just makes my blood boil. Congress has proven, very recently in the Schiavo, case that they are willing to throw their traditional family values out the window for a few political points. So if I am to understand correctly the only families that deserve to be together are those of United States Citizens and those who can come on programs that aren't guest worker programs? How does one expect that the immigrant families of guest workers are any different than students? Foreign students can have their families stay with them in the United States and they are expected to leave the country when the visa expires. What is it that would cause Mr. DeLay to expect something different of blue collar workers and their families? This sort of insidious racism and classism is thoroughly disgusting, all the more so in national leaders.

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