Ecumenical "Christian Principles in an Election Year"
Offer Criteria for Judging Candidates
The National Council of Churches USA has released 10 principles for evaluating candidates that it hopes all Christians -- from liberals to conservatives -- will study and apply in this election year.

These "Christian Principles in an Election Year" apply well-established ecumenical principles to both domestic and foreign policy issues, and address issues of war, poverty, immigration, education, health care, racial justice, distress in U.S. inner cities and rural communities, the environment and the criminal justice system. They urge domestic policies that build "communities shaped by peace and cooperation" and a foreign policy "based on cooperation and global justice."

The NCC's Justice and Advocacy Commission developed the principles, which then were affirmed by the NCC's Executive Committee. "The principles are not intended to be partisan, but rather to lift up common principles that have been affirmed ecumenically and that can provide guidance in this election season."

Americans in FL Will Come Together to Honor the Fallen and Demand an End to the War

Locally at CRESCENT LAKE 1320 - 5th St. N. (59 registered participants)
ST PETERSBURG, FL
Crescent Lake is a 56 acre public park located between Martin Luther King (9th Street North) and 4th Street North, directly South of 22nd Avenue North, near Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg. There have been peace vigils at this location in the past. Please congregate near 22nd Avenue for greater visibility. Please bring candles. Dogs on leash welcome. See you there! Thursday, September 9, 08:00 PM

from TrueMajority.org
A painful milestone has been reached: 1,000 American servicemen and servicewomen have been killed as a result of our nation’s attack on Iraq. Another 7,000 young Americans have been wounded, and as many as 13,000 Iraqis have died as a result of America’s war. Without a plan to bring our troops safely home, more young men and women will have their lives ended in this tragic folly.

TrueMajority members joined with millions of others last year in trying to prevent this unnecessary war. Now it’s time to honor the victims of this failed policy and draw attention to the futility of this war in an effort to hasten its end.

The Win Without War coalition that sponsored last year’s historic candlelight vigil is organizing another vigil to honor the war dead in commemoration of the 1,000th American casualty. The vigil will take place THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, at 8:00 PM.

Across our nation, people will come together in public parks, at the steps of city halls, outside places of worship and at countless other community places to express our sorrow and to demand that our government level with us about how this killing will stop.

To find an existing vigil in your community in FL , or to create a new one, go to http://action.moveon.org/vigil/.

To learn more about
the fallen American soldiers, visit http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/list.php;
Iraqi casualties, visit http://www.iraqbodycount.net/;
Win Without War’s efforts to end this war, visit http://www.WinWithoutWarUS.org .

Bush Tries to Hide Poverty Numbers
Anticipating the release of devastating new poverty and health care statistics, the Bush administration today took the extraordinary step today of trying to bury the numbers. Specifically, the Administration had its top political appointee at the Census Bureau release the numbers a month earlier than usual, during the August congressional recess when many reporters and Americans take their summer vacations. The rescheduling of the announcement also means that the bad numbers will not come out in September immediately after the Republican National Convention, when they have traditionally been released.

With the President's economic and health care agenda leaving millions behind, the Associated Press reports, "the statistics today show the number of Americans living in poverty increased by 1.3 million last year, while the ranks of the uninsured swelled by 1.4 million."1

This is not the first time the White House and Republicans have gone to great lengths to hide damning information. As CBS News reported, President Bush released his military service records late on a Friday night on the eve of a three day weekend in order to make sure the story about his poor attendance was seen by as few people as possible.2

In Congress, GOP leaders regularly pass the most controversial bills in the middle of the night. Those included bills to slash veterans benefits and health/education funding, as well as spending $87 billion on war in Iraq and passing the President's Medicare bill.3

Sources:
"Ranks of Poverty, Uninsured Rose in 2003," The Guardian, 8/26/04.
"Bush's Records: All In The Timing," CBS News, 2/15/04.
"Under The Cover Of Darkness," TomPaine.com.

received from Misleader.org: Daily Mislead

MSNBC - Voters may have their say before Election Day
Battleground states leading revolution in absentee balloting.

An Election Year Campaign: Take Back Our Faith
by Jim Wallis

I've only asked you to do this once before - to send an e-mail alert to everybody you know. The last time was to help us get out the "6-point plan," which was a concrete alternative to war with Iraq offered by American religious leaders at the midnight hour. That plan had an enormous impact and was heard at the highest levels of the U.S. and U.K. governments, even as the leaders of both countries were bent on war.

This campaign is to raise the voice of Christian conscience in Election 2004, and to challenge the theologically outrageous claims of the Religious Right that George W. Bush is God's ordained candidate and that good Christians can only vote for him. As incredible as those statements are, it is indeed what people like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson are saying. They must not go unanswered. Faithful Christian citizenship demands that the Religious Right be challenged.

Sojourners is offering an alternative voice and giving thousands of Christians an opportunity to make their voices heard. On Monday, we sent you a petition to sign that sends a clear message to the Religious Right, to the candidates, and to America that the Falwells and Robertsons don't speak for us, and that we will hold all the candidates accountable to a wide range of Christian ethical and biblical principles. If you have not yet signed the petition, click here. And then forward it to your family, friends, and others.

This petition will also be turned into a full-page ad in The New York Times and other key newspapers around the country. We are also planning an extensive online campaign to reach out to people around the country who care about faith and politics. By doing so, we hope to change the debate on the "religious issues" in this campaign. Instead of a narrow media focus on abortion and gay marriage, we will also raise the religious issues of poverty, the environment, war, truth-telling, human rights, a moral response to terrorism, and a consistent ethic of human life as the criteria that people of faith ought to bring to this election.

I've consistently said that religion could be a key factor in this election. You can help us make sure it's being discussed in a fuller and deeper way than the leaders of the Religious Right have. Listening to them, it feels like our faith has been stolen. As I said in my column last week, it's time to take back our faith. That indeed is the name of this campaign - "Take Back Our Faith."

I believe that the era of the Religious Right is coming to an end, and the time of progressive prophetic faith has arrived. Let's make that clear in Election 2004. If this petition speaks for you, please sign it. Send it to friends and family, to people in your church, to your whole e-mail list! Donate to help place ads in The New York Times and other newspapers around the country, along with our online campaign. Help us change the debate. In the first 24 hours, more than 10,000 people already signed the petition! That's a great start to what could be a very important campaign for America's future. And you can help make that possible.

Mr. Wallis represents Sojourners

TurnOut Florida Campaign Off to Great Start
Your Help is Needed for 9 City Election Canvass

Equality Florida and the rest of the TurnOut Florida coalition have been hard at work making tremendous progress toward our goal of mobilizing 350,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and supportive (LGBTS) voters. We've built the nation's largest coalition of LGBTS organization's ever brought together to make our voices heard.

Equality Florida is spearheading this historic effort because Floridas LGBT community has a unique opportunity to be the deciding factor in Florida. A strong TurnOut for this election will have a major impact not only on our future, but also the future of our nation and our world.

Get Information

"THE CURRENT DARKNESS"
an editorial comment by Hal Crowther
Mr. Crowther is a former writer for Time and Newsweek, the Buffalo News and the North Carolina Spectator before parking his column at the weekly Independent in Durham, N.C., and The Progressive Populist, among others. He won the H.L. Mencken Award for column writing in 1992. Write him at 219 N. Churton St., Hillsborough, NC 27278.

AU Report Finds Bush 'Faith-Based' Agenda Spreading In Federal Government
Initiative Ignores Constitutional Principles And Civil Rights Protections, Says Americans United.

GRAND THEFT AMERICA
A reminder of the last presidential election.

MSNBC - A new 'Bushism': We're gonna get us

Esquire:Feature Story:The Case Against George W. Bush:
September 2004, Volume 142, Issue 3
By Ron Reagan
The son of the fortieth president of the United States takes a hard look at the son of the forty-first and does not like what he sees.

An Excerpt from John Kerry's Speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention
"I don't wear my own faith on my sleeve. But faith has given me values and hope to live by, from Vietnam to this day, from Sunday to Sunday. I don't want to claim that God is on our side. As Abraham Lincoln told us, I want to pray humbly that we are on God's side. And whatever our faith, one belief should bind us all: The measure of our character is our willingness to give of ourselves for others and for our country."

FALWELL MISLEADING RELIGIOUS LEADERS ABOUT TAX LAW, AMERICANS UNITED TELLS IRS
Church-State Watchdog Group Urges Tax Agency To Crack Down On Virginia TV Preacher's Disinformation Campaign

The Rev. Jerry Falwell is misleading religious leaders about the rules governing churches and partisan politics, and the Internal Revenue Service should take immediate steps to clarify the situation, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

"Falwell is misleading America's religious leaders about federal tax law," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. "His distortions could have serious consequences for any pastor foolish enough to take his advice. The IRS should step in now."

In a July 28 letter to the IRS, Lynn accused the Lynchburg, Va.-based TV preacher of launching a disinformation campaign.

Earlier this month, AU filed a complaint with the IRS about Falwell's use of his tax-exempt Jerry Falwell Ministries to send out an e-mail and post a website message endorsing George W. Bush for president. In response, Falwell issued another alert to supporters telling religious leaders that they do not need to worry about federal tax law.

Under the headline, "NO CHURCH HAS EVER LOST ITS TAX-EXEMPT STATUS," Falwell wrote, "Every American pastor, as a tax-paying citizen, is free to express his views and opinions."

Falwell included an analysis by Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel, a Religious Right legal group affiliated with Falwell, asserting that the IRS rarely enforces the "no politicking" rule and implying that churches should not worry about it. Staver wrote that "the IRS has almost no teeth."

Lynn said Falwell and Staver are urging churches to play a dangerous game. He noted that in 1995, the IRS revoked the tax-exempt status of the Church at Pierce Creek in New York for partisan politicking. Other churches accused of politicking have undergone lengthy audits or their pastors have been have been visited by IRS agents.

Falwell, Lynn noted, is in no position to advise churches in this area. In 1993, his Old Time Gospel Hour was required by the IRS to pay $50,000 in back taxes for diverting charitable contributions into a political action committee that sought to elect congressional candidates. The ministry also had its tax exemption revoked retroactively for the years 1986-87.

On two recent occasions, Falwell has denied on national television that the Old Time Gospel Hour's tax exemption was revoked. But Lynn noted that the IRS sanction is a matter of public record and noted that it was widely reported at the time.

In AU's letter to the IRS, Lynn sent documents supporting its charge that Falwell is misleading pastors. Lynn urged the tax agency to take action against Falwell and clarify tax law for religious leaders.

"Looked at in conjunction with the material I sent on July 15, I think it is obvious that Falwell is working assiduously to skirt the Internal Revenue Code and urging other religious leaders to do the same. Such a brazen challenge to our nation's tax laws must not go unanswered," wrote Lynn.

He continued, "I also urge you to immediately initiate an investigation into Falwell's apparent misuse of a tax-exempt organization for partisan politics and issue a public statement of some sort to refute his misinformation campaign."

Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
________________________________
BACKGROUND - Church Electioneering
Houses of worship and religious leaders may address political and social issues, but federal tax law bars most non-profit groups from endorsing or opposing candidates for public office. Churches, temples and mosques must refrain from outright electioneering. It is not the job of religious leaders to tell people which candidates to vote for or not vote for.

Logo spat spurs claim of racism
St Petersburg Times Letter to the Editor
-- by George Shaughnessy

In a wonderful spirit of generosity the magnanimous City Council of Pinellas Park has created a legacy for themselves in the creation of their Angel Fund.

“The fund is patterned after Pennies from Heaven, created by the Sumter (County) Electric Cooperative. Customers who want to participate round their monthly electric bills up to the next dollar and the extra money is put into the SECO Angel (sic) Fund. It's then used for humanitarian purposes.” (SPT 7/28/04)

SECO is a for profit utility company that overcharges willing customers on their monthly utility bill in order to pay for other customers who can’t make their own payments. Their employees recognized it as "Pennies from Heaven" not "the Angel Fund."

“Council members were so impressed by a SECO fundraising idea that they may copy it to help financially strapped children's programs in Pinellas Park.” (SPT 5/29/04) But the only similarity is that funding comes from overcharging utility customers—estimated by Pinellas Park employees to start out at $7,800 a year before reaching a potential $52,000 or more yearly.

The Pinellas Park City Council has managed to misappropriate the value of the labor of city employees and attorneys to create a city owned and operated 501(c)3 agency within the city government without the counsel of City Voters.

They compounded their misappropriation of City funds when they agreed to allow “Boulder Venture to deposit the fee that Pinellas Park charges to remove dirt - which Sabow estimated at $28,000 in this case - into the city's Angel fund, which is for residents who need one-time help.”(SPT 5/16/04)

Please notice that a plan “to help financially strapped children's programs in Pinellas Park.” is now intended to be a welfare agency giving handouts to “residents who need one-time help.”

Who is paying the cost to maintain this City owned Non Profit agency? My calls to the City of Pinellas Park seem to indicate that City employees are being paid to do the work of this public welfare agency without a separate accounting for the value of their time.

When Randy Heine showed me a City of Pinellas Park water utility newsletter with the picture of a perfect and beautiful, blindingly white child I asked him if this was the child to whom Council members were giving their one time handout. How appropriate for this group!

And how appropriate too that when Ms. Snook was fishing for a response she chose an image from a New York ghetto sometime in the last century where a child who showed an aptitude for playing piano was given a one time handout for a violin lesson.

Sudan Genocide: Our Win in Congress Pressures Bush
by Andrew Greenblatt
Online Organizer for TrueMajority.org

Two weeks ago, TrueMajority members urged Congress to name the atrocities in Sudan “genocide” and call on the Bush administration to take strong action, including a military intervention if necessary, to stop it. Within days, we delivered over 150,000 messages, and just before they adjourned until September, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate both unanimously passed the resolutions.

This was an important win, because international treaties signed by the United States require serious responses to any identified genocide. Congress is now unanimously on record on this issue, putting pressure on the president to act and to act now. His attempts to get the Sudanese government to turn against the Janjuweed militia, which it armed and encouraged to kill, aren’t working and simply can’t work in time. But as every Member of Congress — including all of those from the President’s own party — agrees, we must take whatever action we can to stop this genocide. You can read the resolutions and relevant press coverage here: www.darfurgenocide.org/success.htm.

Over 160,000 people already have died; another 500,000 of our fellow humans are at grave risk of dying in the coming months unless this genocide is stopped.

We are now working with our partners on a fast plan to really push this issue and force Bush to do whatever it takes to stop the genocide. We’re trying to rescue some Sudanese leaders who can come to America for a media tour and describe firsthand the genocide that’s taking place beyond the media’s attention. Amazingly, the State Department is dragging its feet on issuing the necessary visas. While we put that together, we’re working to set up satellite video hookups in refugee camps so that refugee spokespeople can be interviewed directly by American television. And Ben and his old friend Jerry will join a long list of notable elected officials, entertainers, human rights activists and others who have chosen to get arrested outside the Sudanese embassy in Washington to protest the genocide. We all need to do what we can.

Once we have a full plan together, we’ll let you know what it is and how you can help. In the meantime, know that your pressure on Congress worked as a critical first step and that further opportunities for you to take action will be coming soon.

PS: For more information on Darfur, or to get involved in local activism, please visit www.darfurgenocide.org.

A Word To U.S. Residents About Voter Registration
Let me also say an important word to all MCC friends in the United Sates. It is vital that you register to vote in the upcoming November elections -- and vital that each of us makes our voice heard by going to the voting booth in November. And don't stop there. Please, please encourage your friends to register and vote.

-- The Reverend Dr. Troy D. Perry
Office of the MCC Moderator

Editor's note: KOP,MCC will have a table set up for Voter Registration and Equality Florida petitions for people attending Thursday and Sunday services. Information will also be available at the reception desk Monday-Thursday from 9am to 5pm.

Help Us Mobilize 350,000 Fair-Minded Florida Voters!

"Anti-gay politicians have placed a target on our community. They've taken aim at our families for political gain. Now we must vote. We must make our voices heard. We must TurnOut Florida and show that there are consequences to the politics of gay bashing

--Nadine Smith, Equality Florida


With 100 Days left before the Nov 2nd Election, we are offically launching TurnOut Florida, an unprecedented campaign to mobilize 350,000 members and supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

With the participation of over 30 local, state, and national groups, TurnOut Florida represents the nation's largest coalition working to mobilize the LGBT vote. National and statewide debates on issues ranging from marriage equality to Floridas anti-gay adoption ban have galvanized the LGBT community.

The national spotlight is once again on our state in this close election and Floridas LGBT community has a unique opportunity to be the deciding factor in November. No matter what issue touches your life, your vote is the most effective way to make your voice heard in Tallahassee and in Washington DC.

We Need Your Help to Show Our Strength.
In order to reach our goal, we must raise $200,000 in the next 30 days. We can do it with your help. Your tax-deductible gift of $35, $50, $100 or more will register new voters, help us get unlikely voters to cast a ballot and provide information about where candidates stand on our issues.

Donate Online Today
Our success is made possible by people who care enough to contribute. EVERY contribution matters. Together we will energize and mobilize our community to vote like never before. Together we will make Florida a state that values equality and fairness for all.

Be sure to select your giving level and then click the PayPal donate button or you can mail your contribution payable to:

Equality Florida
1302 South Dale Mabry #652
Tampa, FL 33629

County Supervisor Booted from Bush Event for Wearing Hidden Kerry Shirt
by Matthew Rothschild at The Progressive

President Bush came to Wisconsin on July 14 and gave a speech in a town called Ashwaubenon, and Jayson Nelson wanted to hear him.

Nelson is an elected official. As an Outagamie County supervisor, he says he was notified that there were extra tickets for the event if he wanted one.

He did, and after giving his ID and Social Security number, he received a VIP pass a few days before Bush came to town, he tells The Progressive.

But Nelson never got to hear Bush speak.

On the morning of Bush's visit, Nelson, a Democrat, attended a Kerry rally and was wearing a "Kerry for President" T-shirt.

Then when he went to the Bush rally, he says he buttoned up a blue denim shirt over the Kerry one.

As he approached the final screening point, Nelson says a Republican event staffer demanded that he step out of the line and take off his top shirt.

"At first, I thought she wasn't even talking to me," he recalls, "because who tells you that stuff? So I ignored her and kept going forward and then she told me again, 'You, you, you, step out of line. You've got to take off your shirt.' "

When he did so, the screener pounced.

"She must have though I was bin Laden or something because her eyes got big and she lunged at me and grabbed the ticket and tore it up," he says. "Then she called the Ashwaubenon police department on me, and they came over and said, 'What's the problem here? Do you have a ticket?' And I said, 'I had one but they just took it!' "

She told the police to look at his T-shirt, and the police told him he couldn't be there and to get going, Nelson remembers.

"It was apparent to me that if I was going to debate it, I was going to get arrested," he says.

On his way out, the Secret Service also stopped him. "They took my driver's license and wrote down my Social Security number and telephone number," he says. "I started to ask, 'What's going on here? Is a T-shirt illegal?' And they said, 'No, we do this for all of the events, even Kerry's.' "

The Bush-Cheney campaign did not return a phone call for comment. But Merrill Smith, the Midwestern regional spokeswoman for the Bush-Cheney campaign, did talk to the Associated Press, which broke this story.

"These events are for people who are going to get out and support the President and who are going to work on his behalf between now and November 2," Smith told AP, though she said she wasn't familiar with the particular incident.

The Ashwaubenon police minimize their involvement. "There was no report on that and no arrest made," says Margene Roshak of the police department. "The Secret Service asked him to leave and escorted him out."

For his part, Nelson is still angry about this. "I was almost treated like a criminal," he says.

He thinks his working class background had something to do with the treatment he received. "One reason I feel that I was really selected out is because I was dressed as a working man," he says. "We were subject to extra scrutiny. Others were mostly business types."

Nelson finds it ironic that he was excluded from the Resch Center, where Bush was speaking. "I was a foreman and superintendent in building that building, and to get kicked out of it just because I had a T-shirt on-I don't see it. No one asked who I was voting for when I built it."

But there is a larger issue involved here, as well, he says. "We got people over in Iraq getting killed for the Iraqis' rights," says Nelson, "and I think we're going to have to start fighting for our own."

This Land Our Land

Ethnic cleansing in Sudan
by Elizabeth Palmberg

Just as peace is finally within reach in Sudan's bloody North/South civil war, a new threat of ethnic cleansing and mass death is looming elsewhere in Sudan, in the huge western province of Darfur. Government-armed Arab militias known as the Janjaweed, with open support from the Sudanese military, are attacking villages from non-Arab ethnic groups. An estimated 15,000 to 30,000 people have been killed so far; between 1 and 2 million people have been driven from their looted and burned homes. Most of these refugees are in camps inside Darfur, where Janjaweed openly rape women and steal food aid. The government has repeatedly blocked and delayed humanitarian aid efforts, in a policy predicted to kill 350,000 from hunger and disease in the upcoming months. This is deliberate, ethnically targeted genocide by starvation.

Ironically, the gathering crisis in Darfur has gone on simultaneously with this spring's 10-year anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, in which 800,000 Tutsis (and moderate Hutus) died while the world did nothing. The body count isn't that high in Darfur yet, but it's growing. With food stocks burned or looted, the planting season already lost, and the rainy season rendering roads impassible through September, immediate and massive humanitarian aid, as well as disarmament of the Janjaweed, is vital.

+ Read the full article at Soujourners
+ Take action to stop the genocide

Democracy for sale
by Bill Moyers

There are two Americas today. You could see this division in a little-noticed action this spring in the House of Representatives. Republicans in the House approved new tax credits for the children of families earning as much as $309,000 a year - families that already enjoy significant benefits from earlier tax cuts - while doing next to nothing for those at the low end of the income scale. This, said The Washington Post in an editorial called "Leave No Rich Child Behind," is "bad social policy, bad tax policy, and bad fiscal policy. You'd think they'd be embarrassed but they're not."

Nothing seems to embarrass the political class in Washington today. Not the fact that more children are growing up in poverty in America than in any other industrial nation; not the fact that millions of workers are actually making less money today in real dollars than they did 20 years ago; not the fact that working people are putting in longer and longer hours just to stay in place; not the fact that while we have the most advanced medical care in the world, nearly 44 million Americans - eight out of 10 of them in working families - are uninsured and cannot get the basic care they need.

Nor is the political class embarrassed by the fact that the gap between rich and poor is greater than it's been in 50 years - the worst inequality among all Western nations. They don't seem to have noticed that we have been experiencing a shift in poverty. For years it was said that single jobless mothers are down there at the bottom. For years it was said that work, education, and marriage is how they move up the economic ladder. But poverty is showing up where we didn't expect it - among families that include two parents, a worker, and a head of the household with more than a high school education. These are the newly poor. These are the people our political and business class expects to climb out of poverty on an escalator moving downward.

For years now a small fraction of American households have been garnering an extreme concentration of wealth and income while large corporations and financial institutions have obtained unprecedented levels of economic and political power over daily life. In 1960, the gap in terms of wealth between the top 20 percent and the bottom 20 percent was 30-fold. Four decades later it is more than 75-fold. Such concentrations of wealth would be far less of an issue if the rest of society was benefiting proportionately and equality was growing. That's not the case. As an organization called The Commonwealth Foundation Center for the Renewal of American Democracy sets forth in well-documented research, working families and the poor "are losing ground under economic pressures that deeply affect household stability, family dynamics, social mobility, political participation, and civic life."

And household economics "is not the only area where inequality is growing in America." We are also losing the historic balance between wealth and commonwealth. The report goes on to describe "a fanatical drive to dismantle the political institutions, the legal and statutory canons, and the intellectual and cultural frameworks that have shaped public responsibility for social harms arising from the excesses of private power." That drive is succeeding, with drastic consequences for an equitable access to and control of public resources, the lifeblood of any democracy. From land, water, and other natural resources to media and the broadcast and digital spectrums, to scientific discovery and medical breakthroughs, and even to politics itself, a broad range of the American commons is undergoing a powerful shift in the direction of private control.

And what is driving this shift? Contrary to what you learned in civics class in high school, it is not the so-called "democratic debate." That is merely a cynical charade behind which the real business goes on - the none-too-scrupulous business of getting and keeping power so that you can divide up the spoils. If you want to know what's changing America, follow the money.

Veteran Washington reporter Elizabeth Drew says "the greatest change in Washington over the past 25 years - in its culture, in the way it does business and the ever-burgeoning amount of business transactions that go on here - has been in the preoccupation with money." Jeffrey Birnbaum, who covered Washington for nearly 20 years for the Wall Street Journal, put it even more strongly: "[Campaign cash] has flooded over the gunwales of the ship of state and threatens to sink the entire vessel. Political donations determine the course and speed of many government actions that deeply affect our daily lives."

It is widely accepted in Washington today that there is nothing wrong with a democracy dominated by the people with money. But of course there is. Money has democracy in a stranglehold and is suffocating it. During his brief campaign in 2000, before he was ambushed by the dirty tricks of the Religious Right in South Carolina and big money from George W. Bush's wealthy elites, John McCain said elections today are nothing less than an "influence-peddling scheme in which both parties compete to stay in office by selling the country to the highest bidder."

That's the shame of politics today. The consequences: "When powerful interests shower Washington with millions in campaign contributions, they often get what they want. But it is ordinary citizens and firms that pay the price, and most of them never see it coming," according to Time magazine. Time concludes that America now has "government for the few at the expense of the many."

That's why so many people are turned off by politics. It's why we can't put things right. And it's wrong. Hear the great Justice Learned Hand on this: "If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: 'Thou shalt not ration justice.'" He got it right: The rich have the right to buy more homes than anyone else. They have the right to buy more cars, more clothes, or more vacations than anyone else. But they don't have the right to buy more democracy than anyone else.

Excerpted from the August 2004 edition of Sojourners magazine.
+ Read the full article by Bill Moyers

NY Promoter Wants Springsteen to Upstage Bush
Tue Jun 22, 3:03 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York concert promoter has mounted an online campaign to "draft" Bruce Springsteen to headline a rock 'n roll show to upstage the Republican National Convention, but the rock icon appears to be uninterested. 
 
The "Concert for Change," would be held on Sept. 1 at Giants Stadium, across the Hudson River from the Republicans' meeting at Madison Square Garden, said promoter and Democratic activist Andrew Rasiej, who has reserved the date at Springsteen's New Jersey home venue.

"This is a simple idea that captures the imagination of Americans opposed to George Bush," Rasiej told Reuters about hopes of staging an anti-Bush rock show the night Republicans nominate the incumbent to run for another term as president.

Springsteen's publicist, however, told Reuters the music star does not plan to perform at any events tied to the Democratic or Republican conventions.

An online petition at www.draftbruce.com has been signed by about 50,000 people in 10 days since it was launched, Rasiej said, adding he had also reached out to acts such as REM, The Dave Matthews Band, Bob Dylan and Carlos Santana.

"When it gets to half a million or so I would formally try to deliver the petition to Bruce's people directly," he said on Monday.

"I've spoken to the manager of REM, to Bon Jovi's people and the rest of the names I've mentioned and they all said, 'if you build it, we will be there."'

Republicans and Democrats both asked to use Springsteen's 1984 hit "Born in the U.S.A." -- a song about how unwelcoming America was to returning Vietnam veterans but often mistaken for a patriotic anthem -- for use in political campaigns. Springsteen declined the requests.

The New Jersey rocker has typically stayed out of politics, but in May posted the text of an anti-war speech by former Vice President Al Gore on his official Web site, calling it "one of the most important speeches I've heard in a long time."

Rasiej, founder of popular New York rock club Irving Plaza, said a "VoteAid" show could win a large TV audience, raise money to support voter registration and deliver a message that could affect the November presidential election.

Computer Ate My Vote: TrueMajority Members Rally
Last Tuesday, TrueMajority led a coalition of seven other groups to stage simultaneous media events in 19 states around The Computer Ate My Vote campaign. Advocates of verifiable balloting delivered about 350,000 petition signatures to state election officials, asking that they offer paper ballots this November to ensure that votes actually get counted and that recounts in close elections are possible.

The national coalition included TrueMajority, MoveOn, Democracy for America, Common Cause, Working Assets, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and VerifiedVoting.org, and state-based groups across the country. In addition to the 19 state events, we organized a media conference call so that national journalists could hear from Howard Dean, California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, Representative Rush Holt, Stanford computer professor David Dill of VerifiedVoting.org and Ben Cohen.

That’s Ben, with the vote-eating computer costume, and TrueVoteMD’s Linda Schade at the rally in Annapolis, Maryland.

The media coverage was significant: 17 million impressions and counting—from the likes of the New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, NPR, Associated Press (three separate articles) and dozens of newspapers, TV and radio stations. Click here to see the media coverage.
 
What our coalition representing over 3 million Americans asked for is simple:  When we go to the polls on November 2, we want to make sure that our votes count. We asked our election officials to offer paper ballots so voters can know that the ballot we cast is verified by the voter who cast it, not a piece of software. We want elections decided by citizens, not computer errors.

TrueMajority has been organizing on this election protection issue for seven months now and we’re making a difference. Eight states have chosen to ensure that voters will see their choices on paper, double the number when we began. Tuesday’s action was one big step toward furthering those numbers.

Bev Harris, author of the landmark book Black Box Voting, addresses a rowdy crowd of Texans on Tuesday. Questions from reporters drew out the event for two hours. People like you—concerned, informed and involved—are the best America has to offer. We’re proud of the opportunity to stand with you.

Thanks,
Ben, Duane, Mark, Matt, Kendra, Jason, Aaron and Katherine
TrueMajority’s Computer Ate My Vote Team
________________________________
Below is a summary of what happened in the various states.
Florida:  A total of eight rallies were held in the "ground zero" state for election problems, including one in Tallahassee where 27,000 signatures were delivered to Secretary of State Glenda Hood’s office. Coverage appeared in multiple state papers.
Ohio: Over 200 folks rallied at the statehouse, along with balloons, banners and a six-foot-tall smoking, buzzing mock-up of a malfunctioning voting machine. The CBS affiliate went live from the rally.
Maryland: The rally in Annapolis, staged by TrueVoteMD, was attended by more than 100 citizens, including state senators and delegates of both parties as well as TrueMajority president Ben Cohen. Governor Robert Ehrlich would not accept our stack of petitions, citing "security concerns," but did allow a delegation to speak to Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele. "It was really the best America has to offer," Ben reported. "Average citizens who are concerned about our democracy, taking time out of their lives to help make sure our elections are fair."
South Carolina:  After the press conference held by the South Carolina Progressive Network, activists met with the South Carolina attorney general, from whom they are seeking a state ruling that the Help America Vote Act itself requires a paper trail.
Colorado: Crowd estimates were up to 250 at the rally, which was attended by state officeholders and candidates in addition to longtime voting activists from Boulder and Denver. Things got exciting when about 50 of those folks crossed the street to deliver their 13,411 petitions to Secretary of State Donetta Davidson's office. They were intercepted by building security and then city police. They asked to see the secretary or a representative, only to be provided with an unintentional bit of comic relief when the receptionist claimed, "They're all out to lunch."
New Jersey: Over a hundred activists at the statehouse in Trenton rallied with a representative from the office of Congressman Rush Holt, author of federal legislation to mandate voter-verified paper ballots nationwide. A staffer for New Jersey Governor James McGreevey accepted a stack of more than 20,000 petitions.
Pennsylvania: State Representative Mark Cohen and speakers from Common Cause, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Citizens for Civil Justice, Congressman Rush Holt’s office and Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities addressed a crowd of about 120. Public radio powerhouse WHYY carried the rally as the lead on its 5:30 p.m. drive-time news.
Connecticut:  Despite a summer rain shower, a crowd of about 30 voting activists, peace and justice folks and good government types gathered under the south portico of the Connecticut State Capitol to call for voter-verified paper ballots.
Kentucky:  About 25 people gathered in 100-degree heat outside the statehouse in Frankfort. The local NBC television crew filmed the activists as they marched through the statehouse and delivered their petitions to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office.
Massachusetts:  A delegation of five activists delivered petitions to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, with coverage by Massachusetts newspapers.
Washington:  A crowd of 75 activists rallied across the street from the Snohomish County office building. Snohomish County Auditor Bob Terwilliger (the county's top elections official) dropped in on the rally to debate the issue before the activists delivered their petitions to his office. Ironically, the auditor's office provided the activists with a paper receipt for the delivery.
Texas:  About 150 activists packed a hearing room in the Texas statehouse, spilling out into the hallway and cheering the remarks of paper ballot activist Bev Harris and computer security expert Dan Wallach. Sign-toting Code Pink activists outside added to the atmosphere. Television news crews and major state print outlets like the Dallas Morning News and the Texas Observer asked so many questions that the event stretched on for two hours.
New York:  Common Cause NY led a rally of about 125 citizens at the statehouse in Albany, where they laid out a strip of petitions from rally site to the capitol.
California: At the San Diego County building, members of SAVE-Democracy, Clean Government, Democracy for America and others were interviewed by at least four camera crews, focusing on the need for a voter-verified paper ballot nationwide.
Utah:  Two dozen activists generated a strong media turnout in this state, where folks are working to prevent a pending purchase of electronic voting machines.
Wisconsin:  Over 100 people showed up to hear from two state legislators and a computer scientist. The group also collected over 500 signatures on our petition in the past five days, urging their congresspeople to cosponsor HR 2239 (which requires paper ballots nationwide).
Indiana:  Two dozen Hoosiers rallied in the capital. They delivered their petitions to Secretary of State Todd Rokita, who said, "This is a serious issue … and it deserves a serious debate."
(At this writing, reports from New Mexico and North Carolina are still coming in.)

Fire Marriage Amendment Supporters
Yesterday, President Bush's effort to write divisiveness and hate into the Constitution went down in flames. Republicans needed 67 votes in the Senate to pass the Federal Marriage Amendment, but they got only 48 on yesterday’s vote – not even a simple majority. It's a huge victory.

Despite the defeat in Congress, Republicans threaten now to make this "an election year issue." Our response: Bring it on. Today, we're highlighting four great Democratic candidates who are running against some of the staunchest supporters of writing discrimination into the Constitution. If we all chip in a little to their campaigns, we can demonstrate that when you try to deny people their civil rights, you don't just lose a vote in Congress – you lose your seat.

You can make a secure, easy online contribution to these campaigns right now at: http://www.moveonpac.org/give/04endorsed.html

While all four of our new featured candidates oppose the Marriage Amendment, they're also each good progressives on other issues as well. Each of these individuals has a compelling personal story and a record of leadership that inspired MoveOn members to nominate them. We believe it will also inspire their constituents to elect them this November.

Each of these candidates also has the opportunity to knock off a conservative right-wing politician, moving us closer to control of the U.S. House.

Our first candidate is Jim Stork, an openly gay man locked in a one of the most competitive races in the country. Jim is running against conservative Republican Clay Shaw in Florida's 22nd District, a Democratic leaning seat that Gore won in 2000 by 5% and John Kerry is currently leading in by the double digits. Stork, the former mayor of Wilton Gardens and a highly successful small business owner, is running an aggressive and intelligent campaign in the center of Presidential battleground politics – Broward County, Florida. His election to Congress would make him only the fourth openly gay member serving in the U.S. House.

Gloria, a MoveOn member from Miami says of Jim, "Jim Stork is a man who is well-respected and is interested in restoring rights for all of us – rights that are being removed by the Patriot Act and rights that are being denied to people due to sexual orientation. He is a man of honor and that is much needed in the US Congress."

Next up is Kalyn Free, running for the 2nd district in Oklahoma. Kalyn became the youngest prosecutor ever hired at the U.S. Department of Justice at the age of 23 and then spent 10 years prosecuting environmental polluters. An intelligent advocate who has worked hard her entire life, Kalyn is a native Oklahoman and member of the Choctaw nation. If elected Free would become the first Native American woman to be elected to Congress. She's in a tight primary race against a very conservative Democrat who supports the Marriage Amendment, supports the war in Iraq, and has received significant backing from the oil and gas industry and the NRA. By supporting Kalyn, we can demonstrate not just to Republicans but to conservative Democrats as well that writing hate into the Constitution just won't fly.

Brian from McAlester, Oklahoma nominated Free and wrote: "Kalyn helped me when I was down and in trouble. With her help and support I made it. I just finished 3 years in the Navy and am happily married and working back in Oklahoma. Kalyn cares from the heart. She is knowledgeable about issues that are important to labor groups, veterans, children and all Oklahomans. She is the one we need in Congress."

In New Mexico's 1st Congressional District, we're highlighting Richard Romero, an outstanding New Mexico State Senate President Pro Tem as well as former teacher. Romero is taking on incumbent Congresswoman Heather Wilson. Wilson is a right-wing Republican who has rubber-stamped nearly every piece of legislation Bush Administration legislation she has seen. Romero is pro-choice and opposed to the constitutional ban on gay marriage. He is running a strong race in this swing state, where voters are responding to his positive message. The race is already neck and neck. With our support, Richard Romero can win.

Of Romero's politics at home, Kathryn from Santa Fe, New Mexico said, "While in the State Senate he took on the old powers and started a reform movement. He was successful and became a symbol of progressive politics for the state. His warm personality, brilliance and knowledge of the First District are exceeded only by his commitment to progressive politics."

Last, we are endorsing Jon Jennings, an Indiana Democrat with a strong chance of beating one of the most conservative members of the U.S. House in Indiana's 8th Congressional District. His opponent, John Hostettler, recently gained notoriety for trying to carry a loaded firearm onto an airplane. Hostettler said he would vote against the Federal Marriage Amendment because it does not go far enough and instead introduced the Marriage Protection Act (HR 3313) which removes the power of the courts to determine the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Jennings, the son of an Alcoa steel worker who worked the 3rd shift to support his family, began his career as an assistant coach and scout for the Boston Celtics. Jon was the first person in his family to graduate from high school and go to college. Jon left sports with a calling to public service and was selected for the prestigious White House Fellow's program by the Clinton Administration and later became the Principal Deputy U.S. Attorney General for Legislative Affairs for Janet Reno in 1999. Jon is running a strong campaign in Indiana and attracting national attention for his important race.

Vicki from Terre Haute, Indiana said: "Jon Jennings is a bona fide Democrat who opposes the antics of the Bush administration and its minions. Jennings has shown an ability to organize and fundraise and has a real chance to take this seat for the Democrats."

Together, our thousands of small contributions can make a big difference in each of these races. And when these candidates win in November, it will demonstrate for years to come that politicians lose when they support discrimination. Please consider making a gift of $10, $25, $50, or more if you can today, to each of these four candidates.

Just go to: http://www.moveonpac.org/give/04endorsed.html

Thank you,
Eli Pariser and Hannah Pingree
MoveOn PAC

Protest Bush's visit to Tampa Friday
Join MoveOn and other groups this Friday at 8:30am as we protest President Bush's visit to Tampa and his broken promises to America's women! Click Here.

President Bush is coming to Tampa this Friday, July 16, for a Department of Justice conference on sex trafficking. And we'll be there to demand that he apologize to conference participants and to the public for breaking his promises to America's women.

Members of a dozen groups, from Planned Parenthood to the Sierra Club to America Coming Together, will gather outside the conference in downtown Tampa to send a message to President Bush and the news media that his poor record on women's issues will not go unnoticed. For more info and to join us, Click Here.

The event will be at the plaza across from the Tampa Marriot Waterside Hotel, 700 S. Florida Ave., in downtown Tampa. It will begin at 8:30am.

You can also help us prepare on Thursday night, with sign-making from 5-9 PM and a media training at 7 PM for MoveOn volunteers who are interested in becoming a part of our new Tampa Bay media team. Just come to the America Coming Together (ACT) office at 3701 W. Cherry St. in Tampa (813-350-9007). Even if you can't come Friday, you can join us Thursday night.

Bush ran on a "W is for Women" pledge. Yet, his record is a long list of empty and broken promises to women, from doing nothing to lower health care costs, to cutting funding for women's health care programs and shelters for battered women, to cutting Violence Against Women programs.

Earlier this year, Bush outright cut $20 million in funding for the victims of sex trafficking. Now he is cynically trying to use this conference to try to boost his campaign.

President Bush has become adept at saying one thing and doing another. We have an opportunity to shine the spotlight on his poor record, but we need your help. Sign up here: http://www.moveonpac.org/fl/rsvp.html
We look forward to seeing you there.
Sincerely,
Adam Ruben, Field Director & David Edeli, Central Florida Representative for MoveOn PAC

FMA Defeated in Senate - Much work still to be done

According to the Associated Press, a cloture vote taken to keep the FMA alive was defeated 48-50, 12 votes short of the 60 votes needed.

“This is a wonderful step in the right direction, and people of faith and faith communities played a large role in the defeat of the amendment by letting our senators know that this is not an acceptable measure,” declared Karen Weldin, Soulforce Director of Operations. “However, we still have much work to do in guaranteeing full equality and ending spiritual violence perpetuated by religious policies and teachings against GLBT people.”

Conservative religious/political groups tried to rally supporters last week through Protect Marriage Sunday, and attempt to get pastors to urge their congregations to support the FMA and call their senators asking for support. Soulforce, in turn, urged those attending churches that participated in Protect Marriage Sunday to stand in silent nonviolent protest because Soulforce felt that using the pulpit to demean the loving relationships between two people was wrong.

Soulforce, as well as other progressive organizations, both faith-based and secular, have been encouraging supporters and members to ask their Senators to vote against the FMA which would codify discrimination into the US Constitution and violated religious liberty. Some senators, however, stated the opposition to the amendment on other grounds, including the rights of states to determine marriage laws.

“To have this come up just before the elections shows that the religious/political conservatives are playing politics with peoples’ lives and using GLBT people as political pawns. This is simply wrong,” stated Laura Montgomery Rutt, Director of Communications for Soulforce. “ Even though the FMA died in the Senate, we can not rest until we achieve full equality for GLBT couples and their families.”

www.soulforce.org is actively working to secure equal marriage rights for same-gender couples and end discrimination in religious institutions and civil society.

HOUSE COMMITTEE SHOULD REJECT EFFORT TO WEAKEN FEDERAL COURTS, SAYS AMERICANS UNITED Measure Would Undermine A Fair And Independent Judiciary, AU's Lynn Says

Congress should reject efforts to strip the federal courts of their ability to hear cases dealing with the definition of marriage, Americans United for Separation Church and State said today in a letter to a House committee.

The House Judiciary Committee is considering a proposal called the "Marriage Protection Act" (H.R.3313). The bill would strip the federal courts of jurisdiction over legal challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a federal law passed in 1996 that defines marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman.

DOMA also holds that states are not bound to recognize same-sex marriages that might be legally recognized in other states, which some legal scholars say puts the federal law in conflict with the Constitution's "Full Faith and Credit" clause. That clause says that states shall recognize other states' "public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings."

Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn said the bill is the latest effort by the Religious Right to force its social agenda onto the American people and deny them recourse to the courts.

"This bill seeks to deny some Americans access to the federal courts," Lynn said. "It's positively un-American. Every citizen has a right to his or her day in court. It's sad that the Religious Right is willing to shred the Constitution to ensure that marriage in America meets its standards."

Continued Lynn, "This proposal is an affront to the Constitution's mandate for a separation of powers, essentially giving Congress the final say on the Defense of Marriage Act. It would undermine our nation's confidence in fair and independent federal courts"

Lynn said the measure is clearly unconstitutional and urged Congress not to waste time debating it.

In his letter to the House committee, Lynn called for the proposal's defeat.

"The Marriage Protection Act is unconstitutional and represents an attack on our very system of government," Lynn wrote. "Americans United strongly urges you to leave the independence of the federal judiciary intact, respect separation of powers principles underlying our form of government, and reject this misguided bill."

Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

Oppose Stealthy Attempts to Promote Marriage Discrimination
from Matt Howes, National Internet Organizer, ACLU

Even as Senate Republicans appear to be failing in their efforts to write discrimination into the Constitution, leaders of the House of Representatives are gearing up to find alternative backdoor methods to block marriage equality.

House Republican Majority leader Tom DeLay is considering two proposals that take steps toward halting marriage equality. One proposal would block the District of Columbia from recognizing marriages of gay and lesbian couples married in other states. The other would deny the Supreme Court and all other federal courts of the ability to consider any challenges to the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act.

Both these attempts are crude attempts to force marriage discrimination. The House should reject any attempt to stop marriage equality.

Take Action! Urge your representative to oppose stealthy attempts at marriage discrimination.

Click here for more information and to send an email to your Representative.

Also, because time is short, you can also call your Representative through the Capitol Switchboard at 202 224 3121 or 1-800-839-5276. To look up their direct number Click Here.

P.S. As mentioned earlier, the Senate is likely to start votes on the Federal Marriage Amendment today! If you have not already done so, you can send a message to your Senator by clicking here. You can also use the numbers above to call your Senators.

Election Monitors to Prevent Another Stolen Election in 2004
Democrats.com News asks that you sign their petition

To: George W. Bush

We call on you to request expert election monitors to avoid an unprecedented electoral - and Constitutional - crisis over the Presidential election of November 2, 2004. Such a request was made by 13 Members of Congress on July 1, 2004.

We saw a preview of this crisis in 2000 in Florida. We believe the 2004 crisis will be worse because:

* Across the nation, error-prone punchcard machines have been replaced by touchscreen machines that have failed repeatedly in actual elections.
These machines lack paper trails, their source code is proprietary, and computer security experts believe these machines are hackable, so voters have no confidence their votes will be recorded and counted honestly. To compound voter fears, Diebold CEO Wally O'Dell vowed to "deliver" Ohio's crucial electoral votes to you

* The crimes committed by partisan Florida election officials in 2000 were never punished, which sent a clear signal to partisan officials that they could violate election laws with impunity

* As the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights documented in 2001, discrimination against minorities - mostly Democrats - in 2000 was widespread. More than half of the votes that went uncounted nationwide were cast by minorities. Most of these problems were never fixed, as the Commission documented in April 2004

* Most of the Florida non-felons whose voting rights were illegally revoked in 2000 have not regained their voting rights, and the 2004 "felon" purge was rigged to hurt Democrats by removing black "felons" and help Republicans by overlooking hispanic "felons." This revelation - following a lawsuit opposed by Florida - created a furor, but officials insist they will "find other ways" to purge "felons"

* Also in Florida, Republicans eliminated the witness requirement for absentee ballots, creating a major opportunity for fraud. Republicans are tricking new citizens into registering as Republicans by illegally pre- checking the "Republican" box

* In Missouri, the Republican Secretary of State is trying to stop mainly Democratic voters in St. Louis from voting early

* There may be many other illegal activities underway at the state and local level that have simply not been discovered because no one is looking for them

* Key officials in your administration seek the power to postpone (or
cancel) the 2004 election based on warnings of terrorist attacks, even though past warnings have been conspicuously politicized

* Pro-Republican bias in the corporate-owned media, especially at Fox News, has been widely documented, creating an uneven playing field for the campaign. This problem is compounded by the extremely limited coverage planned for the summer conventions

* All five Republican Supreme Court Justices who betrayed America by throwing out 175,000 uncounted votes in 2000 remain on the Court, so any dispute that ends up in the Supreme Court will lack legitimacy

The American people share our concerns. A poll in June 2004 found 44% of all voters - and 62% of Democrats - fear a Florida-style debacle in November.

We believe observers who are experts in administering honest, transparent, and fair elections are needed for the "battleground" states (Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin) that will decide the Presidency. We call on you to request such experts from the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and the Carter Center.

The petition is at http://democrats.com/monitors. It has a number of very interesting, clickable links. - George

BUSH MISLEADS ABOUT RACE RELATIONS
In 2000, Presidential candidate George W. Bush courageously chastised his own conservative colleagues saying "while some in my party have avoided the NAACP, and while some in the NAACP have avoided my party, I'm proud to be here...I believe we can find common ground." [SOURCE: Bush Speech, 7/10/2000] But after refusing to speak at yesterday's NAACP's annual convention, President Bush became the first President since Herbert Hoover not to attend an NAACP convention.[1]

According to NAACP President Kweisi Mfume, the NAACP "has reached out to Bush numerous times in hopes of meeting with him,"[2] but the President never responded to the NAACP. Instead, the President chose to mark key civil rights holidays with racially-insensitive announcements and behavior. For instance, last year, the President chose the Martin Luther King holiday to announce the Administration's stance against affirmative action.[3] This year, the President used the same holiday to unilaterally elevate Charles Pickering to the federal appellate bench[4] in the face of what Mfume noted was "Pickering's hostility to civil rights and leniency to cross burners."[5] This year he also used a visit to Martin Luther King's grave to force taxpayers to foot the travel costs for a $2,000-a-plate political fundraiser in Atlanta, Georgia.[6]

Sources:
1. "Bush says no to NAACP speech," NewsDay.com, 7/09/04.
2. "NAACP chairman calls for Bush's ouster," CNN.com, 7/13/04.
3. Presidential Remarks, WhiteHouse.gov, 1/15/03.
4. "Bush Gives Recess Appointment to Pickering," Fox News, 1/16/04.
5. "NAACP chairman calls for Bush's ouster," CNN.com, 7/13/04.
6. "Bush Exploits MLK's Grave For Political Fundraiser," Misleader.org, 1/15/04.

Visit www.misleader.org for more about Bush Administration distortions.

OUTFOXED: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism
"Outfoxed" examines how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a "race to the bottom" in television news. This film provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangers of ever-enlarging corporations taking control of the public's right to know.

The film explores Murdoch's burgeoning kingdom and the impact on society when a broad swath of media is controlled by one person.

Media experts, including Walter Cronkite, Jeff Cohen (FAIR) Bob McChesney (Free Press), Chellie Pingree (Common Cause), Jeff Chester (Center for Digital Democracy) and David Brock (Media Matters) provide context and guidance for the story of Fox News and its effect on society.

This documentary also reveals the secrets of Former Fox news producers, reporters, bookers and writers who expose what it's like to work for Fox News. These former Fox employees talk about how they were forced to push a "right-wing" point of view or risk their jobs. Some have even chosen to remain anonymous in order to protect their current livelihoods. As one employee said "There's no sense of integrity as far as having a line that can't be crossed."

Director/Producer Robert Greenwald has produced and/or directed 53 television movies, miniseries and features. He is the director of Uncovered and the Executive Producer of the UN series - Unprecedented, Uncovered and the soon to be released Unconstitutional.

Watch the trailer or buy the DVD at http://www.outfoxed.org/?520=

Slate Cartoon: Gay Marriage Debate
We're on YELLOW alert, terrorists are about to disrupt our elections, the deficit is bigger than ever, the world hates us, the states are broke -but what bothers me most is GAY MARRIAGE!
We have to look at GAY MARRIAGE right now! Click here

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Alert: Federal Marriage Amendment Senate Debate Started Today
Task Force friends: Over the coming days, the United States Senate is scheduled to debate the "Federal Marriage Amendment" that would, for the first time in history, amend the constitution of the United States to explicitly discriminate against a minority by forever prohibiting the recognition of same sex marriage (and, as it's now written, other forms of partner recognition as well).

With the Democratic minority holding firm to its pledge to kill the measure and a handful of the Senate's 51 Republicans expressing doubts about its need, even Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) has been forced to admit the votes aren't there to pass the amendment as written - and probably not enough to end debate and force a vote on the amendment itself. (Just over two weeks ago, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he thought a majority of Senators would end up voting against the amendment.)

The media have accurately diagnosed the real purpose behind this particularly ugly and wasteful charade: to try to put John Kerry and the Democratic Party on the spot right before the Democratic National Convention.

In desperation, the right wing has gone into hyperdrive, hoping to generate thousands of telephone calls to Senators today and over the weekend. As described in the article below, the head of Focus on the Family, James Dobson, is asking supporters to "call until the switchboard smokes."

We need to do the same to be sure there's no wavering on our side. So, please, take a couple of minutes and contact your U.S. Senator to tell them you strongly oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment. (In the article at http://www.TheTaskForce.org, you'll find the names of those Senators who are either undecided or have already stated opposition to this discriminatory amendment - let your Senator know your opposition no matter where they stand.)

Don't know the contact info for your two Senators? Log on to http://www.senate.gov to quickly find out. And then call. And remember, "Equality Begins at Home" so ask your friends and family to call as well.

More info on the struggle for marriage equality can be found in the Task Force Marriage Information Resource Center at http://www.TheTaskForce.org/marriagecenter.

Check It For Yourself!

On July 1, People For the American Way Foundation received from the Florida Division of Elections an electronic copy of a list of more than 47,000 registered Florida voters who the Division thinks may be ineligible to vote because of felony convictions. This list is now a public record available for inspection and copying by anyone as a result of the decision on July 1 by the Leon County Circuit Court in CNN v. Florida Department of State. The Supervisor of Elections in each Florida county has the list, and may use it as part of the basis to purge voters from the registration rolls. The state has admitted, however, that there may very well be errors on the list. For example, the Miami Herald reported on July 2 that there are more than 2100 voter names erroneously on the list because they have received clemency and their rights have been restored. Others erroneously on the list may well never have been convicted of a felony at all.

We have urged all county supervisors to independently verify the accuracy of the list. In addition, using this website, Florida voters can check for themselves to see if their names are wrongly included on the potential felon list and TAKE ACTION. Here’s what to do:

Want to find out if you are on this list? Click on the first letter of your last name below. Search the document that opens in the new window for your name; it will list all names with that letter and the county in which the state claims each is registered to vote.

Click Here for the list.

If you are on the list in error, contact your supervisor of elections. A list of Florida supervisors of elections is here. Or, call the Election Protection Voter Hotline for assistance at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)

Note: Even if a voter’s name does not appear on this list, it is still possible that a county supervisor may seek to remove the voter’s name as part of list maintenance activities for this or some other reason, for which we cannot be responsible. Any voter with questions or concerns about their registration status should contact their county supervisor.

To volunteer for Election Protection, click here.

SOMTHING TO THINK ABOUT AND TAKE ACTION:

The bright hope of Brown was to build a society without the racial caste system that had for so long determined destiny according to skin color. The progress toward that goal has been tremendous. Yet we are a good distance from the finish. More worrisomely, we may no longer be running the race. In this political season, amid deep divisions over war, the economy, and the slate of so-called social issues, politicians of both parties seem to be running away from race. Not very long ago, racial equality was central to the national agenda. But it has been supplanted by other concerns. Everyone pays lip service to the need to help the less fortunate, to rebuild our inner cities, to assure quality education, and so on. But the true measure of a political movement is the agenda for which it is willing to ask sacrifice, and racial equality rarely makes the list.

Yet, for the Christian, the lack of national interest in racial suffering should provide both inspiration and an opportunity. The sparkling world Brown hoped to build is yet within grasp. But we will have to build it as individuals, with the small decisions of everyday life, rather than through bigger and better government programs. The nation is full of fatherless children to mentor, collapsed families to support, crumbling schools to visit—and human hearts to touch
S

A Call to Prayer
From The Reverend Dr. Troy D. Perry
Office of the MCC Moderator

Dear Friend:

I am writing to encourage that prayers be offered on behalf of LGBT people across the state of Virginia (USA) on June 30, 2004, as they observe statewide "Stand Up For Equality" events and public actions

On July 1, 2004, a new Virginia state law -- House Bill 751 -- will go into effect. It is one of the most restrictive and repressive anti-gay laws to be enacted by any U.S. state in recent history.

The purpose of this new law is to prevent any LGBT couple in Virginia from receiving any of the protections or benefits afforded under the marriage laws. Legal scholars believe this new law may go so far as to prohibit civil unions, domestic partnership benefits and any contracts that duplicate the legal protections of marriage.

Medical directives, property arrangements, joint bank accounts, powers of attorney, and relationship agreements would all be open to legal challenge.

This new law is dangerous for yet another reason: It is already being considered as the model for legislation in other states.

On June 30th, in an unprecedented move, all five MCC congregations in Virginia will join hands to partner with more than 50 civil and human rights groups to hold rallies, public events and town hall meetings across the state. These events will draw public attention to the injustice of this new law and set the stage for a court challenge at the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and Equality Virginia.

Therefore, I encourage that:

-- Prayers be offered.... for all the public events, known as "Stand Up For Equality," to be held in Virginia on June 30.

-- Prayers be offered... for LGBT residents of Virginia who face a period of uncertainty and legal threat as this law goes into effect on July 1.

-- Prayers be offered... for the leaders and members of MCC of Northern Virginia (Fairfax), MCC Richmond (Richmond), MCC of the Blue Ridge (Roanoke), New Life MCC (Hampton Roads), and MCC Fredericksburg (Fredericksburg) as they participate in and host public events on June 30.

-- Prayers be offered... that the court challenge will eventually overturn this repressive anti-gay law on constitutional and civil rights grounds.

Let us continue in prayer until "justice rolls down as rivers of water, and righteousness as a mighty stream." (Amos 5:24)

/signed/
The Reverend Dr. Troy D. Perry
Office of the MCC Moderator

a personal note from Mo
Dear Friend,
The Federal Marriage Amendment is expected to come to a vote in the US Senate in early July. We must let our Senators know that we do NOT want discrimination written into the constitution! Even if you've already spoken out on this issue before, our Senators need to hear from us often and loudly during the next few weeks! Please, join me in sending a personalized letter from the Human Rights Campaign Action Center at http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/campaign/senate_oppose_fma?rk=t1zJUo41Bjl2W

SOULFORCE REPORT ON SOUTHERN BAPTIST ACTION IN INDIANA - ANTI-GAY RHETORIC CONTINUES

(Indianapolis) - For the 5th year in a row, Soulforce volunteers stood vigil outside the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting to confront the untruths perpetuated by Southern Baptist resolutions and teachings against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. The annual meeting, which took place in Indianapolis, attracted about 80 Soulforce volunteers, who gathered in Indy to try to help change the hearts and minds of the Southern Baptists and empower GLBT people to stand up against their own oppression.

For three days, in the heat and the rain, Southern Baptist messengers encountered Soulforce volunteers at the street corners and sidewalks, handing out literature and booklets, singing songs, and talking about the spiritual violence wrought by Southern Baptist rhetoric and policies.

Southern Baptist Convention passed resolutions supporting the anti-gay Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA), which is intended to write discrimination into the U.S. Constitution against GLBT couples and their children by defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Earlier in the day, President Bush spoke by satellite praising Southern Baptists for their conservative views, and urging them to support the FMA.

In addition, the Southern Baptist Convention pulled out of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) because the SBC felt the BWA was increasingly anti-American and too tolerant of liberal theology, by accepting the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship as a member in 2003.

On the final evening, Rev. Steve Gaines, pastor of First Baptist Church in Gardendale, Ala., railed against homosexuality, by saying, "God characterized homosexuality as an abomination in Leviticus 18, and He sandwiched it right between adultery, child sacrifice and having sex with an animal." He urged Southern Baptists to contact their congresspeople to lobby for approval of the Federal Marriage Amendment.

“The SBC continues to be a primary source of spiritual violence against us. It saddens and sickens me that they are so full of fear and condemnation. I know God loves gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people just the way we are, and some day, full equality will happen, and the church will have to apologize to us,” said Karen Weldin, former Southern Baptist, graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University, and Director of Operations for Soulforce. “We will be in Nashville in 2005 for the next SBC annual meeting to continue our relentless confrontation of the shameful untruths.

“Our hope in changing the SBC lies with the youth,” said Jamie McDaniel, co-chair of the Soulforce Southern Baptist Denominational Team. Soulforce volunteers distributed a 48 page study guide geared toward Southern Baptist youth, entitled: Christian Youth – an Important Voice in the Present Struggle for Gay Rights in America. The guide was written by Soulforce youth and young adults and is available at www.soulforce.org/youth/youthstudyguide.pdf
Pictures taken at the action can be viewed at www.soulforce.org

Soulforce is a national interfaith organization committed to ending spiritual violence perpetuated by religious policies and teachings against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Soulforce teaches and employs the nonviolent principles of Gandhi and King to the liberation of sexual and gender minorities. For more information, see www.soulforce.org

Remembering Reagan - June 2004

Reagan Roundup: Perspectives you may have missed
from Sojourners: Christians for Justice & Peace
Ronald Reagan: Still the Teflon President?
by Joe Strupp on AlterNet
"Maybe it's to be expected that the press, when covering a leader's death, will take a kinder, gentler approach. But in the interests of fair, accurate journalism - something that has become a leading issue in the media today - no former leader should be above a frank, complete, and balanced assessment." + Click to read more
Reagan, Race and Rememberance: Reflections on the American Divide
by Tim Wise on The Black Commentator
"Delusion is both the fuel that propels people like Ronald Reagan forward in political life, and then makes a rational assessment of his legacy impossible upon his death.... Reagan has been released from the lie, finally, and may his soul find peace among the millions of dearly departed victims of his policies around the world. Meanwhile, the rest of us must pull back the curtain on all phony heroes, Reagan among them, lest we create many millions more." + Click to read more
66 (Unflattering) Things About Ronald Reagan
by David Corn, on AlterNet
This list originally appeared in The Nation on March 2, 1998, after the renaming of Washington National Airport after Ronald Reagan, but, according to the author, remains relevant today as "a cheat sheet for those who dare to point out the Reagan presidency was not all that glorious." + Click to read more
The Reagan Legacy
by Dean Baker, Center for Economic and Policy Research
A list of articles followed by commentary evaluating the economic legacy of the Reagan years, which includes increasing inequality and decreasing real hourly wages for the typical worker. + Click to read more

Remember the Blood of Heroes...
If you haven't yet had enough of emotional 9-11 sites.

It’s Time to Turn Out Our Vote!
Help Mobilize Our Community Like Never Before This Election Year.

Equality Florida needs volunteers during Gay Days in Orlando from Thursday, June 3 to Sunday, June 6, 2004!

With your help, we expect to identify thousands of GLBT voters over the weekend. Plus, the promoter of the Girls in Wonderland events is graciously offering to let our volunteers attend a party for free. That’s right, free!

We will be holding trainings and staffing events every day, Thursday, June 3 – Sunday June 6. Please call right away and reserve your seat at one of our sessions!

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Vonn New at 813-870-3735 x214 or by e-mail at vonn@eqfl.org . Be sure to include your phone number, e-mail address, and the dates and times you will be available.

FMI on Gay Day, Gay Days and Girls in Wonderland, please visit:
www.gaydays.com
www.gayday.com
www.girlsinwonderland.com

Floridians Still Fight for Marriage Equality on Historic Day Massachusetts becomes first state in nation to eliminate marriage discrimination
from Brian Winfield, Equality Florida

(Tampa) Today, Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to end discriminatory laws banning marriage for same-sex couples. While couples, including many Floridians, have been married in municipalities in New York New Mexico, Oregon and California, those marriages were not performed under the authority of the state government.

Equality Florida congratulates all of the loving couples who have obtained their marriage licenses today. "This is a real victory that represents a leap forward in valuing all families," said Nadine Smith, Executive Director of Equality Florida. "By allowing these couples to legally marry, Massachusetts leads the nation in fighting discrimination. They have charted a course we expect Florida will one day follow."

Equality Florida has launched a campaign to challenge Florida’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples. In addition to lobbying the legislature and an on-going public education campaign, Equality Florida has been gathering petition signatures online from Floridians who support the repeal of the state’s anti-gay statute banning the recognition of same-sex marriage.

The Florida legislature in 1997 passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that defines marriage between a man and a woman and expressly prohibits recognition of same-sex marriage performed in other states. As a result, same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts would not immediately be recognized under Florida law.

Equality Florida is attempting to repeal this discriminatory law and has nearly 2000 supporters who have signed the Web-based petition to date at www.eqfl.org. Many have included personal stories describing the discrimination they experience because the law fails to recognize and protect their families.

”I was totally disabled while on the job March 12 2000. All my medical insurance was stopped. I now have to fight for Social Security to receive a quarter of what I made. My significant other has to struggle to pay all the household bills, my medical bills, medication bills, treatment bills, etc. If we were able to marry I would be on his insurance and the bills would be at least 75% less.” – Petition Signer.

In November, a 4-3 ruling by the Supreme Judicial Court said that same-sex couples would be given the right to wed under the Massachusetts Constitution. Despite protests from opponents of the legislation, the U.S. Supreme Court decided on Friday not to intervene to prevent gay marriage, allowing the state of Massachusetts to open its doors to same-sex couples to apply for a marriage license.

Also today, President Bush issued a statement reiterating his support for a discriminatory amendment to the US Constitutional; an amendment that has drawn widespread condemnation, even from the most conservative quarters.

Be assured, I take full responsibility for this column
By Bill McClellan
Of the Post-Dispatch
05/10/2004

Good morning. I want to first say that it is a thrill and an honor to deliver the commencement address to you, the class of ... What class are you? Pardon me? Oh, yes, the class of 2004. That's right. Well, again, let me say good morning.

Uh, uh, have I said it's an honor to be here? Well, uh, good. If I seem to be stumbling around, there's a reason. To be honest with you, I completely forgot I was supposed to be here this morning until just a few minutes ago, and, uh, what I'm trying to say is this: I did not prepare any remarks. You are not going to have a commencement address. But, and this is important, I take full responsibility for that.

What does that mean, you might well ask, when a person takes full responsibility for something?

That depends on where you are, what culture you are in. Be very careful, for instance, of ever taking responsibility for something in Japan. They are serious about this over there. Did you know that if an executive in Japan says he is taking responsibility for something that went wrong, he is really saying that he is going to quit?

Fortunately, we're not quite so literal-minded in this country. For instance, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld went before Congress just last week to testify about the allegations of abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. Many people have been demanding that Rumsfeld resign. He marched into that congressional hearing and said, "In recent days there has been a good deal of discussion about who bears responsibility for the terrible activities that took place at Abu Ghraib. These events occurred on my watch. As secretary of defense, I am accountable for them and I take full responsibility."

Full responsibility! He took full responsibility. What, exactly, did that mean?

Did it mean that he was going to resign? Of course not. This isn't Japan. Did he mean that if anybody ought to be prosecuted, it should be him? Of course not. In fact, he pretty much assured us that the National Guardsmen who served at the prison would be prosecuted to the fullest extent.

And why shouldn't they be? They have not accepted full responsibility!

Now, it is true - and neither Rumsfeld nor I can deny it - that these guardsmen were not trained in prison work. It may even be true that they were told to "soften the prisoners up." In other words, they may have been following orders while doing a job they were unprepared to do. All we know for sure is that they were sent to Iraq by an administration that assured us that our troops would be greeted as liberators. This whole adventure would be over in a matter of weeks. Why it was just a year ago that President Bush himself put on a flight suit and strutted around on the deck of that aircraft carrier with the big "Mission Accomplished" sign in the background.

Oh, those were good days, weren't they? Anybody who questioned this whole thing was shouted down. Why was anybody complaining? We were going to be greeted as liberators, and Iraqi oil would pay for the whole thing.

Well, OK, it didn't quite work out that way. A good number of the people were hostile, and we ended up with prisoners, and that meant we needed prison guards. Who'd have expected that? And yes, there were abuses, and now Rumsfeld, at the very top of the chain of command, takes full responsibility, which means that the people at the very bottom of the chain will be prosecuted.

By the way, Rumsfeld has also suggested that prisoners who were abused receive compensation. The good news is people like me and Rumsfeld won't have to pick up the check. You see, this war has turned out to be expensive - forget that stuff about Iraqi oil paying for everything - and it might be politically risky to ask the voters to pay for it, so the administration is putting it on the old credit card. That's right. Someday you young people will have to pay for it. After all, deficit spending doesn't make the bills go away, it just defers them.

But don't be angry at us for putting this on your backs. We take full responsibility.

E-mail: bmcclellan@post-dispatch.com
Phone: 314-340-8143

Disney's Craven Behavior
May 6, 2004 – Editorial, New York Times

Give the Walt Disney Company a gold medal for cowardice for blocking its Miramax division from distributing a film that criticizes President Bush and his family. A company that ought to be championing free expression has instead chosen to censor a documentary that clearly falls within the bounds of acceptable political commentary.

The documentary was prepared by Michael Moore, a controversial filmmaker who likes to skewer the rich and powerful. As described by Jim Rutenberg yesterday in The Times, the film, "Fahrenheit 9/11," links the Bush family with prominent Saudis, including the family of Osama bin Laden. It describes financial ties that go back three decades and explores the role of the government in evacuating relatives of Mr. bin Laden from the United States shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The film was financed by Miramax and was expected to be released this summer.

Mr. Moore's agent said that Michael Eisner, Disney's chief executive, had expressed concern that the film might jeopardize tax breaks granted to Disney for its theme park, hotels and other ventures in Florida, where Jeb Bush is governor. If that is the reason for Disney's move, it would underscore the dangers of allowing huge conglomerates to gobble up diverse media companies.

On the other hand, a senior Disney executive says the real reason is that Disney caters to families of all political stripes and that many of them might be alienated by the film. Those families, of course, would not have to watch the documentary.

It is hard to say which rationale for blocking distribution is more depressing. But it is clear that Disney loves its bottom line more than the freedom of political discourse.