Mn-prog-events Mailing List: Progressive Calendar 09.30.06

[David Shove (shove001]

            P R O G R E S S I V E   C A L E N D A R    09.30.06

1. Pax Christi        9.30 8:30am Rochester MN
2. Merchants of death 9.30 9:45am
3. Farheen campaign   9.30 10am
4. Risser campaign    9.30 10am
5. Colombia           9.30 10am
6. Vs KFC demo        9.30 12noon
7. Impeach/yard sale  9.30 12noon
8. Anti-stadium       9.30 12:15pm
9. Northtown vigil    9.30 1pm
10. 9/11/press/truth  9.30 1:30pm
11. WILPF potluck     9.30 6pm
12. ATK reunion       9.30 7pm

13. Kristen Olson     - Dave Berger lawn signs
14. Kristen Olson     - Jay Pond needs lawn signs, and literature!
15. Papa John Kolstad - Papa John Speech at 62 District/Very Green
16. David Schultz     - New report/money in 1998 2002 2006 MN elections
17. Todd Chretien  - Howie Hawkins/Debating the future of the Green Party
18. Todd Chretien  - Will Democrats ever fight for what's right?
19. Anne Onnymoose - Butch the rooster

--------1 of 19--------

From: Florence Steichen <steichenfm [at] usfamily.net>
Subject: Pax Christi 9.30 8:30am Rochester MN

Pax Christi MN assembly, Saturday, September 30, 8:30-3:00, Pax Christi
Catholic Church, 4135 ­ 18th Av. NW, Rochester, MN
Edina Gateley will give 2 talks on Rooted in God: Becoming a Just and Holy
People in a World of Violence and War + workshops

Registration includes includes lunch and Friday evening talk: $30 by Sept.
15; $35 after Sept. 15

For info or a brochure: Florence Steichen:  steichenfm [at] usfamily.net,
phone:  651-696-1642


--------2 of 19--------

From: Carol Masters <cmasters [at] bitstream.net>
Subject: Merchants of death 9.30 9:45am

All Conference activities will be held at:
University of St. Thomas [UST] Summit Avenue & Cleveland St. Paul, MN

The Concert will held be at:
College of St. Catherine [St. Kate¡¦s] 2004 Randolph St. St. Paul, MN

Saturday, September 30:  St. Thomas O'Shaughnessy Education Center, UST

8:15-9:30 am:  Registration for Conference
9:45-11:15 am:  Panel on Case Studies (Joanne Sheehan facilitates)
11:15am-12:15 pm:  document history of war profiteering and resistance
12:15-1:15 pm:  Lunch (Interest Group facilitators meet with Organizers)
1:15-1:30 pm:  Musical Interlude
1:30-2:45 pm:  Mutual Mentorship
3:15-5pm:  Interest Groups Session I

Basic strategy questions:

What are the short, intermediate and long term goals of your group?  What
do you need to reach those goals?  How does your group's work relate to
the movement overall? What resources can you provide to others?

Saturday, September 30:  Murray-Herrick Hall, Room #304 UST
7-11pm:  Honeywell Project/AlliantACTION Reunion, Storytelling and Party

Sunday, October 1: Murray-Herrick Hall, Room #304 UST
9:30-11:30am:  Interest Groups Session II
1-1:15 pm:  Musical Interlude
1:15-2:30pm:  Plenary: Sharing strategic questions, building on time line,
             bringing insights together.
2:45-3:15pm:  Reflection on Mutual Mentoring
3:15-5:30pm:  FINAL SESSION: WEAVING THE WEB ¡V NEXT STEPS
6:30-10pm:  The O'Shaughnessy at the College of St Catherine CONCERT &
RALLY with prince myshkins, special guests

Monday, October 2: Alliant Tech, Edina, MN
7am WEAVING THE WEB: A Nonviolent Action organized by AlliantACTION
                Transport provided. Bring a banner naming your group!

--
From: bbarnet [at] infionline.net

In celebration of the 137th birthday of Mohandas Gandhi, dozens of U.S.
and international peace activists will commit civil disobedience October
2nd at the Edina, MN headquarters of Alliant Techsystems (ATK), one of the
leading suppliers to the military of depleted uranium (DU) munitions,
cluster bombs and landmines. ATK also profits from the expanding U.S.
nuclear and space militarization programs. The nonviolent action will cap
a weekend conference on war profiteering.

The "Stop the Merchants of Death" conference is co-sponsored by the War
Resisters League (WRL), The Women's International League for Peace and
Freedom, and by local Minneapolis-St. Paul activist groups headed by
AlliantACTION, which has for the past 10 years been opposing ATK's war
profiteering. "One by one, we've seen the rationalizations for the 'War on
Terror' pass away," said conference organizer G. Simon Harak, speaking
from the WRL national office in New York City. "First it was weapons of
mass destruction that weren't there. Then it was to free the Iraqis from
oppression and now we see torture camps and tens of thousands of deaths
and maimings. Then it was democracy. Now we're looking at civil war. The
one thing that hasn't changed is, the war profiteers are literally making
money like bandits on this war."

The conference attendees are mostly veterans of extended nonviolent
campaigns against various war profiteers. In plenaries and small groups,
they will share successful strategies, learn from unsuccessful efforts,
and begin to coordinate a national campaign. Prominent among local
Minneapolis-St. Paul activists will be Marv Davidov, from the successful
Honeywell Project, which compelled Honeywell to divest itself of its
weapons production facilities. "What has changed in the last 20 years,"
observes Davidov, "is the immense influence these corporations now have on
the US government's decisions to go to war in the first place. Instead of
saying 'They make profit from war,' as we used to, it's more accurate now
to say that they actually make war for profit."

On Sunday night, in preparation for the October 2 action, the conference
will host a rally and concert with various speakers and performers like
the Prince Myshkins, who wrote the song :Mimi LaValley and 100 Nuns". The
lyrics tell of LaValley"s arrest during the annual SOA Watch protest
against the U.S. teaching terrorism to South and Central American security
forces at Fort Benning in Georgia.

LaValley herself is one of the youth organizers of the conference.  "It's
the students and youth who are going to be fighting this 'eternal war,'"
says LaValley, "and suffering its consequences unless we join together
right now to take the profit out of warmaking."

For additional information contact G. Simon Harak at the WRL,
212-228-0450, amc [at] warresisters.org; or Marv Davidov in Minneapolis at
(612) 874-7715. Details on the conference can be found at
www.warresisters.org/SMoD.


--------3 of 19--------

From: farheen [at] farheenhakeem.org
Subject: Farheen campaign 9.30 10am

Now that the primary break is over, it's time to get back to work. Here
are some volunteer events that I need help with.  Feel free to show up or
contact DJ at djstrohl [at] yahoo.com. Thanks All! -Farheen

Doorknocking times:

    * Every weekday we will be meeting at Midtown Global Market at 7PM
2929 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, 55407 (near HolyLand Resteraunt) and go
doorknocking from there.

    * Saturday September 30th 10AM Nokomis Cafe 5155 Bloomington Ave,
Mpls, MN 55417
    * Saturday September 30th 1PM Nokomis Cafe (same address as above)
* Sunday October 1st 10AM Nokomis Cafe (same address as above)
* Sunday October 1st 1PM Nokomis Cafe (same address as above)

    * Saturday October 7th 10AM Hiawatha's Joe 4135 Hiawatha Ave. Mpls, MN
55406
* Saturday October 7th 1PM Hiawatha's Joe (same address as above)
* Sunday October 8th 10AM Hiawatha's Joe (same address as above)
* Sunday October 8th 1PM Hiawatha's Joe (same address as above)

* Saturday October 14th 10AM Blue Moon 3822 E Lake St Mpls, MN 55406
* Saturday October 14th 1PM Blue Moon (same address as above)
* Sunday October 15th 10AM Blue Moon (same address as above)
* Sunday October 15th 1PM Blue Moon (same address as above)

* Saturday October 21st 10AM Wilde Roast 518 Hennepin Ave. E. Mpls, MN
55414
* Saturday October 21st 1PM Wilde Roast (same address as above)
* Sunday October 22nd 10AM Wilde Roast (same address as above)
* Sunday October 22nd 1PM Wilde Roast (same address as above)

* Saturday October 28th 10AM Wolves Den Cafe 1201 Franklin Ave E Mpls,
MN 55404
* Saturday October 28th 1PM Wolves Den Cafe (same address as above)
* Sunday October 29th 10AM Wolves Den Cafe (same address as above)
* Sunday October 29th 1PM Wolves Den Cafe (same address as above)


--------4 of 19--------

From: Julie Risser <julie.risser [at] visi.com>
Subject: Risser campaign 9.30 10am

Things are rolling! And Saturdays are our time to really get out the lit.
From 10:00-2:00 we will have a volunteer holding down the fort at 6112
Ashcroft Avenue [Julie's house] in Edina. This Saturday we will target one
precinct in Edina and one in West Bloomington. Feel free to tie in at any
time during the 10:00-2:00 period. We need your help if we are to unseat
the incumbent Senator Michel. all 952-738-2308 for more information


--------5 of 19-------

From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com>
Subject: Colombia 9.30 10am

Saturday, 9/30, 10 to 11:30 am, Resource Center of the Americas
coffeehour,"Colombia: the Hidden War" with Meredith Aby, Jon Plotz, Katrina
Plotz and Erika Zurawski,  3019 Minnehaha, Mpls.  www.americas.org


--------6 of 19--------

From: Colleen <cmeyer [at] glassartdesign.com>
From: elizabeth corkins [mailto:ddr_girl_05 [at] yahoo.com]
Subject: Vs KFC demo 9.30 12noon

September 30th, Saturday
 12noon-1pm
 KFC: 1301 Broadway Ave
 Minneapolis, Minnesota

FOR MORE INFO ON THIS DEMO CONTACT:  ELIZ @ ddr_girl_05 [at] yahoo.com


--------7 of 19--------

From: Angela Trnka <evolution823 [at] hotmail.com>
From: Impeach For Peace <minneapolis [at] impeachforpeace.org>
Subject: Impeach/yard sale 9.30 12noon

YARD SALE TO BENEFIT IMPEACH FOR PEACE THIS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH
Noon-5pm (no early birds please)
BUY, DONATE, VOLUNTEER!
Location: 4617  17th Ave. S., Minneapolis

Easy way to donate!!! If you have things to donate to the Yard Sale
Benefit this Saturday, give me a call at (612) 302-9252 and we can make
arrangements to get the things to my house. I've already gotten a bunch of
stuff ready to go and some very nice volunteers to help out.

100% of proceeds benefit impeachment efforts through ImpeachforPeace.org

Organizer - Minneapolis Chapter of World Can't Wait
        www.worldcantwait.org
Co-founder: Impeach for Peace
        www.impeachforpeace.org
(612) - 302-9252
MASS MOBILIZATION MINNEAPOLIS - October 5th, 2006
11:30 a.m. Protest of Accountability at the Federal Building
1  p.m. Justice March - Hennepin Ave.
3-7 p.m. Musical Celebration for Peace and Justice


--------8 of 19--------

From: "theccarl" <theccarl [at] yahoo.com>
Subject: Anti-stadium 9.30 12:15pm

Saturday, Sept. 30, Waite Park Fall Festival, 1810 34th Ave. NE, Mpls., 11
a.m.-2 p.m.

Open Mike Soapbox runs only from 12:30-1:30 p.m. This is where I hope
either someone from CAST, CCARL, Greg Gray's campaign, or any individual
who thinks the stadium tax was a boondoggle will stand up and talk. You
get 5 minutes for a $1 donation; if you are seeking public office or
representing a political candidate, it's a $10 donation. Sign-up begins at
12:15, and it's first come, first served during that one-hour time
alotment. Tables are also available for $10. The announcement says these
are available "for political candidates, ballot issues and elected
officials. This donation also covers the soapbox fee."

All funds collected are a donation to the Waite Park Community Council,
the official neighborhood organization for this part of Mpls.

I am sure Stenglein won't miss this event as a chance to mingle with the
folks during an election season. He lives nearby, and he, his Met Council
member wife and kids were at the Ukrainian Festival here a weekend or two
ago with campaign T-shirts on, etc.

I am not certain this will attract a huge crowd, but you never know. The
event also includes the usual kids activities, cheap food, silent auction,
water quality demo, Eric the Bike Man seminar, live music, kiddie games,
etc.

The location is in the park of Waite Park (or inside the school, if bad
weather). If you were coming up 35 W, for example, or coming across the
Camden Bridge via St. Anthony Parkway, just go straight north on Johnson
Street until you hit the stoplights at 33rd Ave. NE (Johnson Street Market
is on left). Turn right, go a few yards to the next block and turn left
(park will be right in front of you) and drive north to the parking areas
near the school/park building (it's all one building). Phone number for
the Waite Park Community Council (voicemail) is 789-5104.


--------9 of 19--------

From: Lennie <major18 [at] comcast.net>
Subject: Northtown vigil 9.30 1pm

The Mounds View peace vigil group has changed its weekly time and place.
We will now be peace vigiling EVERY SATURDAY from 1-2pm at the at the
southeast corner of the intersection of Co. Hwy 10 and University Ave NE
in Blaine, which is the northwest most corner of the Northtown Mall area.
This is a MUCH better location.

We'll have extra signs.  Communities situated near the Northtown Mall
include: Blaine, Mounds View, New Brighton, Roseville, Shoreview, Arden
Hills, Spring Lake Park, Fridley, and Coon Rapids.

For further information, email major18 [at] comcast.net or call Lennie at
763-717-9168


--------10 of 19--------

From: altera vista <alteravista [at] earthlink.net>
Subject: 9/11/press/truth 9.30 1:30pm

DO YOU BELIEVE THE GOVERNMENT¹S EXPLANATION FOR 9/11?
[ie are you a total idiot? -ed]

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE GOVERNMENT-APPOINTED 9/11 COMMISSION REFUSED TO
ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS OF VICTIMS¹ FAMILIES OR TO CONSIDER EVIDENCE POINTING
TOWARD GOVERNMENT COMPLICITY?

Come see a FREE MOVIE
9-11: PRESS FOR TRUTH

This 86-minute documentary chronicles the fight for truth and
accountability by families of 9/11 victims against the deception and
stonewalling of the Bush administration, the failure of the 9/11
Commission to address their questions, and the refusal of the mainstream
media to report their struggle to gain answers.

Saturday, September 30, 1:30 pm, Roseville Library, 2180 Hamline Ave. No.,
Roseville

Saturday, October 7, 2:30 pm, Merriam Park Library, 1831 Marshall Ave.
(corner of Fairview), St. Paul

Saturday, October 14, 1:30 pm, Resource Center of the Americas, 3019
Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis (RSVP for this showing only:
stoves [at] bitstream.net )

Presented by MN911 (FFI 651-633-4410)
Organized by: MN911 and the MN 9/11 Questions Meetup Group.
FFI: http://9-11.meetup.com/253/


--------11 of 19--------

From: Doris G. Marquit <marqu001 [at] umn.edu>
Subject: WILPF potluck 9.30 6pm

PRESS RELEASE from
Women's Int'l League for Peace & Freedom-
Minnesota Metro Branch
P.O. Box 14752, Mpls. MN 55414
Contact: marqu001 [at] umn.edu

Social Evening for Disarmament-a local launch of international Keep Space
for Peace Week, an annual week of protest to stop the militarization of
space. Saturday, Sept. 30, 6-9 pm, Potluck Supper at 1920 S. First St., U.
of M. West Bank (Hosted by Sally Flax, 612-333-8924, party room in high
rise just north of Univ. Law School, below 10th St. bridge).

All WILPF members and others concerned about the militarization of U.S.
society are invited to meet leaders of the WILPF national issue committee
DISARM: Dismantling the War Economy (www.disarm.wilpf.org). This campaign
exposes the connection between the U.S. military and corporations. Ellen
Barfield (Baltimore Branch), MacGregor Eddy (Monterey County Branch), and
Carol Reilly Urner (Portland and Los Angeles Branches), in town to give
workshops at the three-day conference, "Stop the Merchants of Death," will
brief us on the DISARM Campaign.

Specially invited are those attending the Stop the Merchants of Death
Conference at the College of St. Catherine.

Disarmament and abolition of war itself has been a major goal of WILPF
since its inception 91 years ago. DISARM currently continues to emphasize
the WILPF EYE on Congress e-mail alert, the MIl-Corp ConneXion Study
Guide, and ABOLITION (of nuclear weapons, all weapons and war itself). For
the next four years, WILPF is adding an emphasis on making the U.S. Budget
compatible with the goals of the U.S. disarmament and human rights
treaties.

Ffi: 651-458-7090 or www.wilpfmn.org


--------12 of 19--------

From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com>
Subject: ATK reunion 9.30 7pm

Saturday, 9/30, 7pm, reunion of Honeywell or ATK alums, 304 Murray Herrick,
St Thomas Univ, St Paul.  $5.  (Part of national conference "Stop the
Merchants of Death."  www.warresisters.org)


--------13 of 19--------

From: Kristen Olson Krisrose02 [at] aol.com
Subject: Dave Berger Lawn Signs

Hi Wonderful Greens around the state,

Dave Berger has many (hundreds) of lawn signs available for display in
your yard, or high traffic apartment window!

One way to help achieve our electoral goals as a party, and to help Dave
in his campaign for Minnesota State Auditor, is to increase our visibility
by displaying the signs!  It's easy, and free.  Let's get them out there.

If you can host a Dave Berger for MN State Auditor sign, please contact
the campaign:  612-338-3630

We have some available for pick up in the GPMN office as well!  Call for
hours.  651-210-0789

Same number for inquiries about all of the candidates' lawns signs.

If you live outside the metro, or too far to pick one up, we can arrange
delivery.

peace, Kristen Olson Roseville


--------14 of 19--------

From: Kristen Olson Krisrose02 [at] aol.com
Subject: Jay Pond needs Lawn Signs, and Literature!

Hi again, Minnesota Greens!

As the campaign for US House in the 5th CD heats up, the Jay Pond for US
Representative campaign needs to print some lawn signs and literature!

We need 100 people to donate $10, or 50 people to donate $20, to get out
the message, and the vote!  Jay's work in the 5th CD has made a
significant difference in the political debate in the 5th CD, and serious
positive contributions to the political climate.  Please donate what you
can to support his tireless work on behalf of the Green electorate in the
5th CD, Minnesota, and the US!

Contribute here:  _http://jaypond.org/donate_ (http://jaypond.org/donate)
Donate what you can.  Every amount is significant!

Also, please consider donating some time with Jay door knocking!  His
campaign is out every Tuesday and Thursday evening meeting residents of
the 5th CD.

Contact: _volunteer [at] jaypond.org_ (mailto:volunteer [at] jaypond.org)

peace, and much thanks, Kristen Olson Roseville GPMN CCC staff


--------15 of 19--------

From: John Kolstad <jkolstad [at] millcitymusic.com>
Subject: Papa John Speech at 62 District/Very Green

I just reviewed my speech at the 62 district convention March 2000.

Upon reading it I sound like a Green Party Member then.  I think this
sounds rather statesman like if I do say so Myself!  The failure of the
DFL to correct the problems discussed here is the reason I left the Party.

I am also sending this to those who have asked for more info about who
I am and what I have done. John Kolstad

--
March12, 2000
SD 62 District Convention

My name is John Kolstad and I am here to ask for your endorsement for the
62nd District Senate Seat.  I wish to welcome you to this convention and
thank you all for being here.  This Convention is really the only true
Forum in the District where Issues can be Discussed.  I wish to thank all
of those who have worked so hard to make this possible, especially
District Chair Bill Johnson.

I am well known to many of you from my years of Civic, Community,
Business, and Political activity.  I am one of Three BBWGs here today
(That stands for Bearded Balding Whites Guys)

There are a number of serious concerns that compel me to seek this office.

In recent months we have seen the devastation of the trees and environment
around Minnehaha Park. Not only has our natural heritage been damaged, but
police brutality, verging on torture has been visited upon peaceful
protesters time and again, while our elected public officials have looked
the other way. It has troubled me, as it has so many others, that we are
experiencing the failure of the three pillars of democracy - the elected
officials, the media, and the courts - to protect the public interest.
[We have a failure of our Elected and Public Officials, a failure of the
Press (now called the media), and a failure of the judiciary to truly
fulfill their function as proposed by the original founders of this nation
to provide checks and balances against tyranny and abuse of power] With
these failures, too many people drop out of the party and of politics
altogether.

As we go into the new millenium, the extremes of wealth and poverty are
more pronunced than ever. The economy is said to be doing well, but
ordinary working people are struggling and basic needs, such as decent
affordable housing and health care are going seriously unmet. Health care
costs continue to spiral out of control - my business just got a 16%
percent increase and last year it was twelve percent. How long can this go
on?

Airport noise and the pollution associated with the airport's operation
continues to be a plague on our community. Where is the transportation
policy that guides us to a more livable community and a more sustainable
future? What is missing is the political will to make our future
sustainable. The problem is not technological; clean, renewable energy can
be developed now, yet we cling to polluting and dangerous technologies -
coal and nuclear power - because that is the preference of the public
utilities and the energy corporations.

What would I offer as a voice for this district? Not only an awareness of
these issues, but the independance, the integrity, to seek the necessary
changes and to stand up for the public interest.  Are we leaving for our
children and grandchildren the natural heritage that we inherited, or are
we squandering it? Are our basic liberties being eroded?

I'm deeply invested in this community. I have served as a Director in this
Senate Disrtict and have been a delegate to this district and to the DFL
state convention many times. In 1992 I was the State Coordinator for Larry
Agran, a progressive reformer running for president and served as his
Floor Manager at the National Democratic Convention.

I have served on the Board of the DFL Green Caucus since it was founded in
1994 and have received its endorsement for this senate seat.

Many people have known me as Papa John Kolstad, the folk and blues
musician, recording artist and entertainer.  Today I am also President of
Mill City Music, a company that I have grown from the basement of our home
to distributing its products nationally from its location on east Lake
Street. I serve on the MCDA Micro Loan Committee, a program that lends
money to small businesses, primarily those owned by women and minorities.

As a business person, I believe that adequate, affordable health care
coverage just makes sense. I strongly support a comprehensive, Universal
Healthcare plan, with patient Choice of Doctor and Hospital. This concept
is sometimes referred to as Single Payer. I support the pending
legislation which would establish single payer in Minnesota.  It is worth
noting that when Canada adopted its single payer plan, employment went up
2%, and profits increased.  We should follow Canada's lead.

I am in the mainstream of what the party stands for. We have a serious
lack of affordable housing in our area. We must work hard at all levels of
government to address this problem and to make housing a priority.

Campaign Finance Reform is a key part of the agenda without which all
other reforms may be hard to achieve.  Economic justice, means, to me,
raising the minimum wages, supporting the rights of working people,
including job safety, encouraging small business and minority business
development and ending corporate welfare.  Human Rights, to me, involves
stopping police abuse and violence, as well as such things as ending
discrimination based on race, gender, sexual preference or disability. I
support equal rights for domestic partners.

Education will become more successful when our children become more of a
priority. Surely, schools need to be adequately funded. But we also need
to address the needs of the whole child and the family. Children and
families need affordable housing, adequate nutrition, and freedom from
lead poisoning and other pollutants, including airport noise. We cannot
expect schools to make up for the "gap" created when minority chidren are
exposed to higher lead levels, inferior housing and to have unstable
family lives.

A fiscally and environmentally responsible mass transit system is part of
making society work for all people. We must get people away from
dependance on the automobile and make alternative methods of
transportation, including the bicycle, viable. The mid-town Greenway
(without buses) is a positive step in that direction and so is rail
transit. The new technology, personal rapid transit (PRT) is my
preference. PRT, for example, is far less expensive to build, per mile,
and can be routed through downtown Minneapolis without blocking cross
traffic. PRT is a design option that should be looked at NOW, before
Minnesota's most expensive construction project is built.

I have been asked to address a controversial and troubling issue - and
that is the way public officials have handled the Development Project in
the Hiawatha Corridor.  People concerned about the impact of this project
have been manipulated, ignored, sometimes lied to and some have even been
physically abused.  We have seen manipulation in the form of community
meetings where the speakers have been hand-picked and the agendas have
been controlled. Probing questions were not allowed and political leaders
have distorted the history of the project. "This is a done deal," we were
often told, "and there is nothing we can do about it." Our elected
officials failed to advocates for our concerns. There were never any good
faith negotiations to address the concerns about the loss of trees, the
loss of habitat, the damage to the park and to Camp coldwater and
Coldwater Spring. Protesters were left with few options and encampments
that were set up at the sites were destroyed and the protesters were
removed, with many arrested. In the massive police raid of December 20th,
1998, many police abuses, some bordering on torture, occured, yet, days
later, the police inspector in charge of the operation was given an award
for his conduct of the operation.

One of the most poignant examples is 21 year old Emily Lindell. She is a
commited non-violent person and had never been arrested before this
incident. Last July Emily was, with others, objecting to the trees being
destroyed at Minnehaha Creek.  She was tackled by three large police
officers on the railroad tracks.  While two officers held her down with
their knees in her back and on her arms, the other officer grabbed her by
her hair and repeatedly slammed her head and face into the railroad tie.
Her face and head were beaten to a bloody pulp.  She later spent 8 hours
at HCMC getting treatment including x-rays and a scan of her head. At a
public meeting Emily told her story and showed photos of her beaten face.
At that meeting were respresentatives of the City and County Attorneys
Office, Congressman Sabo's Office and the commander of the 3rd Precinct.
To Date nothing has been done about this criminal act by the Mpls police.

We as a party and as members of this community must send a mesage that
these serious violation of principle and peoples rights, are not
acceptable.  If the DFL does not take action to correct these wrongs they
will continue to lose the confidence of the people.  I am also willing to
take on the difficult issues and fight for the progressive principles that
our party stands for.  I will be easy to work with when you come to me
with a problem or concern.  Large campaign contributors will not be buying
access that ordinary people don't have.

We can do better.  We must do better.  I ask for your endorsement.

John R Kolstad jkolstad [at] millcitymusic .com All Rights Reserve.  May be
reprinted with credit.


--------16 of 19--------

From: David Schultz <dschultz [at] gw.hamline.edu>
Subject: New report on money in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 MN elections

A new report entitled "The Sky is the Limit:  Comparing 2006 Minnesota
Election Year Expenditures to 1998 and 2002" was released today by David
Schultz, Professor, Hamline University.

The report provides baseline numbers on political expenditures for the
1998 and 2002 Minnesota elections.  These are the last two elections when
all of the state constitutional offices were up for reelection.  The
elections of 2002 are a close parallel to the 2006 elections because in
addition to all of the constitutional and legislative seats being up for
election, all 8 United States House of Representatives seats and one
Senate seat were being contested.

The purpose of these baselines is to make it easier to anticipate how much
money might be expended in the 2006 elections.  Some baseline comparisons
have been adjusted for inflation.  Reporters and the public are encouraged
to draw upon these figures when examining 2006 election trends.

The single most important conclusion of this report is that previous
estimates of how much money have been expended in election years have been
low.  In 1998, a total of $48,235,000 was expended while in 2002 that
figure jumped to $208,598,000.

the report may be found at
http://davidschultz.efoliomn2.com/index.asp  .  Click on Money in
Minnesota Politics along the left hand side of the web page and then
you can download "The Sky is the Limit."

David Schultz, Professor Hamline University Graduate School of Management
570 Asbury Street Suite 305 St. Paul, Minnesota 55104 651.523.2858 (voice)
651.523.3098 (fax) http://davidschultz.efoliomn2.com


--------17 of 19--------

Debating the future of the Green Party
Review by Todd Chretien
September 15,  2006

Independent Politics: The Green Party Strategy Debate, Howie Hawkins, ed.
Haymarket Books, 2006, 280 pages, $16.

JUST IN time for the 2006 mid-term elections, Green Party candidate for
U.S. Senate from New York, Howie Hawkins, has edited a book that is a
must-read for anyone who wants to understand the past and the potential
future of the party.

Hawkins writes an extensive introduction tracing not only the history of
the Green Party, but also the role of the Democratic Party in co-opting
and derailing forces as diverse as the Populists, the Socialist and
Communist Parties and the Black Panther Party.

On the heels of the Battle in Seattle in November of 1999, which flowed
from disgust with eight years of Clinton's Democratic administration,
Ralph Nader's decision to run for president in 2000 galvanized a wide
layer of liberal and radical activists and catapulted the Green Party from
obscurity into the national spotlight.

The excitement of "Seattle going to the polls" was real, and Nader racked
up 2.7 million votes, the best showing for a left-wing campaign since
socialist Eugene Debs ran for president in 1920 while serving time in
prison for opposition to the First World War.

After Bush stole the election in Florida in 2000, some Nader supporters,
like Michael Moore, immediately began to run away from Nader, accepting
the idea that Greens should only run if they didn't hurt Democratic
candidates' chances.

However, the real rout in the Green Party began after September 11. Bush's
invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq led most of the leadership of the Green
Party and Nader's most prominent supporters to see supporting whatever
Democrat emerged as the front-runner against Bush in 2004 as their main
political objective.

As the "Anybody But Bush" hysteria swept over most of the left, this group
grew to include the majority of the Green Party steering committee, Ted
Glick, Medea Benjamin, the editors of the Nation magazine, Norman Solomon,
David Cobb and many others.

Most of the Green Party leadership united around Cobb's idea of running a
"safe" or "strategic-states strategy," which entailed nominating an
unknown candidate (Cobb himself) and only campaigning in states where the
election was not seriously contested. Cobb himself clearly articulated
this as a means by which to avoid confronting the Democrats, or as he put
it in a press release before the 2004 Green Party Milwaukee Convention,
"this will not piss off millions of potential Green Party voters."

Green Party candidate for California Secretary of State Forrest Hill
details how Cobb and his supporters used the obscure delegate selection
rules at the Milwaukee convention, which privileged small states with
hardly any Green Party members over large states, to grab the nomination.

Having secured the nomination through questionable means, Cobb then fought
against a "unity proposal" by Peter Camejo which would have allowed each
state to allocate its ballot line to either Cobb or Nader, depending on
what the majority of party members in each state decided. A minority in
the Green Party leadership grouped around Camejo, Donna Warren and Hawkins
himself, as well as independents like Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St.
Clair and some socialists, like the International Socialist Organization,
argued against supporting the Democrats.

Hawkins takes us through this debate with essays from many of the key
people on both sides, with previously unpublished letters from Nader, and
the Green Party steering committee, as well as contributions from Glick,
Solomon, Matt Gonzalez, Joshua Frank and Camejo.

Rachel Odes, who coordinated the Camejo half of the Nader 2004 ticket,
also summarizes the arguments made by anti-Nader commentators such as
Ronnie Dugger and Eric Alterman, who refused to allow their essays to be
published as part of the book.

In the end, the vicious anti-Nader campaign (the Democrats spent $10
million to keep him off the ballot) and the open or backhanded support for
John Kerry by many former Nader supporters meant that Nader gained only 20
percent of his 2000 vote, or just under 500,000 votes.  Cobb got only
100,000 votes, polling just 20,000 in California, where Nader had received
400,000 in 2000.

But getting as few votes as possible so as to not "piss off" the Democrats
was his aim, so he considered the campaign a great success, as he explains
in an essay entitled, "Resurgence: The Green Party's Remarkable
Transformation," which reveals how out of touch with reality he has
become.

Unfortunately, Cobb and the lesser-evil wing of the Green Party have done
lasting damage to the party's potential future as a genuine alternative to
the two-party system. Green Party voter registration is down in California
from a high of 165,000 in 2003 to just over 140,000 today.

Worse, in too many places, small cliques of lesser-evil Greens control the
party apparatus, steering it away from potential new, young members as
well as antiwar and immigrant rights activists. For instance, in San
Francisco, 10 members of the Green Party's local leadership were able to
block an endorsement of Peter Camejo for governor this year, even though
3,000 Greens in San Francisco voted for him in the party primary in June.
And in Oakland, the Green Party voted to endorse Ron Dellums for mayor,
even though he is part of the Democratic Party establishment.

There are still thousands of Greens, and many thousands more who are sick
of the Democrats, who agree with Hawkins when he says, "the Greens should
forget what the professional liberals say about spoiling elections for the
Democrats...The task of the Greens is to organize [the people who are fed
up] into an independent party and movement, not deliver them once again to
a Democratic Party that stands opposed to their demands."

Whether that is still possible within the framework of the Green Party, or
whether the Democrats have once again succeeded in destroying an opponent
to their left, will be decided in the run-up to the 2008 elections. This
book is an important contribution to setting the record straight, and
preparing for that fight.

_http://www.socialistworker.org/2006-2/601/601_09_GreenParty.shtml_
(http://www.socialistworker.org/2006-2/601/601_09_GreenParty.shtml)

[Your editor is a Green, against lesser-evilism, against Cobb, for Nader,
against Hillary in 2008, and sick and tired of the national Green Party
being hijacked by a bunch of cowardly lyin's who are really Dems/(ruling
class puppets) in disguise. If, as may well be the case, the national GP
is stolen to be for Hillary, I will be out there for some truly
progressive independent candidate. No more kow-towing to Dem hackdom. If
we're so milquetoast we don't piss anyone off, we're not doing our job.
-ed]


--------18 of 19--------

The Axis of Lesser Evilism
Will Democrats Ever Fight for What's Right? [don't hold your breath -ed]
By TODD CHRETIEN
Counterpunch - Sep 23, 2006
http://www.counterpunch.org/chretien09232006.html

The Democrats need to win just 15 seats in the House and six seats in the
Senate to win majorities in both houses of Congress, making George Bush a
badly battered lame duck for the next two years.

This is Hillary Clinton's, Al Gore's, John Kerry's and John Edwards' dream
scenario. Likewise, many liberal and progressive activists who seek to end
the war in Iraq are putting their hopes in this outcome as well.

But how likely is a Democratic victory--and would it have anything to do
with ending the war?

Recent polls show a 40 percent-to-30 percent preference for Democrats over
Republicans in the mid-term elections. Over the spring and summer, Bush's
polls sank below 35 percent, a large majority of people grew disgusted
with the war in Iraq, and falling wages and living standards were weighing
heavily on workers' minds.

Republican scandals are the talk of the town, and the festering sore of
New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina remains unhealed. Topping it all
off, millions of immigrants took to the streets to protest a racist bill
passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

This would be welcome news to any genuine opposition party. But the
Democrats seem as nervous about the brewing class anger as their
counterparts across the aisle, and they continue to cling tightly to their
"Republican Lite" strategy--portraying themselves as the party that can
"win" the "war on terror."

Thus, the election campaign of the next eight weeks will be very
predictable. George Bush and the Republicans will raise security threats
to orange and red, accuse the Democrats of wanting to "cut and run" from
Iraq, and preach the old-time religion of tax cuts.

The Democrats will complain that Bush isn't enacting enough Homeland
Security measures (guarding our ports, bus stations, etc.) and that he
bungled the war in Iraq. They will accuse Bush of giving away the farm to
his wealthy pals, but they won't propose transferring much more than
pocket change from rich to poor.

And on Election Day, more than half of those eligible won't vote.

In the past month, the Democrats' full-throated cheering of Israel's
invasion of Lebanon, their cooperation with Bush to push through
anti-immigrant legislation in the Senate, and their inability to
articulate a plan to bring economic relief to the working class majority
has opened the door to a Bush recovery of sorts. Bush's poll numbers are
back up over 40 percent.

With Congress so thoroughly gerrymandered that winning even 15 House seats
is difficult, the chances of a Democratic sweep are far from certain.

Pure-and-simple lesser evilism

SOME SECTIONS of the liberal establishment agree that the Democrats are
acting too conservatively, but will organize support for them anyway on
the grounds that anyone is better than the Republicans--that the Democrats
are at least a "lesser evil."

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney clearly expressed this line of thought,
saying, "George Bush isn't on the ballot this November, but his agenda is,
and the Republicans in Congress who have rubber-stamped his priorities
are." He went on to pledge $40 million in union members' dues money to
help Democrats in 80 targeted congressional races.

This strategy doesn't even make the pretense of supporting "progressive"
Democrats. Rather, the AFL-CIO will throw cash at any Democrat who has a
chance to win.

But it isn't just Republicans who have been, as Sweeny put it,
"rubber-stamping" Bush's agenda. Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate voted
98-0 for Bush's latest $450 billion Pentagon budget--the latest unanimous
vote for Bush's outrageous military spending requests. Similarly, the
Senate voted 99-1 for the USA PATRIOT Act and 100-0 to invade Afghanistan.

In May, 38 out of 45 Democratic senators voted for so-called compromise
legislation on immigration, supported by Bush, that would deport millions
of people, build a bigger wall on the border with Mexico and establish a
guest-worker program. More Democrats voted for the Bush-supported bill
than Republicans!

On Labor Day, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) told immigrant rights marchers
that the Republican Congressional leaders should "listen" to Bush.

Progressive lesser evilism

SOME SELF-described progressive forces, whose main aim is to become
players in the Democratic Party, claim to reject Sweeney's pure-and-simple
"lesser evilism." Instead, they argue that the Democrats can only win if
they are "pushed" to the left by grassroots pressure.

While accepting the idea that the Democrats winning is the most important
thing, they highlight so-called "progressive" candidates as part of a plan
to "take back" the Democratic Party.

MoveOn.org exemplifies this trend, and its current poster boy is Ned
Lamont, who beat conservative Democrat Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut
Senate primary election. But if you scratch the surface, you find that Ned
Lamont is not so much antiwar as he is anti-Lieberman.

This is what Lamont's Web site said after Israel invaded Lebanon and
murdered 1,000 civilians: "At this critical time in the Middle East, I
believe that when Israel's security is threatened, the United States must
unambiguously stand with our ally to be sure that it is safe and secure.
On this principle, Americans are united."

On Iraq, Lamont says, "I salute the patriotism and wisdom of Congressman
John Murtha and others who emphasize that 'stay the course' is not a
winning strategy for Iraq or America. While we will continue to provide
logistical and training support as long as we are asked, our frontline
military troops should begin to be redeployed, and our troops should start
heading home."

While this sounds vaguely "antiwar," the devil is in the details.
"Redeployment" is Murtha's codeword for pushing the Iraqi puppet-army
forward and relying more on American air power in Iraq.

Moreover, Lamont says only that "frontline troops" (what about special
forces? the CIA?), should "begin" to "start heading home." Last December,
after the election in Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that
American troops could "begin" to "start heading home." A year later,
nothing has changed.

Just because Lamont is a Democrat, he shouldn't be permitted to play the
same verbal games with the lives of Iraqis and U.S. soldiers.

Antiwar lesser evilism

FINALLY, THERE are people who genuinely want to end the war, but continue
to cling to the hope that a reformed Democratic Party will lead the fight,
or at least believe that supporting "antiwar" Democrats must be a central
component of a successful antiwar strategy.

The Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) and the leadership of the
United for Peace and Justice antiwar coalition represent these ideas.

One of the PDA's main activities this fall is Camp Democracy, a
two-week-long event in Washington, D.C., which was billed as a protest of
the war featuring prominent liberal Democrats. Yet while PDA politicians
such as Reps. Lynne Woolsey, Dennis Kucinich and Barbara Lee can sound
very antiwar sometimes, when push came to shove, all either voted for or
abstained on the House resolution cheering on Israel's assault on Lebanon.

Moreover, they agree with the more conservative Democrats that one of the
big problems with the war in Iraq is that it is an "ineffective way" to
fight the "war on terror." As Woolsey put it at Camp Democracy's opening
day, the war in Iraq has made "the world a more dangerous place and
increase[d] the terrorist threat... [It has] created more jihadists and
inspire[d] more hatred of America among Muslim extremists..."

Emphasizing the "terrorist threat" and "Muslim extremists" is not exactly
a principled basis on which to organize an antiwar movement.

This only goes to show how little difference there is between the
so-called "progressive" wing of the Democratic Party and the corporate
powerbrokers who run it.

In 2004, Dennis Kucinich campaigned in the presidential primary for months
denouncing John Kerry's support for the invasion of Iraq. Then, at the
Democrats' convention, he disciplined his supporters to shut up and get in
line behind John "I'll send more troops to Iraq" Kerry.

The PDA politicians put their loyalty to the Democratic Party above the
interests of the movement. They aren't part of the process of building an
antiwar movement that puts ending the war as its primary goal, but are an
obstacle to it.

The longer it takes our movement to reject all versions of lesser evilism,
the longer it will take to build a movement powerful enough to win peace
and social justice.

[Todd Chretien is the Green Party candidate for US Senate, running against
Sen. Dianne Feinstein in California. He can be reached at:
ToddChretien [at] mac.com]

[The biggest obstacle to fixing anything in America is lesser-evil Dems.
They claim to have our values, but then tell us that none of those values
can be put into effect: Love single payer - but, won't fly. Like to end
the war in Iraq - but not now. Etc etc. They are the "people's party"
kidnapped and bribed by the elite interests - leaving the people with no
major party, and the elite with two. It's time for progressives to LEAVE
the DP. Quit. Move on to real people's politics - long and hard, but true.
-ed]


--------19 of 19--------

Butch the rooster
Anne Onnymoose

John the farmer was in the fertilized egg business.  He had several
hundred young layers (hens), called pullets, and eight or ten roosters,
whose job was to fertilize the eggs.

The farmer kept records and any rooster that didn't perform went into the
soup pot and was replaced.  That took an awful lot of his time so he
bought a set of tiny bells and attached them to his roosters.  Each bell
had a different tone so John could tell from a distance, which rooster was
performing.  Now he could sit on the porch and fill out an efficiency
report simply by listening to the bells.

The farmer's favorite rooster was old Butch, and a very fine specimen he
was, too.  But on this particular morning John noticed old Butch's bell
hadn't rung at all!

John went to investigate.  The other roosters were chasing pullets,
bells-a-ringing.  The pullets, hearing the roosters coming, would run for
cover.

But to Farmer John's amazement, Butch had his bell in his beak, so it
couldn't ring.  He'd sneak up on a pullet, do his job, and walk on to the
next one.

John was so proud of Butch, he entered him in the county fair and Butch
became an overnight sensation among the judges.  The result:  The judges
not only awarded Butch the "No Bell Piece Prize" but they also awarded him
the "Pulletsurprise" as well.

Clearly Butch was a POLITICIAN in the making.  Who else but a politician
could figure out how to win two of the most highly coveted awards on our
planet by being the best at sneaking up on the populace and screwing them
when they weren't paying attention?


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