Schakowsky's surprize and where'd Illinois Greens go?
A funny from SoapBlox Chicago on Schakowsky's response to a question about the DCCC defeating progressive candidates in Democratic primaries,
Much to my surprise, Schakowsky's response was highly defensive, suggesting I was wrong to criticize "The Party." I responded that I thought people like me who went out canvassing for Democratic candidates every weekend were part of "The Party." So Jan revised her comment to the "Party Leaders."*********************************
At this point, I asked whether, given recent history, the DCCC shouldn't get out of the business of opposing locally-supported progressive candidates. Again to my surprise her answer was simply "No." (After this, the moderator stepped in and Jan took another question.)
Where have Illinois Greens gone? Check their sites and they've gone silent: here, here, and here. They had a success and deserved to celebrate with the big party, but that doesn't mean go AWOL after the party's over.
We have elections coming up in Chicago. They might want to at least comment on the candidates. They're non-partisan elections but one candidate may be a little more Green friendly then the other. I'd like to know Whitney's thoughts.
Update: Greens sprouted! Via Rich here in a letter to the Trib responding to Paul Froelich's letter. But it's really not enough. The Greens need to apply this talk to Chicago.
About Froelich, he hit it on the nail. Here's my comment over at Illionis Review,
Every Conservative who's a member of a mainline church with a Social Justice committee should join it. Bush's whole presidency is about Social Justice.
I belong to a Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Committee and I point that out, and also point out Joseph Bottum's New Fusionism.
Immigration is part-and-parcel with globalization and free trade. The free movement of labor is just as important as the free movement of goods and services.
Every citzen from signatory country of CAFTA / NAFTA should have free access to US labor market. (And American retirees should have the option to go South and retire in the Mexican sun with some assurances of legal security in their topsey turvey system down there.) If a person has a legit job offer in the US, they should be free to come.
So tear down the wall. That seems a perfectly conservative position too me.
9 comments:
Sonofabitch, Do you know who I am? I'm Moe Greene! I made my bones when you were going out with cheerleaders!
Doan Fuhgeddid
Un Udder Ting!
There was this kid I grew up with - he was younger than me. Sorta looked up to me - you know. We did our first work together - worked our way out of the street. Things were good, we made the most of it. During Prohibition - we ran molasses into Canada - made a fortune - you father, too. As much as anyone, I loved him - and trusted him. Later on he had an idea - to build a city out of a desert stop-over for GI's on the way to the West Coast. That kid's name was Moe Green - and the city he invented was Las Vegas. This was a great man - a man of vision and guts. And there isn't even a plaque - or a signpost - or a statue of him in that town! Someone put a bullet through his eye. No one knows who gave the order - when I heard it, I wasn't angry; I knew Moe - I knew he was head-strong, talking loud, saying stupid things. So when he turned up dead - I let it go. And I said to myself, this is the business we've chosen - I didn't ask who gave the order - because it had nothing to do with business!
Where's Rich Whitney Now, Pal? Huh?
Sorry Bill the Bryan Samuels B.S, got me steamed and I needed to horse around with one of the good guys!
Merry Christmas Bill and God's Blessings on Yours!
No problem Pat... Merry Christmas... I'll email you a virtual Berghoff's beer.
As always a man of taste and sound judgment:
And for you sir!
http://www.goharpos.com/images/menuitems/beer_draft_smithwicks_irish_ale_2.jpg
Greens haven't gone silent. They're just busy building formal precinct organizations, as Illinois law now allows them to do. This is no flash in the pan.
Moe Greene: Yeah, let's talk business, Mike. First of all, you're all done. The Corleone Family don't even have that kind of muscle anymore. The Godfather's sick, right? You're getting chased out of New York by Barzini and the other Families. What do you think is going on here? You think you can come to my hotel and take over? I talked to Barzini, I can make a deal with him, and still keep my hotel!
The Illinois Green Party is working behind the scenes to strengthen our organization for the 2008 campaign cycle. There is actually a lot going on -- we're discussing IT solutions for data management, forming precinct committees according to IL election code, discussing what we want to do to support the 2008 Green Party presidential candidate, etc. etc. This isn't stuff you'd necessarily put in a press release, but it's important nonetheless.
What's important are candidates and policy which the Greens have gone silent on since the election.
We've got elections coming up and it would be worthwhile hearing out Chicago Greens on Brown, Daley, and Walls among others (there are the wards too).
IT solutions, data management, and precinct committees from a anonymous poster is sort of small potatoes.
There are Green things happening locally. I'm in Carbondale, so I can't speak for Chicago Greens. But in general, there are more Greens now than ever before. Agreed, we need to be in the spotlight more. But don't worry, we aren't going anywhere!
Besides, I don't know about the rest of the Greens - or other IL voters - but I'm still recovering from the election...
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