Monthly Archives: April 2006

President Bush Leads the Charge for Modern Day Robber Barons!

Posted on April 28th, 2006 | Comments Off on President Bush Leads the Charge for Modern Day Robber Barons!

George Bush is no Teddy Roosevelt. Instead he continues to lead the charge for the big oil companies as they pick the pockets of America’s middle class.

The Washington Post yesterday reported that “Bush Rejects Calls for Tax on Oil Profits”

President Bush said Friday that taxing enormous oil industry profits is not the way to calm Americans’ anxieties about pain at the gas pump, and that his “inclination and instincts” are that major oil companies are not intentionally overcharging drivers.”

OK I know I shouldn’t say it but this sounds a little bit familiar. In 2001 the Seattle PI wrote a story entitled “Bush-backing Enron makes big money off crisis “

The new president’s rejection of price controls to hold down soaring electricity costs in the Golden State reflects the views of Enron, the largest wholesaler of electricity and largest owner of natural gas pipelines in North America.
The company and its employees have given more than anyone else to Bush’s two campaigns for governor, his unsuccessful House campaign in 1978 and last year’s race for the White House, according to the watchdog Center for Public Integrity.
Enron and its employees gave $113,800 to Bush’s presidential campaign, his 10th most generous contributor; $250,000 to the Republican National Convention host committee; and $300,000 to the Presidential Inauguration Committee.

So what have the oil companies given to Bush. Actually quite a bit. Opensecrets.org notes that in 2004 Bush got $2,627,825 from oil and gas companies. Kerry got only $305,010. In 2000 Bush got $1,930,710. Gore got $142.012.

So want to guess which oil company gave the most contributions to Congressional candidates in 2004? It was the company with the most profits last year, Exxon Mobil, with $935,016. 89% of that went to Republican candidates. The next two oil companies with record profits also gave hugely. . Chevron gave 83% of its $444,509 to Republicans. Conoco Phillips gave 84 % of its $366,628 to Republicans.

So far this year the oil and gas industry has contributed some $3,863,622 to Republicans and some $786,913 to Democrats. Exxon Mobil , with some of the money you gave them at three gas pump in inflated prices, has contributed $303,212 to people running for Congress.

So why is it no surprise that on Wed. the Washington Post said that “GOP Blocks Measures Boosting Taxes on Oil Companies’ Profits”

“While Republican leaders sharply criticize soaring gasoline prices and energy industry profits, GOP negotiators have decided to knock out provisions in a major tax bill that would force the oil companies to pay billions of dollars in taxes on their profits. House and Senate tax writers have been struggling to reach an accord on separate tax bills approved last year to extend some expiring tax cuts enacted during President Bush’s first term. But House Republicans have raised strong objections to Senate-passed provisions that would raise nearly $5 billion in taxes over five years — primarily by changing arcane accounting rules that have allowed oil companies to substantially lower their tax bills, according to House and Senate tax aides familiar with the talks.”

I call Bush and the oil and gas industry Modern Day Robber Barons! Just like Enron.

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Posted in campaign finance, Congress, Democrats, Elections, Republicans

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Bush and Republicans Panic, Ask if They Can Buy Your Love (Vote) for $100

Posted on April 28th, 2006 | Comments Off on Bush and Republicans Panic, Ask if They Can Buy Your Love (Vote) for $100

The lowest grade of gas in Seattle has now moved above $3.00 a gallon. Meanwhile oil companies profits move into the stratosphere. And the Republicans propose the answer is to further cut funding from already depleted government programs by giving you a $100 so you can buy more gas.

A Seattle PI editorial today calls it “Buying Votes“. Their weblink calls it “gasgimmicked”. And here I thought I was going to be the first to claim on my blog that it was a pretty blatant attempt by the Republicans to buy some love for themselves, at least until the November election is over. Well you know brilliant minds sometimes do think alike.

Anyway, just a couple of days ago Bush was not so subtly trying to blame rising gas prices on the environmentalists by saying it was those damn clean air laws doing it and maybe we should suspend them. After all, Bush is thinking to himself, all we need to do is call our effort something like the “new and revised healthy air initiative” and people would surely just take our word for it. You know, like a healthy forest is one where we cut trees down. They believed that.

Bush also tried to blame it on environmentalists by shedding tears that he couldn’t play oil magnate and drill for more oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. But think about it, where would the $100 come from?

One proposal circulating is to give you back some of your Federal gas taxes, for several months.
As the PI editorial notes, that does nothing to reduce demand for oil.It will merely cut money for other things our Federal Government does, like pay for education and health care. So in essence this proposal is true Republicanthink. Cut taxes and cut government. It does nothing to solve America’s addiction to oil.

Bush and his Republican cronies represent Corporate America and Corporate America is all about profits. And the oil industry is doing gangbusters there.

A Seattle PI business headline today says “Chevron earnings soar 49 percent to $4 Billion”

“…the performance marked the fourth consecutive quarter that Chevron has earned at least $3.6 billion as the company continued to capitalize on oil prices that have climbed above $70 per barrel since the first quarter ended.”

So do you think Bush will go after Chevron profits. Bob Herbert in another article in todays PI entitled “Bush drives nation even closer to cliff” notes that Condoleezza Rice was “a former Chevron director, even had an oil tanker named after her.”
Meanwhile as posted in the Washington Post yesterday,

 “Exxon Mobil Corp.reported $8.4 billion in first-quarter profit.”

The earnings outstripped the oil giant’s profit in the first quarter of last year. Given current oil market conditions, analysts said, that puts Exxon Mobil on track to break the $36 billion record profit it made last year.

The Washington Post on Wed. noted that for ConocoPhillips, the U.S.’s third largest oil company, that:

 

“The Houston-based oil and gas giant said first-quarter net income rose 13% to $3.29 billion, or $2.34 a share, up from a year-ago profit of $2.91 billion, or $2.05 a share. Total revenue grew 23% in the latest three months to $47.9 billion from $38.9 billion in the same period a year earlier. ”

Altogether, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Conoco Philips 1st quarter 2006 profits topped $15 billion. O.K. One guess. Whose pockets do you think that $15 billion dollars came from.

So in this land of Republican free enterprise isn’t this what you would expect You are allowed to take as much as you want, charge as much as you want and do as you want with what you get. It’s part of the Corporate Republican agenda.

You are allowed to soak the public for as much as you can because we don’t need regulation of any sort. Did you ever hear Bush speak out against his buddies at Enron as they soaked the public, you and me, with preposterous electricity bills.

Why would you expect Bush and the Republicans to go against their own businesses, that helped put them into office? Don’t complain about high gas prices, those of you that voted for Bush.

Did you really think he had compassion? What he has is passion for corporations making money. Don’t you remember after 9/11. His speeches to the American public weren’t about energy independence, no they were about urging you to continue to buy and consume, to keep the corporations in business. Think about it.

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Posted in Economy, Elections, Energy, Republicans

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Senator Cantwell Clearly Says Once Again "Bring the Troops Home"

Posted on April 26th, 2006 | 4 comments

This last Saturday Senator Maria Cantwell was a surprise speaker at the 46th Legislative District Democratic Caucus. She once again said that this was “the year of transition in Iraq“and that we needed “to bring the troops home.”

On April 17, 2006 in the Seattle Times she is quoted as saying the same thing:

“2006 needs to be a year of transition, and I’m fighting to get the Iraqi people on their feet and get our troops home,” she said.
Did you think we needed to get rid of Saddam Hussein? “Yes, and on the resolution I haven’t changed my mind. I’m going to talk to them [anti-war Democrats] about what I think we need in 2006, and they can make the judgment on that.”

The “Bring the Troops Home” statement has also previously been reported on twice by the NPI Blog. So it is not a new statement but it appears to be Cantwell’s official position. She also has met with representatives of groups opposing the Iraq War. You can read some lengthy observations by others of that meeting at WashBlog.

When I had a chance to question Senator Cantwell after her speech to the Democrats, she again stated that her position under Bush on getting rid of Saddam Hussein is consistent with her position in 1993 when Clinton was President.

Regarding her vote giving Bush authority to go to war against Iraq and Saddam Hussein, however she also told me, “If we knew then what we know now there probably never would have been a vote by Congress to go into Iraq.”

Regarding Iran, Cantwell deplored Bush’s “saberrattling” and said “he needed to ratchet things down.” Rather than starting at the highest level of confrontation, she said he should “drop talk of a nuclear weapons strike“ and start with direct contact, talking and negotiation to try to reach resolution.

Cantwell’s current position on Iraq is based on a resolution passed by Congress called the Warner Frist Amendment, Amendment 2518. A press release by Senator Karl Levin dated Nov 15, 2006 presents a small amount of discussion on the issue when it was before the Senate. It passed by a vote of 79 to 19. Levin had proposed stronger wording in an initial version.

Thirteen Republicans voted against the watered down amendment which set no specific timeline for withdrawal. Senator John McCain of Arizona, who is also running to succeed Bush, was one of those. Senators Cantwell and Murray voted for the amendment.

The Senate Resolution represents a significant turning point in the Iraq War. A good discussion of this is presented at the Council for a Liveable World’s Withdrawal from Iraq Blog.

…the reality of the symbolism is that most of the media and the political establishment view the Senate votes as a watershed. Most in both camps say that the Senate is abandoning Bush’s “stay the course” policy. Senators have read the polls and the election results. The President’s policies have been repudiated.
…it is now perceived wisdom that Bush is losing both parties on the war. It is now virtually impossible to turn the clock back. This widespread interpretation also brings the war’s end a bit closer by fueling the drive to exit.
Some argue that the vote only gave Republicans and potential Democratic presidential candidates cover. Whether that it true or not, many such candidates are now on record for a phased redeployment of United States forces from Iraq and for telling the Iraqis that the U.S. will eventually depart.

Cantwell and the Democrats are shaping the issue and moving forward by declaring 2006 as the year of transition in Iraq. Reports required by the resolution on progress in getting out of Iraq are to be given to Congress.

Nevertheless I think it is important that more specific goals and dates be set. This is the way you run a successful operation, just like a business plan and without more specifics no one’s feet are held to the fire.

There is a more specific plan that looks appealing to me. It is titled “Strategic Redeployment – a Progressive Plan for Iraq Against Violent Extremists” and was written by Lawrence Korb, a Reagan administration assistant defense secretary and Brian Katulis of the Center for American Progress.

First published on Sept. 29, 2005 Brian Katulis last month published a commentary in tPhiladelphiapha Inquier as a followup, entitled Strategic Redeployment Best of All. I think the basic thesis of the plan is sound and deserves serious consideration.

As Karulis points out:

President Bush’s “stay-the-course” message offers nothing new to an impatient American public. It merely restates a failed policy that only further increases the burden on American taxpayers, weakens U.S. ground forces, serves as a rallying cry for al-Qaeda, and fails to stabilize Iraq.

The Strategic Redeployment Plan is pretty straight forward:

The plan calls on the Bush administration to encourage Iraqi leaders to take control of their country by saying the U.S. military is going to leave Iraq and set a timetable for doing so. The proposal says the United States should draw down its troop presence from its present level of 136,000 to 60,000 by the end of the year, the remainder to virtually zero by the end of 2007. It also encourages more vigorous diplomacy in the region and in Iraq, to bring the country’s factions together.
The gradual drawdown would allow U.S. troops to continue providing crucial support to the nascent Iraqi security forces. But the plan also clears the way for a political solution and recognizes that current troop levels are unsustainable without a draft. If we still have more than 130,000 ground soldiers in Iraq a year from now, we will destroy the all-volunteer Army. Keeping such a large contingent of troops there will require the Pentagon to send many units back to Iraq for a third time and to activate reserve and Guard forces a second or third time.

The United States can not impose its will on an unwilling country. We need to acknowledge that we have successfully removed a despot from running Iraq but also realize that the future depends on Iraq citizens taking responsibility for their future. At this point the longer we stay without an end point, the more likely that ultimately a civil war will split Iraq into opposing religious factions.

As Katulis states:

The key to strategic redeployment is that it acknowledges up front that Iraq’s problems cannot be solved by American boots on the ground. A timetable for withdrawal will spur Iraq’s battling factions to try harder to reach a compromise before U.S. troops leave.

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U.S. Senate Still in Dark Ages on Using Computers.

Posted on April 24th, 2006 | Comments Off on U.S. Senate Still in Dark Ages on Using Computers.

Washington State Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Mike McGavick’s Financial Disclosure forms that were to be filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for the first quarter of the year are still not available online. Senator Maria Cantwell’s financial disclosure forms are available at both the FEC’s website and at opensecrets.org .

The forms for the first quarter, ending March 31st were due to be filed by April 15th. Because April 15th fell on a weekend they were actually due on April 14th under FEC rules.

The strange part about this is that McGavick issued a press release about the quarterly report last Monday, a full week ago. I wondered what happened to their filing since I couldn’t find it. A call to the McGavick campaign treasurer confirmed that they had FedExed the disclosure forms overnight on April 14th to arrive on the 15th. The Federal Election Commission said the date of filing is based on the postmark.

Well what happened to the reports? The FEC today (Monday, March 24th) told me that they had just received McGavick’s financial disclosure report from the Secretary of the Senate and that it would be online within 24 to 48 hours.

Why the delay? Well it’s actually the Senate’s fault it seems, not McGavicks. According to the Federal Election Commission, people running for the U.S. Senate don’t file their campaign finance reports directly with the FEC. Instead they file them with the Secretary of the Senate.

And what complicates things further is that unlike in Washington State, where almost all candidates now file their reporting forms electronically, the Senate computer system is not set up to accept electronic filing. So instead candidates must file paper reports. Then the Secretary of the Senate sends them over to the FEC where they are scanned and entered into their computer data base.

What makes this ridiculous is that candidates running for U.S. President don’t first send their disclosure forms to the White House. Also candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives don’t first send them to the Clerk of the House. They send their reports directly to the FEC, filing electronically. Electronic filing with the FEC started in 2000 for all candidates receiving or expecting to receive $25,000 or more. All, that is, except for the U.S. Senate.

The FEC says every year its asks that the Senate change to direct electronic filing with them but it seems that there are literally enough Senators in power from the last century that it hasn’t happened. What happened to McGavick’s forms is reason enough to demand Senators enter the computer age. The public has a right to timely information on candidate finances. The Senate is blocking the public’s right to know.

Maria Cantwell’s first quarter report reported that she has raised a total of $8,621,021, has cash on hand of $5,588,420 and a debt of $2,403,357.

Opensecrets.org reports in their breakdown that only 1% of Cantwells contributions or $200,464 came from PAC’s. In addition she has not given any personal contributions to her campaign.

McGavick’s Dec 31, 2005 disclosure showed that he had raised $1,453,349 and had $955,305 in cash on hand at the end of last year.

McGavick’s campaign confirmed that McGavick reported raising $1,213,584.33 in the first quarter of this year.. Then spent $1,272,593.29, which is more than they raised. They had no debt on the books and $896,261.29 cash on hand.

In addition to McGavick’s disclosure reports not being on line yet, those of Mark Wilson, a Democrat running against Cantwell in the Democratic primary were not available. Wilson reported raising $11, 906 as of Dec 31, 2005. He spent it all except for $152.The FEC said they have not received a paper copy of his first quarter forms from the Senate.

Aaron Dixon, running as a Green Party candidate, did file his forms. He reported raising $11,906 in the first quarter and spent all of it except for $642. His funds came from a total of 4 contributors.

The FEC did say that candidates for the Senate can file a courtesy electronic copy when they file the paper copy. McGavick’s campaign confirmed that they did not do this. It is not required by law but it might make the reports available sooner.

The FEC did a public release of information on the 20th of April and Senator Maria Cantwell’s financial reports were released at that time. Her reports were also posted on the FEC’s website.

What also needs to be changed in the law is the preposterous minimal reporting of once a quarter. Candidates running for state office and state legislature in Washington state have monthly reporting.

With quarterly reporting you only have an April 15th, July 15th, and October 15th quarterly report on one of the most expensive races run in our state. That is certainly not adequate public disclosure and needs to be changed.

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Memo to Dean: How about a "Secret Plan" to End the War in Iraq?

Posted on April 23rd, 2006 | 1 comment

As reported in today’s Seattle Times, Washington State Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz delivered an important message to Howard Dean and the National Democratic Party meeting in New Orleans.

Dwight is not someone to mince words. I appreciate that. Someone has to tell the Emperor he has no clothes. Democrats at the top need to listen.

While not on the agenda, Iraq was raised in a meeting Dean had with state party officials Friday.

Washington State Party chairman Dwight Pelz told Dean the party’s murkiness” on Iraq was causing problems with the rank and file and that tension between activists and the national party leadership in Washington could sap their energy this fall.

“I understand it’s always better to have a lot of passion around an election,” Dean said. “But what more passion could we possibly invoke than stopping George Bush from continuing to destroy the country?”

Responded Pelz: “It’s not working.”

Well one reason it’s not working is that Iraq ranks up there as one of the major concerns of voters, yet the first sentence quoted above says it all “While not on the agenda….”

You have the Democratic National Committee holding a three day meeting in New Orleans and Iraq is not on the agenda? I could believe that if it was Bush meeting with Congressional leadership, but the Democrats?

Dean said he wanted to talk more about finding a consensus, but later this year and behind closed doors.

“I do not want to air our differences of opinion in front of the esteemed Fourth Estate. This is a serious discussion … we’re going to find a way to do that in a private setting.”

Aides said the meeting had not been scheduled, and they did not know if it would happen before or after the November elections.

“The Democratic Party is continuing to evolve on Iraq … There is much we have in common,” Dean said. “While we don’t have an ironclad timetable, we’re heading in the right direction.”

I can think of a better one than that. How about one five word sentence? Brief, clear, and concise. We have a “Secret Plan“. It worked for Richard Nixon.

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Earth Day – 36 years later

Posted on April 23rd, 2006 | Comments Off on Earth Day – 36 years later

Today Saturday April 22nd is Earth Day. Here are a few suggestions of things you can do to celebrate the Earth. The first things you can do anywhere on earth. Then I will suggest a few things for people in Washington state.

Take a deep breath of air.
Have a drink of fresh water.
Take a walk outside.
Take time to look at the plants and animals.
Think about the world you live in.
Think about where you are now.
Think about the future.
Think about what kind of earth we should leave for future generations.
Think about something you can do for a better future.
Then do that something.

Some Washington State action items:

Go to the website Yes on I-937. Volunteer to collect 100 signatures to help get the initiative on the fall ballot. I-937 is the Clean Energy Initiative. It would require that by 2020 15% of Washington State’s electricity would come from renewable resources.

Go to the website for Washington Conservation Voters and look over things you can do, including go to an environmental activist training session on May 6, 2006. Make an on line donation to further their work to elect environment friendly candidates in Washington state.

Go to Puget Consumer’s Coop and buy local natural food. Go to PCC ‘s webpage for the PCC Farmland Trust. Make an on line donation to help save threatened local farmland and turn it into organic production.

If you have to go somewhere today consider taking the bus or walking instead of driving.

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Did Bill Gates Talk Privately to China’s President Hu about e-freedom??

Posted on April 20th, 2006 | Comments Off on Did Bill Gates Talk Privately to China’s President Hu about e-freedom??

The Seattle Times today notes that Bill Gates publicly

“hinted that China’s development requires embracing new concepts such as freedom to access the Internet a delicate subject at a time when U.S. companies face pressure to accept government censorship of their Chinese sites.

“People and business everywhere are harnessing the power of the Internet, which will have a profound impact on economic development, education and communications,” Gates said. “Industry and governments around the world should work even more closely to protect privacy and security and promote the exchange of ideas, while respecting legitimate government considerations.””

The Seattle Times yesterday pointed out the dilemma of Microsoft doing business in China. China jails e-journalists. And Microsoft has helped them.

“With the mainstream Chinese media heavily censored, the Internet has become a a vital outlet for independent journalism, critical writing and information. The authorities are ruthless in their suppression of criticism of their rule in any medium. China has jailed more writers and journalists than any other country, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Fifteen of the 32 journalists in prison in China in 2005 wrote for the Internet. Very often they are charged with violating national security or subversion laws for daring to raise a critical voice. Censorship in China is nothing new, but the growing cooperation of U.S. technology companies in China’s repressive policies is.”

Where is Microsoft specifically in this? On Feb 15, Microsoft along with Cisco, Google, and Yahoo testified before Congress:

“Microsoft associate general counsel Jack Krumholtz, along with his industry colleagues, dutifully laid out the dilemma they face: Cooperate with China’s repressive demands, or risk losing a foothold in the world’s most promising internet market — more than 110 million Chinese are online and the number is steadily growing.”

“Microsoft confronted that dilemma in late 2005, when the Chinese government requested that it censor blogger Zhao Jing. On Dec. 30, with no prior warning, Microsoft pulled the plug on Zhao’s site, which was hosted on MSN Spaces. The silencing came after Zhao wrote about the government’s removal of top editors at the Beijing News.”

“A storm of criticism persuaded Microsoft to alter its policy. The company now says it will still shut down blogs in China when told to by the government, but the sites will continue to live on in a cyber no-man’s land outside China, where their authors will not be easily able to update them.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists on Tues sent President Hu a letter urging him to reverse his repressive media policies. Bloggers and other journalists in America and other countries need to do likewise.Reporters Without Borders said it had obtained a copy of the verdict showing that Yahoo! Holdings (Hong Kong) helped Chinese police to identify Jiang by confirming that the e-mail account ZYMZd2002 had been used jointly by Jiang and another pro-democracy activist Li Yibing.”

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Expect to See More Rove Dirty Tricks in this Year’s Political Campaigns

Posted on April 19th, 2006 | 1 comment

Breaking news in the Baltimore Sun says that Press Secretary Scott McClellan is resigning as Bush’s Press Secretary.

But I see the bigger news as the mention that Carl Rove is “giving up oversight of policy development” . The reason for the reassignment is to “focus more on politics with the approach of the fall elections”

The Washington Post says it better in it’s subheadline “Karl Rove Gives up Policy Post to Focus on 2006 Election.”

I think we here in Washington state and across the country can expect and should prepare for the worst. This ‘reassignment” is really another admission that the Republicans are worried about their prospects this fall. They are releasing their pit bull.

We can expect to see a lot more dirty politics. Don’t take my word for it. If you haven’t read either, Bush’s Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W Bush President or Boy Genius: Karl Rove, the Brains Behind the Remarkable Political Triumph of George W Bush now is a good time to do so.

Read the Reviews. Then read the books. The Republicans’ backs are against the wall and anything goes. Sort of like what we’ve been seeing , only expect more now.

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Is This the Year of the Donkey for Washington State?

Posted on April 18th, 2006 | Comments Off on Is This the Year of the Donkey for Washington State?

Anger at Bush May Hurt GOP at Polls reads a headline yesterday in the Washington Post. This was what Democrats thought would put Kerry into the White House two years ago. Will it work this year in Washington State?

The most recent Washington Post – ABC poll shows a 47% “strong disapproval” by voters of Bush’s job performance. Only 20% “strongly approve”. In comparison President Clinton’s highest “strong disapproval” rating was 37%.

Since Bush is not on the ballot, the best way for voters to show their anger at Bush is to vote his Republican Congressional cronies who have unflinchingly supported his policies out of office. By contrast in the 2002 midterm congressional elections, Bush had 42% of the voters “strongly approving” of him versus only 20% “strongly disapproving”. Democrats lost seats which was historically unusual.

The key is strength of passion- what motivates people to make that extra effort to vote.

Yet the issue for Congressional races turns more often on local candidates and issues. There have been very few seats turned over by incumbents over time. In fact the historical average has been that 98% of incumbents get reelected.

As Mark Mellman in The Hill suggests, this inertia to change can be affected by several things, including the past vote for Presidents.

The year 1994 was a big one for Republicans in Congress. Yet of the 34 seats the Democrats lost, the Republican Presidential candidate in the previous two elections had won 30. Likewise in the big change in 1982, 2/3 of the Republican incumbents who lost were in districts the Democratic Presidential candidate had won previously.

Mellman says that in this election cycle only 18 incumbent Republicans are in districts that Kerry won. By the way, one of these is the eighth Congressional District, where Darcy Burner, a Democrat is taking on first term incumbent Republican Dave Reickert.

While open seats can also be a factor, in years of major change it may not be as significant a factor. In 1992, only 37% of the seats the Democrats lost were open seats.

So certainly a lot rides on whether voters are rearing for a change. Unknowns that can change things quickly include changes in Iraq, like Bush withdrawing troops.

In addition factors in Washington state include emotional hotbutton issues like certain initiatives. The referendum to overturn the ban on gay discrimination and developer Initiative 933 to limit most zoning and growth management and Eyman’s Initiative 917 to cut transportation funding are all issues that pull out conservatives and Republicans.

Adam Nagourney writes in last Sunday’s New York Times that this is part of the Republican strategy. Entitled, “Looking to win in November, with a 2-year old Playbook” he notes that Carl Rove’s game plan in 2004 was to woo the religious right and other conservatives by appealing to their emotions. They did this successfully by a series of state initiatives to ban gay marriage coordinated with efforts to turn out church goers.

This year it may be tougher but Washington’s developer’s initiative 933 is not alone. Conservatives are also gathering signatures on similar initiatives on so called private property rights in California, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota and Oregon (again) according to the NY Times.

And another issue is also rising – immigration. Democrats meanwhile are slow in using initiatives to increase turnout of their base. This year Washington state has one measure – Initiative 937 – the Energy Security Initiative to increase use of renewable energy that is collecting signatures to get on the ballot. Meanwhile with Eyman’s so called $30 tabs initiative 917, which reduces transportation funds; the developer initiative 933 – to end zoning as we know it; and the referendum to repeal the anti discrimination legislation passed by the Legislature, Democrats are having to wage three defensive efforts.

I think Democrats need to get more active and work to help set the agenda by running their own initiatives in the future, particularly in 2008 to help draw out the progressive base. They need to quit crying about the conservatives putting initiatives on the ballot and put their own on. Voters are not going to repeal the initiative process in Washington state. Put the conservatives on the defense.

Meanwhile Senator Cantwell, who has been running into criticism from some progressive activists need to engage them more. Because to win she needs to turn out motivated voters and right now there are too many being unreasonably purist in their criticism. But they are family, family she needs to win and that requires special efforts. And they need her to win if we want to stop the Bush Cheney railroading of America into just one giant corporation where we only have two classes, the superrich and the rest of us.

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Posted in Congress, Democrats, Elections, Initiatives, Republicans

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Will anyone discuss free speech and democracy with President Hu of China when he visits Washington state?

Posted on April 15th, 2006 | 1 comment

President Hu Jinao of China is visiting Washington state this Tues. Everyone from Starbucks to Microsoft to Boeing to Governor Gregoire and former Governor Locke are lined up to talk about free trade and China increasing trade with Washington State. In their eagerness to get more trade with China will anyone dare mention the words free speech and democracy to President Hu?

When Hu visits the White House two days later we know he will meet a kindred spirit in controlling and censoring the news and what people can see and hear. So we can expect nothing there in regards to free speech rights, like in the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

But what about Washington State? The San Francisco Chronicle has reported that ,

“U.S. tech giants are helping the Chinese express themselves online — as long as they don’t write about democracy, Tibet, sex, Tiananmen Square, Falun Gong, government corruption or any other taboo subject.

Microsoft bans “democracy” and “Dalai Lama” from the Chinese version of its blog site. Yahoo recently turned over information that helped the Chinese government track down and imprison a journalist for the crime of forwarding an e-mail. Google omits banned publications from its Chinese news service. “

In the quest for dollars I am sure the talk will center on apples and wheat and jet planes and coffee and software. Right now China is getting the better end of the deal. The US Census Bureau as reported by The Economic Policy Institute said the international deficit in goods and services trade reached a record level of $726 billion in 2005, an 18% increase over 2004.

As the EPI notes,

“China’s trade surplus with the United States increased by 24.5% in 2005, to $202 billion, the United States’ largest bilateral deficit. This bilateral deficit with China increased $40 billion in 2005, more than accounting for the entire increase in the United States’ non-oil trade deficit.”
“U.S. imports from China are six times the value of U.S. exports to China, making it the United States’ most imbalanced trading relationship. U.S. imports from China were $243 billion in 2005 (an increase of 24%), making China the second largest exporter of goods to the United States, behind Canada at $288 billion. At current rates of growth, China will surpass Canada and become the largest supplier of U.S. imports within the next two years.”

But there is the additional cost here as the US tries to encourage China to import more American goods and services. That is the cost of the US turning a blind eye to China on censorship and free speech. Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo in their quest to increase trade with China have all agreed to Chinese censorship of the Internet.

Will anyone meeting with President Hu have the courage to talk about this issue? Or will the dollars signs of trade cloud their eyes and plug their ears?

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