Warren bagged $700G-plus in past two years
Friday, January 13th, 2012U.S. Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren earned more than 0,000 in 2010 and 2011, including 9,000 in salary for…
Posts Tagged ‘Past’
Sarah Lyons: Seeing New Things, Past and Present
Thursday, June 30th, 2011Seeing New Things, Past and Present
By Sarah Lyons
I went to hear Dr. Omar Ali speak at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem the other day. He was there to present his latest book In the Lion’s Mouth: Black Populism in the New South.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Ali told the audience that the book would not have been possible absent his experience working as a political organizer.
He said being an activist had allowed him to see things differently so that when, as a graduate student, he approached the subject of black political history in America, he saw gaps in the existing scholarship and unattended clues. He then began a process to uncover and piece together the largely unknown and untold story of black populism in America—the largest independent black political movement prior to the civil rights movement.
When it comes to independent voters and their location in American politics, a lot of people are seeing things in a new way.
Dr. Ali’s book is a success. So much so that Charles Postel, author of The Populist Vision which won the Bancroft Prize—the highest award given for works of historical scholarship—drew upon his work in a reshaping of the history of populism in the late nineteenth century.
When it comes to independent voters and their location in American politics, a lot of people are seeing things in a new way. That’s because the American people—all of us—are collectively going through the experience of our country becoming more independent, whether we’re affiliated with a party or not, politically active or never voted. One impact of that process is that what was once common, becomes questioned.
Take for example a recent piece in the Wall Street Journal entitled “New Law on Ethics May Face Challenge.” It reports on a controversy in New York surrounding who would be allowed to serve on a newly formed ethics body with the power to investigate state officials who run afoul of ethics rules.
The fact that power on the board was divvied up evenly between Republicans and Democrats raised sharp objections from leading First Amendment scholars and constitutional lawyers prompting them to warn that the new ethics body may be destined for legal challenges in federal court if the possibility for independents to serve on it was eliminated.
Where once an equitable power sharing arrangement between Democrats and Republicans would be welcomed and applauded as fair, it has become suspect. That’s the power of a 40-year trend towards political independence making itself felt and allowing things to be seen in new and unexpected ways.
Sarah Lyons is the Director of Communications for IndependentVoting.org, a national association for independents with organization in 40 states. She is based in New York City. She can be reached at 212-962-1824 or slyons@cuip.org
Republican Congressional Candidate DesJarlais Ducks Debate And Disturbing Past
Thursday, April 9th, 2009Republican congressional candidate Scott DesJarlais backed out of a scheduled debate against U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis Monday night, proving the Republican is dodging questions about his disturbing past.
“Mr. DesJarlais obviously doesn’t want to answer questions about his unfaithful and violent behavior and is unable to convey to voters why he wants to represent them in Congress,” Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester said. “Anyone who wants to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives should be able to talk about the issues in a public forum.”
After agreeing to debate Davis in a McMinnville forum organized by the Southern Standard newspaper and public radio station WCPI-FM 91.3, DesJarlais, a Jasper physician, canceled at the last minute, claiming he should not be expected to answer questions about his past.
DesJarlais was involved in a bitter divorce a decade ago in which his ex-wife accused him of harassment, intimidation and physical abuse, according to a series of motions filed in Marion County Chancery Court.
“Scott DesJarlais’ unwillingness to stand up and answer the tough questions tells us all we need to know,” Forrester said. “Innocent people with the evidence to prove it don’t usually take the fifth, but Scott DesJarlais would rather back out of debates than face the facts of his disturbing and dangerous record.”
The McMinnville newspaper admonished DesJarlais over the weekend about ducking his “responsibility to the voters.”
“If DesJarlais expected a pillow fight, he should have never entered the race,” the newspaper’s editorial said. “If he can’t stand up and face a couple questions from Lincoln Davis, is this really the guy we want determining how the U.S. should handle North Korea and Iran?
“But the bottom line is accountability and a sense of responsibility to the voters. If you don’t have enough respect for the people of the 4th District to show up for a debate and express your views, why do you deserve our vote?”
