| WIKI | FAQ | Tech FAQ | |
 http://csua.com/feed/ | |
| ||||||
| 5/26 |
| 2004/2/20-21 [Politics/Domestic/Election] UID:12336 Activity:high |
2/20 Ralph Nader is 2004! Go Ralph go!
\_ That roaring you hear is thousands of Republicans celebrating
and writing $2000 donations to Ralph's campaign.
\_ Now if only we Democrats could convince Perot to run again...
\_ One more monumentally egotistical American.
\_ http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&edition=us&q=nader
No decision until Sunday. Then the lynching begins.
\_ Lynching? Fuck you. He has the same right to run as any
American born citizen over 35. He *can't* be 'stealing' votes
from anyone because they aren't 'owned' by anyone but each
individual owner and their concious. You think democracy is
all about lack of choices to force the election of a lesser evil?
I hope he runs because this country can really use a third
party. The other two have failed us as a nation.
\_ There's a time to stand for your principles. There's a time
to act like an adult and realize that standing for your
principles is going to get you fucked up beyond recognition.
This is one of those times. Kerry != Bush.
\_ he's not taking about running as a third party, he's talking
about running as an independent.
\_ yes, and? so what? that changes nothing re: what I said.
if he gets a measurable chunk of votes under any banner
his voice will carry weight for positive change.
\_ No, his voice will carry weight for getting Bush
reelected. God you hard lefties are stupid.
\_ Haha, you like Nader? Why bother with Nader? You could just
vote for Kucinich. At least Kucinich is respectable and knows
how to talk to a crowd. Why didn't Kucinich win? Whatever the
reasons it shows that the public seems to want people like
Bush and Kerry. They get what they deserve. Now stoofoo.
\_ Nader has a public record of success. Kucinich? Whatever.
I'm in favor of more political choice, not throwing my vote
away on the left most wing of the democrat party.
\_ A "public record of success"? One campaign against
a dangerous car, 40 years ago? Kucinich has been
in public office for 25 years. -tom
\_ I actually think the Green Party would have a lot
higher chance of success if they chose someone other
\- higher chance of success for what?
than Nader. Someone who actually stood a chance of
winning. At this point, Nader support is basically
just a cult of personality. He'd probably do more
harm for this country than good. In my opinion.
If they got a better representative, I'd probably
vote green, though. -sax
\_ PIRG, Public Citizen, The Foundation for Taxpayer
and Consumer Rights were all founded by Nader.
Because of Nader we have OSHA, the EPA, the FOIA, the
Clean Water Act and The Consumer Product Safety
Division. Kucinich isn't even close.
\_ Yes, I really enjoyed my college tuition being
redirected by a front organization for eco-terrorist
causes all under some vague name as CalPIRG
\_ which planet are you on?
\_ What has Kucinich done, tom?
\_ Look anyone who knows the history
of OSHA and the EPA knows that
Nader's Raiders were instrumental
in getting them passed. Research
them yourself and you will see.
\_ http://www.kucinich.us/about.php
The guy was elected to public offices.
Nader wasn't. Nader didn't create those
bloated gov't bodies, because he wasn't in
government. Nader had a long career as a
"consumer watchdog". That has zero relevance
to presidential appeal.
\_ That's a laughable comment. Look, the bottom line is
that America doesn't want Nader as president. It's
obvious. All the posturing and righteous, "outside the
system" superiority won't make people vote for him
which thankfully is the only way to win. Compromise is
part of the process and why there are primaries.
\_ What has Kucinich done?
\_ He invented the Internet, cured the common
cold, and designed the Mars rover. If
you're just going to make up
accomplishments, I will, too.
\_ Good thing you didn't sign your name:
http://www.votenader.org/biography.html
http://www.nader.org/enbio.html
http://csua.org/u/63s (US State Dept)
http://www.gleitsman.org/citizen/honoree.html
\_ what, two sites sponsored by Nader,
and one by a self-congratulatory
citizen's group that has Nader
on the same page as such notables
as Mike Farrell (BJ Hunicutt from
MASH) and Jack Kevorkian. Wow,
that's some creds.
\_ Look anyone who knows the history
of OSHA and the EPA knows that
Nader's Raiders were instrumental
in getting them passed. It is not
my fault you are ignorant.
\_ That's a laughable comment.
in getting them passed. Research
them yourself and you will see.
\_ That's a laughable comment. Look, the bottom line is
that America doesn't want Nader as president. It's
obvious. All the posturing and righteous, "outside the
system" superiority won't make people vote for him
which thankfully is the only way to win. Compromise is
part of the process and why there are primaries. |
| 5/26 |
|
| www.votenader.org/biography.html Contact 10 Subscribe 11 Contribute 404 - Page Not Found Were Sorry, the page you requested could not be found. It might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable. You may want to try one of the following: - Go 12 back to the page you came from. |
| www.nader.org/enbio.html Since 1969, the Center has produced innumerable reports on wide-ranging subjects such as the Interstate Commerce Commission, food safety, pensions, corporate welfare, and government procurement. Other Nader inspired groups include the 10 Aviation Consumer Action Project, 11 Center for Auto Safety, 12 Clean Water Action Project, Disability Rights Center, Pension Rights Center, Freedom of Information Clearinghouse, and the 13 Congressional Accountability Project. Nader also helped establish the 14 PIRGs-- Public Interest Research Groups-- the student-funded and controlled organizations which function on college campuses in 23 states. The groups have published hundreds of ground-breaking reports and guides, lobbied for laws in their state legislatures, and called the media's attention to environmental and energy problems. The largest of the Nader organizations is 15 Public Citizen, founded in 1971. The groups under the Public Citizen umbrella include Congress Watch, Health Research Group, Critical Mass Energy Project, Global Trade Watch, and the Litigation Group. Public Citizen's nationwide membership has grown to over 100,000. In November 1980, Nader resigned as director of Public Citizen in order to devote his energy toward other projects. The organization is now headed by Joan Claybrook, former head of Congress Watch and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Today Nader lectures on the growing "imperialism" of multinational corporations and of a dangerous convergence of corporate and government power. With the passage of autocratic trade treaties like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the new General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), this merger of corporate and government interests is escalating. A magazine founded by Nader in 1980, the 16 Multinational Monitor, tracks the global intrusion of multinational corporations and their impact on developing nations, labor, and the environment. Nader's overriding concern and vision is presently focused on empowering citizens to create a responsive government sensitive to citizens' needs. Corporate lobbyists and certain legislators have worked on both the federal and state levels to restrain consumers' rights to seek justice in court against wrongdoers in the area of product liability, securities fraud, and medical negligence. Nader recently co-authored a book on corporate lawyers and the perils of the legal system entitled No Contest. The Savings and Loan bailout is also a large concern of Nader's; He co-authored the book Winning the Insurance Game, and has been working with consumer activists in Massachusetts and California on improving the cost and coverage of automobile and health insurance in those states. Nader seems undaunted by the de-regulatory setbacks posed by the Reagan and Bush administrations and perpetuated by Clinton. He says, "You've got to keep the pressure on, even if you lose. |
| csua.org/u/63s -> usinfo.state.gov/journals/itdhr/0800/ijde/schmuhl.htm Center for Public Integrity, founded in 1990, combines the methodologies of political science and the techniques of investigative reporting in researching and releasing reports and book-length studies on such topics as questionable contributions in presidential and congressional campaigns, the dangers of under-regulated pesticides and the decline in privacy as technology becomes more sophisticated. What makes the Center for Public Integrity distinctive is its emphasis on investigative reporting and its relationship with established journalistic institutions. For instance, its analysis of campaign contributions to members of Indiana's state general assembly resulted in a detailed series of articles in 1996 in the Indianapolis Star and a week-long report on local television. In these and other cases, an independent watchdog organization is providing sophisticated research assistance for the news media to use in their work. At a time when some news institutions claim they cannot afford expensive investigations of complicated subjects, the Center for Public Integrity helps defray the costly background inquiry, with the findings ultimately appearing in major media outlets. In the balance, news institutions and the Center achieve their common objectives, with public awareness benefitting from the joint effort. Constitution could never have envisioned was a world with such an array of sources of available information that acquiring the knowledge that leads to power takes more effort today than ever before. Although access to political and government news and reports is now relatively easy, sorting through the volume of daily information poses a serious, potentially debilitating problem for the average citizen. The media present so many messages that most people are forced to seek civic information in a deliberate, active way. With constantly multiplying broadcast, print and cyber sources, it's no longer possible to expect that people to share a common body of information about civic life. Although media usage has by no means declined in recent years, new media options result in less attention to traditional news outlets, forcing Americans who want to be informed about public affairs to take greater personal initiative to learn what's happening. Concerned citizens now must go to special media sources featuring political and government information for the necessary background to make decisions, for example, about voting or working to change or affect public policy. And the multiplicity of available outlets means mastering myriad data. Otherwise, one consequence could well be a sense of information overload or a personal quandary about the most appropriate direction to take. But such work demands perspective and recognition of the limitations that exist in relying on the media alone for guidance. As the respected American columnist and author Walter Lippmann once argued, "The press is no substitute for institutions. It is like the beam of a searchlight that moves restlessly about, bringing one episode and then another out of darkness into vision. Men cannot do the work of the world by this light alone. They cannot govern society by episodes, incidents and eruptions. Especially since the 1960s and 1970s, American news coverage of government has assumed a more pronounced adversarial stance. The Vietnam War and the Watergate scandals not only lowered citizen confidence and trust in the government's work; In particular, the coverage of Watergate and Richard Nixon's administration by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein changed the ethos of journalism, giving rise to probing, investigative coverage and analysis. What's different today, aside from the aggressive reporting style of Woodward and Bernstein, is the new environment for news, complete with many more broadcast and Internet sources. Each outlet requires a constant supply of new messages, leading to more opportunities for the news media to serve as watchdog. How well the different institutions fulfill that role is widely debated both inside and outside journalism, but the facts of the new ethos and environment are critical in understanding the contemporary relationship between government and the news media. During the past three decades, as news outlets have proliferated and become more aggressive, government offices and agencies at every level have become more sensitive to the public's perception of their work. So many competing messages now circulate in the coverage of major stories that forming a reasoned viewpoint, based on accurate facts and fair interpretation, is increasingly difficult. As the noted ABC television journalist Ted Koppel remarked in a recent lecture: "There are at least two kinds of extreme ignorance. For centuries we have been familiar with the first kind -- an ignorance that covered most of the world like a dark cloud; The second kind is a more recent phenomenon, one which presents itself in the form of a paradox. This second form of ignorance exists in a world of electronic anarchy, where so much information abounds that the mind doesn't know what to believe. The First Amendment to the Constitution insuring freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petitioning "the Government for a redress of grievances" is both a shield and a sword for journalists in covering public affairs. One significant battle between the government and the press occurred in 1971, when the administration of President Richard Nixon tried to halt the publication of documents about American involvement in the Vietnam War. However, by a 6-3 vote of the Supreme Court, the government's effort to restrain the press was not allowed, and publication of the Pentagon Papers proceeded. This landmark case, decided as the Vietnam War raged on and involving the president of the United States and two leading news organizations, became an influential victory for journalism in the press- government relationship. The Supreme Court's affirmation of the First Amendment three decades ago continues to embolden the press today. Early on, Jefferson recognized the value of newspapers for citizen self-governance and freedom, but later as president, he found the reportage and criticism detrimental to his own efforts at governing. Jefferson was neither the first nor last occupant of the White House to complain vociferously about press mistreatment of his presidency. But Jefferson's complaints, along with those of government officials throughout the ages, are what fuel the fires for keeping the public well informed. Suspicion of governmental power encroaching on individual freedoms has always been a defining American characteristic. Indeed, the Founding Fathers established different branches of government -- executive, legislative and judicial -- that proliferated at the national, state and local levels, providing "checks and balances" on public bodies and officials. Unofficially, yet significantly, the news media, public interest groups and citizens -- either acting alone or collectively -- monitor what's happening in government and seek changes or corrections when they seem warranted. By engaging in their day-to-day and multi-faceted activities, the work of these "watchdogs" -- in holding government accountable and faithful to the nation's ideals -- help keep the United States on an unending path to a more representative and purposeful democracy. |
| www.kucinich.us/about.php In his Cleveland, Ohio district, Kucinich has been recognized by the Greater Cleveland AFL-CIO as a tireless advocate for the social and economic interests of his community. He is currently leading a civic crusade to save Clevelands 90 year-old steel industry and the thousands of jobs and retiree benefits it provides. While hundreds of community hospitals have been closed throughout the country, Kucinich led a powerful citizens movement which reopened two Cleveland neighborhood hospitals. He was prepared to block a railroad merger at the Surface Transportation Board until he gained an agreement from the nations largest railroads which improved rail safety while diverting a heavy volume of train traffic away from heavily populated residential areas. His promotion of rail safety improvements gained him the top award from the Ohio PTA in 2000. His efforts on behalf of Clevelands poor gained the recognition of the National Association of Social Workers. He continues to be a local and national advocate for the homeless. Congressman Kucinich acts upon his belief that protection of the global environment is fundamental to preserving the life of all species. He has been honored by Public Citizen, the Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth and the League of Conservation Voters as a champion of clean air, clean water and an unspoiled earth. He was an early critic of nuclear power as being risky economically, and environmentally, raising questions about nuclear waste byproducts. As a state senator he raised so many questions about a planned siting of a nuclear waste dump in Ohio that the idea was eventually scrapped. Early in his first term in Congress he thwarted an effort to repeal a provision of the Clean Air Act. As a congressional representative to the global climate treaty talks, Congressman Kucinich encouraged America to lead the way toward a sustainable, shared stewardship of the planet through carbon reduction, and investment in alternative energy technologies. Congressman Kucinich is one of the few vegans in Congress, a dietary decision he credits not only with improving his health, but in deepening his belief in the sacredness of all species. In the 106th Congress, his call for labeling and safety testing of all genetically engineered foods provoked a $50 million advertising campaign by the biotech industry. Kucinich hosted an international parliamentary session, attended by officials of 18 countries, on the social, economic, political and health impact of genetic food technologies. More recently he was one of the principal speakers at an international conference on water rights, where he called for governments to reserve public ownership of water resources. Kucinich, a Democrat of Ohio, is a dynamic, visionary leader of the Progressive Caucus of the congressional Democrats who combines a powerful activism with a spiritual sense of the essential interconnectedness of all living things. His holistic worldview carries with it a passionate commitment to public service, peace, human rights, workers rights, and the environment. His advocacy of a Department of Peace seeks not only to make nonviolence an organizing principle in our society, but to make war archaic. His is a powerful, ethical voice for nuclear disarmament, preservation of the ABM treaty, banning weapons in outer space, and a halt to the development of a Star Wars - type missile defense technology. He has been recognized for his advocacy of human rights in Burma, Nigeria and East Timor. Joe Moakley D-Mass, he has led a concerted effort to close the School of the Americas, which has been an incubator of human rights violations in Central America. On the eve of the World Trade Organizations Seattle conference, Rep. Kucinich organized 114 Democrats to help convince President Clinton to seek human rights, workers rights and environmental quality principles as preconditions in all US trade agreements. Kucinich marched with workers through the streets of Seattle protesting the WTOs policies and with students through the streets of Washington, DC, challenging the structural readjustment policies of the IMF. Dennis Kucinich is the 2003 recipient of the Gandhi Peace Award Kucinich: Relationship between personal faith and political life Resume of Dennis J. Kucinich for the Position of President of the United States Why We Need Dennis Kucinich for President in 2004 This is a grassroots campaign that needs your assistance. Sign up for Email list Contribute Volunteer Print and distribute this bio of Dennis pdf Print and distribute Dennis 10 Key Issues pdf . |