Maryland for Edwards

Aug. 5, 2008 The AFL-CIO Executive Council is in Chicago this week fine-tuning the union movement's largest-ever voter mobilization to take back the White House and strengthen working family majorities in Congress. The labor leaders will focus on the drive to inform union voters--who will make a difference in key battleground states--about the candidates and the strategy to get out the vote on Election Day. ***** Quick Poll: Whom do you trust most for information about House and Senate candidates? http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/o1a31_F1xcTy/ Got comments? Post them at: http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/9pa31_F1xcTU/ *****

Executive Council Meeting Focuses on Election Drive http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/kpa31_F1xcTu/

Verizon Contract Talks Continue Past Strike Deadline http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/9da31_F1xcTm/

Kentucky Nurses' Long Struggle for Justice Takes a Step Forward http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/91a31_F1xcTj/

Bricklayers Endorse Obama http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/k7a31_F1xcT7/

Why Democrats should organize boycotts of Wal-Mart, picket their stores and challenge all store openings

Stephen Crockett — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:49:00 EDT

Wal-Mart Wants to Make Sure Its Employees Don’t Vote Democratic

by Tula Connell, Aug 1, 2008

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/08/01/wal-mart-wants-to-make-sure-its-employees-dont-vote-democratic/

Wal-Mart and all its $13 billion in 2007 profits are quaking. The retail monolith is scared that Democrats will be elected to office this fallâ€"and might pass legislation that would level the playing field for workers seeking to join unions.

The Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB121755649066303381.html reports on Wal-Mart’s corporate tremors today, noting that

in recent weeks, thousands of Wal-Mart store managers and department heads have been summoned to mandatory meetings at which the retailer stresses the downside for workers if stores were to be unionized.

Downsides, huh? Like getting paid enough to support yourself and your family. Or maybe even the real big downside of having affordable job-based health insurance so that the emergency room isn’t the only option when your child has the flu. Because by not paying its employees enough to afford the company health plan, Wal-Mart dumps the cost of health care onto all taxpayers http://www.aflcio.org/corporatewatch/walmart/upload/walmart_tax_memo.pdf , even making it a corporate policy to encourage new hires to use public emergency rooms, according to author Barbara Ehrenreich.

(You can tell Wal-Mart to stop its unfair and immoral workplace intimidation by signing a petition here http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/wal_mart_petition .)

Wal-Mart has been so intent upon piling up its billions in annual profits, it has created a mini-industry of anti-unionism to ensure it keeps its employees at everyday low wages. So, Wal-Mart is stepping up its efforts to prevent Democrats from being elected this fall, by telling employees http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB121755649066303381.html that “voting for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama would be tantamount to inviting unions in.” And Wal-Mart employees report feeling pressured to vote for candidates who oppose the Employee Free Choice Act.

Wal-Mart is doing even more arm-twisting workers on their way to the ballot box. Rather than pay its employees a decent wage and provide affordable health care, Wal-Mart is putting mega bucks into front groups that are spearheading a multi-million dollar ad campaign to slam workers, their unions and their efforts to pass the Employee Free Choice Act http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/voiceatwork/efca/ .

For instance, Wal-Mart is the largest member of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, one of the main funders of the $30 million anti-union campaign called “Coalition for a Democratic Workplace http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/the-anti-union-network/chamber-of-commerce/coalition-for-a-democratic-workplace-exposed-20080424-557-273.html .”

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney says this latest revelation of Wal-Mart’s egregious meddling into its employees’ voting preferences

goes to show the extent that companies like Wal-Mart will go to maintain the status quo, which allows them to exploit workers to maximize profit. It’s clear the business community intends to spend heavily to protect its interests but working people know this election is about creating real, lasting economic change.

Wal-Mart is ready to use its corporate power as America’s largest private employer to corrupt the political system to safeguard its profits. American Rights at Work has lots of info on Wal-Mart’s actions attacking the Employee Free Choice Act here http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/employee-free-choice-act/latest-updates/wal-mart-mobilizing-against-the-employee-free-choice-act-20080801-605-83-83.html and has a detailed report here http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/wal-mart/wal-mart/wal-mart-rolling-back-workers-wages-rights-and-the-american-dream.html on how Wal-Mart rolls back workers’ wages in an assault on the American Dream. Plus the worker advocacy organization also tracks the front groups behind the Employee Free Choice Act smear campaign, with info here http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/the-anti-union-network/chamber-of-commerce/coalition-for-a-democratic-workplace-exposed-20080424-557-273.html .

Take action now and tell Wal-Mart stop intimidating its employees http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/wal_mart_petition . Sign the petition here http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/wal_mart_petition .

Future Liar-in-Chief McCain and his BS Express

Stephen Crockett — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:05:16 EDT

The fear that Republican Presidential candidate will be soundly defeated by Obama in November has generated a massive barrage of outright lies and some very smelly BS. Some of the lies and BS come from the usual disreputable sources like Right Wing talk radio hosts, Republican bloggers, Ann Coulter clones and certain Fox News commentators. These are to be expected.

Right Wing Republican Congressional candidates have been using slash and burn campaigns and outright lies routinely since at least the 1994 election. The recent negative comments by Congresswoman Heather Wilson falsely smearing Obama are a prime example of this low road campaign style. Republican Congressman Charlie Dent has been trying to defend his close ties to the oil industry and the huge amount of money they have donated to his campaign by blaming his Democratic challenger Sam Bennett for high fuel prices. Wilson and Dent sound just like McCain. They are just frightened of the voters and trying to hide their roles in creating the current economic mess.

However, the Republican Presidential candidates usually have not been nearly as vicious or desperate as John McCain. McCain seems to have become as divorced from the truth or civil political discourse as Dick Cheney. Smears and attack lines cannot conceal the truth forever.

Only about a half dozen years ago, I remember talking about the respect I held then for John McCain, as an independent-minded Republican, on my talk radio show. While I respected the McCain of Bush’s first term and admired the soldier McCain of the Vietnam era, I have little respect for McCain’s behavior as a Presidential candidate in 2008.

I admit that I would not have voted for John McCain at any point in his political career because he has always been a political enemy of working Americans and a powerful tool of the Corporate forces crushing us as workers, taxpayers and consumers. Those differences were ones of policy.

The problem with McCain in 2008 is that his character has apparently been corrupted by his lust for the Presidency. His nasty tone and negative personal attacks on Obama show how much of a failure McCain has been as a Presidential candidate trying to defend on the failed policies of Bush Republicanism!

McCain has falsely blamed Obama for high gas prices. McCain has been receiving huge campaign donations from Big Oil. He has done absolutely nothing to promote more competition in the oil industry. He has opposed oil windfall taxes that would have been used to promote alternative energy development.

Register To Vote, And Send Voltage To DNC Convention.

Michael Tiffany — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:57:20 EDT

Register to vote, and send Voltage to play at the Democratic National Convention. We have songs that are perfect for the event already written, and I am already the number one democrat at the DNC.

McCain folks and other Republicans are running scared

Stephen Crockett — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 07:39:59 EDT

It is obvious that the Democratic Party is rapidly unifying. All the signs are there. Hillary Clinton deserves much of the credit! It has now become clear that the most offensive alleged Clinton backers posting on the Internet were never really Clinton supporters. As many people know, Rush Limbaugh launched a major disruption campaign designed to divide Democrats called "Operation Chaos". He urged his listeners to pretend to be Clinton supporters and create chaos in the Democratic Party. I recognize some of the Free Republic.com wingnuts who are Limbaugh fans posting here pretending to be Clinton supporters. They really are just Internet political terrorists. They are really frightened by the excellent prospects for huge Democratic gains at all levels this November. There is no dirty political tactic that these enemies of honest political discourse would not use! Real Clinton supporters would never support an openly anti-Choice candidate like McCain. The Supreme Court Justices that McCain would appoint are exactly the kind of Justices that Bush appointed. McCain would continue to cut funding to equal opportunity programs for women and minorities. McCain would continue the Iraq War. McCain would oppose almost every single idea supported by Hillary Clinton during her campaign. Obama would support almost every single major idea Clinton supported. Democrats want more jobs. Democrats want universal health care. We want open government. We want less influence for lobbyists and huge international corporations. We do not want oil companies, HMO's and drus companies running our government. Democrats want to de-politicize the Department of Justice and the federal courts corrupted by the Republicans. Democrats want to address the high cost of a college education. We want to really promote alternative energy. We want to attack price-gouging by large corporations. We want to rebuild our economic infrastructure before it is completely collapses. McCain will only continue the failed policies of the Bush Republicans. He is no longer a reformer (if he ever really was one). McCain voted with the Bush White House over 95% of the time since he started his White House bid! Democrats are not idiots. We do not want a third term for Bush by electing a "McBush". We want to control both the House and the Senate. We want our government back and are uniting to get it back!

Excellent commentary on Party unity in November from Tennessee Democrat and union activist

Stephen Crockett — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:09:28 EDT

Subject: Now that the primaries are over, remember what is truly at stake!!! Hi to all! This is kind of long, but I felt like I just had to write it. I was agonized today to see a column in "The Tennesseean" in which the writer pitched the case for many Hillary Clinton supporters to wind up voting for John McCain, and claimed that this is what is happening across our country. According to this columnist, women who supported Clinton are saying they will now vote for McCain, and the writer brandished a supposed national poll showing McCain currently with an 8-point lead among white women. Admittedly, the columnist was from the right, which throws her perspective off right away. After all, she has an agenda to help urge that switch along. But I was agonized, quite literally, to think that any woman who has called herself a Democrat or even an independent could for one second even contemplate voting for John McCain in the fall, simply because her candidate did not win the Denocrtic nomination. (That goes for men, too!) Now that the bruising divisiveness of our primary process is behind us, it is time for all of us to remember what is truly at stake here. This is no peacetime, everything's going great election cycle. Our country is in serious trouble, and perhaps standing at the precipous from which one more false step will lead to its permanent decline. The matter at stake that has lasting ramifications for many decades to come is that of the Supreme Court. Seven of nine justices currently serving were appointed by Republican presidents. As many as four seats on the Court may come up in the next four years, and almost certainly two at minimum will open up for appointments. John McCain is now firmly on record as saying he will nominate for those appointments the exact same kind of justices and federal judges we have seen from George W. Bush, and that means only one thing for those women who vote for him -- fewer rights. Fewer rights in employment and equal pay. Fewer in terms of sexual harassment. Fewer reproductive rights. The list is lengthy. As is the list of issues on which McCain's so-called "straight talk express" has been very clear in putting him on the record in the past three months: continued war in Iraq; no diplomacy when it comes to our enemies (so we make decisons in a vacuum); continued "tax cut" deficit spending that hurts our economy while benefiting the rich. It goes on and on from the man whose Senate record shows he voted the Bush line 95% of the time! It's Bush Lite -- sound centrist, but less substance! And read what the "Guardian" newspaper of London wrote today about how Republicans want to try to exploit any rifts in our party: "With the Democratic nomination settled, the Republican party are seeking to exploit divisions within the Democratic party and peel away Democrats and independents uneasy with Barack Obama. As soon as it became clear Obama had clinched the nomination on Tuesday night, the Republican national committee's research arm began releasing memos highlighting criticism of the Illinois senator from fellow Democrats. The Republicans memos featured primary-campaign comments that are critical of Obama from Democrats, including former president Jimmy Carter, senators Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, and of course Hillary Clinton. "Democrats vs Obama," the rubric is named. The Republican party hopes to capitalise on the lingering dissension among Clinton supporters, and to split them off from the party while they are still angry. The quarry: 17.5m Americans who voted for Clinton in the primaries. The party also hopes to show independent voters that not even the Democrats are united behind Obama. "The longer the Democrats have [to take] to heal these divisions, the longer it gives McCain to organise in the key states and raise money," said David Johnson, an Atlanta-based Republican strategist. "It keeps them from attacking him and trying to tie McCain to Bush. If his own party has so many questions about him, how can the American people support him?" Republicans say that using Democrats' own words against Obama effectively augments attacks from McCain surrogates like former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who this morning said, "for all of Barack Obama's charm, that he doesn't have the experience to lead our economy at a time like this." It's time for us all to take a giant deep breath and begin to heal from the primaries -- and then to consider the benefits our party has derived from those primaries and the risks of not following through with that process all the way to the White House. We have benefited from the 56-primary Obama-Clinton struggle because the nominee of our party will now stand as a much stronger candidate as a result of that process. The fact that the primary process actually did what it was constructed to do this time, and was not short-circuited, means that presumptive nominee Barack Obama emerges better tested and better ready for the fall. There was no free pass this time for either Obama or Clinton, and whoever emerged was sure to be strenghtened by the process and far less likely to get KO'ed by a surprise attack later. There is a far lesser chance of a John Kerry "Swift-Boat" type attack being sprung on candidates so well vetted by the primary process. Both Clinton and Obama became tougher fighters during the primaries, and that will serve both well in their political futures. We are stronger as a party now, having drawn in millions of young and new voters, as well as attracting some Republicans and independents who for the first time have declared themselves Democrats in the primaries. We are poised by any reasonable measure for victory on a national scale that may be of historic proportions -- not only in the presidential race, but in the House and Senate as well -- IF we can heal and join together to do this. It quite literally is ours to lose, and the decisions each one of us makes between now and November will decide our own fate as a party and as a nation. Do we want to help our nation emerge from this cave we are living in? Or do we want to yet again fall back into the darkness? It's up to each of us. I hope you'll reflect on this, and pray about it, and then join me in reaching toward the future! Thanks for all you do! Jim Steele Vice Chair Lincoln County Democratic Party (Tennessee)

The Oil Soaked Tennessee Congresswoman

Stephen Crockett — Thu, 22 May 2008 03:49:53 EDT

I recently saw Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn on C-SPAN trying to sell America on the political agenda of the oil industry.

Her performance was a disgrace. She showed a bunch of charts on oil policy that were pure works of fiction. They had numbers on fuel prices resulting from policy positions that were pure imagination with zero basis in fact.

She claims that price-gouging has no impact on the current outrageous prices at the pump. Please! Blackburn expects us to believe this oil industry talking point.

The current price spiral is not solely based on supply and demand. It is largely based on market power and manipulation.

She claims not building refineries is a major cause when the oil industry has intentionally been closing profitable refineries to restrict supply and drive up prices.

Blackburn did not mention alternative energy policies which are long overdue and which have been blocked by the oil industry for decades.

We do not need more oil-soaked members of Congress. I hope her District will send her into retirement in November.

I am sure she can find a cushy position with Exxon/Mobil.

Sincerely,
Stephen Crockett

The Republican troll problem on this site

Stephen Crockett — Sun, 18 May 2008 15:06:20 EDT

It is obvious that we have a very large number of Republican infiltrators posing as Democrats on this site trying to disrupt our Party unity. This is not a new problem. For those of us who have posted on earlier Democratic Party (DNC) blogs, we know that given the opportunity, hundreds of nasty comments would be posted by crazy, Far Right Republican partisans and partisans of Free Republic.com.

They seem to be using the Clinton-Obama contest as an opportunity to attempt to undermine our unity. They have very little hope otherwise of winning the White House nor retaining even significant minorities in Congress.

First of all, both Clinton and Obama have pledged to support the Democratic ticket in November regardless of who is our nominee. All supporters of both candidates should be honor bound to follower these two leaders in doing the same.

I am asking everyone posting here to make a personal commitment to support the Democratic ticket by adding a public commitment to do so in the form of a comment to this thread.

Publicly condemn racist or sexist comments posted here on any thread. Publicly state that they are not acceptable and that the person making them are at best promoting a Republican victory even if unintentionally in November.

Any person repeatedly making these kind of comments or pledging to vote for McCain if their candidate is not the nominee should be revealed to be either a Republican or a tool of the Republicans.

Let us expose the Republican disrupters trying to use dirty tricks to disrupt the democratic process. They are enemies of free elections. They will stop at nothing... just look at the phone-jamming scandal in New Hampshire and the Siegelman railroad job in Alabama.

Nazi type tactics and language has no place in a democratic nation or in our Democratic Party.

Sincerely,

Stephen Crockett

Host of Democratic Talk Radio

Republican trolls and the DNC donation boycott suicide movement

Stephen Crockett — Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:17 EDT

Over the past few weeks, I have received some really stupid emails trying to get me to boycott the DNC financially over seating Florida and Michigan delegations to the Democratic convention. I believe this movement is a trojan horse operation being pushed by Republican trolls.
It smells like a Karl Rove type operation.

The financing of the Democratic National Committee should not be crippled as a result of the Clinton-Obama Presidential contest under any circumstances!

The current round of anti-McCain ads being aired by the Democratic National Committee is proof. They are excellent. As Democrats, we should all be helping to finance them if we want to win in November.

Here are a few suggestions.

If you receive an email urging a boycott of DNC donations, reply to the sender that they are helping the Republican Party and that you will be blocking all future emails from them. Then block them.

If you have a website that includes links to other sites, remove all links to sites that promote boycotting the DNC financially.

Make a small donation to the DNC instead of your favorite Presidential candidate this week. Show that you are a real Democrat!

Urge everyone on your email lists to read this post, copy it and send it to every Democrat they know.

Write the Presidential candidate you support and urge them to do a joint televised appeal for funds for the Democratic National Committee. A joint Clinton-Obama fundraising ad would certainly help strengthen the Democratic ticket in November at all levels regardless of eventual nominee.

Thanks,

Stephen Crockett

Host, Democratic Talk Radio http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com

Editor, Mid-Atlantic Labor.com http://www.midatlanticlabor.com

Gas Tax Nonsense and Fundamental Energy Industry Change

Stephen Crockett — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:58:42 EDT

The idea being promoted by both John McCain and Hillary Clinton of canceling the federal gasoline tax for the summer is a terrible idea. It fails to address the real issue of runaway fuel prices. It has negative consequences for the safety of our roads and bridges. It is essentially a campaign stunt and distraction. The oil profiteers have already gobbled up any benefit consumers might gain from the cut far in advance of the proposed summer suspension.

Runaway fuel prices are largely the result of market manipulation by speculators and oil companies combined with a “nod and wink” approach to government regulation and law enforcement from the Bush Administration. We need serious government intervention instead of cosmetic window dressing.

Gasoline inventories are rising at the same time that prices are skyrocketing! Oil companies have been intentionally closing refineries to raise prices. The Bush administration has been taking huge quantities off the market by continuing to fill a strategic reserve when the federal government should be releasing the reserve to drive down the prices and breaking the power of speculators.

The federal taxes on fuel are a very tiny percentage of the total price. Gasoline prices rose nationally last month by nearly twice the amount of the federal gas tax. While the suspension of the gasoline tax sounds good, it does nothing but slow the price rise for a couple of weeks while gutting our ability to maintain our roads and bridges.

We already have bridges collapsing and citizens dying. Our transportation safety issue is really important. It is already in a crisis situation without following this irresponsible proposal. We need a huge increase in transportation infrastructure spending by the federal government instead of a dramatic decrease. We need to spend hundreds of billions of dollars over the next few years on rebuilding our national economic infrastructure. We should be training millions of new construction workers by giving our construction unions support for their apprenticeship and training programs. The money has to come from somewhere.

McCain and Clinton are pushing a proposal that is irresponsible and will not even occur under their terms if elected. Neither will be in the White House this summer.

There are some ideas that will help. Aggressive investigations and prosecutions in the oil industry are certainly in order. Illegal price manipulation is likely. Strengthening laws and penalties for market manipulation should be a top priority. All profits derived from illegal market manipulation should be surrendered to the federal government along with huge additional penalties. The law should immediately be changed to make this the standard.

All oil imports should be done through the federal government. The federal government should negotiate the price from a position of strength. Oil companies should not be able to drive up prices by bidding against competitors for imports and using the process as an excuse for price-gouging.

We need a strong “windfall profits tax” on the oil industry. This tax should be used to promote alternative energy and to subsidize the trucking industry fuel costs, which is driving up consumer inflation on other products like food.

Oil refinery closings should only be permitted by the federal government when they do not result in huge price increases. If necessary, the federal government should build their own refineries to supply the American military and feral government vehicles. We should end the Iraq War which is wasting huge quantities of fuel needed by the homeland.

If all else fails, the federal government should consider price controls on fuel and/or nationalizing the oil industry. The oil industry cannot be permitted to control the entire American economy for the benefit of the very, very few.

McCain and Clinton should stop playing politics with the gas tax issue. They should be aggressively pushing for alternative energy solutions like solar, wind, conservation, bio-fuels, Green jobs and technology along with much more federal regulation of the oil companies.

Written by Stephen Crockett (host of Democratic Talk Radio http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com and Editor of Mid-Atlantic Labor.com http://www.midatlanticlabor.com). Mail: 698 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, Delaware 19702. Phone: 443-907-2367.

Feel free to publish at no charge without prior approval.

Pennsylvania Voting Problems- This is not about the Obama-Clinton race so keep those comments off this post, it is about democracy

Stephen Crockett — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:25:47 EDT

Around PA In 90 Minutes-Citizen Journalists Report on PA Primary

FROM INVISIBILITY TO BEYOND

Special 90 minute "Voice of the Voters!" & "American Voices"

Starting at 7:30 PM ET Wednesday, April 23rd

1360 AM Greater Philadelphia & and on the Internet www.voiceofthevoters.org

Millions of Pennsylvanians sought to exercise their right to vote on Tuesday, yet the 90% who had to use state's voting machines were "voting blind." Nonetheless, Citizen activists hit the streets to watch the parts of the process that they could monitor.

In this 90-minute special edition of Voice of the Voters & American Voices , we'll ask:

--Why is Pennsylvania now being called the Invisible State; portents for the future?

--Were voters able to vote or turned away? Why?

--Was there any indication of "Operation Chaos"?

--What was impact of the so-called "fleeing voter"?

--Were machine breakdowns common and how were they handled? Lines?

--Were provisional and emergency ballots available?

--What "anomalies" did voters and poll watchers notice?

--What were voters most serious concerns both in voting and issues for 2008?

--What have we learned about the State of PA Elections and Potential Impact on November?

Guests will have been on the ground, gathering information, filming or handling phone calls and will present first hand knowledge of this vital State's Operation on Primary Day. a forecast of things to come?

Dr. Alan Brau, Lehigh Valley CVI

Dr. Richard King, Western PA, PA-VerifiedVoting.org

Holly Jacobson, VoterAction reports from Hotline & Legal Action

Marybeth Kuznik, VotePA, overview of the State

Michael Collins, "Scoop" Independent News

Paddy Shaffer and Marj Creech, Centre PA. Came in from Ohio Election Justice Campaign

Sara Haile-Mariam, Philadelphia & Suburbs. Representing Youth Activists around the State

Suzanne Erb, Philadelphia (also reporting on difficulties with Disability voting)

Lori Rosolowsky with special report on the "Story of Creekside" .. Disenfranchisement?

And several others will contribute their eyewitness experience as we continue to gather stories across the Keystone State

Join in this important dissection of how Pennsylvania handled the primary, key concerns and questions, hosted by Jim Strait with input from Mary Ann Gould. John Gideon of VotersUnite.Org will provide news update as well as his perspective of PA reports.

Listeners can call in questions live at 856-227-1360 and submit questions in advance at the Voice of the Voters! Website. Internet. Access also at http://wnjc.duxpond.com/

Archived Voice of the Voters! programs can be found at http://www.voiceofthevoters.org

Coalition for Voting Integrity

For the Good of the Party and America, an Obama-Clinton Democratic ticket

Stephen Crockett — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:51:22 EDT

Hillary Clinton should end her bid for the White House. Obama should offer her the Vice Presidency. Clinton should accept the offer. It would be a bitter pill for both to swallow but it is what both the Democratic Party and the American nation desperately needs. Neither Clinton nor Obama should place their personal ambition, pride or emotions ahead of the needs of the American people.

Clinton won a big victory in Pennsylvania but the election was tainted by the highly negative campaign and by serious election equipment and logistical flaws. At this point, she could easily withdraw with honor. Clinton is certainly not responsible for the defective voting equipment or the thousands of Republicans who switched their registrations in Pennsylvania to Democratic but were denied their right to cast even provisional ballots.

Brad Friedman of Brad Blog predicted in advance on his website and in an interview broadcast on my Democratic Talk Radio show that the election process in Pennsylvania was going to be a disaster logistically. He told our listening audience in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (WGPA SUNNY 1100AM) and our Internet audience that after the problems arose that the type of voting machines used in Pennsylvania made it impossible to fix errors likely to arise. The voting machines used made it impossible to verify the count or audit the results. Pennsylvania election laws and processes tainted Clinton’s victory through no fault of her own.

This writer believes she won big in Pennsylvania but the voting process was so bad that many voters will always doubt the size of that victory.

Regardless of the Pennsylvania win, Clinton has almost zero chance of gaining the Democratic Presidential nomination without changing the nominating rules to seat the delegates from Michigan and Florida selected in unfair primary elections. Even with those delegates counted, Clinton has very little chance of gaining the nomination. It would take a nearly complete sweep of the remaining election contests in places like North Carolina, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon, Montana, South Dakota, Puerto Rico, Guam and Idaho along with gaining most of the Super Delegates. Basically, it would take a whole series of miracles for her to gain the nomination and place her in a very weak position in terms of defeating McCain in the Fall.

Counting on a series of miracles to win a nomination that would split the Democratic Party in half is a pretty poor campaign strategy. Staying in the race would cast Clinton in a Democratic spoiler role in the minds of the American people should it result in a McCain victory in November. It would ruin her place in history.

A McCain victory would be an absolute disaster for the American nation. It would be basically a third term for Bush Republicanism and the insane policies that have wrecked the American economy. It would mean a foreign policy of endless, pointless, bloody wars. Make no mistake about it, John McCain is a war-monger who has no clue about how to run an economy.

McCain would pack our federal courts with the same kind of partisan, ideologically driven, Far Right judges that Bush appointed. Helping to elect McCain would gut the Bill of Rights and essentially destroy American Democracy. McCain would be both stubborn and inept in the White House just like Bush.

McCain is and always has been a tool of Corporate forces in politics- just like Bush. He and his wife are likely worth hundreds of millions of dollars although the so-called “straight talker” has refused to expose their full family finances. McCain is hiding his conflicts of interests and financially self-serving political position by hiding behind his wife! It is shameful and dishonest.

Electing McCain would mean millions more Americans would lose their homes, their savings and their jobs. It would mean the near collapse of the American dollar, the almost total destruction of America as a manufacturing nation and the end of our military dominance because of economic collapse. The destruction of our Constitutionally guaranteed personal freedoms started under Bush would become complete. It would be in a very real sense a third term for George W. Bush.

McCain was a war hero in Vietnam but since then he has been a disaster for working Americans. Read about McCain at McCain Revealed.com http://www.mccainrevealed.com if you think I am over stating the case against a McCain Presidency. His record and policy positions are about 95 % the same as George W. Bush.

The American nation cannot afford a Bush Presidency. Clinton and Obama should make any sacrifice necessary to spare the American nation of this impending disaster. I am calling on their proven patriotism to work together as a Democratic ticket to defeat Bush Republicanism in the form of John McCain. Please save the American nation!

Written by Stephen Crockett (host of Democratic Talk Radio http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com and Editor of Mid-Atlantic Labor.com http://www.midatlanticlabor.com). Mail: 698 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, Delaware 19702. Phone: 443-907-2367.

Feel free to publish or post without prior approval.

Democratic Talk Radio guests on our Pennsylvania program

Stephen Crockett — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:41:46 EDT

UPCOMING SHOWS (times are Eastern)
Thursday mornings 8:05am-9am WGPA 1100AM, Bethlehem, PA.
On May 8, we have Ron Ennis who is Editor of the Lehigh Valley (PA) Labor Council, AFL-CIO newsletter and an American Postal Workers Union activist on the show. He is a great writer on union and political topics.

Tentatively have Cindy Sheehan scheduled for May 1 at 8:35am. About her Congressional run against Pelosi. We have Steve Raysely , who is the Steelworkers (and PACE) Rapid Response Coordinator for eastern Pennsylvania, in the studio for the entire show.

April 24th in studio whole show: Dennis Hower, VP of Teamsters Local 773 http://www.teamster773.org/hower.html & Allentown City Council President Michael D’Amore.

April 17th we had Pennsylvania State Representative and candidate for Pennsylvania Treasurer Jennifer Mann on the first half of the show. Brad Friedman from Brad Blog http://www.bradblog.com/ was on at 8:40am.

April 10th- Sam Bennett http://www.bennett2008.com/ , Democratic Congressional candidate in the 15th District (Lehigh Valley) and Joe Long, Chair of the Northampton Democratic Party, Chair of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Democratic Caucus and retired UAW organizer were are guests on this show.

April 3rd- Joe Long (see April 10th for bio) was in the studio for the whole show. We were joined by IBEW National Rep. Paul Simon at 8:35 for the end of the show.

Democratic Talk Radio will have Jack Wagner, Pennsylvania State Auditor; Gregg Potter, President of the Greater Lehigh Valley Labor Council, AFL-CIO; Larry Cohen, President of the Communications Workers of America and Paul Tucker, Editor & Publisher of the Union News newspapers in eastern Pennsylvania on future shows.

We hope to soon announce the appearances of several talk radio show hosts (Rick Smith and Jerry Pippin have agreed to appear) and at least two other Presidents of very large international unions. Keep checking back for details!

I forgot to mention that Sam Lathem, President of the Delaware AFL-CIO and Senator Joe Biden have both agreed to be future guests. We are still working on a schedule for them.

Sincerely,

Stephen Crockett

Host, Democratic Talk Radio

http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com

LGBT - Obama/Clinton - I found a difference

BJM — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:57:08 EDT

Hey! I found a difference or two...

from speakout.com
Everything he's 'voted for or against' matches Clinton.

Also see comparision from
http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/reports/final_candidates_positions.pdf

The Beginning of the Economy - Clinton

BJM — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:11:01 EDT

still getting info off speakout.com

would love any other links or information anyone has on Clinton.

Just how close is it?

BJM — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:42:28 EDT

Every week there is at least one article --- Obama beats Clinton in new poll... Clinton trails Obama against McCain in new poll... Clinton beats Obama in new poll on economy....Obama beats Clinton in new poll on war...

blah blah blah

Here's this week's announcement

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23918341/

This one was interesting to me because it addresses Ohio and Florida as two key states in the General election. In the end I think Michigan will be the key state this time around, but I don't disagree that these two states are critical for a democratic win in November.

So I ask... What do you think of this article? does it change your mind about which candidate you support? why or why not?

Personally, it made me think. It doesn't change my mind about who I support but it did make me look a little closer as to why I support them.

Democratic Talk Radio will be on the air in Pennsylvania starting April 3rd

Stephen Crockett — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:26:58 EDT

Democratic Talk Radio will be on the air in the Lehigh Valley starting April 3, 2008 at 8:05 am on WGPA, 1100AM. The program will be streaming live on the Internet at http://www.wgpasunny1100.com/welcomepg.html. All programs will be archived on the Democratic Talk Radio website at http://66.39.111.188/arc.html for anytime streaming or downloading for Podcasting.

The program will feature book authors, talk show hosts, journalists, labor leaders, officeholders, candidates, policy experts, political activists and more, as guests. The program will be co-hosted by Stephen Crockett (from Maryland and Tennessee) and Dana Garrett (from Delaware.) Both are experienced political observers and talk show hosts.

Stephen Crockett writes the Democratic Voices opinion column which is widely available on the Internet. He is a member of the National Writers Union (UAW local 1981) and is active with the UAW Community Action Program. Professionally, Stephen Crockett has an extensive background in marketing, advertising and public relations. Crockett owns College Marketing.com http://www.CollegeMarketing.com .

Crockett serves as a public relations specialist for American Income Life Insurance dealing with unions in Delaware and eastern Pennsylvania. He represents the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 277 on many labor councils in the region. Crockett is an associate member of the Steelworkers’ (USW) union.

He serves as Editor and Publisher of Mid-Atlantic Labor.com http://www.midatlanticlabor.com. He has worked in dozens of political campaigns from New Hampshire to Florida. Crockett has been active in Democratic political circles in his home states of Maryland and Tennessee. He blogs on many different websites and is very active in the progressive Netroots community.

Dana Garrett is married and the father of two children. He is a former State of Delaware employee and Adjunct Professor at Wilmington College. He resides in Wilmington, Delaware. He has Masters of Arts degrees in Philosophy and English Literature. He writes for the blog Delaware Watch and is a co-host of the radio program Progressive Voices, which is broadcast by the University of Delaware (WVUD). His poetry has been published in anthologies and dozens of periodicals and journals.

Democratic Talk Radio would like to meet with your Executive Board and/or membership. Stephen Crockett can explain how you can assist Democratic Talk Radio and obtain addition benefits for your organization or union membership at no cost via American Income Life Insurance.

The Laborers’ Local 1174 have helped bring you Democratic Talk Radio by sponsoring the first 4 shows. Please contact Stephen Crockett at demlabor@aol.com or 1-443-907-2367 if you or your organization might be willing to sponsor broadcasts of Democratic Talk Radio. Airtime will cost us about $180 per show. You can sponsor a whole broadcast or just buy some ads. Ad rates are $30 per 1 minute ad or $20 per 30 second ad.

Democratic Talk Radio goes on the air in Pennsylvania this week

Stephen Crockett — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:00:31 EDT

The latest Democratic Talk Radio program will feature long-time co-host Stephen Crockett (from Maryland and Tennessee)and new co-host Dana Garrett (from Delaware). Guests will include other talk show hosts, candidates, officeholders, book authors, bloggers, union leaders, progressive activists and public policy experts.

Democratic Talk Radio will be on the air in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania starting Thursday morning. The station is WGPA. The Laborers' Local 1174 union will sponsor a month of weekly broadcasts.

Stephen Crockett expects that "local candidates, labor organizations, national organizations and businesses will buy ads to keep the show on the air after the first month."

Ad rates on the program will be $30 for a one minute ad and $20 for a 30 second ad. The weekly show will air Thursday mornings from 8:05 am until 9 am.

You can sponsor an entire show for $180. The program will stream live on the Internet and be permanently available later on the Democratic Talk Radio website for anytime Internet streaming or downloading for Podcasts. The program archives will include all advertising content.

Democratic Talk Radio expects a very large national Internet audience for the shows.

Please contact me at 443-907-2367 for any additional details required. This is my personal cell phone so you can call any day or hour.

The Democratic Talk Radio office address is: 698 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, Delaware 19702.

Sincerely,

Stephen Crockett

Co-host & Owner, Democratic Talk Radio
http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com

National Regrets and Paying for Reagan-Bush Policies

Stephen Crockett — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 08:59:17 EDT

Our current list of national economic difficulties and governmental failures is a direct result of nearly 30 years of failed Republican policies. We are paying the price in many ways for our national love affair with slick, emotionally appealing Republican political rhetoric and candidates. We ignore the harsh reality behind the deceitful words.

We have all experienced bad relationships and failed romances. Long after the romances are over, we are still dealing with the negative consequences both emotional and financial. We keep paying the unhappy costs.

The legacy of distrust, dealing with debts accumulated based on lies, self-doubts for believing the nice sounding lies and living with an awareness that we all are subject to the weakness of emotional reasoning remain long after the relationships have collapsed. There is always the possibility that the burden of dealing with the problems is so great that we go into denial and repeat the same mistakes by buying into slightly repackaged versions. It plays hell on emotional, physical and financial well-being. We all have been there.

It is long past time for the American public to end our soured love affair with deceitful Reagan-Bush Republicanism and start cleaning up the mess left behind. It will be emotionally upsetting but has to be done. The damage is great. It will require a real change in both our behavior and thinking to undo the damage and avoid repeating the same mistakes. It can be done!

In 2008, we are finally be forced to start paying the price for the falsely named set of economic policies once labeled “economic deregulation” that became the national political creed with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. We shifted the tax burden to those least able to bear the strain by raising taxes on both the poor and the middle class. We cut dramatically the tax burden of the wealthy and even more so for the Super Wealthy. We encouraged paper financial profits over real economic growth. We exported our industrial base weakening our nation because it temporarily profited our economic elite.

We ended usury laws, weakened government regulation of our financial institutions, permitted government “no-bid” contracts to go to political powerful corporations and ignored anti-monopoly traditions. Consumer protections were weakened. Our federal courts were packed with Republican Right-Wing Radicals willing to overlook any kind of corruption by government officials, corporations or Republican politicians as long as the results favored the wealthiest of the wealthy and the politically powerful.

Our dollar is in the toilet because we exported debt in exchange for cheap imported goods. Wal-Mart raked in a fortune by lowering wage rates in community after community, fighting all efforts at unionizing their workers, and undermining our manufacturing base by encouraging American factories to relocate to China. A government truly serving our national interest would have adopted trade and tax policies that would have stopped Wal-Mart from pursuing these policies. However, the Reagan-Bush Republicans did the opposite.

Even during the brief periods of Democratic Presidential rule under Clinton, Republican policies were often still pursued. The NAFTA and WTO deals received White House support although the majority of Congressional Democrats often opposed these falsely-named “free trade” deals. They were passed largely with Congressional Republican votes. Media consolidation resulted as a direct result of some Democrats buying into the Republican “economic deregulation” arguments. Media consolidation reduced competition instead of promoting it. It hurt small business advertisers and media consumers. Both policies have been severe failures for the American nation. They have undermined the health of both the American economy and American Democracy.

The Republican Presidential candidate John McCain promises to deliver more of the same failed policies. Although McCain has an impressive past military record, his services in the political arena are not impressive. His record on economics or finding a quick exit from the Iraq quagmire inspire little hope or confidence. McCain is simply not prepared to deal with the modern challenges facing the nation in the 21st Century.

For most Americans, a McCain victory will mean a lower standard of living and even less real influence on government policy. McCain is certainly no friend of American workers or consumers. McCain will do nothing to restore America’s industrial base or basic economic health. The “100 Year War Man” has no answers for the real fundamental problems facing our nation today! He is a real threat to our long-term national security.

Both leading Democrats are likely to be a big improvement over McCain. However, we still will need to elect Senators and House members willing to support more populist economic reforms that actually reverse some of the damage done over the past 30 years. We need to elect the right kind of Democrats and to keep pressuring them to restore economically responsible policies. We need to demand more open government, more civil liberties protections and democratically responsive governance.

I urge strongly that voters educate themselves before voting in November. Two excellent books that we all should read by then are Free Lunch by David Cay Johnston and Bad Samaritans by Ha-Joon Chang. A daily visit to Buzzflash.com or Mid-Atlantic Labor.com would certainly help you become a more informed voter. Listening to talk radio shows like The Rick Smith Show, Thom Hartmann, Andy Johnson, Ed Shultz, Guy James, Democratic Talk Radio or Air America programs would help with the brain rot resulting from listening to Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity and the like.

You can count on the Republicans feeding you, as voters, lots of crazy emotionally charged slogans and arguments. The Corporate media will go after reform minded Democrats like resigned New York Governor Spitzer with zeal and venom while largely ignoring similar or worse behavior by currently serving Republican Senators like Louisiana’s Vitter or Idaho’s Craig. Vitter and Craig are reliable votes supporting the failed Reagan-Bush Republican policies while Spitzer actually prosecuted some of the worst Corporate abusers.

Only by educating yourself about policies can you avoid making the same mistakes over and over again. For your own sake and that of your children, this year break the cycle and vote based on substantive issues like healthcare, trade policies, re-industrializing America, shifting some of the tax burden back to those most able to pay higher taxes, resumption of usury laws, jobs, consumer protection, balancing the budget, ending an unaffordable war and a return to anti-monopoly law enforcement.

Written by Stephen Crockett (co-host of Democratic Talk Radio http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com and Editor of Mid-Atlantic Labor.com http://www.midatlanticlabor.com). Mail: 698 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, Delaware 19702. Email: midsouthcm@aol.com. Phone: 443-907-2367.

Feel free to publish without prior approval.