BrianR's blog

Growth & Justice, a progressive think tank in Minnesota, just gave Vernon Robinson the "Willie" award for WORST Political Advertisement. The award is "named for the infamous fearmongering Willie Horton ad that led to George Bush defeating Michael Dukakis." See a small clip of U.S. Senate candidates Al Franken and Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer announce the award here.

Recently Duke Energy received permission from the State of North Carolina to build a new coal fired power plant in Cliffside, North Carolina. Despite the facts that this new plant could be a major polluter of CO2, mercury, and evaporate 21 million gallons of water each day. You can find all the details here on NC Warn's website.

The December 9, 2007 Chapel Hill News 'My View' column titled GOP chair Cho to challenge Price contained the following:

A former Presbyterian minister and tae kwon do instructor, Cho is a writer raising two children in Chapel Hill. He has been writing a monthly My View column for the Chapel Hill News. His column will go on hiatus during his run.

Now on December 26, 2007 Mr Cho has another column in the Chapel Hill News titled 'Soul patrol.' (It's not online yet. I just pulled it out of my driveway at 12AM.) At the end of Mr. Cho's column today is this excuse,

This is his last My View for now. Cho's column is on hiatus as he campaigns for the Republican nomination for U.S. House District 4.

To me this column contradicts the first one. His column was supposed to "go on hiatus." Second, its a clear violation of the News' journalistic principles. Will Congressman Price get a My View column so he can promote his personal values too?

Please Join Congressman Brad Miller

For a discussion hosted by Ruby Sinreich of OrangePolitics.org and Brian Russell of Yesh.com about the impact of blogging on today's political environment.

When: Thursday, November 29, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Where: Mill Town Restaurant, 307 E Main St, Carrboro, NC

As many of you know, last session the State Legislature passed a law which allows cable and phone companies to avoid many of the public service requirements that have existed for over 30 years. Those requirements mainly have to do with channel space and support for Community Media Centers, like The Peoples Channel, and Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) Access channels. The bill has turned out to be a very serious blow to local governments and nonprofits like us. Many of us concerned with the legislation worked together to produce a new piece of legislation that would remedy two major problems with the bill: funding for Community Media Center and PEG channels, and deployment of broadband to rural and economically distressed communities.

The bill, S-1068 moved along quickly in the Senate and is now on the House side, but there is a fear that they won’t take it on before the session ends or at all. We haven’t given a call to action thus far because we thought this bill would have no problems and we know you all have busy lives. However, we really need you to make calls TOMORROW and WEDNESDAY.

From many reports of those who attended Tuesday's NC House Finance Committee meeting it appears we dodged a bullet. HB1587, the so called Local Government Fair Competition Act, was changed and a new one took its place. The new bill calls for a committee to "study local government owned and operated communication services."

For the back story on the fight against this bad legislation read this BlueNC post. Cross posted from yesh.com.

While I work to fight HB1587 in the NC house I was wondering where our Presidential candidates might stand on this bill. HB1587 is ANTI-Net Neutrality on a very local level. Federal anti-net neutrality legislation isn't going fast enough for the telcos so they went to the state legislature. So today I found a letter John Edwards wrote to the FCC. (Hat tip to Micah Sifry on Tech Pres)

As I write this NC HB 1587 is before the Utilities Committee for consideration. Big Telecommunications companies want to prevent democratically elected bodies from bringing broadband Internet access to everyone.

Please ask your state Rep to vote No or ask their colleague to vote No!

Preface
There is a very diverse spectrum of thinking going on in the global left. We need to listen to one another. One of my sincere interests is in bringing people together. We can learn from one another. Building a grassroots movement on this togetherness can change the world for the better.

Excerpt
This following is part of a blog post by Stan Goff called The Question. Please read the whole thing. Think about how we can end the war in Iraq now. Share this with politicians.

There is nothing more tragically amusing than watching the right-wing catch liberals off guard.

Bill O’Reilly has caught the whole crew flat-footed with one of those trick questions: Do you want the United States to win in Iraq? Set aside for the moment that this ignores the fact that the US government has already lost in Iraq, and that the question is constructed a little like, “Yes or no, have you stopped beating your wife?”

Now that it appears the Democrats have control of the House AND Senate what do we want them to do?

Lets make a list, blog about it, and work to hold politicians to it.

Here are the first things that come to my mind. PLEASE add to the list by blogging/commenting about this here &/or on your own blog.

• End the war in Iraq
• Restore Habeas Corpus for ALL people
• Repeal the DMCA
• Enforce environmental laws, restore the power of the EPA
• Stop harassing immigrants
• etc
• etc

Today I feel as if I am waking from a very bad dream... (cross posted at Yesh.com)