Political State Report: State News Straight Up

John McCain has an interesting choice to make as to who should be his vice presidential running mate. In the most basic of terms the considerations are wide. It’s not even clear the so-called “Maverick” would pick a Republican, though it would be a pretty craven Democrat who would accept his request. What’s that, Joe Lieberman?

A woman? Someone in a wheelchair? A general?

How about Colin Powell? Woah, that one is worth a long, considering pause isn’t it?

Regionally does it matter? Likely not another southwest presence but what about Arnold Schwarzenegger to help drag California to his side? I think it is technically constitutionally legal for a naturalized American to be vice president. National media would shine the biggest spotlight on this campaign.

Laura Ingraham? McCain likes the blondes.

Would he want to strengthen his hawkish (to put it mildly) positions or push someone who would balance where he is perceived as weak.

Does he accept that he is not conservative enough and that being more conservative would actually help with the general electorate?

Would he bring Jonah Goldberg aboard so the right-leaning blogosphere would finally come aboard?

Michael Bloomberg is a serious consideration. What say you?

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BY: Temple Stark | Comments and Links (2)

With his own confetti strewn picture atop his Web site, Independent candidate Ralph Nader wants people to not only listen to his views but to vote for him and send him money to become the 44th President of America.

Currently there sure do seem to be a lot of potential defectors from the Democratic Party if their preferred candidate doesn’t get the nomination. From the right, it’s hard to think Nader’s anti-corporate stance - not a bad thing - will draw many Republican defectors unhappy with John McCain. After all, they don’t like him because of McCain-Feingold’s attempted stripping of money power from corporations. McCain isn’t right enough.

Nader lays down 12 major issues he says are “off the table” of the other candidates. They are:

• Adopt single payer national health insurance

• Cut the huge, bloated, wasteful military budget

• No to nuclear power, solar energy first

• Aggressive crackdown on corporate crime and corporate welfare

• Open up the Presidential debates

• Adopt a carbon pollution tax

• Reverse U.S. policy in the Middle East

• Impeach Bush/Cheney

• Repeal the Taft-Hartley anti-union law

• Adopt a Wall Street securities speculation tax

• Put an end to ballot access obstructionism

• Work to end corporate personhood

Here Nader makes the pitch why he’s a better choice than McCain or Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton:

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BY: Temple Stark | Comments and Links (3)

After a sweep of the states tonight, In what was a fairly substantial - and conservative speech - John McCain accepts the Republican nomination for the 2008 presidential race. This is a big deal for McCain who has been trying for so long.

Because he wrapped up the campaign, in all but math weeks ago, this speech has been prepared for a while.

In Austin, Texas, speech below:

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BY: Temple Stark | Comments and Links (0)

Nothing can prepare a small council for the sudden shine of the spotlight.

Berkeley, however may be more prepared than most, having taken countless controversial stands over the years.

Tonight the council is holding a second meeting and capitulation seems to be the mood of the night, in the face of anger.

Berkeley is the West Coast symbol, if not always in fact, of all that’s Liberal. Even more so than San Francisco and equal to its East Coast counterpart, the entire state of Massachusetts.

A couple of weeks ago, controversy erupted over the city council’s stand against Marines recruiters. They didn’t just take a stand, they used some inflammatory language that many said completely disrespected the history and role of the Marines.

Plenty more would say, that was the point. The stand continued tonight but I wil be away from the computer, so anyone who can, fill us in on the details.

I think it’s at least slightly ironic that protesting is most known in America, FOR civil rights primarily and AGAINST war, second. Yet, protest, and pickets and burning bras (none? Oh, Ok) is the order of the day even today.

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BY: Temple Stark | Comments and Links (0)

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both made it clear they are serious contenders for the Democratic race, and they both likely personally earned each other’s respect tonight.

Mitt Romney, though he has pledged to go on, had a dismal day, where Mike Huckabee earned more delegates. John McCain should easily make the nomination for Republican primary candidate, excluding a possible revolt of delegates at the Republican convention.

States won:

Obama:Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Utah (totaling approx. 137 delegates tonight, 306 tally so far)***

Clinton: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee (totaling approx. 130 delegates tonight, 371 tally so far)***

John McCain: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma (won 363 delegates tonight, 474 tally so far)

Mike Huckabee: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia (won 76 delegates tonight, 105 tally so far)

Mitt Romney: Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Utah (won 57 delegates tonight, 151 tally so far)

*** NOTE: The final winning margins in the Democratic results will show how the delegates will split for the candidates, so these are approximate numbers so far, without the final vote counts in the counties and congressional districts.

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BY: Temple Stark | Comments and Links (5)

Arizona with about 55 percent reporting has Hillary Clinton with a clear lead over Barack Obama. Gov. Janet Napolitano momentarily loses her golden touch in failing to get the state for Obama, who she endorsed.

California, with less than 9 percent reporting has her with a 22-point margin over Obama.

Obama leads in Utah by 9 percent with about 25% of precincts reporting. Since the state will go Republican this doesn’t seem as important as the Arizona and California wins.
The Obama camp will obviously emphasize the delegate count, which due to the proportional representation nature of Democratic primaries will be fairly even. Before all is done he may well have won more states, but that is unclear at the moment.

The Clinton camp can obviously point to their candidate winning the most votes across the country and winning big when she was almost written off, again, by Obama supporters at least.

McCain, in the winner-takes-all nature of the Republican primaries has a massive lead that will take a massive leap by either Romney or Huckabee to overcome. Romney isn’t going to do well in Texas, and Huckabee has the greater leap.

Meanwhile, Missouri is tightening up, with now just 1 percent - or about 50,000 15,000* votes - between Hillary Clinton and the trailing Obama, with 91% of precincts reporting. UPDATED 12:09 - It seems that the “uncommitted” vote of about 3,000 will mark the difference between declaring victory for either candidate as Obama now has about a 3,000-vote lead with 97% of precincts reporting.

* Corrected about 5 minutes after posting …

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BY: Temple Stark | Comments and Links (0)

Share yours please because mine was rather boring.

I went and voted with my girlfriend at our new place which I found out a few weeks ago but forgot so had to look it up again. It’s a few blocks from where we live and if I wasn’t voting in the middle of my lunch hour, I could have walked there.

I thanked all the volunteers at the polling place for volunteering, which happened to be the Arizona Recreation Center for the Handicapped. A person in front of us did not have his name in the books, despite, he said never missing an election. I’m not sure how that was resolved except he was allowed to vote, so I have to assume he received a provisional ballot. That’s it. It was a small line. I went about 1:30 p.m.

There was a list of 24 names, mostly ones I have never heard. I voted for Hillary Clinton, having been denied the chance to vote for John Edwards. I’ll explain further in comments if anybody asks. For anyone who voted for any party, thank you for doing so.

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BY: Temple Stark | Comments and Links (0)

I moved months ago, registered to vote on the last possible day to do so in Arizona and I am now in a new place, in the big city of Phoenix. I had no idea where to physically go and vote and had a fairly easy time of looking it up. I typed up my address and it gave me the place. But not all state elections Web sites are as friendly and it takes some time to even find out that they aren’t going to give you what you want.

Calls may still have to be made to your county recorder (or similar office) to find out where you need to vote. If in a final panic, go anywhere you know ballots are being accepted and you’ll be able to get a provisional ballot. you’re vote won’t be counted for days in most cases, but it will count.

The following Web links are the shortest path to getting what you need to help you. (Hint it helps if you know what county you live in before starting):

* Alabama - Board of Registrars for county phone numbers. See also frequently asked questions about voting in Alabama. (PDF)

* Alaska - Polling place locator. Need to know your Congressional District but the Web site helps you find that, too. Also, to find your polling place, call 888-383-8683, or 269-8683, with your voter ID or Social Security number ready.

* Arizona - County Clerks, some you can enter information online, some you will have to call.

* California - County Clerks, immediate phone numbers at this page and links where some will allow you to typwe in address and some you will have to call anyway.

* Colorado - Interactive statewide map of county clerk phone numbers and Web sites. You can also verify your voting information here

* Connecticut - Registrars of voters list, will need to call. Alos could call the overall election department phone number, 860-509-6100. More election information but some is outdated.

* Delaware - Maps and exact locations for where to vote.

More at the flip of the page …

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BY: Temple Stark | Comments and Links (1)

(UPDATED: Check the rest of the PolState site and this post for today’s results)
The tradition of Super Tuesday has, obviously been one of winners. By that time in the race, usually, the self-winnowing has occurred.
This time around is somewhat different. Twenty-two states will hold elections today, 22 for Democrats and 19 for Republicans. Sadly, the […]

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BY: Temple Stark | Comments and Links (0)

(Image from Move America Forward)

Setting up a potential long-term tension hotspot within its city limits, the Berkeley City Council took a clear position against the U.S Marines.

At this week’s Berkeley City Council meeting, council members approved allowing an initiative effort to go forward to ban the city’s new U.S. Marines Recruiting Center, 64 Shattuck Square. The move comes after several months of clear disapproval at the center’s presence from the council and its tacit approval for the actions of the anti-war group CodePINK.

The council also approved a move to give the anti-war CodePINK group a parking space in front of the recruiting center once a week for the next six months, though it might have a different action for abortion protesters. The group has already loudly hounded the center for months.

The proposed initiative itself (TEXT BELOW) is a wide ranging anti-war statement that goes beyond the effort to ban the Marines recruiting station. As worded, the initiative does not ban the recruiting stations of other Armed Forces, Navy, Army or Air Force.

“This whole thing strikes me as discriminatory against poor, middle class, people of color, both black and brown, who come out of the military more prosperous than when they went in,” said Melanie Morgan, chairman of Move America Forward, to the Alameda Times-Star.

Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, a former Army Reserves Captain, said at the meeting that he believed in the “Code Pink cause.” The Daily Californian reported that Councilmember Max Anderson said recruiters’ presence and practices amounted to “barbarity.”

The city also voted to explore violation of its discrimination laws, with the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

Bates has said that the center has 18 months left on its lease, and he’s not sure the Marines can be legally required to leave.

Carole Kennerly, an initiative proponent and former vice mayor of Berkeley, spoke at CodePINK’s press conference to announce the launch of the ballot initiative “to limit zoning for military recruiters.”

Like Middlebury, Vermont and 35 other Vermont towns in 2007, the Berkeley body approved a ballot measure in 2006 calling for the impeachment of President Bush and vice-President Dick Cheney.

In what amounts to a battle of the activist groups, Move America Forward has decried the action of the city council and CodePINK. The group, using such phrases as “city calls Marines unwelcome intruders” and “Marines attacked in Berkeley” condemned the council’s actions.

“It is disgraceful that in the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement, anti-military activists would attempt to silence the same military men and women who serve this country and give their lives to protect the free speech rights of all Americans, including these ungrateful and despicable people on the Berkeley City Council,” said MAF Chairman Melanie Morgan, in a news release.

The U.S. Marine Recruiting Center relocated from Alameda to Berkeley in mid-2007 and worked peacefully until CodePINK began holding regular protests there.

In the words of Move America Forward’s exective director, Catherine Moy, the council’s actions amount to a stab in the back “by shameful people.”

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BY: Temple Stark | Comments and Links (55)