All Politics is Local
GP Candidate Cynthia McKinney with Alex Walker in Chicago
Surf the Internet and you'll find thousands of posts about Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, China, Russia, India, Israel, and Palestine. Across the political spectrum, intellectuals obsess over world affairs.
Want to know how the U.S.A. got into this mess? Want to know how we were overwhelmed by cynicism, divisiveness, demagoguery, "Pay-To-Play" governance, and sleaze? It didn't start in that mythical "Washington." It started in places like little Wasilla, Alaska... and big Los Angeles.
I could write a long book about this. Today, I'll be brief, and just list the Dem screw-ups. One great thing about the Internet is that you don't have to take my word for it. Click the hyperlinks below and read the MSM stories for yourself.
One-Party Democratic Los Angeles County
- Los Angeles Police Department - Brutality
- Los Angeles Police Department - Incompetence
- Martin Luther King/Drew Hospital
- Southern California Regional Rail Authority
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority - Expo Rail Line
- Baldwin Hills Oil Field - "Drill Baby Drill!"
- South Central Urban Farm
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
- Los Angeles County Jail and Paris Hilton
- Los Angeles City Commissioner Leland Wong
- Los Angeles - Marlton Square Development Project
- S.E.I.U. President Tyrone Freeman
- Inglewood Mayor Roosevelt Dorn
- Inglewood City Clerk Yvonne Horton
- Inglewood Police Department
- Congresswoman Laura Richardson
- Assemblyman Fabian Nuñez
- County Supervisor Yvonne Burke
- State Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas
- City Councilman Bernard C. Parks
- Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo
- Cities of Lynwood, Carson, and South Gate
- Lynwood Recall Election
- City of Cudahy
- Carson City Council
- City of Carson and Keith McDonald
The Three "Playboy" Mayors
No essay about ethically-challenged politicians would be complete without a special salute to California's "Playboy" mayors. They've worked hard holding up the Bill Clinton Tradition.
Our "Great" 2-Party System in My Neighborhood
In 2006 in my 33rd congressional district, Democrat Diane Watson received 100% of the vote. Across the street and down the hill, the 35th congressional district was a comparative hotbed of democracy -- Democrat Maxine Waters garnered "only" 83.7% against candidates for the Libertarian and American Independent Parties. My representative to the California state assembly from the 47th assembly district, Democrat Karen Bass, actually had to run against a bona fide Republican.
Here's the message that Republican Jeffers M. Dodge, self-described "tall white fair-haired male political activist," sent to me and my neighbors:"I have said this many times, Get off drugs, go back to school, stay married, love your children, go to church, get a job and take responsibilities for your actions."
Wow! Like we really needed a Republican "angry white man" to instruct us to love our children. Two years ago voters in law-abiding, tax-paying, working families in my neighborhood reacted to Mr. Dodge exactly the same as voters in law-abiding, tax-paying, working families in any city, suburb, small town or rural county to a stream of insults -- casting 84.87% of their votes for Democrat Karen Bass.
Democrats: (left to right): 33rd District Congresswoman Diane Watson, 47th District Assemblywoman Karen Bass, and 35th District Congresswoman Maxine Waters.
The 2008 presidential election may be the most important in modern U.S. history. This year that other "major party" in our sacred 2-party system, is running candidates for all 3 seats.
Republican David Crowley is running against Watson; Republican Lady Cage-Barile is challenging Bass; and Republican Ted Hayes is trying to oust Waters. If you visit their official web sites, you'll find nothing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; nothing about an economic crisis; and next to nothing about education or health care. You will find, however, that all three are strongly opposed to abortion, same-sex love, and "illegal aliens" from Mexico. On national television Mr. Hayes has said that "illegal immigration is the worst thing for blacks since slavery." Ms. Cage-Barile sends this high-minded message on her official web site:
"For more than a decade, California politics has been led by an Ultra Liberal Controlled Legislation, which has managed to alienate Conservative Americans, Religious Americans and Patriotic Americans from the decision making process... California is left with the low education ranking of 47th in the nation, the largest influx of illegal immigrants ever, a campaign to make men effeminate, irresponsible spending of our tax dollars, constant raising of taxes. . ."
Leave it to Republicans to "reach out" to my African-American community by red-baiting, race-baiting, and homophobia.
Karen Bass has been elected the first African-American woman in history to serve as speaker of a state assembly. Maxine Walters, top-aide to Mayor Tom Bradley in the '70s, Jesse Jackson gal in the '80s, and a legendary liberal in Congress -- co-founding the "Out of Iraq Caucus" -- is a legend. The 3 Democratic incumbents are not worried.
I mean, look at 'em!
Tell me we don't need the Green Party because I have the "choice" to support these Republican wingnuts and you are telling me, in effect, I need no choice at all.
See below an authentic expression of the heart of the California GOP circulated by a Republican club in San Bernardino County.
Hence our dilemma: one-party Democratic regimes are incompetent and corrupt, but the mean, angry, hateful racist Republicans are not an option.
The Green Party: California's Second Party
There is a "hole" in U.S. politics. There is an empty space -- a vacuum -- where there ought to be an intelligent, grown-up, no-nonsense opposition to what big city Democrats are doing. The old fashioned politics they represent is as unsustainable in the 21st Century as the old politics of the Bushies.
The Green Party is the second party and the next phase of our struggle begins November 4th.
