By Andrew Pooch
In early August, Minnesota held primaries for the gubernatorial race that will be decided on November 2. The three front runners are Republican Tom Emmer, State Representative; Democrat Mark Dayton, former U.S Senator; and Independent Tom Horner. Minnesota has a history of making unexpected decisions when it comes to elections. In 1998, an Independent candidate came in and unexpectedly won the election. His name was Jesse Ventura. This precedent for Minnesota informs us that three parties should be considered and not just the big two. As of August 13, 2010, The Rasmussen Reports is a polling website that has Dayton with 45%, Emmer 36% and Horner with 10% of the vote. These percentages show that once a toss-up state, Minnesota is now leaning Democrat.
This election may seem different for most Minnesotans. ABC news reported that since the U.S Supreme court erased the limits on corporate and union campaign spending, citizens should brace themselves for a new type of advertising this fall. The variety of the ads will increase with the "barrage of harsh attacks" back and forth between parties. Tom Diemer of Politics Daily reported Mark Dayton spending $3 million dollars on a campaign that helped him win the primary election.
The big issues on the table this fall includes: job creation, education, taxes and health care reform to name a few. The Candidate’s Websites supplied their stances on the issues. Emmer and Dayton both agree that changes need to be made in education. Dayton wants to increase teacher's salaries, lower class sizes and have all day kindergarten. Emmer wants funding for schools to increase, teachers to be rewarded for good work and higher standards for licensure. Both candidates believe the creation of jobs can be found in a state stimulus package that will provide government jobs to projects such as highway and mass transit.
Emmer and Dayton differ on the view of taxes. Dayton would like to see taxes raised for wealthier classes and spending to be reduced. Emmer has had an opinion about how hospitality workers should treat their tips. He recently decided that tips should be between the server and the customer. The state government shouldn’t be allowed to meddle with that money. He says on his Website that he does not want to reduce minimum wage, but other sources contradict his message.
Health care reform is another big issue for Minnesota. Emmer would like to see Minnesota take control of their health care. He believes we have some of the best care and that everyone should be able to have it. Dayton wants the health care to be more affordable and reach more Minnesotans. He wants better benefits for employees of the public school system.
Mark Dayton previously served Minnesota in the U.S Senate. He currently has endorsements from the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, Mesabi Daily News, AFSCME and United Steel Workers.
Tom Emmer is in the Minnesota House of Representatives for the 19B district. Emmer has endorsements from twenty-seven elected officials, statewide leaders and congressional district leaders.
Tom Horner is a native Minnesotan who has worked in the Minnesota capitol. He has also owned his own business. He has endorsements from former senator David Durenberger and former congressman Tim Penny.
Websites used in the paper:
www.markdayton.org
www.emmerforgovernor.com
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_governor_elections/minnesota/election_2010_minnesota_governor
http://theraabereview.com/2010/08/03/the-great-mn-governors-race-2010-pre-primary-roundup/
Friday, September 3, 2010
DEMOCRACY NOW!
By Aaron Critchley
News and the media in general are in flux right now. The internet has taken over for younger people at least. Network news caters to the politicians and corporations so things remain status quo. One news agency has gone against the grain to inform the public what goes on behind the scenes of politics.
Democracy Now! is a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. Pioneering the largest public media collaboration in the U.S., Democracy Now! is broadcast on Pacifica, NPR, community, and college radio stations; on public access, PBS, satellite television (DISH network: Free Speech TV ch. 9415 and Link TV ch. 9410; DIRECTV: Free Speech TV ch. 348 and Link TV ch. 375); and on the internet. Democracy Now!’s podcast is one of the most popular on the web (About).
The last two decades have seen unprecedented corporate media consolidation. The U.S. media was already fairly homogeneous in the early 1980s: some fifty media conglomerates dominated all media outlets, including television, radio, newspapers, magazines, music, publishing and film. In the year 2000, just six corporations dominated the U.S. media (About). Corporate media outlets in the U.S. are legally responsible to their shareholders to maximize profits. Therefore these media outlets are told what to say by politicians and corporations.
Democracy Now! is funded entirely through contributions from listeners, viewers, and foundations. They do not accept advertisers, corporate underwriting, or government funding. This allows them to maintain their independence.
This independence has created some of the best war coverage since we started the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Says host Amy Goodman, “I really do think that if for one week in the United States we saw the true face of war, we saw people's limbs sheared off, we saw kids blown apart, for one week, war would be eradicated. Instead, what we see in the U.S. media is the video war game. Our mission is to make dissent commonplace in America" (Amy). "War coverage should be more than a parade of retired generals and retired government flacks posing as reporters," Goodman says, why not invite some voices that are not Pentagon-approved" (Peace)?
War is not the only thing covered by Democracy Now! Extensive coverage of the BP Gulf oil spill has brought new questions about what these big corporations are actually doing. That is what the media should be doing to protect our democracy. If politicians and corporations have a free pass to do whatever they want our democracy is in serious trouble.
Media sources like Democracy Now! are a key to the future of freedom in the U.S. After accepting a prize recently, Goodman was asked to explain her approach. She replied: "Go where the silence is and say something" (Peace). With all the blabbing going on in the media nowadays there sure is a lot of silence about important issues.
Works Cited
About Democracy Now!. Democracy Now!, 2010. 1 September 2010
Amy Goodman. Americans Who Tell the Truth, 2010. 1 September 2010
News and the media in general are in flux right now. The internet has taken over for younger people at least. Network news caters to the politicians and corporations so things remain status quo. One news agency has gone against the grain to inform the public what goes on behind the scenes of politics.
Democracy Now! is a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. Pioneering the largest public media collaboration in the U.S., Democracy Now! is broadcast on Pacifica, NPR, community, and college radio stations; on public access, PBS, satellite television (DISH network: Free Speech TV ch. 9415 and Link TV ch. 9410; DIRECTV: Free Speech TV ch. 348 and Link TV ch. 375); and on the internet. Democracy Now!’s podcast is one of the most popular on the web (About).
The last two decades have seen unprecedented corporate media consolidation. The U.S. media was already fairly homogeneous in the early 1980s: some fifty media conglomerates dominated all media outlets, including television, radio, newspapers, magazines, music, publishing and film. In the year 2000, just six corporations dominated the U.S. media (About). Corporate media outlets in the U.S. are legally responsible to their shareholders to maximize profits. Therefore these media outlets are told what to say by politicians and corporations.
Democracy Now! is funded entirely through contributions from listeners, viewers, and foundations. They do not accept advertisers, corporate underwriting, or government funding. This allows them to maintain their independence.
This independence has created some of the best war coverage since we started the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Says host Amy Goodman, “I really do think that if for one week in the United States we saw the true face of war, we saw people's limbs sheared off, we saw kids blown apart, for one week, war would be eradicated. Instead, what we see in the U.S. media is the video war game. Our mission is to make dissent commonplace in America" (Amy). "War coverage should be more than a parade of retired generals and retired government flacks posing as reporters," Goodman says, why not invite some voices that are not Pentagon-approved" (Peace)?
War is not the only thing covered by Democracy Now! Extensive coverage of the BP Gulf oil spill has brought new questions about what these big corporations are actually doing. That is what the media should be doing to protect our democracy. If politicians and corporations have a free pass to do whatever they want our democracy is in serious trouble.
Media sources like Democracy Now! are a key to the future of freedom in the U.S. After accepting a prize recently, Goodman was asked to explain her approach. She replied: "Go where the silence is and say something" (Peace). With all the blabbing going on in the media nowadays there sure is a lot of silence about important issues.
Works Cited
About Democracy Now!. Democracy Now!, 2010. 1 September 2010
Amy Goodman. Americans Who Tell the Truth, 2010. 1 September 2010
CLEMENTS STEROID USE: CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS
BY Rachael Kurtz
If a baseball player gets caught using steroids, suddenly Congress puts the whole Government on hold to have hearings about it. The use of performance-enhancing drugs is becoming a big concern in Major League Baseball players which then creates investigations, scandals and media buzz. Going back to the ancient Olympics and Roman times, athletes used performance-enhancing herbs and mushrooms in order to improve their performance in competition by making them faster, stronger or braver (Osborne, Evan. Performance-Enhancing Drugs: An Economic Analysis.” Wright State University. June 2005. Web. 31 August 2010.) The rumors of steroid use among players finally began to explode with the announcement in 1998 that Mark McGwire was cheating with his use of Androstenedione.
Another baseball celebrity is Roger Clemens who has had multiple awards and recognitions throughout his baseball career. In 1999, he established the 53 spot on ‘The Sporting News’ list of 100 Greatest Baseball Players. In 2005, Clemens was conveyed up to number fifteen on the list. At the end of his 2005 season, Roger Clemens had won seven Cy Young Awards. Those awards include the AL Award and the National League Award. Clemens was then named to Sports Illustrated’s “all-time” team. And on August 18th, 2007, Roger got his 1,000th strikeout as a Yankee player.
Like many other celebrity Major League Baseball players, William Roger Clemens, a MLB pitcher, has recently been under the spotlight with accusations of steroid use. This will not be the first time that Clemens has had encounters of allegations with steroid use. Humiliation, reports and affirmation with his use of performance-enhancing drugs extends back to 1998 when Brian McNamee, Yankees trainer, denied Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte of knowledge with any steroid use. (“Roger Clemens.” Wikipedia. 31 August 2010. Web. 1 Sept. 2010.) And on January 6, 2008, Roger Clemens appeared on 60 Minutes to address the allegations. Throughout 2008, Clemens was involved with many lawyers, committees, testimonies and investigations dealing with the statistics and evidence regarding his steroid use.
Roger Clemens’ most recent battle with the steroid allegations against him was brought to the public’s attention on August 19, 2010 when federal prosecutors indicted him on charges of making false statements to Congress about his use of performance-enhancing drugs. (Burleson, Duane. “Roger Clemens.” The New York Times. 19 Aug. 2010 Web. 30 Aug. 2010.) With his indictment, Clemens was charged with three counts of fallacious affirmations and two counts of perjury. Roger was sent to Washington D.C for his hearing on Monday August, 30th, just eleven days after a grand jury indicted Clemens on six felonies related to his testimony before Congress in February of 2008. (Thompson, Teri and Vinton, Nathaniel. “Roger Clemens will be arraigned Monday on six-count indictment in steroid probe.” Daily News. 26 Aug. 2010. Web. 1 Sept. 2010.) On Monday, Clemens was pleaded not guilty to his perjury charge in steroid use. He will be free to travel but only in the United States and must check in with the court every two weeks.
If a baseball player gets caught using steroids, suddenly Congress puts the whole Government on hold to have hearings about it. The use of performance-enhancing drugs is becoming a big concern in Major League Baseball players which then creates investigations, scandals and media buzz. Going back to the ancient Olympics and Roman times, athletes used performance-enhancing herbs and mushrooms in order to improve their performance in competition by making them faster, stronger or braver (Osborne, Evan. Performance-Enhancing Drugs: An Economic Analysis.” Wright State University. June 2005. Web. 31 August 2010.) The rumors of steroid use among players finally began to explode with the announcement in 1998 that Mark McGwire was cheating with his use of Androstenedione.
Another baseball celebrity is Roger Clemens who has had multiple awards and recognitions throughout his baseball career. In 1999, he established the 53 spot on ‘The Sporting News’ list of 100 Greatest Baseball Players. In 2005, Clemens was conveyed up to number fifteen on the list. At the end of his 2005 season, Roger Clemens had won seven Cy Young Awards. Those awards include the AL Award and the National League Award. Clemens was then named to Sports Illustrated’s “all-time” team. And on August 18th, 2007, Roger got his 1,000th strikeout as a Yankee player.
Like many other celebrity Major League Baseball players, William Roger Clemens, a MLB pitcher, has recently been under the spotlight with accusations of steroid use. This will not be the first time that Clemens has had encounters of allegations with steroid use. Humiliation, reports and affirmation with his use of performance-enhancing drugs extends back to 1998 when Brian McNamee, Yankees trainer, denied Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte of knowledge with any steroid use. (“Roger Clemens.” Wikipedia. 31 August 2010. Web. 1 Sept. 2010.) And on January 6, 2008, Roger Clemens appeared on 60 Minutes to address the allegations. Throughout 2008, Clemens was involved with many lawyers, committees, testimonies and investigations dealing with the statistics and evidence regarding his steroid use.
Roger Clemens’ most recent battle with the steroid allegations against him was brought to the public’s attention on August 19, 2010 when federal prosecutors indicted him on charges of making false statements to Congress about his use of performance-enhancing drugs. (Burleson, Duane. “Roger Clemens.” The New York Times. 19 Aug. 2010 Web. 30 Aug. 2010.) With his indictment, Clemens was charged with three counts of fallacious affirmations and two counts of perjury. Roger was sent to Washington D.C for his hearing on Monday August, 30th, just eleven days after a grand jury indicted Clemens on six felonies related to his testimony before Congress in February of 2008. (Thompson, Teri and Vinton, Nathaniel. “Roger Clemens will be arraigned Monday on six-count indictment in steroid probe.” Daily News. 26 Aug. 2010. Web. 1 Sept. 2010.) On Monday, Clemens was pleaded not guilty to his perjury charge in steroid use. He will be free to travel but only in the United States and must check in with the court every two weeks.
POLITICO.COM
By Josh Swanson
Politico is a political news organization that distributes news through a series of different mediums. They publish five newspaper issues a week while congress is in session. They also distribute their content through television, radio, and the internet. Politco.com is their official website, and is updated daily. Politco.com carries political content ranging from news in congress to lobbying, to media and the president. Politico launched in 2007, and has become a well-respected source for political news throughout the nation.
The website has specific sections dedicated solely to Obama’s Presidency titled “Politico 44,” which shows day-to-day, hour-to-hour activity of President Obama. That has been dubbed as “a living diary of the Obama Presidency.” Politico also has sections devoted to congress, lobbying, a debate arena, forums, and a section dedicated to policy. Politico has a full staff of advertisers, editors, executives, and they also employ over 25 staff writers.
This week on Politico.com, the headlines have been dominated by President Obama’s second address to the nation, which happened on Tuesday night. President Obama spoke about the impending departure of American troops from the war in Iraq. There has been plenty of news coverage of this event, and well deserving, it is a major moment in his Presidency as he is acting on his promise that he would end the war in Iraq. Not only is there summary articles about Obama’s speech, but there is analysis pieces, as well as a piece on how viewership was down from Obama’s speech about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Viewership was also down from his first Presidential address.
Glenn Thrush wrote a column on politico.com Wednesday morning entitled, “President Barack Obama: ‘Turn the Page.’” Thrush summarized the speech and gave some of his thoughts about it one of them being, he thought it was strange the way Obama made a quick shift from talking about ending the war in Iraq, and turning attention to the war in Afghanistan, to quickly speaking about the economy on the home front. Thrush said, “Obama then pivoted from guns to butter, a somewhat awkward shift to address growing public anxiety about the economy compared with the war’s diminishing importance on the national agenda.” Thrush also said about Republicans’ reaction to Obama’s speech, “Republicans spent much of Tuesday portraying the president as a hypocrite, arguing that he was assuming credit despite opposing the war and voting against the Bush troop surge.” The end of his article focused on the Obama opposition of the troop surge with quotes from Gen. David Petraeus, a pivotal figure in the troop surge.
Wednesday had a lot of focus on President Obama meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, which he had done throughout the day, as well as having dinner with them, and addressing the press with each of the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, Respectively. He also met with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Speaking of Palestinian and Israeli relations, he said that the two sides should focus on getting a peace agreement done soon, because the chance may not arise again soon, “don’t let peace slip away,” he said.
Politico is a political news organization that distributes news through a series of different mediums. They publish five newspaper issues a week while congress is in session. They also distribute their content through television, radio, and the internet. Politco.com is their official website, and is updated daily. Politco.com carries political content ranging from news in congress to lobbying, to media and the president. Politico launched in 2007, and has become a well-respected source for political news throughout the nation.
The website has specific sections dedicated solely to Obama’s Presidency titled “Politico 44,” which shows day-to-day, hour-to-hour activity of President Obama. That has been dubbed as “a living diary of the Obama Presidency.” Politico also has sections devoted to congress, lobbying, a debate arena, forums, and a section dedicated to policy. Politico has a full staff of advertisers, editors, executives, and they also employ over 25 staff writers.
This week on Politico.com, the headlines have been dominated by President Obama’s second address to the nation, which happened on Tuesday night. President Obama spoke about the impending departure of American troops from the war in Iraq. There has been plenty of news coverage of this event, and well deserving, it is a major moment in his Presidency as he is acting on his promise that he would end the war in Iraq. Not only is there summary articles about Obama’s speech, but there is analysis pieces, as well as a piece on how viewership was down from Obama’s speech about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Viewership was also down from his first Presidential address.
Glenn Thrush wrote a column on politico.com Wednesday morning entitled, “President Barack Obama: ‘Turn the Page.’” Thrush summarized the speech and gave some of his thoughts about it one of them being, he thought it was strange the way Obama made a quick shift from talking about ending the war in Iraq, and turning attention to the war in Afghanistan, to quickly speaking about the economy on the home front. Thrush said, “Obama then pivoted from guns to butter, a somewhat awkward shift to address growing public anxiety about the economy compared with the war’s diminishing importance on the national agenda.” Thrush also said about Republicans’ reaction to Obama’s speech, “Republicans spent much of Tuesday portraying the president as a hypocrite, arguing that he was assuming credit despite opposing the war and voting against the Bush troop surge.” The end of his article focused on the Obama opposition of the troop surge with quotes from Gen. David Petraeus, a pivotal figure in the troop surge.
Wednesday had a lot of focus on President Obama meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, which he had done throughout the day, as well as having dinner with them, and addressing the press with each of the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, Respectively. He also met with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Speaking of Palestinian and Israeli relations, he said that the two sides should focus on getting a peace agreement done soon, because the chance may not arise again soon, “don’t let peace slip away,” he said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
By Joe Moubry
This past week, the Associated Press reported on Secretary of State Clinton’s first direct peace talk that Israel and the Palestinians have had in about two years.
The Associated Press also took a look at how the Tea Party is starting to look like a new Republican party. Mainly with the grass roots efforts have paid off with what the Associated Press calls: “fed-up conservative-libertarian voters displayed its power in its biggest triumph of the election year.”
The leader of the Pakistan Taliban has been charged with bombing that took the life seven CIA agents, according to the Associated Press.
A brief report from a Marine general has stated that the Taliban is losing money due to lthe decline of drug trade in southern Afghanistan.
According to the top US military commander in Afghanistan, the relationship between the US and the Afghan President Hamid Karzai is pretty strong.
Palestinians and Israelis both agree that they need to reach peace, according to the Associated Press.
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera stated that he hopes that 33 miners that are trapped a half a mile underground will be rescued by Christmas.
Congress is not in favor of increasing taxes on anyone, including the wealthy Americans.
The amount of illegal immigrants in the United States has decrease 8% since 2007.
A top leader in Hamas on the Gaza Strip has declined to have any talks with Israel.
Obama is viewing an improvement in Iraq and is pulling out the armed forces because he stated “It's time to turn the page.”
The main thing that the Associated Press seems to have posted over the past week is the peace talks between that Israel and the Palestinians.
The Federal Government has failed to use land in Roach Dry Lake, Nav to provide more solar power sources as they planned to do five years ago.
Obama held Mideast talks earlier this week in Washington.
The Associated Press covers a wide verity of political events inside of the United States, as well as outside of the United States. The Associated Press’s reports do not allow themselves to show any bias at all.
Stories Taken From http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/fronts/POLITICS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/external/search.hosted.ap.org/wireCoreTool/Search?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&query=Politics
This past week, the Associated Press reported on Secretary of State Clinton’s first direct peace talk that Israel and the Palestinians have had in about two years.
The Associated Press also took a look at how the Tea Party is starting to look like a new Republican party. Mainly with the grass roots efforts have paid off with what the Associated Press calls: “fed-up conservative-libertarian voters displayed its power in its biggest triumph of the election year.”
The leader of the Pakistan Taliban has been charged with bombing that took the life seven CIA agents, according to the Associated Press.
A brief report from a Marine general has stated that the Taliban is losing money due to lthe decline of drug trade in southern Afghanistan.
According to the top US military commander in Afghanistan, the relationship between the US and the Afghan President Hamid Karzai is pretty strong.
Palestinians and Israelis both agree that they need to reach peace, according to the Associated Press.
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera stated that he hopes that 33 miners that are trapped a half a mile underground will be rescued by Christmas.
Congress is not in favor of increasing taxes on anyone, including the wealthy Americans.
The amount of illegal immigrants in the United States has decrease 8% since 2007.
A top leader in Hamas on the Gaza Strip has declined to have any talks with Israel.
Obama is viewing an improvement in Iraq and is pulling out the armed forces because he stated “It's time to turn the page.”
The main thing that the Associated Press seems to have posted over the past week is the peace talks between that Israel and the Palestinians.
The Federal Government has failed to use land in Roach Dry Lake, Nav to provide more solar power sources as they planned to do five years ago.
Obama held Mideast talks earlier this week in Washington.
The Associated Press covers a wide verity of political events inside of the United States, as well as outside of the United States. The Associated Press’s reports do not allow themselves to show any bias at all.
Stories Taken From http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/fronts/POLITICS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/external/search.hosted.ap.org/wireCoreTool/Search?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&query=Politics
THE HUFFINGTON POST
By Jesse Quick
The Huffington Post is a liberal/progressive American news website and blog featuring various news sources and columnists. The site offers a variety of coverage including politics, media, business, entertainment, living, style, the green movement, world news, sports, art, religion, and comedy. The site also has a blog where people can express their ideas and beliefs. The Huffington Post was launched on May 9, 2005.
I will be writing about an article that I found in the Huffington Post that is titled “Lisa Murkowski’s Defeat In Alaska Primary Marks Major Tea Party Win”. The article was written by Associated Press writer Dan Joling. Associated Press writers Becky Bohrer, Rachel D’Oro, and Mark Thiessen also contributed to the article. (facts and figures in the following report are from said article, written by Dan Joling)
In one of the biggest political upsets of the year, a conservative Alaskan lawyer by the name of Joe Miller, defeated incumbent GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, when she conceded Tuesday, giving the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate to Miller. Miller’s win was a major victory for the tea party movement, and is the first time it had defeated a sitting senator in a primary.
Murkowski trailed Miller by 1,668 votes after the August 24th primary. After counting 15,000 absentee and outstanding ballots on Tuesday, however, she was still down 1,630 votes. After she became aware of those results, she made the decision to concede. She said that while there were still outstanding votes, “I don’t see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor, and that is a reality that is before me at this point in time. And for that reason, and for the good of the state of Alaska, I am now conceding the race of the Republican nomination.” (Dan Joling, AP).
Miller, who is backed by the Tea Party Express, and Sarah Palin, is the favorite in November to defeat Democrat Scott McAdams, in a strongly Republican Alaska. As of a few weeks ago, McAdams, who is the mayor of Sitka, Alaska, only had a few thousand dollars and a volunteer treasurer to help him claim the Democratic nomination. But after the surprising upset by Miller, volunteers and money have been flowing his way. He expects his campaign to collect $100,000 by the end of the week. In order to be competitive in this race, McAdams needs to gain the support of independents, and disappointed Murkowski supporters, who are worried that Miller’s call for cuts in government spending will hurt Alaska, a state that has benefited from federal funding for a long period of time.
Before taking on Murkowski in the Republican Senate race, Miller had no experience running in political races, other than a failed legislative bid in 2004. Miller’s victory over Murkowski just goes to show what can happen when you are friends with a well known political figure like Sarah Palin. In the final days of the campaign, Palin called Miller “a man of the people” on her facebook page. (Dan Joling, AP). It also doesn’t hurt that Miller received nearly $600,000 from the California-based Tea Party Express to help in the campaign, most of it coming in the final weeks of the race.
The Huffington Post is a liberal/progressive American news website and blog featuring various news sources and columnists. The site offers a variety of coverage including politics, media, business, entertainment, living, style, the green movement, world news, sports, art, religion, and comedy. The site also has a blog where people can express their ideas and beliefs. The Huffington Post was launched on May 9, 2005.
I will be writing about an article that I found in the Huffington Post that is titled “Lisa Murkowski’s Defeat In Alaska Primary Marks Major Tea Party Win”. The article was written by Associated Press writer Dan Joling. Associated Press writers Becky Bohrer, Rachel D’Oro, and Mark Thiessen also contributed to the article. (facts and figures in the following report are from said article, written by Dan Joling)
In one of the biggest political upsets of the year, a conservative Alaskan lawyer by the name of Joe Miller, defeated incumbent GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, when she conceded Tuesday, giving the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate to Miller. Miller’s win was a major victory for the tea party movement, and is the first time it had defeated a sitting senator in a primary.
Murkowski trailed Miller by 1,668 votes after the August 24th primary. After counting 15,000 absentee and outstanding ballots on Tuesday, however, she was still down 1,630 votes. After she became aware of those results, she made the decision to concede. She said that while there were still outstanding votes, “I don’t see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor, and that is a reality that is before me at this point in time. And for that reason, and for the good of the state of Alaska, I am now conceding the race of the Republican nomination.” (Dan Joling, AP).
Miller, who is backed by the Tea Party Express, and Sarah Palin, is the favorite in November to defeat Democrat Scott McAdams, in a strongly Republican Alaska. As of a few weeks ago, McAdams, who is the mayor of Sitka, Alaska, only had a few thousand dollars and a volunteer treasurer to help him claim the Democratic nomination. But after the surprising upset by Miller, volunteers and money have been flowing his way. He expects his campaign to collect $100,000 by the end of the week. In order to be competitive in this race, McAdams needs to gain the support of independents, and disappointed Murkowski supporters, who are worried that Miller’s call for cuts in government spending will hurt Alaska, a state that has benefited from federal funding for a long period of time.
Before taking on Murkowski in the Republican Senate race, Miller had no experience running in political races, other than a failed legislative bid in 2004. Miller’s victory over Murkowski just goes to show what can happen when you are friends with a well known political figure like Sarah Palin. In the final days of the campaign, Palin called Miller “a man of the people” on her facebook page. (Dan Joling, AP). It also doesn’t hurt that Miller received nearly $600,000 from the California-based Tea Party Express to help in the campaign, most of it coming in the final weeks of the race.
PROPOSITION 19 (CA)
By Jae Seifert
In 1996 California was the first state in the United States and the first province outside of the Netherlands to legalize Marijuana for adult consumption. The piece of legislation, Proposition 215, stated the following purpose;
“To ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes where the medical use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician who has determined that the person's health would benefit from the use of marijuana in the treatment of cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine, or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief. “ – Compassionate Use Act of 1996 (1)
After California passed their legislation, other states followed but none were quite like California’s system with state regulated dispensaries operating as legitimate businesses paying taxes and obeying city and county rules governing their operations. Federal raids however continued because while legal under state legislation, federal law still holds Cannabis as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classifying it according to these criteria,
“(1) Schedule I. -
(A) The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
(B) The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
(C) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.”
(2) Medical Marijuana failed to be the societal pariah its opponents hailed it as, becoming the national model for how Marijuana legalization could work, and work well in addition to showing that Cannabis is safe and effective medicine for a wide variety of illnesses and conditions. The process for obtaining this medicine however could still begin and end within the pages of an issue of “High Times” magazine, which regularly lists physicians that specialize in issuing recommendations for Cannabis use, and there’s even an iPhone app to find Dispensaries.
Given the liberal attitude and incredible popularity of the medicinal marijuana program it isn’t necessarily surprising that this November voter initiative proposition 19 was voted onto the ballot. Proposition 19 aims to legalize and decriminalize the recreational consumption of Cannabis by adults 21 and over. The bill is being met with both likely and unlikely opponents however, including the NAACP whose official stance is pro-prop 19, NORML or the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws as well, but while many large organizations are being lending their influence in support many dispensaries and the farmers who in a legal grey area, supply them with their pharmaceuticals.
Dispensaries are concerned about the impending flood of competition from both individuals deciding to grow their own instead of relying on the existing system of recommendations, dispensaries, and growers all of whom already face growing pressure by both county and local governments to either relocate away from schools, churches, and parks or revoking their licenses to operate entirely. Growers along with Physicians have also expressed concern; one grower Mike Boutin posted to his facebook page,
“Mike Boutin again wants to remind everyone: Look around your residence" how many other smokers do you see? Okay, now ask yourself if a 5x5 is gonna solve your problems. p19 is a trojan horse designed to drive you to your new dealer, weedmart. If this thing passes, you better start doing some stretches, so when asked to "bend over" you won't pull anything.”
(3) Their concerns pertaining to both the commercialization of the somewhat cottage industry at this point, and from a physicians standpoint the worry that with legalization will also come corporations who copyright or modify a proven medicine, akin to two medicines “Sativex” and “Marinol” both relying on Deltaninetetrahydrocannibinbol to medicate their patients, as well as opening the prescription or recommendation of such medicine to any physician, not just those who specifically target the minority market currently present.
Come November it will be interesting to see what will become of voter initiative Proposition 19; will it become the evolution of the people’s will expressed in Proposition 215 in 1996 which legalized Medicinal Marijuana, or will it be brought down by it’s critics and opponents?
Sources:
(1) http://www.canorml.org/prop/patientsguide.htm#prop
(2) http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/21C13.txt
(3) http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1170687711
In 1996 California was the first state in the United States and the first province outside of the Netherlands to legalize Marijuana for adult consumption. The piece of legislation, Proposition 215, stated the following purpose;
“To ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes where the medical use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician who has determined that the person's health would benefit from the use of marijuana in the treatment of cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine, or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief. “ – Compassionate Use Act of 1996 (1)
After California passed their legislation, other states followed but none were quite like California’s system with state regulated dispensaries operating as legitimate businesses paying taxes and obeying city and county rules governing their operations. Federal raids however continued because while legal under state legislation, federal law still holds Cannabis as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classifying it according to these criteria,
“(1) Schedule I. -
(A) The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
(B) The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
(C) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.”
(2) Medical Marijuana failed to be the societal pariah its opponents hailed it as, becoming the national model for how Marijuana legalization could work, and work well in addition to showing that Cannabis is safe and effective medicine for a wide variety of illnesses and conditions. The process for obtaining this medicine however could still begin and end within the pages of an issue of “High Times” magazine, which regularly lists physicians that specialize in issuing recommendations for Cannabis use, and there’s even an iPhone app to find Dispensaries.
Given the liberal attitude and incredible popularity of the medicinal marijuana program it isn’t necessarily surprising that this November voter initiative proposition 19 was voted onto the ballot. Proposition 19 aims to legalize and decriminalize the recreational consumption of Cannabis by adults 21 and over. The bill is being met with both likely and unlikely opponents however, including the NAACP whose official stance is pro-prop 19, NORML or the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws as well, but while many large organizations are being lending their influence in support many dispensaries and the farmers who in a legal grey area, supply them with their pharmaceuticals.
Dispensaries are concerned about the impending flood of competition from both individuals deciding to grow their own instead of relying on the existing system of recommendations, dispensaries, and growers all of whom already face growing pressure by both county and local governments to either relocate away from schools, churches, and parks or revoking their licenses to operate entirely. Growers along with Physicians have also expressed concern; one grower Mike Boutin posted to his facebook page,
“Mike Boutin again wants to remind everyone: Look around your residence" how many other smokers do you see? Okay, now ask yourself if a 5x5 is gonna solve your problems. p19 is a trojan horse designed to drive you to your new dealer, weedmart. If this thing passes, you better start doing some stretches, so when asked to "bend over" you won't pull anything.”
(3) Their concerns pertaining to both the commercialization of the somewhat cottage industry at this point, and from a physicians standpoint the worry that with legalization will also come corporations who copyright or modify a proven medicine, akin to two medicines “Sativex” and “Marinol” both relying on Deltaninetetrahydrocannibinbol to medicate their patients, as well as opening the prescription or recommendation of such medicine to any physician, not just those who specifically target the minority market currently present.
Come November it will be interesting to see what will become of voter initiative Proposition 19; will it become the evolution of the people’s will expressed in Proposition 215 in 1996 which legalized Medicinal Marijuana, or will it be brought down by it’s critics and opponents?
Sources:
(1) http://www.canorml.org/prop/patientsguide.htm#prop
(2) http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/21C13.txt
(3) http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1170687711
BEMIDJI LOCAL RACES
By Erin Sollund
The Minnesota judicial elections of 2010 consist of a Primary Election on August 10, 2010 and a General Election on November 2, 2010. In Minnesota, trial court judges are chosen in one of two different ways. The first being appointment, and the second being election. Judge Paul Benshoof, who was appointed by Governor Arne Carlson in 1997, has been re-elected twice without opposition. However, this year, he is faced with an opponent. Beltrami County District Judge Paul Benshoof is opposed by Darrell Carter, a Bemidji attorney who filed in late May. Carter is a former Republican state Senate candidate.
As the 2010 9th judicial elections are nearing, the political news coverage is intensifying. The Bemidji Pioneer has published many articles on the re-election of Judge Paul Benshoof. Benshoof has been serving as a judge in the 9th Judicial District since 1997, and is running for Judge once again. He has served for 13 years, and had persuaded over 40,000 cases. Twenty three years prior to serving as judge, Benshoof has represented clients all over Northern Minnesota as a trial attorney. Benshoof is a firm believer in “fairness, experience, and integrity.” He is running against Judge Darrell Carter. Carter is a Bemidji attorney who filed in late May. Carter is a former Republican state Senate candidate and also is a fourth generation Beltrami County resident. He has practiced law in the northern Minnesota helping hundreds of people throughout Beltrami, Lake of the Woods, Cass, Hubbard, Clearwater, Polk, and Wadena counties for the past 23 years. Carter feels that these experiences will help him better serve the people of the 9th Judicial District court well.
Carter is running because in his opinion, his opponent, Paul Benshoof, has administered justice unfairly in the last 12 years that he has appeared in front of him. Carter said that it’s not only him, but, other attorneys in the courtroom as well. Benshoof has criticized Carter on matters when he did not know what he was talking about; also, rudely fails to listen and he often makes conclusions without hearing all of the facts.
On July 22, 2010, the Beltrami County Bar held a candidate forum where all four candidates (for two different judicial seats) in the 9th Judicial District had an opportunity to address the Beltrami County Bar. Judge Benshoof, said it was hard to rule against attorneys he liked. Carter believes that if this is true, then the converse must also be true: that Benshoof finds it easy to rule against attorneys he doesn't like.
Benshoof is running because he believes he has the experience needed to perform the job best. Through lectures at numerous professional seminars, workshops and classes, and co-authoring an article published in the Journal of Legal Economics, he feels that he has the experience, the wisdom and the good judgment to continue serving as the judge of the Ninth Judicial District.
Being a judge requires five steps. Step one is getting a law degree; the first step to becoming a lawyer is to obtain a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and get admitted to law school. Law school programs typically take three years to complete and lead to a Juris Doctor (J.D.). After graduating from law school, the next step for someone who wants to become a judge is to apply for admission to the bar in the state or jurisdiction where he or she wishes to practice law. Lawyers who aspire to become judges should find a court where they can gain work experience, although procedures to do so may differ depending on the type and location of the court. When an opening for a judgeship becomes available, a candidate can submit his or her name for consideration to a judicial nominating commission. Judges are either appointed or elected to their positions. Either procedure requires aspiring judges to have a good track record as legal representatives as well as political support among those who hold the power to put them in office. Some federal judges have lifetime appointments, while other federal, state or local judges have fixed or renewable terms of office. Many state or local judges are elected, in either partisan or non-partisan elections.
Most recently, the Beltrami County Bar Association conducted a referendum regarding the judicial contest between Judge Benshoof and his opponent, Darrell Carter. Excluding five attorneys who chose not to endorse either candidate, Judge Benshoof received 83% of the votes cast (24 out of 29). Mr. Carter received just five votes.
The Beltrami County Bar Association consists of attorneys who live and/or practice in Beltrami County and who share its goal “to promote the administration of justice in all possible ways [and] to uphold the honor of the profession of the law.”
General Elections are held on November 2, 2010. We will have to wait till then to see what the outcome is, and who wins this intense battle.
The Minnesota judicial elections of 2010 consist of a Primary Election on August 10, 2010 and a General Election on November 2, 2010. In Minnesota, trial court judges are chosen in one of two different ways. The first being appointment, and the second being election. Judge Paul Benshoof, who was appointed by Governor Arne Carlson in 1997, has been re-elected twice without opposition. However, this year, he is faced with an opponent. Beltrami County District Judge Paul Benshoof is opposed by Darrell Carter, a Bemidji attorney who filed in late May. Carter is a former Republican state Senate candidate.
As the 2010 9th judicial elections are nearing, the political news coverage is intensifying. The Bemidji Pioneer has published many articles on the re-election of Judge Paul Benshoof. Benshoof has been serving as a judge in the 9th Judicial District since 1997, and is running for Judge once again. He has served for 13 years, and had persuaded over 40,000 cases. Twenty three years prior to serving as judge, Benshoof has represented clients all over Northern Minnesota as a trial attorney. Benshoof is a firm believer in “fairness, experience, and integrity.” He is running against Judge Darrell Carter. Carter is a Bemidji attorney who filed in late May. Carter is a former Republican state Senate candidate and also is a fourth generation Beltrami County resident. He has practiced law in the northern Minnesota helping hundreds of people throughout Beltrami, Lake of the Woods, Cass, Hubbard, Clearwater, Polk, and Wadena counties for the past 23 years. Carter feels that these experiences will help him better serve the people of the 9th Judicial District court well.
Carter is running because in his opinion, his opponent, Paul Benshoof, has administered justice unfairly in the last 12 years that he has appeared in front of him. Carter said that it’s not only him, but, other attorneys in the courtroom as well. Benshoof has criticized Carter on matters when he did not know what he was talking about; also, rudely fails to listen and he often makes conclusions without hearing all of the facts.
On July 22, 2010, the Beltrami County Bar held a candidate forum where all four candidates (for two different judicial seats) in the 9th Judicial District had an opportunity to address the Beltrami County Bar. Judge Benshoof, said it was hard to rule against attorneys he liked. Carter believes that if this is true, then the converse must also be true: that Benshoof finds it easy to rule against attorneys he doesn't like.
Benshoof is running because he believes he has the experience needed to perform the job best. Through lectures at numerous professional seminars, workshops and classes, and co-authoring an article published in the Journal of Legal Economics, he feels that he has the experience, the wisdom and the good judgment to continue serving as the judge of the Ninth Judicial District.
Being a judge requires five steps. Step one is getting a law degree; the first step to becoming a lawyer is to obtain a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and get admitted to law school. Law school programs typically take three years to complete and lead to a Juris Doctor (J.D.). After graduating from law school, the next step for someone who wants to become a judge is to apply for admission to the bar in the state or jurisdiction where he or she wishes to practice law. Lawyers who aspire to become judges should find a court where they can gain work experience, although procedures to do so may differ depending on the type and location of the court. When an opening for a judgeship becomes available, a candidate can submit his or her name for consideration to a judicial nominating commission. Judges are either appointed or elected to their positions. Either procedure requires aspiring judges to have a good track record as legal representatives as well as political support among those who hold the power to put them in office. Some federal judges have lifetime appointments, while other federal, state or local judges have fixed or renewable terms of office. Many state or local judges are elected, in either partisan or non-partisan elections.
Most recently, the Beltrami County Bar Association conducted a referendum regarding the judicial contest between Judge Benshoof and his opponent, Darrell Carter. Excluding five attorneys who chose not to endorse either candidate, Judge Benshoof received 83% of the votes cast (24 out of 29). Mr. Carter received just five votes.
The Beltrami County Bar Association consists of attorneys who live and/or practice in Beltrami County and who share its goal “to promote the administration of justice in all possible ways [and] to uphold the honor of the profession of the law.”
General Elections are held on November 2, 2010. We will have to wait till then to see what the outcome is, and who wins this intense battle.
U. S. REP. KEITH ELLISON
By Dave Jackman
Democrat Keith Ellison is the two-term incumbent for Minnesota's fifth congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. First elected to the U.S. House in 2006 with 56 percent of votes, Ellison earned national headlines for being the first Muslim elected to Congress. Ellison was easily re-elected in 2008 with 71 percent, and again the House seat is seen as a virtual lock for the 2010 race against Republican challenger Joel Demos.
Demos has ackknowledged that he has uphill campaign to wage for the House seat that Democrats have maintained since 1963. In one campaign ad he pulls a monster truck along a road and asks for peoples' help in his task of securing an election victory.
Before running for U.S. House, Ellison was elected to two terms in the Minnesota House, representing north Minneapolis in district 58B. Prior to and during his time at the Minnesota House, Ellison practiced law in the private sector along with Legal Rights Center.
Ellison's time in the U.S. House has largely been in a supporting role, as junior representatives usually are. He has co-sponsored more than 1,000 bills and has only a handful of his own written bills make it out of committee.
Much of Ellison's tenure in the House has been tied to his converted faith, Islam. As the first Muslim elected to Congress, Ellison is viewed by some as example of the U.S.'s acceptance of multiculturalism, or a dent in its homogeny. Ellison caused a stir when he decided to be sworn in using a copy of the Quran. At the time, some argued that only a Bible should be used for swearing in members of Congress. Repubican Virgil Goode of Virginia had said at the time that "unless immigration is tightened, 'many more Muslims' will be elected and follow Ellison's lead."
Since that time, Ellison and his faith have been utilized in a more symbolic manner, as he has been involved with numnerous international diplomatic trips and had his speeches published by the U.S. government for dispersement to foreign audiences.
More recently, Ellison has been in verbal spat with Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty over the debate of the proposed construction of a mosque near the land at Ground Zero in New York City. Pawlenty had said in an interview that he is "strongly opposed to the idea of putting a mosque anywhere near Ground Zero-I think it's inappropriate." Ellison criticized the governor, saying that Pawlenty's presidential ambitions were blinding him, and that Pawlenty had a "profound lack of understanding" about religious tolerance.
Token symbol of multiculturalism or not, Ellison has at least gained the respect of many within the Muslim community. In a Washington Post profile the director of a Detroit-based national network of Arab American community organizations summed up his feelings on Ellison. "The way he has conducted himself...really resonates with the majority of Muslim Americans and Arab Americans...That's exactly the way Muslim Americans want to be judged, not as being Muslims but by their contributions to their communities as Americans."
"Mulling 2012, Pawlenty Takes Restrained Plunge." August 6, 2010. Retrived from http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/08/06/mulling_2012_pawlenty_takes_restrained_plunge_106637.html
Keith Ellison (politician). Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota%27s_5th_congressional_district
"A Publics Figure." Washington Post, July 16, 2009. Retrieved from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/15/AR2009071503902_2.html
Democrat Keith Ellison is the two-term incumbent for Minnesota's fifth congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. First elected to the U.S. House in 2006 with 56 percent of votes, Ellison earned national headlines for being the first Muslim elected to Congress. Ellison was easily re-elected in 2008 with 71 percent, and again the House seat is seen as a virtual lock for the 2010 race against Republican challenger Joel Demos.
Demos has ackknowledged that he has uphill campaign to wage for the House seat that Democrats have maintained since 1963. In one campaign ad he pulls a monster truck along a road and asks for peoples' help in his task of securing an election victory.
Before running for U.S. House, Ellison was elected to two terms in the Minnesota House, representing north Minneapolis in district 58B. Prior to and during his time at the Minnesota House, Ellison practiced law in the private sector along with Legal Rights Center.
Ellison's time in the U.S. House has largely been in a supporting role, as junior representatives usually are. He has co-sponsored more than 1,000 bills and has only a handful of his own written bills make it out of committee.
Much of Ellison's tenure in the House has been tied to his converted faith, Islam. As the first Muslim elected to Congress, Ellison is viewed by some as example of the U.S.'s acceptance of multiculturalism, or a dent in its homogeny. Ellison caused a stir when he decided to be sworn in using a copy of the Quran. At the time, some argued that only a Bible should be used for swearing in members of Congress. Repubican Virgil Goode of Virginia had said at the time that "unless immigration is tightened, 'many more Muslims' will be elected and follow Ellison's lead."
Since that time, Ellison and his faith have been utilized in a more symbolic manner, as he has been involved with numnerous international diplomatic trips and had his speeches published by the U.S. government for dispersement to foreign audiences.
More recently, Ellison has been in verbal spat with Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty over the debate of the proposed construction of a mosque near the land at Ground Zero in New York City. Pawlenty had said in an interview that he is "strongly opposed to the idea of putting a mosque anywhere near Ground Zero-I think it's inappropriate." Ellison criticized the governor, saying that Pawlenty's presidential ambitions were blinding him, and that Pawlenty had a "profound lack of understanding" about religious tolerance.
Token symbol of multiculturalism or not, Ellison has at least gained the respect of many within the Muslim community. In a Washington Post profile the director of a Detroit-based national network of Arab American community organizations summed up his feelings on Ellison. "The way he has conducted himself...really resonates with the majority of Muslim Americans and Arab Americans...That's exactly the way Muslim Americans want to be judged, not as being Muslims but by their contributions to their communities as Americans."
"Mulling 2012, Pawlenty Takes Restrained Plunge." August 6, 2010. Retrived from http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/08/06/mulling_2012_pawlenty_takes_restrained_plunge_106637.html
Keith Ellison (politician). Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota%27s_5th_congressional_district
"A Publics Figure." Washington Post, July 16, 2009. Retrieved from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/15/AR2009071503902_2.html
PROPOSITION 8
By Caitlin Blowers
Prop8, officially titled Proposition 8, eliminates the right of same-sex couples to marry. It is a statewide ballot proposition in California. On November 4, 2008, voters approved the measure and made same-sex marriage illegal in California. Proposition 8, before it was declared void by the federal courts, the measure added a new provision, Section 7.5 of the Declaration of Rights to the California Constitution which said, "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California". Before it passed, same-sex marriage was a constitutionally-protected right in California; a majority of the justices of the California Supreme Court affirmed this understanding of the constitution in May 2008.
By restricting the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples, the proposition overturned the California Supreme Court's ruling of In re Marriage Cases that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. The wording of Proposition 8 was somewhat the same as the wording in Proposition 22, which, as an ordinary statute, had been invalidated by the Supreme Court. California's State Constitution put Proposition 8 into immediate effect the day after the election. The proposition did not affect domestic partnerships in California, or same-sex marriages performed before November 5, 2008.
The campaign over Proposition 8 was fiercely protested. In the aftermath of the vote, an intense focus on Proposition 8 continued with protests around the country and litigation focusing on many aspects of the financing of the campaign. Three lawsuits seeking to invalidate Proposition 8 were filed soon after the election; on November 19, the California Supreme Court announced it would consider these lawsuits. On May 26, 2009, the California Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the amendment.
Prop8 was also a very costly and time consuming proposition. By Election Day, volunteers on both sides spent thousands of hours getting their messages across to the state's 17.3 million registered voters. The campaigns for, and against Prop8 raised around $39.9 million and $43.3 million. Contributions totaled over $83 million from over 64,000 people in all fifty states and more than twenty foreign countries, setting a new record nationally for a social policy initiative and beating every other race in the country in spending, except the presidential contest. Contributions were much greater than those of previous same-sex marriage campaigns. Between 2004 and 2006, twenty two measures were on ballots around the country, and donations to all of them totaled $31.4 million, according to the nonpartisan National Institute on Money in State Politics.
A ProtectMarriage.com spokeswoman estimated that thirty six companies which had previously contributed to Equality California were targeted to receive a letter requesting similar donations to ProtectMarriage.com. The ProtectMarriage.com organization sponsored the initiative that placed Proposition 8 on the ballot. They continue to support the measure. The measure also attracted the support of a number of political figures and religious organizations.
Today, as of August 4, 2010. Prop8 has been overruled. U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker said Proposition 8, violated the federal constitutional rights of gays and lesbians to marry the partners of their choice. His ruling is expected to be appealed to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and then up to the U.S. Supreme Court. Both Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa praised the judge's decision. "Because a judge had the courage to stand up for the constitution of the United States, prop 8 has been overturned!" the mayor wrote on Twitter.
Works Cited
Dolan, M. (2010, August 4). Judge strikes down Prop 8, allows gay marriage in California. .
(2008). Text of Proposition 8, official voter information guide.
www.ag.ca.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved from California Attorney General Webpage.
www.latimes.com. (2008-2010).
www.ProtectMarriage.com. (n.d.).
www.sos.ca.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved from California General Election Tuesday Nov. 4th Voter Information Guide.
Prop8, officially titled Proposition 8, eliminates the right of same-sex couples to marry. It is a statewide ballot proposition in California. On November 4, 2008, voters approved the measure and made same-sex marriage illegal in California. Proposition 8, before it was declared void by the federal courts, the measure added a new provision, Section 7.5 of the Declaration of Rights to the California Constitution which said, "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California". Before it passed, same-sex marriage was a constitutionally-protected right in California; a majority of the justices of the California Supreme Court affirmed this understanding of the constitution in May 2008.
By restricting the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples, the proposition overturned the California Supreme Court's ruling of In re Marriage Cases that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. The wording of Proposition 8 was somewhat the same as the wording in Proposition 22, which, as an ordinary statute, had been invalidated by the Supreme Court. California's State Constitution put Proposition 8 into immediate effect the day after the election. The proposition did not affect domestic partnerships in California, or same-sex marriages performed before November 5, 2008.
The campaign over Proposition 8 was fiercely protested. In the aftermath of the vote, an intense focus on Proposition 8 continued with protests around the country and litigation focusing on many aspects of the financing of the campaign. Three lawsuits seeking to invalidate Proposition 8 were filed soon after the election; on November 19, the California Supreme Court announced it would consider these lawsuits. On May 26, 2009, the California Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the amendment.
Prop8 was also a very costly and time consuming proposition. By Election Day, volunteers on both sides spent thousands of hours getting their messages across to the state's 17.3 million registered voters. The campaigns for, and against Prop8 raised around $39.9 million and $43.3 million. Contributions totaled over $83 million from over 64,000 people in all fifty states and more than twenty foreign countries, setting a new record nationally for a social policy initiative and beating every other race in the country in spending, except the presidential contest. Contributions were much greater than those of previous same-sex marriage campaigns. Between 2004 and 2006, twenty two measures were on ballots around the country, and donations to all of them totaled $31.4 million, according to the nonpartisan National Institute on Money in State Politics.
A ProtectMarriage.com spokeswoman estimated that thirty six companies which had previously contributed to Equality California were targeted to receive a letter requesting similar donations to ProtectMarriage.com. The ProtectMarriage.com organization sponsored the initiative that placed Proposition 8 on the ballot. They continue to support the measure. The measure also attracted the support of a number of political figures and religious organizations.
Today, as of August 4, 2010. Prop8 has been overruled. U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker said Proposition 8, violated the federal constitutional rights of gays and lesbians to marry the partners of their choice. His ruling is expected to be appealed to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and then up to the U.S. Supreme Court. Both Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa praised the judge's decision. "Because a judge had the courage to stand up for the constitution of the United States, prop 8 has been overturned!" the mayor wrote on Twitter.
Works Cited
Dolan, M. (2010, August 4). Judge strikes down Prop 8, allows gay marriage in California. .
(2008). Text of Proposition 8, official voter information guide.
www.ag.ca.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved from California Attorney General Webpage.
www.latimes.com. (2008-2010).
www.ProtectMarriage.com. (n.d.).
www.sos.ca.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved from California General Election Tuesday Nov. 4th Voter Information Guide.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)