Author Archives: John H Kennedy

Democrats, Greens, Lefties=Protest Obama’s Bush Like Policies TUESDAY at Abraham Lincoln High School at South Federal & Evans in Denver, CO.

He will be in Denver on a fundraising visit and giving a public speech at approx 2:15 pm.

School doors open at 11 am to supporters, so some of us will try to arrive then. Others are coming closer to the time of the speech-from Noon to 2:00 pm.

Please= MAKE & BRING YOUR OWN SIGN

protesting policies you care about… Extending the Afghan War, not leaving Iraq, Not closing Gitmo, Not Fighting for Single Payer or Public Option, Making a Trillion$ Gift to Health Insurance Corps with Mandate in Healthcare Bill, Not Prosecuting WALL STREET CROOKS that caused the Recession, Not rolling back Patriot Act’s spying, NOT Prosecuting Bush’s Torture Lawyers, Not Prosecuting the WMD LIES…

and well you know all the other issues.  

Stay as long as you can.

Thanks for your support and patriotism  

Democrats, Greens, Lefties=Protest Obama’s Bush Like Policies TUESDAY at Abraham Lincoln High School at South Federal & Evans in Denver, CO.

He will be in Denver on a fundraising visit and giving a public speech at approx 2:15 pm.

School doors open at 11 am to supporters, so some of us will try to arrive then. Others are coming closer to the time of the speech-from Noon to 2:00 pm.

Please= MAKE & BRING YOUR OWN SIGN

protesting policies you care about… Extending the Afghan War, not leaving Iraq, Not closing Gitmo, Not Fighting for Single Payer or Public Option, Making a Trillion$ Gift to Health Insurance Corps with Mandate in Healthcare Bill, Not Prosecuting WALL STREET CROOKS that caused the Recession, Not rolling back Patriot Act’s spying, NOT Prosecuting Bush’s Torture Lawyers, Not Prosecuting the WMD LIES…

and well you know all the other issues.  

Stay as long as you can.

Thanks for your support and patriotism

Today,  I  received this email from Progressive Democrats of America that I thought I would share.  To the best of my knowledge, until this morning,  PDA would not allow discussion of a Primary Challenger to Obama, to be even discussed on it’s Accountability and Justice Google Group because as it’s officers said, it might impact PDA’s ability to lobby for other issues and might put the very existence of PDA within the Democratic Party, at risk.

So this email shows a sea change in attitude.    

Now Tim Carpenter is willing to admit that  “lefty blogs and discussion lists are on fire with talk of primarying Obama”.   Good for him and PDA.   Holding even Democratic Presidents accountable is what all of the members expect.  I know I want nothing less.  

Sadly, though, Tim acknowledges only that calls for a primary challenger ‘have been made’… and Carpenter and PDA aren’t today calling for a primary Challenger to Obama.  

If the officers of PDA really want to Hold Obama Accountable to rank and file Democrats… Isn’t That What They Should DO?   Shouldn’t the PDA Advisory Board be going on record as calling for a primary challenger?   If you want to push Obama to the Left, there is no other way.    I commend Tim Carpenter for doing this, but he and PDA need to take it one step farther… Call for a Primary Challenger.

Would be primary challengers need to know that they will be supported if they throw their hat in the ring to fight for the Democratic Party rank and file.  They deserve that much.  So, without actually calling for a challenger, just saying that others are doesn’t get the job done.

PDA certainly wants the rank and file of the Democratic Party to believe that they are a skilled and powerful force working for the best interests of the Base, so calling for a primary challenger ‘very soon’ is the only way PDA will have any real credibility on this issue.

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Tim Carpenter’s email follows:

Tuesday, August 9, 2011 3:46 AM

From:”Tim Carpenter for PDA” info @pdamerica.org

To: “John Kennedy” protestinthestreet @yahoo.com

Anger management

Dear John,

It has been a challenging month for progressive Democrats. We are angry and fired up!!!

snip

While PDA had no illusions that President Obama was a progressive, we never thought he would cave in to corporate interests this fast and this much.

Besides turning off independents, President Obama continues to turn his back on progressive Democrats already angry by his escalation of the war in Afghanistan and his failure to get out of Iraq, close the Guantánamo Bay prison, end the Bush-era tax cuts, hold Wall Street accountable, and enact a Medicare for all healthcare system. Now he has put Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare at risk. By embracing the GOP austerity line, Obama has aligned Dems with policies that threaten the economy.

PDA was launched in 2004 with a commitment to elect a progressive governing majority. We have learned over the course of the last seven years simply electing Democrats will not get us where we need to be. That’s why we will be busy working the 2012 election cycle to elect the most progressive Democrats to Congress we can-like Norman Solomon-and we will continue to challenge President Obama to become an unapologetic Democrat in the tradition of FDR and those who defined the party at its most successful moments over the past century.

Fueled by righteous progressive anger, lefty blogs and discussion lists are on fire with talk of “primarying” Obama.

Whether or not a primary challenger rises up, and even as we work to elect progressive Democrats to Congress, we as citizens have an obligation to challenge President Obama on his performance and broken promises.

We will take this challenge to every caucus and primary. President Obama will be confronted by angry progressive Democrats from Iowa to New Hampshire to California to the Democratic National Convention-until he speaks out and works for Main Street, not Wall Street and for Healthcare NOT Warfare.

Nothing less than the heart and soul of our party is at stake; we invite you to join us outside in the streets, and inside the Party to ensure that progressives are taken seriously in this election cycle:

– snip –

Tim Carpenter for PDA

I am a 46 year Democratic voter who was recently “banned” from the ACCOUNTABILITY & JUSTICE DISCUSSION GROUP (a google group) run by the Progressive Democrats Of America.  I was a long time member of that PDA group and had organized over 150 Impeach Bush-Cheney protests in Denver, CO and published the http://AngryVoters.org website.

MY CRIME?  I posted the following email to the PDA google group  and was immediately “banned” from the group.

National Officers of PDA have said that they have not yet decided whether PDA will support Barack Obama for reelection…in fact they go so far as to say that “only the members” can decide that… however, my “banning” by these officers seems to suggest that “they” will not tolerate any threat to their standing within the Democratic establishment or any threat to Obama’s reelection.

Censoring of PDA member’s speech or banning of certain topics from discussion is certainly not something any Democrat would expect PDA to be involved in.

I get the impression that PDA Officers will fight against a Primary regardless of what any member wants.

Perhaps the part of PDA that is “inside” the party has now become part of the Party establishment. and is no longer as tolerant as when we were the “big tent” party.

The email that got me banned:

————————

[PDA Accountability] We need to discuss a Democratic Presidential Primary for Obama

Thursday, July 21, 2011 3:18 PM

From:”John H Kennedy” protestinthestreet @yahoo.com

To:”PDA A&J” pda-accountability @googlegroups.com

I believe we should discuss finding a primary challenger for Obama.

Information is coming to light that indicates that Obama has planned to cut our Nation’s Social Safety Net for a long time, since before 2008 by some accounts and certainly since right after his inauguration.

Defending Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are ‘the’ key planks of the Democratic Party.  If Obama pushes to cut them, it suggests he was Never a true Democrat.  Voters and the rank and file of the Democratic Party need to understand before Nov. 2012, Just ‘What Democratic Party Principles’ Obama will Pledge to support and fight for, if any.  It would be best for the political health of the party if this is accomplished in a Democratic Primary.

The ‘only’ way we can determine his position on issues is to have him challenged by a Lefty Democrat.  Someone who is not necessarily a nationally known figure but more important someone who is well spoken and well versed in defending liberal and progressive issues.  The idea is to force Obama to reveal to voters just which party he aligns with and force him to take positions on our platform issues.

With the general disappointment with Obama, a well spoken challenger might have a chance.  At the very least such debates would go a long way to helping our rank and file understand Obama’s positions on issues important to us and would very possibly force Obama to move Left on some issues.

I would very much like to hear what you all think about this.  I realize it is a touchy issue but I believe the time has come for all of us to deal with it openly.

John H Kennedy

Denver,CO

720-384-7084 A lifelong Democratic voter.

Email protestinthestreet@yahoo.com

Website http://AngryVoters.org

–

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups “PDA Accountability and Justice” group.

To post to this group, send email to pda-accountability@googlegroups.com

———————-

Has anyone else had a similar experience with PDA?

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Colorado Democratic US Representatives Perlmutter, Polis, DeGette, Markey, Salazar and Senators Bennet and Udall have not offered a single word in our defense regarding TSA’s body searches. Do they care about our rights or will they continue to Ignore Colorado Voters and treat the Constitution as just a piece of paper. Will Republican Rep’s Coffman and Lamborn stand up for us? Will Obama?

Democrats, Independents and many Republicans gave Obama and Democrats Total Control in Washington.

We have waited 2 LONG YEARS for Obama to Right the Wrongs. Sadly it seems that Obama is to the Right Of Bush on obeying our Constitution, Bill of Rights and on Prosecuting High Level Officials who violated our Federal Laws such as Torture and war crimes.

Colorado Democrats in Washington Have Failed to Protect Us from officials who would violate our Constitution, Rights and Laws.

Homeland Security Chief Napolitano is now suggesting that we will have to also suffer these indignities on Trains, Buses, Ships and at Sporting and Entertainment Events and at all Federal Buildings. I and my family are native Americans. I served six years in the US Army. I have a clean record. Why do You or I have to Prove We Are Not Terrorists???

Canada is not adopting US style body searches because as Transport Minister Strahl said “Canadians have a right to be “treated properly and respectfully at airports”.

http://www.reuters.com/article…

Obama’s TSA daily forces 308 Million Americans to prove we aren’t terrorists because 19 foreigners attacked us many years ago. Now American men stand impotent as the genitals of our wives and children are viewed, pawed and groped. I AM A 46 YEAR DEMOCRATIC VOTER AND I AM WAITING FOR OUR STATE’S DEMOCRATIC DELEGATION TO DO SOMETHING TO CAUSE ME TO VOTE FOR THEM IN 2012.

There is some discussion of this topic on my Facebook Page at

http://www.facebook.com/johnhk…

Join us.

The TSA Opt Out protest did not fail. It worked beautifully as TSA obviously Changed It’s Body Scanner Policy for the day. Reports from around the country indicate that TSA primarily used the metal scanners. It appears that at many airports the body scanners were turned off. Passengers were directed mostly to the metal scanners and did not have to make a choice between the body scanners or a pat down. The Media’s own reporting appears to indicate that. At some airports the body scanners were only used if other methods indicated a problem.

TSA BLINKED!  But the fight continues.

You should know that “citizens participating in Opt Out Day” were told that “The Safe and Legal Way for Airline Travelers to Protest TSA Scanner Radiation Is To Just “politely” Opt for the Pat Down. Don’t make a fuss. Be polite to the TSA people-They are just doing their job”, so no one literally would know that they were protesting while in the screening line. They just made a choice not to be harmed by the radiation of the scanner. The Opt Out Protest was a very low key personal effort in the first place. It took place each time an individual made a decision not to be scanned (the media didn’t see or care to see these individual acts of defiance).

The truth is that TSA changed its procedures on Wednesday to marginalize the Opt Out protests and the Major Media who wanted it to fail from the get go are pretending absolutely nothing happened. This is at least a small victory in the fight to preserve our 4th Amendment rights against being searched without cause. One day protests are very difficult to make successful, but

Opting Out is Working-KEEP IT UP right through New Years Day.

I have been urging any would be TSA Body Scan protesters not to get carried away.  The screening line is not the best place for obnoxious protests. Subtle is best.

The Safe and Legal Way for Airline Travelers to Protest TSA’s Genital Grope & Scan Is To Just “politely” Opt for the Pat Down (don’t make a fuss, be silent).

It is the Airline DELAYS that will change policy. And because you are accepting the TSA’s own Option, you aren’t liable for fines, Indefinite Detention or Torture.

Don’t be a Hero, just quietly take the Pat Down. The TSA won’t fault you for selecting the option they give you.

Be polite to the TSA officer-They are just doing their job.  

Don’t pass up this opportunity to be a patriot and defend everyone’s right not to be body searched without prior “probable cause”.

If they don’t suspect you of having committed a crime, the Search is Unconstitutional.

There are protests scheduled for Wed. Nov. 24

http://OptOutDay.com

and Wed. Dec. 1st

http://www.shutdowntheairports…