(3/19/2009 from RNC ‘08 Report)

Despite eyewitness testimony from Minneapolis Police Sgt. Jeff Jindra that Ms. Logue-Sargeant was part of a disorderly demonstration and personally pulled a newspaper box into the street, the jury refused to convict Ms. Logue-Sargeant of Disorderly Conduct. “Some of the police testimony was simply not credible and the remaining police testimony did not establish that any crime occurred,” said Bruce Nestor, attorney for Logue-Sargeant. “These two young women were simply trying to participate in the democratic process when they were swept up in a mass arrest by a military-style police operation,” he said. Ted Dooley of St. Paul, MN, represented Illana Radovsky. Both Dooley and Nestor are attorneys with the Minnesota Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.

This verdict follows on the heels of the acquittal of seven defendants on unlawful assembly charges in a prior Ramsey County trial. Attorneys with the National Lawyers Guild urged St. Paul City Attorney John Choi to dismiss the remaining Unlawful Assembly charges being prosecuted by his office in light of the City’s failure to obtain a conviction on any charges to date that have proceeded to trial.

In addition, a second RNC related trial involving Sean McCoy is ongoing. Mr. McCoy originally faced four charges. Two charges, of Unlawful Assembly and Obstruction of Traffic, have already been dismissed by the court and trial is continuing on a count of Parading without a Permit and one count of Fleeing a Police Officer on Foot. Mr. McCoy was arrested at the same time and location as Ms. Radovsky but is being tried separately. He is represented by the Office of the Ramsey County Public Defender.”

For more information:

Ted Dooley    612-325-8433

or

Bruce D. Nestor

3547 Cedar Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN 55407

612-659-9019 – Phone

612-991-9488 – Fax

612-436-3664 – Fax

Vegan activist, Annie Hornish, co-founder of the Compassionate Living Project, ousted 18-year incumbent Rich Ferrari this week in CT’s 62nd district.  The race was decided after a recount, which revealed that a manual error had falsely given Ferrari more than 700 extra votes.  The Compassionate Living Project is a humane education organization which advocates a variety of animal and environmental causes, including ethical consumerism based on humane and sustainable choices.  Hornish released the following statement to supporters after the results were finalized:

Dear Family and Friends,

I’m writing to THANK YOU all for your support!

I WON my race for State Representative with 52.3% (600+ votes), and won
in ALL four towns by a similar % margin!
My opponent, Rich Ferrari, was an 18-year incumbent.

Last night, the news was that I had lost by a razor-thin margin, but
the “loss” (which was slim enough to require a recount) was not a
machine error, but a manual error of counting one of Ferrari’s results
twice (it gave him 734 more votes than he had actually received).  This
error would have been caught this morning in the process of certifying
numbers for submission to the Secretary of State. We thankfully have a
pretty good system of checks and balances.

The Register-Citizen wrote a good article early this morning, prior to
knowing of the error.

http://www.registercitizen.com/articles/2008/11/05/news/

doc49111b319b734896955367.txt

Again, THANK YOU! I look forward to the wonderful opportunity to serve
my district and the citizens of Connecticut.

Sincerely,
Annie
http://www.anniehornish08.us

Voters took part in two statewide ballot initiatives in Connecticut this week.  The controversial Con Con question (whether CT should hold a new Constitutional Convention) got most of the press.  The measure was urged most fervently by anti-gay marriage groups like Family Institute of Connecticut, who would have used the convention to seek a constitutional ban on gay marriage.  By voting this measure down, CT voters affirmed the state Supreme Court’s decision to allow same gender couples to marry in the state, and be afford all the rights and privileges of mixed gender spouses.

The less talked about question on the ballot was whether or not to allow 17 year-olds to vote in primaries if their 18th birthdays arrive by election day.  Voters overwhelmingly voted YES, thus expanding the electorate during the selection process for major candidates, arguably when voters have more choice than in the general election.  With such high turnout among younger voters this year, the change could potentially lead to more civic participation in future elections.

• Taxes will go down
• Spending will go up
• The deficit will continue to spiral out of control.
• Many of my friends will still not have health insurance
• We’ll still be in Iraq and Afghanistan

: )

The foiled plots to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama reveal more than just isolated racist fanaticism, according to James Ridgeway, author Blood in the Face: The Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, Nazi Skinheads and the Rise of a New White Culture.   Ridgeway cautions that there may be “more than meets the eye.”  Click here for more.

The most frustrating thing about election season is the gaping hole of political diversity in our country.   Our political process is dominated by two parties, Democrats and Republicans, which are largely indistinguishable for progressive voters critical of both occupations (remember Afghanistan?), the lack of universal healthcare, the stranglehold of corporate influence, American military empire, the ignoring or outright hostility toward our most vulnerable populations (children, the poor, the elderly), white privilege, class privilege, gender privilege and sexuality privilege, and so on.

No mainstream candidate stands to address any of these issues to the satisfaction of progressives, nor do they even claim to.  Yet, many progressives and even radicals are eager to vote for Barack Obama.  Is Obama better than McCain?  Sure.  He could conceivably usher in a “new deal” of sorts to address the economic crisis.  He would likely appoint pro-choice justices to the Supreme Court.  Certainly Obama will be a friendler face to the rest of the world than the militaristic McCain.  But remember: Bill Clinton’s charismatic “I didn’t inhale,” “I feel your pain” facade didn’t stop him from maintaining deadly sanctions in Iraq, and subsequently bombing them with no provocation or justification, not to mention the shredding of welfare, and his deregulation of the media.

Ultimately, Obama represents a party that is part of the problem, not the solution.  Corporate lobbyists and long-bought off members of his own party will have greater access to him as president than any of us.   Any real change he seeks to make will be mitigated by these two factors, at least.  He will win Connecticut because it’s a so-called blue state.  Whether he wins by one vote or 30,000 votes, the result is the same.  He gets our seven electoral votes.   This frees up Connecticut voters (in particular those who don’t want feel like “spoilers”) to do something better – to vote for minor party candidates who actually represent their political beliefs, thereby positively affecting our political diversity.  Or, to not vote at all and work for more direct democracy, beyond the largely corrupt and illegitimate electoral process we have now.

There are more than two choices to make on November 4.