By Alexander Bolton | The Hill
Posted: 08/24/09 06:59 AM [ET]

Howard Dean has emerged as President Barack Obama’s chief antagonist from the left on healthcare reform, raising questions over whether Obama made a mistake by snubbing Dean for a position in his administration.

Dean’s strong advocacy for creating a broad government-run health insurance program, known as the public option, has become a headache for Obama while at the same time giving liberals a powerful spokesman with national credibility.

Dean, who once declared himself a representative of the “Democratic wing of the Democratic Party,” has been traveling the nation this summer offering his own views on Obama’s healthcare proposal. His uncompromising stance is reminiscent of his 2004 presidential campaign that took many Democrats by surprise, and has begun to symbolize a rift between the president and those activists who played a major role in electing him.

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from Democracy Now!:

We speak to Rep. Raul Grijalva, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, on the latest in the debate over healthcare reform. Grijalva has threatened to vote against any healthcare legislation that does not include a public health insurance option. He also recently co-wrote a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, criticizing her for saying that the public option is not the essential element of comprehensive reform.

click here for Amy Goodman's interview with
Rep. Grijalva

President Obama’s first 100 days in office was the subject of much scrutiny last week. Pundits offered analysis, criticisms and even grades on the President’s record so far on a range of issues such as the economy, the environment and healthcare reform. But what about other issues like torture, wiretapping, his use of the State Secrets Act, and his plans for the withdrawal from Iraq and the escalation of the war in Afghanistan? We speak to Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.). [includes rush transcript]

story at democracynow.org

Glenn Greenwald / Salon.com

Friday Jan. 2, 2009 05:34 EST

This Rasmussen Reports poll -- the first to survey American public opinion specifically regarding the Israeli attack on Gaza -- strongly bolsters the severe disconnect I documented the other day between (a) American public opinion on U.S. policy towards Israel and (b) the consensus views expressed by America's political leadership. Not only does Rasmussen find that Americans generally "are closely divided over whether the Jewish state should be taking military action against militants in the Gaza Strip" (44-41%, with 15% undecided), but Democratic voters overwhelmingly oppose the Israeli offensive -- by a 24-point margin (31-55%). By stark constrast, Republicans, as one would expect (in light of their history of supporting virtually any proposed attack on Arabs and Muslims), overwhelmingly support the Israeli bombing campaign (62-27%).

It's not at all surprising, then, that Republican leaders -- from Dick Cheney and John Bolton to virtually all appendages of the right-wing noise machine, from talk radio and Fox News to right-wing blogs and neoconservative journals -- are unquestioning supporters of the Israeli attack. After all, they're expressing the core ideology of the overwhelming majority of their voters and audience.

Much more notable is the fact that Democratic Party leaders -- including Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi -- are just as lockstep in their blind, uncritical support for the Israeli attack, in their absolute refusal to utter a word of criticism of, or even reservations about, Israeli actions. While some Democratic politicians who are marginalized by the party's leadership are willing to express the views which Democratic voters overwhelmingly embrace, the suffocating, fully bipartisan orthodoxy which typically predominates in America when it comes to Israel -- thou shalt not speak ill of Israel, thou shalt support all actions it takes -- is in full force with this latest conflict.

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full results at charlottevotes.com 

Rooney's Victory Comes After Mahoney Admitted To Having 'Multiple Affairs'

STUART, Fla. - Scandal-scarred U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, who admitted last month to having "multiple affairs" but refused to resign, conceded his seat in Congress.

Mahoney conceded to Republican challenger Tom Rooney shortly before 10 p.m. Election Night after it appeared Rooney was on track for a decisive victory over the incumbent congressman.

full story at msnbc.com

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

"Gissendanner's enthusiasm, broad perspective and unique experiences in community service give her an edge. We recommend Betty Gissendanner for Florida House of Representatives, District 71."

full endorsement at heraldtribune.com

In addition, the Charlotte Sun also endorsed Betty, on October 5th:
http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/edStory.aspx?articleID=423785 

By JOHN HACKWORTH
Sun Managing Editor
03/21/08
Charlotte Sun

She is first Democrat to file in legislative race

Betty Gissendanner wants to make sure people have an opportunity to vote for their District 71 state legislator in November.

Gissendanner, 57, plans to announce her candidacy for the District 71 seat at an 11:45 a.m. news conference on the steps of the historic Punta Gorda Courthouse today. She will be the first, and perhaps only, Democrat in the race.

"I think more than anything else," she said of her reasons for running, "is that we have a two-party system that has served us well" and we need to preserve it. "As we look at the system right now, it has not been very balanced."

continued