The American two-party system is fracturing, as both sides are struggling with immense war debt, a crippled manufacturing base, and a Federal Reserve that is devaluating the currency in order to prop up financial institutions that gambled trillions and lost; their bets became our losses as they were “covered by the house”. Progressives have been decrying the centrist wishy-washiness of so many Democrats for years, and there was an outspoken expectation that once the Democrats were in power, new, more liberal parties could emerge to challenge the old-guard Democrats to veer left or be shown the door. The surprise is that the right beat them to it (and here's why that's fine...)

Powered by the Internet, e-Democracy is threatening conservative power in Iran. But it's also threatening conservative power in Washington DC, even if the media isn't covering the story.

In Iran, citizens are confronting police in the streets to protest a stolen election. Despite Iran's government-controlled media, this rebellion is visible to the world through digital photos and videos which are being uploaded and forwarded through Facebook, Twitter, and other global networks.

This week, Gallup tried to identify the Republican spokesperson. Among Republicans, it was a tie between Rush and Newt at 10% each.

Obviously the Democratic spokesperson is President Obama. But who speaks for progressives? This is an important question, because President Obama has been "captured" by the conservative establishment on key issues like bailouts for Big Banks, the wars in Iraq and AfPak, accountability for torture, and corporate control of health care. Who best articulates the progressive alternative to the establishment on these issues? Here are some possibilities:

By Dave Lindorff

If Democrats want to come out of this economic crisis with a
powerful mandate to continue running the country, they need to bag the
nonsensical talk of “bi-partisanship” and tackle two big lies that have
been stymieing progressives for decades.

The first lie is that the only solution to the nation’s deepening
health care crisis, which now has over 42 million people—roughly one in
seven Americans—living without any health insurance or ready access to
medical care, is a combination of limitations on treatment and
continued reliance on the private health insurance industry.

The second lie is that Social Security, the single most important
economic “safety net” under the lives of America’s elderly, its
disabled, and children who lose a wage-earning parent, is headed for
“bankruptcy” and needs to have its already skimpy benefits cut back.

By David Swanson

I just read an interesting new book by Alicia Morgan called "The Price of Right: How the Conservative Agenda Has Failed America (and Always Will)" -- a timely message right now, but let's hope it does not remain so always.

If you read a lot of progressive political books, this one may seem a bit repetitive. Chapter One retells a Thom Hartmann theory about liberals as hunters and conservatives as farmers. Chapter Two is the early development of advertising techniques. Chapter Three is George Lakoff, Chapter Four Frank Luntz, Chapter Five the Christian Right, Chapter Six the neocons, Chapter Seven authoritarians, Chapter Eight voodoo economics and the bankruptcy bill, Chapter Nine single-payer health coverage, Chapter Ten corporate trade, and Chapter Eleven corporate media. Chapter Twelve is a very timely essay on corporate bailouts and John McCain, and Chapter 13 a pep talk in support of doing something about the whole rotten stinking mess we're in.

    Please help unite
Obama supporters in rejecting McCain’s
negative campaign style. We must clean up politics if things are ever to get
better. We have a chance to be so much more than the same old attack politics,
but Obama must hear the voices of his supporters on this.

Please read the message to Obama on the following blog and
help spread it to others.

http://manyhands.blogspot.com/

Some folks are getting together on Saturday 4/12 for breakfast/lunch at Bill's Restaurant in Montgomery, Illinois on the corner of Montgomery Rd & Union to meet other Democrats in Aurora Township, catch up on local political news, opportunities and friendly discussions. Come and meet other Democrats that are concerned about the war, healthcare, immigration and the economy.  We have a lot of races coming up in November and we can't count on taking Congress and the White House with out getting to know each other and sharing a meal.  Very causal and informal, no commitment to be there at the very beginning and stay to the end.  You should come and bring a friend!!  (byob - buy your own breakfast) 

Breakfast at Bill's (byob)