2009 Elections–U.S.

Virginia has continued it’s long tradition of electing governors from the opposite party of whomever is in the White House. So, after 2 Democratic governors and a recent trend away from the GOP to the Democrats in the Senate, the Republicans won big in the VA governor’s race.  Bob McDonnell (R-VA) won like 60% of the vote over Creigh Deeds (D-VA). Deeds ran a great primary race, but then just ran out of steam in the general election.  So, VA remains a purple rather than blue state.

New Jersey, the other ‘09 governor’s race, is closer.  It should have been a runaway for Bob Christie (R-NJ) because of Jon Corzine (D-NJ–Inc.)’s horrible polling, but Christie is under federal investigation for fraud and several things he did as part of the Bush admin. and all these became campaign issues.  Christie is ahead so far, but the heavily Democratic areas of NJ have yet to report. If Christie holds on to win, he could end up indicted before he is even inaugurated. Update: AP is calling NJ for Christie.  He should have a rocky term–and maybe a short one. Corzine concedes. Well, maybe Goldman-Sachs will hire him back.

Republicans will see these wins (if NJ ends up being a win) as an early repuke of Pres. Obama. But governor’s races are almost always about local matters and the poor economic situation will effect incumbent parties. Also, the president’s party almost always loses some ground in the next elections.

Mayor Bloomberg (I-NYC) has seemed to win a third term, but now it seems too close to call. Democrat Thompson is only about 200 votes behind with only 40% of the vote in–but the NY Times is still calling it for Bloomberg. Update: Bloomberg won.

Democrat Garamandi won a special election in CA.

It’s too early to see whether or not the 23rd Congressional District in NY will stay Democratic or flip to the ultra-conservative after he drove the moderate Republican from the field.  Early votes look Democratic. Update: Democrat Owens won. 

Only 22% reporting, but so far Maine looks like it will keep same-sex marriage by popular demand. Good for Maine.  Update: Marriage equality lost 53-47%, repeating CA last year.  Meanwhile a civil unions bill won in Washington State. GLBT gains are being made, but not quickly–and not without setbacks.

No real trendlines for or against Democrats in ‘10. The key will be the economy–especially employment. Whether or not Obama gets a decent healthcare bill this year, THE theme of ‘10 has to be job creation. The lower he can get unemployment the better Dems will do in the mid-terms. It’s that simple.

Bloggus Interruptus

Since I am moving this week to our first (and probably last) home that we actually OWN, computer access will be limited until next week. I am not ignoring you fine people, but interaction is not likely or will be sporadic. Normal blogging will be impossible until next week at earliest.

Grieving Tragic, Meaningless Deaths.

Cancelling regularly scheduled blogging.  Two friends, not close, but friends, from college days have committed suicide within a few weeks of each other. 

We need to reach out to each other, hold each other close.  We must also trust that God’s love is stronger than our ability to comprehend matters.

Coming Soon: A Series on the Biblical Basis of Gospel Nonviolence

This afternoon, I plan to add another installment in my “Economic Justice Primer” and another “Rising Baptist.” But I am planning to start a complete biblical defense of Gospel nonviolence–aimed at those without theological training.  When the series is finished, I hope to edit it into a publishable small book. Your CONSTRUCTIVE criticism on this blog will be very welcome.

Thanks,

Michael

Update on Peace Studies

I just found out that Iliff Theological Seminary in Denver, CO, which is related to the United Methodist Church, has a Peace and Justice concentration that can be added to either their Master of Divinity or M.A. degrees. I’ll update my peace studies list accordingly.

Canadian Pacifist Muriel Duckworth Dead at 100.

The icons just keep falling.  Here is the link.

2009 Joint Conference for IVAW and VFP

Here’s a heads up for interested parties:  Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Peace are teaming up this year for a joint national conference. Details at the link.

Medal of Freedom Winners

Well, the healthcare debate is depressing as a senator from Idaho representing 1/4 of 1% of the population is threatening to kill a public option in healthcare desired by 72% of the population (90% of Democrats and even 50% of Republicans!). And the civil rights situation is depressing–from Skip Gates arrest at his own home because he was rude to a cop (I don’t which scares me more: that this was racially motivated or that it wasn’t and the new police policy is to  arrest anyone in our own homes without warrant or probable cause if we aren’t humble enough!) to the fact that it took 7 years and two ACLU suits and two different federal judges ruling in his favor before a 12 year old boy could be released from Gitmo.  So there is much in the news to make me cringe right now.

But some things are cheering.  After seeing the Bush administration demean our nation’s highest civilian award (The Presidential Medal of Freedom) by giving it to such undeserving persons as former CIA head George Tenet and former Australian President Howard, it is refreshing to see the contrast with Obama’s first 16 winners. Here they are below.:

• Nancy Goodman Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a grassroots organization that invests in research to fight breast cancer.
• Pedro Jose Greer, Jr., founder of the Camillus Health Concern, an agency providing free healthcare to over 10,000 homeless patients a year in Miami, FL.
• Stephen Hawking, one of the most famous theoretical physicists and mathematicians alive, this quadrapelegic man worked through severe disabilities to pioneer academic research in math and physics.
• Jack Kemp, winning posthumously, was a U.S. Congressman, Secretary of the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (in the Reagan administration) who worked to help eliminate poverty in urban areas (the empowerment zones).  He was also former Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS)’s VP running mate in the ‘96 presidential campaign.
• Sen. Edward (“Teddy”) Kennedy (D-MA), who has served as a U.S. Senator for 46 years, is awarded for his lifelong fight for quality healthcare for all Americans, especially for seniors, children, and people with disabilities.
• Billie Jean King, professional tennis player in the ’60s and ’70s for her pioneering work for equality as the first openly lesbian major sports star.
• Rev. Joseph Lowry, of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, has been a leader in the struggle for civil rights, especially racial equality, but also equality for the sexes and for GLBT persons.
• Joe Medicine Crow-High Bird is the last living war chief among the Plains Native Americans and an award-winning author on Native American history and culture.
• Harvey Milk, receiving the award posthumously, was the first openly gay man to be an elected official in any American city when he joined the San Francisco Board of Supervisers in 1977. He pushed the civil rights agenda of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people and was assassinated for his efforts.
• Justice Sandra Day O’Conner, retired, was the first woman to be appointed as a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. (A Reagan appointee, I did not expect much from Justice O’Conner and was very pleasantly surprised. Overall, she was an excellent justice and I still regret her retirement.)
• Sidney Poitier, was the first African-American actor to be nominated and win an Academy Award for Best Actor.
• Chita Rivera, was the first Latina recipient of the performing arts award from the Kennedy Center.  In 1957 she made her breakthrough performance as “Anita” in the Broadway production of West Side Story and has won two Tony Awards.
• Mary Robinson, was the first president of the Republic of Ireland and later United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. She is now the founder of Realizing Rights:  The Ethical Globalization Initiative, an organization that focuses on the link (positive and negative) between human rights and the process of globalization.
• Janet Davison Rowley, is a human geneticist, and the first scientist to identify a chromosomal translocation as the cause of leukemia and other cancers.  In 1999, she was awarded the National Medal of Science, the highest scientific award in the United States.
• Desmond Tutu, is a retired Anglican Archbishop of Capetown and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1984) who played a major role in ending racial apartheid in South Africa. As the head of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Archbishop Tutu also played a major role in the healing of racial tensions in post-apartheid South Africa.  He has been a major voice for nonviolence, human rights,  democracy, and peace throughout the world (and is a personal hero).
• Muhammed Yunus, economist and founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, pioneered the practice of no-interest micro-loans to the poor as a path to ending poverty. (The Grameen Bank has a 90% repayment rate, far above that of traditional banks to  the middle class or even the wealthy.) The micro-lending movement has now been adopted in many places around the world. For his  efforts combatting poverty and promoting “social businesses” alongside traditional, for-profit, businesses, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

This is truly an amazing list of people. These are the kinds of people and efforts that our nation should be honoring.

Brief Blog Break

I was working on a follow up to the socialism in America post, but yesterday our family dog, a Scottish Terrier named Angus, took a tumble off the front stairs and shattered his left foreleg. He’s in a splint and Monday goes in for reconstructive surgery.  Because he’s 11,  I worry about the anesthesia.  So, I don’t have the energy to blog, today. Will play games with friends on Facebook, instead.

Thought for the Day

“We have always known that greed was bad morality; what we have learned is that greed is also bad economics.”  Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933.