Just Stein Left

Before I was considering Gary Johnson as a lesser-of-evils vote for president, I hadn't realized that he had made an inflammatory statement about who the government should force to do something against their will in regards to making wedding cakes (very un-libertarian like).  Considering his laissez-faire politics, it's just as well that he's out of contention for my vote anyway.  It's just Jill Stein left as a plausible alternative to the Democratic, Republican and Libertarian nominees, as far from ideal a candidate for president that she is.  Yet, there are other third party candidates besides Johnson and Stein, but their chances of winning are bleaker than those two, if even they are on enough state ballots to gain 270 electoral votes. 

Caveat:  Would probably need to keep the current Majority in the House, by and large, to keep Stein's most liberal instincts in check.  Sometimes divided government is best. 

Fiddler on the Hill

I found out rather recently, late last year, that my family has known the dean of the 114th House of Representatives a lot better than I had previously thought, but John Conyers, always the "me" politician throughout his career, wrapped up in his own self-glorification and his own family's advancement, never lifted a finger to help me when I ran for the MI House of Representatives in 1976; not even a phone call to some political buddy in the city to say give me a hand so as myself not to be very low in the vote count, at least.  Nor any notes of inquiry or congratulations when I won successive congressional nominations in Alaska at the turn of the millennium.  So surprise, surprise, surprise, after a half-a-century in Congress, Conyers didn't let himself and his fossilized stature step aside in the 2014 elections so that some young, up-and-coming politico from Detroit, whoever that could have been, could finally get some federal political experience and start to build bridges to the new generation and 21st century challenges.  Even while Detroit has been going through one crisis to the next, Conyers and his cronies fiddle, while luxuriating in excessive congressional pay and perks, nepotism, and barely avoiding being implicated in scandals.  The CBC swearing-in on C-SPAN over the weekend, that reminded me of Conyers, again, was pretty much a mirror of Conyers' politics and career, just a varying roster of players.  Pretty dismal.

[revised on 1/22/15]

Here Comes the Sun

"Here Comes the Sun" was a popular 1960s song written by George Harrison (Beatles), and a very popular version was sung by Richie Havens.  This song could be a good segue (segway) to the Party of Commons, whose motto is Tradition, Progress, Ecology, as the sun signifies a new beginning, brightness and, as in Aesop's "The North Wind and the Sun," wisdom.  The chairman of the Party of Commons, Mark Greene, is currently running for Newcastle City Council under a platform of anti-annexation (tradition), practical budget policies (progress), and environmental advancement (ecology).  If successful, this would be Greene's first general election victory ever since becoming a candidate for the first time in elections through the 1976 primaries for the Michigan House of Representatives (back then, under his first name as opposed to middle), although winning two primaries in Alaska (Congress) at the turn of the 21st century.  Greene moved to Newcastle, WA in 2005 from south King County.

[revised on 10/12/13]

A Long History and a New Name

This blog has changed its name to Groundswell, a name that shows the enthusiasm and popular support for the Party of Commons (Tradition, Progress and Ecology) in the years since the official advent of the party, November 23, 2006.  The Party of Commons has scores of members and has helped to shape the politics in Washington state more towards the interests of commoners.  If you are interested in learning more about the Party of Commons, please write us at partyofcommons@yahoo.com.