I have been so focused on work and the election that I missed all of this until Joy started filling me in today. But she has been on it and is even teaching some of the self-defense classes I mention below. I will use her words here.

 
From Joy:

Room 8 has recently seen some fools (now no longer with front page priviliges) spouting Holocaust denial bullshit. These ignorant fools claim the gas chambers didn’t exist and the mass murder committed by the Nazis never happened.

I refuse to engage Nazi apologists, but I do want to remind people that Holocaust denial ignores a huge volume of eyewitness accounts and even archaeological evidence demonstrating that YES, the Nazis DID commit mass murder, including using gas chambers.

My friend from the Independent Neighborhood Democrats has been
organizing bus trips to Pennsylvania for GOTV efforts since 2006. In
2008 he and a handful of others from New York almost doubled the
efforts of an understaffed local Dem Party in Pennsylvania’s 8th
Congressional District and seriously helped energize the Democratic
vote. He is doing it again this year, though not on the scale he did
in 2008. But it still could do wonders for Pennsylvania's Senate race.
Here is the info:

   "Dear Friend,

   Please join me Saturday, October 30th, for a day trip to
Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District to help preserve our
Democratic majority in Congress, and further President Obama’s agenda
for change.

   It hasn’t been easy, and the forces of the status quo are baying
like wounded animals, but we have the opportunity to prove the pundits
wrong.  Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts recently said, “The
2008 election was about changing the guard; 2010 is about guarding the
change.”

   Once again, the ground game belongs to us, citizens of the
grassroots.  It is within our grasp to turn back the well-organized
forces seeking to take us back to the Bush era of government by
corporations funded on the backs of working people.

   Like me, you may be impatient with the pace of the recovery,
frustrated by Republican obstructionism, and saddened by the
continuing poisonous atmosphere in Washington.  But, believe me, a
Republican take-over of either or both houses of Congress will not
make things better.  Indeed, a Republican victory will make things
worse.  Much worse.

   Republicans will repeal health care reform legislation, weaken
financial regulatory reform, cut taxes for millionaires and
billionaires, and so severely slash the social safety net that
American families will not likely recover for a generation or more.

   We are going to Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, Bucks
County, to campaign for Democratic Congressman Pat Murphy and
Congressman Joe Sestak, who is now running for U.S. Senate.  On the
ground in Pennsylvania we will operate in partnership with Organizing
for America, the successor organization to the Obama campaign.

   Pat Murphy represents a Republican-leaning district, and finds
himself in a tight race for reelection.  Like some Democrats,
Congressman Murphy could have taken the easy way out by voting with
Republicans against President Obama’s program.  But he’s a better man
than that.  Congressman Murphy stood with us on the stimulus.  He
stood with us on health care.  And he stood with us on financial
regulatory reform.  Now, the enemies of change have come after him and
it’s time we stood with Congressman Murphy.

   Congressman Joe Sestak is locked in a knock-down, drag-out fight
with Tea Party darling Pat Toomey.  Toomey is the former director of
the Club for Growth, which sounds like an innocent organization, but,
in fact, has been behind every give-away to monied corporate interests
and opposed to any accommodation for America’s working families.  Joe
Sestak is a retired Navy Admiral, who has been a tireless fighter for
the president and our progressive agenda.

   To travel to Pennsylvania on October 30th, please call me at the
number below, or simply reply to this e-mail, and I will respond with
details.

   Best wishes,

   Tom Predhome
   (646) 736-6177"

Before I start, why does the Topic pull down on Room8 have "Brooklyn" but not "Bronx?" Seems like a big oversight. Now on to the diary...

 To me one of the top races this year is the primary challenge to one of the number one most dysfunctional people in Albany now that Hiram Monserrate has been ousted: corrupt and reactionary Bronx hack Pedro Espada, jr. Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter has stepped up to the plate to try and get rid of Espada. Already Desiree Hunter has gotten the endorsements of Democracy for NYC, Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union, and Stonewall Democrats.

Pedro Espada is one of the traitors who derailed reform in Albany by temporarily defecting to the Republicans. Espada is also actively under investigation by the Bronx District Attorney, FBI, IRS, and NYS Attorney General for corruption:

Key Senate Coup Player Pedro Espada: Corrupt or Crazy or Both

In the race to replace Alan Fleishman as the male district leader in the 52nd Assembly district in Brooklyn, Chris Owens just picked up an unexpected and impressive endorsement. From Chris Owens' campaign:

On Saturday, June 12, New York City Comptroller John C. Liu boldly stepped up to the plate for reform Democrats in Brooklyn and proclaimed his support of Chris Owens for Democratic State Committee in the 52nd Assembly District.

At a pre-Parade party during Brooklyn Pride weekend, while thanking members of the Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn for their support, Liu declared "I am with Chris Owens."

Owens was surprised and very pleased with the unsolicited endorsement. "As a citywide elected official, John Liu did not have to get involved with a messy situation within the Democratic Party and go against the County Leader, but, understanding the need for change in New York, John Liu showed the courage that got him elected Comptroller and I appreciate that greatly," said Owens.

Owens continued. "The community knows that Chris Owens is the independent Democrat for State Committee who can work with anyone, but who will owe no one. To make change in New York -- and within Brooklyn's Democratic Party -- that is the approach we need to have and I am glad that Comptroller Liu gets it."

Liu's endorsement of Owens joins recent endorsements from the Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn, the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, City Council member Letitia James, retired Congressman Major Owens, attorney Norman Siegel, FUREE activist Beverly Corbin, community leader Sandy Balboza, and others

The race to replace Alan Fleishman as male district leader for the 52nd Assembly District is starting to shape up. Chris Owens can now be considered the front runner as a second major reform club has endorsed him. From Chris Owens' campaign:

On Thursday, June 3, community activist Chris Owens was endorsed for the position of Democratic State Committee member from Brooklyn’s 52nd Assembly District by Brooklyn's lesbian and gay political voice, the Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn ("LID").  LID is considered one of New York City's most progressive political organizations.

I'd like to continue my focus on challenging incumbents in the state senate with the hope of improving the awful situation in Albany.

Probably the four worst Democrats in the NY State Senate were Hiram Monserrate (now thankfully ousted and soundly defeated), Pedro Espada, jr., Ruben Diaz, Sr., and Carl Kruger. These are the four traitors who threw control of the State Senate to the Republicans in a cynical power play that derailed reform in Albany. Furthermore Cal Kruger has actively campaigned for Republican Marty Golden (one of my other targets) in exchange for political favors.

Since my post on CBID endorsements got SO much attention, I thought it a good idea to post some of the challenges to incumbents I am supporting this year. Many were chastizing me for being too focused on incumbents. Happens that CBID was mostly endorsing incumbents I consider good folks and have no qualms about supporting. But I certainly do support challenges to incumbents, both in primaries and in the general election, in some cases. I want to start with a challenge to obstructionist Republican Marty Golden in Brooklyn.

Last night was the second of three endorsement meetings being held by the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats. I was working late, so I am relying on my wife's observations and the questionnaires the candidate had to fill out to be considered for a CBID endorsement (these are excellent resources and can be found at the CBID website for anyone who wants more info on the candidates) as well as my own previous experience with the some of the candidates. I urge everyone to check out these questionnaires.

Three candidates turned in questionnaires for the 12th Congressional Seat: incumbent Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez, as well as two unknowns, Bruce Hirschfeld and George Martinez. Both Bruce and George seem to be running based on the fact that they AREN'T the incumbent while Nydia is running on her extremely impressive record as both a Congresswoman and as one of corrupt Party Boss Vito Lopez's biggest opponents. As far as I can tell neither Bruce nor George has anything that would indicate they have even a remote chance of beating one of Brooklyn's most popular and active Congressional Representatives. I know Nydia and have always found her to be one of the most progressive and enthusiastic representatives and her willingness to stand up to the Brooklyn political machine makes her an especially valuable politician. Nydia Velasquez's voting record is impeccable. Needless to say, CBID endorsed Nydia. Not having met or heard George or Bruce personally I can't say much about them, but their campaign lit and their answers to the CBID questionnaire are not very impressive. Given the fact that I have always been quite happy with Nydia Velasquez in Congress, I heartily endorse her.

I completely didn't see this coming. Barak Obama has just won the Nobel Peace Prize. From Salon.com:

President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," the Norwegian Nobel Committee said, citing his outreach to the Muslim world and attempts to curb nuclear proliferation.

The stunning choice made Obama the third sitting U.S. president to win the Nobel Peace Prize and shocked Nobel observers because Obama took office less than two weeks before the Feb. 1 nomination deadline. Obama's name had been mentioned in speculation before the award but many Nobel watchers believed it was too early to award the president...

The September 29th runoff for NYC Comptroller pits John Liu, with a degree in mathematical physics and extensive financial experience, against David Yassky, a lawyer and career politician with no financial experience, whose financial abilities are so challeneged that in 2006 he threw $15,000 of taxpayer money to a fake non-profit that did nothing but pay salaries to a former City Councilman's family...after that former City Councilman endorsed Yassky, of course. Yassky also made the same kind of corrupt deal with a Ratner front organization, exchanging an endorsement for taxpayer funding. And, of course, there is the fact that Yassky endorsed Sampson for Brooklyn DA four years ago even though Sampson's primary reason for running was to get machine boss Clarence Norman off the hook (Clarenace Norman is now in prison, of course, despite Sampson and Yassky's efforts).  And remember that Yassky also voted to overturn term limits that the voters had approved TWICE, while John Liu voted to support the will of the voters.

I have argued for some time that the right wing use of hate speech to stir up its base into a frothy tizzy has led to an increase in intolerance and hate crimes in America. Almost the entire Bush Administration saw a constant rise in hate crimes, most particularly anti-Semitic, homophobic and anti-immigrant hate crimes. There have been attacks at a Holocaust museum and at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. In Indiana, a prominent Republican told a group of Jews that their opinion on the recitation of Christian prayers at legislative sessions didn't matter because they only made up 2% of the population. There have even occastionally been what can only be described as pogroms here and there. There have even been hate crimes right in our subways, even as violent crime has overall been declining in NYC. I believe the blame for this increase in hate crimes is not just the continuing effects of Bush's Republican economic collapse. It is also thanks to the violent, intolerant rhetoric of people like Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh. [UPDATE AT BOTTOM]

Here is a sampling of people who have endorsed Mark Green for Public Advocate of NYC with statements:

Bobby Kennedy
Environmental Law Attorney

"My Uncle Teddy finally felt that, after the death of his brothers, the election of Barack Obama was the fulfillment of his life. That he had fought.  That America had ultimately come around.  And there is one other guy who has been there that long, with him, and that's Mark Green.

The post that he running for is the conscience of the City.  It is the post that is supposed to remind all of us how democracy is supposed to function,  how the little guy should have as much power as the big powerful wealthy voices. There is nobody who understands it better than Mark. "

Gloria Steinem
Feminist Icon and Activist

 “Mark Green’s record of real progressive reform and his successful fights for women in particular – helping domestic violence victims in the workplace, changing divorce laws, stopping discriminatory pricing based on gender – show the kind of outspoken Public Advocate he was and should be again.”  

National Organization for Women – New York City Chapter

"NOW-NYC is proud to endorse Mark Green, who clearly stands out as the candidate with the most skills, accomplishments and vision.  New York City needs a Public Advocate who understands the struggles women in our city face on a daily basis. Mark Green is that person.”

Some time back, the blogger going by the name of "Chaim Yankel" wrote an article called "My Brad Lander Problem...and Israel's." In this diary he outlined a strongly anti-Israel stand Brad Lander took some time back and made it the central focus of his opposition to Lander.

This issue is NOT the main reason I oppose Brad Lander. Although I do disagree with him on this issue (I am solidly pro-Israel though also sympathetic to the Palestinians, so Brad's anti-Israel stand is not my cup of kosher wine), this is not so important to me when it comes to city council. Furthermore, though Chaim Yankel saw Brad's anti-Israel position so unacceptable he called it "extremist," I consider it wrong, but within the range of mainstream.

Next to the 39th City Council district, the 33rd district is also among the most closely contested races in the city. I personally know all the candidates in the 39th. In the 33rd I know some very well, have met another, and with one, Isaac Abraham, have only heard him speak, not actually met him. I want to discuss this race based on my own experiences with the candidates. This race is a critical one in the fight against corruption in Brooklyn, as outlined in the Village Voice. Brooklyn Party Boss Vito Lopez is trying hard to take this seat and reformers are divided. Here's what the Village Voice has to say about this race: