Mike Bryan - Interviews Annie Loyd

Interview with Annie Loyd, Independent for Congress in Arizona's CD3

Annie Loyd is running for Congress in CD 3 as an Independent. Mike Bryan of Blog for Arizona sent Annie a questionnaire about her views and positions on the issues that she returned as a PDF that you can download, or read online by clicking the continuation link here.

Annie and Mike also had a roughly half-hour telephone conversation following up on her answers, and touching on some additional matters, which you can listen to as a podcast here.

The full questionnaire is after the click...

Continue reading "Interview with Annie Loyd, Independent for Congress in Arizona's CD3" »

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Stop Playing Games With Safety: Stop the NAFTA Trucks 'Pilot'

Congress was very clear with the Bush administration: before allowing any Mexico-based trucking companies to cross into the U.S. beyond a limited border zone, it must guarantee the public's safety. But the administration has failed to meet even the most basic conditions.Now, the Bush administration is barreling ahead with a so-called "pilot project" to allow 100 Mexico-based companies to send their trucks into the U.S. -- even though the congressional demands for safety guarantees have not been satisfied.The Bush administration announced the "pilot project" while Congress was out for the August recess. Now that Congress is back, demand that it take action and stop the NAFTA trucks pilot program! >>Learn More

Driving Social Change on the Web: Grassroots.org

Sedo would like to announce a special partnership with Grassroots.org. Grassroots.org drives social change by providing free technology services to non-profits so they can better focus their resources on their organizations. They also host a portal of high profile websites to educate citizens on making social impact. Sedo will be contributing $50,000 as well as advertising space to Grassroots.org."Grassroots.org shares our vision that the internet and related technology can make a huge, positive difference in the world," said Tim Schumacher, CEO of Sedo. "We also value its use of generic domains to inform citizens seeking to both digest and deliver content regarding key social issues."Currently, Grassroots.org operates more than 30 portals, including planetearth.org, relief.org, diseases.org, homeless.org, and philanthropists.org.

TOP OF THE TICKET Blog on Bloomberg Candidacy

And, boy, does he have the immense fortune to philanthropy with.

From the Associated Press 12:22 PM PDT, September 16, 2007

NEW YORK -- Whether Michael Bloomberg decides to run for president in 2008, it is clear he is serious about building up his philanthropic giving.The billionaire mayor is expected to disclose shortly that he gave $165 million to more than 1,000 charities in 2006, and is forming an organization called Bloomberg Philanthropies that will organize all of his giving: his personal one-time contributions, his company's donations and the projects undertaken by the new foundation.
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TOP OF THE TICKET Blog on Bloomberg Candidacy

He recently purchased two buildings near his home on Manhattan's Upper East Side to use as the headquarters and has begun to assemble a staff that is sketching out some of the foundation's first projects. He is even recreating another Bloomberg bullpen there -- his trademark office arrangement that has everyone sitting together with no walls.Despite the speculation that Bloomberg will dip into his fortune to bankroll a presidential run, the billionaire insists that when he leaves City Hall at the end of 2009, he will take a vacation and then focus on giving his money away.But if he were to run for president while also operating a foundation, it would be a historic moment in the philanthropic world and likely a tricky road to navigate."It has never happened before -- people who are affluent do run for president, but nobody who's had such a major role in philanthropy," said Stacy Palmer, editor of The Chronicle of Philanthropy. "Foundations are really not allowed to be involved in politics at all, so he would have to be extra careful so that one world doesn't mess with the other."Palmer said the fact that Bloomberg is creating an official foundation is a signal "that even though he's been giving generously, he is going to ratchet up his giving and needs something more formal."He's already supporting a huge number of charities, but this is probably a sign that he needs more professional advisers and may be thinking about something more ambitious," she said.

Estimates of Bloomberg's wealth range from $5.5 billion to more than $13 billion, and his riches would multiply if he sold the financial information company he founded in the early 1980s. He said last year he had decided not to sell at that time. But he had previously indicated that establishing his foundation would probably involve selling the company.Bloomberg has been giving his money away for many years. Since he has been in office, his staff has released annual lists of where his money goes and the total amount.Every year, he is giving more money to more groups. In 2005, he gave $144 million to 987 organizations, compared with $139 million to 843 groups in 2004 and $136 million to 653 charities in 2003.Some of last year's $165 million went toward starting a worldwide campaign he announced last year against smoking, a health concern he says is often overlooked in philanthropy. He has pledged $125 million over a few years for the cause.The anti-tobacco initiative is the first project by his foundation. It is consistent with the overall themes that have guided his giving over the years, such as public health, medical research, arts and education.Aides said he is set to announce a $9 million gift to the World Health Organization over the next two years to prevent traffic fatalities. They are a leading cause of death among young people in low- and middle-income countries and one more cause that does not get a lot of philanthropic attention.The money will go to pilot programs in Mexico and Vietnam to reduce drunken driving and improve use of motorcycle helmets, seat belts and child restraints.Some of his largest personal gifts have gone to his alma mater, The Johns Hopkins University. In 2006, in addition to the $165 million he spread to hundreds of charities, he also gave $100 million for medical research and a new children's hospital at the university.Bloomberg will continue to make personal contributions while his foundation will focus on wider projects, including newer interests such as government accountability that have sharpened during his public life.The agenda for this cause is not fully formed, but Bloomberg envisions a sort of scorecard to keep track of elected officials and candidates. The mayor, who this summer dropped his Republican affiliation to become an independent, says it would give voters a chance to scrutinize their leaders but not favor any candidate."What I would like to focus on a little bit is how the public knows who they're voting for, what they've done, whether once elected they do it," Bloomberg said in describing the concept earlier this year. "Being able to improve the democratic process, not trying to influence it in one direction or another."Bloomberg has hardly avoided throwing his money behind candidates and political causes -- thousands of dollars on both sides of the aisle for races at all levels of government. He also contributed $7 million to the host committee for the 2004 Republican convention in New York that nominated President Bush for re-election.Bloomberg gave more than $2.13 million to the housekeeping account of the state Republican Committee between 1999 and 2006, a record for any individual, according to the state chapter of Common Cause, a government watchdog group.The mayor, who was a Democrat for most of his life, steers his money toward New York-centric groups and causes typically considered to be liberal. He has given millions to abortion rights groups, stem cell research, gay rights and gun control advocacy organizations.But there are more conservative groups as well, including the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Boy Scouts of America.Within his foundation, Bloomberg says he has little interest in starting his own programs. He will fund existing organizations that he believes are already doing good work.He also wants his foundation to fund projects with measurable results, which is what he calls a "new trend in philanthropy." He points to the Robin Hood Foundation, which targets poverty in New York City, as an example. That group uses independent evaluators to hold accountable the programs it supports.His eldest daughter, Emma Bloomberg, has recently begun working for that foundation. Bloomberg told Contribute magazine last year that both of his daughters are socially conscious and support a number of causes, but he does not expect they will run his foundation.Bloomberg's donations are ostensibly anonymous, but his giving is not a closely guarded secret either, with the donations often easily traced back to the source. Although he does not like to publicly discuss dollar amounts, he does not mind talking about his pet causes and reasons for giving.An oft-told story is that he first learned about the importance of philanthropy from his father, a bookkeeper whom Bloomberg says never earned more than $11,000 a year. Still, the mayor recalls, the family gave money to the Red Cross, UNICEF and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People."I've always believed it's important to give during your lifetime," Bloomberg told Contribute last year. "I mean, you can't take the money with you. You should be able to enjoy any difference you can make."

One Planet Conversations Launching the 2007-2008 Salon Series

Phoenix, AZ

Information Event Info Name: One Planet Conversations

Tagline: Launching the 2007-2008 Salon Series

Host: One Planet Magazine

Type: Meetings - Informational Meeting

Time and Place Date: Thursday, September 20, 2007 Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Location: Creative Living Fellowship (CLF)

Street: 6530 N 7th St

City/Town: Phoenix, AZ

View Map Contact Info Phone: 480.217.1720

Email: oneplanetmagazine@yahoo.com

Description What can Annie Loyd and Renee Morgan Brooks do together in one evening? Come and find out as One Planet magazine (www.oneplanetmagazine.com) celebrates positive visions and solutions for all of us. This month, at CLF, for our One Planet Conversations, our monthly speaker salon, we proudly present our Publisher, Annie Loyd, speaking on "Together - we can make the change." Are you confused by the "conservatives" but leary of the "liberals"? Are you weary of the war and peeved at pundits of both major parties? Have you almost or already given up on voting? Do you ever wonder if Oneness can be applied for results and resolutions? Join us for a dialogue and discussion on transpartisan politics, the transformational politics of hope. Let Renee Morgan Brooks raise you soul with song and Annie Loyd lift your heart with hope.

Be part of the dialogue as Annie shares her inspiring message of healing yesterday’s political wounds, standing n the Consciousness of today, and bringing fourth the Vision for tomorrow. Will you find out you’re Planetarian?

Hunter S. Thompson on Politicians & Journalism

"He could shake your hand and stab you in the back at the same time." –on Richard Nixon

"Jesus! How much more of this cheap-jack bullshit can we be expected to take from that stupid little gunsel? Who gives a fuck if he's lonely and depressed down there in San Clemente? If there were any such thing as true justice in this world, his rancid carcass would be somewhere down around Easter Island right now, in the belly of a hammerhead shark. " –on Richard Nixon's life after resignation

"Richard Nixon has never been one of my favorite people anyway. For years I've regarded his existence as a monument to all the rancid genes and broken chromosones that corrupt the possibilities of the American Dream; he was a foul caricature of himself, a man with no soul, no inner convictions, with the integrity of a hyena and the style of a poison toad."

"The Nixon I remembered was absolutely humorless; I couldn't imagine him laughing at anything except maybe a paraplegic who wanted to vote Democratic but couldn't quite reach the lever on the voting machine."

"Bill Clinton does not inhale marijuana, right? You bet. Like I chew on LSD but I don't swallow it.'"

"Did you see Bush on TV, trying to debate? Jesus, he talked like a donkey with no brains at all...It was pitiful...I almost felt sorry for him, until I heard someone call him 'Mr. President,' and then I felt ashamed." -on Bush's 2004 debate performance

"In four short years he has turned our country from a prosperous nation at peace into a desperately indebted nation at war. But so what? He is the President of the United States, and you're not. Love it or leave it." –on George W. Bush

"Richard Nixon looks like a flaming liberal today, compared to a golem like George Bush. Indeed. Where is Richard Nixon now that we finally need him?"

"Nixon was a professional politician, and I despised everything he stood for -- but if he were running for president this year against the evil Bush-Cheney gang, I would happily vote for him."

"Bush is a natural-born loser with a filthy-rich daddy who pimped his son out to rich oil-mongers. He hates music, football and sex, in no particular order, and he is no fun at all."

"I voted for Ralph Nader in 2000, but I will not make that mistake again. The joke is over for Nader. He was funny once, but now he belongs to the dead."

"There was one exact moment, in fact, when I knew for sure that Al Gore would Never be President of the United States, no matter what the experts were saying -- and that was when the whole Bush family suddenly appeared on TV and openly scoffed at the idea of Gore winning Florida. It was Nonsense, said the Candidate, Utter nonsense. . .Anybody who believed Bush had lost Florida was a Fool. The Media, all of them, were Liars & Dunces or treacherous whores trying to sabotage his victory. . . Here was the whole bloody Family laughing & hooting & sneering at the dumbness of the whole world on National TV. The old man was the real tip-off. The leer on his face was almost frightening. It was like looking into the eyes of a tall hyena with a living sheep in its mouth. The sheep's fate was sealed, and so was Al Gore's."

"[T]his blizzard of mind-warping war propaganda out of Washington is building up steam. Monday is Anthrax, Tuesday is Bankruptcy, Friday is Child-Rape, Thursday is Bomb-scares, etc., etc., etc.... If we believed all the brutal, frat-boy threats coming out of the White House, we would be dead before Sunday. It is pure and savage terrorism reminiscent of Nazi Germany."

"We are turning into a nation of whimpering slaves to Fear -- fear of war, fear of poverty, fear of random terrorism, fear of getting down-sized or fired because of the plunging economy, fear of getting evicted for bad debts, or suddenly getting locked up in a military detention camp on vague charges of being a Terrorist sympathizer."

"If we get chased out of Iraq with our tail between our legs, that will be the fifth consecutive Third-world country with no hint of a Navy or an Air Force to have whipped us in the past 40 years."

"He knew who I was, at that time, because I had a reputation as a writer. I knew he was part of the Bush dynasty. But he was nothing, he offered nothing, and he promised nothing. He had no humor. He was insignificant in every way and consequently I didn't pay much attention to him. But when he passed out in my bathtub, then I noticed him. I'd been in another room, talking to the bright people. I had to have him taken away." -on meeting George W Bush at Thompson's Super Bowl party in Houston in 1974

"All we have to do is get out and vote, while it's still legal, and we will wash those crooked warmongers out of the White House."

"America... just a nation of two hundred million used car salesmen with all the money we need to buy guns and no qualms about killing anybody else in the world who tries to make us uncomfortable."

"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me."

"A word to the wise is infuriating.""So much for Objective Journalism. Don’t bother to look for it here -- not under any byline of mine; or anyone else I can think of. With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as Objective Journalism. The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in terms."

"The genetically vicious nature of presidential campaigns in America is too obvious to argue with, but some people call it fun, and I am one of them."

"Election Day -- especially a presidential election -- is always a wild and terrifying time for politics junkies, and I am one of those, too. We look forward to major election days like sex addicts look forward to orgies. We are slaves to it."

"Every GOP administration since 1952 has let the Military-Industrial Complex loot the Treasury and plunge the nation into debt on the excuse of a wartime economic emergency. Richard Nixon comes quickly to mind, along with Ronald Reagan and his ridiculous 'trickle-down' theory of U.S. economic policy. If the Rich get Richer, the theory goes, before long their pots will overflow and somehow 'trickle down' to the poor, who would rather eat scraps off the Bush family plates than eat nothing at all. Republicans have never approved of democracy, and they never will. It goes back to preindustrial America, when only white male property owners could vote."

"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours."

"If I'd written all the truth I knew for the past ten years, about 600 people - including me - would be rotting in prison cells from Rio to Seattle today. Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism."

"Going to trial with a lawyer who considers your whole life-style a Crime in Progress is not a happy prospect."

"You can turn your back on a person, but never turn your back on a drug, especially when its waving a razor sharp hunting knife in your eye."

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."

"Who does vote for these dishonest shitheads?"

For Campaign ’08, Video Web Seen Making Inroads on Traditional Media

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--While “traditional media” – TV, radio and print – figures to remain in the driver’s seat during Campaign ‘08, established outlets will increasingly need to share the road with online video.

That’s the clear conclusion of a new consumer survey, conducted for ClipBlast! (http://www.clipblast.com/), the Web’s premier video search platform, by Chicago market researcher Synovate. The survey – which asked 1,000 Americans to identify the various sources from which they anticipate getting their news on the presidential candidates – was fielded in August, shortly after the CNN/YouTube debate among Democratic presidential hopefuls.
Overall, 86 percent of respondents say they will turn to TV and radio for information on the candidates; 63.5 percent will rely on newspapers and magazines. Even so, substantial percentages expect to get their news from the Video Web: 29.5 percent from news video, 22 percent from debates online, and another 7.5 percent from video bloggers.

“These findings unquestionably affirm the rise of the Video Web in public life,” said Gary Baker, CEO, ClipBlast! “What’s more, we believe that online video is engaging new audiences and drawing new, otherwise disaffected or disinterested viewers. Organizing debates on the Video Web is anything but a novelty – it’s an alternative that has emerged literally from nowhere to capture the public’s imagination.”

Indeed, the fall season figures to be dotted with successors to the CNN/YouTube experience. This Wednesday, Yahoo!, in tandem with Slate and The Huffington Post, will host the first Web-only U.S. presidential debate, with PBS’s Charlie Rose serving as moderator. Two weeks later, on Sept. 27, MySpace and MTV will hold the first of 11 hour-long candidate dialogues, to be streamed live on their respective websites. And on Nov. 28, CNN and YouTube will reprise the online/broadcast debate format, in association with the Republican Party of Florida.

It IS Your Father’s Video Web

Although youth will be served, so will their elders, according to the ClipBlast!/Synovate survey. Findings confirm the popularity of online video with the youngest demographic – 37 percent of those 18-24 will turn to the Video Web – and reveals that that group hasn’t forsaken TV (87 percent) or newspapers (54 percent). While those in mid-life and beyond maintain their loyalty to traditional media (89 percent for anyone over 55), they’re also embracing new media, albeit at a lesser pace (29 percent for those over 65, marginally more than those 45-54 and 55-64, at 25 percent and 23 percent, respectively).

And while just 16 percent of those 55-64 expect to turn to the Web for presidential debates, 27 percent of those over 65 plan to be there – the highest percentage among all demographic groups. Likewise, video blogging isn’t solely the province of the young; 10 percent of those 35-44 will include vlogs in the information mix – roughly the same as those in 18-24 age group.

Among other notable survey findings:

The more affluent you are, the more likely it is that you’ll rely on TV and radio for campaign news (88 percent, for those with annual incomes in excess of $75,000, against 82 percent for those at the bottom rung of the income ladder). Those with incomes of $50,000-$75,000 are relatively more inclined to include news video in their diet of campaign info (32 percent) than are those in other income strata. And those in the $25,000-$50,000 bracket are relatively more likely to view debates online (23 percent) than the rest of the population.

Those who aren’t married tend to gravitate to the Video Web and are relatively less enamored of traditional media. By an eight-point margin, marrieds prefer newspapers and magazines (66 percent to 59 percent); that almost exactly flips when online video is in play. (34 percent of unmarrieds will look to news video online, against 27 percent of marrieds). Households without children will be tuning into debate coverage online in greater numbers than those with kids (24 percent to 18 percent).

On a regional basis, TV and radio are robust nationwide, but strongest in the South (87 percent); newspapers and magazines fare best in the Midwest (71.5 percent). News video online will capture an identical 30 percent in both regions – a marginally greater number than in the Northeast, ostensibly the home base of traditional media. Debate coverage online looks to be relatively strongest in the South and West, at 23 percent each.

Considering race as a factor, newspapers and magazines draw significantly more whites than non-whites (65 percent to 54.5 percent). Conversely, presidential debates on the Video Web are expected to attract a greater percentage of nonwhites than whites (28 percent to 21 percent). Similarly, nearly twice as many nonwhites expect to get their info from video blogs (11 percent to 6.5 percent).

Looking at educational levels, while TV and radio are consistent across the board, newspapers and magazines draw significantly more respondents with post-graduate degrees (78 percent, to 65 percent with some college and 52.5 percent with high school or less). That pattern – the greater the educational level, the greater the reliance on online video for information – holds steady across the range of sources on the Video Web (news video, debates and video blogs).
Based on employment status: those employed fulltime are marginally less likely to depend on TV and radio; retirees are most reliant on traditional media, print and broadcast.

The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent. For a full copy of the survey results, email info@edgecommunicationsinc.com.

About ClipBlast!
Founded in 2004, ClipBlast! provides pioneering Web-wide video search that uses patent-pending technology to continuously update the largest index of video content across the Internet. ClipBlast!’s fast, easy interface gives users instant access to millions of quality, highly relevant, targeted video clips from the world’s major media brands, independent producers and individuals – video that informs, enlightens, inspires and entertains. The company is based in Agoura Hills, Calif. To learn more, visit http://www.clipblast.com.

The Emerging Transpartisan Field in American Politics

Transpartisanship Defined

Transpartisanship represents an emerging field in political thought distinct from bipartisanship, which aims to negotiate between “right” and “left,” resulting in a dualistic perspective, and nonpartisanship, which tends to avoid political affiliation altogether. Rather, transpartisanship acknowledges the validity of truths across a range of political perspectives and seeks to synthesize them into an inclusive, pragmatic container beyond typical political dualities.In practice, transpartisan solutions emerge out of a new kind of public conversation that moves beyond polarization by applying proven methods of facilitated dialogue, deliberation and conflict resolution. In this way it is possible to achieve the ideal of a democratic republic by integrating the values of a democracy -- freedom, equality, and a regard for the common good, with the values of a republic -- order, responsibility and security.

The Transpartisan Field

Transpartisanship is increasingly being used to describe the collaborative efforts of citizens and leaders who seek to discover and implement the best possible policies regardless of political ideology. Transpartisanship practices and methods are currently being employed by all levels of government (national, state, and local), various citizen groups, nonprofit organizations, corporations, consulting and conflict-resolution firms, university programs and more. Together these efforts have generated a considerable body of work that is forming the Transpartisan field.

History of the Emerging Transpartisan Field

Like most modern schools of political or social thought it is difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of Transpartisanship. The term was used as early as the late 1980’s when it appeared in an essay titled “Self-Reliant Defense: Without Bankruptcy or War,” by American scholars Gene Sharp and Bruce Jenkins of the Albert Einstein Institute. Sharp and Jenkins state: “whether the proposal is to add a civilian-based resistance component or to transform to a full civilian-based defense policy, the presentation, consideration, and decision should not be made on an ideological or partisan basis. Instead, civilian-based options in defense need to be presented and evaluated in a "Transpartisan" manner-not tied to any doctrinal outlook or narrow group.” This early use of the term Transpartisanship emphasized the selection of best practices regardless of specific political ideologies. The ideas behind Transpartisanship have quickly spread into other disciplines including politics, society, culture, economics etc.

Emerging Elements of the Transpartisanship Field

• Transpartisanship is a vibrant and evolving field; however there are a few key concepts that are especially characteristic:
• All systems are interdependent - All things are fundamentally interconnected influence one another, which in turn validates each individual component (or belief). Transpartisanship therefore honors each belief and strives to fully integrate it into the system, thus achieving equilibrium.
• All points of view are equally valuable - Every belief or view can be important in reaching collaborative decisions.
• Optimal solutions are reached through honest and authentic dialogue - In order to arrive at practical and sustainable solutions all viewpoints can be shared openly and honestly.
• Disagreement can be an asset - Disagreements over an issue need not undermine consensus if all parties are willing to harness existing tension to find common ground. New alliances will naturally form and collaboration will often reveal previously unanticipated solutions that can satisfy all those involved.
• The public must take responsibility for being heard - Transpartisanship holds that good decisions are made by considering a wide range of opinions. Reintegrating the public at large into the conversation can enhance the range of opinions and lead to better decisions.
• Need to protect the sovereignty of the individual - While the role of the community is undoubtedly vital for reaching effective solutions, so too is the need to protect individuals from the dictates of the collective. Views and opinions may only be expressed honestly when the individual is free from coercion.

Note: Transpartisanship in currently an evolving field and therefore lacks a unitary definition or set of core values. The definition and values listed above should be seen as a guideline to begin the discourse over Transpartisanship, not a terminus.

Sam Nunn's Being Court For Independent Bid - And Now He Confirms Interest

As first reported by InsiderAdvantage Georgia and the Southern Political Report, former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn is being courted for a possible third-party bid for president or vice president next year, and now Nunn has publicly confirmed he may be interested.
Last night, WSB-TV’s Lori Geary caught up with Nunn – and he didn’t close the door on the possibility.

Nunn told Geary he didn't hear the current crop of candidates discussing the issues he believes are important and went on to say he plans to spend the next few months considering his options.
When she asked him point-blank about a possible independent bid, he didn’t rule it out.
Nunn, now 68, was Georgia’s U.S. senator for 24 years (1972-1966). During part of that time, he chaired the Senate Armed Services Committee. John Kerry considered the moderate Georgia Democrat as a potential running mate in 2004.

Nunn currently is chief executive officer of the NTI (Nuclear Threat Initiative), a charitable organization working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
We reported on the possible Nunn bid on July 26 and said our sources were telling us that Nunn continues to be known among the DC establishment and media as "the man" when it comes to matters related to defense.

We also told our readers that a group of former Washington operatives, including former Carter administration members Hamilton Jordan and Gerald Rafshoon, has been quietly working to create a legitimate third-party effort in 'o8, and that they were sounding Nunn out, possibly with an eye towards a Bloomberg-Nunn independent candidacy.

You can read that story here.

Interview here http://www.commonwealthclub.org/audio/05-07nunn-complete.ram

Bush Administration Ignores Safety

Bush Administration Ignores Safety, Presses Ahead With Dangerous NAFTA Trucks Pilot Program.

Statement of Joan Claybrook, President, Public Citizen

The Bush administration continues to ignore the safety of the American public with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) trucks pilot program that it announced late last night would begin immediately.

READ the entire statement.

xxxxx

Public Interest Groups Appear in Federal Appeals Court to Challenge License for Proposed New Mexico Uranium Enrichment Plant

Louisiana Energy Services' Project Would Violate Law and NRC Safety Regulations

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) and Public Citizen today appeared before the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to challenge the legality of the license for Louisiana Energy Services' (LES) proposed uranium enrichment plant near Eunice, N.M. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granted the license in June 2006, despite not having decided on the classification of the depleted uranium waste the facility will create.

READ the entire press release.

One Planet Conversations - Annie Loyd & Renée Morgan Brooks

WHAT: What can Annie Loyd and Renée Morgan Brooks do together in one evening? Come and find out as One Planet magazine celebrates positive visions and solutions for all of us. This month, One Planet Conversations proudly presents our publisher, Annie Loyd, speaking on "Together - We Can Make the Change." Are you confused by the "conservatives" but leery of the "liberals?"

Are you weary of the war and peeved at pundits of both major parties? Have you almost or already given up on voting? Do you ever wonder if Oneness can be applied for results and resolutions? Join us for a dialogue and discussion on transpartisan politics, the transformational politics of hope.

Let Renée Morgan Brooks raise your soul with song and Annie Loyd lift your heart with hope. Be part of the dialogue as Annie shares her inspiring message of healing yesterday's political wounds, standing in the Consciousness of today, and bringing forth the Vision for tomorrow. Will you find out you're a Planetarian?

WHERE: Creative Living Fellowship 6530 N. 7th St., Phoenix, AZ 85014
WHEN: Thursday, September 20th6:30 to 8 p.m.
COST: There is no cost, but a love offering will be accepted.
RSVP: Reservations are appreciated! Please call Janine at Diamond Life Creators at 480-217-1720, or email: http://us.f316.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=oneplanetmagazine@yahoo.comwith the number of people you are bringing.

Number of Lobbyist-Fundraisers for 2008 Presidential Candidates on Pace to Eclipse 2004

WASHINGTON, D.C.– With more than a year left until the 2008 election, presidential candidates already have signed up two-thirds as many lobbyist-fundraisers as they did for the entire 2004 campaign season.

According to a study Public Citizen released today, candidates already have signed up 92 federal lobbyists, compared to the 136 lobbyists who raised money for 2004 candidates. And the candidates’ army of lobbyist-fundraisers will likely grow because 70 percent of the 2004 lobbyist-fundraisers are still on the sidelines.

In-house, or salaried, lobbyists particularly appear to be holding back until front-runners emerge. While dozens of in-house trade association and corporate lobbyists signed up as fundraisers – mostly for Bush – during the 2004 campaign, only four have signed up so far for the 2008 race, according to available information. Those who have signed up are mainly from lobbying firms.

To better track candidates’ fundraising efforts, Public Citizen has created a new feature on its Web site, http://www.whitehouseforsale.org/, that indicates whether each of the 2008 mega-fundraisers, often referred to as bundlers, have registered as federal lobbyists at any time since 1998.

The subject of accepting lobbyists’ fundraising help has driven a wedge between those Democratic front-runners who accept their help and those who don’t. A recent Gallup poll found that fully three-quarters of adults of voting age consider contributions from lobbyists to be “unacceptable.”

“It is stunning with so many serial fundraisers holding back that the number of 2008 lobbyists is already approaching 2004 levels,” said Laura MacCleery, director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division. “It’s just another sign that the unhealthy, symbiotic relationship that binds politicians and lobbyists continues in force.”

Republican John McCain and Democrat Hillary Clinton each have enlisted more than twice as many lobbyist-fundraisers as any candidate in their respective parties, according to information available. Clinton’s showing was not a surprise given that her two top competitors, Barack Obama and John Edwards, have policies of not accepting federal lobbyists’ help, although a handful of their bundlers registered as lobbyists in years past.

Getting details about efforts made by the lobbyist-fundraisers for Republican candidates is more difficult than obtaining the same data from Democratic candidates. Unlike Clinton and Obama, who provide some information about how much their fundraisers have raked in, Republican front-runners have thus far offered next to no such information.

Public Citizen’s study found that 10 of the bundler-lobbyists are former members of Congress, including Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas, a McCain supporter; Rep. Bob Livingston of Louisiana, a Fred Thompson supporter; and Rep. and Gov. James J. Blanchard (D-Mich.), a Clinton supporter.
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Beyond Left & Right: Toward A New Transpartisan Politics

In today's post-partisan world, left-right, liberal-conservative, Republican-Democrat lack useful significance in describing a complete picture of contemporary politics. These 19th century shopworn terms fail to include a new large post-partisan demographic which is emerging and has yet to find a polity truly expressive of its interests.

This new demographic can be characterized as beyond the stale and often meaningless terms left and right. They are socially expansive in that they look to create and participate in new communities that transcend but include conventional boundaries. That means they see value in tradition and conventions but are not limited by them. They seek community life and are willing to try new roles out within those communities but not at the expense of their own selves. They seek decisions being taken by consensus (i.e. democratically), but are not willing to lose their own sense of self or their rights.

They are ecologically sensitive and personally experimental. They care about their environment and their own health. Personally experimental refers to their willingness to play with their own consciousness, social roles and conventional rules.

Another reason this group of people can be considered beyond left and right is that their critique of power consists of both those from the traditional American left and the old right. They are concerned with all forms of concentrated power and authority. Government bothers them as much as transnational corporations. They look askance at the media, consumer culture, government propaganda, authoritarian religious institutions, and our so-called educational systems.

These post-partisan people are also called transpartisan because they see the value in partisan worldviews but do not limit themselves to any particular value set within a partisan system. For instance, they see the importance to a lot of people of traditional religion and although they might not be so inclined to believe and live the same way, they do not seek to destroy or denigrate people’s conservative religious beliefs. It is a live and let live mindset within the boundaries of individual rights and persuasion.

The transpartisan mindset allows for greater cooperation between what appears to be conflicting worldviews. Basically, people who are transpartisan can and do play well with others. They are willing and quite able to form political and social coalitions to solve immediate and long term problems. You can find them in many of the alternative cultural movements like home-schooling, integrative medicine, and organic food cooperatives, while at the same time living and participating in the conventional world.

They are setting the stage for a new political movement, which neither major party can, at this time, appreciate. And no minor political party can see this due to their ideological-purity blinders. More and more people are joining this group but, unfortunately, many still limit themselves with traditional party affiliations and inconsistencies in their politics. What I mean by the latter is that although they are experimental in their private lives and in many cases their community lives, they have not translated that mindset to their politics.

If they come from the left, then they might still favor one-size-fits-all programs and projects which actually denies human uniqueness, innovation, creativity and community diversity. If they come from the right, they might see corporate structure i.e. private power as the only means of organizing business life. This can deny human creativity and the importance of social relations and community values.

In time, the limits of the earlier partisan mindsets whether left or right will be transcended and the inconsistencies mentioned above will be reduced. The transpartisan mindset will help to create new cultures, new institutions and new ways of being in the world. This in turn will then reverberate in our body politics by changing the dynamics from a limited and narrow spectrum of discussion, belief, and action to much broader possibilities. It will help to move the power and decision-making from an elite group of technocrats, plutocrats and bureaucrats over towards individuals and communities.

Michael D. Ostrolenk is a Senior Editor of the Free Liberal.

Third Conference on Democracy in America

Third Conference on Democracy in America, September 2007
Leadership Retreat
Tuesday, 2007, September 18 - 6:00pm - Friday, 2007, September 21 - 12:00pm

Aspen Wye River, Queenstown, Maryland September 18-21, 2007
Purpose:

Engage a small group of leaders and experts from across the political spectrum in authentic dialogue about shared values, areas of mutual concern and transpartisan alignment.
Confirmed participants thus far:

Peter Gemma, Senior Advisor, American Conservative Defense Alliance
Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform
Carolyn Lukensmeyer, President, AmericaSpeaks
Alan Khazei, Founder, Be the Change
David Korten, Board Member, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies
Roger Hickey, Co-director, Campaign for America's Future
Michele Combs, Communications Director, Christian Coalition
Dave Keating, Executive Director, Club for Growth
Nancy Ross, Political Director, Committee for a Unified Independent Party
Jodie Evans, Founder, Codepink Women for Peace
Matt Leighninger, Executive Director, Deliberative Democracy Consortium
Jim Babka, President, DownsizeDC.org
Robert Richie, Executive Director, FairVote.org
Joshua Gorman, Founder, Generation Waking Up
Brent McMillian, Political Director, Green Party
Lawry Chickering, Research Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Kathy Partridge, Executive Director, Interfaith Funders
Nancy Tate, Executive Director, League of Women Voters
Shane Cory, Executive Director, Libertarian National Committee
Michael Ostrolenk, Founder, Liberty Coalition
Scott Heiferman, Co-Founder, Meetup.com
Maya Enista, COO, Mobilizing America's Youth
Jeff Weissglass, Former Chairman, More Than Money
Debbie Hopper, Founder, Mothers Against the Draft
Eli Pariser, Executive Director, MoveOn.org
Sandy Heierbacher, Director, National Coalition for Dialogue and Delib.
Jackie Johnson, Executive Director, National Congress of American Indians
John Briscoe, Director of Dev., National Council of Churches USA
Patrice McDermott, Director, OpenTheGovernment.org
Bill Westmiller, Chairman, Republican Liberty Caucus
Bob Barr, Chairman, Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances
Marianne Williamson, Chair, Peace Alliance
John Sirek, President, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement
Robert Fuller, Author, Sombodies and Nobodies
Paul Loeb, Author, Soul of a Citizen
John Esterle, Executive Director, Whitman Institute
Juanita Brown, Founder, World Café

FACILITATION TEAM

Mark Gerzon, President, Mediators Foundation
Donna Zajonc, Author, Politics of Hope
Joseph McCormick, Co-founder, Reuniting America
John Steiner, Chair, Exec. Cmte., Reuniting America
Ana Micka, Co-director, Reuniting America
Debilyn Molinaeux, Event Coordinator, Reuniting America
Peter Hwosch, Filmmaker, Hwosch Productions
Chris Bui, Founder, 5th Medium I.C. (the American Focus Program)

Michael Bloomberg Sees the Light

I'm so excited to see New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg register as unaffiliated. It demonstrates that individuals from all walks of life are facing the cold hard facts. As Bloomberg said on Monday, "The politics of partisanship and the resulting inaction and excuses have paralyzed decision-making, primarily at the federal level, and the big issues of the day are not being addressed, leaving our future in jeopardy."

It’s time we face the truth - across the country more and more people are fed-up with partisan politics. Voter participation is at an all time low. From coast to coast many people feel as though their voice and vote don’t matter. With more than 38 percent of active voters identifying as

Independents/unaffiliated it's time we begin to understand and turn to face the change.
Whether or not Mayor Bloomberg runs for President, the mere fact that he’s registered as unaffiliated underscores the message sent by thousands of people across the country that their call for change be heard.

The key to success in the 2008 elections will not be the monotonous drum beat of partisan politics. Rather it's who can inspire and motivate hundreds and thousands of voters to participate in our democracy and turn out to the polls to vote FOR someone.

People are looking for a fresh perspective -- one that does not point the finger or blame another group of people for the economic and social failures within our broken system of government.
People are seeking someone who believes in addressing these fundamental problems with real solutions and not just applying a band-aid.

I know from listening to many, many people that the time for change is now. I trust those people, I agree with those people.

It’s time for true representation.

Finding ways to work together is the only road to real solutions. It's time to breath new life into our democracy and it's time to bring the power of our voices back into governing our country.

Annie Loyd
Independent, Candidate - US Congress, Arizona District 3

Annie Loyd for Congress Campaign Overview

"As we look to the elections in November of 2008 we can say beyond a doubt – we have lost our way . . . It is time for a big change. We have all witnessed the awful effects that violence and the poverty of spirit, bring to our communities both locally and globally. It is time for competent, common sense leadership and that is why I, Annie Loyd, made the decision to run for Congress as an Independent in Arizona’s U. S. Congressional District 3.

I’m a registered Independent because in the more than 20 years I’ve worked in politics, I’ve witnessed time and time and time again, that good people’s voices are not being heard, not being recognized, not being acknowledged, not being utilized, not being called on.

I’m a registered Independent because our voices matter and our call for change haven’t been heard. As Americans, we have a Constitution that is designed to protect our voice, the voice of the people. However, in order for our voices to be heard we must first speak.

We have an opportunity - at this time in our country’s history - to make history and begin a powerful movement of change. We have an opportunity to catalyze thousands of voters that believe neither party is representing their interests and are desperate for new a vision. We have an opportunity to create a vision that looks to our future and considers the impact of our decisions on future generations.

Together – we can do it! I am convinced we can and will inspire hope within our community demonstrating throughout the campaign that there is a different way to do politics - The Annie Loyd for Congress campaign is setting a different standard for political campaigns with a focus on door to door communication and engaging with the people in the district, with the inspiring message of Together - we can do it.

As a direct result of talking to hundreds of people we, the Annie Loyd for Congress campaign, know the politics of - involving negative campaign ad’s, endless robo-calls and sound bite messages - has created disengagement with the voters and dissuaded many from voting at all.
America stands for Independence. Arizona embodies the Independent American. America represents the power of the people upholding liberty, justice and freedom for all. We have the responsibility to ensure our voices are heard. Too many times I’ve heard: I’m not voting -- it doesn’t make a difference – the time for a new way is now.

The Annie Loyd for Congress campaign is committed to delivering a message of information that inspires and engages and that educates and empowers the people of Congressional District 3 in Arizona to work together to create the new paradigm of politics – the art of possibilities; the change we all so desire.

The time is now for courageous leadership with a vision for the future and a desire and willingness to move us forward restoring our ability to be an effective leader throughout the world, starting with immediately addressing issues right here at home.
I believe in leaders who take action, leaders who engage and inspire us, and leaders who encourage us to speak out and who listen to our voices.
The campaign is hosting and attending house party after house party and participating in a multitude of community events, meetings, and activities. The success of this campaign is based in the knowing that people want and need to have their voice heard and know their vote matters. We want and need your active participation.
The voter registration in Arizona Congressional District 3 is a strong mix of independently minded people ready to create change. To successful create this desired change we knew it was imperative to build this campaign on a solid foundation. We have attracted, what I believe to be, the best people in their areas of expertise to work and guide this campaign. Because of excellent research, compiled by our team, we know the trends nationally and locally and by the November 2008 election there will be more registered Independents in Arizona Congressional District 3 than Democrats. We know voters are disgusted with partisan politics, we know how to win this race. As a former athlete I believe it is part of human nature to know and believe you are on the winning team.
Together - our team is the winning team. Together – we can do it!While the antiquated political parties continue to be mired in the politics of the past we have our pulse on the people in our community and are answering their call. We have redefined politics as the art of possibilities encompassing:
A - Accountability
R – Responsibility
T – Transparency
Is this not what we have all been asking for – for such a long time?! In the famous words of John F. Kennedy, “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
I would not be entering into this race if I didn’t believe it was possible to win. I believe our actions, throughout the campaign, will reflect our message of inclusivity, civic participation and the transformation of this existing brutal political campaign climate.
Join the winning team and engage in politics – the art of possibilities.
Working together – we are the winning team! Annie Loyd

FEC Won't Regulate Political Blogging

WASHINGTON -- DailyKos, an influential political Web site that serves as a virtual bulletin board for liberals, qualifies as a media entity exempt from federal campaign finance regulations, the Federal Election Commission said Tuesday.

The FEC said the Web site, operated by blogger Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, cannot be regulated as a political committee and can freely post blog entries that support candidates.

DailyKos, an influential political Web site that serves as a virtual bulletin board for liberals, qualifies as a media entity exempt from federal campaign finance regulations, the Federal Election Commission said Tuesday.

Conservative blogger John C.A. Bambenek had argued in a complaint last month that the site should comply with campaign finance laws because such entries amounted to "a gift of free advertising and candidate media services."

The FEC disagreed.

"While the complaint asserts that DailyKos advocates for the election of Democrats for federal office, the commission has repeatedly stated that an entity that would otherwise qualify for the media exemption does not lose its eligibility because it features news or commentary lacking objectivity or expressly advocates in its editorial the election or defeat of a federal candidate," the FEC said.

The commission also rejected a complaint by Rep. Mary Bono, R-Calif., alleging that her 2006 Democratic opponent, David Roth, coordinated efforts with a blogger to advocate her defeat in the November 2006 general election. Bono won.

The FEC said the blogger, Michael L. Grace, acted in the capacity of a volunteer and his blogging efforts did not constitute an "in-kind service" subject to financial disclosure rules.

My Civic Ancestry - Charles Carroll of Carrollton

My great, great, great uncle on my Father's Mother's side of the family was Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Charles Carroll of Carrollton (September 19, 1737 – November 14, 1832) was a lawyer and politician from Maryland who was a delegate to the Continental Congress and later a United States Senator. He was the last surviving and only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Biography

He was born on September 19, 1737 at Annapolis, Maryland, the son of Charles Carroll of Annapolis (1702–1800) (his grandfather was Irish Daniel Carroll) and Elizabeth (Brooke) Carroll. His reputed attendance at the Jesuit preparatory school at Bohemia in Cecil County cannot be confirmed from contemporary records, and he may have been schooled at home before departing for Europe, where he attended the College of St. Omer in France, and graduated from the College of Louis the Grand in 1755. He continued his studies in Europe, and read for the law in London before returning to Annapolis in 1765.
Charles Carroll of Annapolis granted Carrollton Manor to his son, Charles Carroll of Carrollton. It is from this tract of land that he took his title, “Charles Carroll of Carrollton.”
Carroll was a voice for independence in Maryland. In 1772 he engaged in a debate conducted through anonymous newspaper letters and maintained the right of the colonies to control their own taxation. As a Roman Catholic, he was barred from entering politics, practicing law, and voting. However, writing in the Maryland Gazette under the pseudonym "First Citizen," he became a prominent spokesman against the governor's proclamation increasing legal fees to state officers and Protestant clergy. Carroll served on various committees of correspondence.[1]
He was commissioned with Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Chase in February 1774 to seek aid from Canada.[1] He was a member of Annapolis' first Committee of Safety in 1775. In early 1776, while not yet a member, the Congress sent him on a mission to Canada. When Maryland decided to support the open revolution, he was elected to the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, and remained a delegate until 1778. He arrived too late to vote in favor of it, but was able to sign the Declaration of Independence.
His signature reads "Charles Carroll of Carrollton," which is why he has gone down in history this way. At the time he was one of the richest men in America. As he signed, an observer stated "There go a few millions." Throughout his term in Congress, he served on the board of war.
Carroll returned to Maryland in 1778 to assist in the drafting of a constitution and forming a state government. Carroll was re-elected to the Continental Congress in 1780, but he declined. He was elected to the state senate in 1781 and served there continuously until 1800.
When the United States government was created, the Maryland legislature elected him to the first United States Senate. In 1792 Maryland passed a law that prohibited any man from serving in the State and national legislatures at the same time. Since he preferred to be in the Maryland Senate, he resigned from the U. S. Senate on November 30, 1792.
Carroll retired from public life in 1801. After Thomas Jefferson became president, he had great anxiety about political activity, and was not sympathetic to the War of 1812. After both Jefferson and Adams died on July 4, 1826, he became the only surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence. He came out of retirement to help create the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1827. His last public act, on July 4, 1828, was the laying of the cornerstone of the B&O's Carrollton Viaduct, named in his honor and still in use today.[2] He died on November 14, 1832 in Baltimore, and is buried in his Doughoregan Manor Chapel at Ellicott City, Maryland.
Carroll funded the building of what is known today as Homewood House, a 140 acre (570,000 m²) estate in northern Baltimore, Maryland as a wedding gift to his son, Charles Jr. and Harriet Chew. Charles Jr. then oversaw the design and construction of the house, which began construction in 1801 and had mostly finished by 1808. Research shows that he incorporated suggestions from his wife. It took five years to build and cost $40,000, four times the budgeted expense. The house never really fulfilled any of their expectations, as it did nothing to cure Charles Jr.'s idleness and alcoholism or prevent the couple from separating years later.
Homewood was donated to Johns Hopkins University in 1876 and later became its main campus. Today, Johns Hopkins operates Homewood House as a museum, and its beautiful Georgian architecture serves as the inspiration for the Hopkins' architecture.

[edit] Monuments and memorials

The bronze statue located in the Hall of Columns in the United States Capitol
Named in his honor are counties in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Virginia, as well as East and West Carroll Parishes, Louisiana. Also named for him is the Carroll Gardens neighborhood in Brooklyn; as well as the city of New Carrollton, home to Charles Carroll Middle School.
In 1903 the state of Maryland added a bronze statue to the United States Capitol's National Statuary Hall Collection. It is located in the Hall of Columns. [1]
In 1906, the University of Notre Dame constructed what is now known as Carroll Hall, a residence hall named after Charles Carroll.

[edit] Family life
Charles of Carrollton's grandfather, Charles Carroll known as Charles Carroll the Settler, was an Irishman from Littemourna, who was a clerk in the office of Lord Powis [3]. Around the year 1659 [4], during the reign of King James II, he emigrated from England to America, thus establishing one of the most influential families in American politics. [5]
Charles' sole son was born in 1702 and named Charles. To distinguish himself from his father he was known as Charles Carroll of Annapolis [6], but is not to be confused with his son of the same name (the subject of this article).
Charles married Mary Darnall, known as Molly, on June 5, 1768. They had seven children before Molly died in 1782, but only three survived infancy: Mary, Charles Jr., and Kitty. Mary married to Richard Caton. From 1820 to 1832, Carroll would winter with the Catons in Baltimore. Charles Jr. (sometimes known as Charles Carroll of Homewood because he oversaw its design and construction) married Harriet Chew and lived in Philadelphia. Harriet was the daughter of Benjamin Chew, the chief justice of Pennsylvania, and her sister married John Eager Howard who had served in the Senate with Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Charles Jr. was an alcoholic who reportedly consumed up to two quarts of brandy a day. This led to erratic behavior that resulted in his separation from Harriet.
Today, Carroll's descendants own the largest parcel of land in Howard County, Maryland, with over 1000 acres (4 km²) of valuable, but historically preserved land in Ellicott City, Maryland.

[edit] Carroll in Fiction
Charles Carroll was portrayed by actor Terrence Currier in the 2004 film National Treasure starring Nicolas Cage. He is accurately described as the last living signatory of the Declaration of Independence. Carroll is inaccurately described as a Freemason in the film; Catholics are not permitted to be Freemasons by the Church (although Catholics are not prohibited by the Freemasons from joining). Also, although the film does not explicitly state it, it is implied that Carroll died in Washington, D.C.[7] A scene which did not make the final cut of the film (but appears as a deleted scene on the DVD) shows then-President Jackson rushing out of the White House to find Carroll's body in a carriage.

[edit] Carroll's signature
In the 1940s, newspaper journalist John Hix's syndicated column "Strange As It Seems" published an interesting (though unverified) explanation for Charles Carroll's distinctive signature on the Declaration of Independence. Every member of the Continental Congress who signed this document automatically became a criminal, guilty of sedition against King George III. Carroll, because of his wealth, had more to lose than most of his companions. Some of the signators, such as Caesar Rodney and Button Gwinnett, had unusual and distinctive names which would clearly identify them to the King; other signators, with more commonplace names, might hope to sign the Declaration without incriminating themselves.
According to Hix, when it was Carroll's turn to sign the Declaration of Independence, he rose, went to John Hancock's desk where the document rested, signed his name "Charles Carroll" and returned to his seat. At this point another member of the Continental Congress, who was prejudiced against Carroll because of his Catholicism, commented that Carroll risked nothing in signing the document, as there must be many men named Charles Carroll in the colonies, and so the King would be unlikely to order Carroll's arrest without clear proof that he was the same Charles Carroll who had signed the Declaration. Carroll immediately returned to Hancock's desk, seized the pen again, and added "of Carrollton" to his name.
However, some believe that Carroll was using the "of Carrollton" suffix signature at least as early as September 15, 1765, in a letter written to a friend in England. [8]

[edit] References
^ a b c aoc.gov
^ J.E. Hagerty. Catholic Encyclopedia: Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Retrieved on April 24, 2006.
^ http://www.adherents.com/people/pc/Charles_Carroll.html
^ http://www.colonialhall.com/carroll/carroll.php
^ http://www.mdisfun.org/press_room/evergreen_Irish.asp
^ http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/faculty/hodgson/Courses/City/philadelphia/PHILADELPHIA_ih.html#chapter%2029
^ Christopher Plummer (playing John Adams Gates). (2004). National Treasure. Scene occurs at 00:01:54.
^ Hoffman, Ronald, Sally D. Mason and Eleanor S. Darcy, Eds. Dear Papa, Dear Charley: Vol. I, p. 375. Chapel Hill, NC. The University of North Carolina Press, 2001.

[edit] Further reading
Hoffman, Ronald, in collaboration with Sally D. Mason. Princes of Ireland, Planters of Maryland: A Carroll Saga, 1500-1782. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2000.

[edit] See also
Carrollton Manor

[edit] External links
Carroll's Congressional Biography
A Moment in Time Archives: Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Homewood House Museum
Appleton's Biography edited by Stanley L. Klos
Research into Homewood House
Biography by Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, 1856
The winter home of Charles Carroll
Preceded byMatthew Tilghman
President of the Maryland State Senate1783
Succeeded byDaniel Carroll
Preceded byDaniel Carroll
President of the Maryland State Senate1783
Succeeded byGeorge Plater
Preceded byNone
United States Senator (Class 1) from Maryland1789–1792Served alongside: John Henry
Succeeded byRichard Potts
Preceded byThomas Sumter
Oldest living U.S. SenatorJune 1, 1832 - November 14, 1832
Succeeded byPaine Wingate
[hide]
v • d • eSignatories of the Declaration of Independence
J. Adams • S. Adams • Bartlett • Braxton • Carroll of Carrollton • Chase • Clark • Clymer • Ellery • Floyd • Franklin • Gerry • Gwinnett • Hall • Hancock • Harrison • Hart • Hewes • Heyward • Hooper • Hopkins • Hopkinson • Huntington • Jefferson • F. L. Lee • R. H. Lee • Lewis • Livingston • Lynch • McKean • Middleton • L. Morris • R. Morris • Morton • Nelson • Paca • Penn • Paine • Read • Rodney • Ross • Rush • Rutledge • Sherman • Smith • Stockton • Stone • Taylor • Thornton • Walton • Whipple • Williams • Wilson • Witherspoon • Wolcott • Wythe

Transpartisan Defined

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Transpartisanship represents an emerging field in political thought distinct from bipartisanship, which aims to negotiate between “right” and “left,” resulting in a dualistic perspective, and nonpartisanship, which tends to avoid political affiliation altogether. Rather, transpartisanship acknowledges the validity of truths across a range of political perspectives and seeks to synthesize them into an inclusive, pragmatic container beyond typical political dualities.
In practice, transpartisan solutions emerge out of a new kind of public conversation that moves beyond polarization by applying proven methods of facilitated dialogue, deliberation and conflict resolution. In this way it is possible to achieve the ideal of a democratic republic by integrating the values of a democracy -- freedom, equality, and a regard for the common good, with the values of a republic -- order, responsibility and security.
Current examples of transpartisan initiatives include Reuniting America, Liberty Coalition, and the emerging Transpartisan.org.
An excerpt from Transpartisan.net on "transpartisanship":
Transpartisanship is an emerging field that advocates pragmatic and effective solutions to social and political problems, transcending and including preexisting political ideologies. Transpartisanship encompasses the idea that all systems are inextricably interconnected, and that successful outcomes can best be reached through inclusive, genuine, and respectful cooperation. Transpartisan democracy, in part, seeks to reintegrate the public’s voice in identifying, debating, and shaping governmental policies, while continuing to protect the sovereignty of the individual.
The term “Transpartisanship” has emerged to provide a meaningful alternative to “Bipartisanship,” and “Nonpartisanship.” Bipartisanship limits the dialogue process to two political viewpoints or entities, striving for compromise solutions. Nonpartisanship, on the other hand, tends to deny the existence of differing viewpoints in exchange for cooperation. Both the bipartisan and nonpartisan approaches can discount the multiplicity of viewpoints that exist, which often results in incomplete and therefore unsuccessful outcomes. In contrast to these, transpartisanship recognizes the existence and validity of many points of view, and advocates a constructive dialogue aimed at arriving at creative, integrated, and therefore, breakthrough solutions that meet the needs of all present.
A close relative of transpartisanship is Integral politics. A transpartisan approach to policy would necessarily include individual and collective, as well as subjective and objective, perspective. Furthermore, similar to Integral theory, transpartisanship places politics in a developmental context, viewing democracy and prosperity not as static attainments, but rather emergent properties along a continuum of developmental stages.

[edit] External links
Bipartisan vs. Transpartisan: And the Winner Is? An essay by Dr. Don Beck.
The Free Liberal: The Importance of Transpartisanship in Politics Today
Reuniting America
Liberty Coalition
Transpartisan.org
Transpartisan.net
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transpartisan"
Category: Politics