"Spy Court Judge Quits In Protest:" : washingtonpost.com

~ This Spy-gate thing is going to be serious news for a while. When both Democrats & Republican Senate leaders are expressing civil liberties concerns, all citizens should be concerned. Nixon -- and those Presidents before him -- walked over civil liberties regularly. No one wants to go back to those times , with Presidential Enemy lists , covert wire taps, & etc. The Bush Team must feel the Power of Checks and Balances here.
Hopefully Congress is up to the job ~~ TP
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"Jurist Concerned Bush Order Tainted Work of Secret Panel"

By Carol D. Leonnig and Dafna Linzer
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, December 21, 2005; Page A01

"A federal judge has resigned from the court that oversees government surveillance in intelligence cases in protest of President Bush's secret authorization of a domestic spying program, according to two sources. U.S. District Judge James Robertson, one of 11 members of the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court,, sent a letter to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. late Monday notifying him of his resignation without providing an explanation".

"Word of Robertson's resignation came as two Senate Republicans joined the call for congressional investigations into the National Security Agency's warrantless interception of telephone calls and e-mails to overseas locations by U.S. citizens suspected of links to terrorist groups. They questioned the legality of the operation and the extent to which the White House kept Congress informed."

"Sens. Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Olympia J. Snowe (Maine) echoed concerns raised by Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who has promised hearings in the new year."

"Hagel and Snowe joined Democrats Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), Carl M. Levin (Mich.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.) in calling for a joint investigation by the Senate judiciary and intelligence panels into the classified program."

Questions on the Legality of Campaign Fund-Raising - New York Times

Questions on the Legality of Campaign Fund-Raising - New York Times: "'Contributions can only take you so far,' said former Senator John B. Breaux, a Louisiana Democrat who has relocated to a K Street law firm and is now advising clients on lobbying strategy. 'I tell them, 'Look, you can give to an elected official and take them to lunch, dinner and breakfast. "But if you are asking them to vote yes on an issue and they have 2,000 letters from home telling them to vote no, then you have a problem."

~~ The most powerful tool in any political lobby , is the handwritten letter from the home district . Even in this technopolitical world in which we now exist , the simple old ways of local storefront politics still prevails. ~~ TP

National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation

National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation: "NCDD brings together those who actively practice, promote and study inclusive, high quality conversations. We believe that elevating the quality of thinking and communication in organizations and among citizens is key to solving humanity's most pressing problems."

Advertising in the Age of the Empowered Voter - A View from Washington

~ I Got this by e-mail.
This event wil explore lobbying and activisim from a TechnPolitical view.

~~~ enjoy ~` TP ~~ `

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"Advertising in the Age of the Empowered Voter - A View from Washington"
When:Wednesday, September 21, 2005 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM

How do mobile, blogs, and podcasts change political and advocacy communications?

E-Voter Institute is hosting bipartisan events to delve into the ways in which these and other new technologies are changing the political landscape.

Join campaign strategists, online pioneers, researchers, journalists, and media experts for the first of three lively discussions about the role of Internet and wireless technology for politics and advocacy.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM

"The Rise of Open-Source Politics"; By Micah L. Sifry, The Nation.

~~~ Really great article here below by Micah L. Sifry from 'The Nation" .
The interenet as a Political Tool is still evolving, and right now the Repulicans have a slight Cyber-Political edge. The Republican rank and file , the religious right & Big Biz , are all simply more lkely to give money or take other direct cyber -inspired -action, mostly because wealthier folks are more likely to have broadband internet , whithout which , one is quite cyber-limited in expresing political power.

However as broadband & wireless internet trickles down into the the many urban & rural areas with lower incomes , and now little broadband , a shift may still come , to where the 'political power' of cyberspace may tilt back towards the left ~~TP

The Rise of Open-Source Politics
By Micah L. Sifry, The Nation
Posted on January 20, 2005, Printed on January 21, 2005
http://www.alternet.org/story/21032/
Whether you're a Democrat in mourning or a Republican in glee, the results from election day should not obscure an important shift in America's civic life.

New tools and practices born on the internet have reached critical mass, enabling ordinary people to participate in processes that used to be closed to them. It may seem like cold comfort for Kerry supporters now, but the truth is that voters don't have to rely on elected or self-appointed leaders to chart the way forward anymore.

The era of top-down politics – where campaigns, institutions and journalism were cloistered communities powered by hard-to-amass capital – is over. Something wilder, more engaging and infinitely more satisfying to individual participants is arising alongside the old order.

View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/21032/

E-mail Overload In Congress : Congress Online Special Report

Congress Online Project :
Congress Online Special Report

E-mail Overload In Congress -

Update August 7, 2002

CONGRESSIONAL E-MAIL VOLUME: DAUNTING BUT STABILIZING.

Last accessed on Nov. 7, 2005 @ http://www.congressonlineproject.org/080702volume.html

Inbound e-mail to Members of Congress continues to remain at staggering levels, but offices appear to be improving their ability to handle the volume.

From 1999 - 2002 (projecting this year's numbers using six months of data), inbound e-mail to House Members increased 186%.

Inbound e-mail for a similar period to Senators increased 69%.

However, the increase in the amount of inbound e-mail to the House this year has slowed significantly, from an increase of 78% in 2001 to a projected increase of 2.5% this year.

Also surprising is that the Senate is not experiencing a similar leveling of e-mail volumes. E-mail volume to the Senate increased 22% in 2001 and is projected to increase 24% in 2002.

Despite the respite for House Members, they are still swimming in a sea of online communications.

The House and Senate received 117 million inbound e-mail messages in 2001. On an average day, House offices received 234,245 e-mail messages and Senate offices get 88,009.

*** Email Activists Score Major Victory. California Passes Landmark Global Warming Bill

*

LANDMARK GLOBAL WARMING BILL PASSES CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY

Environmentalists scored a major victory over automobile and oil interests as Assembly Bill 1058 (Pavley) narrowly won approval in the state Assembly on January 31, 2002.

The bill, which will enact the first-in-the-nation regulation of carbon dioxide emissions from motor vehicles, inspired a frenzy of last minute lobbying from business interests led by the auto and oil industries intent on killing the bill.

AB 1058 is sponsored by Bluewater Network and the Coalition for Clean Air and supported by a broad coalition which includes the Union of Concerned Scientists, NRDC, the California State Firefighters, the American Lung Association, the California League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense and the California Council of Churches.

Coalition member Bob Epstein, a member of a Silicon Valley business group Environmental Entrepreneurs, said the bill "is a precedent setting proposal that puts California in the lead on reducing the economic and environmental threats posed by global climate change."

** Email Activists Score Major Victory. California Passes Landmark Global Warming Bill *** Letters to the California State Assembly from Environmental Defense Action Network activists helped win approval of a bill limiting CO2 pollution from motor vehicles sold in the state. Heat trapping CO2 emissions from the millions of cars and trucks is a major source of greenhouse gas pollution in California. It's now onto the State Senate and the Governor. Stay tuned! For more information, click here: http://actionnetwork.org/ct/.1aLAPK1jcJl/ca_victory

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>.

"100,000 Messages to Congress to Help Farmers Help the Environment"

From an email alert:

Dear Robb Halperin, January 2002 *************************** Action Network from Environmental Defense finding the ways that work *************************** CONTENTS: ACTION NETWORK AT WORK! 2001 YEAR IN REVIEW - Arctic Refuge Wins Reprieve; 100,000 Messages to Congress to Help Farmers Help the Environment;

Offshore Oil Drilling Moratorium Protects Most US Coast TAKE ACTION NOW - Canada Fights Oil Drilling Off Coast ECO-TIP - Stop Catalogues from Flooding your Mailbox ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE'S NEW WEBSITE ***************************** ACTION NETWORK AT WORK! SUCCESS STORIES AND UPDATES: Environmental Defense Action Network activists like you were very active in 2001. In a year marked by the tragic events of September 11, we also can share some notable successes in our efforts to take action online to protect the environment. Together, we now reach nearly 150,000 email activists who sent nearly 1 million pro-environment messages last year. Highlights in 2001 include: *** Arctic Refuge Wins Reprieve...For Now *** Last year, 200,000 messages from email activists helped ensure that the Bush Administration and special interests were unsuccessful in pushing a bad energy bill through the Senate that would have increased our dependence on oil, opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil drilling, and more. However, the oil industry and their allies will be at it again with a new push to open the Arctic to oil drilling. Act now to protect the Arctic Refuge and provide true energy security. Take action! http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/energy_senate/w5d3w54p78xwdb *** Helping Farmers Help the Environment *** Nearly 100,000 messages from email activists helped Environmental Defense lead the way in a national campaign to pass a conservation-oriented Farm Bill in Congress. The Senate has delayed consideration of a conservation-oriented Farm bill until early this year, allowing us to mobilize more public support for this important issue. Get more information about the Farm Bill debate and our plans for this year. Stay tuned! Click here: http://actionnetwork.org/ct/cdaLAPK1uPDO/farmbill_update

groups -- globally and locally -- use the Internet as an organizing too

The Pew Foundation American Life Project (www.pewinternet.org):

“Lee Rainie, the [Pew’s] project's director, said [that] groups -- globally and locally -- use the Internet as an organizing tool. A classic example on the global scale, he said, is how the protests against the World Trade Organization were organized.”

Quote from: Federal Computer Week @ http://www.fcw.com/

'Study defines 'local groupies'
by Dibya Sarkar. Nov. 2, 2001.

Last accessed September 1, 2002 @

http://www.fcw.com/geb/articles/2001/1029/web-pew-11-02-01.asp

Get Out the Vote: The Web has become a must tool for most political lobbyists. Some do it better than others

"Get Out the Vote: The Web has become a must tool for most political lobbyists. Some do it better than others"

By MICHAEL TOTTY

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB1018650866755190720,00.html

"The Congress Online Project, a research program by George Washington University and the Congressional Management Foundation, last year completed a study of the use of e-mail by members of Congress. While the study found that all but about two dozen House and Senate offices regularly used e-mail to communicate with constituents, it also found that Congress was unable to keep pace with a flood of electronic missives: Representatives received more than 48 million messages from constituents in 2000, up from 20 million in 1998, and the numbers are rising by an average of a million messages a month."

&&&

Post-Election 2000 Survey on Internet Use for Civics and Politics

http://democracyonline.org/databank/dec2000survey.shtml

Post-Election 2000 Survey on Internet Use for Civics and Politics
December 4, 2000

"Highlights of a nationwide survey of 1,006 American adults, conducted for the Democracy Online Project between November 21-26, 2000, by Thomas Opinion Research, in conjunction with the TNS Intersearch Omni Poll (margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points):

The most general findings:

- More than one in three Americans (35%) uses the Internet to get information about politics, campaigns, or issues in the news. In 1998, 25% did. Thirty percent of today's "online public," reported getting public affairs information from the Internet "almost every day" and 35% do so Aoccasionally."

- Four in ten Internet users (40%) Bor 14% of the total adult populationB say the Internet was important in providing them with information that helped them decide how to vote in the November election. In 1998, 36%, or 9% of the total population, responded similarly. Men relied on the Net more than women, 44% to 33% saying it was an important source of help in deciding their vote. Half of the youngest users (ages 18-34; 491%) relied on the Net considerably, and 45% of those ages 35-44.

The following figures are percentages of the 55% of survey respondents who said they use the Internet. (Note: this is somewhat higher than the 44% of Americans online according to the U.S. Department of Commerce's August 2000 study.)

- When it comes to politics and public affairs, Net users turn to e-mail more than the Web. And they prefer humor to action."

From: http://democracyonline.org/databank/dec2000survey.shtml

9999999999

New Statesman: Change the world via e-mail - use of Inernet by political activists - Brief Article

New Statesman: Change the world via e-mail - use of Inernet by political activists - Brief Article: "FindArticles > New Statesman > Nov 1, 1999 > Article > Print friendly

Change the world via e-mail - use of Internet by political activists - Brief Article
Brian Doherty

Open to everyone, the Internet offers new possibilities to those trying to challenge the established order.

'The revolutionary forces of the future may consist increasingly of widespread multi-organisational networks that have no particular national identity, claim to arise from civil society and include aggressive groups and individuals who are keenly adept at using advanced technology for communications.' So spoke the Rand Corporation in 1993.

But did they mean multinational corporations or the social movements opposing them? Both sides could fit the description, and that tells us something about the most important political battle of our time, one in which the Internet is playing an increasingly important role.

For campaigning groups such as Earth First!, where actions speak louder than words, the real measure of the difference the Internet makes is in its effectiveness as a mobilising tool. Detailed tactical manuals on everything from tripods to tunnels are available online and may explain why this technology has spread so fast. It is also easy to find a local Earth First! group in Br"

Labor History: Labor and Liberalism: The Citizen Labor Energy CoalitionAugust, 1999 by Andrew Battista

~~ In March 1981 , `TP's first activist job was with C/LEC
on West 72nd Street in NYC .

This in-depth article highlights its political and historical importance in American social activism.
I was very glad to find this paper online .
I though C/LEC was all but forgotten ~ ~ tp

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Labor History: Labor and Liberalism:
The Citizen Labor Energy Coalition:
August, 1999
by Andrew Battista


"On April 19-20, 1978, representatives of nearly 70 labor and political organizations met at the DuPont Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC, for the founding conference of the Citizen Labor Energy Coalition (CLEC).

CLEC was formed during the second energy crisis to represent working and middle-class citizens, challenge the power and priorities of the energy industry, and reform energy policy.

It had another, even more ambitious purpose: to revive and strengthen liberal and progressive politics by coalition-building between labor unions, citizen organizations, and public interest groups.

CLEC made limited yet significant progress toward these goals by the mid-1980s, when it was absorbed into a larger organization and declined in importance.

Though neglected by scholars in both fields, CLEC's role in contemporary labor history and American politics is worthy of attention, above all because it addressed a crucial issue of American public life: the relationship between the decline of organized labor and the decay of liberal and progressive politics.

As a number of political scientists and labor historians have shown, the labor movement was central to the liberal coalition that shaped national politics from the 1930s to the mid-1960s. Since then, two developments (among others) contributed greatly to the weakening of liberalism: the economic and........"