Washington

I'm not sure if this is as bad as it looks, but I'm interested in seeing what other people think. In danps's post on emergent party laziness, I commented that Greens were irrelevant in California, because other than the presidential race, there are none on our ballot. Boy, was I wrong.

I completely forgot about the recently passed "top two" legislation, which is now spreading to other states -- where it is preventing third parties from even appearing on voters' ballots.

Here's "top two" in a nutshell: Read below the fold...

From Booman of all people:

When I think of an ideal Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, the commander of U.S. troops in Iraq during the Abu Ghraib scandal doesn't immediately leap to mind. But it looks like that is who DSCC Chairwoman Patty Murray has recruited to run for the open Senate seat in Texas.

Read below the fold...

Last Saturday a protest expressing solidarity with the one in Madison, Wisconsin called “The Rally To Save the American Dream” occurred at DuPont Circle in Washington, DC. The protest was short, beginning at 12:00 Noon and ending at roughly 1:30 PM. It was organized by a coalition of progressive organizations including Move-on and Democracy for America. Union representation was also strong and included the DC Teachers Union, and the local Chapter of National Nurses United, a well as other local Unions. Read below the fold...

Update: Seems silly for gq and cellocat to come all the way up here. The fab GF and I go down to Seattle/Eastside fairly often during the week, as well as weekends, so if anyone wants to set a date, time, and place, let me know and we'll see if we can make it.

We may be interested in hosting Burning Mad, the Corrente international gathering, next summer if that appeals to you. Read below the fold...

National Nurses Movement has a wonderful diary at MyDD about all the single payer bills in the states (but leaves out the legislation in Maryland). Please read about all the good news in California, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, and Washington.

Clearly single payer is a political winner, witness the increasing momentum in an atmosphere where the national media has airbrushed out all discussion of single payer.

The most important thing is to make sure that whatever Obama does, no federal legislation prohibit the states from creating their own single payer systems. Read below the fold...

City Council Committee Shows Support for Universal Health Care

The Seattle City Council's Culture, Civil Rights, Health and Personnel committee voted today to move resolution 31111, supporting universal health care, out of committee for a vote by the full council.

If the council passes the resolution, it will do so to show support for U.S. House Representative John Conyers' bill, H.R. 676. If Conyers' bill becomes law it will "create a single-payer, publicly-financed, privately-delivered universal health care program that would cover all Americans without charging co-pays or deductibles," according his Web site.

Read below the fold...

Health Care for All

I am really happy to see that the health care movement in the United States seems to be growing. It makes sense that the movement is growing, since our health care situation is getting worse and worse. Here are some stats from a recent Healthy Washington Coalition caucus I attended:

The Washington Health Care Caucuses:

Speak Up for Quality, Affordable Health Care

Read below the fold...

Road Show in Burlington,WA

UNHC’s sixth in the Sicko-Cure Road Show series is coming to Burlington, WA.

Join us on June 7th, 2 pm, Burlington,WA. Burlington Public Library, 820 E. Washington Ave. with SICKO Special Features and HR 676: The Single Payer Solution.

Read below the fold...