I have to finish moving tomorrow so I won't be able to make it up to Portland, but I'll be there in spirit! Hope it's the first of many gatherings so I can make it to the next.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/nyregion/daniel-j-berrigan-defiant-pri...

I would but I lack both the chops and the time/focus...

Just recently Team Sanders dropped the lawsuit against the DNC over the so-called Datagate incident. Interesting timing. I feel like Bernie really demonstrated how he "gets things done" through that whole thing and I don't really really Sanders people highlighting that aspect of it.

But connect those dots.

- Sanders team noticed some oddities from their end, they report it to DNC but keep it on the downlow, hoping DNC will resolve it quietly. (I forget this part) But nothing happened? then...

- DNC notices oddities and very publicly accuses Sanders team of abusing their privileges and 'hacking' DNC voter files. DNC alerts the media etc and it all blows up.

- Sanders files suit against DNC and demands an independent investigation, now goes 'public' with their accusations of the events that occurred previously, saying their own voter files were also dipped into (see how vague my memory is on this?)

- Sanders then uses this leverage to negotiate several MORE DEBATES with DWS/DNC. He basically wins this round and we get more debates (3 or 4? when where?) Especially tricky and contested was the final Debate to be held in Brooklyn. HRC/DNC resisted hard on that but again, Sanders prevailed and we had that Debate in Brooklyn (April 14).

- NY Primary April 19 (closed, Dems only) ... HRC wins NY w/ Brooklyn voter rolls mysteriously missing 120,000 voters ... Sanders campaign, New York officials cry foul after New York voters report issues

Now ElectionJustice USA is working on that. We should have an idea of how that turns out in a few days, Im not optimistic.

So...

Happy May Day. It's snowing outside my home here 40 miles east of Albuquerque. Only in New Mexico.

Unusually, the BNR isn't up yet at TOP. It's late for it to be late. Hmmm....
I haven't checked my mojo, actually, I never have. I tipped rec'd and commented in Sean's diary, so it gives me a reason to log in and check. I'll wait though, til the BNR is up. I don't have any other reason to log on.

Rebellion will come to America if establishment is reelected. I sense it.

Have a lovely Sunday, everyone!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Now_Is_the_Month_of_Maying

Several versions of this on YouTube...Have never posted video and this morning haven't a minute to learn, but if someone else wanted to, would be lover-ly....

Dear Bisbonian,

This November, I’ll be facing a Republican candidate who loves to scapegoat immigrants and a Democratic candidate funded by Walmart and Wall Street to serve the needs of the 1%.
I choose to stand with those fighting for workers’ and immigrants’ rights.

May 1st is International Workers Day, a global holiday recognizing the historic struggle of working people throughout the world, which is interconnected with the struggles being led by immigrants, climate justice activists, the Black Lives Matter movement, young people and the LGBT community.

In solidarity with working people, I have long advocated for a minimum wage of $15 an hour, strengthening workers’ right to organize, and equal pay for equal work.

Join my call to protect workers’ and immigrants’ rights today!

My Power to the People Plan will end unemployment and poverty and recognize the dignity and human rights of everyone in our society and our world, while building a sustainable, just economy that averts climate catastrophe.

Our plan seeks to build a world where families do not have to fear deportation, detention and raids, where black lives matter, where our workers have living wages, and where you are not killed or disappeared for fighting for your community.

In recent years, ruling Democrats and Republicans have criminalized and brutalized immigrant families, perpetuating an unjust immigration system that makes millions of our neighbors vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

In fact, President Obama has deported immigrants at a higher rate than any previous president, tearing apart families and ruining lives.

We need immigration reform that won’t allow the economic elite to divide working people and turn us against each other anymore.

Under my plan for a just immigration system, we will:

Grant legal status and workers’ rights to undocumented immigrants who are already residing and working in the United States, including a fair path to U.S. citizenship.
Immediately halt deportations of law-abiding undocumented immigrants.
Pass the DREAM act to allow undocumented students to pursue higher education and citizenship, including a repeal of the ban on using in-state tuition.
Improve economic conditions abroad to reduce the flow of economic refugees, starting by repealing the NAFTA and CAFTA trade agreements.
Demilitarize border crossings throughout North America.
End the drug violence by halting U.S.-sponsored drug wars in Central and South America, and treating drug use in the U.S. as a health problem, not a criminal issue.
End U.S. military intervention, CIA coups, and U.S.-trained death squads in Central and South America that have greatly destabilized the region, causing waves of fleeing refugees.

With Clinton and Trump headed towards the nominations of the corporate establishment parties, it’s on us to be the voice for working people.

Sign and share my call to protect workers’ and immigrants’ rights today!

To build a better world, we must reject the politics of fear that seeks to divide us, and build solidarity across borders with the 99% of all nations.

It’s in our hands!

Jill Stein

and the storming of the Green Zone and Parliament yesterday. It seemed like a pretty significant development to me, but of course the media here could have cared less. As usual, Juan Cole is the go to for analysis on the Middle East. There are some good print stories from the Guardian as well. Cole says it is a fight against corruption and a fight against Neo-liberalism as imposed by US truly. The Iraqi 99% has had enough....

The End of American Iraq: Poor Shiites invade Parliament over corrupt Spoils System

This one by Erik Forman, member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW...'the Wobblies'), written to Bernie.

I won't quote it all, just an excerpt:

This is a hard conversation for many of us to have. We’ve been hurt before. Many of us have developed a deep and healthy mistrust in electoral politics, moving to workplace and community organizing to build popular power. There is a reason for this. Many of us poured our hearts into the presidential bids of the Rainbow Coalition, or the long-shot campaigns of Ralph Nader and other Green Party candidates. Many of us turned out to put Obama in the White House on the backs of what was until then the largest grassroots mobilization in a presidential election in history.

Whether they won or lost, all of these electoral campaigns left little behind but broken hearts, and in the most recent and notable case, broken promises.

The whole letter is here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1udrsSZE3qICz-ZfLxK6_PR4RGEHeMXTjsXyWKXN...

That is also a link to add your name to the letter, if desired.

I think spring and hope are in the air. People seem to be in a panic about Bernie losing. Let's keep focused. I received this in an email yesterday (confirming my calculations):

If Bernie wins just 655 of the 1,016 remaining delegates, he will arrive at Philadelphia with 2,026 delegates—one more than Ms. Clinton. Even if he falls short of that goal, with our help, Bernie will win the nomination at a contested convention. Franklin D. Roosevelt did that in 1932.

Had to find out about the '32 convention and found a lengthy piece from Slate:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/history/2016/03/how_fran...

The other big news I'm not hearing much about is Ralph Nader's project Breaking Through Power, a major gathering in Constitution Hall in DC May 23-26
https://www.breakingthroughpower.org/
Each day has a different theme – Breaking through Power, Media, War, and Congress.
Speakers range from Jim Hightower to Micheal Moore

There is also http://www.thepeoplessummit.org/

On June 17-19, in Chicago, after the party primary season and before the party conventions, we seek to bring together activists committed to a different kind of agenda: a People’s Agenda that can enhance and expand issue campaigns and hold all elected officials accountable to popular demands for justice, equality and freedom. We envision this Summit as further deepening the relationship between participating organizations rooted in principled anti-corporate politics, development of community leaders, direct action not based on partisan identification, and strategic organizing to build power.

And another effort at pushing the movement https://brandnewcongress.org

America needs an honest, accountable Congress to enact Bernie's program. But trying to win each Congressional seat one-by-one is impossible. So let's run one campaign to replace Congress all at once (except those already on board) that whips up the same enthusiasm, volunteerism and money as Bernie's presidential campaign.
We're building on the tools, tactics and networks that we developed together on Bernie's campaign. But to pull this off, the volunteer movement will have to wield more power and resources than on any campaign before. This means volunteers on the ground will run their own offices and voter contact operations, and will have access to all necessary tools and materials from the start. Get ready for the most beautiful campaign ever.

Let's keep working. Let's keep moving. It's time for a revolution!

Sorry! I had my shift covered and the kid texted me late last night that's he can't take my shift after all due to "family stuff". I kinda figured something was up as he hadn't been to work. I am truly bummed BUT I know there will be future meet ups for us all. I have no intention of going to the Free Speech Zone Cage of Kos.

Again sorry. I have to get used to working for a small company of a dozen rather than a large retail company.

DetroitMan, thank you!

It gives me great joy to hear of this, best of luck of folks who organized it and are committed to attending today.

This site is t the beginning of something important and special as it continues to grow and attract forward-thinking compassionate progressive folks tired of the ruse. Meeting in person just strengthens the bonds that are so naturally occurring here.

Look forward to seeing some documentation of the event, Dmw. Thanks for offering to capture it for the rest of us.

Later today, I'll be attending the day's events at the MayDay Space in Brooklyn, which is a community center/activist space formed by a contingent of Occupy and social justice activists.

I hope we can do similar meet-up in NYC soon!

it might still be going on. I have to work so I left about 40 minutes ago. It was better than talking online! I'll say this: we have some smart people here at c99p. I found myself saying or thinking "that's right" a lot this afternoon.