Thursday, April 06, 2006

JOHN MELLENCAMP TO RUN FOR INDIANA GOVERNOR? GREAT IDEA!

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John Mellencamp has always been a working class hero, a blue collar rocker from--and IN-- the Midwest. Today my old pal Denise Sullivan, a rock critic and author, passed along this story in the Indianapolis Star about a proposal for Mellencamp to run for governor of his home state of Indiana. It makes plenty of sense to me and Matthew Tully, the INDYSTAR columnist who is suggesting he do it, makes a lot of good points, not the least of which was "California elected a puffed-up movie star as its governor. So let's consider the 1980s, when Mellencamp and Arnold Schwarzenegger were atop their professions. On screen, Arnold was flexing his biceps and saying little beyond 'I'll be back,' while Mellencamp was helping organize Farm Aid and documenting Middle America's woes. 'So many lonely people. Damn those broken dreams,' he once sang. In another song, he says, 'Racism lives in the U.S. today. Better get hip to what Martin Luther King had to say.'"

It's time for socially concerned and politically astute rockers like Mellencamp (as well as Goo Goo Dolls singer Johnny Rzeznik from Buffalo and Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic) to start thinking seriously about running for office. Last week I wrote about progressive rocker/activist John Hall of Orleans running for Congress against right-wing whacko Sue Kelly in New York's 19th congressional district. Let's hope he's the first of many (though not raging imbeciles like Ted Nugent.)

Meanwhile, though, Hoosiers should concentrate on some of the great challengers running for Congress in November, particularly Gretchen Clearwater, Barry Welsh, and Kevin Boyd.

2 Comments:

At 1:02 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Don't forget Bruce. There was some hope that he would consider accepting Corzine's seat when John moved over to the Governor's mansion. Granted, it was more of a "Draft Bruce" campaign, but I don't think he ever denied the possibility of a future run.

 
At 4:27 AM, Blogger Liberal Democratic Party USA said...

I urge everyone to call Governor Rounds office in South Dakota and tell the person who answers, that until the South Dakota legislature repeals the abortion ban you will not go see Mount Rushmore, nor will you do business with any company in South Dakota.

Then join the campaign for progressive legislation. http://www.boycott-republicans.com

The Republican Party appears vulnerable and weak at the cash registers of the companies that give money to them. Make legislative demands of these companies that give money to the Republican party and boycott them until the CEO of the company gets the Republican party to pass a progressive agenda.

I also urge people in South Dakota to call their local Dominos Pizza restaurant and tell the manager that they will not patronize their business until they get their CEO to call upon the SD legislature and get the legislature to repeal the abortion ban.



Join the campaign for progressive legislation http://www.boycott-republicans.com


I seek activist volunteers to pass this letter around for a project that will force the speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to enact progressive legislation. I also seek volunteer activists to do this project to force Senator Frist to enact progressive legislation.

If you want to send me email please place the word PRIVATE in the subject or it will not reach me. Thank you.


Send the following letter to Speaker Hastert and Senator Frist. After you send them email or US mail drop me an email that you sent them email so I can keep track of how many emails and letters they receive, thank you.


Pass this progressive agenda or face a mass boycott of Republican contributors.


I demand that you get the Republican Party to hold a press conference and accede to these demands. Until such a press conference happens and the legislation and/or actions gets passed I will boycott products from Republican contributors Walmart, Wendy's, Outback Steak House, Dominos Pizza, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Eckerd, CVS and Walgreens, Curves for women health clubs, GE and Exxon/Mobil.

I demand that congress pass legislation ending the war in Iraq and withdraw the troops and arrange with the United Nations to replace US troops with UN troops to defend Iraq until The Iraqi army can defend Iraq.

I demand that the Republican party end their aggressive and hateful action to end a woman's right to choose abortion or not.

I demand that the Congress of the United states and the president of the United States enact a law to increase the minimum wage to TEN dollars an hour and also to extend unemployment benefits to a year or more for all people whose unemployment benefits expired after 6 months even though they still seek work.

I demand that the Congress of the United States to not privatize social security benefits in any form including taking a percentage of the social security tax and placing it in private accounts. People can already create their own pensions with money after taxes in the private sector.

I demand that the congress make all of a person's earned income taxable for social security FICA tax purposes and remove the 88,000 dollar taxable income limit. This will make social security solvent for many years to come.

I demand the congress increase the payroll tax in order to make social security solvent as well.

I demand congress and the president enact a prescription drug benefit under Medicare Part B which covers 80 percent of medication cost, with no extra premium, no extra deductibles, no means test and no coverage gaps, and no penalties for signing up in a succeeding year.

I demand congress repeal the faulty Medicare law HR 1 / S 1 passed by congress in Nov 2003.

I demand congress enact single payer universal health insurance for every citizen as minimum coverage.

I demand that congress and the president enact universal vote by mail throughout the 50 states of the Un

 

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