Two Progressive Candidates We Need To Talk More About-- One In Ohio And One In North Dakota

Let's start with a guest post from Janet Garrett, a progressive retired school teacher taking on far right extremist Jim Jordan in Ohio's very gerrymandered deep red 4th district, carefully drawn to avoid "the contagion" of Cleveland, Dayton, Columbus and Toledo. Most of the voters live in Lorain (the most Democratic county in the district, where Janet is way ahead), Allen, Sandusky, Union, Shelby and Auglaize counties. I asked Janet to write a brief issue-oriented compare and contrast guest post that explains how replacing Jordan with her would impact that contentious battle over health care in the U.S. Her post:

As I have traveled around campaigning to represent Ohio’s 4th-district, it never ceases to amaze me how opposite my opponent Jim Jordan and I are on key issues that deeply affect our citizens.

People tell me they’re worried about health care. Jim Jordan has voted against Obamacare 52 times without once mentioning something, anything, he would propose to replace it.

I see things differently. Obamacare has had some valid successes. Because of Obamacare, you can no longer be denied coverage for preexisting conditions. Actually, because of Obamacare, you can no longer be denied insurance coverage at all. Because of Obamacare, children can stay on their parent’s coverage until age 26. These changes in America’s health care system have benefited millions.

Does Obamacare need improved? Yes, of course. Any new program does. Premiums need to stay affordable and more people As a matter of fact, I wish Obamacare would morph right into a single-payer system so that all Americans could have peace of mind, as do the citizens of Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom, when it comes to their health care.

My ultimate desire is that all citizens, right down to our legislators, have the same Universal Health Care program so that we are all taken care of, one and all. Why should legislators have benefits that their own constituents cannot access? Politicians shouldn’t have a better insurance policy than the constituents they represent.

People also tell me they are greatly worried about their Medicare and Social Security benefits. Jordan has been rated 0% by the ARA and supports Wall Street/corporate privatization of both Medicare and Social Security. It frustrates me greatly that the current congressman supports corporate greed that would harm the delivery of benefits Americans have earned and deserved. I will fight for Medicare and Social Security and will to not let people like Jim Jordan plunge our seniors, like my own parents, into poverty by defunding their imperative Medicare and Social Security lifelines.

We could go on and on with the differences between Jim Jordan and myself. He voted NO on raising the minimum wage and equal pay for women. Obviously, I support equal pay for women and support raising the minimum wage so that working families can get ahead. Jordan voted to defund Planned Parenthood. I believe women must make their own important life decisions without the intrusion of politicians. Jim Jordan homeschools his own children and supports giving tax dollars to alternative education corporations that take funds away from public schools.  As a retired public school teacher, I feel strongly that taxpayer dollars should be used to invest in the public schools in our communities and not to support private or profiteering alternatives  that waste millions of taxpayer dollars.

I have been doing a lot of canvassing throughout the district. I recently spent two days in Lima. I canvassed millionaires, middle class and some of the poorest people I have seen outside of my Peace Corps experience. If my opponent had been walking by my side, (which he wouldn't) he would have seen undeserving, lazy people who in his words, should get help from their churches and their families. For my part, I know the families and the churches are already doing all they can. I saw people who have been let down by their country, for lack of opportunity and in the cases of the mentally ill, for lack of resources. As a public school teacher, I feel a responsibility to get every American the opportunity and resources they need to thrive. This doesn't mean a hand-out but a hand-up.

On and on we can go. On issue after issue, Universal Health Care; Medicare and Social Security; Wages;  Women’s Health; Workers’ Rights; Education; Jobs; Healthcare; etc…., Jim Jordan and I can be found on opposite sides of the spectrum.

However, there is one area in which Jim Jordan and I agree. We both want to represent Ohio’s fourth congressional district and fight for the issues we believe in.

The question is, which opponent aligns with the issues YOU believe in?

The case for Chase Iron Eyes, who we should have been writing more about this cycle was made by Tracy B Ann, an enthusiast of his candidacy.

Mark Ruffalo with Chase Iron Eyes

Not Only Do I Want To Vote For Chase Iron Eyes For Congress, I Now Want To Move To North Dakota
by Tracy B Ann

That’s how inspiring he is. I had the good fortune of talking to Chase Iron Eyes by phone one day late this summer. I started off just like when I’m talking with any other politician; half listening, moving about my office, doing 4 other things at the same time.

Minutes Seconds into the conversation I was seated, taking notes, and deep breathes, soaking everything he said in. For a whole lot of reasons, good reasons, I don’t like many people, but there is something about Chase Iron Eyes that touches a deep part of my soul.

Like, the common greeting, Namaste, which, translated, means something like... "the higher self in me, greets the higher self in you,”  Chase Iron Eyes reached out and grabbed the higher self most people would swear I don’t even have. And this was just an every day candidate interview, we weren't talking about the meaning of life. Except, sort of, I guess we were, politics has a lot to do with the meaning of life.

I want this guy in Congress! Whether I live in North Dakota or not, I have no doubt that he will make my life better.

"We have to lend our voice to the collective song of America" -Chase Iron Eyes

ND-AT Large- Chase Iron Eyes-- it’s hard for me to put into words why it’s so important for him to be a member of my Fantasy Congress. He has what I call, a gentleness, about him. Cara Currie Hall, describes him as "a young old man." I want him in the Native American faction and environment faction of my dream Congress. His solid foundation of Sioux principles gives him a deep love of the land from a global perspective.



"Iron Eyes was recently the subject of a profound 5-minute Laura Flanders Show segment. Iron Eyes is not another Big-Money bought duck & cover politician. He’s instead a leader for all people of North Dakota. See how and why… pull up a cup of coffee and have a watch."

"Think free. Vote different."

You can contribute to Chase Iron Eyes and to Janet Garrett by clicking on the thermometer below:

Neil Young Has A New Song About The North Dakota Pipeline... Kind Of

When I was president of Reprise Records, Neil's wish was always my command. That's a long time ago and I haven't spoken to Neil in years but, in his awesome new song, "Indian Giver," he says he wishes somebody would share the news. So... here goes. For a little background, let me suggest two things: watch the brand new Neil Young video of "Indian Giver" above-- oops, the song was just removed from YouTube, so listen to "Who's Gonna Stand Up?" instead-- and read Gaius Publius' report on the native American protests at the DAPL pipeline in North Dakota. These are the "Indian Giver" lyrics I transcribed while the song was still on YouTube this morning:

There’s a battle raging on the sacred land
Our brothers and sisters had to take a stand
Against us now for what we all been doin'
On the sacred land there's a battle brewin'
I wish somebody would share the news

Now it’s been about 500 years
We keep taking what we gave away
Just like what we call Indian givers
It makes you sick and gives you shivers
I wish somebody would share the news

Big money going backwards and ripping the soil
Where graves are scattered and blood was boiled
When all who look can see the truth
But they just move on and keep their groove
I wish somebody would share the news

Saw Happy locked to the big machine
They had to cut him loose and you know what that means
That’s when Happy went to jail
Behind big money justice always fails
I wish somebody would share the news

Bring back the days when good was good
Lose these imposters in our neighborhood
Across our farms and through our waters
All at the cost of our sons and daughters
Our brave songs and daughters
We're all here together fighting poison waters
Standing against the evil way
That’s what we have at the end of day

I wish somebody would share the news

That was a quick turn-around for Neil. The "Happy" he refers to in the song is Dale "Happy" American Horse Jr., a Native American protestor who was arrested August 31st at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation chaining himself to pipeline construction equipment for nearly six hours. So Neil wrote the song, recorded it and shot the video in the past two weeks. That's fast; that's lightning speed fast. That would be faster than a speeding bullet for an artist on an independent label, let alone for an artist with a gigantic corporate label.

This is just Neil's latest foray into protesting environmental degradation by corporate greed. If you missed "Who's Gonna Stand Up?" please listen to the orchestral version above and a Crazy Horse version below. The lyrics aren't subtle or hard to understand... and they're very much worth taking to heart. And they're very much in line with what he's done with "Indian Giver."

Paul Clements has one of the strongest and most comprehensive environmental platforms of any Democrat running for Congress anywhere. A longtime Neil Young fan, he's running for the southwest Michigan seat held by the odious chairman of the House Energy Committee, Fred Upton. Blue America has endorsed Paul-- and you can contribute to his campaign here-- and Big Oil has endorsed Upton... with $928,300 in legalistic bribes. This morning Paul told us that "It saddens me to see the plight of the Standing Rock Sioux, and how their voices are being silenced. The sanctity of their tribal lands must be defended. Unfortunately, there are some placing greed before tribal rights and our environment. My opponent has taken $40,750 from Energy Access Partners, the company trying to ram this pipeline through. What does that buy you? The energy plan that he wrote reduces the amount of time allowed for pipelines' environmental reviews. With him in Congress, we could see many more Dakota Access Pipelines.



Chase Iron Eyes is an attorney and the progressive Democratic candidate for North Dakota's single congressional seat. He was raised on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation and has been participating in the pipeline protests. A few minutes ago he told us that "Not only is water sacred but food security, energy security and all economic value flows directly from water security. Water is life." This video went up yesterday:




UPDATE: "Indian Giver" Is Back Online

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Pipelines, Pipe Bombs And Protests-- Standing Rock, North Dakota

- by Tracy B. Ann

Last Saturday, security for the Dakota Access pipeline used mace and dogs to attack peaceful Native American protesters from Standing Rock Reservation.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is fighting on many fronts to stop this pipeline from coming so near their land.. Through legal means they are seeking an injunction, through media they are seeking support for advocacy. They are marching in the streets and making their voices heard.

It's a complicated and convoluted story that I can barely begin to comprehend, so let me just lay out the little that I do understand. The application that Energy Transfers Partners submitted to build this pipeline is 800 pages long. I doubt anyone read the whole thing.

"Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners will build, own and operate the proposed $3.78 billion Dakota Access Pipeline and plans to transport up to 570,000 barrels of crude oil fracked from the Bakken oil fields across four states to a market hub in Illinois. The pipeline—already facing widespread opposition by a coalition of farmers, ranchers and environmental groups—will cross 209 rivers, creeks and tributaries, according to Dakota Access, LLC."

Marvin Nelson, state Rep for the 9th district in ND, and a candidate running for Governor, endorsed by Blue America, said it would probably be "hard to find someone who hadn't dropped the ball" in the approval process.

Problems from legal notices not being given, to engineers not consulting the Source Water Protection Program; a regulatory group that is supposed to keep water safe. "They are the ones charged with this task, it shouldn't have to be the public's job."

The route for the pipeline doesn't make sense either. It goes through protected water areas. There were other paths it could have taken that would not have been in protected areas, so why not put it there?

As Marvin said "It doesn't take a historian to know that this part of the Cannonball River area was a Native American burial ground."

This protest has been going on for some time. On Friday, a burial site was found. Legal steps were immediately taken to stop further bulldozing; which should have been stopped long enough for the historical experts to come and investigate. Instead, Saturday morning, the pipeline company stopped working where they had been and skipped ahead 10 to 12 miles to bulldoze the burial site; which is a felony if done knowingly. This is when the protesters moved in to physically block the bulldozers.

Chase Iron Eyes, a candidate for the at-large congressional seat in ND, lives on Standing Rock Reservation. He says: "It's pretty shameful that North Dakota elected leadership isn't doing their part to mediate the greatest tribal event since Wounded Knee. They are not engaging tribal leadership, have set up road blocks, declared states of emergency, and imposed economic sanctions."

Chase Iron Eyes graduated from the University of North Dakota earning a bachelor’s degree in 2000 with a double major in Political Science and Native American Studies. Chase finished his legal training at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2007.

Having served as in-house counsel to various Tribal Nations in the Northern Plains since gaining admission to the South Dakota Bar, he went into private practice in 2011."

Iron Eyes drives through a road block every day to go to work. The local media is portraying the protesters as armed agitators, some even suggesting they have pipe bombs. The protesters at Standing Rock are very aware of public perception and are determined to protest peacefully.

Chase says "the media and leadership of North Dakota don't seem to be aware of how deeply committed the Standing Rock Sioux tribe is. They aren't going anywhere anytime soon."

Marvin Nelson echoed that. After visiting the camp the protesters have set up, he said, "the protest was totally peaceful and the resolve of the people of Standing Rock was impressive. The current Governor is trying to ignore the Sioux Tribe, but they are not going away."

Seems like this would be a good time to help some of the leadership of North Dakota government go away by helping elect Chase Iron Eyes as the at-large Congressman and Marvin Nelson as the new Governor.