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Dear Angry White Conservatives Mourning Romney’s Loss: Chill Out

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By Chauncey DeVega / Alternet / Nov. 12, 2012

Dear angry white conservatives who are mourning Mitt Romney’s loss,

If Fox News is any indication, many of you are dismayed, upset, and befuddled by Mitt Romney’s loss to President Obama. Some of these feelings are normal. Politics is tribal. When your team loses, a bit of sadness is expected.

However, some white folks are acting out in some very unhealthy ways. Young white conservatives participated in a near riot at the University of Mississippi, where they hurled rocks at bystanders, used racial slurs, and burned Obama and Biden campaign signs. Other angry white folks used the Internet to send out racist messages and pictures on Twitter as an act of protest and anger at the country’s re-election of its first Black president. I believe that these events are malicious outliers.   [Read more…]

Bilbray Concedes: Peters Elected to Represent CA 52

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UPDATED Democratic challenger unseats longtime Republican incumbent.

According to a report first published by the UT-San Diego, Republican Representative Brian Bilbray has conceded his race for reelection to Democratic challenger Scott Peters.

As the polls closed on Election Day and as the vote counts began coming in from the Registrar of Voters, Bilbray maintained a lead throughout the night. But the margin started shrinking as more precincts reported in. As the clock ticked toward midnight on Nov. 7, the two candidates were separated by a mere 13 votes. By 1:30am, Peters had gained a 321 vote advantage.

It was a lead he would never relinquish, and that would continue to grow as the Registrar turned its focus to mail-in and absentee ballots. As of last night, that margin stood at 3,877 votes in favor of Scott Peters.   [Read more…]

The Starting Line—1000 Walmart Black Friday Protests Starting Early

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Protests aimed at disrupting Black Friday sales events at Walmart stores around the country began yesterday with walk-outs at a number of stores and the promise of more actions in the lead-up to what is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year.

Employees at six Seattle area Walmart stores walked off the job yesterday, protesting what they say is low pay, too few hours and retaliation by managers against workers who speak out. Another walkout is in progress at a warehouse supply location in Mira Loma, California and picket lines are in place this morning at a Walmart store in Dallas, Texas.

Inside: Dave Roberts In at County Supes, Tony Young Out at City Council, SDEA Recall Petitions Filed, IB Parents Cry Foul

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Post-Election Thoughts … What if the Blue States seceded from the Red States?

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The election is over and the dust really has finally settled. By the way my candidate lost, but it isn’t easy being Green. The 47% and then some spoke up and now, maybe, just maybe, WE can get to work and do the good things we do well, fix the good things we use to do well, and set aside the bad stuff which has been gnawing at our insides for so long.

WE proved the Koch Brothers, et al. could not buy an election, and Karl Rove is as superfluous as a dead rat on the floor just waiting to be swept up and thrown out with the garbage. WE, with the help of Donald Trump and Ted Nugent, proved that just because you have money and a forum, does not preclude you from being as crazy as a three-dicked goat. WE proved that even FOX News has to concede something to the other side every once and while.   [Read more…]

Labor Council Head Lorena Gonzalez: ‘San Diego Progressives Have a Lot to Be Thankful For’

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Passage of Prop 30, Defeat of Prop 32 and Bilbray, Filner and Roberts Victories All Are Cause to Celebrate

By Lorena Gonzalez

San Diego’s progressive community has a lot to be thankful for this November. We passed Proposition 30, defeated Proposition 32, took down Brian Bilbray and elected Bob Filner our next mayor! And for good measure, we elected Dave Roberts as the first Democrat and first fresh blood of any kind on the county Board of Supervisors in two decades.

In the process, we swept through dozens of school board and city council races across the region and elected leaders like Dr. Shirley Weber to continue the good work in Sacramento – now with a supermajority that has the ability to break the stranglehold of Grover Norquist’s no-tax pledge.
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The Starting Line – Anti Union Group Cries Foul Over Convention Center Expansion

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The Associated Builders and Contractors of San Diego, a local chapter of a national right wing anti union group, has responded to prompts from the SD-UT editorial page by demanding that the city of San Diego release details of a recently reached agreement between a private contractor and organized labor.

KPBS reports that the ABC group is claiming that the deal gives unions control of the expansion of San Diego’s Convention Center project. They are demanding details of the agreement, hoping to prove that the city government played a role in brokering the agreement, which could then be construed as being in violation of a ballot measure passed earlier this year banning Project Labor Agreements on government projects.   [Read more…]

Down the San Diego County Ballot – Results of Races Endorsed by Labor and Democrats

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A week or so after the November 6th election, we can now decipher a more whole picture of how San Diego County voted – and look at the results of those races where candidates were endorsed by the San Diego Labor Council* and/ or the Democratic Party. And we also can see just how extensive Barack Obama’s coattails were. Just who were the winners and losers down the ballot – the lesser knowns running in those smaller cities and school boards scattered across this huge county?
City Races

Chula Vista – Both candidates endorsed by Labor and the Dems won handily: Pamela Bensoussan with 60% of the vote and Mary Salas with 58%.

Coronado – Casey Tanaka, endorsed by the Labor Council and the Democratic Party for mayor, won in a landslide with 70%.
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Election Update: Peters Widens Gap with Bilbray

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As the vote count at the San Diego County Registrar of Voters office extends into its second week, Scott Peters continued to see his lead in the 52nd Congressional District race grow. The previous update from the Registrar showed Peters with a 1,899 vote lead over Republican incumbent Brian Bilbray.

As of last night’s update, with approximately 210,000 mail-in and provisional ballots from around the county yet to be counted, Peters’ lead grew to 2,660, further dimming Bilbray’s reelection hopes.   [Read more…]

The Starting Line – Foreclosure Notification Ordinance Passes City Council on Party Line Vote.

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After more than a year of organizing and agitating, including protests at local bank branches, activists have succeeded in winning City Council approval of an ordinance requiring registration of foreclosed homes in San Diego.

A coalition including the Center on Policy Initiatives, ACCE, the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, AFSCME and many others fighting bank foreclosure blight in San Diego neighborhoods was on hand last night as the City Council voted 5-3, splitting along party lines with Republicans opposed, to enact the Property Value Protection ordinance.

Walmart Walkouts Redux, Education ‘Reformers’ Lose Elections, Bigotry on Parade

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Republicans’ Exile into Ignominy Not Healthy in the Long Run

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Anti-tax, anti-reality zealotry smacked down in San Diego, statewide, and nationally, but a more moderate and modern Republican Party is needed for good governance long term.

Last week, Republicans across America—and especially in California—were dealt a pretty crushing defeat. Despite confident predictions to the contrary and despite a pre-election victory dance being done by Republicans and their talking heads on Fox News, Barack Obama thrashed Republican standard bearer Mitt Romney to win a second term as President of the United States.

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The Starting Line – Hundreds of Thousands Sign Up to Dump the Trump

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An online appeal aimed at getting Macy’s Department stores to fire Donald Trump as an advertising spokesman is expected to pass the half million signature mark today.  Citing the celebrity millionaire’s ‘unpleasant, nasty and despicable behavior’, the signon.org petition statement says:

Macy’s: Donald Trump does not reflect the “magic of Macy’s.” We urge you to sever ties with him. Macy’s says it has a strong obligation to be “socially responsible” and that “actions speak louder than words.” Indeed. It’s time to act.
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The Fable of Brian Brown or the Great Marriage Non Sequitur

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(Note, 11 Nov 2012: On November 7, the nation’s evolving attitude toward same-sex marriage was demonstrated at the polls in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington, where voters supported the right to marry. And the reaction from Brian Brown, Executive Director of the National Organization for Marriage? We are not defeated. We are not defeated. We are not–. … And, so, my thanks to Brian for providing much of the dialogue and a significant amount of the narrative for the following fable, from the last four year’s of NOM emails, media releases and website content.)   [Read more…]

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