Ralph Nader announced his bid for president on Meet the Press today. Tim Russert gave a ridiculous interview, focusing on the 2000 election and Nader's potential effect on Democrats rather than real issues. Below is a particularly blatant and shameful example of Russert's disregard for Nader's platform and politics:

[The election coverage has avoided discussion of Palestine/Israel] even though it's central to our security and to, to the situation in the Middle East. [Barak Obama] was pro-Palestinian when he was in Illinois before he ran for the state Senate, during he ran--during the state Senate. Now he's, he's supporting the Israeli destruction of the tiny section called Gaza with a million and a half people. He doesn't have any sympathy for a civilian death ratio of about 300-to-1; 300 Palestinians to one Israeli. He's not taking a leadership position in supporting the Israeli peace movement, which represents former Cabinet ministers, people in the Knesset, former generals, former security officials, in addition to mayors and leading intellectuals. One would think he would at least say, "Let's have a hearing for the Israeli peace movement in the Congress," so we don't just have a monotone support of the Israeli government's attitude toward the Palestinians and their illegal occupation of Palestine.

MR. RUSSERT: But would you prefer, as an American citizen, to have Barack Obama or John McCain as president?  continue reading »

Convocation: “The Contested Terrain of Religion in Public Life” Presenter: Kevin D. Dougherty, PH.D. Assistant Professor of Sociology, Baylor University From classrooms to court to Congress, the place of religion in public life seems hotly contested. Yet, at issue for most Americans is how religion fits into public life, not whether it does. New research on American beliefs and values offers a new look at past debates.

Held at Goddard Auditorium, Carpenter Hall on the campus of Earlham College. Free admission, no tickets required. For more information, call (765)983-1373.

Convocation: “Peace Corps and the 21st Century: How Expanding Peace Corps can Help Restore U.S. Standing in the World” Presenter: Kevin Quigley Ph.D., President/CEO National Peace Corps Association Discontent with the United States and its foreign policies has intensified during the last five years. These negative perceptions impede efforts to address important global challenges. The next President will have to address this. Quigley, argues that a significant expansion of Peace Corps should be part of this response.

To be held at Goddard Auditorium, Carpenter Hall on the campus of Earlham College. Free admission, no tickets required. For more information, call (765) 983-1373.

As reported in the Palladium-Item, Mayoral candidates Sally Hutton and Rick Thalls, along with candidates in other contested races for City Clerk and City Council, will debate on Thursday October 18th at 6:30 PM in Vivian Auditorium on the campus of IU East.

The debate is being hosted by the Richmond Wayne County Chamber of Commerce.

There are a number of resources available online to help Richmond residents decide which of the Mayoral candidates to vote for in the upcoming election. Last night's debate between Sally Hutton and Rick Thalls was captured in a variety of media formats; it was live-blogged and you can read the resulting transcript, the Pal-Item has a story, and posted video and audio from the event to go along with it. The paper is also publishing a blog co-written by the two candidates between now and election day, and they're also soliciting questions from readers that the candidates could answer on the blog. And of course you can visit the candidate websites: RickThalls.com and HuttonForMayor.com.

If you know of any other resources, online or offline, to help voters decide, feel free to mention them in the comments.

October 9th is the deadline to register to vote in the upcoming November Election.

Also note that a Rock the Vote concert happening at the Fourth Street Fair. Bands will play and there will be several people and booths registering people to vote. If you or anyone you know is not registered, please come and get registered to vote.

Election Day- May 8, 2007. The vote centers will be open from 6 AM to 6 PM local time:
* First English Lutheran Church
* Kuhlman Center
* Discovery School (Hibbard)
* Townsend Center

Can’t make it to the polls election day? Satellite voting:

Satellite voting is available at the following sites
Daily--April 30 through May 4--10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.:
* First English Lutheran Church,2727 National Rd East
* Kuhlman Center,861 N Salisbury Rd.

Absentee Voting:
Qualifying voters may vote absentee-by-mail or absentee-by traveling
board. Voters also have the option of voting absentee-in-person:

Wayne County Courthouse-Voter Registration Office
Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Beginning April 9, 2007 until NOON May 7, 2007  continue reading »

The Palladium-Item has published a summary of biographical information about candidates in the upcoming electoral races in Richmond:

* Mayoral Candidates, Democratic Party
* Mayoral Candidates, Republican Party
* Common Council District 2 Candidates, Republican Party
* Common Council, At Large Candidates, Democratic Party

You can find out more about the voting centers that will be available on the May 8th Election Day using this PDF brochure. You can also view a full list of the candidates (also PDF).

A lecture by Jonathan Kozol, Award-Winning Author on Education and Urban Issues In 1967, at the height of the civil rights movement, Kozol lost his teaching position for reading a Langston Hughes poem to his class of fourth graders. The event resulted in the publishing of the first of his several acclaimed and highly influential books, Death at an Early Age, which catapulted the state of America’s schools into the national and political consciousness. His solid, qualitative research and expertise on education in America has made him a definitive voice on the subject.  continue reading »

Richmond City Council Candidate Josh Williams will host a Town Meeting Saturday, April 14, to discuss issues affecting the community. Williams is running in the May 8th Democratic primary for an at-large seat on the Richmond Common Council.

The Town Meeting will convene at 11:00 a.m on Saturday at Charlie's Coffee Bar and Gallery, 416 North 10th Street, Richmond.

Williams, age 29, is a student at Indiana University East. He has twice been presented the "Disabled Student of the Year" award by the Community Council on Disability Awareness (CCDA). He is running "to be voice in our community that may not always be heard."  continue reading »