I was caught off guard by Pat Nichting’s decision (apparently) to not seek re-election to the Peoria City Council from the 5th District (kudos to Word on the Street for the scoop). In general, I think Nichting represented the district the way he thought he should — by devoting much of his time and energy representing the business and developers. It’s not surprising. The other four council districts are basically a collection of distinct neighborhood, and political organization is based on neig

Survival In The Struggling Economy by Marisa November 19, 2008 I’ve stopped watching the financial reports on TV. Every time we hear that there’s a rise in the stock market, it’s followed by another dip. Consumer confidence is down, investors aren’t investing and everyone is waiting and watching. In the meantime, life goes on. No matter what is happening in the world of finance, we all still have bills to pay. Utilities, mortgage or rent, car payments, insurance, food and fuel continue

DIRECTORY: Home | The Presidency | P2008 Race | State/Federal Candidates | Political Parties Calendar | Campaign Products & Services | Issues | News Blog | News Links FAQ | View from Abroad | Bookstore | Our Awards | Advertise | About Us | Email Us MONDAY NEWS UPDATE. OBAMA TO ANNOUNCE NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM; OHIO CONGRESSIONAL RACE BACK IN STATE COURT; RNC CHAIR RACE NEWS. Note: Vin is traveling, so you’ve got me back for a day or two. – Ron OBAMA CABINET. President-ele

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – California’s gay-rights movement has been beset by infighting and finger-pointing since the defeat of same-sex marriage at the ballot box, with some activists questioning the campaign’s mild tactics, including the decision not to show same-sex couples in ads. The movement’s leaders “were very timid. They were too soft,” said Robin Tyler, a lesbian comic who created a series of celebrity public service announcements with the slogan “Stop the Hate, No on 8” that were rejected

November 30, 2008 By Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas It is undeniable that the Latino vote had a tremendous impact on the election. Approximately 17.9 million Latinos are currently eligible to vote, 9.1 million of whom are women, and since 2004, the number of Latinos registered to vote has doubled. Early exit polling suggests that Latinos overwhelmingly supported Obama, with 67 percent voting for Obama and 30 percent voting for McCain. According to the University of Massachusetts’s Cent

The Portland Tribune published a piece on their website a few days ago called What can you do for your country? And as soon as I read it I knew that I wanted to write about it. But there seems to be a subthread woven through it which seemed deserving of being dealt with on it’s own. So inbetween all of the cooking I’ve done over the last several days – which I love doing – I’ve been mulling it. And I’m going to stick with the main theme. Steve Novick is even willing to give up eating meat if hi

So during the last big San Francisco election, in 2006, Chris Daly was running for supervisor. He was getting a lot of flack from “neighborhood” groups who wanted him to “do something” (read: put more folks in jail) about evidence of drug use and prostitution in their neck of the Mission, which is, well — you want to live in the suburbs, you know where they are, right? Exit stage 101 south. In frustration with all the name calling and rhetoric, someone or a group of someones went and wheatpaste

A victim of the political repression in Zimbabwe (Photo from Times Online) Land of Broken Trust — Washington Post Though Widespread Brutality Has Ebbed in Zimbabwe, Political Violence Simmers and Threatens to Reignite ZAKA, Zimbabwe — Perhaps, Kudakwashe Tsumele said, it is better that he cannot walk. If he could traverse the red dirt pathways surrounding his rural home, he might pass supporters of this troubled nation’s ruling party. And then, he said, he “would want to kill.” Instead, Ts

I officially have 1 more family member as of yesterday. Yea! My brother is married. I do not think I have ever seen him smile as much in one day as I did yesterday – at least not since he was a little kid. I am so happy for him and his bride!!! Oh, this week is going to be a good one! I am so excited it has begun, even if it began with more of a fizzle than a bang. Mr. Right and the kids all have had a cold and a low-grade fever today. By tonight, thankfully, the kids were feeling better. T

New York’s Democratic Party politicos promised voters, in an intense campaign, that if elected to a majority in the state house and state senate, they would introduce a marriage equality bill into law in 2009. New York’s Democratic governor, New York’s Democratic majority leader, and New York’s partisan Democratic gay lobby Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA) all promised LGBT voters that if they handed control of the state senate — long controlled by the GOP — to the Democrats, a marriage equali