National Politics

Left, Independent Political Action Conference: Unprecedented Cooperation

New Politics by Dan La Botz May 5, 2015 Some 200 political activists from a variety of independent political organizations, as well as individual activists, carried out a rich discussion and an amicable debate about how to collaborate in the work of building a large political alternative to the left of the Democratic Party. Participating in the Future of the Left/Independent Politics Conference, in an unprecedented spirit of cooperation, national, state, and local candidates and activists, as well as elected officials from the Green Party, the Peace and Freedom Party, the Richmond Progressive Alliance, Socialist Alternative, and the Vermont Progressive…


A report on The Future of Left/Independent Electoral Action in the United States conference

The North Star Project by Louis Proyect May 8, 2015 For those of us involved with the North Star project, last weekend’s conference on “The Future of Left/Independent Electoral Action in the United States” could only be seen as an important step forward for left unity. With 200 people in attendance, it was a harbinger of future developments moving us closer to the birth of a new anti-capitalist party that can finally express the yearnings of protest movements like Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter and the fight for a $15 minimum wage for social change. Half of the editorial…


Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders: Sheepdogging for Hillary and the Democrats in 2016

Black Agenda Report by BAR managing editor Bruce A. Dixon May 6, 2015 “The sheepdog is a card the Democratic party plays every presidential primary season when there’s no White House Democrat running for re-election.” Spoiler alert: we have seen the Bernie Sanders show before, and we know exactly how it ends. Bernie has zero likelihood of winning the Democratic nomination for president over Hillary Clinton. Bernie will lose, Hillary will win. When Bernie folds his tent in the summer of 2016, the money, the hopes and prayers, the year of activist zeal that folks put behind Bernie Sanders’ either…


US Greens speak out against TPP, TTIP

Global Greens by Scott McLarty May 4, 2015 The US Congress is preparing to vote on fast-track authority for President Obama, in support of a quick approval for the President to promote the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). On April 22, Senate Finance Committee approved fast-track legislation. The following day, fast track passed in the US House Ways and Means Committee after ten hours of debate. The next step will be a vote in House. (“Fast track” is a mechanism allowing the President to sign trade deals before Congress votes on them; when the vote eventually happens it must be a simple…


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Jim Webb, the Green Party and the Future of the Left

CounterPunch by Camilo Gómez April 29, 2015 Searching for an Alternative to Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton is supposed to be a liberal and of course the liberal establishment is backing her. But a lot of rank-and-file democrats seem no hope in the former First Lady that’s why the “Draft Warren” effort had been popular even the Massachusetts Senator doesn’t seem interesting in run. Besides the almost quixotic attempt of the “Draft Warren” attempt, Hillary will not face a serious challenger in the Democratic Primaries maybe with one exception. Jim Webb is a strong candidate even if the liberal establishment always…