Michael Moore on Larry King tonight (Wed.)

Michael Moore will be Larry King's only guest tonight (Wednesday), live, for the full hour.
Tune in to CNN at 9pm ET (repeated at midnight and 3am),
6pm PT (repeated at 9pm, and midnight).

He's back! He's taken on the Bush Administration, health care, and gun control. Now he takes on Larry! Michael Moore on all the hot news of the day.

• E-mail your questions.
• Send us a video e-mail!

May 11: Mother's Day Peace Stroll

May 11th Sunday, 11am

SECOND ANNUAL MOTHER'S DAY PEACE STROLL WITH CODEPINK NYC AND THE GRANNY PEACE BRIGADE

Meet at the Merchants Gate at Columbus Circle (59th and Central Park West)
(If it rains, the parade is cancelled, but we will proceed under cloudy skies.)

Wear festive attire, bring signs of peace, and also bring your mother, grandmother, kids, partners, spouses, neighbors and dogs for a lively stroll lead by a marching band.

Most people think that Mother's Day was a holiday invented by Hallmark to sell more cards. But, in fact, Mother's Day for Peace was instituted in 1870 by Julia Ward Howe as a response to the carnage of the Civil War. She called on women to come together to commemorate their dead and to find "the means whereby the great human family can live together in peace..."

Our Mothers' Day Peace Stroll will step off from Columbus Circle at 11:15am
and head up Broadway to 66th Street, right to Columbus, up Columbus through the flea market and art fair near the Natural History Museum.
We will read the Mothers' Day proclamation on the steps of the museum,
then head through the park to read the proclamation again on the steps of the Met.

May Day (May 1): Rally

May 1st, 2pm & 3pm

INTERNATIONAL WORKERS' DAY

2 p.m. rally
3 p.m. March to Union Square

CODEPINK NYC joins with Break the Chains Campaign for a Rally at Roosevelt Square (in Chinatown)
followed by a march to the mass workers' rally at Union Square.

Meet at Roosevelt Park, (Grand Street between Forsyth & Chrystie St.)
(B/D trains to Grand St)

Join CODEPINK NYC to demand:
Repeal of the Employer Sanction Provision;
Legislate equal rights for all workers;
Establish a genuine path to citizenship for undocumented workers

Contact the Break the Chains Campaign
c/o NMASS at 212.358.0295.
http://www.breakthechainsnow.org

May 1: ReBel Diaz at The Bowery Poetry Club

ReBEL DIAZ- LIVE - READY FOR WAR


Hey Yall-
SPread the word!
MAY DAY FREEDOM FEST
REBEL DIAZ is performing this Thursday....
along with some other DOPE FOLKS!

Bowery Poetry Club308 Bowery Street
(Between Houston and Bleecker)
(F train to 2nd Ave, 6 to Bleecker)

11:30pm-3am
$7 with Flyer/$10 without

A night of celebration and unity, there will be feature performances by Rebel Diaz, NYOIL, and Kalunga Neg Mawon, with DJ Chela and legendary pioneer Dj Disco Wiz, the first latino Hip Hop DJ, on the 1s and 2s.
Showtime is at midnight. Party until 3am.

Support Political Hip Hop!

mail@bowerypoetry.com
212-614-0505

May 1: MASS RALLY for IMMIGRANT & WORKER RIGHTS

Thursday MAY 1st

MASS RALLY for IMMIGRANT & WORKER RIGHTS

Stop the Raids & Deportations
Legalization Now · Justice for ALL

12 pm: Gather at Union Square, (14th Street & Broadway)

4 pm: Rally & March

May Day 2008 is critically important. Will the optimism and hope expressed around the Presidential elections translate into an end of immigrant raids and deportations? Will it bring an end to the foreclosures of homes, the lowering of gas and food prices, or an end to lay-offs?

Whatever the outcome in November, the May 1st Coalition for Immigrant and Workers Rights will be marching once again on May Day, International Workers Day to say no to all the attacks against workers here and around the world.

We (NYC May 1st Coalition for Immigrant & Workers Rights) call on the progressive community, the anti-war movement, the women's & LGBT movement, and especially the labor movement, to come out for May Day 2008. March for solidarity, because an injury to one is an injury to all!

NYC May 1st Coalition for Immigrant & Workers Rights
55 West 17 Street, #5C, New York, NY 10011
or
c/o Teamsters Local 808, 22-43 Jackson Ave., Long Island City, NY 11101
Tel: (641) 715-3900 ext. 97869# (you must include #)
Tel. (516) 582-2720 (Spanish)

The Supreme Court and the Abridgement of Democracy

In a fascinating article "Redefining Iran as the Enemy in Iraq," Ivan Eland says:

At the [[Petraeus] congressional hearings, however, there were signs that the latest botched Iraqi government offensive in Basra...was beginning to flip a few Republicans against the war.

This movement was indicated by some Republicans adopting the Democrats’ argument that Iraqis were failing to do enough to become democratic.

Although it is grossly unfair to invade a country, destroy its social fabric and economy, and then expect people who have had no experience in democracy to quickly become democrats, if it takes those rhetorical gymnastics to justify a more rapid U.S. withdrawal, then I guess it’s an improvement.

after all, in over two-hundred years we haven't become democrats. In fact, in recent years we have been moving further and further away from democracy. If democracy is the constant expansion of the franchise to more and more people, we are going in the opposite direction. Witness Monday's Supreme Court decision on photo IDs for voting access eligibility.

Under Indiana's law, voters must present a government-issued photo ID with an expiration date that has not elapsed. The law does not accept Veterans' IDs, Congressional IDs, student IDs, or work IDs.

Many citizens -- disproportionately low-income, minorities, students and seniors -- do not have the identification required by Indiana's law.

"In the three years since this case was brought, reliable studies have shown that 10-12% of eligible voting-age Americans do not have voter government-issued photo identification, particularly low-income, minority, senior, and student voters. Unfortunately, some will ignore these facts, and seek to use this ruling to manipulate the rules of the game and block these eligible voters from the ballot box," stated Justin Levitt, counsel at the Brennan Center.

So it would seem the right-wing Supreme Court is once again trying to manipulate the democratic process (Remember 2000.) Clearly in the Democratic primary in Indiana who's most likely to be hurt by the deprivation of voting rights to "low income, minority, senior, and student voters" -- Clinton or Obama? It has become more and more obvious that the right-wing nuts would much rather run against Clinton than Obama.

If you doubt this just read super neo-con William Kristol's column ("Hillary Gets no Respect") in today's (Monday) New York Times:

But Hillary may well be the better candidate. After all,

He says,

for all the talk of Obama's extraordinary ability to draw voters to the polls, Clinton has defeated him in the big states....

This totally bogus argument, straight out of the Clinton play book, has been reinforced by the latest Supreme Court interference in the election process.

May 31: Pedal for Peace 2008

NYC United for Peace and Justice Alert
www.unitedforpeace.org/nyc
212-868-5545

Pedal for Peace 2008:
Fund our communities, Not War! Bring all the Troops Home Now!

Saturday, May 31, 11:00 AM
(Rain Date June 6)
(Registration/Check in at 10:00 AM)

Ride begins and ends in Central Park
(Enter at 110th and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.)

Join NYC United for Peace and Justice for a fun afternoon of bicycling.
Be a part of the cycle of peace!
A Family Friendly 15-mile Ride

This will be the second annual Pedal for Peace, a fundraising ride to support the work of NYC United for Peace and Justice. This is a permitted ride that will wind through East Harlem, Harlem and the Upper Westside. It is a great combination of cycling through neighborhoods and more open tree-lined roads (Edgecombe and Riverside Drives). We will keep a gentle pace to encourage families and less experienced riders to participate. For the hardcore cyclists, it will be more like a stroll giving you an opportunity to take in the sites as we go. Most importantly, we will be making a statement as we ride: Fund our communities, Not War! Bring all the Troops Home Now!

REGISTER TODAY! Registration is $40 or $25 low-income/student. Children under 18 ride free. All riders get a fabulous Pedal for Peace t-shirt. Everyone is encouraged to also get sponsors. There are great gifts for those who raise $250 or more!

The first 50 riders to register, as well as all children, will get a safety flag with a peace symbol on it. We encourage you to get creative and decorate your bike with messages of peace!

Pedaler for Peace: $250
UFPJ Gift Pack including various items like stickers, t-shirt, books, etc.

Champion of Justice: $500
The UFPJ Gift Pack plus a $25 gift certificate to a bike shop and/or other bike gear.

Peacemaker Extraordinaire: $1000 or more
The $500 level gifts plus a Collector's Item "We the People Say No to the Bush Agenda" Flag and an Ipod shuffle.

Register today! Every rider will be able to set up their individualized fund raising page to make getting sponsors really easy! (Children under 18 who want to fundraise and volunteers should call 212.868.5545 to register.)

Are you riding in the 5 Borough Bike Ride on Sunday, May 4th? We are looking for volunteers to pass out Pedal for Peace leaflets. As a thank-you, you will get free registration to the ride and your Pedal for Peace t-shirt early. To sign-up, please send an email to ufpjnyc@unitedforpeace.org or call 212-868-5545.

Not only will Pedal for Peace be a great ride but it gives you another opportunity to help support the peace movement. NYC-UFPJ is a coalition of around 75 groups. We organize city-wide actions like River to River: Join Hands for Peace. We sponsor coordinated actions like leafleting on Tax Day and Opt-Out Education on Parent-Teacher Nights. We are working with others to combat aggressive military recruitment in the schools. And more!

But we can't do any of this without the funds! We hope you will join us by not only riding but by spreading the word and getting sponsored as well!

I look forward to riding with you on May 31st!

Please share this as widely as possible!

Peace,
Leslie Kielson
Coordinator, NYC-UFPJ

May 3: 50 Artists,50 Shots: Artists Repond to the Sean Bell Verdict

Saturday, May 3, 7:00 pm

50 Artists,50 Shots: We are All Sean Bell

Artists Repond to the Sean Bell Verdict

Brecht Forum
451 West Street
(that's the West Side Highway)
bt Bank & Bethune Sts

Artists TBA
This is an outcry responding to the verdict of Sean Bell's case. Artists, Community Leaders and Activists come together to educate, share, learn, mourn, and inspire all of us on the Sean Bell case, the legal system, transformation, and action. This will be a Free Event and All Performances are Voluntary. First come basis, once we have all 50 Artists the list will end. ***If you are interested pleasae submit your name, contact info, and a brief description of the work, you would like to perform to: mahinamovement@yahoo.com

Co-sponsor: Mahina Movement

Young at Heart a film with lots of heart

Last Saturday evening Ann and I with our friend Barbara went to see a movie about some old codgers (in their 70s and 80s) singing rock songs. It's wonderful and you'll fall in love with them. There are sad moments, but most of it is very up and wonderful. It's called Young at Heart. If it has a message it's that even if you can't stay alive literally, you can stay figuratively alive.

Anyway here they are singing "I Want to be Sedated" by the Ramones:

May Day event: Play

Don't Blame Me, I Voted for Helen Gahagan Douglas
a new comedy/drama by Michelle Willens and Wendy Kout
starring Christine Lahti and James Naughton

May 1, 7:30pm
Symphony Space in Manhattan
Leonard Nimoy Thalia
$50; Student $20; With Reception and one-year subscription to The Nation Magazine $100 (call box office at 212.864.5400)



The 1950 Senate race in California pitted the popular Democratic Congresswoman Helen Gahagan Douglas against a young Republican member of the House named Richard Nixon. The campaign was destined to be one of the nation's most infamous and is notable as the race that Nixon acquired his "Tricky-Dick" moniker. Nixon waged an unrelenting red-baiting campaign, calling Gahagan Douglas "pink right down to her underwear." The contest is also well-known as the first "modern election" in that dirty campaigning was married to sophisticated media technology.

Don't Blame Me, I Voted for Helen Gahagan Douglas is a new comedy/drama by Michelle Willens and Wendy Kout that tells the true story of the infamous 1950 U.S. Senate race in which Nixon destroyed the elegant Congresswoman (and wife of actor Melvyn Douglas).

On May 1, thanks to the playwrights' generosity, there will be a special May 1 reading of the play starring Christine Lahti and James Naughton with all proceeds going to The Nation magazine.

Nation writer John Nichols will be speaking at a special post-reading reception. Taking place at 7:30 on May 1 at Symphony Space in Manhattan. Click here for info and to buy tickets.

Today: Protest miscarraige of justice in Sean Bell murder

Sean Bell, Nicole [Paultry] Bell
and their baby
COPS ACQUITTED ON ALL COUNTS IN THE MURDER OF SEAN BELL

RALLY TODAY,

5:30 PM

Queens DA's Office, 125-01 Queens Blvd. (bt Hoover Ave and 82nd Ave.)
(E or F train to Union Turnpike.)

Once again the justice system has failed to protect the rights of people of color. A message is once more sent that law enforcement officers can act with impunity. Sean Bell joins a tragic list of those victimized by police, who have been denied justice. The names sound through history like drumbeats in a funeral procession: Amadou Diallo, Patrick Dorismond, Eleanor Bumpers, Alberta Spruill, Ousmane Zongo, and on and on and on.

As United for Peace and JUSTICE, we must always respond to injustice. We must affirm that all human life is worthy, that injustice must always be confronted. That is why we urge everyone who can to come out to the protest rally today.

Media buoys Clinton chances

I think this brief discussion on the Democratic race, which took place before the results of yesterday's Pennsylvania primary were known, highlights the negative role the media has played. It's between Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann. Although they don't actually say it, I think that the media has played this role because they need a good story to get ratings, they really don't care about democracy. (video first posted on YouTube)

Media makes much of little in PA

From America Blog
Hillary gets only small delegate bump from PA
by John Aravosis (DC)

As predicted, Pennsylvania changed nothing. Obama still leads Hillary by 131 delegates overall,and 156 pledged (not "super") delegates:
NBC News has allocated so far a 75-65 split for Clinton out of Pennsylvania;
18 delegates are not allocated yet.

With that, Obama now leads by 156 pledged delegates: 1,482-1,326.

Our superdelegate total is Clinton 262, Obama 237.

In all, Obama now leads by 131 overall: 1,719-1,588.

April 26: Fifth Annual Brooklyn Peace Fair

Fifth Annual
Brooklyn Peace Fair

Saturday April 26
11:00 am–6:00 pm

Long Island University
Brooklyn Campus
Workshops 11 am to 2 pm
Plenary session 2 pm to 3 pm
Performance showcase 3 pm to 6 pm
Plan now for you and your organization to participate!

See lineup of workshops, speakers, presenters and performers.

Co-Sponsored by:

Brooklyn For Peace
41 Schermerhorn St., PMB 106
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718–624–5921
peacefair@brooklynpeace.org

Student Government Association
Long Island University Brooklyn Campus
1 University Plaza
Flatbush Avenue at DeKalb
Brooklyn, NY 11201-8423

(Convenient transportation from all neighborhoods in Brooklyn: B, M, Q, R to DeKalb Avenue • 2, 3, 4,5 to Nevins Street • A, C, G Hoyt-Schermerhorn • Buses B65, B103, B37, B63, B45, B25, B52, B26, B38, B67, and B41 See a map.)

Fox virus infects other TV networks

Is the Fox virus spreading to the rest of TV? This disease seemed to have infected the ABC questioners at last week's presidential debate.

These videos are from Brave New Films



Here's more from last week's ABC presidential debate: Obama being questioned about Bill Ayers and Clinton joining in and seconding the rediculous attack

May 2-4: Jobs with Justice National Conference

Jobs with Justice National Conference

May 2-4, 2008

Providence, Rhode Island

The 2008 JwJ National Conference will attract a diverse group of more than 1,000 labor, community, student, and religious activists from across the and the world for sessions on building power for workers, health care for immigrant rights, the campaign for a floor wage in Asia, student and youth organizing, low-income worker organizing, music, art, fun, and more!

For more than a decade, the Jobs with Justice National Conference has provided activists with a space to come together to celebrate our victories, share our experiences, learn new skills, and build stronger relationships. Year after year this inspiring gathering brings together leaders and activists from around the country and the world who are working to build powerful coalitions for workers' rights and economic justice. The conference combines skills-building and information-sharing workshops with issue-focused strategy sessions to provide opportunities for participants to deepen their commitment to Jobs with Justice at a national level, and to take concrete plans of action back to their local coalitions. In addition to plenary sessions with distinguished speakers and skills-building workshops, the JwJ conference is an opportunity to celebrate the work that local coalitions have done over the last year and to have some serious fun! At each National Conference, we also identify a local campaign where national presence can make a difference and we organize an action to call attention to the campaign.

How about moderate Republicans voting Democratic?

The media political pundits have talked allot about so-called "Reagan Democrats" voting for McSame, but have paid very little attention to the possibility of moderate Republicans who are deeply sick of the Bush/Cheney brand of foreign and domestic policies voting for a Democratic candidate. For example:

McCain is just a Bush clone and offers nothing for us, our future or our kids. And, he wants to keep the [Iraq] war going.” she said.

But the jump to the Democrats comes with one caveat:

“There’s no way I’d vote for Clinton, I just don’t like her. If the choice is Clinton-McCain, it will be McCain.”

These are the words of Richard L. Fricker's 39-year-old niece, Penny, "a mom with a child in “Christian” day-care, a Presbyterian, a manager of an upscale jewelry store, a wife of a department store manager – and, oh yes, a Republican."

Obviously this is limited anecdotal evidence, but it's a potential worth media attention.

April 21: Protest war criminal Cheney

Monday April 21, 2008
starting at 10:00 AM
740 Park Avenue (@71st Street)

Vice President Cheney will be in town shilling for cash for NY Congressman Vito Fossella. They'll be hosted by NYC's wealthiest resident, David Koch, the billionaire head of Koch Industries, a conglomerate with hugely polluting oil and gas holdings. Koch Industries is the second largest privately-held company in the U.S. and a major contributor to Republican campaigns.

Protest Cheney and tell the luncheon guests: Fossella must go!

This protest is being organized by Truth 13, an independent group of concerned citizens dedicated to removing New York's 13th Congressional District representative Vito Fossella from office. Their mission is to educate voters of the 13th Congressional District about Vito Fosella's atrocious voting record and the bad company he keeps. Joining in the fun will be members of Codepink, NY Progressive Democrats of America and others.

Contact Merle Mceldowney (Truth 13) 212 933-0290 merle.mceldowney@gmail.com for more information.

In 2000, Koch Industries faced a federal indictment charging it with concealing releases of 91 metric tons of the carcinogen benzene from a Texas refinery. If convicted, the company faced fines of up to $352 million, plus possible jail time for its executives. Under George W. Bush's presidency, the U.S. Justice Department dropped charges the day the case was scheduled to begin, in return for a one-time $20M fine -- less than 6% of what it could have been.

Nancy Pelosi "afraid ad"

"There is something truly phenomenal going on in San Francisco. A political novice by the name of Shirley Golub has the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, running scared, afraid that if she agrees to debate the challenger she will not be able to defend her record of capitulation, afraid the voters of the 8th congressional district will no longer make excuses for political cowardice . . . just afraid.

"And that's exactly the way Shirley Golub called it last week, when she called Nancy Pelosi out for being a political coward, using those exact words. Listen to the radio ad they are all talking about for yourself."

Pelosi Afraid Ad:

UNC Chapel Hill Students Occupy Chancellor's Office

UNC student protesters settle in
as the administration building
closes for the night.
Photo by Harry Lynch, The News Observer


Students Occupy Chancellor's Office
NO Sweatshops!
NO Union busting!

About 10 students from UNC Chapel Hill's SAW - (Student Action with Workers) - which includes several members of Raleigh FIST - as well as members of UNC SDS, SPEAC (Solidarity with Palestine through Education and Action), and USAS - have been occupying the Chancellor's office for 24 hours now - demanding that the University sign on to the DSP - Designated Supplier Program - that would ensure that apparral made with the UNC logo is made by workers free from anti-union intimidation and full rights to organize - - demanding "Stop Union Busting" and "UNC Sweatfree" - the students have committed to staying as long as it takes - and are prepared to continue the occupation through the weekend.

How to Support the Students:

CALL CHANCELLOR MOESER at 919-962-1365 and tell him you support the students who are sitting in at his office and demand that he immediately adopt the DSP!